Synopsis
A brand new novel in the New York Times bestselling Hard Feelings series—where nothing’s more dangerous than a bad boy with a broken heart…
First Sergeant RafeMurano did everything to the extreme. He trained harder, he fought harder, and, unfortunately, he loved harder. And falling for the wrong woman nearly destroyed him.
Home from a deployment, and without his missions to consume him, Murano is ravaged by memories of his heartbreak. So he drinks until he’s numb and drowns himself in meaningless one-night stands. But they only take the edge off…
Until he meets Fallon.
Haunted by her past, Fallon Kelly knows all too well about the desperate desire for an escape. So when she sees the tatted-up bad boy who’s one punch away from a ride in the back of a squad car, she offers a distraction—one that quickly becomes an addiction.
Little does she know, this bad boy can love so hard, it can break her…
First Sergeant RafeMurano did everything to the extreme. He trained harder, he fought harder, and, unfortunately, he loved harder. And falling for the wrong woman nearly destroyed him.
Home from a deployment, and without his missions to consume him, Murano is ravaged by memories of his heartbreak. So he drinks until he’s numb and drowns himself in meaningless one-night stands. But they only take the edge off…
Until he meets Fallon.
Haunted by her past, Fallon Kelly knows all too well about the desperate desire for an escape. So when she sees the tatted-up bad boy who’s one punch away from a ride in the back of a squad car, she offers a distraction—one that quickly becomes an addiction.
Little does she know, this bad boy can love so hard, it can break her…
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Excerpt
Pulling the crystal-embellished briefs down her legs, she whipped her head around as the sound of her door slamming shut met her ears.
Her fingers opened, dropping the thin costume to the floor. Her eyes widened—but not surprised.
“You’re still here.”
Rafe’s chest expanded with his deep breaths, his taught arms hanging at his sides. “Yeah. I’m still here.”
She was naked, completely exposed to him, but his eyes never once left hers.
“Did you enjoy the show?” she sneered, forcing her body to take a step away from him.
His eyes hardened as he moved into her office. He was unhurried as he took deliberate steps toward her.
The back of her knees hit the couch and she reached down to grab the armrest for support as Rafe continued his leisurely advance. When he reached her, his hand slowly wound around her back and scooped her naked body into his arm, pulling her flush against him. She could feel the quick thud of his heart against his chest as her body soaked into him.
“Babe,” he implored, the ink spattering in his eyes morphing with raw need.
She flattened her palms on his chest, trying to force a sliver of space between their bodies. “Rafe, you’re drunk. I’ll have Simone call you a cab. You need to go home.”
His large hands skillfully traced up her arms as he lowered his head to hers. She could smell the whiskey mixed with the aroma that was Rafe and Rafe alone—the mere scent could inebriate her.
“Babe, the only thing I need right now is inside you. I just watched a roomful of men watch you bare this beautiful body to them.” A hand moved to her nape, tilting her head back to look at him while the other kneaded her breast with the pad of his thumb, causing her to melt against him. “This is mine, gorgeous,” he growled. “I need to be inside you.”
He was demanding her at the same time he was begging her. The command, the plea . . . They were both tangled together so tightly that they became one, and she had no choice but to give it to him.
She’d be lying if she tried to convince herself that her body wasn’t his. It belonged to him since the first moment she saw him.
“Babe,” he growled, the strain in his voice almost agony.
Holding his quicksand eyes, she removed his hand from her breast and placed it between her thighs. A jagged, raw groan vibrated in his throat as he sank his touch into the heated depths of her sex.
Her knees liquefied beneath her and Rafe used the force of his body pressing against her to keep her upright.
She didn’t realize how much she needed his touch until that very moment.A satiated sigh escaped her throat and rolled over her lips and she dropped her head to his shoulder.
“That’s it, gorgeous,” he said, steadily stroking her with his fingers, bringing her to the place that only he’d been able to reach. “It’s mine, babe. This. Is. Mine. Give it to me,” he coaxed as his mouth lingered below her ear. The warm flat of his tongue lapped at the moisture still clinging to her skin. She shivered.
Her hands flew to his biceps and she clung to him, needing the strength he was offering her, as a current of pleasure tore through her core. Her teeth sank into his shoulder. “Rafe . . .” She moaned, her body shuddering against him as he sent her cascading into the depths of his touch.
He withdrew his fingers from her, too quickly, and the sudden absence undulated a whimper from her lips. She lifted her head, her eyes searching the ones staring back at her, looking for something that would solidify the way his touch had just made her feel, looking for something that would confirm the emotion that was abrading her, wearing her down bit by delicious bit. Breaking her.
