Title: Wild Wyoming Nights
Series: The McNeill Magnates #8
Author: Joanne Rock
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Blurb
“You’ll stay with me.”
She can’t
resist the rich rancher!
Emma Layton is working in Wyoming to get away
from her abusive ex. But when wealthy
ranch owner Carson McNeill learns of her plight, he insists she stay
with him for protection. Emma agrees—even knowing this cowboy may prove
irresistible.... Proximity soon leads to passion, night after night. But when
Carson learns her secret connection to his family, this ride gets a whole lot
wilder!
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Excerpt
“Wow.” She glanced over at her silent driver, wondering if
he’d grown immune to the beauty. “I’ve never seen stars like this.”
Maybe some of her wonder seeped through his frustration,
because he slowed the vehicle, then stopped altogether, the engine rumbling at
idle in the creeping night. They sat on a hilltop with meadows rolling out into
the distance on one side, and a shadow of rocky cliffs and trees on the other.
He snapped off the headlights to give them a better view and turned off the
ignition. The engine ticked for a few moments and then went silent.
“It’s amazing how much the lights of a city detract from the
night sky.” Carson tipped his head back, too, his hands resting on his
sprawled, denim-covered knees.
The right one hovered close to her leg, radiating a warmth
she could feel. Or maybe it was the electric current of attraction that made
her skin tingle that way beneath her leggings. She had been on a few dates
since breaking things off with Austin but nothing serious. She definitely
hadn’t experienced the sizzling awareness she got from being around Carson.
What a shame for her body to finally wake up again around a man she needed to
impress with her professionalism.
“It’s funny,” she said, needing to break the intimate thread
of silence between them, “because I always think I live in a quieter area of
Los Angeles.” She tried not to think about his knee next to hers. His hand
close to her leg. But memories of the way he’d touched her earlier—shifting her
thigh on the horse—sent a fresh surge of heat through her.
“Even in Cheyenne, you can’t see the stars the way you can
out here. There aren’t many perks to ranching, but the night sky is definitely
one of them.”
Straightening in her seat, she peered over at him. The
breeze turned cooler.
“You don’t like your work?” She was curious about him, this
man who allowed a film production company onto his property but couldn’t really
relinquish control. “After seeing you on horseback today, I guess I just
assumed you were born in a saddle.”
He’d ridden beside her briefly before setting her loose to
try the track on her own.
“Almost.” She thought she heard a hint of a smile in his
voice. Or was that wishful thinking? “But I never imagined myself overseeing
cattle at my age. Ranching is fine for my twin brother, but I thought I’d be
riding rodeo into my thirties.”
She hadn’t known about the twin brother. Or the rodeo past.
Still, she could relate to what he was saying. She felt him shift beside her,
turning toward her. A gust of wind blew through her hair, flicking strands
against her cheek.
“I never thought I’d be recreating sword fights or
high-speed chases, either. But sometimes life takes surprising turns.”
“I’ll bet it’s an interesting story how you got here, Emma
Layton.” Her name on his lips felt as intimate as a caress to a woman who
hadn’t been touched by a man in a long, long time.
The rush of heat through her veins shouldn’t have caught her
off guard—she’d been feeling it all day around him. She’d run four miles to try
to escape it. Even so, the magnetic force that seemed to pull her toward him
was like nothing she’d ever experienced. Her shoulders shifted fractionally
closer. Her knee brushed his.
She drew in a sharp breath at the contact, ripples of
pleasure radiating out from the point where she touched him. She forgot what
they were talking about. Couldn’t think of words to say even if she remembered.
There was only the moment and the man. The endless starry sky enveloping them
like a dream.
Maybe that was why she found herself leaning even closer—it
all felt surreal. Like a time out from the worry and stress of her real life,
where everything was suddenly simpler. Where kissing Carson McNeill seemed like
the only thing that mattered.
Her hand landed on his chest. Warm. Strong. Inviting.
She splayed her fingers wider, wanting to feel more of him.
Then she tipped her face up to his. She was close enough to see him well
despite the darkness. His eyes locked on hers for an instant—like two stars
close up.
And then his lips claimed hers.
Author Bio
Four-time RITA
nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn't like. The author
of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently
focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by
nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her
life outlook perfectly--love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at
regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing
community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree
in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing
skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite
sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded
sons.
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