Sneak Peek – A Passionate Kiss

Hi All,

This has been a busy summer! While working on my next two series (Jenkins & Sons Construction and Atlanta’s Finest), I have been collaborating with two dear author friends of mine – Delaney Diamond and Candace Shaw. If you have been following my blog or if you’re on my email mailing list, you already know about The Bennett Triplets series.

Mark your calendars! The Bennett Triplets are coming August 26, 2016!

 

While we patiently wait for August 26th, here’s a sneak peek at A PASSIONATE KISS.

Retired Marine, Mason Bennett, has two goals: adjust to civilian life and keep drama out of it. His focus is on his role as part-owner, along with his siblings, of Atlanta’s hottest nightclub. However, his attention shifts when the woman he has loved like a sister reenters his life and thoughts of a passionate kiss they shared hijacks his mind. Their connection is explosive. Feelings he’s tried to deny come to the forefront, and he’s tempted to do something he thought he would never do—cross that line from friends to lovers.

TV news anchor, London Alexander, is back home in Atlanta and ready to start a new chapter in her life. This time she hopes her future includes Mason, the man she has loved forever. She’s ready to step over the forbidden line that he’s drawn in their relationship.

Will taking a chance on love lead to a happily-ever-after? Or will risking their friendship leave them both with broken hearts?

Excerpt:

Who is she?

Mason rubbed his chin, hoping she’d glance into the camera so he could see her face clearly. There was something so familiar about her. As if reading his mind, she turned her head slightly and he sucked in a breath. Large expressive eyes, high cheekbones, and a mouth he would never forget was on full display. He’d recognize those gorgeous lips anywhere.

But something wasn’t right. Something had her spooked.

“Ham, hold up. I know her. I’m on my way,” Mason said into his mouthpiece and hurried to the stairs.

He was a little surprised Hamilton hadn’t recognized London Alexander, Harper’s best friend. From what Mason understood, she had been to the club plenty of times when Mason’s parents managed the facility and Hamilton worked security.

Seconds later, Mason slowed and London met his gaze. Guilt stabbed him in the chest. She was the last person he should be looking at with interest, but damn if she didn’t look sexy in the fitted red tank top and black leggings molded around her narrow hips and shapely legs. Considering it was early afternoon on a weekday, he was surprised to see her, and in running gear at that.

“Mase,” she breathed, her husky voice feeling like a feather brushing against his skin.

Mason heard a little wheezing coming from her, but she didn’t look as if she was having an asthma attack, something she suffered with when they were kids. Still staring, what he couldn’t get over was how different she looked. She never wore her hair super long, but the last time he’d seen her, it brushed her shoulders. Now the pixie cut transformed her whole appearance, the style seeming as if it were made for her.

When her hand went to her chest, as if trying to catch her breath, and she glanced back at the door, all of Mason’s protective instincts kicked in.

“What’s wrong?” He touched her arm. She was shivering. “What happened?”

*

Read the rest of the story on August 26, 2016! While we wait for release day, stop by Delaney and Candace’s websites and get to know them and their work.

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Truth or Consequences

Look what’s coming April 30, 2014!  Truth or Consequences, book 3 of the Reunited Series

Here’s a little preview:

 

 

About the Book:

Hospital Chief of Staff Natasha Lockham’s life has been all about work and no play. That is until a one-night stand with a man who lives his life on the edge, turns her sexual fantasies into reality. She never expects to see him again, but their paths cross when Natasha suspects an esteemed doctor of committing an unspeakable crime against his patients and danger lands at her doorstep. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes she’s not prepared for the truth – or the consequences.

Former Navy SEAL, Malik Lewis, will always remember the night he spent with Natasha. It was the single most amazing night of his life. So when Natasha narrowly escapes a brutal attempt on her life, Malik stops at nothing to protect her, including hunting a man whose skills match his. Can Malik and Natasha outsmart a vicious assassin who has nothing to lose? And will they ever get to explore the sizzling passion between them that neither can deny?

