Sample The Vet's Christmas Pet

The fact that Jade thought she had to put on a brave face saddened me. No five-year-old child should have to pretend something didn't matter just to avoid upsetting her parent.

amzn.to/20xhcfv

I swallowed my sigh and walked through the doorway, carrying one glass of Otaheite apple juice and one glass of water. "The patient is okay?" I asked.

Matthias nodded. "He's fine. Totally recovered." He slipped Jade a sideways glance and tugged her plait. "He'll be in good health if he sticks to doggie food."

She leaned her head back and smiled. "I already promised not to give him any more cake."

Tipping his head at the fish tank, Matthias said, "I hope you haven't been giving Phyllis cake either."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

The phone rang, distracting Jade. She jumped off the sofa and picked up the handset, which she always did since she loved answering the phone.

I handed Matthias the glass of water, leaving the other on the table for Jade and paid attention when she said, "Hi, Daddy."

Her gaze slid sideways and then she said. "Yeah, me and Doc."

A few beats went by before she smiled. "He fixed up Ridley."

A hand went to her side. "Ridley is my dog."

When her brows crumpled, I wanted to take the phone from her. She put one hand across her stomach, reminding me of the way I stood when answering the phone—especially when I was in defensive mode.

"Mommy said I could have him."

Jade's tone pulled my head out of the clouds and I moved to where she stood and took the handset. "Dane. What's up?"

"Who's Doc and when did Jade get a dog?"

"We found him, and Doc—"

"You allowed Jade to keep a stray dog? How d'you know—"

"Calm down. Ridley isn't a health risk."

"When did you find time to go to veterinary school?"

This was the way it had been between us in the last few years. I'd had enough of him so I sighed, turning away from Matthias, who was too still to not be listening to me.

"What d'you want?"

"I was calling to let you know I'll be out of town this weekend, so I can't have Jade over on Friday."

"So what's new?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"This is the third time in a row you've cancelled your weekend—no, the one day you're supposed to spend with her."

"You know the job—"

I lowered my voice and stepped away from Matthias and Jade. "Whatever. Your job isn't supposed to be more important than your child."

"You're just trying to guilt me and by the way, who is that man you have over there?"

"That's none of your business and by the way, that's not me making you guilty. It's what's left of your conscience. Don't worry. I'll tell Jade you can't see her on Friday. Just like the last two times."

While he sputtered, I hung up the phone.

To find out what happens next, visit amzn.to/20xhcfv

Amazon Has Done A Thing

So I noticed that Amazon has put a couple of my paperbacks on sale, so there's no reason not to share that. The series is Virtues & Vices and although the characters in each book are related, each is a standalone story. Do have a look-see right now. 😀 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097HN32RM

DNA When an unauthorized test yields unexpected results, the Majors family goes through a trial by fire.

Sacrifice Dane’s two-year-old daughter is the center of his world, but his life implodes when he discovers a son from a previous relationship.

Dominic's Pride Dominic Whitehorn’s existence revolves around women and parties until he finds a woman who makes him question the meaning of life.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097HN32RM

Sample Sunday - DNA

If you haven't read DNA, here's a chance to sample what the story is about. 

Amoy chewed a bit of banana, feeling like a condemned prisoner consuming the last meal before execution. Try as she might, she couldn’t find a positive spin to put on this situation.

“You're taking the boys to your father?” Russ asked, without looking at her.

“Yeah, he's expecting them.”

“I'll take them,” he said.

His offer surprised her, but she said okay. She'd been looking forward to being out of the house and supposed Russ probably had the same motive. He was likely trying to get away from her.

“Will you be coming straight back?” she asked.

“Yes, I have some work to do.”

She stared at him, wondering if she'd heard right. How could he think of work when they had so much to discuss? Did he think the situation would change if he ignored it? His hurt would fester even worse if they didn't talk.

Amoy opened her mouth but realized she didn't know what to say to him. If last night was anything to go by, nothing she said would make an impression. Still, she had to try. She pitched her voice low and said, “We have to talk. Can we do that when you come back, since the boys will be out of the way for a while?”

“Whatever you want,” he said, getting to his feet.

She tipped her head back to look at him. “It’s not what I want, Russ, it's what needs to happen.”

