Watching You by Leslie A. Kelly
Series: Hollywood Heat #1
Publication date: March 13th, 2018
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
In the first book of a thrilling new romantic suspense trilogy, USA Today bestselling author Leslie A. Kelly shows just how hot--and how dangerous--Hollywood can be.
In the shadows, someone is always watching
Aspiring screenwriter Jessica Jensen grew up on movies starring heartthrob Reece Winchester, the eldest brother of a Hollywood dynasty. She never thought she'd meet the man in person, though. Actor, director, millionaire, and gorgeous mystery man--he's every woman's fantasy.
Reece wants Jessica the moment he sees her, and he's a man who always gets what he wants. At first he was only after a night in her bed, but as he comes to know the smart, confident woman beneath the stunning exterior, he realizes once will never be enough.
Unfortunately, Jessica's real-life Cinderella story is about to take a deadly turn...
Reece's world is filled with fierce ambition and dark family secrets the Winchesters desperately want to hide. But he and his brothers aren't the only ones who know those secrets. Someone else is out there, waiting to strike. Waiting and always watching.
When danger finally steps out of the shadows, Reece will have to face his past. And Jessica will have to decide just how far she can trust the man she loves with her heart... and her life.
Available at:
Excerpt
"I'm wondering," he said, lifting a hand and brushing his fingertips against her jaw, his thumb rubbing against her bottom lip. "Why did she disguise your beautiful face?"
Completely shocked, she couldn't reply for a moment. Her jaw fell open, and she stared up at him, wondering how he could sound so certain. He wasn't trying to tease the truth out of her, he sounded like he was absolutely sure she'd modeled for the piece, when in truth, there was no way he could know. She had no tattoos, no distinguishing marks, nothing made her body any different from any other woman's. He had to be guessing.
But she knew he was not.
"Who told you?"
Liza wouldn't. She just wouldn't. But maybe she needed to show Sharon the model release forms, one of which Jess had signed. Might Reece have seen it?
"Nobody told me," he said, sounding utterly truthful.
"Then how could you know?"
He raked a hot gaze down her body. "How could I not?"
"You... you recognized me?"
He nodded. "The minute I saw the statue."
She gulped. "No one else ever has."
"No one else sees you as clearly as I do."
Wow. Great line. Only, she didn't think it was a line. He sounded totally serious.
"I'll repeat the question," he said. "Why the secrecy? Why did she hide your face?"
Licking her lips, Jess wished she had brought a drink with her. Her mouth was so dry, and it was so darned hot in here. Well, it wasn't hot in the room, but the heat he put off was melting her like she was a Hershey bar left on a dashboard.
"She didn't need my face." Trying to lighten the moment, and cover her embarrassment, she forced a laugh and looked away. "Wanted only for my body. Story of my life."
"Don't do that," he said, his tone forbidding. "Don't mock yourself." He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to look directly into her eyes. She quickly fell back into wild, hypnotic Reece-land where thought didn't exist and there was only action and reaction, motion and emotion. "She wanted your face. Didn't she."
It wasn't a question. And Jessica didn't try to deny it.
"Why did she say no?" he asked, dropping his hand. She immediately missed its warmth, which was crazy since she'd just been mentally whining over how freaking hot it was in here.
"I guess I didn't want the notoriety. I'm trying to be taken seriously as..." Realizing if she said she wanted to be a screenwriter he might assume she was about to go all Hollywood on him and launch into a script-pitch, she changed direction. "I mean, I work at a bar and already have to fend off grubby men with grubby hands. The last thing I'd want is for any of them to see that piece, recognize me, and decide to be more persistent with their attention."
His jaw flexed, as if he was gritting his teeth, and the eyes narrowed. "They touch you?
"Perils of working in a place called Hot Buns." Seeing his confusion, she added dryly, "We don't sell burgers, and we wear short shorts."
He got it now, and the jaw tightening thing got worse. "Why?"
"Why do I work there?"
A nod.
"Girl's gotta eat." She gestured toward the statue. "Look at those thighs, I've obviously gotta eat a lot."
His eyes narrowed. "I told you not to do that anymore."
