An UPCOMING Release!! Hot SEAL, Taking the Plunge! Read an Excerpt
Hot SEAL, Taking the Plunge will be out September 1st!!! I can hardly wait because I love my hero and heroine and I'm so eager to share them with you I thought I'd post a short excerpt.
I hope you love it and want to preorder the book. It will be out in just a very few weeks.
Darcy Moreau is traveling for the first time and fulfilling a dream. She's in Rome to be her best friend's Maid of Honor. But she's also there to bury the past and start a new life.
When she and Tony meet again, she wonders if the past might not be such a bad thing if her future can include the man she left behind. But can she make amends and convince him to give her another chance?
Karma isn’t always a bitch. Navy SEAL Connor ‘Hammer’ Evans decides a fender bender is a small price to pay for finally meeting the woman who got away. Even though he’ll only be on the East Coast a short time, he’s convinced he and Sloan can enjoy a sexy, no-strings adventure together while he’s here.
Their first kiss ignites a hunger for each other they can’t seem to quench. As their relationship deepens, Sloan realizes she has to be honest with Connor and share the reason behind her broken engagement. When he learns the truth, will he go wheels up and leave her behind? Or will he follow through?
I hope you love it and want to preorder the book. It will be out in just a very few weeks.
Here's the blurb:
Rylie Stewart, daughter of SEAL legend, Admiral ‘Black Jack’ Stewart, is in trouble. Big trouble. Eight and a half months through a difficult pregnancy, she’s kept her silence about who the father of her unborn child is, but the closer she gets to giving birth the more the pressure mounts for her to reveal the man’s name. But she’s been a SEAL’s daughter for twenty-three years and she’s as good at keeping secrets as her father is.
Navy SEAL Eric ‘Viking’ Anderson has just come off a six-month deployment to find Rylie on his doorstep with news. He’s about to become a father, and she wants a promise in case something happens to her during the birth. Eric’s more than willing to give her his word, but he wants something in return. Another chance with the woman he loves. And this time they’re going to do things his way. No more hiding and no more secrets.
But there’s one truth he can’t reveal to Rylie without further damaging her rocky relationship with her father. He suspects Black Jack knew about their affair and deployed Eric to end it. But now Rylie’s carrying his baby, the Admiral will play hell getting rid of him again. His missions: To put a wedding ring on Rylie’s finger, making their relationship permanent, and to be the best dad in the world for their baby boy.
Navy SEAL Eric ‘Viking’ Anderson has just come off a six-month deployment to find Rylie on his doorstep with news. He’s about to become a father, and she wants a promise in case something happens to her during the birth. Eric’s more than willing to give her his word, but he wants something in return. Another chance with the woman he loves. And this time they’re going to do things his way. No more hiding and no more secrets.
But there’s one truth he can’t reveal to Rylie without further damaging her rocky relationship with her father. He suspects Black Jack knew about their affair and deployed Eric to end it. But now Rylie’s carrying his baby, the Admiral will play hell getting rid of him again. His missions: To put a wedding ring on Rylie’s finger, making their relationship permanent, and to be the best dad in the world for their baby boy.
The Excerpt!!!
Eric tried to ignore the headache eating at his temples. He should have never done those tequila shots last night. But being unable to reach Rylie after returning to CONUS hit him harder than he wanted to admit. Unfortunately, finding relief inside a bottle hadn’t been the answer either.
Where is she?
He threw his empty sea bag into the closet with more force than necessary. Which didn’t relieve any of his frustration.
First rule of order was to shave his beard. Second was to see Rylie and figure out what the fuck was going on. He’d lay in some food as soon as he had his life squared away.
He always called once a week, the one time a week he was able to use the SAT phone. And he’d missed her every time for the past month.
Then he resorted to writing a letter a week, but never got a single reply.
He even tried Facetime, but never caught her on the computer. That really worried him. She was always on her computer. If something had happened to her…
He wouldn’t think like that. Everything was fine until four weeks ago. And the last time they spoke, everything seemed good. She couldn’t be blowing him off. Not possible.