“The only thing that needs to happen is you giving me room to breathe.”

She glanced toward the doorway as she responded. “There's no reason for you to treat me this way—”

He cocked one brow. “Really? You think you deserve anything from me after this?”

His words were like a blow to the chest and it took her a moment to catch her breath and regroup. “I understand—”

“You don't understand a damn thing, Amoy.” He pointed at her. “If I were you, I'd just let things be. Right now, I can't even stand the sight of you.”

Her throat closed and her eyes stung. The involuntary tears had been her default response since yesterday, but she was out of ideas. If Russ wouldn't allow her to explain anything, how would they resolve a problem with the power to destroy their marriage?

She could have continued pleading with him, but she chose not to aggravate him further.

Russ wasn't an unreasonable man. He would realize how much he was hurting her and adjust his attitude. Until then, she'd ride out the anger and distress that had him in their grip.

Read more ... bit.ly/DNAjlc

Knight of Paradise Island Coming Soon ...

My next release, a romantic suspense novel is coming on October 6. Believe me when I say you'll need to buckle in and hang on for the long haul. 😀

Dorian “Ryan” Bostwick is a protector and he’s one of the best in the business. When a King of the Castle assigns him to find his former lover, Aziza, he stumbles upon a deadly underworld operating close to the Durabian border.

Aziza Hampton had just rekindled her love affair with Ryan when a night out with friends ends in her kidnapping. Alone and scared, she must find a way to escape her captor and reunite with her lover.

In a race against time, Ryan and the Kings of the Castle follow ominous clues into the underbelly of a system designed to take advantage of the vulnerable. Failure isn’t an option and Ryan will rain down hell on earth to save the woman of his heart.

Purchase Links:

Amazon - bit.ly/KOPIAz

Apple Books - https://bit.ly/KnightofParadiseIsland

Barnes & Noble - bit.ly/KOPIslandBN

Kobo - bit.ly/KOPIslandKOBO

Cover Reveal - The Pain of Things

Check it out! 😍😍😍 Today's the cover reveal for the third book in the In Medias Res series. I love it. What about you?

Author: J.L. Campbell
Title: The Pain of Things (In Medias Res #3)
Release: April 10, 2020
Buy links: coming soon


BLURB:
Roger Blythe has a reputation for being here today and gone tomorrow. That's fine with Corinne Walker, until he decides to take their relationship to the next level.

Corinne's cycle of dating men who have no chance of touching her heart has kept her sane over the years. Roger's turnaround unsettles her, because just when she considers changing the way she lives, his secret life threatens to destroy everything they're building together.

When her past and future collide, Corinne has two choices. Run away from what could be a repeat of the devastation that has gone before, or stay and fight for what her heart says is right for her.

Get The Spice Of Life

I did it! I have a new release this week. 

The Spice of Life was part of the Spice anthology and is now on it's own as a single. If you bought the Spice anthology, you don't need to buy this book, but if you didn't, go get your copy of The Spice Of Life as soon as you can! 📕It's $0.99.📕Thank you! 

lrd.to/SpiceOfLife

Here's the blurb:

Nyoka Emerson knows what love, success, and loss look like. She’s been betrayed and devastated and is finally pulling her life back together, when a smooth Jamaican man walks into her dressing room and makes her long for everything she didn’t know she was missing. Unfortunately, he could cost her career and peace of mind.

Anif Montague is focused on keeping the attention of his adoring readers when he lays eyes on Nyoka. She’s perfect to be the cover model for his next book, and the woman in his life, but can he convince this mysterious woman to take a chance on him? Will she accept the deal he’s offering? Or will the secrets she’s keeping explode between them with dire consequences? 

Grab your copy of The Spice Of Life at lrd.to/SpiceOfLife

Amazon Giveaways - Enter Today!

I'm doing an Amazon giveaway for Dissolution that ends this at midnight. If you haven't read Dissolution, here's the giveaway link and the blurb. https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/81750a3dc65c5b50

Sherryn Allbright is the envy of her peers. She is a wife, mother, and successful business woman, but her life turns topsy-turvy when a woman leaves a child on her doorstep, claiming her husband is the father. Denial is useless, for the boy resembles Reece too closely not to be his offspring. 

