(A Second Chances Novel #1)
Publication date: April 30th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
~ What's It About? ~
When Alexis Lin heads to Sin City for the summer, she wants nothing more than to dive into the clubs, spas, and concerts – the benefits of her father’s high roller lifestyle. On her first night in the city, Alexis gets into trouble at a club but walks away from it with the help of Connor Vincent. Private security guard to the top gamblers, Connor is all charm with his clients, but he's the anti-Prince Charming when it comes to women. Connor doesn’t have time for romance. He has his own problems to deal with, including his wild card of a brother who has come to town to collect on a past debt.
Alexis and Connor's unlikely chemistry heats things up as chance again conspires to throw them together. The stakes become even higher when unexpected tragedy strikes Alexis’ family and when Connor’s brother threatens to ruin the life that Connor has worked so hard to build. To come out ahead of the game, Alexis must be brave enough to listen to her heart, Connor must finally face up to his past, and both must decide how much they're willing to lose.
Sometimes risking your heart is the biggest gamble of all.
~ Playlist ~
Connor:
Alexis:
~ Excerpt ~
ALEXIS
I sprint for fifteen laps before surfacing at the end of the pool. Mom isn’t on the chaise lounge anymore. Connor is.
His broad shoulders are slightly hunched over, his elbows braced on his knees, his hands loosely clasped in front of him. And those startling blue eyes are resting on me like they’ve been watching me for a while.
I kick up, propping myself on the edge of the pool with my arms as I catch my breath. “Hi. What did you do with my mom?”
He cocks his head at me. God, his gaze is so, so focused in on me like they were in the high roller room, like laser beams. I wonder if he’s always so intense. I let go of the pool’s edge and sink back into the water, my toes touching the bottom.
“Nothing.” He stands, not breaking eye contact with me. “She told me she was going to go back to her suite to shower. Asked me to keep you company and remind you that brunch is…” He glances at his watch. “…in fifty minutes.”
His broad shoulders are slightly hunched over, his elbows braced on his knees, his hands loosely clasped in front of him. And those startling blue eyes are resting on me like they’ve been watching me for a while.
I kick up, propping myself on the edge of the pool with my arms as I catch my breath. “Hi. What did you do with my mom?”
He cocks his head at me. God, his gaze is so, so focused in on me like they were in the high roller room, like laser beams. I wonder if he’s always so intense. I let go of the pool’s edge and sink back into the water, my toes touching the bottom.
“Nothing.” He stands, not breaking eye contact with me. “She told me she was going to go back to her suite to shower. Asked me to keep you company and remind you that brunch is…” He glances at his watch. “…in fifty minutes.”
“I know when brunch is,” I say simply. “But thanks. And as for keeping me company, I’ll be swimming for about twenty more minutes and then going inside, so don’t feel obligated to babysit.”
I’m not trying to be rude, just straight with him. I don’t need any company when I’m out here. I push away from the wall, my head still out of water so I can hear him in case he responds.
I stare at him as he throws his watch on his towel, right before he pulls his shirt over his head and drops it. I try not to gawk, but he has a great body, all tanned with well-defined muscles. I’d felt some of those muscles when we danced last night. He walks forward, swimming trunks slung low on his hips, and crouches down by the side of the pool. My head is right at the level of his crotch, and I fight to drag my gaze back up to his face.
My mouth is suddenly dry. No harm in looking, right? He was just watching me swim for however long without me knowing. I can make out a pretty big scar on his left shoulder, and I wonder what it’s from.
“You don’t seem like the type who requires babysitting,” he says in a low voice. His jaw is shaded with a little bit of stubble today, like he slept in this morning and didn’t have time to shave. I stare at his lips and finally manage to swallow.
“You’re observant,” I say back.
I’m not trying to be rude, just straight with him. I don’t need any company when I’m out here. I push away from the wall, my head still out of water so I can hear him in case he responds.
I stare at him as he throws his watch on his towel, right before he pulls his shirt over his head and drops it. I try not to gawk, but he has a great body, all tanned with well-defined muscles. I’d felt some of those muscles when we danced last night. He walks forward, swimming trunks slung low on his hips, and crouches down by the side of the pool. My head is right at the level of his crotch, and I fight to drag my gaze back up to his face.