The way they’d been together… Their bodies were made to give each other pleasure. Their minds would hook on the same ideas during a discussion. And her laugh was so damn infectious, he couldn’t get enough of it.
If he could just get a moment with her face-to-face, he could remind her why they needed to be together. It was six long months since he’d seen her face-to-face—Skype didn’t count—and a month since he heard her voice.
Damnit, why didn’t she respond to his letters? He never wrote letters, was lousy at it. But she wouldn’t answer her phone, so he had no alternative.
A soft knock on his apartment door broke his internal bitching. Jesus, he’d only been home twenty minutes. If something had happened with the AutoPay for his rent or something…
I don’t have time for this shit.
He jerked open the door.
Rylie’s dark blue eyes were ringed by shadows and her skin, always pale, looked almost translucent. He pulled her into his arms—and wheezed out a breath when her firm, distended belly hit his abdomen.
He eased back so he could look down at bulky pullover sweater. The bulge was unmistakable.
Pregnant. She was pop-stage pregnant. Why would she go dark on him and not let him know? Why hadn’t she let him know as soon as she found out?
He caught back an oath as a dozen different emotions whipped through him. After a full thirty seconds he managed. “Why the hell haven’t you told me about this, Rylie? Jesus Christ!”
“I didn’t realize I was pregnant until just before you deployed, Eric. I tried to tell you, but every time…by the time I worked up my nerve…you were God knows where, in danger, and I only got to talk to you once a week.” She rested a hand on the bulge. “Then the doctor put me on bed rest for the last month of the pregnancy and I had to move in with my father.”
What could he say to that? What did he know about having a pregnant girlfriend? But bed rest didn’t sound good.
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that the baby was his. They’d been all over each other since damn near the first time their eyes met. And before he left they spent practically every free minute together for four of the most perfect months of his life.
But they had that one snafu with the condom.
He struggled to control his anger. “Come sit down.” He placed a hand against the small of her back and held her arm as he guided her to the couch. “I just got in about half an hour ago.”
“I can see that.” Her eyes were focused on his thick, coarse beard. “When I was young my father would return from deployment with a beard. It helps you blend in, doesn’t it?”
She never told him her father was military. He thought her dad was a cop. But then a lot of military went into security and applied for police training after they got out. Or was he making excuses for her having kept that from him too?
He guided her to the couch, and while she eased herself down to sit he settled on the coffee table facing her. He tried to keep his eyes on her face, but it was impossible.
He half raised a hand to touch her belly, then pulled back.
He’d never hesitated to touch her before.
He met her eyes. “I called every week, Rylie. Wrote you a letter every week for the past month. Why didn’t you answer and tell me about this?”
“My father, he’s been on my ass constantly. I didn’t want to tell him you’re the father. I didn’t want to drag you into his bullshit. And I didn’t get any letters.”
If she didn’t get them, where the hell were they? If she didn’t get the letters, he was already dragged into her father’s bullshit because he probably had them.
The idea of a man reading the things he said to her made him feel…exposed. He begged her to write him back. Had given her a time to call him back. Jesus. Heat flooded his face. He struggled to keep his tone even. “Did you have your mail forwarded to your father’s address?”
“Yes.” He saw the moment it hit her. She buried her face in her hands for a moment, then shook her head. “I’ve been so stupid.”
“We talked every week until the past month. Tell me why, in all this time, you didn’t say one word about the baby.”
She tucked her long, dark hair behind her ears. “I wanted to tell you, but...you were in a danger zone. You didn’t need the stress of worrying about me and him.
“My father always said that when a man is in a militarized zone, he has to keep his edge. I didn’t want to dent that edge, and if I’d told you, it might have. I wanted to wait till you were home so I could tell you face-to-face.”
She ran a hand over her belly. “That’s why I came as soon as I found out you were back.”
It was a boy. A son. My son. How was he supposed to feel about that? “When are you...?
“I’m due in two weeks, but it may be sooner.”
