Welcome to the...
Lyla Payne's latest New Adult Contemporary Romance and fourth book in the Whitman University series!
Synopsis
Sam Bradford has it all—he’s the #2 tennis player in the world, plenty of girls want to date him, and he’ll never want for money. At least, that’s what he thought until his accountant stole everything and disappeared. Interpol has no idea where to start, and neither does the American F.B.I., so Sam figures he’ll just have to take care of his body and play a few extra years to make it back.
When Blair Paddington, the accountant’s daughter and a friend of a friend at Whitman, shows up and claims she can help Sam get his money back he’s torn between wanting justice and the very real possibility that Blair is just as big a con man as her father. When she promises not only money, but justice, Sam agrees—but only if he can go along on the search.
The two of them set off on an adventure neither rich kid is prepared for—cheap hostels, the same clothes three days in a row, and nothing but a backpack of possessions—so they can fly under the radar as college lovers on a winter break. In spite of Blair’s shady family, her daring and resourceful personality strike Sam’s interest and he finds himself falling for the one girl he shouldn’t.
When they finally find her father, the truths that come to light not only make Sam question his affection for Blair, but could cost him more than money—if they can’t work together one last time, neither of them may be going home. Ever.
Staying On Top is Available Now
~~~~
Excerpt
"Blair."
She cut me off by placing her palms on my cheeks, hesitating for the tiniest of seconds, then leaning forward to press her lips against mine.
The kiss was soft, so unlike Blair that it took me by surprise. I slid my hands to her hips, squeezing hard enough to keep her in place. She scooted forward on my lap, her palms drifting to my chest while her fingers brushed the exposed skin at the base of my throat.
Her touch drove out my fear and replaced it with shuddering desire, and I tangled a hand in her hair. The slip of her tongue against my bottom lip shot boiling need into my gut and I opened my mouth, greedy for the taste of her.
What began as a kiss, maybe to thank e for trying to protect her, maybe born of the relief of surviving a harrowing incident, turned into something animalistic inside ten seconds. Her chest pressed against mine as her fingers dug into my scalp and our tongues tangled with far more urgency than was appropriate for a very public place.
I didn't care.
It was as though my hands had minds of their own. They explored until they found the hem of her sweatshirt, then the tank top underneath, reveling in the softness of the skin on her back.
Blair gasped against my lips, the tiny, incredible admission of pleasure bringing me back to the present. As much as I didn't want to let her slip away, we had to stop or end up being the second horrifying thing our poor fellow passengers would witness today.
I didn't remove my hands, though. Now that she'd touched me, now that she'd proven that her body felt the same pull as mine, going back was off the table. She laid her forehead against mine, eyes closed, until both of us could breathe normally.
"I knew you were hot for me, Blair Paddington," I whispered with a smile.
She sat up and crossed her arms, avoiding my gaze. "Whatever. I just thought it was sweet that you tried to protect me. Even if it came a little late."
"Don't do that." Her eyes snapped to mine, and I held on to her gaze, refusing to let her look away again. "There was nothing sweet about that kiss, and I never come late. I"m a right-on-time kind of guy."
That made her smile, even if she didn't seem to want to. "Fine. I might be attracted to you, but that's it. I don't like you or anything, so go ahead and unswell your head accordingly."
"I don't like you, either. You're a pain in my ass, you do crazy shit like stand up in front of men holding guns, and I'm considering the idea that you could be the Antichrist." I ran my hands over the bare skin of her back, then trailed my fingers around front, skimming the softness under her bra. The way her eyes fluttered made me ache to pull her against me, but dammit, we were still on the bus. "But you're a fucking sexy devil."
"You really are an idiot."
"But I'm hot?"
She rolled her eyes and climbed off my lap, turning to check out the scene that had started all of this. I almost wanted to thank the psycho with the weapon for helping me break down the emotional barriers Blair had spent who knows how long erecting. Even though she'd kissed me as though she wanted to fuck me right here, even though she'd acknowledged the crackling attraction that felt as natural as breathing, I had an inkling that getting her to admit to any feelings would be harder than pulling teeth out of a rabid raccoon.
~~~~
About the Author
Lyla Payne has long had a love of stories. A few years ago, she decided to put it down on the page, and even though she has a degree in film and television, novels were the creative outlet where she found a home. Lyla's published Young Adult novels under a different name, but when she got the idea for Broken at Love (her first New Adult title), she couldn't wait to try something new - and she was hooked. In her spare time she watches a ton of tennis (no surprise, there), play a ton of tennis, and dedicate a good portion of brain power to dreaming up the next fictitious bad boy we'd all love to meet in real life.
Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Stay connected with Lyla Payne
~~~~
***The Giveaway***
Blog Tour Organized by
No comments:
Post a Comment