Sherryn is ready to end their marriage and blames Reece's problems on his old neighborhood—a Kingston ghetto. If he'd sever ties there, he wouldn't be caught up in baby-mother drama. 

When the boy's mother is murdered, Reece becomes the prime suspect and things go haywire for the Allbrights, whose lives will never be the same.

That's not all because there's another giveaway you can enter today. This one is for lovers of Kimani romances. You can check out this giveaway at this link https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/96c422d900b7e1e3

A millionaire with a wary heart…

And a first love worth repeating

Success couldn’t make former model Alexis Armstrong forget the one who got away. When she “rents” Derek Moore at a fund-raiser to show him what he’s missed, things don’t go as planned.


Their sizzling chemistry reignites…with lasting repercussions. Derek wants to be there for his baby, but Alexis will only marry for love. Can he convince the stubborn beauty he’s for real?

Be sure to try your luck! https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/96c422d900b7e1e3

Sunday Sample - Retribution

Since I'm showing off this oldie, but goodie this weekend, enjoy this sample from Retribution. Xavier has discovered that Justine has hidden his son for six years, so of course, he gets on her case...

He removed his hand from her grip, ignoring the heat seeping into his face. He didn’t need to be reminded of what her touch did to him. “I don’t care how you explain this to your husband. You figure it out.”

“But Milton is…” She sighed. “Why d’you want to do this. Why can’t we just keep things the way they are now? Why d’you have to stir things up?”

A bark of laughter escaped him. Had she lost her mind? “We’re not talking about a pet. This boy is my son, who you chose to hide to suit your purposes.” Reckless with frustration, Xavier spoke before he thought. “Milton obviously couldn’t give you a son, so you soothed his ego with mine.”

She choked on the insult, which in turn shamed him. He felt as if he’d kicked a puppy. He knew better than to say something like that, even if it was the truth. However, he refused to apologize. He didn’t owe her any kindness. If anything, she owed him a whole lot more than an apology.

Justine pulled her handbag off the back of the chair and dropped it in her lap, still glaring at him. “That’s not true!”

“Why else would you pass off my son as your husband’s child?”

“For a quiet and peaceful life!”

She dragged a handful of tissue out of the bag and blew her nose. With watery eyes, she studied him. He stared back at her, refusing to change course. He smiled, but the gesture had nothing to do with amusement. “Milton must be blind or stupid to believe that boy belongs to him. So much for your quiet and peaceful life.”

She hunched over the table, but he continued to punish her. “Maybe it suits you to think Milton is a fool, like the fool you took me for, but he probably knows what you did. You just refuse to acknowledge that he knows.”

She blew into the tissue again and shoved the wadded paper into her handbag. “There’s no need for you to act like this.”

His forehead throbbed and he struggled not to smash his fists on the table. When he was sure the top of his head hadn’t exploded, Xavier spoke again. “Woman, don’t force me to be rude to you. All I’m prepared to do is give you time to think about how you’re going to arrange for me to meet my son.”

Follow their story by going to lrd.to/retribution

Contraband on Sale!

For a limited time, I'll be running a special on Contraband, a book which is close to my heart. It was the first book that a publisher said yes to and it started the ball rolling for me. 

People are surprised when I tell them, this book took roughly six months to write and five years to bring it to the point where I was comfortable submitting it to a publisher.

The journey has been an interesting one and, this book, one of the most hair raising that I've penned. It's a low-risk investment, so if you haven't read anything from me, this is a great opportunity to try something exiting and different.

The buy link is here.

Sample Sunday ... Retribution

Today's #SampleSunday snippet comes from an oldie, but goodie - Retribution. It's a story about a woman who ... I think you better read the excerpt to find out what she did.

The customers in the coffee bar went still. The only sound relieving the lull was the cash register’s chatter. Head lowered, Justine picked at something in her lap. Another moment passed before the other customers forgot them and restarted their conversation.

Xavier didn’t give a shit. He suspected Justine was blinking back tears, but reminded himself to stay focused. Remember what she did to you.

“I want to see my son. I want to talk to him. I need to spend time with him.”

She grabbed his wrist, squeezing hard. Tears hung on her lashes. “I…don’t do this. Please…I…”

He removed his hand from her grip, ignoring the heat seeping into his face. He didn’t need to be reminded of what her touch did to him. “I don’t care how you explain this to your husband. You figure it out.”

