RELEASE DATE: August 17th, 2015
Blurb
He was someone who belonged in my wildest fantasies instead of a rest stop in the middle of Nebraska.
A sexy, cocky, Australian named Chance was the last person I expected to run into on my cross-country drive.
When
my car broke down, we made a deal. Next thing I knew, we were traveling
together, spending sexually-tense nights in hotels and taking unplanned
detours.
My ordinary road trip turned into the adventure of a lifetime. It was all fun and games until things got intense.
I wanted him, but Chance wouldn’t make a move. I thought he wanted me too, but something was holding him back.
I wasn’t supposed to fall for the cocky bastard, especially when I knew we’d be going our separate ways.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
Exclusive
sneak peek of
COCKY
BASTARD
I wondered if the vibration would feel good between my legs.
The
sun caught the chrome of a Harley Davidson parked a few spots over,
gleaming in the sweltering midday sun. I waited until Maroon Five
finished playing on the radio, oddly fixated on the
two-wheeled-man-toy as I fished in my purse for my cell phone. The
motorcycle was simple—high gloss black and shiny silver, worn
leather saddlebags with a skull embossed below the initials C.B.
How
good would it feel to ride? Wind blowing through my long hair, arms
wrapped around a man with a tough sounding nickname, engine purring
beneath my jean clad thighs. Horse? Drifter? Guns? Wait. No.
Pres. My imaginary biker was most definitely called Pres. And he’d
look just like Charlie Hunnam.
I
glanced down at my iPhone and found a half dozen new messages from
Harrison. Inwardly, I smirked. Certainly, there is no one named
Harrison that ever rode a Harley. Tossing my phone back in my bag, I
cut the engine of my packed BMW and glanced behind me into the
backseat. Boxes piled to the ceiling were beginning to make my
full-size car feel claustrophobic.
A
bus full of travelers pulled into the rest stop. Great. I’d
better go in now and get my lunch, otherwise I’d never get out of
here. Ten hours into a cross-country trip from Chicago to Temecula,
California, I was somewhere in the middle of Nebraska with about
another twenty some odd hours to go.
After
a fifteen-minute wait inside for Pepsi and Popeyes fried
chicken bites that I planned to eat back in the car, I stopped into
the small souvenir shop. I was so tired and didn’t really feel
like driving the additional five hours I had to go before finding a
place to sleep for the night. Yawning, I decided to stall and browse
for a few minutes. Checking out some trinkets, I eventually picked
up a Barack Obama bobblehead and shook it mindlessly, watching its
maniacal smile as the head bounced up and down.
“Get
it. You know you want it,” a deep, raspy voice said from behind my
shoulders. Startling me, it caused a knee-jerk reaction that resulted
in the bobblehead slipping from my fingers and falling to the ground.
The head broke off of the spring neck and rolled away.
The
woman at the register shouted, “I’m sorry, ma’am. You’ll have
to pay for that. Twenty dollars.”
“Damn
it!” I spewed, following the path of the rolling head. As I bent
down to pick it up, there was the voice again from behind me.
“And
to think, some people say he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
He seemed to have an Australian accent.
“You
think this is funny, asshole?” I asked before turning around and
getting my first look at the man behind the voice.
I
froze.
Oh.
Shit.
“You
don’t need to be a fucking bitch about it.” His mouth curved into
a wicked grin as he handed me the bottom half of Obama. “And for
the record, I did think that was really funny, yes.”
I
swallowed and seemed to lose my ability to speak as I took in the
Adonis standing before me. I wanted to smack that cocky smile right
off his face, though—his gorgeous, chiseled, scruffy face, framed
by a thick head of copper-brown hair. Fuck me. This man was
insanely hot, not someone I expected to come across out here. This
was the middle of nowhere USA, not the Australian outback for
Christ’s sake.
I
cleared my throat. “Well, I didn’t think it was funny at all.”
“Then,
you need to take the stick out of your arse and lighten up.” He
reached out his hand. “Give it to me, Princess. I’ll pay for the
damn thing.” Before I could respond, he grabbed the two broken
pieces from me, and I cursed at the shiver that ran down my spine
from the brief contact of his hand brushing against mine. Of course,
he had to smell amazing on top of it all.
I
followed him to the register as I fished through my messy purse for
money, but he was too quick and had paid for it already.
He
handed me a plastic bag containing the broken bobblehead. “There’s
some change in the bag. Buy yourself a sense of humor.”
