Animal Magnetism

Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

PRAISE FOR
SLOW HEAT

 

“
Slow Heat
may be about baseball, but you certainly don’t have to be a sports fan to enjoy it. If you like reading fun, sexy contemporaries, then this one fits the bill quite nicely. Pick it up and enjoy the game!”

—
The Romance Dish

 

“An entertaining baseball romance starring a wonderful couple . . . Fans will enjoy
Slow Heat.
”

—
Midwest Book Review

 

“Exactly what a romance story should be: believable characters with challenges in their lives who work to find a satisfying path forward . . .
Slow Heat
is a sexy, hot keeper.”

—
Dear Author

 

“Light, funny, sexy, and just plain enjoyable to read.”

—
All About Romance

 

“This latest contemporary baseball romance is near perfect in its telling.”

—
Romance Reviews Today

 

“I loved the sexual tension, the great dialogue, and the well-developed characters. Any book by Jill Shalvis is guaranteed to be a hit!”

—
The Romance Studio

 

“Sexy fun with heartfelt excitement. A very pleasurable read!”

—
Fresh Fiction

 

“Another winner. Jill Shalvis excels at writing charming characters that leap right off the pages and into your heart.”

—
Book Binge

 

“A fast-paced, engaging tale filled with love, laughter, sexual tension, and delightfully appealing characters.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

 

“I love reading a story with a strong yet normal heroine and a hot guy who is a better guy than he thinks. I definitely recommend this book.”

—
The Good, The Bad and The Unread

 

“I joyfully recommend
Slow Heat
—it is definitely a home run.”

—
Joyfully Reviewed

 

 

“A Jill Shalvis hero is the stuff naughty dreams are made of, and Pace Martin is no exception.”

—Vicki Lewis Thompson,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“This amusing story will have the reader smiling often, but it also has a serious side. Even non-sports fans will find this look at baseball, and the pressure on all the people involved, intriguing.”

—
Romantic Times

 

“I could hardly put down this fun, sweet, sexy romance . . . This was my first book by Ms. Shalvis, but it won’t be my last.”

—
Read React Review

 

“This book could almost be described as a sweet romance except for the hot sex and hotter guys. I’ve never been a fan of baseball but after reading this book, it’s an option that I may look into.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

 

“I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s in the mood for some great characters and the comedic writing that you could only get from Jill Shalvis. You won’t be sorry you picked this one up.”

—
Book Binge

 

“Fits the bill for sexy summer fun.”

—
The Good, The Bad and The Unread

 

“A refreshing, amusing romance with lots of flirting, witty banter, and genuinely likable characters.”

—
Romance Novel TV

 

 

“Witty, fun, and sexy—the perfect romance!”

—Lori Foster,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Murder, storms, and intrigue lead to rough seas indeed, but eventual sunshine is never in doubt.”

—
Publishers Weekly

 

“If you have not read a Jill Shalvis novel yet, then you really have not read a real romance yet either!”

—
Book Cove Reviews

 

“Riveting suspense laced with humor and heart is her hall-mark, and Jill Shalvis always delivers.”

—Donna Kauffman,
USA Today
bestselling author

 

“Shalvis bring us a compelling, humorous, and very steamy romance between a witty heroine and her sexy hero of choice . . . Will keep readers amused from beginning to end.”

—
Romantic Times

 

PRAISE FOR JILL SHALVIS AND HER ROMANCES

 

“Humor, intrigue, and scintillating sex. Jill Shalvis is a total original.”

—Suzanne Forster,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“Fast paced and deliciously fun . . . Jill Shalvis sweeps you away.”

—Cherry Adair,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

“A fun, sexy story of the redemptive powers of love . . . Red-hot!”

—JoAnn Ross,
New York Times
bestselling author

 

THE TROUBLE WITH PARADISE
DOUBLE PLAY
SLOW HEAT
ANIMAL MAGNETISM

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Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

 

Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 

ANIMAL MAGNETISM

 

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

 

PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / February 2011

Copyright © 2011 by Jill Shalvis.

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

 

eISBN : 978-1-101-47700-7

 

BERKLEY
^®
SENSATION

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY
^®
SENSATION and the “B” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

B
rady Miller’s ideal Saturday was pretty simple—sleep in, be woken by a hot, naked woman for sex, followed by a breakfast that he didn’t have to cook.

On this particularly early June Saturday, he consoled himself with one out of the three, stopping at 7-Eleven for coffee, two egg and sausage breakfast wraps, and a Snickers bar.

Breakfast of champions.

Heading to the counter to check out, he nodded to the convenience store clerk.

She had her Bluetooth in her ear, presumably connected to the cell phone glowing in her pocket as she rang him up. “He can’t help it, Kim,” she was saying. “He’s a
guy
.” At this, she sent Brady a half-apologetic, half-commiserating smile. She was twentysomething, wearing spray-painted-on skinny jeans, a white wife-beater tank top revealing black lacy bra straps, and so much mascara that Brady had no idea how she kept her eyes open.

“You know what they say,” she went on as she scanned his items. “A guy thinks about sex once every eight seconds. No, it’s true, I read it in
Cosmo
. Uh-huh, hang on.” She glanced at Brady, pursing her glossy lips. “Hey, cutie, you’re a guy.”

“Last I checked.”

She popped her gum and grinned at him. “Would you say you think about sex every eight seconds?”

“Nah.” Every ten, tops. He fished through his pocket for cash.

“My customer says no,” she said into her phone, sounding disappointed. “But
Cosmo
said a man might deny it out of self-preservation. And in any case, how can you trust a guy who has sex on the brain 24/7?”

Brady nodded to the truth of that statement and accepted his change. Gathering his breakfast, he stepped outside where he was hit by the morning fresh air of the rugged, majestic Idaho Bitterroot mountain range. Quite a change from the stifling airlessness of the Middle East or the bitter desolation and frigid temps of Afghanistan. But being back on friendly soil was new enough that his eyes still automatically swept his immediate surroundings.