“But Milton is…” She sighed. “Why d’you want to do this. Why can’t we just keep things the way they are now? Why d’you have to stir things up?”

A bark of laughter escaped him. Had she lost her mind? “We’re not talking about a pet. This boy is my son, who you chose to hide to suit your purposes.” Reckless with frustration, Xavier spoke before he thought. “Milton obviously couldn’t give you a son, so you soothed his ego with mine.”

She choked on the insult, which in turn shamed him. He felt as if he’d kicked a puppy. He knew better than to say something like that, even if it was the truth. However, he refused to apologize. He didn’t owe her any kindness. If anything, she owed him a whole lot more than an apology.

Justine pulled her handbag off the back of the chair and dropped it in her lap, still glaring at him. “That’s not true!”

“Why else would you pass off my son as your husband’s child?”

“For a quiet and peaceful life!”

She dragged a handful of tissue out of the bag and blew her nose. With watery eyes, she studied him. He stared back at her, refusing to change course. He smiled, but the gesture had nothing to do with amusement. “Milton must be blind or stupid to believe that boy belongs to him. So much for your quiet and peaceful life.”

She hunched over the table, but he continued to punish her.

“Maybe it suits you to think Milton is a fool, like the fool you took me for, but he probably knows what you did. You just refuse to acknowledge that he knows.”

She blew into the tissue again and shoved the wadded paper into her handbag. “There’s no need for you to act like this.”

His forehead throbbed and he struggled not to smash his fists on the table. When he was sure the top of his head hadn’t exploded, Xavier spoke again. “Woman, don’t force me to be rude to you. All I’m prepared to do is give you time to think about how you’re going to arrange for me to meet my son.”

Want to know more? Go to lrd.to/retribution 

An Exciting Journey in 2018

So after not being with a publisher for around four or so years, I signed a contract recently with Garden Avenue Press.

The Thick of Things is a women's fiction novel with strong romantic elements. The main characters are mature, which is something different for me, and I enjoyed writing this first part of their story. 

I'm excited about working with Garden Avenue Press to make this novel the best it can be and so far, the journey has been an interesting one. At this point, The Thick of Things is better than it was originally, thanks to some wonderful editors and a great team at GAP. 

We don't have a cover yet, which is going to be another exciting step. I'm looking forward to what lies ahead in the next few months..

Here's the announcement: http://www.gardenavenuepress.com/blog/meet-our-new-authors

Shades of Love Anthology is Live! #MulticulturalRomance #NewRelease

I have exciting news! Today is release day for the Shades of Love boxed set! We are live on Amazon!

Love knows no boundaries and bridges the gap between creed and culture. Whether prince or pauper, beauty or beast, cupid entangles unsuspecting hearts. From the exchange of a glance to the throes of romance, follow these couples as they discover that love has no limits. Indulge your taste for adventure with ten diverse tales from familiar and exotic parts of the globe.  

“Shades of Love” is brought to you by a select group of ten award-winning and best-selling writers, whose stories feature couples who close the cultural divide through their love.  

Claiming Lana - Reana Malori 
Jake Bradford and Lana Miller are two strong-willed people who seem to be sworn enemies. That all changes in the blink of an eye when they’re thrown together for an important project. When passion simmers just under the surface, the outcome is not what either of them could have expected, but exactly what they needed.

Reana Malori is an Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of sensual and contemporary romance. She weaves stories that pull the reader into her world and to share in her universe, even if only for a short time. Her stories feature women you’d love to hang out with and men who love them with everything they have.


Caliente Nights - Suzette Riddick 
Nursery school teacher Jeanette Adams and athlete Alonzo Castro are immediately attracted to each other. He is aware of his Cuban mother's disapproval, but it's not enough to keep him from pursuing the African American beauty.

Suzette Riddick enjoys writing romance novels with real life situations readers can relate to. She’s an Amazon bestselling author of African American Romance. In 2013, she was nominated for an Emma Award and was a featured author in USA Today ~ Happily Ever After. 



