Saturday, September 24, 2022

NEW RELEASE - ENTHRALL SHADOWS (Enthrall Sessions #10) by Vanessa Fewings Review:

NEW RELEASE!
ENTHRALL SHADOWS (Enthrall Sessions #10)
by Vanessa Fewings


Henry Cole's novel is now live on
Amazon Kindle Unlimited!

BOOK BLURB:
Henry delivers a storm of passion that only a Cole can summon.

The enigmatic older brother to famous psychiatrist Cameron Cole, Henry is a charismatic and beautiful mystery. Head of the family empire. Powerful in business.

Devastating in bed.

Former Navy SEAL, scarred and tormented from fierce battles and broken hearts.

The man has demons.

But they don’t frighten me. I crave him, even as I struggle to resist him.

It’s not until I find myself alone with Henry in the middle of the wilderness that I realize I’ve fallen irrevocably and hopelessly in love with this remarkable man.

The only problem—we come from different worlds. Society deems us an unthinkable match. As a dominatrix, I’m a dangerous scandal in the making.

If anyone discovers our forbidden romance, lives will be destroyed. An empire will fall.

Ours is an impossible love.

Except if there’s one thing I’ve learned from my time at Enthrall, if you want to reach the brightest light, you have to delve deep into the darkest shadows.

And the dark is my specialty.

ENTHRALL SHADOWS is the hotly anticipated story of Cameron Cole’s older brother Henry Cole and premier dominatrix Lotte Chamberlain.

PURCHASE NOW:





BOOK REVIEW:
5 Stars!
Beautiful imagery, sexy, witty, adventurous... and utterly addicting. A must, MUST read!

The Full Review:
ENTHRALL SHADOWS was so well written, as all of Vanessa Fewings novels are. I love ALL of the Enthrall Sessions characters, but I was waiting patiently for Henry Cole! And wow, did we get him.

Henry Cole is a former Navy SEAL turned CEO of the reputed Cole Tea industry. He is haunted by a tumultuous past riddled with guilt and pain. He’s barely hanging on most days. When suddenly confronted with that very painful past in the most heartbreakingly cruel way possible, he needs an escape. So he finds himself trespassing into Chrysalis, the swanky BDSM club he knows his brother, Cameron Cole, has a part in.

There, he meets the stunningly beautiful premier dominatrix—Lotte Chamberlain. The attraction is instant. Sparks are ignited into a full-blown inferno. But they are from two very different worlds, and there’s no combining such disparate spheres. Or at least that’s what Henry thinks. They can’t seem to stay away from one another. The intense pull is magnetic. And contrary to what Henry thinks, he needs the formidable and unrelenting Lotte to help him along his journey into the past.

Story/Characters...
Since the moment Henry Cole appeared on canvas as a battle-worn warrior, he’s been a slow reveal, accentuating the lives of those around in this series. However, he remained a mystery. I was so excited to see where his story would take us. I wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary. I was intoxicated by his darkness and exhilarated by his charm. Having served and survived captivity in Afganastan, he suffered the worse kind of torture. His time there fundamentally changed him and left him with PTSD. I loved the way the author handled his strengths as well as his weaknesses. Henry is a true hero.

I have always liked Lotte, but this book really explores who she is as a character—her solid morals and individualism. She’s confidently brazen, brilliant, and kind. There’s a reason she’s loved by all the characters in this series. She’s there for Henry in a way I don’t think anyone else could have been. She guides and helps him on his journey of rediscovery as he lays to rest old wounds and finds new love and a sense of peace he never expected. In return, Henry helps Lotte regain a part of herself stolen by a painful past of her own. In a genuine pride and prejudice story, they both lay down preconceptions and find an acceptance neither thought possible.

Henry and Lotte together... WOW! Their chemistry is off the charts hot, hot, HOT! Incendiary! I just loved them together.

To add to the awesomeness of this book, we get visits from past characters and little insights into their continuing lives! Yay! And Cameron Cole... need I say more? He comes through once again. Ahh, I just love him!

