DARE TO LOVE
When
it comes to family, Ian Dare gives his all but in relationships he offers the
bare minimum. Until one glimpse of sensual Riley Taylor arouses his dominant
and protective instincts. He will do anything to possess her … and does. But any
future with Riley must include him dealing his half-brother who is a constant
reminder of the pain he’d rather forget. Riley Taylor believes herself immune to domineering men – until charismatic Ian Dare turns a simple kiss into an all out assault on her senses and she discovers she likes his brand of control in the bedroom. As their affair heats up, they soon realize they complete each other in ways neither imagined. But Riley’s past is closer than she cares to remember, and her struggles with Ian’s dominance might just cost her everything. (love story, contemporary romance, alpha heroes, beach reads, sports heroes, bad boys, billionaire)
Dare to Love Excerpt
She let herself into her building, walked up one flight to
her apartment, and was startled to find someone waiting outside her door. Even
in the dimly lit hall, she recognized Ian Dare’s tall frame, dark hair, and
handsome features. Excitement bubbled up inside her, followed by wariness.
“Finally,” he said, leading her to believe he’d been
standing there awhile.
She fought against her rapidly beating heart. “What are you
doing here?”
He pushed off the wall and strode toward her. “Do you
realize I walked into the building without being buzzed in? I just followed
behind a couple who were too busy groping each other to pay attention to who
was entering behind them.”
He didn’t have to further sum up his point. Riley already
knew the argument well from Alex and her stepmom. “It’s perfectly safe. I carry
mace and I’m careful. And you still haven’t answered my question.”
Ian ran a hand through his hair, taking the time to tamp
down on the anger that had been brewing inside him as he waited for her in this
tiny hall that, despite her claim, was far from safe.
Not for a woman with her full breasts and curvy hips. Not
for a woman with that mass of untamed hair and wild beauty, dressed in a short
denim skirt with a ruffled edge and black sleeveless top that bared a hint of
her stomach.
He fought for control over his libido and the desire to take
her in every way imaginable. “I realize I didn’t return your call, but I’m here
now.”
She met his gaze, brave and unwavering. “Go home. Whatever I
needed from you, it’s too late now.”
His eyes narrowed. “That’s what Alex said, but he refused to
elaborate. He said it was your business, so I came to the source. I was busy
this week. I had meetings for the draft, and I couldn’t call you back.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Bull. I’m guessing there are a whole
host of reasons why you didn’t get back to me. At the top of the list is that
you hate Alex.”
“I don’t hate him.” He clenched his hands and released them
again, searching for focus. “Riley, you left me a message. Just tell me why.”
“It’s too late.” She walked toward him as she spoke.
She passed him by, heading for her door, key in hand. “I
already lost my job,” she said as she slipped inside her apartment.
The door slammed closed behind her, leaving him basking in
her scent.
“Son of a bitch.” He knocked hard.
When she didn’t answer, he tried again.
And again.
Worst-case scenario, he’d settle into the hallway for the
night and wait to catch her when she left again in the morning. Unwilling to do
that, he banged on the door again.
In the middle of his knock, she swung the door open wide.
“Fine. Come in,” she said, her eyes narrowed and wary.
He stepped inside. Once enclosed in her small apartment, her
luscious scent wrapped around him once more. His cock took a definite hit as
desire filled him along with that burning need only she inspired. Knowing those
feelings wouldn’t be welcome, he took in her space. Bright colors on the walls,
eclectic pieces of furniture, and a warm feel. She knew how to take a tiny area
and make it feel like a true home.
“Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.
“No. I just want to know what happened.”
She expelled a deep breath, causing her breasts to rise and
fall beneath the flimsy material. He glanced down, trying not to ogle her
cleavage because that made him want to test the weight of her breasts. And once
he started touching her, he wouldn’t be able to stop. Instead, he noticed her
toenails were painted a bright orange, one toe surrounded by a thin silver
ring. Even her fucking feet were sexy.