The Blind Shot – J.L. Campbell
Kofi Danquah and Regina Chu are settlers in a foreign land, but the one thing they have in common is their attraction to each other. As their relationship moves from platonic to passionate, so does their families’ opposition to their love … but Kofi and Regina want what comes naturally and they won’t be denied.

J.L. Campbell is an award-winning, Jamaican author who writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, sweet romance, women's fiction, as well as new and young adult novels. She is a certified editor, who also writes non-fiction. 

When East Meets West - Annamaria Bazzi
Winter Portobello, a coed from a faith-based Italian family falls in love with a fellow student, Samir Chamas, a Lebanese immigrant. Together, Samir and Winter must prove their love to be as strong as the hearts that bind them, despite the cultural and religious differences that threaten to destroy the Chamas family.

Annamaria Bazzi - Love is an important part of life, not just something to be experienced but also to be read. After thirty-one years of marriage, and still going strong, Annamaria Bazzi believes in the happily ever after. This strong belief transcends into her romance novels—every person deserves his and her own happily ever after. Annamaria writes contemporary romances to bring new love experiences to her readers. She also writes young adult sci-fi/fantasy and dabbles in paranormal short stories.

Would Smell As Sweet - Janae Keyes
Sick of feeling like a prisoner in her own home, Shayna moves the small town of Cotton Springs, Texas. She puts the pieces of her life back together and finds romance, but Happily Ever After only lasts until Shayna's stalker finds her hiding place and turns her dream into a nightmare.

Janae Keyes is an American mom, wife, and hopeless romantic living in Europe. She loves to explore various cultures coming together through the magic of love. Residing in a suburb of Brussels, Belgium, with her husband and daughter, Janae loves to share her passion for romance with others. 


Postcards from Havana - Toye Lawson-Brown
Arlene Joy never expected to win a five-day trip to Havana, Cuba. After meeting Arlene at a fiesta, Vincenté Martinez is happy he came home.

Toye Lawson- Brown is an Amazon bestselling author of multicultural romance novels. In 2014 she was nominated by the B.R.A.B Book Club for Breakout Author of the Year.

Third Base - P.C. Zick
Baseball star Tomas Vegas loses focus on his game when he meets Adriana Moretti from a tight-knit Italian family. When she falls for the handsome Puerto Rican, their families attempt to pull them apart, which only brings them closer together.

P.C. Zick - Bestselling and award-winning author, P.C. Zick, creates contemporary romances with a social consciousness. She describes herself as a storyteller no matter what she writes. Strong female leads, handsome and heroic men, and descriptive settings grace more than a dozen published novels. 

The Best Game – Hebby Roman

After years apart, Liana De Leon and Damian Escobedo meet again in their San Antonio hometown. Liana wants to escape her high-profile life, but coming home isn't working out the way she planned. Instead of the quiet life she envisions, the city's most eligible bachelor is set on winning her heart and making all her dreams come true. 


Hebby Roman is a New York traditionally published, small-press published, and Indie published #1 Amazon best-selling author of both historical and contemporary romances. Her book, “Border Heat,” was a Los Angeles Times Book Festival selection. She has been a RONE Finalist three times and in three different categories. 



Small Town Boy - Caroline Bell-Foster
They were first loves, but tragedy struck before Kerry and Noah could explore their lives further. Years later, can the British politician and the American Country singer ever re-connect?

Caroline Bell Foster is an international bestselling, multi award-winning British author of diverse romantic fiction and named as one of the most influential people in culture & entertainment in the East Midlands, England. 




Sometimes Money Ain’t Enough - Stacey-Deanne 
Raquel Hood has everything a woman could want; money, beauty, and an entire town under her command. But after meeting Tobias, Raquel realizes that sometimes money ain’t enough.

Stacy-Deanne (Dee-Anne) is an award-winning author of sensual romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and women's fiction books. She's written Amazon Top 100 bestsellers, and her work has been praised and reviewed in USA Today numerously. Stacy's books are full of passion, thrills, intriguing characters and so much emotion you can't get enough! If you want something different and unpredictable then definitely check out her work. 

Get your copy of Shades of Love at $0.99 on Amazon or with your subscription on Kindle Unlimited. Find the boxed set at: lrd.to/shades-of-love

See How Ayisha & Vance Win The Long Game!