The Wrap Up:
Told in duel POV’s, everything about this read is intelligent and good. It’s the best kind of adult fun, and is an exquisite addition to the Enthrall Sessions series! You won’t want to pass up!

NOTE: ENTHRALL SHADOWS is the tenth book in the Enthrall Sessions series, but the story is so well laid out and written that you won’t necessarily have to read the previous books to understand what’s happening. However, you should. ALL the books in this series are excellent! I honestly can’t get enough.




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Sunday, May 1, 2022

ENTHRALL ECSTASY (Enthrall Sessions #9) by Vanessa Fewings Review:

 



From USA Today Bestselling Author Vanessa Fewings comes the eagerly anticipated next novel in the celebrated romance series the ENTHRALL SESSIONS.

Cameron Cole’s trusted head of security Shay Gardner has someone in his sights: new submissive Rue Asher.


BOOK BLURB:
It’s my sworn duty to protect her.

But I find myself craving not just her safety…but her love.

A love that comes with a price. I’m unable to resist her demands to become her Dom, but I fear she has no idea of the intense play I’m capable of.

I will take her beyond her limits. Beyond her imagination. I will reveal to her depths of pleasure she didn’t know was possible.

Rue will soon call the secretive world of ENTHRALL her home.

For the answers lie in the ecstasy.

BUY LINKS:


MY REVIEW:

5 Stars!
In Short: ... a brilliant addition to the Enthrall series ... an absolute must-read!

This book was amazing in every way. The scenes were captivating, daring, and full of life. Vanessa Fewings really outdid herself with this one!

The ENTHRALL series is one of my all-time favorites. I’ve done so many rereads, that I’ve lost count. Each and every book brings something new to the storyline, yet holds a familiar and comforting enticement. I’ve enjoyed each book in this line immensely, and Enthrall Ecstasy is one more book to add to the “favorites” lineup.

Enthrall Ecstasy starts out with Shay Gardner, head of security at Enthrall, intervening in a situation involving a newly trained sub, Rue Asher. She seems to have gotten herself in over her head and an acquaintance has asked Shay to step in and get her out. The moment Shay sees Rue, he knows she’s a bewitching temptation he has to stay away from. But when Rue sees Shay, she knows she’s found “the one” - her master - and she’s going to put everything into taming the beast.

Shay has been featured in other ENTHRALL books and he was always a curiosity to me. He was intriguing and mysterious and I was fascinated by all his dark corners. I really wanted to get to know more about him and see his mysteries revealed. Vanessa Fewings delivers his story beautifully! She fleshed out his characters so wonderfully in this book. He was captivating and alluring and dangerously delicious. Oh, how I loved getting to know him.

And he met his perfect match. I thoroughly enjoyed Rue as well. She was a spitfire and I loved how vulnerable yet tough she was. She was savvy and unique, and she had gumption - which she desperately needed in order to break through to Shay. I enjoyed getting to know her. All her desires and idiosyncrasy were riveting to read.

Shay and Rue were enchanting together and their chemistry was supremely HOT! They had such passion and intensity! The lengths they went to for one another were awe-inspiring.

Enthrall Ecstasy is filled with excitement, eroticism, angsts, and a whole lot of fire! Shay and Rue’s chemistry induced those wonderful tummy flutters and butterflies I love so much. Theirs was a truly romantic story with a heavy dose of seduction and intrigue. The story flowed beautifully and passionately. I was entranced!

Now.. let’s talk about the returns! I admit. I did a few squeals. The author brings back all the Enthrall family in such a lovely, seamless way and as always, my absolute favorite - Cameron Cole - delivers miracles. I'm so awestruck every time this character steps onto canvas. He's so real and lifelike that I forget he's actually a character in a book! I always enjoyed the bromance between Cameron, Richard, and Shay, but it was front and center in this book and it filled me with the happies!

As I said, Enthrall Ecstasy is a brilliant addition to the ENTHRALL series, with a familiar backdrop and new designs. Everything about it had a "rush to finish" kind of feel. I HAD to keep reading. I needed to know what happened next. It kept me glued to the pages. I was spellbound and utterly enjoyed everything about it.