“I worked for Blunt Sporting Goods,” she said, unaware of
his train of thought. “I was head of their distribution and sales department.
The company was sold; the new boss is an ass and began laying people off. I
pulled a Hail Mary and told him I had an in with you, that I could get some of
our products distributed to the team. He gave me until Friday to get back to
him with something substantial. I called. You didn’t. End of story.” She strode
over to the door and swung it open, obviously eager to get rid of him.
He stared in stunned surprise. “You told him that after
meeting me for the first time on Saturday night?”
She raised her chin. “Yep.”
“After our kiss.”
Her cheeks turned a healthy pink. “Mmm-hmm.”
“After you walked away from me without a second glance.”
She blinked up at him. “I looked back,” she said softly.
DARE TO DESIRE
Quarterback
Alex Dare, had it all -- an all-star football career and his choice of willing
women -- until a severe injury forces him into early retirement. Social worker
Madison Evans grew up in foster homes and knows what it means to have-not. She
isn't impressed by Alex Dare’s wealth or charm. Not since she fell hard for him
once before, only to discover she was just one of his too-easy conquests. This time around Madison refuses to succumb to Alex so easily. But Alex wants Madison. And if there is one thing Alex does well, it’s to get what he wants. Can he convince Madison to take a risk and dare to love?
Dare to Desire Excerpts
“How did you get so smart?” He toyed with her
hair, combing through the strands and twirling it with his finger.
She let out a sigh. “A lot of practice trying not to focus on bad
things, I guess,” she said, surprised she was answering so honestly.
“I want to know more about those bad
things. More about you. The things you don’t talk about,” he said in
a low, soothing voice.
She knew what he wanted. It was a story she rarely told. Someone had to earn her trust and her heart
before she’d even consider admitting that neither of her parents had wanted
her. Saying it out loud made her
vulnerable, and Madison normally didn’t allow many people that close. She’d kept Alex at a distance the first time
they were together, even as she’d known how hard she was falling in such a
short time. Because she knew he wasn’t a
forever kind of guy, and the truth went to the deepest hurt she nursed in her
heart.
But she could no longer hold back from this
man. She didn’t want to. He’d been asking for her trust, and if she
was going to try, as he seemed to be doing, she had to let him in.
She sighed and said, “My mom left me and my
dad. She said she was going to work one
morning, and she never came back. When
he realized something was wrong, he called her job, her friends, but no one had
heard from her.” She shrugged. “We didn’t have any other family that I knew
of, so it was just me and him.”
He began to stroke her hair, long, soothing
touches this time, keeping them connected as she spoke.
“How old were you?”
“I was twelve, and it was horrible. My father worked really long hours in
construction and came home really late. Looking
back, I know he went out drinking before coming home. I would let myself into the house after
school, make myself dinner with whatever I could find in the fridge or the
pantry, do my homework and … cry myself to sleep.”
“Fuck,” Alex muttered.
She was glad he couldn’t see her face and
appreciated the strength of his arms wrapped tightly around her. “One day he said we were going clothes
shopping. I was really excited because,
one, we never ever bought new things, and two, my clothes were getting tighter. I’d started developing and … you know.”
She pulled in a deep breath, the lump in her
throat so big it actually hurt. “You’d
think this would get easier.” She buried
her face against his side.
“Take your time, Angel.” His voice was warm and soothing, but she felt
the tension emanating from him.
It wasn’t an easy story to tell. It couldn’t be an easy one to hear. Riley had cried when Madison had told her,
and Madison had only given the other woman the bare bones.
My
father dumped me at the mall, never to be seen again. The
cold, clinical version. And even then,
Madison hadn’t wanted to face her friend after the revelation, but Riley had
already inserted herself in Madison’s life and wasn’t going anywhere. She, more than anyone, had taught Madison
what a true friend really was.