HUE-MA.
That accent.
My
jaw dropped as he walked away and out of the store.
What
an ass.
It
was. A fine one. A thick, juicy, round ass hugged tightly by his
jeans. God, I really needed to get laid, because it didn’t seem to
matter that this guy had just insulted me to my face; my panties were
practically wet.
After
several minutes of staring into space at a shelf of Nebraska
Cornhuskers t-shirts, I gave myself a mental kick in the butt. My
reaction to the incident proved that fatigue had gotten the best of
me; I wasn’t usually that short-tempered. It was time to shake off
the bizarre encounter and get moving. My stomach was growling, and I
was looking forward to breaking into the fried chicken once I hit the
road. I snuck a piece out of the box in my bag as I walked out of the
building. My chewing ceased when I noticed him two spots down
from my car—sitting on the very motorcycle I’d been fantasizing
about earlier.
Approaching
slowly, I hoped he didn’t notice me. No such luck. Instead, when he
spotted me, he flashed an exaggerated smile and waved.
Frantically
searching for my keys, I rolled my eyes and muttered, “You again.”
He
snickered. “Did you end up buying a sense of humor?”
“I
used the change to buy you some couth instead.”
Chuckling,
he shook his head at me. Running his hand through his hair, he put
his shiny black helmet on and cranked the Harley. The rumble shook me
to my core.
Getting
in the car and slamming the door, I couldn’t help taking one last
look over at him, seeing as though I’d never see this guy again in
my lifetime. He winked through the helmet, and my pathetic heart
fluttered.
I
watched through the rear view mirror as he backed out of the spot. I
expected him to take off like a bat out of hell, but after moving
away slowly, he abruptly stopped. He kept trying to rev the bike to
get it to move, but nothing was happening. Eventually turning off the
engine, he removed his helmet and ran his hand through his hair in
frustration before getting off to inspect things. I should have just
left, but couldn’t take my eyes off him as he struggled to get it
to run. Man, that sucks.
I
dipped one of the chicken bites into the honey mustard sauce and
popped it into my mouth, continuing to watch this like a spectator
sport for several minutes. At one point, he took out his phone and
made a phone call as he paced back and forth.
Putting
his phone away, he looked in my direction and glared at me. Caught in
the act of watching him, I let out a nervous laugh. I didn’t mean
to laugh at the situation, but it just came out. He raised his brow,
and that made me cackle harder. He slowly walked toward me, clutching
the helmet by his side. He knocked on my window, and I lowered it.
“You
think this is funny, Princess?”
“Not
really…maybe.” I snorted.
“Well,
I’m glad you finally managed to find your sense of humor.”
HUE-MA.
God,
his accent was sexy.
He
arched his neck to look into the backseat and took notice of all the
boxes. “You homeless or something? Living out of your car?”
“No.
I’m in the middle of a cross-country move.”
“Where
you headed?”
“Temecula.”
“California.”
He nodded. “Me, too.”
I
looked toward his Harley. “Well, it looks like you’re not
exactly headed anywhere anytime soon. I guess it’s payback
for calling me a bitch.”
“Well,
that would seem to be the case.”
“That
it’s payback?”
“No,
that you’re a bitch.”
“Very
funny.”
“You
know what’s even better than payback?” he asked leaning into the
window, his cologne intoxicating me.
“What?”
He
wiggled his brows. “Karma.”
“What
are you talking about?”
“Come
around and have a look at the back of your Beemer.”
BEE-MA.
I
got out and walked around to the back of my car to find my right rear
tire was completely flat.
What?
This cannot be happening.
With
my hand on my forehead, I looked over at his smug expression. “Are
you kidding me? Did you know my tire was flat all this time?”
“I
noticed it right around the time I caught you popping chicken and
laughing at me, yes. It was real hard for me to keep a straight face
at that point.”
I
didn’t know how to change a tire to save my life. I couldn’t
believe what I was about to ask of him.
“Do
you know how to change a tire?”
“Of
course I do. What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t know how to
change a tire?”
“Will
you help me? I know you have no reason to want to…after our little
altercation, but I’m seriously desperate. I don’t want to be
stuck out here all alone at night.”
“Let
me ask you a question.”
“Okay…”
He
rubbed the scruff on his chin. “How badly do you want your tire
changed?”
I
backed away from him. “What exactly are you getting at?”
