Jun 28, 2015

Sunday Smooch with Jennifer Hayward


Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we welcome Jennifer Hayward to LoveCats DownUnder but first... 

The winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Tammy.  Can you please contact melaniemilburne (at) gmail (dot) com to receive your copy of Italian Surgeon to the Stars.

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And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Jennifer Hayward's Tempted by Her Billionaire Boss.

The ultimate forbidden attraction

Francesca Masseria is mortified. On her first day working for renowned tycoon Harrison Grant, she accidentally hits the panic button and watches in horror as security puts her boss in handcuffs! Normally poised and efficient, Harrison's enigmatic presence leaves Francesca flustered. 

Harrison is furious. He can't afford any distractions with a high-stakes deal on the table, and his new assistant is as diverting for her beauty as her incompetence! He should fire her, but she's determined to make up for their disastrous meeting by anticipating his every need. Except, what Harrison's beginning to want from Francesca isn't part of her job description!


Jennifer's scene set-up:


Tempted by Her Billionaire Boss is the first of my Tenacious Tycoons duo for Harlequin Presents. The Tenacious Tycoons is the story of two brothers who must carry the family legacy after their father commits suicide over a deal gone bad. Harrison, my hero in Tempted is the dark to his brother Courn’s light, bent on avenging his father’s death. Frankie my clear-souled heroine might be the only thing to save him from self-destruction.

This kiss follows Harrison and Frankie’s break up after Harrison pushes Frankie away, worried she’s getting too close. At the annual Grant summer party – the social event of the season in Long Island - Coburn decides to make his brother admit his feelings for Frankie with an intimate display on the dance floor. All bets are off as to how this is going to end!


The Smooch:


            “You don’t want me, Frankie.” He kept going as if he hadn’t heard her. “Tell yourself that. You want a tidy little relationship with a nice guy who will treat you well, give you the requisite two-point-one kids and take you to church on Sunday.” He shook his head. “That’s not me.”    
            “I never said that.” A funny feeling unfurled inside of her. “Why don’t you tell me what these feelings are you’re having before I make a decision like that?”    
            He shook his head, a wary look in his eyes. “It won’t accomplish anything. I have nothing to offer you.”    
            Frustration burned through her. “I swear I will turn around, go back up there and find one of those eligible men and flirt like crazy if you don’t start talking.”                 
            His throat convulsed. For a minute she thought he was going to walk away. Then he took the last step toward her, his gaze dark and tormented. “You make me want things I can’t have.”   
            “Like what?” She was hypnotized by the confusion in his gaze. The honesty.
            He cupped her jaw in his hands. “You make me want you. Need you. Crave to be with you. I don’t do relationships. That’s why I walked away. Not because I don’t have feelings for you.”   
            Having his hands on her again felt so good. She wanted to purr into him like a cat. Her gaze held on to his. “Maybe you don’t know what you’re capable of.”                
            “Even if I was,” he said harshly, “you are goodness, Frankie. I am the darkness. I would only drag you down there with me.”   
            She moved closer because she was melting inside. “I can handle myself quite nicely, Harrison. I did the other night.”    
            He looked down, as if he was studying the heat drawing them together. “You can’t handle my life as it is. With Leonid. Siberius. I could be walking into a whole other playground in a few weeks, one I’m sure you couldn’t handle.”    
            A presidential campaign. Rumors had been swirling all night about it. Everyone expected him to do it. But she didn’t care about that. She cared about the man.    
            She swallowed hard. “That night at your penthouse...I’ve never felt like that about anyone. I’ve never had that kind of a connection with anyone. It was—” She shook her head, stumbling over the words. “My feelings are scaring the heck out of me, too, Harrison. I don’t know how to handle them. But I won’t deny them.” Her gaze clung to his. “You said I make you feel alive...you make me feel alive.”   
            His gaze darkened. He was silent for a long moment, long enough for her to hear her heart beating in her ears. “You’d be smart to walk away. If I don’t break your heart now, I will later.”    
            “You don’t know that.” She stepped closer until the heat of their bodies melded into one another. “There are no sure things in life. You can’t insulate yourself against pain. It’s impossible.”    
            She thought she might see a flicker of awareness in his eyes. That she was right. That he’d been locking his feelings away for far too long. Her heart thrummed in her chest as he brought his mouth down to brush against the corner of hers.    
            “There are far better bets than to take a chance on me. I’m not going to lie.”
            “I don’t think so.” Her soul reached out for his. “Let yourself go. Follow your instincts. I’ll jump if you will.”    
            He murmured something unintelligible against her mouth. Sparks flew between them, their bodies too close, too aware of their wanting not to seize it. Take it. His mouth shifted to cover hers more fully. She moved into him, like water finding a path again. After the uncertainty of this past week, she wanted comfort. She wanted to know she was right.    
            He kissed her hard, his mouth hungry, lacking in finesse. She had pushed him out of his comfort zone. His hands moved restlessly down to shape her breasts, the curve of her thighs through the silky material of her dress. “You look so good in this,” he muttered when they came up for air. “I almost knocked Coburn senseless.”              
            She smiled against his mouth. “He was provoking a reaction.”    
            “He succeeded.” The hand that shaped her hips pulled her hard against him. His arousal lay between them, potent and ready. Frankie gasped. “Harrison.”    
            He grabbed her hand and walked toward the boathouse. She tugged on his fingers in a halfhearted protest. “Not here.”    