An absolute must-read!

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Sunday, July 18, 2021

New Release and Review Post: THE RAVISHING by Vanessa Fewings and Ava Harrison is NOW LIVE!

 


THE RAVISHING
by Vanessa Fewings & Ava Harrison
NOW LIVE!


THE BLURB:

π΄π‘›π‘¦π‘Ž:
My father was ruthless.
Cold. Calculated. Formidable.
Every decision. Every step. Every thought. Every breath he controlled.
I never thought anyone could despise him as much as I did.
I was wrong. So wrong.
There was one person.
He wanted revenge. I was the willing pawn.
He was dangerous, beautiful, broken, and most of all a way to get back at my father.
But there’s one thing I didn’t count on . . .
Falling in love.

πΆπ‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘–π‘’π‘ :
Stephen Glassman is my sworn enemy.
And so, I felt no guilt as I took his most valuable possession.
His darling daughter.
Anya’s suffering is my new favorite pastime.
My promise to kill her one day? Inevitable.
She’s mine now. Mine to control. Mine to seduce. Mine to own.
Who knew revenge would be this sweet?
..


Also Available on audio: 
Narrated by Connor Crais and Vanessa Edwin


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THE REVIEW:


REVIEWERS NOTE: This ARC was generously provided by the author(s)/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars!
In Short: THIS WAS AMAZING!!! I loved this book from beginning to end. Sexy, angsty, and the best slow burn I've read all year! A must, MUST read.

The Full Review:
Being a fan of both Vanessa Fewings and Ava Harrison, I knew this read would be the one book I'd HAVE to read this year, even if I read nothing else. I was not disappointed in any way. THE RAVISHING was gripping, intriguing, exciting, and superbly written. Cassius and Anya just clicked, even when it seemed they shouldn’t.

Story/Characters...
Cassius Calvetti is the descendant of Italian aristocracy but though he might have been born into privilege and wealth, that didn’t save him or his family from the wrath of greed. After a harrowing night where he lost nearly everything, he’s set on revenge and nothing will stop him from getting his pound of flesh.

Anyone looking in on Anya’s life would think she’s the spoiled princess of a wealthy businessman. That’s certainly the view Cass had of her. But her life is shackled to a gilded cage filled with isolation and loneliness. She’s an implement of revenge and when all the secrets come pouring out, everything changes, and neither Cassius nor Anya were prepared for what was to come.

I LOVED Cass and Anya together. They were a very unlikely pair as both seemed to be on opposite sides of the page. Cass is set on taking his revenge for everything that happened to him, and Anya just wants her freedom. When Cass and Anya come together, neither were expecting the instant spark between them. Cass sure wasn’t expecting the fire and spirit Anya gave him.

I enjoyed everything about Anya. She was full of life and bravery but also wielded a kind, pure soul. I loved her bite. She was sassy and mature in all the right ways. She really finds her strength and that was enchanting to watch play out.

As soon as I finished the book, I immediately wrote to one of the authors and asked if I could marry Cass. THAT’S how much I loved him. I’m sure my hubs won’t mind. ;) Seriously though, Cass was a complicated character. He seemed tough and full of anger, but he has layers, people! LAYERS! And I loved watching each and every one of those layers get peeled back by Anya.

The Wrap Up:
Fewings and Harrison made an amazing duo. This story had lots of twists and turns, ups and downs, and a slow burn that really kept me glued to the pages needing to see what happened next. THE RAVISHING is a must-read, slow-burn romance you will devour in one sitting!

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WATCH THE BOOK TRAILER HERE:


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Wednesday, July 14, 2021

REVIEW TOUR - THE SPARK by Vi Keeland is Now Available:



Title: The Spark
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 12, 2021



BLURB

Before I even met Donovan Decker, I knew his shoe size.

You see, I’d gone away for a few days, and in my haste to get out of the airport, I’d grabbed the wrong suitcase.

