In L. E. Bross’ fun, sexy contemporary romance debut, Melanie McAllister’s brand new copy of Home Improvement for Dummies doesn’t even begin to cover the DIY advice she really needs: how to put the pieces of her life back together. Her cheating ex-husband’s insider trading scandal destroyed her family’s multi-million dollar company and left Mel with nothing but the run-down oceanfront cottage she inherited from her parents. Biscay Beach, Maine, seems as good a place to start over as any. Then she meets hot-as-hell carpenter Eli Stuart, who comes with his own set of dark secrets — these two are stuck in the past, but when they meet, all they can think about is a future… together.
Read the full excerpt from The Do-Over:
She had a choice. He wanted her; she knew that much. And God knew she wanted him.
He was holding back, waiting for her to make the decision, and it was that small gesture that made up her mind. She reached down and grabbed the hem of her tank top and pulled it up and over her head.
Before she lost her nerve, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest.
“F***,” he muttered, and then his fingers were tangling in her hair and he lifted her head and his lips were on hers, hot and urgent and demanding.
Mel opened for him and his tongue drove into her mouth, claiming her with a kiss like no one ever had before. She dug her nails into his biceps and stood on her toes. That small motion dragged her sensitive nipples over his chest and she groaned into his mouth.
She did it again, deliberately, and shuddered at the exquisite sensations.
Eli ripped his mouth from hers and leaned his forehead against hers. His eyes blazed into hers. “Jesus, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you? Do you know how hot that is, feeling you rub your tits against me? You keep that up and I’m going to end up f***ing you right here against the counter.”
Her limbs turned to liquid even as the ache between her legs grew unbearable. No one had ever talked to her like that before and, holy hell, did she like it. Without breaking eye contact, she slowly moved back and forth, dragging the rock-hard tips of her breasts over his bare skin.
“You are playing with fire, Sunshine. Is that what you want? To be taken up against your cupboard?” Hot breath washed over her ear and then he nipped his way down her neck, onto her shoulder, leaving a trail of burning want.
For the first time in her life, Mel had the chance to make a choice that was all her own. She could choose to be completely spontaneous with no pressure, no expectations. All she had to think about was what she wanted. And she wanted Eli. She was more than ready and was going to enjoy every single second because she could.
A surge of power washed over her and she pressed herself against the length of him, lifting onto her toes so that she could whisper in his ear.
“That’s exactly what I want.”
His growl echoed in her head. He reached down and gripped her thighs hard enough that he could lift her up onto the counter, then pushed between her legs and took her mouth again. Mel wrapped her legs around his waist and laced her fingers behind his neck. They were the same height now and fit together perfectly.
Her urgency drove him mad, and she knew there was no going back from where they were at this moment, balanced on this precipice of want and need. No more questioning herself, not now. She wanted to live in the moment, this moment, with Eli.
He pulled back with a gasp and rested his forehead against hers. His eyes were so dark it was hard to see the color, even this close. He trailed a finger down over her shoulder, then along her collarbone. When he reached the tip of one breast, the air lodged in her lungs.
“Are you sure?” he asked hoarsely.
He rolled her nipple between his fingers and she arched back with a low moan. When he pressed his lips against the skin between her neck and shoulder, heat exploded deep in her stomach. How much more could she take before she just burst into flames?
About the author: L.E. was born and raised in a very small town in MidCoast Maine where she spent countless hours exploring the woods around the farm where she lived and playing dress up with her grandma’s suede boots. She even had a stubborn pinto pony named Magic. This is her first contemporary romance novel.
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