            “You wanted me to go with my instincts. Live with it.”
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Excerpt from Tempted by her Billionaire Boss, Harlequin Presents June 2015, by Jennifer Hayward. Available now from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo


Connect with Jennifer on the web:  Website | Facebook | Twitter

To be in the draw to win a signed copy of Tempted by Her Billionaire Boss, share what's been tempting you this weekend.

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from the amazing Amy Andrews will be posted!


Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver


23 comments:

  1. Hi Jennifer

    Oh I loved this story and it was great re reading that excerpt and I am really looking forward to the next one in the series :)

    What I am looking forward to this weekend is some quiet reading time LOL I have family up for the weekend and Hubby's birthday party it has been busy but fun :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Hi Helen!
      Aww I love that you loved Frankie and Harrison. Thank you! And quiet reading time? I'm getting some of that with my boys away for 3 weeks in Sweden. It's heaven! Alone time is such a big thing for me to keep balanced! Have a great rest of Sunday!

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  2. Hi Jennifer! This sounds wonderful! Congratulations on the release!

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  3. Fab excerpt, Jennifer! Love the tension between Frankie and Harrison. :-)

    What's been tempting me this weekend. Ooh, I went to a craft beer bar yesterday -- 20 craft beers on tap, and all very intriguing and rather tempting. Of course, one has to show restraint when driving, but one middy never hurt anyone. ;-)

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    1. ooh sounds delicious Michelle! I'm a Canadian but not a beer drinker... go figure! Now put me in one of your fab Aussie wineries? Heaven!

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  4. Thanks for the hot smooch between Frankie and Harrison, Jennifer.

    I went out to dinner at a friend's house last night and after dinner there was a table full of tempting desserts! Let's just way I didn't avoid temptation.

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    1. Hi Jennifer!
      Thanks! :) I say dinner out is always free game. It's just no fun avoiding temptation when you're out. So yay! :)

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  5. Wonderful smooch. Today is my birthday, so my Ice Cream cake has been tempting me. I had a piece this afternoon, but came close to having another piece tonight.

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    1. Oh, and what a wonderful Birthday present to see I won Melanie's book today

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    2. Happy Birthday Tammy! And lucky you to win Melanie's book :) Thank you and I hope you have a fab day!

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  6. HI Jennifer! Purrrrfect to have you visit the LoveCats with Frankie and Harrison's gorgeous Smooch! Sounds like a book I need to add to my TBR pile and I especially love the way they met with Frankie pushing the panic button and having her new boss slapped into handcuffs! I can't wait to read the scene after that!

    Actually, what's tempting me this weekend is the thought of playing hookey and being anywhere but home! Unfortunately the carpet layers are coming on Tuesday so that'll be no hookey for me!

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    1. aww thank you Sharon! I loved writing that opening scene so much! I was laughing the whole way through it. And cringing for Frankie. But they'll be beautiful new carpets right, so all worth it? x

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  7. LOVELY!!

    I've been binging on the TV series of OUTLANDER and I don't feel guilty in the least.

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    1. Nor should you Mary! I've been binging on Barbara Longley's Highlander series.. Amazing! thanks for being here!

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  8. Hi Jennifer - thanks for dropping by to visit us at the LoveCats! What's tempting me this weekend? I was cleaning out a container of baking supplies in the pantry today and came across a little bag of Easter eggs. Mars bar Easter eggs. They didn';t tempt me for long, though, because I gobbled them up. :)

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    1. Ha. Good job on that Rachel. Wouldn't want them to go to waste! What's tempting me this weekend is to finish the revisions on my current WIP. Hoping I do!

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  9. Hi Jennifer - great smooch. Hmmm, multiple things are tempting me at the moment. Firstly lots and lots of books - even though I already have way too many unread titles on my ereader already. Secondly various stickers and washi tapes - I've been getting into using my diary/planner more and the decorating aspect is appealing to me - in addition to it being a creative outlet.
    I can think of other things that are tempting me, but those are the main ones.

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    1. Hi Lyn - thanks! Oh my TBR shelf! I am determined to attack before buying new books but I still end up adding one or two. Hope you have some time to get to some of them this weekend! Awesome to have you drop by!

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  10. Easy peasy answer: caramel cinnamon apple muffins - and I can hardly wait until tomorrow morning to have one for breakfast (although my husband can have my caramel....)!

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  11. Ooh yummy Laney! Can you send some my way? I love muffins and I love cinnamon apple tea so I imagine they're delicious. So glad you dropped by!

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