Excerpt of Truth or Consequences

Malik glanced up from reviewing the documents Wiz had just dropped off, surprised to see Natasha. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. His anger had lingered, but seeing her curvy figure near the door began to slowly thaw the ice running through his veins.

“Hi,” she said shyly, keeping her distance.

Malik, though still pissed, had never been happier to see anyone in all of his life. Stan told him about the reporters at the hospital and how shaken she was when more media people showed up at her house. Malik almost went to her. Almost.

He stood, but didn’t move from behind his desk. His gaze traveled over her body from her hair loosely piled on top of her head, down to the short-sleeved wrap dress that hugged her hourglass shape. He didn’t stop his perusal until he got to her slender feet, which were encased in high-heeled orange strappy sandals that matched her dress. Her favorite color was orange and it was quickly becoming his favorite, too.

Damn she looks good.

Seeing her now, dressed as she was, he couldn’t help but think about something he once heard someone say. The first step in getting what you want is looking like you mean business. And damn if she wasn’t dressed to get whatever the hell she wanted from him.

“Hey,” he finally said. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her, yet it was taking everything in him not to bolt across the room and pull her into his arms. What helped him stay put was the fact that she’d kicked him out of her house. Never had a woman dismissed him, especially twice, and it was about time she understood exactly what he wouldn’t accept.

“I’m surprised to see you here. What can I do for you?” he asked coldly.

She didn’t move from where she stood and her nervousness showed with the death grip she had on the strap of her handbag.

“Thank you for having the house alarm installed. I just wanted to stop by and pay for the system and the services.”

He studied her for a long time. He didn’t want her money. He wanted her.

“The bill has been taken care of. Anything else?”

“Uh,” she glanced around the room, still standing near the door, “I’d like for you to call off the bodyguard.”

“That’s not going to happen,” he said. The media had backed off, but he still wasn’t comfortable with her roaming around the city alone.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not.”

He wasn’t convinced that she wasn’t in danger. Now that he knew that Sheldon and his men still didn’t have much on Halsey’s death, not only was he keeping eyes on Natasha, but Malik had decided to start his own covert investigation.

“Malik, I’m sorry, all right?” Natasha said, taking a step toward him. He looked up just as she captured her lower lip between her teeth. “I know you’re mad, and you have every right to be. I was wrong asking you to leave.”

Malik said nothing. The only reason he could come up with of why she asked him to leave instead of Martin was because she was still in love with her ex. And there was no way in hell he was sharing her with anyone else.

“You scare me.”

Malik drew his eyebrows together. “Excuse me?” Her voice was so low he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly.

“You make me nervous. We come from two different worlds. You’re like the star basketball player being pursued by a hundred colleges to play for their school, and I’m the geeky nerd who always gets looked over by the popular kids.”

Malik frowned, not knowing what she was talking about, but he had to admit she was damn cute.

“I don’t understand.”

She sighed and narrowed her eyes at him as if he was the one who’d done something wrong.

“Why are you making this so hard?” She raised her voice and put her hands on her hips. “I like you, all right? I really like you and I can’t stand the thought of you being angry with me.”

The jerk in Malik wanted to let her stew, but Malik the man wanted to pull her into his arms and taste those sweet, pouty lips. There was something about this woman that stirred things within him that had never been touched, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Her shoulders dropped. “Malik, don’t look at me like that. Say something.”

He laid down the file and walked around the desk, one hand stuffed into his pants pocket and the other rubbing his forehead. It was no wonder he didn’t do relationships, because whatever was transpiring between him and Natasha was frustrating as hell. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be seriously involved, or even married for that matter.

“Let’s get something straight. I don’t play games,” he said, staring into her beautiful brown eyes. “I mean what I say and I say what I mean. So whatever the hell type of game you and your ex are playing, count me out. I like you,” he eased up on her, “but I will not come second to some punk-ass professor, who doesn’t know how to move on when it’s over. Do we understand each other?”

Her jerky nod came without words so he continued, “I want you. Baby, I want you in every way a man wants a woman. If you’re not ready for what you know I can offer, then you need to tell me now. Otherwise, I’m going to pursue you to no end.”