She was his. He’d claimed her body, and even with the bricks she’d laid, he’d claimed her heart. He’d broken her. He’d loved so hard he’d broken her impenetrable barriers and taken the love she didn’t even know she possessed.
Her fingers opened, dropping the thin costume to the floor. Her eyes widened—but not surprised.
“You’re still here.”
Rafe’s chest expanded with his deep breaths, his taught arms hanging at his sides. “Yeah. I’m still here.”
She was naked, completely exposed to him, but his eyes never once left hers.
“Did you enjoy the show?” she sneered, forcing her body to take a step away from him.
His eyes hardened as he moved into her office. He was unhurried as he took deliberate steps toward her.
The back of her knees hit the couch and she reached down to grab the armrest for support as Rafe continued his leisurely advance. When he reached her, his hand slowly wound around her back and scooped her naked body into his arm, pulling her flush against him. She could feel the quick thud of his heart against his chest as her body soaked into him.
“Babe,” he implored, the ink spattering in his eyes morphing with raw need.
She flattened her palms on his chest, trying to force a sliver of space between their bodies. “Rafe, you’re drunk. I’ll have Simone call you a cab. You need to go home.”
His large hands skillfully traced up her arms as he lowered his head to hers. She could smell the whiskey mixed with the aroma that was Rafe and Rafe alone—the mere scent could inebriate her.
“Babe, the only thing I need right now is inside you. I just watched a roomful of men watch you bare this beautiful body to them.” A hand moved to her nape, tilting her head back to look at him while the other kneaded her breast with the pad of his thumb, causing her to melt against him. “This is mine, gorgeous,” he growled. “I need to be inside you.”
He was demanding her at the same time he was begging her. The command, the plea . . . They were both tangled together so tightly that they became one, and she had no choice but to give it to him.
She’d be lying if she tried to convince herself that her body wasn’t his. It belonged to him since the first moment she saw him.
“Babe,” he growled, the strain in his voice almost agony.
Holding his quicksand eyes, she removed his hand from her breast and placed it between her thighs. A jagged, raw groan vibrated in his throat as he sank his touch into the heated depths of her sex.
Her knees liquefied beneath her and Rafe used the force of his body pressing against her to keep her upright.
She didn’t realize how much she needed his touch until that very moment.A satiated sigh escaped her throat and rolled over her lips and she dropped her head to his shoulder.
“That’s it, gorgeous,” he said, steadily stroking her with his fingers, bringing her to the place that only he’d been able to reach. “It’s mine, babe. This. Is. Mine. Give it to me,” he coaxed as his mouth lingered below her ear. The warm flat of his tongue lapped at the moisture still clinging to her skin. She shivered.
Her hands flew to his biceps and she clung to him, needing the strength he was offering her, as a current of pleasure tore through her core. Her teeth sank into his shoulder. “Rafe . . .” She moaned, her body shuddering against him as he sent her cascading into the depths of his touch.
He withdrew his fingers from her, too quickly, and the sudden absence undulated a whimper from her lips. She lifted her head, her eyes searching the ones staring back at her, looking for something that would solidify the way his touch had just made her feel, looking for something that would confirm the emotion that was abrading her, wearing her down bit by delicious bit. Breaking her.
She was his. He’d claimed her body, and even with the bricks she’d laid, he’d claimed her heart. He’d broken her. He’d loved so hard he’d broken her impenetrable barriers and taken the love she didn’t even know she possessed.
Author Bio
Kelsie Leverich is the New York Times bestselling author of The Valentine’s Arrangement as well as other contemporary romance titles. Kelsie grew up in the small town of St. Joseph Illinois before getting married and following her husband from one Army post to another. After eight years, they finally settled down in Avon, Indiana with two adorable knuckleheads that are better known as her kids. Kelsie's life revolves around her family (to include three dogs and a cat) and most of the time, actually all of the time, it’s a crazy mess—but that’s the way she loves it! When Kelsie’s not writing, you can usually find her snuggling on the couch with her kids and a good book or out on the lake with family and friends. Kelsie is not a morning person, has a soft spot for animals, loves musicals, hates seafood, and thinks laundry is the source of all evil.
Represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Find Kelsie on Facebook | Twitter | Website | Pinterest | Intermix
Represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Find Kelsie on Facebook | Twitter | Website | Pinterest | Intermix