Hello, Therians!
It's time to welcome another super sexy book into this world :)
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY
There's a fantastic giveaway below, as well as an exclusive Play Me teaser!!
Play Me by Diane Alberts
Take a Chance, #3
Entangled Publishing - July 2013
Even the best-laid plans
can go awry.
Single-mom Kiersten Worth
knows a bottle of champagne and night of hot, no-strings-attached sex is the
perfect solution to her jilted bride blues…and Garrett Kelly, long-time friend
and her teenaged son’s sexy basketball coach, is just the stud for the job.
Garrett wants more from
the elusive temptress than a casual affair, but he never expects it to come in
the form of an unexpected pregnancy. When he proposes an unorthodox
solution—move in and raise their baby together—Kiersten has to decide whether
to let down her guard and open her heart to the man who secretly loved her for
years, or risk losing his tender embrace for good.
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EXCERPT
Kiersten glanced in the mirror and smoothed her hair
back out of her eyes with a trembling hand. Tonight, she was going to do
something completely out of character. Terrifyingly so. When she had been
sitting in the bleachers earlier, reflecting on the fact that today was supposed to have been her wedding day, she’d
compared her life now to what she’d expected it to be. And quite honestly…it
sucked. Her ex-fiance Pete was probably married to his skanky secretary by now.
Blissfully and happily getting ready to raise cheating little babies to match
their cheating, lying parents.
While she hadn’t even gotten laid since the
break-up.
Today was supposed to have been her special day—the
day she said I do. As the time had ticked
down on Chris’s game, it also had ticked down on her contentment to just…be
alone. Then it came to her—she didn’t have to be alone tonight. She could give
a final eff-you-Pete and sleep with the one man Pete had always been threatened
by.
Garrett.
Pete would never know, but she would.
And it would feel good.
Now all she needed to do was tell Garrett.
She hoped she hadn’t misread the interest in his
eyes. And hope he wouldn’t turn her down. She was choosing him as her target
because of three reasons. One? Proximity. He was coming to her place tonight
anyway. Two? He used to have a crush on her back in high school and probably
still wondered what it would be like between them, so less likely to reject
her. And three? That whole secret eff-you factor he would give her.
Maybe it was childish but so what? Pete had decided
he loved to bang his secretary more than he loved Kiersten, so why shouldn’t
she celebrate tonight with a good bout of forbidden sex and a little too much
wine?
And hopefully some sore legs tomorrow.
Yeah. That’s what so what she’d envisioned of this day when they had sent to save the date cards out.
Kiersten sent a quick goodnight text to Chris, who
was sleeping over his cousin’s house, and hurriedly brushed her hair. At most,
she only had thirty minutes before Garrett arrived—and the furriness of her
legs appalled her more than words could say. After a fast shower and an even
quicker make-up session, she stood in front of her closet gripped with
indecision on what to wear.
Could she really go through with this impetuous plan?
Seduce one of her only friends?
When Pete had destroyed the tiny bit of faith she’d
had in humanity, she had fallen to pieces. All of her life, she had avoided
relationships so Chris wouldn’t have a father figure enter his life and just as
quickly leave. But then the one freaking
time she trusted a man and let him in, he’d cheated on her with his secretary and
they’d called the whole thing off.
She had been broken hearted but Chris had been even
worse off.
She would never do it again. Wouldn’t bring an
unstable man into his life like she had before. She’d been right to avoid love.
All the love she needed she got from her family.
But she wouldn’t think about that asshat Pete. She
would drink with Garrett. Get a little stupid. Let loose. And have some casual,
no strings attached sex. If she could do that with anyone in her life, it would
be Garrett. He’d always been by her side, rooting her on.
Looking at her with those hot, blazing blue eyes
that seemed to undress her without a simple touch. Her stomach tightened just
thinking about him and that look. And given his years-long single status, he
didn’t seem to want a relationship any more than she did.
But what if he wanted more than she could give him? A
series of pictures ran through her head of how he would fall in love with her
and ask for her to marry him. Have kids with him.
She shuddered at the mere thought.
Nah. He wouldn’t want that. He’d never even acted on
his crush in high school, so how serious could it have been? Not once in all of their time together had he
even given her a slight hint he wanted those things. Hot glances? Yes. Happily
Ever After? No.
He was like her. Independent. Unattached, and content
to stay that way.
Marriage obviously wasn’t for the Worth children.
