SUDDENLY IN LOVE by Julia London Exclusive Excerpt
“Where are we going?” Mia demanded when Brennan turned in the opposite direction of the bluff and started down the rocky path to the beach.
“You’ll see. Now be quiet,” he said with a squeeze of her shoulders. He helped her pick her way down the path, and about half way down, he stopped. He let go of Mia, made a leap up onto a flat rock, then leaned over and looked down.
“Are you crazy?” she said, her voice full of alarm.
“Come here,” he said, and held out his hand to her.
Mia looked at his hand warily. “What is it, naked people on a boat? Trust me, I’ve seen plenty.”
“You have?” he asked, surprised. “Nobody is naked. Come look.”
Mia groaned as if he were being unreasonable, but allowed him to pull her up onto the rock with him. He stretched out on his belly. So did Mia, lying next to him. Brennan pointed.
Mia looked in the direction he pointed—and gasped with delight. Just down the bluff, nestled in a crag, was a nest with three baby owls in it. Three fluffy little heads swiveled around, their big eyes blinking up at Mia and Brennan.
“How did you find them?” she whispered.
“Remember the day I threw my phone in the lake?”
“Like I could ever forget.”
“I went down to look for my phone. I know, I know,” he said before she laughed. “I saw them from the beach. They weren’t hard to spot. So what do you think?”
“I love them,” Mia said, and watched as the baby owls swiveled between looking for their mother, and then fixing their big eyes on Brennan and Mia.
“Does it make you happy?” Brennan asked.
“Very.” She beamed at him. “Thank you so much. I am feeling inspired.”
That smile, full of gratitude, and ending in two dimples, made Brennan feel like he could lift this rock and hurl it into the lake. He reached for her hand, helping her to stand on the rock. He hopped down onto the path, then grabbed her waist and lifted her off the rock. Her body brushed against his as she slid down to her feet. That brief bit of contact was enough—Brennan’s blood began to sizzle.
Neither of them moved; he kept his hands on her waist, and she kept her hands on his shoulders. Behind her, the sun was sinking into the lake and house lights were starting to dot the hills in the shadows. The setting was beautiful, and in this light, her eyes looked even more golden than normal. His body was stirring to life, wanting her. “Mia?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t freak out … but I’m going to kiss you.”
“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Really? Like, now?”
Brennan circled one arm around her waist and pulled her closer, so that she had to tilt her head back and stare up at him with those brilliant eyes. “Like now. Are you freaking out?”
“A little,” she said, nodding. But her gaze was locked on his, and she was pressing against him.
He stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “Close your eyes.”
Mia didn’t move. Her eyes remained fixed on his.
“Just close them.”
With her face still tilted up to his, she slowly closed them. Her lashes fanned dark against her skin. A sprinkling of freckles danced across the bridge of her nose. Her lips parted slightly, full and rosy in contrast to her pale skin. Damn, but she was pretty. Very alluring to the man in him.
“What’s happening—”
Brennan kissed her before she opened her eyes. Mia made a tiny sound of surprise, but then she was sinking into him, and her hand grabbed his shirt, clinging to it, as if she were afraid he would end it too soon.
Her lips were so soft, and the touch of her tongue electric. He hadn’t felt a charge like this in so long, too long. He wanted more and caught her chin in his hand, angling her head and kissing her fully, feeling the wave of desire slink through him and curl around his organs.
Mia rose on her toes to respond to his desire, her tongue tangling with his. Jesus, if he’d known Mia could kiss like this, he would have kissed her before now. She made his pulse throb, revved him up, pushed his mind past rational thought. He pulled her into him, one hand sliding down to her breast, eager for more. When Mia made a kittenish sound of pleasure, it sent him over the edge. Fire was sliding through his veins; Brennan forgot who he was, why he was here. He forgot everything but that Mia felt and tasted so damn good, and she was exciting in a way he would never have expected and that—that—made her incredibly sexy.
Incredibly.
Brennan finally lifted his head before he gave into his urge to lay her down on the rock and have his way with her. Mia’s eyes were still closed, and she swayed a little, smiling softly. “Can I open my eyes now?”
“Yes.” She opened her eyes and locked her gaze on his, the pleasure in her eyes glittering up at him. “I’m not sure what to think about that,” she said.
“Did you like it?”
“Yes. A lot. Maybe too much.”
“I know what you mean. Maybe we should think about it over a dinner.”
Her smile deepened into dimples again. “I’ve taken enough of your time today.”
Oh, but she hadn’t taken nearly enough of him today, not nearly enough, and he wasn’t ready for this to end. “It’s getting dark. We can drop off your bike and grab a bite. I’ve got at least that much time to spare,” he said with a wink. “Besides, I owe you a sandwich.”
“A gourmet sandwich,” she reminded him. “Not peanut butter.”
“I know just the place.”
“You do?” she asked skeptically. He took her hand in his. “Don’t you trust me yet?”
“Are you kidding? Not in the least.”
This was a smart girl. “I promise—gourmet sandwiches and maybe a slice of pie.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “Pie! Why didn’t you say so? I’ll do circus tricks for pie.”
“Then pie it is,” he said, and kissed the top of her head like they were lovers and walked with her back to the house.
About the Book
Title: Suddenly in Love
Author: Julia London
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Summary
Mia Lassiter is thrilled to finally put her artistic skills to use working for her aunt’s interior design shop in her hometown of East Beach. While renovating an old mansion overlooking stunning Lake Haven, she encounters a scruffy but attractive man named Brennan—the owner’s son. She doesn’t realize this sexy recluse is actually Everett Alden, the world-famous rock star in hiding who’s nursing his own artistic and personal crises.
As their personalities clash, tension simmers between the struggling artist and jaded musician, and their time spent alone together in the gorgeous old house only serves to turn up the heat. Soon, Mia and Brennan’s creative passions boil over to inspire passions of another kind…
But reality comes crashing in when Mia’s celeb-obsessed cousin discovers Brennan’s true identity—and reveals it to the world. As paparazzi swarm the mansion, Brennan is thrust back into his rock star lifestyle. Will Mia lose her soul mate just when she’s finally found him? Can their love survive the glaring spotlight?
Author BiographyBorn in Canyon, Texas, and raised on a ranch, Julia London didn’t have her eye on writing romance right away. After graduating with a degree in political science from the University of Texas in Austin, she moved out to Washington, DC, eventually working in the White House. She later decided to take a break from government work and start writing. Today, she is theNew York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels. She writes historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction, and her most popular series include the Secrets of Hadley Green series, the Cabot Sisters series, the Desperate Debutantes series, the Lear Sisters series, and the Pine River series. She is a recipient of the RT Book Reviews Best Regency Historical Romance award for The Dangerous Gentleman, and a six-time finalist for the renowned RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction. She resides in Austin, Texas.
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The story sounds great judging from the excerpt and blurbs. Definitely going to read this one.