TAKING WHAT’S HIS (A Shillings Agency Novel )
By DIANNE ALBERTS
Blurb
Some lines are meant to be crossed…
One explosive device was all it took to turn Holt Cunningham from ass-kicking Marine to IT technician. Hell, he’s still not over it. So when the cute little strawberry blonde at the bar asks him to kiss her, Holt can’t resist the temptation of a sexy distraction. Before he knows it, she’s blown his mind…and then skipped out the next morning.
Lydia Thomas never expected things with Holt to go quite that far, but oh, it was worth it. After being far too good for way too long, she was ready to be bad. Except that there’s that tiny detail that Lydia kept to herself—Holt just spent the night doing naughty things…with his best friend’s little sister.
One night isn’t nearly enough. But with his friendship on the line, how far will Holt go in order to claim what’s his?
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Excerpt
He stared at her with an amusing mixture of surprise and desire. It was even more perfectly clear that when he’d made that invitation, he hadn’t expected her to accept. But there was something about this guy that demanded submission. That demanded she go home with him, have the time of her life, and leave with a limp and a smile on her face in the morning. This guy could give her both those things. On the surface, he looked like a nerdy, hot dude in glasses and a checkered shirt. Like he was more at home sitting on his couch playing his Xbox One, than sitting in a bar. She’d bet too many women wrote him off that way, too. But she’d been surrounded by two geek brothers and all their friends her whole life. And one thing she learned by eavesdropping—as younger sisters do—outside their doors? Geeks were the dirtiest, freakiest, sexiest men of them all. Hands down. And this guy might be the king of them all. He stood up, towering over her, and dragged a hand through his hair. It spiked naturally as an aftereffect. “My ride’s out front.” As he rummaged in his wallet, she studied him from underneath her lashes. He was six-foot-three, easily, and he had dark auburn hair and even darker blue eyes. He seemed to be the type of guy that was persistently just a little bit scruffy, and it suited him. Just like those khakis that hugged his butt. He reeked of dark, stormy, addictive sex, and she was ready to collect. Tossing a twenty on the bar, he turned back to her with a penetrating stare—as if he saw why she was going home with him, and understood better than she herself did. Which, of course, made no sense at all. His long, lean body wasn’t overly muscular, but she could tell that he was stronger than he appeared. She could see it in the hardness of his arms, and the way he carried himself. He was a man accustomed to physical activity. “Ready?” he asked. Nope. “Oh yeah.” She started for the door, but he rushed past her and opened it before she could do it for herself. So. He was a gentleman, too. This guy was an enigma she longed to unwrap...one article of clothing at a time. “Thank you, Mister...?” He cocked a brow at her. “If you’re going home with me, I think you can use my first name.” “Fine. I’m Lydia.” “I’m Holt.” And just like that, she knew why she recognized him. He was her older brother Steven’s friend. They worked at the same private security agency, and Steven had posted a few pictures of them together on Facebook. Every time she’d seen him, she’d been unable to glance away. There was just something that had caught her attention on the screen, so it was no wonder he’d caught her attention in real life, too. “Oh my God. I know—” She cut herself off in the nick of time.
VIDA'S REVIEW
This was a dynamite read from beginning to end. From the first moment you meet Holt you can see that he is a damaged man, from one explosive device and the loss of his marine brothers. Lydia is a woman looking for a distraction from her cheating ex who was upset that she wouldn't put out for him. Who knew that one question was all it took for these two to drown out the rest of the world and get lost in each other. Unfortunately Lydia realizes that Holt is her brother's best friend and that if he knew she would be off limits. In one night, passion explodes and takes them both on a journey that is sure to break both of their hearts especially when Holt finally realizes that he wants more but is thrown for a loop once he finds out Lydia really is. Lydia and Holt in trying to stay away from each other, they are fooling themselves. The connection they share is too strong, too combustible, and there's no denying it. This was a great fast-paced contemporary romance with characters that I adored and a satisfying storyline that kept my eyes glued to the pages. This is a one nighter ladies and I dare you to try to put it down once you have begun!
About the Author
Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times and USA Today bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. She's hit the Top 100 lists on Amazon and Barnes and Noble numerous times with numerous titles. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name. Diane 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, and three cats.
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