Meet romance author Linda O'Connor and share some Author Love for her novella, Perfectly Skeptical:
Dr.
Brianna Scott looked forward to sleeping away her staycation, until a lucky
windfall meant an upgrade to palm trees, an ocean view . . . and the sexy Dr.
Matt Gaelen. She’ll play and have fun, but can a holiday fling really turn into
a soul mate for life? Doubtful.
Matt
has no radar for sniffing out gold-diggers and protecting his heart. Until now.
Brianna is more turned off than turned on by his wealth. What are his chances
of getting her to overlook it? Dubious at best.
Improbable and uncertain, iffy and unlikely – the typical
path to love.
Perfectly Skeptical . . . love when you least
expect it.
She stopped in her tracks and squealed, almost bumping into
a man standing on her porch. He put out his hand to steady her.
“Oh my god, you scared me,” she said, taking a deep breath.
Laughing blue eyes looked back at her. “Sorry about that. I
was just about to knock, but you beat me to it.” His eyes swept the length of
her. “I was sent to see how you’re doing.”
Brianna stiffened. “I’m fine. Why?” She hadn’t advertised
she was going away. Her parents and Maisy were the only ones who knew where she
was.
“You haven’t been out and about.”
Who’s keeping tabs? And who would send this dark-haired, all
muscle, all-male hunk with the relaxed island smile and disarming blue eyes?
Not her parents, that’s for sure. Maisy? It was entirely possible. Maisy’s
reach was surprisingly long.
Don’t
live a little. Live a lot. Maisy, you’re a cheeky devil, sending a male escort. He
looked at her with a patient smile, waiting for her to catch up. Something
about a tropical paradise and his sexy bod made her consider. Brianna narrowed
her eyes at him. “Are you married?”
“Nope.”
“Do you have nail fungus?”
He blinked and his smile faltered. “No. Are you feeling
okay?”
“I’m feeling great.” She stepped closer to him. His eyes
darkened. He didn’t step away. What the hell – she could play this game. Be
cool. Fake nonchalance. Cultivate some of that swagger that came so easily to
Maisy. Her heart pounded, but he didn’t need to know.
She went on her toes and brushed her lips against his. When
he responded and took control, Brianna felt a tingle from her head to her toes.
She pressed closer and felt the hard muscle of his chest through the thin shirt
he wore. He caressed the bare skin of her back and skimmed her waist. She
opened her mouth to take him deeper and their tongues danced. This wasn’t the
kiss of a boy. This was the kiss of experience. Maybe Maisy had it right – if
you were going to play, you might as well play with top-of-the-line equipment.
He ran his hands down her arms and then gripped them gently
and pushed her away, breaking off the kiss. Brianna raised startled eyes to his
and made a noise in protest.
“I’m sorry.” He stepped back, putting more distance between
them, and cleared his throat. “I think you have the wrong idea. I’m Matt
Gaelen. Dr. Matt Gaelen.” He ran his
hand through his hair. “Jerome and Maria were worried because you hadn’t shown
up at the restaurant, so they asked me to come and check on you.”
“Jerome and Maria. Owners of the villas?”
“Yes.”
Uh-oh.
“You weren’t sent by Maisy?”
“No, I don’t know a Maisy.” He grinned. “Though I wish I
did.”
She felt a flush rise on her cheeks. So much for living it
up. “I’m very sorry,” she said stiffly. “That was a misunderstanding.” She
grimaced. “It won’t happen again.” She’d stay well and truly hidden under a
rock of mortification.
He raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m happy to see you’re fine.
Better than fine.” He smiled. “I’ll let them know.” He turned and jogged down
the steps. And then he stopped and looked back. “But it does seem a shame that
it won’t happen again.”
Brianna blew out a breath and watched him go. That wasn’t embarrassing. She cringed.
This was precisely why she wanted solitude and privacy. She shook her head at
herself and picked up her towel. The light was fading, but she still had time
for a quick dip to cool off.
Let
that be a lesson learned – well two, really: don’t jump to conclusions, and Dr.
Matt Gaelen is an excellent kisser.
Buy Links:
Perfectly Skeptical,
a Perfectly Series novella, is one of 25 brand new, exclusive romances in the
Tropical Tryst boxed set. Escape to the tropics with award winning, USA Today
and NYT best-selling authors.
Linda O’Connor
started writing a few years ago when she needed a creative outlet other than
subtly rearranging the displays at the local home décor store. It turns out she
loves writing romantic comedies and has a few more stories to tell. When not
writing, she’s a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic (well, even when she is
writing she’s a physician, and it shows up in her stories :D ). She hangs out
at www.lindaoconnor.net.
Laugh every day. Love every minute.
Find Linda:
Thanks so much for hosting me Kris! It's a pleasure to meet you. :D
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