After checking out the expensive footwear and tailored clothes, I dialed the number on the luggage tag hoping maybe Mister Big Spender might have my bag.

A deep, velvety voice answered, and as luck would have it, he had my suitcase, too.

Donovan and I met at a coffee shop to do the exchange.

Turned out, it wasn’t just his voice that was sexy. The man holding my luggage was absolutely gorgeous, and we had an immediate spark.

He got me to admit that I’d snooped in his bag and then convinced me to make it up to him by letting him buy me coffee.

Coffee led to dinner, dinner led to dessert, and dessert led to spending an entire weekend together. Donovan wasn’t just handsome with a panty-dropping voice. He was also funny, smart, and surprisingly down to earth for a man who wore seven-hundred-dollar shoes.

Did I mention he also did my laundry while I slept?
Definitely too good to be true.

So what did I do to repay him for his kindness?
I waited until he was in the shower, then ghosted him.
My life was too complicated for such a great guy.

In the months that passed, I thought about Donovan often. But New York City had eight-million people, so what were the chances I’d run into him?

Then again, what were the chances I’d run into him a year later…when I’d just started dating his boss?

THE REVIEW:


This ARC was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars!
In Short: Fun, energetic, and a solid, sweet romance! I enjoyed this one.

The Full Review:
Donovan Decker came from nothing but decided long ago that his circumstances wouldn’t stop him from succeeding. And he did. He’s one of the top attorneys in the city. Up for promotion in the firm he’s been working hard at for the last seven years, he hasn’t had much time for anything else. But the moment he meets Autumn, he sees possibility. Too bad she doesn't feel the same.

After coming back from a bachelorette party weekend with the girls, Autumn realizes she’s left the airport with the wrong luggage. Taking a chance and calling the owner on the luggage tag, she walks into a coffee shop expecting to just exchange suitcases but is immediately taken with the handsome guy behind the sexy voice on the phone. After a weekend with him, she realizes he’s the epitome of too-good-to-be-true and hightails it out of there.

Fast forward ten months later and a chance meeting brings Donovan and Autumn back together. This time Donovan is determined to not let Autumn disappear again.

I liked Donovan a lot. He had charm and was witty and he was a great guy. But... he was a bit TOO perfect if that makes sense. He always did the right thing. He always said the right thing. He was a bad boy, done good. He was successful and didn’t mind paying it forward. As I said, he was a good guy, but his layers were... thin. If you are in the mood for a good guy, then Donovan is PERFECT. Right now, I’m into heroes with a bit more complexity and I wish the author had explored his darker parts a little more. HOWEVER, I loved his determination when it came to Autumn. He knew they would be something special together and the spark between them was so strong and fiery. He wasn’t willing to walk away from that and I enjoyed watching him break down her strong walls.

Autumn was a nice girl, but she had relationship issues - with good reason. I liked her well enough as a character, but she made a single decision early on that tested my like for her. I don’t enjoy reading books with any form of cheating and though what Autumn had with her second “non” love interest couldn’t really be classified as a relationship, she kept it as a barrier between her and Donovan and I don’t enjoy those kinds of complications. If it hadn’t been for that, I would have really liked her character.

The Wrap Up:
Overall, the romance was sweet with a couple of twists and turns. It was an easy, fun read with humor, light angst, and good characters. I especially enjoyed the side characters, Bud and Storm. They added depth to the story.





PURCHASE LINKS




AUTHOR BIO


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


AUTHOR LINKS




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Monday, July 12, 2021

NEW RELEASE! THE SPARK by Vi Keeland is LIVE!


Title: The Spark
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 12, 2021



BLURB

Before I even met Donovan Decker, I knew his shoe size.
You see, I’d gone away for a few days, and in my haste to get out of the airport, I’d grabbed the wrong suitcase.

After checking out the expensive footwear and tailored clothes, I dialed the number on the luggage tag hoping maybe Mister Big Spender might have my bag.
A deep, velvety voice answered, and as luck would have it, he had my suitcase, too.