On Friday, The Long Game hit the Amazon platform. Like every other story, theirs is unique and took me to places I hadn't gone before as a writer. It is my hope that you'll enjoy their story. 

Blurb:

Aside from a brief stint of madness during their teen years, Vance James and Ayisha Glenn are not each other's idea of relationship material. Vance, a financial analyst and avid golfer, is preoccupied with getting his fill of women, and finding that special someone doesn't factor into his plans. Yet all it takes to turn his world upside down is one remark from Ayisha about his lifestyle. Suddenly, his focus shifts and he's spending his days trying to prove he can be the man she needs.

Ayisha is a go-getter who knows what she's about—a successful business, a lifetime with the man of her dreams, and children to complete the picture. Vance is an expert at romance, but with Ayisha it's all or nothing. She's waited years for Vance to stop chasing the wind in pursuit of what's already in front of him. Now that he's set his heart on having her, will she accept his love? 

Get your copy of The Long Game. 

Aaaaaand if you don't want to miss another release, be sure to follow me on Bookbub.

Sunday Sample ... The Long Game

The Long Game is coming this week ... 

I pushed away my plate and made room for the Shih Tzu I'd taken home a couple of days ago. She'd come to me through a customer who had a litter. For months, my client kept offering me one of the pups. I'd wanted the puppy, but kept procrastinating because I didn't have the ideal home situation.

Not that I was in any better position now, but I'd finally taken the little cutie pie after I'd seen a digital image of her last week and after I had a talk with Mama. Kiki was now five months old and very cute. She put her paws on the table and sniffed at my leftovers.

I moved the plate farther away. "Nope. That's not on the menu, girl."

Vance continued eating while he watched us.

"You're not leaving her locked up here during the days, are you?"

I shook my head while scratching Kiki under her chin. "Mama will keep her."

He closed the knife and fork, finished his orange juice and then asked, "So what's the point of getting the dog?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while now."

"You never mentioned it."

Playing with Kiki's silky ear, I said, "I don't talk about every single thing with you lot."

"Understood, but it's just weird you never mentioned Cookie before."

"Kiki."

He folded his arms and cocked his head. "Cookie fits her better."

I wouldn't admit I agreed with him, but her black, tan and white coloration did remind me of a slice of marble cake.
"Whatever. Since when are you interested in my household affairs anyway?"

His wide smile said it all. When he poked out his lips and then pursed them, I knew he had something to say that I probably wouldn't like. "Does this dog have anything to do with Brianna?"

I looked at him like he was crazy. "You're comparing a baby and a dog?"

"Well, Brianna is cute and the dog is too."

"I don't know what you're implying and I'm not even going wherever with you."

Now, he grinned. "Don't think I don't see the way you and Anna-Lise look at that little girl, as if the sun shines out of her. I think the two of you would pop one out if pregnancy wasn't so long and complicated."

I was speechless. After cutting my eyes at him, I shook my head. "You're so vulgar."

"It's not like you didn’t know. But anyway, you know I'm not lying."

When I didn't say anything for a bit, he added, "Like I said, being a mother would suit you."

"All in good time, I guess."

Kiki barked as if she agreed with that I'd just said.

"Isn't she going to complicate your life?" Vance said, pointing at Kiki. "Especially since you're now going to the gym."

"Man, you're all the way into my business."

"As your man, it's my business to know what's going on in your life."

His declaration sucked my breath away. He'd put into words what had been lingering on the edge of my mind. If I had a doubt about what we were doing, Vance had just blown my doubts away.

For reasons I hadn't clarified with myself, I'd started the gym at the beginning of the week. This thing with Vance had me shaking up my life, which wasn't a bad move since I'd fallen into a crater and hadn't climbed out except to go on that date with Lawrence. I could have told myself I didn't need to work out, but I knew better. I was fit enough, but there was room for improvement and if I was to keep up with Vance, yeah, I needed to step up my endurance.

Kiki squirmed in my lap, so I got up to give her a snack. She didn't eat much, but until I learned her habits, I didn't want to run the risk of starving her. In the kitchen, I doled out a bit of kibble and put fresh water in her other bowl. Kiki dipped her head in the neon-pink bowl and got busy with her snack.