My mouth is suddenly dry. No harm in looking, right? He was just watching me swim for however long without me knowing. I can make out a pretty big scar on his left shoulder, and I wonder what it’s from.
“You don’t seem like the type who requires babysitting,” he says in a low voice. His jaw is shaded with a little bit of stubble today, like he slept in this morning and didn’t have time to shave. I stare at his lips and finally manage to swallow.
“You’re observant,” I say back.
CONNOR
I move forward until I’m only inches away from her and she has to tilt up her head up to look at my face. Her lips part, her cheeks reddening. It’s stupid, but I feel a sort of twisted sense of pride that I made the cool girl blush.
“I’m gonna kiss you, okay?”
“That’s not even a legitimate question,” she breathes.
“I know,” I say.
She drifts over to me, her leg brushing against mine, and the way she’s looking at me is like an open invitation. I move my hand through the water and find her, run my hand across her hip. Damn, her skin is so soft, her curves so sexy. I keep my touch light but really want to grab her and pull her over to me.
“So?” She challenges. “You going to kiss me or not?”
“I’m gonna kiss you, okay?”
“That’s not even a legitimate question,” she breathes.
“I know,” I say.
She drifts over to me, her leg brushing against mine, and the way she’s looking at me is like an open invitation. I move my hand through the water and find her, run my hand across her hip. Damn, her skin is so soft, her curves so sexy. I keep my touch light but really want to grab her and pull her over to me.
“So?” She challenges. “You going to kiss me or not?”
My mouth tilts up in a sideways smile. She’s fiery, and I like that. That’s why I originally came here looking
for her, and this… this is just extra but now that the moment’s here, I want it. Hell, I think I need it. I thread
my fingers through her hair, press my lips to hers and drink her up with a soft kiss. She moans against me,
and that kills the soft for me. I take the kiss deeper, and fuck, how she responds, matching every stroke of my tongue with hers, her taste deliciously sweet, her fingers knotting hard in my hair before raking over my shoulders and down my back.
I want to get closer to her. Want it so fucking bad, but there’s too much water stirring between us. I slip my hands around her waist, and she pushes her body up against mine. We’re skin on skin, slick and hard against wet and soft. It’s like every touch of hers leaves a charge behind that electrifies and pulses through me. I’m rock hard, and my hand slides down to grab that gorgeous ass of hers as I grind against her.
A small sound of need escapes her throat, and I groan. I seriously consider carrying her out of the pool and finding an open room so we can continue this in private. Her room. Laundry room. Somewhere. Anywhere but here.
She breaks off the kiss, tilts her head back as I lean down to suck on the very sexy curve where her neck meets her shoulder. “My God,” she moans.
I smile against her skin. “Not yet I’m not.”
I want to get closer to her. Want it so fucking bad, but there’s too much water stirring between us. I slip my hands around her waist, and she pushes her body up against mine. We’re skin on skin, slick and hard against wet and soft. It’s like every touch of hers leaves a charge behind that electrifies and pulses through me. I’m rock hard, and my hand slides down to grab that gorgeous ass of hers as I grind against her.
A small sound of need escapes her throat, and I groan. I seriously consider carrying her out of the pool and finding an open room so we can continue this in private. Her room. Laundry room. Somewhere. Anywhere but here.
She breaks off the kiss, tilts her head back as I lean down to suck on the very sexy curve where her neck meets her shoulder. “My God,” she moans.
I smile against her skin. “Not yet I’m not.”
~ Author Interview ~
Q: If your characters could describe each other after one day of knowing each other, what would they say?
A: Connor would describe Alexis as a spitfire – sexy and saucy, and with an attitude.
Alexis would describe Connor as an ass. LOL.
Q: Why Las Vegas? There must be more less sweltering places to vacation in the summer. :-)
A: Vegas is the perfect setting for this story because everyone goes there for different reasons. Connor’s had to do with escaping his past, Alexis’ was tied to her dad’s love of gambling. I actually spent a lot of my own summers in Vegas, and yes, you get fried as soon as you step outside. But that’s what the pool is for. ;-)
Q: Will we see Alexis and Connor again?
