Impulse
C.J.
Lake
Genre:
New Adult Romance
Date
of Publication: 10/5/16
Number
of pages: 360
Word
Count: 86K
Book
Description:
**Standalone
novel, NO cliffhanger. Contains explicit/steamy content intended for
mature readers.**
I
couldn't believe my luck, seeing Cady Killoren at the bar and finding
out she no longer had a boyfriend. Then ending up at her place later
that night... She had her guard up, but there was no denying what was
happening between us. I wasn't sure how to play this, I hadn't
exactly been honest with her. I only knew I wanted more of her...and
then things got complicated.
It
was one impulsive night--totally unlike me! I can't even blame it on
the drinks. That night with Mick was pure chemistry. I never would've
guessed that the next time we met it would be in a crowded
restaurant, being introduced by my dad! And I would find out that
everything I thought I knew about Mick was a lie. There are a lot of
reasons why I need to resist Mick Croft... Easier said than done.
Excerpt:
“So
where does that leave us?”
“Wh—us?”
she repeated stupidly.
“You
and me,” he said softly and inched even closer—which only
reminded her how good he smelled.
“N-nowhere,”
she managed to eke out. Remember your resolve, she told herself.
Distance, not flirtation.
“C'mon,
Cady,” Mick murmured, “that's it?” For a moment, she just
looked up at him. “Don’t we deserve another night?” The husky
strum of Mick’s voice nearly sent shivers through her. “We could
even make it ‘no strings’ since that’s what you’re into?”
he suggested playfully.
Please,
that was so not what she was into; in fact, she’d tried it just
once—with Mick—and look at her. Still wanting him, still
thinking about him.
“No,”
she said finally.
“No
to no strings?” he questioned.
Inhaling
sharply, Cady replied, “No to all of it.” Though his face was
inscrutable, she sensed that Mick was as unconvinced as she felt, so
she doubled-down. “We can't hook up again.”
“Why
not?” he asked simply, still not moving away. “We barely got
started the first time.” Her eyes widened for a second. Barely got
started? God...
She
fought a sudden carnal reaction that sent her pulse leaping and made
her cheeks flush. For an insane, overheated second, she imagined what
else they could have done that night—
Abruptly,
she caught herself. What am I doing??
Was
she that weak? That hot for this guy? Where was her resolve?
To
regain a sense of control, Cady straightened her posture (always a
pretty good precursor to prissiness). “Mick, we’re forgetting
that night, remember?”
He
slanted her a look. “We are? When did I agree to that?”
“You
have no choice,” Cady replied crisply. “I’m still annoyed with
you.”
With
a roll of his eyes at that, Mick said, “Jesus, how long are you
going to be mad about a couple of white lies?”
Obviously
he was determined to brush off his insincerity at Donovan Shay's.
Their very first meeting had started with a pointless lie and
apparently Mick didn't see a problem with that. “A lie is a lie—no
matter how you color-code it.” Before he could say or do something
to change her mind, Cady pressed on, “Besides, can you really blame
me for being turned off? Considering that you...”
“What?”
“...got
me into bed under false pretenses,” she managed.
Then
Mick had the nerve to laugh. “Got you into bed? C'mon, you must be
kidding. Cady—we barely did anything!” His voice was gruff as he
leaned his face a fraction closer to hers, adding, “And if you want
to be accurate here, it was more like you got me into bed.” When
she didn't immediately protest, Mick continued, almost glibly, “What
could I do? You were pressing up close to me with those big blue
eyes…that mouth…waiting for me to kiss you, practically
challenging me to kiss you…”
“I
was not,” Cady protested weakly, her voice soft and almost
cracking.
Somehow
their faces had drawn closer, and Mick's mouth was only a few inches
from hers. She could almost feel his breath on her lips. “You
were,” he murmured thickly, his deep voice making her burn. She
felt heat spreading through her body, as perspiration broke on the
back of her neck. It suddenly felt like it was 110 degrees in that
kitchen. She was way too close to kissing him all over again.
And
she panicked. “Oh, my God, you're doing it again right now!” Cady
whispered, hoping no onlookers had noticed how much Mick was
affecting her. A little flustered, she took an abrupt step
back--then one more, just to break the spell.
Straightening
up, Mick sighed. “All right, forget it. Like I said earlier: let's
not argue. Obviously you just want to stay mad at me.”
“And
obviously you're impossible to reason with.”
“And
you're frustrating as hell.”
“I’ll
come back.”
They
both looked and saw Torie. “No, stay,” Cady insisted, feeling
like she needed her friend there before she made an even bigger fool
of herself. Obviously Cady didn't have to be a Psych major to realize
that most of her fury with Mick at the moment was driven by
suppressed desire. Sure, if life were simple, things might be
different and Cady could do what she truly wanted—which was
basically a repeat of everything they'd done last weekend, and then a
bunch of other stuff that, according to Mick, they'd left out.
“Yeah,
stay,” Mick agreed. “I was just going.”
Torie
acknowledged Mick with a quick, friendly smile. “Hey—I remember
you.”
Mick
nodded. “Donovan Shay's, right?”
“Yep.
So, how's the private security business?” she asked sarcastically.
At
least Mick had the good shame to cast his eyes downward for a moment,
as if to say he had no defense. Finally, a shred of humility!
Smiling
sweetly, Torie added, “By the way, tell your friend, Quinn, that
he's full of shit.”
With
an effacing half-grin, Mick replied, “Believe me, he knows that.”
Turning
her attention back to Cady, Torie said, “Well, I didn't mean to
interrupt, but I was only coming over to warn you.”
Reflexively,
Cady's forehead pinched with concern. “Warn me about what?”
“About
the freakishly small world we live in,” Torie said, forcing a
smile—which only worried Cady more. “Um, okay...Wes is here.”
~
About
the Author:
C.J.
Lake is a storyteller who is passionate about art, surfing, and
skiing/snowboarding. She is the author of Constructing Us, A Hot
Winter, Sky High, and Impulse. Residing near the coast of
Massachusetts, C.J. is currently working on a new book.
Readers
can get in touch via email writercjlake@gmail.com
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