Ross 04 Take Me On (34 page)

“Well,” she said cheerfully to Mrs. Rhodes. “That’s my loud, boisterous, very in-your-business family.”

“They seem wonderful,” she said, still snuggling Lia close to her chest.

Ian’s and Gabby’s gazes met over her head. He smiled at her, a light in his eyes she knew she’d put there. She and Lia. Could this night get any better? Could
life
get any better? To think where she’d been a year ago this month… Heartbroken. In ashes. If someone had told her back on the night Mark left her what was in store for her in a year’s time, she would’ve laughed herself silly.

Yet here she was. A wife. A mother.

All because she’d asked a guy to give her wings.

About the Author

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cherrie Lynn has been a CPS caseworker and a juvenile probation officer, but now that she has come to her senses, she writes contemporary and paranormal romance on the steamy side. It's
much
more fun. She's also an unabashed rock music enthusiast, and loves letting her passion for romance and metal collide on the page.

When she's not writing, you can find her reading, listening to music or playing with her favorite gadget of the moment. She's also fond of hitting the road with her husband to catch their favorite bands live.

Cherrie lives in East Texas with said husband and their two kids, all of whom are the source of much merriment, mischief and mayhem. You can visit her at
www.cherrielynn.com
or at the various social networking sites. She loves hearing from readers!

Look for these titles by Cherrie Lynn

Now Available:

Far From Heaven

Sweet Disgrace

Leather and Lace

Unleashed

Rock Me

Leave Me Breathless

Leather and lace don’t strike sparks. Or do they?

Leave Me Breathless

© 2012 Cherrie Lynn

It’s Valentine’s Day, but Macy Rodgers isn’t feeling the love. Aside from a torrid, one-night fling in a backseat a few months back, her love life has been sorely lacking, but fortunately she has devious friends who feel like playing Cupid. Wouldn’t they be shocked to learn that the match they’ve made for her is the same one that steamed up the back of that ’69 GTO…

Seth “Ghost” Warren has just returned to town after an extended absence. Between his grandmother’s failing health, his job as a tattoo artist, his band’s gigs, and a crazy ex that won’t leave him alone, he’s stretched thin. Cautious cowgirl Macy is the last thing he needs thrown into the mix.

She’s all country, he’s all heavy metal—and Macy knows that if anyone can propel her out of her rut, it’s Seth. But when their worlds collide, it’s anyone guess if they’ll survive with their hearts intact.

Warning: Contains explicit sex, graphic language, road trips, troublemaking exes, emotional baggage, and an unconventional but exceptionally hot hero tatted and pierced for your pleasure…

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Leave Me Breathless:

Ghost. Where the hell had he gotten a name like that? He wasn’t particularly pale. Well, maybe a little. But not what she’d call ghastly or anything. There was nothing…
wraith
like about him at all; he was a very solidly built six-two or so, judging by how tall he stood next to her five-six.

Tattooed. Pierced. Shaved head, though right now he wore a black baseball cap pulled low over his eyes with the hood of his black sweatshirt over it.

The very antithesis to everything she wanted, or thought she wanted.

He was looking right at her, shit-eating grin in place, one dark eyebrow arched. That stare was like a vacuum. Or a black hole. Nothing could escape it.

“Hi!” she managed to squeak—she even managed a smile. When his own grin widened, she pushed herself up from her seat to give him a hug. Unfortunately, her legs were Jell-O, and his tight squeeze kept her from getting up close and personal with the floor even more than those shaking appendages did.

He felt good. Warm, despite the chill of the night air still clinging to his hoodie. Familiar, even if she’d only been in those arms once.

And then he had to speak, the rumble of his voice raising the hair at her nape. “Hey, killjoy.”

Everyone laughed, delighted at the return of the nickname he’d pinned on her not long after they’d met. She only then realized Brian had joined them too, and was snuggling into the booth next to his girlfriend.

“I have a question,” Ghost announced as Macy reclaimed her seat and he slid in beside her, practically cramming her against the wall. His denim-clad thigh was rock hard against her bare one. Sam claimed what was left of the seat on his other side, so she was well and truly trapped. A shiver worked through her. “What in the actual fuck are we doing in a
honky-tonk
?” He motioned around at the plethora of cowboys and cowgirls dancing to the twang of country music.

“It’s Macy’s night,” Candace said as Brian nuzzled her neck. “She got to pick.”

“Ah, that figures. Just don’t get Brian and me into a brawl with any rednecks. I’m not too stoked to spend the night in jail when I just hit town.” Ghost winked at her. God, those eyes. If she hadn’t been so close to him she’d have sworn he lined them. But no, his bottom lashes were just that thick. If he had hair on his head, she figured it would be the same chocolate brown as his goatee—and maybe he did have hair on his head now for all she knew. She couldn’t tell. But he was one of those guys who definitely rocked the look—his features were strong enough. He stretched out both arms, one behind Macy and one behind Sam, and tilted his chin up at Brian. “I’ve got double your fun, dude.”

Brian, who was mid-smooch with Candace, broke away and laughed. “Good for you. I’ve got all the fun I can handle right here.” Candace blushed and beamed.

Macy nearly jumped out of her skin when Ghost leaned over and put his lips mere inches from her ear. “Am I crashing your party, babe?”

Her face flamed. Did he know about her Valentine’s pity party? “Crashing
my
party?” she echoed lamely. “No, not at all—I mean, it’s not a
party
. Nor is it mine.”

He chuckled. “All right.” Her friends were sending her knowing little smirks.

Yes, maim them.

But she couldn’t deny that it was good to see him, that a part of her had missed him and she hadn’t completely realized it until now. “Are you back for good?” she asked.

