About SMOLDER
Lane Gallagher wants Delilah Moore—bad.
He’s imagined the sexy brunette in his bed more times than he can count.
She’s everything he’s ever wanted, but the only problem is . . .
She’s his brother’s ex.
For years, the stoic sheriff’s deputy has fantasized about the sweet, bubbly dance teacher who stirs his deepest desires. But Lane’s too loyal to ever move in on forbidden territory and he knows that while he can look, he definitely can’t touch. Fighting his attraction to Delilah is nearly impossible, but the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—woman seems determined to drive him crazy.
And she’s bringing him to his knees. One smoldering kiss at a time.
He’s imagined the sexy brunette in his bed more times than he can count.
She’s everything he’s ever wanted, but the only problem is . . .
She’s his brother’s ex.
For years, the stoic sheriff’s deputy has fantasized about the sweet, bubbly dance teacher who stirs his deepest desires. But Lane’s too loyal to ever move in on forbidden territory and he knows that while he can look, he definitely can’t touch. Fighting his attraction to Delilah is nearly impossible, but the infuriating—and incredibly sexy—woman seems determined to drive him crazy.
And she’s bringing him to his knees. One smoldering kiss at a time.
Lane drove the streets of Wildwood in his
deputy patrol car just under the speed limit, his gaze everywhere, his mind
focused on only one thing:
Making sure his little hometown was safe.
Safe from crime, safe from reckless
teenagers, safe from careless tourists, and safe from a ruthless arsonist who
seemed hell-bent on destroying Wildwood, one little annoying fire after another.
He frowned. Had to take back that last
remark. The restaurant fire could’ve been a tragedy. So many people had been in
there when the fire started. Eyewitness accounts mentioned just how chaotic it
had become when everyone tried to escape at once. His sister had been in there,
as well as her friend Harper. And . . .
Delilah.
Now he flat-out scowled, wishing Delilah
wouldn’t creep into his thoughts. She was always there, sitting in the back of
his mind, taunting him.
Teasing him.
He’d stopped by her dance studio like he
couldn’t help himself. He’d known Wren wasn’t there, but Delilah’s car had been
parked out front. He’d walked in like a man possessed, needing just a glimpse
after not having seen her since the day of the restaurant fire.
When he held her in his arms, relieved to
find her safe.
When he’d been so damn close to kissing
her.
When he’d shoved her away with a curt,
“Glad you’re okay,” and gone about his business, reminding himself over and
over he shouldn’t want her.
But he did.
Avoiding her never worked. He’d catch
glimpses of her here and there—the town was too small and their circle of
friends too tight—but he’d tried his best. Focused on work, which was his first
true love. The fact that she distracted him so wholly scared the hell out of
him most of the time.
And then there were the other times when
all he could think about was seeing her. Making her smile or even making her
mad, it didn’t matter. As long as he could stare at her, even for just a little
bit, that was all that mattered.
He’d entered the dance studio and her
scent lingered in the air, making his body stiffen. Hearing her voice call out
had made him close his eyes so he could savor it and he’d turned around, not
wanting her to see his face when she finally came out to greet him. Still
wasn’t prepared when he turned and saw her.
That little bra top thing she wore hid
nothing. So much skin on display, though he was sort of mad her legs were
covered up. They were her best asset, and he’d imagined those long, lean legs
of hers wrapped around his hips more than once. It had taken everything in him
to keep his gaze glued on her pretty, pissed-off face and not blatantly check
her out like he wanted.
She was angry with him because he
wouldn’t make a move, but he couldn’t. She’d been with West a long time ago and
he didn’t poach off his brothers. Yeah, yeah, West had moved on with Harper and
they made a perfect couple. They seemed perfectly in love. Perfectly happy. He
knew West wouldn’t give a shit if he made a move on Delilah.
But there was something about the woman
that flat out scared him. She was—intense. Sexy. Smart as hell. Funny. She had
no qualms showing her feelings. Meaning that most of the time she was a
stressed-out, sexually frustrated woman with a grudge when they were around
each other. Not that he could blame her.
She made him feel all kinds of sexually
frustrated too. He hadn’t been this well acquainted with his hand since he was
a teenager . . .
Pushing all thoughts of Delilah out of
his brain as best he could, he refocused on his drive as he headed toward the
outskirts of town, near the north end of Wildwood Lake. Spots of the
mountainous landscape had been left scorched and black, a result of the latest
fire set by the arsonist.
He was ramping up his activity, and the
townspeople were starting to notice.
And damn it, Lane wished he could make
the fires stop. But he couldn’t. Worse, he couldn’t wrap his head around the
arsonist’s motives. Why was this happening?
Did arson ever make sense though? Was
there ever a rational reason that made people go, “Oh, I get why he burned the
entire town down”?
That would be a no. He could wrap his
head around an owner burning his building down for insurance purposes. It was a
bad idea, and an illegal one too, but still. He got it.
But burning down random buildings and
pieces of land just for the hell of it? That made zero sense. He didn’t like
it. Made him feel like he was at war with an anonymous enemy. Meaning he could
trust no one.
It could be someone he knew.
Someone he liked.
Someone he trusted.
And that possibility really pissed him
off.
About KAREN ERICKSON
USA Today bestselling author KAREN ERICKSON writes what she loves to read - sexy contemporary romance. Published since 2006, she’s a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite with her husband and three children. She also writes as NYT and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.
Where to buy SMOLDER
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/smolder-karen-erickson/1122860692?ean=9780062441201
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Karen_Erickson_Smolder?id=UNyUCgAAQBAJ&hl=en
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