Donovan and I met at a coffee shop to do the exchange.

Turned out, it wasn’t just his voice that was sexy. The man holding my luggage was absolutely gorgeous, and we had an immediate spark.

He got me to admit that I’d snooped in his bag and then convinced me to make it up to him by letting him buy me coffee.

Coffee led to dinner, dinner led to dessert, and dessert led to spending an entire weekend together. Donovan wasn’t just handsome with a panty-dropping voice. He was also funny, smart, and surprisingly down to earth for a man who wore seven-hundred-dollar shoes.

Did I mention he also did my laundry while I slept?

Definitely too good to be true.
So what did I do to repay him for his kindness?
I waited until he was in the shower, then ghosted him.
My life was too complicated for such a great guy.

In the months that passed, I thought about Donovan often. But New York City had eight-million people, so what were the chances I’d run into him?

Then again, what were the chances I’d run into him a year later…when I’d just started dating his boss?







PURCHASE LINKS





AUTHOR BIO


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


AUTHOR LINKS





OTHER BOOKS BY VI


AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU



AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Thursday, July 8, 2021

EXCERPT REVEAL - THE SPARK by Vi Keeland is coming July 12th!

 


Title: The Spark
Author: Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 12, 2021


Excited about Vi Keeland’s upcoming release, The Spark? Check out this SNEAK PEEK of CHAPTER 1!


