Cover Reveal
Holding Her Close
{Mended Hearts #2}
by
Holding Her Close
{Mended Hearts #2}
by
Lexi Ryan
 |
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Stand-Alone Novel
Release Date: January 19, 2016
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~ Synopsis ~
HOLD YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE...AND YOUR ENEMIES CLOSER.
She's
everything he detests about Hollywood.
After
spending my entire acting career being cast as the airhead, I finally have the
serious role I've been dying for, and I screw it all up during a four martini
dinner with my ex. Now, thanks to the morality clause in my contract, I might
lose the role of a lifetime. My only hope is to convince the media (and my
eccentrically conservative director) that I've entered a committed
relationship. But when I use my brother's costume party to launch Operation
Fake Fiancé, I end up in front of the camera with the wrong guy, leaving my
reputation—and the fate of my career—at his mercy. Any other guy I could sweet
talk into playing the supporting role I need, but not Officer Cade Watts. Not
the man who hates everything about me. Not the man who would most revel in
seeing me fail.
He's
everything she needs.
I
don't care how good it felt to have her in my arms. I don't care that I can't
close my eyes without remembering the way she tastes or the sound of her moan.
I want nothing to do with Janelle Crane. Her scheme to fake an engagement to
save her own career is exactly the kind of manipulative Hollywood crap I left
LA to escape. But when her fan mail turns threatening and the tragedies
befalling her former co-stars seem to be anything but coincidence, everything changes.
Now I don't just want to play the part of Janelle's fake fiancé, I demand it. I
won't let my jaded heart cost me another case. I may not trust Janelle but I do
care, and the only way I know she's safe is if I'm holding her close.
~ Links to Pre-Order ~
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~ Excerpt ~
Janelle spins a slow circle to take in
the room. She looks a little awestruck, which would be understandable for most
people but Janelle Crane comes from Hollywood royalty. She is Hollywood royalty. The Beverly Wilshire is her Holiday Inn.
I drop my bag in the closet and tug my
shirt over my head. I need a shower and a few hours of sleep.
“You’re staying here too?” she asks, her
eyes on my bare chest.
I take a deep breath and do my best to
remind my body that I’m not here for fun, that this relationship is nothing but
a rouse. But there’s nothing fake about the way she looks at me. The chemistry
between us is real. “That’s the plan,” I say, stepping forward. I can’t help
myself. When she’s in the room, I need to be closer.
“Were you going to let me in on this plan at any point?”
I grunt. “Yeah, that must suck, having
someone plan something that involves you and never let you in on it.”
She folds her arms and her face hardens.
“I don’t have any patience for your tender ego right now. I’ve had a fucking
shitty day. You need to start talking or I’m walking out that door. I don’t
care what kind of favors you called in to make sure no one sees us together.”
“There’s
the spoiled princess,” I mutter.
“What did you just call me?”
“I’m just pointing out that you’re
awfully demanding for a woman who owes me a little gratitude.”
“Gratitude?” She shakes her head,
obviously trying to make sense of my motivations.
I sympathize. I can’t even process how I
quickly I picked up and flew across the country for a woman I barely know—a
woman who I wanted nothing to do with twenty-four hours ago. Any analysis makes
me seriously questioning my own judgment, so I’ve chosen not to think about it
at all.
“What do you want me to thank you for,
exactly?” she asks. “For kissing me?”
“Sure.” I take another step closer and
she has to crane her neck to look up at me. “Start there.” My gaze drops to her
lips. Goddamn but I want to touch her again. And not for an audience this time.
Just for me. For us.
“You want me to thank you,” she says
slowly, emphasizing each word, “For. Kissing. Me?”
My lips twitch. “Isn’t proper to thank a
person for giving you something you enjoy, Princess?”
“Fuck you.”
I shrug. “That wasn’t in my plans, but it
could be arranged.”
Her nostrils flare and she presses a hand
to my chest. If she intended to push me away, something stops her. Instead, she
just rests it there as her gaze dips to my mouth and her lips part. “You’re an
asshole.”
“Sorry, was that not in the script? Next
time, tell me how your fake boyfriend is supposed to act. I’ll try to do
better.” I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m being a dick. All because I don’t trust
myself around her.
“You have one hell of a chip on your
shoulder,” she says, and when I open my eyes, she’s leaning closer. “Can’t say
that I blame you for that.”
I could kiss her now. I could lead her to
the bed and put my hand between her legs. Seduce her with soft touches until we
both forget what we’re here hiding from. Maybe she’d let me fuck her and I’d
find out if her moan is as deep and throaty when I’m inside her as it is when
my mouth is between her legs. The sex would be hard—fast and greedy and so
fucking good.
Maybe it’d be better to get it out of our
systems. Maybe it’s inevitable.
I’m calculating the best way to get her
to the bed when she lifts her chin and whispers, “Thank you. Thank you for
kissing me like that in front of Tom.” The words are full of sincerity and
vulnerability. They’re a sucker punch to the gut.
“You’re welcome.” I draw in a deep
breath, trying to remember all the reasons I shouldn’t touch her. There were
reasons. I’m almost sure of it. “I should get in the shower.”
She steps back and lifts her shirt a few
inches. The movement is hardly brazen, but it exposes her navel and the jewel
pierced into it. The jewel I sucked into my mouth only two days ago. Christ.
“You want company?” she asks.
My gut knots and my cock is rock hard in
an instant. Fuck, yes, I want company, and not just any company. I very
specifically want the company of the woman offering it. I want her naked and
wet against the marble tile, squeezing me tight as I make her come under the
spray. And while I do it, I want her eyes to look like they do right now.
Vulnerable. Open. Trusting.
I swallow hard and nod to the bed. “You
need some sleep. You should nap. We’ll talk later.” I turn and close the door
before I can change my mind.
If I’m going to protect her, I have to
think of her as the Hollywood princess with the cold and manipulative heart.
Because a vulnerable Janelle melts the ice I’ve carefully erected around my own
heart.
I
strip the rest of my clothes and turn the shower as cold as it will go.
See where it all began......
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& Noble ** iTunes ** Kobo ** GooglePlay
~
About the Author ~
New
York Times and USA Today bestselling romance novelist Lexi Ryan is a former
college English professor turned full-time writer. She lives in rural Indiana
with her husband and two children. When not writing, she can be found enjoying
yoga, reading copiously, hanging out with her family, and thanking her lucky
stars.
~
Connect with Lexi ~
Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Newsletter 
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