She gulped. He was deadly serious, as if he had the right to give her orders. It was cave-man. It was unacceptable.
It was kind of hot.
"Self-deprecation doesn't suit you. You have to know you're beautiful."
Good Lord. Reece Winchester was telling her she was beautiful? And he sounded like he really meant it? She knew she was sexy. She had assets and knew how to flaunt them. But nobody had ever called her beautiful.
Now Liza? Oh yeah. Her sister was soft, fragile. Any guy would look at her and think, "She's so lovely." Jess? They'd think, "I'd do her."
Completely shocked, she couldn't reply for a moment. Her jaw fell open, and she stared up at him, wondering how he could sound so certain. He wasn't trying to tease the truth out of her, he sounded like he was absolutely sure she'd modeled for the piece, when in truth, there was no way he could know. She had no tattoos, no distinguishing marks, nothing made her body any different from any other woman's. He had to be guessing.
But she knew he was not.
"Who told you?"
Liza wouldn't. She just wouldn't. But maybe she needed to show Sharon the model release forms, one of which Jess had signed. Might Reece have seen it?
"Nobody told me," he said, sounding utterly truthful.
"Then how could you know?"
He raked a hot gaze down her body. "How could I not?"
"You... you recognized me?"
He nodded. "The minute I saw the statue."
She gulped. "No one else ever has."
"No one else sees you as clearly as I do."
Wow. Great line. Only, she didn't think it was a line. He sounded totally serious.
"I'll repeat the question," he said. "Why the secrecy? Why did she hide your face?"
Licking her lips, Jess wished she had brought a drink with her. Her mouth was so dry, and it was so darned hot in here. Well, it wasn't hot in the room, but the heat he put off was melting her like she was a Hershey bar left on a dashboard.
"She didn't need my face." Trying to lighten the moment, and cover her embarrassment, she forced a laugh and looked away. "Wanted only for my body. Story of my life."
"Don't do that," he said, his tone forbidding. "Don't mock yourself." He took her chin in his hand and tilted her face up to look directly into her eyes. She quickly fell back into wild, hypnotic Reece-land where thought didn't exist and there was only action and reaction, motion and emotion. "She wanted your face. Didn't she."
It wasn't a question. And Jessica didn't try to deny it.
"Why did she say no?" he asked, dropping his hand. She immediately missed its warmth, which was crazy since she'd just been mentally whining over how freaking hot it was in here.
"I guess I didn't want the notoriety. I'm trying to be taken seriously as..." Realizing if she said she wanted to be a screenwriter he might assume she was about to go all Hollywood on him and launch into a script-pitch, she changed direction. "I mean, I work at a bar and already have to fend off grubby men with grubby hands. The last thing I'd want is for any of them to see that piece, recognize me, and decide to be more persistent with their attention."
His jaw flexed, as if he was gritting his teeth, and the eyes narrowed. "They touch you?
"Perils of working in a place called Hot Buns." Seeing his confusion, she added dryly, "We don't sell burgers, and we wear short shorts."
He got it now, and the jaw tightening thing got worse. "Why?"
"Why do I work there?"
A nod.
"Girl's gotta eat." She gestured toward the statue. "Look at those thighs, I've obviously gotta eat a lot."
His eyes narrowed. "I told you not to do that anymore."
She gulped. He was deadly serious, as if he had the right to give her orders. It was cave-man. It was unacceptable.
It was kind of hot.
"Self-deprecation doesn't suit you. You have to know you're beautiful."
Good Lord. Reece Winchester was telling her she was beautiful? And he sounded like he really meant it? She knew she was sexy. She had assets and knew how to flaunt them. But nobody had ever called her beautiful.
Now Liza? Oh yeah. Her sister was soft, fragile. Any guy would look at her and think, "She's so lovely." Jess? They'd think, "I'd do her."
About the Author:
Leslie A. Kelly is a New York Times bestselling author who has written more than fifty books in various genres. She currently writes contemporary romances under the name Leslie Kelly, and dark thrillers as Leslie A. Kelly.
She is the author of the futuristic Veronica Sloan thriller series, and of the dark romantic suspense Black CATs series.
Hosted by:
