If You Want Me by Tara Mills

 

 

Blurb

An　irresistible　woman. An undeniable proposal.

Even the unthinkable can sound reasonable when you mix alcohol, sexual frustration, and a bachelorette party—especially a bold proposition. Now in the light of day, Naomi’s hung over, horrified, and anxious about facing this complicated man again and the unexplored feelings their encounter brought with it.

She called, he came, but Ryan didn't exactly conquer. Is it too much to hope that Naomi will give him a do-over? She can’t avoid him, not when he’s walking her down the aisle. But who ever heard of a bridesmaid getting cold feet?　

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Excerpt

　"I really need to get laid," slurred Naomi, sagging drunkenly against her friend Becky.

　 　The entire table fell silent and stared at her. Every squeal over the upcoming honeymoon, every gush over the bridal gown came to a screeching halt.　

　 　Becky turned on her, aghast, then shoved Naomi upright in her chair again. "What the hell?" she hissed under her breath.　

　 　Naomi scrunched up her brow, perplexed as she weaved and wobbled, trying to focus on all the faces swimming in front of her. The female half of tomorrow’s wedding party. Each of them decked out and tarted up for tonight’s bachelorette blow-out.

　 　"What?" Naomi asked, stupefied by the wide eyes directed her way. "It’s been six months. Six damn months!" she added in a woeful tone. "Who wouldn’t have boner on the brain?"

　 　Two of the women across the table started to laugh behind their hands, but Becky shot to her feet anyway and grabbed Naomi’s arm, hauling her up too.

　 　"Sorry about this." Becky gave Melissa, the bride, a pained and apologetic smile. "I think someone’s had one too many appletinis."

　 　Becky grabbed both purses and slipped them over her arm and dragged Naomi through the crowded club and out to the sidewalk. She caught the eye of the first valet she saw and handed him the ticket. He dashed off to get their car.

　 　"He’s kinda cute," said Naomi, swaying on her heels, her eyes fixed on his back as he disappeared into the night.

　 　Becky gritted her teeth. "Would you stop?"

　 　"Stop what?" Naomi blinked, nonplussed.

　 　"The horny talk. It’s embarrassing."

　 　Naomi frowned. "Is it? I’m sorry. I just need sex. I really want it, Beck. I want it bad."

　 　"So I gather. No alcohol for you tomorrow."

　 　That comment earned a snort. "Who cares about alcohol?"

　 　"It makes you weird."

　 　"Don’t I know it!" Naomi nodded sagely. "Beck, I’m getting the strangest ideas."

　 　"Yeah, I noticed." Their car pulled up and Becky caught hold of Naomi’s upper arm and steered her to the curb. A second valet came forward to open the passenger door while the first man got out and waited for Becky on the driver’s side.

　 　Naomi gave the guy holding her door a sweet smile and cupped his ass before dropping gracelessly into the passenger seat. One of her shoes fell to the pavement next to the car. The guy bent down and picked it up. He had a funny little smile going, and if she wasn’t totally mistaken, he was chuckling.

　 　"Like Cinderella!" Naomi laughed when he handed it to her then stuck her bare foot out the open door at him. "Don’t you want to put it on me?"

　 　Becky snapped at her from the driver’s side, "Naomi! Shut the hell up and let the guy close your door."

　 　Naomi snickered and rolled her eyes at the valet, making a joke of her uptight friend. "Guess it’s time to go."

　 　He closed her in with a nod and a wink. She gave him a little wave that he returned as Becky pulled into traffic.

　 　"Who are you, and what have you done with my friend?" Becky asked, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.

　 　"She’s in here somewhere." Naomi drooped onto her door and squinted at the strobing lights coming right at them. "Did you notice Ryan at dinner earlier tonight?"

　 　Becky glanced sharply at her friend. "Is that what this is all about?"

　 　"Hmm?"　

　 　"Never mind. Let’s get you home, dump a ton of water into you, and put you to bed. You need to be in good shape by tomorrow afternoon or Melissa’s mom is going to kill you, and Melissa is going to be the one handing her the cake knife she’ll use."

　 　Naomi laughed as she pictured the mother-of-the-bride wielding the special cake knife with color coordinated ribbons fluttering from the handle.

　 　"That’s not gonna happen," she assured Becky.

　 　"Of course it’s not. Because you’re going home and I’m putting you to bed."

　 　Naomi gave a deep and disappointed sigh. "Party pooper."　

　 　"And whose fault is that?"

　 　Naomi shrugged then drifted off to sleep. She didn’t revive until the car pulled in front of her duplex.　

　 　"We’re here." Becky gave her shoulder a shake. "Wake up. Are you awake?"

　 　"Yeah." Naomi blinked and rubbed her temple. "Where’s my purse?"

　 　"On the floor, by your feet." Becky hopped out and walked around the car. "Come on, let’s get you inside."

　 　"I’ve got it." She shoved her shoulder against the door and nearly tumbled out. Luckily Becky was there in time to haul her back before she did a face plant on the driveway. "Thank you."

　 　Beck held out her hand. "Give me your damn purse. There’s no way you’re going to be able to unlock the front door yourself."

　 　Naomi didn’t argue. She took another stab at getting out and managed to close the car door without catching any body parts in it. Weaving on her feet, she clomped up the driveway, her gait even more ridiculous because she was still holding the one shoe the valet had given her at the club.　

　 　Becky had already gotten the door open and the inside lights turned on by the time Naomi made it up the three concrete steps, grabbing hold of the wrought iron banister to keep from staggering backwards on her way up.

　 　"Should I brew a pot of coffee?" Becky asked, coming back from putting Naomi’s purse in her room.

　 　Naomi yawned and mussed up her hair, destroying all the hard work she’d put into getting the big silky curls just right earlier that evening. "No, I can manage. Thanks for bringing me home."

　 　"Should I stay?"

　 　"No. I’ll be fine."

　 　Becky eyed her skeptically. "You’re sure? You weren’t yourself tonight."

　 　Naomi covered her eyes with both hands and expelled a big alcohol infused breath. "I know, Beck," she peered out, pouting at her friend. "I’m sorry if I embarrassed you tonight."

　 　"I guess we all have our off days. This was yours. I’ll get over it. It’s not like you do this kind of thing, well ...　ever." Becky laughed and came over, giving Naomi a hug goodnight. "So I’ll see you in the morning?"

　 　"At brunch."

　 　"Eleven. Don’t forget to set your alarm. Something tells me you’re going to need it."

　 　"I got it. I got it."

　 　Becky kissed her on the cheek, uncertainty in her eyes as she peered at Naomi one last time. "You sure I shouldn’t stay?"

　 　"Very sure."

　 　"Then I’ll see you in the morning."

　 　"Sounds good."

　 　Naomi limped to the door and locked it behind her friend. As soon as Becky had backed out of the driveway, Naomi kicked off her lone shoe, raced to her bedroom, and dumped the contents of her purse onto the bedspread.

　 　"Oh yeah!" she cheered. Grabbing the phone, she went immediately to the wedding party contact sheet on her dresser and followed down the line of ushers for Ryan’s name.

　 　He answered after two rings. Even tipsy she could hear the question in his voice. "Naomi?"

　 　"Yes. Where are you?"

　 　"At the bachelor party. Why?"

　 　"Here’s the thing. I know you had a problem with me dating Sam. You were his friend and I created a lot of tension between you two. I get it. But I’m guessing some of that attitude was just bullshit. I caught you."

　 　"You caught me?"

　 　"Yes, I caught you; watching me, looking at me. I could tell you were covering."

　 　"What’s this all about, Naomi? What’s your point?"

　 　"If you want me, I’m yours. I’m putting on sexy lingerie right now. You have fifteen minutes to get here. You know the address."

　 　Naomi cut the call and eased open the top drawer of her dresser.

　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　 　* * *

　 　Ryan pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it. Was she serious? Was this for real? Could he even make it in fifteen minutes?

　 　He hadn’t seen Naomi Kendall in months—five long and lonely months, and then …today. He could hardly tear his eyes away from her at the groom’s dinner. She looked incredible; that warm almond skin, those dark brown eyes, all that soft glorious hair. A man could get lost in that hair. They’d barely had a chance to speak to each other but he’d tuned in to her voice. No matter where she was, he heard Naomi over all the rest. Every one of her laughs registered with him. It was excruciating and thrilling at the same time. Then the party broke up and the guys and girls went their separate ways. Disappointed at seeing her climb into a car and drive away, he told himself it was okay, he’d get another shot at her tomorrow.

　 　Talk about being thrown for a loop.　 　

　 　Well, she’d read him right. How the hell did she do that? Clearly, he wasn’t as careful as he thought.

　 　"Dude! It’s your turn," said an impatient voice.

　 　Ryan looked up and found his friends watching him. He closed the fan of cards in his hand. There was only one thing to do. "I fold."　　

***

Please visit Tara Mills Romance for more great titles. You can also find Tara on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Stolen Moments by Tara Mills

 

Ella knew what Neil wanted when he called, what they both
wanted. Did she dare? Was an hour of passion worth the lies,
broken commitments, and the risk of getting caught? Yes.

Excerpt 

The sun was so strong at Ella's back, the heat of it practically shoved her through the heavy door and into the dim bar. She blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust before she ventured forward. Given it was two-fifteen on a Wednesday afternoon it wasn't surprising the place was fairly empty, still her arrival did not go unnoticed.

Scanning the faces looking back at her, she let out a disappointed sigh. Damn. Neil wasn't here yet. Talk about awkward.

Acutely aware she was the only woman in the place, she felt every set of eyes track her walk through the bar. Leaving several stools between herself and the next patron, she hung her purse off the back and used the rung under the chair to hop up onto the elevated seat. The bartender sauntered her way and Ella made her hushed request, "White wine, please."

He had to uncork a new bottle but she was relieved to see it was a decent California label.

Now she waited, sipping her wine. The negligible amount of calm she'd possessed when she walked in here faded with a self-conscious whimper. She glanced at the door then at her phone once again, checking the time and warring with herself about calling him. The more uncomfortable she got, the more she kicked her toe against the foot rail. Unfortunately, the sound drew the attention of a couple of patrons as well as the bartender. She hooked her heel over the stool support below. It was the only way to keep from fidgeting.

Ella felt exposed and out of her element sitting in a place like this, nice as it was, at two o’clock on a weekday afternoon. She wanted to fold herself up small enough to hide out in her purse, but that wasn’t going to happen. The minutes stretched on and her anxiety over being approached by one of these men increased. She sent out a silent mental message to those in the room. Just leave me alone. Ignore me. I’m not here.

A subtle brush, very faint across her back, made her turn. The warm body and even warmer smile on the handsome face gazing down on her caused Ella’s heart to start beating in double time. She breathed a big sigh of relief.

Neil looked too good for words.

He casually drew his hand over the back of her chair, his finger teasing her as it skimmed across her shoulder blades. His smile deepened when she let out a soft, involuntary moan.

“I hoped you’d come. You look beautiful, Ella.” He slid onto the stool next to her.

She felt the heat of her blush, the pounding of her heart. “You know I can’t stay long. I shouldn’t have come in the first place. Neither should you. What are we doing? If anyone sees me I don’t how I could possibly explain this.”

“I understand your fear.” He covered her hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’ll be careful. You need to trust me. Try to relax.”

"I’m trying. I am. It’s just ... the more we do this, the more chances we take that someone is going to find out."

She looked down at Neil’s hand, conscious of the weight, the strength in it resting over her own. Oh god, she was going to waver. She knew she would. She always did—but only for him. All he had to do was ask.

Then it came, his low, seductive invitation. “Stay with me, please? Give me an hour.”



Interview

1. What was your inspiration for this story? 
It was something a friend said at work one day and all of a sudden, the words and images were just rushing through my head. I had to take a quick break so I could make a rough sketch of what was coming. When I got home that night I raced to the computer and did it properly, fleshing the story out the way I saw it. Stolen Moments just flowed, even the title was insistent.

2. Do you see a little bit of yourself in any of your characters? 
To the extent that we draw on our own experience and emotions in order to convey those same feelings in our characters, sure, but the situations and relationships are unique to the characters having them.

3. Do you prefer writing short stories or longer romances?
I’m actually just getting started on the short story front. I expect I’ll write more if I’m inspired but I think I prefer writing novel-length romance because it allows more depth.

4. Did you have any trouble writing it at all? 
No trouble at all. Like I said, it came in a rush.

5. Do you have any kind of writing schedule? 
I prefer writing during the winter months. My creative flow is better when I’m able to devote more time to the process of writing.

6. What is your writing environment like? 
I have a large bedroom space upstairs and my desk sits in one corner. There are windows bringing natural light in from three different directions so it’s nice.

7. And what would your ideal writing environment be like? 
I’d actually love to have a little writing shed. Nothing fancy, just hidden away among the trees. If I’m going to get anything done at all, I need absolute silence and privacy. That’s how I work best.

8. If you’re ever stuck for an idea, how do you go about finding inspiration? 
I read books, articles, newspapers, pay attention to current events, and get into some pretty interesting discussions with my husband. Ideas come from all over, you just have to be receptive to them.

9. Did you always want to be a writer? 
Yes. It was a childhood dream.

10. What’s the first thing you can remember writing?
I typed out a story for my favourite teacher and illustrated it. I expect it was probably really awful but her response was perfect. One kind adult can change the course of a kid’s life in a very positive way. I dedicated one of my books to her. I hope she learns of it one day.

11. Do you have any advice for new writers? 
Read, anything and everything; fiction and non-fiction. Take the time to identify and appreciate elegant sentences and quality writing. Always strive to improve as a writer because there is no finish line, no end point. Writing talent is like athletic talent. You’re born with the ability, but even the best know they need to practice all the time. There will always be something to shave, something to tighten.

12. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing? 
I watch movies, play games, do the usual chores, and work outside the home.

13. What’s the best way for you to unwind if you’ve had a hard day? 
One of us makes the drinks, the other makes dinner then my husband and I will put a favourite show on the DVD player. If we feel like a laugh, it might be The Big Bang Theory.

14. What are you currently reading?
Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell

15. What was the last thing you watched? 
Django Unchained. Loved it.

16. What, to you, would be a perfect day? 
Taking my book to the dock and reading while my husband fishes. It’s so peaceful.

17. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go, and why? 
I want to go everywhere! I want to explore quaint cobbled streets, feel history press in on me like humidity. I want to visit archaeological digs beginning with Herculaneum and Pompeii then on to Mycenae. I want to see grand structures like the roman aqueducts and bridges, ruined castles and gorgeous palaces. Show me thatched cottages with small rippled panes of glass or gardens to gasp over, snow-capped mountains and glittering blue seas. I want to ride more trains and maybe take a boat ride through Venice. Show me beauty, art, and architecture and I’m a happy camper.


18. And finally where can my readers find you?

Please visit my website Tara Mills Romance. I’m also on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+

 

My Review

Stolen moments is a short read that is both sweet and sexy. It’s the kind of thing that you can read in half hour, but will leave you smiling for the rest of the day. In just a few pages Tara creates two characters that are believable and intriguing. It is very well written and I got totally sucked in. I loved the twist, and thoroughly enjoyed this!