EXCERPT - THE SPARK by Vi Keeland
CHAPTER 1
Autumn

I’m definitely getting too old for this.
I tossed a pile of mail on the couch and plopped down beside it. It was barely six o’clock, and I wouldn’t have minded climbing into bed and calling it a day. I needed a vacation from my four-day mini vacation. Thank goodness I’d scheduled myself a weekend to recover. My girls’ trip/early bachelorette party in Vegas for my friend Anna—the one where we were all going to relax by the pool and get spa treatments—had turned into all-night clubbing and almost missing my flight home earlier today because I’d overslept. It had definitely been a while since I drank more than two glasses of wine in the span of a week, and I was feeling my ripe old age of twenty-eight before the sun had even set this Friday night. Thank God I didn’t have to work tomorrow.
I briefly considered going the hair-of-the-dog route and sucking back a vodka cran while zoning out on Netflix, but then my phone rang, crashing me back to reality.
Ugh…
Dad flashed on the screen. I should’ve just gotten it over with and spoken to him, but I didn’t have the energy. Nonetheless, allowing myself to avoid the stress speaking to my father would inevitably cause reminded me of the other thing I needed to do that I’d been avoiding all afternoon. Laundry. One of my least-favorite tasks—mostly because it required me to sit downstairs in my building’s dingy basement laundry room. Up until a few months ago, I would start my laundry and come back forty-five minutes later to make the switch to the dryer. But that practice had come to a halt after one of my loads went missing—an entire load of wet bras and underwear. Who the hell stole wet clothes? At least nab dry ones. Nevertheless, it was an expensive lesson, and now I didn’t leave the basement until my clothes were washed and dried.
Sighing, I begrudgingly went to the bedroom, where my suitcase still sat on the bed, and unzipped it. I’d packed a linen skirt on top that I hadn’t wound up wearing, and I figured I’d hang it in the bathroom and hope the wrinkles worked themselves out over the course of a couple of steamy showers. I hated ironing almost as much as I hated doing laundry downstairs.
But when I flipped open the top of the suitcase, my linen skirt wasn’t on top. At first I thought my bag must’ve been selected for search, and things hadn’t been put back in order… Though the wingtip shoe I lifted was most definitely not mine.
Shit.
I rummaged through the suitcase in a panic.
Slacks, running clothes, a men’s dress shirt… A sickening feeling washed over me, and I scrambled to look at the luggage tag. I’d never filled out the identification card inside, but the leather had my initials embossed on the outside.
And this one…had no initials.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
I’d grabbed the wrong bag off the luggage carousel. I started to sweat. All of my makeup was in that bag! Not to mention a week’s worth of my best outfits and shoes. I needed to get it back. Rushing to the kitchen, I grabbed my cell from the charger on the counter and Googled the number for the airline. After wading through a half-dozen prompts, I reached a recording.
“Thank you for calling American Airlines. Due to unprecedented call volume, your estimated wait time is approximately forty-one minutes.”
Forty-one minutes! I blew out a rush of air. Great. Just great.
In the meantime, while I waited on hold on speakerphone, listening to staticky music, it hit me that whoever’s luggage I had might very well have mine. I hadn’t even checked the luggage tag to see if, unlike mine, the identification information was filled in.
I zipped back down the hall to my bedroom.
Bingo!
Donovan Deckerkind of a cool name. And he lived here in the city! Thankfully, Donovan even had his phone number listed. It couldn’t be that easy, could it? I doubted it, but considering I still had forty minutes before I could speak to someone at the airline, I wasn’t losing much for trying. So I swiped to end my call. I started to punch in the numbers on the tag, and then decided to hit *67 first to make my number private. With my luck, the guy wouldn’t have my luggage, but he’d be a total creeper.
I was caught off guard when a man’s deep voice answered on the first ring. I hadn’t yet figured out what I was going to say.
“Uhhh. Hi. My name is Autumn, and I think I might have your luggage.”
“That was quick. I just hung up with you guys two minutes ago.”
He must’ve thought I was calling from the airline. “Oh, no. I don’t work for American. I traveled home this morning and must’ve grabbed the wrong bag at JFK.”
“What are your initials?”
“My initials?”
“Yeah, you know, the first letter of your first name and the first letter of your last name.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know what initials are. I just don’t understand why you would ask—Oh! Does that mean you have my luggage? I have my initials embossed on the luggage tag.”
“That depends on what your initials are, Autumn. The first letter matches.”
“My initials are AW.”
“Well, then it seems you are indeed the thief who clipped my luggage.”
Sure, I hadn’t checked my luggage tag, but it offended me that he was calling me a thief. “Wouldn’t we both be thieves? Since you’re in possession of my luggage?”
“I only took yours because it was the last one left rotating around the carousel. You see, unlike you, I checked the luggage tag the first time it passed, and when I saw it wasn’t mine, I left it for the rightful owner to claim. But the line at baggage customer service was twenty deep, and I had a meeting I was already late for. So I took the one I have hostage until the airline could sort it out.”
My shoulders slumped. “Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Are you here in the City?”
“I am. Could we possibly meet to swap bags?”
“Sure. When and where? I’m out now, but I’ll be back in an hour or two.”
