Series: Southern Hearts Club #4
Publication date: November 23rd, 2021
Synopsis:
He might be one of the best riders in the world,
but she'll give him the buck of his life.
WOULD YOU RATHER... Go through your entire life without falling in love?
OR... Have a rough-and-tumble cowboy stomp all over your heart with his sharpened spurs before riding off into the sunset like John fucking Wayne?
Yeah, that happened. And frankly, I knew better. All cowboys are trouble. I've grown up around them my entire life, so I know how they operate. I've broken some of the toughest horses in the business. But for some reason, I found this thoroughbred impossible to resist.
A lot of good it did me too. Nothing but tears and comfort eating in the aftermath.
Suddenly, after a year away with no phone calls or texts to show for it, he's back. He thinks we can pick up where we left off. But I've got news for him: His eight seconds with me are already up.
Little do I know, there's a reason why he's come back.
And it's the absolute last thing I expect.
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Excerpt
"Does every cowboy on the goddamn planet want between your legs?"
I don't know how or why, but I just knew I was going to have to do some sort of explaining regarding my conversation with Landon. But am I really obligated to? I don't think I owe anyone, even Trace, any explanations at all.
With ire fueling my movements, I spin around, eyes full of warning. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
A muscle pops in Trace's jaw. "Who was that guy?"
I'm surprised I'm actually willing to appease him by answering. "Someone I used to date. Which falls under the category of none of your business."
Eyes narrowing to slits, he mutters, "none of my business," as he backs me up against the concrete wall of the darkened hallway between the bathrooms and the concession stand. When he eventually has me trapped between his arms, he presses his fists against the wall and shifts all his weight onto one foot.
"I think I at least have the right to be annoyed by the fact that he couldn't stop eye-fucking you as you walked away. Wouldn't you say, Quinn?"
Oh, the nerve of this man!
My chin goes up in the air. "That doesn't give you the right to be angry with me."
"Whoever said I was angry with you?" he asks through clenched teeth. "I'm angry at him for looking at you that way. For ever having had the right to. Or maybe I'm just angry at myself for caring in the first place."
How he always manages to make my anger pull an abrupt U-turn I'll never know. Something about his unpracticed, candid reactions just get to me. Even if I don't like what he's saying, I'd rather be disappointed with the truth than be happy with a lie.
But this particular truth doesn't disappoint me at all.
The fact that he's jealous of Landon coils tightly around my chest, making it feel like all my insides are being squished together.
"Why do you care?" I find myself unwisely asking.
"Because, goddammit. If you're going to ride any cowboy this summer, it's going to damn well be me."
Melanie grew up in the Midwest, but she loves living in the Southeast (where the beaches are!) now with her husband and daughter.
Melanie's other passion is traveling and seeing the world. With anthropology degrees under their belt, she and her husband have made it their goal in life to see as many archaeological sites around the world as possible.
She has a horrible food addiction to pasta and candy (not together... ew). And she gets sad when her wine rack is empty.
At the end of the day, she is a true romantic at heart. She loves writing the cheesy and corny of romantic comedies, and the sassy and sexy of suspense. She aims to make her readers swoon, laugh out loud, maybe sweat a little, and above all, fall in love.
Go visit Melanie's website and sign up for her newsletter to stay updated on release dates, teasers, and other details for all of her projects!