The only one of them that hadn’t been messed up from their parents screwed up
marriage was her older sister, Brianna. She was married with three kids. Her
previous husband had died, but Brianna had met another man she’d fallen head
over heels in love with. Thomas Jones. Now they were married and happily living
their normal lives in their normal house in their normal world.
Then there was her and her brother Mike.
Mike didn’t spend more than a night with the same
woman—if not an hour—and Kiersten refused to even try relationships ever again.
She was broken. Unfixable. She didn’t want to get married, or even fall in love
a second time. Didn’t want any kids besides Chris. She was fine alone.
But she needed to get laid. Needed to prove to herself that she wasn’t a complete failure
that couldn’t attract a man—nonetheless keep him. And Garrett seemed like a
sure bet, given the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn’t watching. Like
she was a woman, and he was a man. And he wanted her.
Or at least…she thought he did.
After pairing a scoop neck sweater with a black
skirt and applying a quick spritz of perfume, she made it downstairs just in
time to feel her phone vibrate in her hand. He was here. When she opened the door,
he stood there smiling at her, a bottle of Asti in his hand. The porch light
illuminated his perfection; as if God was reminding her just how exquisitely he
had made this particular male specimen.
“Hello,” she
said, motioning him inside.
“Hey,” he murmured. His blue eyes swept over her
body, leaving heat everywhere they touched. She normally wore sweats and a
T-shirt when he came over to hang out, so he was probably wondering at the
short skirt she wore. “Wow. You look pretty tonight.”
Her cheeks heated up. “Thanks.”
He came inside and she busied herself closing the
door and locking it. The chill of the metal cooled her hunger for him—to some
degree. “Is Chris gone?” he asked.
“Of c-course,” she stammered. “He’s at Brianna’s for
the night.”
Garrett strode into the living room and set the bottle
down before unzipping his coat. His black shirt clung to his finely tuned body,
and her fingers twitched. Everything from his black hair, to his six-pack, down
to his damn boots screamed out for her attention. And those blue eyes were
mesmerizing. She could get lost in them for hours.
“That’s good.” Running a hand over his shirt to
smooth it out, he cocked his head. “So we’ve got the whole place to ourselves,
huh? No whispering required.”
She headed for the glasses. Images of her screaming
out his name flashed over her, making her hot. She looked at him over her
shoulder, hoping the smile she gave him would pass as seductive. “We can be as
loud as we want. No one will hear me scream.”
He faltered in his steps, his eyes wide. Yep. She’d
gotten her point across.
She pulled the corkscrew from the drawer but he slid
up behind her and snatched it out of her hands. He always liked doing the
muscle work for her, as if she couldn’t possibly do it alone. It used to bug
her. Now, it didn’t. Weird.
She watched his muscles flex as he twisted the corkscrew,
and swallowed hard. What was wrong with her? She needed to stop ogling him like
she was thinking about stripping him naked here in the kitchen. Because she
totally wasn’t. At all.
She totally planned on bringing him upstairs before
stripping him.
“Are you doing okay?” He glanced at her out of the
corner of his eye, his brow furrowed. He was probably wondering what the hell
was wrong with her. “I know tonight’s gotta be rough for you.”
She swallowed. “I’m okay.”
“I know you are.” He squeezed her hand, then dropped
it. She clenched her fist. “But I’m here if you want to vent or cry or
whatever. Whatever you need.”
And she knew that, too. He was always there for her.
But he said that without knowing what she needed tonight. “I know,” she said
softly, her voice barely audible. “You’re a great friend.”
“I’d hope so. Sometimes I wonder, with how much you
try to hide our friendship.” When he reached around her to set the opened
bottle down on the granite counter, his breath fanned her cheek. He smelled
like cologne and woodsy shampoo. “I don’t get the secrecy. I had to lie to Mike
again so he wouldn’t ask questions about us.”
“It’s just better this way.”
“If you say so,” he drawled.
He leaned back against the counter and crossed his
arms. He was looking at her again. Really
looking. And even worse, something inside of her responded in a way she
didn’t fully understand or welcome. It was as if something gave way, or shifted
for him. She stared back at him, refusing to shrink away. Refusing to back
down. He held her gaze, both of them silently challenging the other to be the
first to look away.
If Mike knew what she was planning to do with Garrett
tonight, he’d slap her upside the head for messing with his best friend.
Brianna, on the other hand, would cheer her on. She always believed that love
and happiness conquered all, despite the fact that she’d lost her first husband
to cancer at way too young of an age.