The tag had an address on the Upper East Side, but I lived on the West Side, farther downtown. “Could we meet at the Starbucks on 80th and Lex?” That was closer to him, but at least I’d only have to drag the suitcase onto one subway.
“I can’t think of any excuse not to. What time?”
That was sort of a weird way to phrase a yes, and the way he emphasized the word excuse seemed odd. But hey, I was getting my bag back. So what if he turned out to be a little strange? At least I’d hidden my phone number, and we were meeting in a public place.
“How about eight?”
“I’ll see you then.”
It sounded like he was about to hang up. “Wait…” I said. “How will I know it’s you?”
“I’ll be the one holding your luggage, Autumn W.”
I chuckled. “Oh, yeah. Sorry...long week in Vegas.”
I bent and lifted the shoe from the top of the bag. Ferragamo. Expensive. And big, too. A quick peek revealed it was a size thirteen. The inner teenager in me couldn’t help but think big feet, big…. Plus, the guy had a deep, sexy voice. I would definitely be exploring more of the dude’s luggage after we hung up.
“I’ll meet you at eight,” he said.
“See you then.” I was just about to swipe my phone off when something hit me. Oh God! “Hello? Wait...are you still there?”
It took a heartbeat or two, but the sexy voice came back on the line. “What’s up?”
“Ummm… Did you…open my bag?”
“I unzipped it at the airport to make sure it wasn’t mine when I noticed the luggage tag initials.”
“Did you…see anything?”
“There was a pink thong on top, so that pretty much sealed the deal that it didn’t belong to me. But I didn’t rummage through, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I forgot I’d shoved that thong in at the last minute. It had been at the back of a drawer when I’d checked the hotel room one last time on my way out. But I’d take him seeing my underwear over the other stuff inside my bag. I blew out a sigh of relief. “Okay, that’s great. Thank you. I’ll see you at eight at Starbucks.”
“Whoa. Hang on a second—not so fast. You sounded pretty nervous that I might’ve gone through your bag. Are you hiding something sinister in there? I’m not going to be walking around with a suitcase full of drugs or something, am I?”
I cracked a smile. “No, definitely not. I just...I’d prefer if you didn’t go through it.”
“Did you rummage through mine?”
I glanced at the shoe in my hand. Taking out one measly piece of footwear wouldn’t be considered rummaging, right? Nah. “No, I didn’t.”
“Are you planning on it?” he asked.
I had no idea what the man looked like, yet I could tell by his voice that he was smiling now.
“Nope,” I lied.
“Alright. Then we have a deal. I won’t go through your bag, and you won’t go through mine.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
“Do I have your word on that, Autumn W? I might have some things I’d prefer you didn’t see in there.”
“Like what?”
He chuckled. “See you at eight.”
After we hung up, I tossed the shoe back into the suitcase and bent to close it. But as I reached for the zipper, my curiosity got the best of me. Was he just screwing with me, or did he really have something in here he didn’t want me to see? Of course, I knew what I had in mine, which made me extra curious.
I shook my head and started to pull the zipper closed. About halfway, I laughed out loud. Who was I kidding? Now that I didn’t have laundry to do, I had almost a full two hours to kill before I met Mr. Bigfoot. This suitcase would taunt me all that time. I’d most certainly give in eventually, so why not put myself out of that misery and just take a little look-see inside now? Then I’d be able to relax. He’d never know I hadn’t lived up to my end of the bargain. Not to mention, for all I knew, he was elbow deep in my suitcase right now. In that case, it would only be fair that I got to go through his, right?
I nibbled my lip for a few seconds as a wave of guilt washed over me. But I quickly forced that out of my mind. Of course I’m right.
Feeling justified now, I unzipped the suitcase and took a minute to mentally note how everything was packed: a white dress shirt was folded on top, and two shoes were set on either side, heels facing up. I carefully unpacked those and placed them on the bed next to the suitcase in the same order. The next layer had more folded clothes: two expensive dress shirts, a pair of sweats, boxer briefs, and a few T-shirts, one of which had something emblazoned on the front—familiar lettering that began HA—so I unfolded it to see what it said. Harvard Law.
Ugh. One of those. No wonder he could afford Ferragamo shoes.
Underneath the pile of clothes was a white laundry bag—the kind a hotel gives you to put your dry cleaning in, but most people used it to separate their dirty clothes. With no desire to sort through smelly socks, I started to fold the clothes back into the suitcase, feeling a twinge of disappointment. But when I smoothed out the layers of the pile, I felt something lumpy and hard underneath in the plastic laundry bag. So I took the clothes back out and looked inside, hoping to find…I’m not sure what. Though what I found was definitely not what I expected.
The bag was filled with at least twenty or thirty of those little shampoo bottles hotels give out. Actually, a closer inspection revealed some were conditioner and a few were moisturizer. Buried on the very bottom were also three little sewing kits and half-a-dozen toothbrushes wrapped in plastic—the kind you could get at the front desk of a hotel when you forgot yours.
What the heck had Mr. Bigfoot done? Rob a housekeeping cart? This kind of stuff, though a lesser quantity, is what you’d usually find in my suitcase since I was broke all the time. But it wasn’t the type of thing you’d expect in the suitcase of a man who had gone to Harvard and wore seven-hundred-dollar dress shoes.
Now I was even more curious to meet Donovan Decker.