Copyright © by Sharon C. Cooper

If you haven’t read Blue Roses (book 1) or Rendezvous with Danger (book 2), get your copies today!

Truth or Consequences, Available April 30, 2014!

Still the Best Woman for the Job – Sneak Peek

I’m happy to announce that Still the Best Woman for the Job (book 1 of the Jenkins Family Series) will be released September 25, 2013! Here’s a sneak peek:

Blurb

Joint heir to the largest construction company in the state of Ohio, master plumber, Toni (TJ) Jenkins has been groomed to behave in a way that is befitting of the respected Jenkins’ family name. But after she breaks up with the only man she’s ever loved, to protect a secret she holds close to her heart, poor decisions lead her down a path of destruction that risks ruining the reputation of the company her family has worked hard to build.

Cincinnati police officer, Craig Logan, knows Toni is the woman for him. They’ve been apart for months, but when they run into each other at a party, the passion between them sizzles stronger than ever. She says she can’t handle dating a cop, but he senses that something else keeps her from rushing back into his arms. Craig wants her to be his wife, and he’ll do whatever it takes to prove no matter what she’s hiding, she’s still the best woman for the job.

Excerpt  – This scene is after Craig catches Toni and one of her cousins hiding a man (Toni’s date for the evening) in the bathroom of their grandparent’s home and this is also the first time Craig has seen Toni in over eight months.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Cincinnati’s finest and I mean that in every sense of the word.” Jada stood and ran a manicured hand down the front of her black slip dress, smoothing out the wrinkles. She glanced at the wide mirror over the sink and turned her head back and forth before shaking her hair wildly. Craig almost laughed when she rubbed her lips together, struck a pose and smiled at her reflection before turning to him. “Glad to see you, Officer Logan. I trust you can take it from here,” she said on her way out of the oversized bathroom.

With an amused grin, Craig shook his head and watched her stroll down the hall as if she didn’t have a care in the world. He got along well with all of Toni’s family, but Jada, known for her oversized ego and theatrics, always cracked him up. He turned back to Toni and the smile slipped from his lips as she scurried to her feet, dusted off her knees and adjusted her drool-worthy red dress. A ripple of desire surged through his body and catapulted straight to his groin the moment their gazes collided. He’d worked a twelve-hour shift and was dog-tired when he first pulled up to the Jenkins’ estate, but exhaustion no longer plagued him. Instead, the need to pull Toni into his arms and hold her close took root. Despite what he told himself when deciding on whether to attend her grandfather’s birthday celebration, there was no way he’d be able to walk away from her tonight – at least not without tasting her tempting lips.

His heart pounded loudly in his ears as his gaze traveled from her perfectly made up face down her curvaceous body and shapely legs until his perusal stopped at her red strappy shoes. The eight months of them being apart suddenly felt like eight years as he slowly took her all in, realizing just how much he had missed her. God she’s beautiful. So many days had come and gone when he wanted to call her, or just see her for a minute, but he’d kept his word. When she walked away from their relationship, she made him promise not to seek her out, telling him that she needed space. After seeing her tonight, all bets were off. No way could he be in her presence and not want what they once had.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her sexy voice but a whisper.

When he didn’t speak right away, she nervously pushed a lock of her long, thick hair behind her ear and peeked at the big brute lying at her feet. Glancing down at him, Craig wondered what she was thinking. Was she seriously dating this guy?

“Peyton invited me,” Craig finally answered.

He leaned against the doorjamb and tucked his hands into his pants pockets. Eyes as warm as fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies on a cold winter’s day stared back at him and he shifted his stance to hide the evidence of his sudden arousal. He wasn’t surprised by the ardent effect she still had on him, but right now wasn’t the best time to indulge in what his body craved from her.

She glanced away. Her gaze bounced from him to the jerk on the floor and then back to him again. Why was she so nervous? Toni was one of the most confident women he’d ever met, and right now her behavior didn’t fit her usual self-assured personality. If anything, watching her actions now reminded him of a time, early in their relationship, when she was slow to let down her guard and unwilling to share her desires, needs, and even her fears.

