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| Available HERE |
by Thea Landen
Most
of us read fiction, I think, as a form of escape. I know I like to pretend my
day didn’t just consist of running around at work and then coming home and
trying not to overcook dinner. Even when I’m just curled up on the couch with
my Kindle, I can live out the fantasy of doing whatever I want and being
whoever I want to be. Tonight I can finish up that sultry romance, and tomorrow
I can dive into a crime thriller (and live vicariously through the characters!).
But
what if those sorts of changes weren’t optional? In my first 1Night Stand
story, Second Skin, Anna has to
constantly reinvent herself as a requirement of her job. A lifetime of
pretending to be someone she’s not leaves her with very few opportunities for
love. Good thing Madame Eve is available to lend a helping hand!
Blurb:
Anna’s career as a high-level CIA
operative is put on involuntary hiatus. When a trusted colleague passes along
the information for the 1Night Stand service, Anna decides to take the plunge
against her better judgment and seek some intimate company. But her CIA
instincts can’t be ignored, and when she contacts Madame Eve, she uses an
alias.
Brendan owns a lucrative manufacturing company, but
he’s yet to achieve the goal of finding a woman with whom he can share his
successes and joys. But beneath his polished, capable exterior hides the
painfully shy teenager he’s never been able to escape. When his own efforts in
the dating scene fall short, he turns to 1Night Stand.
It would be so easy to fall in love with Brendan,
and Anna’s protective mask slides away, piece-by-piece, revealing more of
herself than she should dare. Before she can slip away with the sunrise,
Brendan shows their encounter in a new light. Will Anna take a chance on their
future, or will she choose to return to her undercover, but lonely life?
Excerpt:
“It’s
beautiful out here, isn’t it?” His breath danced across the tip of her ear.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Summers
in this region are always nice, but they’re nothing compared to the autumn
foliage,” he said. “Have you ever been up here during that time of year?”
Anna
continued tracing idle lines from his wrist to his elbow. “No, I haven’t.”
His
head dipped lower and his lips grazed her skin. “I realize it’s early for us,
but I’d love to come back here with you. We could watch the changing colors,
cuddle in front of a roaring fire….”
Anguish
stabbed at her. The images he described sounded flawless and enticing. Every
part of her yearned to agree to whatever he offered, but planning a rendezvous
posed too much of a risk. She hadn’t predicted the difficulties of keeping up
an ongoing charade with the man she met.
“That
sounds lovely.” She swallowed hard and turned toward him. Her cheek rested in
the crook of his neck, though its comfort did nothing to assuage her unexpected
guilt over the upcoming lie. “Maybe we can work something out.”
Contact:
#thealanden, #decadentpub, #1NightStand
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