When I stood straight, Vance was behind me carrying our breakfast plates. He went to the bin, emptied the leftovers and moved to the sink. Watching him washing up brought a smile to my face. He was trying, which pleased me. Although he lived alone and was used to tidying up after himself, when we got together, Ayisha, Kathy and I tended to clean up after the guys.

I paid attention when Vance stood before me. He looked at his watch, a big old thing that had smart features, including measuring the yardage on the golf course. It was the only thing he wore that was obviously expensive and he hardly ever took it off.

A sly grin twisted his mouth and he gripped my waist with both hands. "We have some time before we head out to the course."

Sliding my arms around his shoulders, I mumbled against his lips. "Don't you ever get enough?"

"Not with you," he said, easing his fingers under my tank top.

#TeaserTuesday Sample The Long Game

#TeaserTuesday Here's a little helping of what's coming in a while ...

I opened the door, and Vance stood outside leaning against one wall. When he saw me looking at his hand, he raised it. "I brought you dinner."

Opening the door wider, I beckoned for him to come inside. "You had to find a way, huh?" 

"I know you're not being your usual nasty self," he said, giving me a sneaky grin. 

"Of course, I am. I should have known you'd find a way to come here and harass me." 

"Who said anything about harassing you?" His sigh was that of someone who'd been done wrong. "I was at Garth's and he had way more food than he needed and since you don't eat properly unless you're forced to, I decided to give Anna-Lise and him some privacy and eat with you." 

He walked into the house and I stepped back, taking the bag from him. "What's in here?"   

"Vegetable chop suey, some kind of peppery chicken and rice." 

"Sounds good." 

He trailed me to the kitchen and pulled out a chair while I slid the food into dishes and then heated them in the microwave. When we sitting across from each other, prepared to eat, I asked, "You want to tell me why you're over here. Really?" 

He shrugged. "I told you and I wanted to talk to you. You know that." 

I wasn't ready for that conversation, but telling Vance that didn't matter. He was like a speeding eighteen-wheeler truck when he decided to have his way. He'd brush my objections aside and say what he needed to express, whether I was prepared to hear it or not. 

We were halfway through eating when he said, "So about the other day, you were unfair to attack me like that, but—" 

"We've been through this several times already and we both know I didn't say anything that wasn't true." 

"Let's agree to disagree, but anyway, I've been thinking—" 

"And we know how dangerous that can be." 

"Stop interrupting me." 

I gave him a cheeky grin, but kept quiet. 

"So I have been a little out of control with the women—" 

I raised one brow, my fork halfway to my mouth. "A little?" 

"Did I say something about not interrupting me?" 

"You did, but when have I ever listened to you?" 

"You're right about that. Anyway, I'll concede that you do have a point." 

I spun a finger in my ear and frowned. "Say what? Did I hear you right?" 

"Stop acting like an idiot and listen to me." 

Other than raising both brows this time, I didn't move. 

"So the thing we had for each other, I'm not sure why we let that die." 

He put up one hand when I was about to speak. "Nope, not your time yet. You're going to listen. Anyway, maybe the reason I am the way I am is that I haven't had any reason to be different." 

If this was an excuse, it was less than poor but since he asked me not to cut into his speech, I wouldn't. 

"There hasn't been any motivation for me to put down roots and build something solid." 

I could have told him everything he'd just said to me was bullshit, but he seemed to believe what he was saying, so I didn't rock his boat. 

He put down the cutlery, propped his elbows on the table and clasped his hands. The silence went on with him staring at the curtain behind me and then his gaze shifted to me. "What I'm not doing a good job of saying is that ... I want you." 

The speed with which my eyebrow flew up on my forehead, I'm surprised it didn't do a backflip off my face. I pressed my lips together while choosing the right words. "You only want me because what I said challenged you. You want to prove you can do something other than running around, like you've been doing for so long. I don't want to be a challenge, Vance." 

"You make it sound like I'm undertaking a dare or something." 

"That's exactly what this is." I put a hand to my chest. "You don't have to prove anything to me. I know who you are and what you're capable of and it's all right." 

He stared at me as if I'd just insulted him. 

"I tell you I want you, and you tell me I'm not up to scratch?" 

"Nobody said that." 

"Then why do I feel as if you just told me to go to hell." 

Because that's exactly what I'd done, but in a subtle way.