“So what’s going on?” He nodded at the man on the floor. “I assume he’s alive.”

Her mouth dropped opened and her hands flew to her hips as she narrowed her eyes at Craig.

“Of course he’s alive. He just had a little too much to drink.”

“A little? Hell, the guy is passed out on your grandparent’s bathroom floor. I’d say he’s way past drunk.” At that moment, her inebriated friend groaned and rolled to his side.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Toni fell to her knees, pushed him onto his back and patted his cheek. “Ronald, wake up. Come on, we have to get you out of here. I need you to wake up.”

Craig straightened and his body tensed. With a good view of her shapely butt as she leaned over her date, he couldn’t stop himself from zoning in on her smooth toned legs and dainty feet. He had always been a leg-man, but when it came to Toni, he loved everything about her, from her curvy, petite body to her smart mouth. And right now, her mouth was a little too close to this guys face.

“Come on, Ronald, wake up.” She shook his shoulders but when that didn’t work, she went back to patting his cheek.

It wasn’t so much that she was touching this Ronald guy in an intimate way that bothered Craig. The fact that she had her hands on another man period sent his jealous meter into overdrive.

“Maybe you need to slap him a little harder,” Craig said, still standing near the doorway. “Or better yet, I’d be happy to do the honors.” He moved forward and burst out laughing when she glared at him over her shoulder.

“Better yet, maybe I should slap you for just standing there and not offering to help me get him up and out of here!”

Craig chuckled, glad to see the fire within her hadn’t burned out. Now this was the Toni he loved and missed.

“And why would I do that? He’s your date.” He snapped his fingers. “As a matter of fact, I should really get to the party, maybe grab something to eat, dance a little and get my drink on.”

He turned and walked back to the door.

“Aarrgh,” Toni yelped. “Ronald, let me go.”

Craig glanced back to see that Ronald had palmed Toni’s butt and had pulled her on top of him.

“Ju…just lay heeere with me, baby,” he mumbled, his eyes still closed. “Ne…need sleep ri…right now. Big da…daddy will gi…give you some lovin—”

“Ah, hell no!” With one long step, Craig reached for Toni’s elbow and pulled her to her feet. His first thought was to plant his size twelve on top of her date’s chest, but thinking that probably wouldn’t be the best idea, he lifted Ronald by the front of his shirt. “Get your ass up.”

**

Read the rest on release day – September 25, 2013!

Here’s a little back story on five female members of the Jenkins Family who will fall madly and passionately in love with five unsuspecting men.

STEVEN JENKINS, the patriarch of the Jenkins Family, and founder of Jenkins & Sons Construction wants what every entrepreneur head of the family wants – for his children to continue to run the family business long after he’s dead and gone. None of his four sons and three daughters are interested in taking over the reins. It’s not until his oldest granddaughter, Peyton Jenkins, shows an interest that his hope is renewed.

Now its 16 years later, he’s happily retired, and business is better than ever – thanks to five of his amazing granddaughters. TONI (TJ) JENKINS, a master plumber, is his favorite granddaughter – though he’ll never admit it; sweet, levelheaded PEYTON (PJ) JENKINS is an electrician, and the senior construction manager for Jenkins & Sons Construction; MARTINA (MJ) JENKINS, is a carpenter and Steven’s most challenging grandchild. Then there’s CHRISTINA (CJ) JENKINS, the shy one in the group who is a painter, but refers to herself as an artist. Last, but not least, is JADA (JJ) JENKINS the youngest and the most spirited of the bunch. Steven still hasn’t been able to figure her out, but he has to admit, she’s a darn good sheet metal worker.

***For those of you who are not familiar with Toni and Craig – first introduced in Best Woman for the Job (the prequel to Still the Best Woman for the Job) – you have until the end of the the day – September 6, 2013 – to get the short story *FREE*.  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/155997 – Use coupon code HH79V