He shrugged, pulling his arms back and resting them on the table. “Nana’s doing…okay, considering. She’s settled in the nursing home and my sister lives near there, so I figured I might as well come home and try to get back to normal, at least for a while. I’ll be going up there to visit a lot, though.”

His grandmother, who’d raised him from the time his parents were killed in a car accident when he was six, was in failing health. Macy didn’t know much beyond what Candace had told her about the reason for his absence, but she couldn’t help noticing the set of his mouth seemed a little grimmer than it ever had before. He must’ve been through a lot in the past few months.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

He shrugged again, but she wasn’t fooled by his feigned nonchalance. “She’s hanging in there. So how’ve you been?”

“Oh, fine. Great. Working a lot, you know.”

A waitress came by and placed beers in front of him and Brian. Macy’s pulse hadn’t slowed a bit. What was up with that? He was pressed in so tight against her she wondered if he could feel her racing heart, prayed that he couldn’t.

Ghost leaned across the table toward Candace and Brian. “Candace,” he said, and for a moment Macy thought he might actually say something sincere. No such luck. “I really advise against leaving him alone with me again. Two hours away from you and he was coming on to
me
.” Everyone else at the table broke up in laughter. It only egged him on. “I mean, I know he wants me. He’s made it clear. And I’m growing weak, I tell you. I
missed
him. If he does it again, I’m gonna give it to him.”

Brian was shaking his head. “God, we missed you,” Candace said.

“Did we?” Brian asked.

Ghost reached over and placed his hand on Candace’s. “Don’t worry, though. We’re not going to shut you out. You’re welcome in our house anytime, sweetheart. I might even share him with you. As long as, you know, I can watch.”

“This is actually pretty hot,” Samantha observed, and Macy could just imagine the sparkle of interest in her eyes.

“You can come too,” Ghost said, earning Sam’s flattered laughter.

“Fuck you, man.” Brian punctuated the words with the corresponding hand gesture, but Macy could tell from his grin he was probably the happiest person at the table to have his friend back.

“I’m trying
so
hard
to resist that, Brian. You damn moody Capricorns. You would only hurt me in the end.” Ghost drew a shaky breath. “But I think…I’m ready to take the chance.”

“You’re gonna have a hell of a fight on your hands,” Candace told him, running her hand over Brian’s shoulders. “This one belongs to me.”

“Yeah. Stake your claim, baby. Save me from him.”

As the banter continued to fly and Macy slowly began to realize it seemed to be just business as usual here, she found herself relaxing. She took a deep breath, distancing herself from the memories of what she’d allowed to happen between her and the guy sitting next to her not long before he left town.

That’s it, get a grip. So what, you were confronted with him when you least expected it. That would throw anyone.

But it shouldn’t. Not her, no way. He was part of a world so separate from her own it would be impossible to bridge the chasm between them. He was heavy metal. She was all country, all the time. He wouldn’t belong at a rodeo, and she wouldn’t belong at one of his wild concerts where they probably sacrificed live chickens or bit the heads off bats onstage.

That was that. Since the accident that had damn near killed her, sensibleness had ruled her world, not impulsiveness. And certainly not her heart or hormones. She was the one in control here, and she liked it that way. If she messed up, she could at least mess up knowing she’d weighed all her options and made the best decision possible.

Even being miserably single on Valentine’s Day wasn’t enough for her to give up that position.

Ghost’s thigh pressing more firmly against hers was cause enough for her to do a quick reassessment.
 

Loving him couldn’t be worse than losing him… Could it?

Rock Me

© 2010 Cherrie Lynn

Candace Andrews has had enough of pleasing others. In an act of birthday rebellion, she sets out to please herself—by walking into the tattoo parlor owned by her cousin’s ex-boyfriend. All she wants is a little ink, and Brian’s just the guy to give it to her.
 

As soon as she submits to his masterful hands, though, the forbidden attraction she’s always felt for him resurfaces…and she realizes the devilishly sexy artist could give her so much more.

Sweet, innocent Candace is the last person Brian expected to see again. She’s everything he’s not, and her family despises him. He doesn’t need the hassle, but he needs
her
, and this time no one is taking her away. Not even those who threaten to make his life a living hell.

Backed into a corner, Candace faces the worst kind of choice. Cave in to those who think Brian is a living nightmare…or hold her ground and risk it all for the one man who rocks her world.

Warning: This book contains explicit sex, naughty language, tattoos aplenty, family drama, a hot rock concert…and a bad boy hero who’s pierced in all the right places.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Rock Me:
 

Candace closed her eyes as Brian’s finger traveled gently up her nape, raising gooseflesh on her arms. “Maybe you had a point, as far as how my parents are going to react to you. Maybe it’ll always be that way.”

“Does it have to be?”

“How else could it ever be? There’s no changing my situation.”

“Sweetie, there’s no way to say this without sounding condescending, but you’re young. Right now this is all you can see, but trust me, this won’t always be your reality. Pretty soon you’ll be able to make your own way in the world no matter what they think.”

“You don’t know them very well, do you,” she said flatly.

He cupped the back of her neck in his hand, bringing his other over to tilt her chin toward him, trapping her for the kiss she knew was coming if she didn’t do something fast. But he just held her that way, stroking her cheek with his thumb, his gaze searching hers as if all the answers were inside her somewhere.

If only that could be the truth.

“I don’t. But I think I have a pretty good handle on
you
. You’re going to be okay.”

He stared at her so intently. His eyes were a dark, turbulent ocean, and she wanted to drown in it. Suddenly she became aware of the aching fullness of her lips and the weight of her breasts pushing against her bra.