And despite the fact that God had also taken their
sister in a car accident only months after she’d had her son.
Ah. To be so blissfully optimistic.
After what felt like a year, she finally gave up and
lost the staring contest. The longer she looked into those baby blues, the more
nervous she got. Sucking in a shaky breath, she busied herself with filling the
glasses up. “Thirsty?”
“Sure.” He eyed her but didn’t comment on her odd
behavior. “Did you finish editing that book you were working on Monday night?”
“Yep. It’s been all prettied up and sent back to the
author.” She worked from home as an editor and loved her job.
“Good.” Picking up the glasses, he handed her one
and held his out for a toast. “Let’s toast to celebrate the win today. Chris
did an excellent job and I have a feeling he’s only going to get better. You
have quite the amazing nephew.”
“I’m not going to argue that,” she answered. She watched
him over the rim of her glass, tension humming through her veins. His eyes
latched onto hers, heating up under her stare. She looked away and tucked her
side swept bangs behind her ear. “He wants to get a scholarship to Harvard, so
let’s hope he keeps improving.”
“He can do it.”
Kiersten smiled at his utter conviction. Once again,
something inside of her moved a little bit. She didn’t like it. “I know, but
thank you.”
He lifted his glass again. “And we’re also toasting
to your freedom from an asshole who didn’t know what he had when he had it,” he
said, his eyes hard. “If he hadn’t shown his true colors, you would be marrying
that jerk right now. You deserve so much better.”
She bit down hard on her tongue. He was right, but
it didn’t stop the pain and humiliation Pete had put her through. “I don’t want
to talk about him. I want to…to forget. To not think about what would have
been, or why I was stupid enough to believe in him in the first place.”
Because if she started thinking about what Pete had
done to Chris and her…she would break.
“Fair enough.” He stepped closer, his toes touching
hers. He smoothed her hair that she’d sloppily tucked behind her ear, watching
her as he did so. “Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?”
“Yes, you did.” She shivered, swaying closer despite
the warning bells going off in her head. And he didn’t move away from her. If
anything, he moved closer. Thank God. “But you shouldn’t say that.”
He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her chin,
perilously close to her mouth. “Why not?”
Yeah, why not?
And that brought them to her agenda for the
evening—sex. Time to start her arguments. State her case. They were both
consenting adults. Easy. Straightforward. Commitment free.
“I like it when you do.” She chugged the rest of her
drink. “But right now, we’re just friends. Friends don’t call each other
pretty.”
He quirked a brow at her and took the glass away
from her. She waited for him to question the right now part of her sentence, but instead he said, “You can call
me pretty if you want. I don’t mind.”
She rolled her eyes. “Okay, pretty boy. Get me
another drink, or I’ll have to slap you around a bit.”
He chuckled. “I might like that.”
She licked her lips. “I bet you would.”
He hissed in a breath through his teeth. “You’re
feisty tonight, aren’t you?”
“You have no idea.”
He shot her a heated look, finished his own cup, and
refilled them both with trembling hands. He seemed to steady himself by the
time he turned back around to face her. The fire was gone from his eyes and he
looked completely harmless. But she knew better.
“Here you go. You might want to slow down, though.
You’ll be drunk if you don’t.” His lips tilted up into a small smile. “But if
that’s what you want, then keep drinking. I won’t complain. I’ll even tuck you
in when you pass out on the couch.”
“Hm.” She tipped back the glass. “Or you could join
me?”
He stilled, the glass pressed to his lips. “What?”
“I’m kidding, of course.”
Was it just her, or did disappointment cross his
features? “Of course you are. I knew that.”
“But then again…” She rolled a small sip around her
tongue, watching him the whole time. After she swallowed, she slowly licked her
lips. He watched her every movement, his muscles tight. “Maybe I feel like
being a little bit stupid tonight. Want to join me?”
“Depends.” His hand tightened on the wine glass.
“What do you want to do?”
“I want…” She clung to her glass, trying to get the
nerve to say what she wanted out loud. What if she’d read him wrong? What if he
wasn’t interested in her at all? God, she was pathetic. She didn’t used to be
so uncertain of herself. She could thank her asshat of an ex for that, too. She
took another gulp of wine, wishing it would take effect quicker. “Never mind
that. Are you seeing anyone right now?”
He shook his head. “No. Why?”