“Do you want me to be there?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m here.” She looked away, lacing her fingers together and squeezing until her knuckles went white. “If anything happens during the delivery, I want you to be there to take custody of the baby.”
“Done.” He heard the word come out before he even had a moment to think about it. She was carrying his child. His son. Nobody was going to take their son from either of them. His child was never going to be alone, not as long as he was alive.
The tension in Rylie’s body relaxed and she leaned back, but sat back up just as quickly and gripped the leather couch cushion. She rubbed the rounded mound of her stomach and he watched, fascinated.
“If I’d been in the country, Rylie, I’d have been with you on this. Hell, I’d have done anything and everything I could to support you. Anything you wanted or needed me to do.”
“I know that.”
“Then why didn’t you call me this past month? I thought you were blowing me off, and I just couldn’t understand how you could be with me one minute, then cut me completely out of your life the next.”
She closed her eyes, her lower lip trembling, her hands clenched as she took a slow, deep breath. “I haven’t been completely honest with you about some things. I thought I was protecting you, but it seems I couldn’t even do that right.”
“What things, Rylie?”
“I can’t talk about them right now.” She slid forward on the couch to stand and Eric rose to help her. She gripped his hand hard. “I’m in labor Eric, and I need you to take me to the hospital.”
His heart rate rocketed. “You’re in labor now? Right now?”
“Yes. I’ve been having contractions all morning. I thought they’d stop, but they haven’t.”
“Jesus, Rylie! Did you drive?”
“No. I took an Uber.”
How was he supposed to get her to the hospital? On his motorcycle? Not happening. He jerked his phone out of his back pocket and with his thumb keyed in the password and opened his contacts. All the guys were hungover or still drunk. Who the hell could he get? He punched the contact. “Tucker. I have an emergency and we need a ride to the hospital.”
“Shit! What’s happened?”
“It’s Rylie. She’s in labor.”
“Jesus Christ, Viking. I didn’t even know she was pregnant. Where are you?”
“We’re at my apartment. We’ll talk about it later. We need an immediate dustoff—now!”
“I’m on my way. Be there in five.”
Hope you enjoyed the excerpt!!!
I have to give the other two books I've written for the series a shout out.
Hot SEAL, Roman Nights
On leave after a difficult mission, Navy SEAL Tony Gallo steps off the plane in Rome and tumbles right into the arms of the woman who dumped him nine years ago, and they're both there for family events. He discovers Darcy's attending the wedding they planned but never had, but now it's someone else's.
Darcy Moreau is traveling for the first time and fulfilling a dream. She's in Rome to be her best friend's Maid of Honor. But she's also there to bury the past and start a new life.
When she and Tony meet again, she wonders if the past might not be such a bad thing if her future can include the man she left behind. But can she make amends and convince him to give her another chance?
Hot SEAL, Rusty Nail
After a broken engagement followed by six months of grueling work, Sloan Bianchi is ready to hit the beaches of Hilton Head South Carolina for some R and R. She isn’t looking for romance, but when she catches the gaze of a stranger at a local restaurant, her attraction is immediate. But he turns out to be just another guy who can’t follow through.
Karma isn’t always a bitch. Navy SEAL Connor ‘Hammer’ Evans decides a fender bender is a small price to pay for finally meeting the woman who got away. Even though he’ll only be on the East Coast a short time, he’s convinced he and Sloan can enjoy a sexy, no-strings adventure together while he’s here.
Their first kiss ignites a hunger for each other they can’t seem to quench. As their relationship deepens, Sloan realizes she has to be honest with Connor and share the reason behind her broken engagement. When he learns the truth, will he go wheels up and leave her behind? Or will he follow through?
I love the SEALS in Paradise Series. And all the wonderful ladies I'm writing it with.
There are actually 25 books in the series and all but 2 are released. Click on the link: Paradise Authors' Page and you'll have access to all the books in the series.
Just so excited about Hot SEAL, Taking the Plunge and just had to sing out about it.
Read on!!
Teresa Reasor
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