“Get
your mind out of the gutter, sweetheart. I’m not fucking
propositioning you if that’s what you think. You’re not my type.”
“And
what exactly is your type?”
“I
typically go for women who don’t have the personality of a door
knob.”
“Thanks.”
“My
pleasure.”
“So,
what are your conditions?”
“Well,
as you clearly know from your laughing fit, my Harley is experiencing
a technical malfunction at the moment. It needs a part that I don’t
have. I just called a tow company. But I’m on a deadline, and like
you, I need to get to California.”
“You’re
not suggesting…”
“Yes.
Yes, I am. If I change your tire, you let me ride with you.”
“Ride
with me?”
“Ride
me, yes.”
“What
did you just say?”
“You’re
hearing things.”
I
shook my head to rid the images now flashing through it. Did my tired
mind only imagine that he just said that, or was he messing with me?
“I
cannot drive hundreds of miles with a total stranger,” I said.
“It’s
a fuck of a lot safer than driving alone.”
“Not
if you’re a serial killer!”
“Look
who’s talking. You’re the one who decapitated a U.S. president.”
I
couldn’t help but laugh. This situation was seriously insane.
“Holy
shit, Princess, is that a laugh at your own expense, I see?”
“I
think you’re making me delirious.”
He
stuck out his hand. “So, you in?”
I
crossed my arms instead of taking it. “What choice do I have?”
“Well,
you could always have him change your tire.” He gestured to
a large and scary-looking man who seemed to be watching us. This guy
looked like Herman Munster in the flesh.
Letting
out a deep breath, I conceded. “I’m in. I’m in! Just get me out
of here.”
“I
thought you might say that. Please tell me you have a spare.”
“Yeah.
But I have to move some of my boxes so you can get to it.”
He
started to crack up when he got a load of the situation inside my
trunk. “Damn, what the hell is all this crap?”
I
looked into his eyes and answered honestly, “My entire life.”
I
temporarily piled the contents of the trunk onto the pavement. He got
the spare out and immediately got to work.
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About the Authors:
Vi Keeland
Vi Keeland is a native New Yorker with three children that occupy most of her free time, which she complains about often, but wouldn't change for the world. She is a bookworm and has been known to read her kindle at stop lights, while styling her hair, cleaning, walking, during sporting events, and frequently while pretending to work. She is a boring attorney by day, and an exciting smut author by night!
Additional Books by Vi Keeland
Life on Stage series (2 standalone books)
Beat
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1MWanfu
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DnI6f6
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1aqrmbS
Throb
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1BgqIUD
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1CsRg9d
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1zk882K
MMA Fighter series (3 standalone books)
Worth the Fight (MMA Fighter Series, Book One)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xC6epE
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1alpVES
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1dbzZ8R
Smashwords - http://bit.ly/1is0zNX
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1co2ZpF
Worth The Chance (MMA Fighter Series, Book Two)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1xC71aa
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1gHMCZg
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1fqQcnj
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/NU2rCR
Worth Forgiving (MMA Fighter Series, Book Three)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1wbsJEK
B & N: http://bit.ly/1ljdVzb
iBooks: http://bit.ly/XBTLFX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1kWP4ka
The Cole Series (2 book serial)
Belong to You (Cole Series, Book One)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fr26W2
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KRsCVy
Made for You (Cole Series, Book Two)
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Mi0AzQ
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KRsdCx
Standalone novels
Left Behind (A Young Adult Novel)
Amazon US:http://amzn.to/1G9HdDK
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1Rmi3xp
First Thing I See
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1fr3dF7
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1RmihEP
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1JWFo21
Meet Penelope Ward
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 10-year-old girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.
Other books from Penelope Ward
Stepbrother Dearest
ITunes: http://bit.ly/YER0mT
kobo: http://bit.ly/1fJaaBs
Gemini
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vgk1SE
iTunes: http://apple.co/1QTaONj
kobo: http://bit.ly/1BGJ2wu
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1dJrHBC
iTunes: http://apple.co/1fJayQ8
kobo: http://bit.ly/1SPKl0M
My Skylar
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1obOG2F
B&N: http://bit.ly/SLO1qi
iTunes: http://bit.ly/SLNOTR
kobo: http://bit.ly/1kNrtAB
Jake Understood (Jake #2)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1GFdves
iTunes: http://apple.co/1DQQwgC
kobo: http://bit.ly/1LQ7Fvk
THANK YOU!
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