“No reason.” She toyed with a piece of her hair and
took another sip. “Can I ask you something?”
He looked less than sure. “What?”
“Did you ever have a crush on me?” She moved closer
to him, and his lids dropped to cover his eyes, but not before she saw the
desire in them. Desire for her. The knowledge gave her the confidence she
needed to continue on. “Ever want to see what it would be like between us?”
He inhaled deeply. “You’re drunk already, aren’t
you?”
“No.” She set her glass down and grabbed a hold of
his shirt, tugging him closer. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, drowning out
anything else he said. “I’m not. I just want to let loose tonight. Have fun.
With you.”
“Kiersten…” Her name seemed to be ripped out of
somewhere deep within him. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his hands fell to her
hips. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see.” She smoothed the shirt over his
shoulders, then ran her hands down his hard biceps. “Now answer me.”
He stiffened. “What are you doing?”
“Touching you.” She looked up at him through her
lashes. “Why? You want me to stop?”
“Yes. No.” His eyes darkened, and his knuckles
whitened on the glass stem. “Shit. You better think twice about what you’re
doing. Once you start this, I’m not backing down.”
She bit down on her lower lip. “Who says I want you
to stop? Now answer me.”
“Kiersten…” He stepped back from her, his entire
body hard and unyielding. “Are you sure you’re not drunk?”
Please. She wished she was, it would make this
easier. She should have waited longer. Gotten some more drinks in them both.
But it was too late to back down now that she’d gotten the ball rolling. She
took his glass out of his hand, setting it beside hers. “No. I just want you.”
His hands fell to her hips. She couldn’t tell if he
wanted to push her away or pull her closer. Maybe a little of both? If he
rejected her, she would never be able to show her face in front of him again. “Are
you sure?”
“Very.” She wrapped her arms around his neck,
tugging him closer still. “Did you ever have a crush on me, or wonder what it
might be like to spend a night together? To kiss me? Touch me?”
He groaned, and his fingers tightened their grip on
her. “Yes. God, yes.”
“Good. Because I did, too. I still want to know what
it would be like. Tonight.” She lifted her chin and looked into his eyes. “Kiss
me.”
His gaze fell to her mouth. She was so close to
victory she could taste it. “Why now?”
She played with the curls at the nape of his neck.
“Why not?”
His jaw flexed. “I need a better answer than that.”
“I need to have fun tonight. Forget why I’m upset.
Forget it all.”
“And what about Chris?”
“He’ll never know, will he? He’s not here.” She
fought the desperation clawing its way up her throat. If he rejected her, she
would die. Just. Die. “Please, I need you tonight, Garrett. So bad.”
“I never could say no to you.” He let out a tortured
groan and lowered his head. He stopped just short of her lips. “But this will
change everything I’ll need—”
“Just stop talking and do it already.”
She rose on tiptoe, closing the distance between
them. When their lips touched, electric sparks had to have shot off of them. Once
their lips met, she forget every other supposedly amazing kiss she’d ever had
with any other man in her life. All that existed was Garrett. Like there hadn’t
been anyone else in her life but him. Always him.
It terrified her.
She started to pull back, to change her mind, but
then his tongue slipped into her mouth and he tipped her backwards over his
arm. She clung to him, completely wrapped up in the way he held her. The way
his lips moved over hers, tasting of Asti and pure Garrett. Digging her
fingernails into his shoulders, she ripped her mouth away from his with
considerable effort.
“Upstairs. Now.” She wasn’t risking him changing his
mind.
He swept her into his arms and flung her over his
shoulder. He smacked her ass hard enough to sting, but not so hard it actually
hurt. “Right away, ma’am.”
He took the stairs two at a time and reached her
bedroom door within seconds.
Thank God.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Diane Alberts has always
been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn't until 2011 that
she put her pen where her brain was, and
became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she
has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes
she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in
Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat,
and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she's not writing, she can
usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.
She is a multi-published, bestselling
author with Entangled Publishing, Swoon Romance, and Decadent Publishing. ON ONE CONDITION hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble Bestseller List, and TRY ME hit
#76 on Amazon. CAPTIVATED BY YOU hit #31 on the Barnes and
Noble bestseller list. Her goal is to write so many fantastic books
that even a non-romance book fan will know her name. She also writes New Adult
books under the name Jen McLaughlin. Diane is represented by Louise Fury from
the L. Perkins Agency.
Connect With Diane:
Website:
http://dianealberts.com/