A: Yes, but as secondary characters. The next novel in this series will be Elle’s story, told through her POV alternating with a male POV. #nospoilers as to who that is going to be. As drama unfolds, Elle will of course be interacting with her best friend and her cousin, so Alexis and Connor will be back.
Q: Losing Enough is your debut NA novel. Prior to this, you’ve written two YA novels. Which do you like better?
A. Okay, hard question…. Because I will always love my YA male main character Micah, first and foremost. Yes, he came out of my head but he also serves as my muse (if that even makes sense). But I love the extent of emotional development that characters can have in the NA genre in those coming-of-age moments., so I really do enjoy writing NA a bit more than YA (don’t tell Micah).
A: Connor would describe Alexis as a spitfire – sexy and saucy, and with an attitude.
Alexis would describe Connor as an ass. LOL.
Q: Why Las Vegas? There must be more less sweltering places to vacation in the summer. :-)
A: Vegas is the perfect setting for this story because everyone goes there for different reasons. Connor’s had to do with escaping his past, Alexis’ was tied to her dad’s love of gambling. I actually spent a lot of my own summers in Vegas, and yes, you get fried as soon as you step outside. But that’s what the pool is for. ;-)
Q: Will we see Alexis and Connor again?
A: Yes, but as secondary characters. The next novel in this series will be Elle’s story, told through her POV alternating with a male POV. #nospoilers as to who that is going to be. As drama unfolds, Elle will of course be interacting with her best friend and her cousin, so Alexis and Connor will be back.
Q: Losing Enough is your debut NA novel. Prior to this, you’ve written two YA novels. Which do you like better?
A. Okay, hard question…. Because I will always love my YA male main character Micah, first and foremost. Yes, he came out of my head but he also serves as my muse (if that even makes sense). But I love the extent of emotional development that characters can have in the NA genre in those coming-of-age moments., so I really do enjoy writing NA a bit more than YA (don’t tell Micah).
Q: Biggest dream?
A: NYT bestseller list and seeing one of my stories adapted to TV or a movie. But seriously, just being able to write more and reaching out to readers.
Q: Favorite writing food?
A: Chocolate. And more chocolate. (Isn’t that a given?)
Q: Greatest weakness in a guy when admiring from afar?
A: Eyes. And you’ll see what I mean when you meet Connor. Or Micah, for that matter. :-)
Q: Some recent NA reads that you’d recommend?
A: The Untamed Series by Victoria Green and Jinsey Reese #TeamDare, Masquerade by Nyrae Dawn #TeamMaddox. I loved these stories, and as you can tell, I’m very character-inspired. :-)
A: NYT bestseller list and seeing one of my stories adapted to TV or a movie. But seriously, just being able to write more and reaching out to readers.
Q: Favorite writing food?
A: Chocolate. And more chocolate. (Isn’t that a given?)
Q: Greatest weakness in a guy when admiring from afar?
A: Eyes. And you’ll see what I mean when you meet Connor. Or Micah, for that matter. :-)
Q: Some recent NA reads that you’d recommend?
A: The Untamed Series by Victoria Green and Jinsey Reese #TeamDare, Masquerade by Nyrae Dawn #TeamMaddox. I loved these stories, and as you can tell, I’m very character-inspired. :-)
~ Purchase ~
~ Meet The Author ~
Helen Boswell loved to get lost in the pages of a story from the time she could sound out the words. Originally from upstate New York, Helen spent much of her early adult life tromping around in Buffalo, NYC, Toronto, and Las Vegas, those cities now serving as inspiration for the dark and gritty urban backdrops of her stories. An author of both urban fantasy and contemporary romance, she loves to read and write characters that come to life with their beauty, flaws, and all.
Helen dedicates her time to raising her family of two boys, teaching college students, and of course, writing.
Find out more about Helen at www.helenboswell.com.
Helen dedicates her time to raising her family of two boys, teaching college students, and of course, writing.
Find out more about Helen at www.helenboswell.com.
Connect With The Author
~ Giveaway ~
Blitz-wide giveaway
Prizes (INTL): 3x $10 Amazon Gift Cards plus signed book swag
Ends May 10th
No comments:
Post a Comment