***

I arrived at Starbucks almost twenty minutes early, so I went online to treat myself to a flat white with honey almond milk. Even ordering it had me salivating, thinking about the sweet, creamy drink. Expensive coffee was my indulgence, but it didn’t happen too often with the five-dollar price tag and my skimpy budget.
I stood at the end of the counter, waiting for my drink and mindlessly scrolling on my phone, when a man walking through the front door caught my attention.
Oh, wow.
Now that was one good-looking man. Describing him as merely tall, dark, and handsome didn’t cut it, not by a mile. Jet-black hair framed a magnificent face with a chiseled, masculine bone structure, full lips, and a Romanesque nose. I wasn’t the only one to notice, either. I watched as the Adonis took a step back outside to hold the door open for a woman exiting the store, and the poor lady caught one glimpse of him and literally tripped over her own feet.
Seemingly oblivious that he’d caused the incident, he extended a hand to help her up, flashed a killer smile, and strolled inside. His bright blue eyes scanned the room, stopping right on my ogling ones. Embarrassed at being caught, I quickly diverted my attention back to my phone. A few seconds later, I was still pretending to be enraptured by my screen when footsteps came to a halt in front of me. I glanced up and blinked a few times. The guy from the door flashed a crooked smile.
“Were you able to control yourself?”
My forehead wrinkled. “Excuse me?”
His eyes danced with mirth, and his voice lowered. “I bet you couldn’t.”
I stared at him for an awkward moment before finally shaking my head. “What on Earth are you talking about?”
The man’s brows furrowed. “We made a deal, remember? I wouldn’t go through yours, if you didn’t touch mine?”
I’d watched the man walk in, stood right in front of him staring for at least a solid minute, and it took until now for me to notice he had something in his hand.
“Oh my God. You have my suitcase!”
He laughed but still looked perplexed. “What did you think I was talking about?”
“I…I don’t know. I was thoroughly confused.”
“I thought you saw me walk in.”
I did. But I hadn’t made it past your face. “No, I hadn’t noticed. Sorry. I guess I was just zoning out.”
The barista behind the counter yelled my name. I was glad for an excuse to put some distance between this guy and me. I needed a moment to gather my wits. Though when I returned, I still felt a little off-kilter.
“Thank you for meeting me to swap suitcases,” I said. “I’m really sorry I took the wrong one.”
“No problem.”
I rolled his case forward and released the handle. But the Adonis didn’t do the same. In fact, he pulled my bag closer to his side.
“Before we switch...” He tilted his head and studied my face. “I’m curious to know if you kept your word.”
I mimicked his pose and tilted my head. “What if I say I didn’t?”
“Well, then you’d have to pay a penalty for violating the terms of our deal.”
I raised a brow, intrigued. “A penalty?”
He nodded. “That’s right. There’s a penalty.”
I laughed as I lifted my coffee for a sip. “I just got back from a girls’ weekend in Vegas. Pretty sure this overpriced drink just used up the last five dollars in my bank account.”
“I wasn’t referring to a monetary penalty.”
“What kind of a penalty, then?”
He stroked the stubble on his chin for a moment. “You’d have to have coffee with me.”
Did this guy really think that would be a hardship? I debated how to answer. If I told the truth, it would be embarrassing. I mean, I went through the man’s personal belongings. But the flipside was I’d get to check him out some more over coffee. Then again, I’d be agreeing to spend time with a complete stranger. Though…whenever I met a guy online, I usually met him at a coffeehouse, and I probably knew more about this guy after going through his suitcase than I would from an online chat. Not to mention, none of my online dates had looked like Donovan Decker lately. In fact, none had made it further than coffee in a while.
Adonis had been watching my face as I debated my answer. His smirk made me think he already knew I’d checked out his bag. So, what the hell?
I stood tall and met his stare. “Was the lady from housekeeping harmed in the robbery?”
His eyes narrowed for a heartbeat, but then a giant smile spread across his face. He held his hand out toward the seating area. “After you, Autumn W.”


★★★ 

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AUTHOR BIO


Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over a hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-five languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.


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