She lifted her head and drew a deep
breath. “So we went to the mall. My father bought me a soda, and we wandered
around the stores for a little while, and then he asked me if I needed to use
the bathroom.” Her body shook despite
Alex’s secure hold, the day coming back to her in vivid detail. “I went to the ladies’ room, came out…” She couldn’t say the words. To her mortification, a sob came out
instead.
“That bastard,” Alex said, his voice tight,
anger evident beneath the surface.
He embraced her with his entire being,
holding her close, but fury vibrated in his big, muscled body. Anger for her. She knew it without him having to explain,
and the thought that he cared for her enough to feel that kind of emotion undid
her completely. The protective walls
that had always kept her apart and distant crumbled around her, and she felt things. Things she never wanted to experience again.
“No more,” he said into her hair. “Don’t relive it for me.”
She normally didn’t relive it at all. Didn’t allow herself to remember the intense
and all-encompassing pain and loss of that day and every one that
followed. But now the dam had broken,
and the memories flooded back, along with big, heaving sobs.
She’d walked out of the mall bathroom, looked
around, and her dad had been nowhere to be found. She hadn’t panicked. Not at first.
She’d checked all the stores they’d been in. The men’s stores. The food court. Finally she’d returned to the bathroom
thinking maybe he’d gone back to find her.
Some good Samaritan must have noticed the little girl sitting on the
floor outside the restroom crying and called mall security. The rest was a blur, along with the ensuing
years of her life spent in foster homes.
Alex didn’t know how long she sobbed. From the way she cried, he figured it had
been forever since she’d let her emotions free, and she exhausted herself in
the process. The heavy sobs quieted first. Long after she grew silent, Alex held Madison
in his arms, his heart beating hard in his chest. He’d wanted her to trust him, not unleash
this kind of grief. Nausea filled him,
along with pain that reached to the depths of his soul.
He stroked her hair, aware of the smallest
hiccup or sound she made. Soon her
breathing evened out, and he hoped to God she’d fallen asleep. A dreamless, memory-free sleep. She deserved as much.
Dare To Surrender:
After ending a
relationship to a cheating, domineering man, Isabelle Masters takes off in her
leased Mercedes, only to be arrested for grand theft and hauled to a local
police station. To her surprise, she is rescued by the most unlikely person
possible, Gabriel Dare, a man she’s been attracted to for far too long. Gabe
offers Isabelle freedom along with an invitation to Eden, an exclusive island
resort where everything and anything is possible.Although Gabe yearns to possess Isabelle, he knows all too well he must fight his primitive need to bind her to him, and instead help bring out the independent woman she yearns to become – or risk losing her for good.
A woman who needs to run her own life. A man who needs to exert control. Can she surrender to his erotic demands without losing her sense of self once more?
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dare-to-surrender-carly-phillips/1119939834?ean=2940149794027&itm=1&usri=dare+to+surrendder
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
New York Times and USA Today
Bestselling Author Carly Phillips N.Y. Times and USA Today
Bestselling Author Carly Phillips has written over 40 sexy contemporary romance
novels that today's readers identify with and enjoy. After a successful 15 year
career with various New York publishing houses, Carly is making the leap to
Indie author, with the goal of giving her readers more books at a faster pace
at a better price. Her Serendipity books will still finish up in
January/February 2014 via Berkley as planned. Carly lives in Purchase, NY with
her family, two nearly adult daughters and two crazy dogs who star on her
Facebook Fan Page and website. She's a writer, a knitter of sorts, a wife, and
a mom. In addition, she's a Twitter and Internet junkie and is always around to
interact with her readers.
Links:
Dare to Submit Synopsis: Release: Sept 8
Decklan Dare knows about the
unexpected loss of loved ones and for this reason, he values control in all
areas of his life. Amanda Collins enjoys the freedom she finds in casual
encounters without the emotional connection a relationship brings. They meet and
their physical attraction is mutual but both experience feelings that could run
deeper – if they drop their guard and let each other in. Decklan is first to
trust, but when he discovers the secret Amanda’s been hiding, will he forgive?
Or will he rebuild every wall before she has a chance to explain?
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