Running
as if her ass was on fire, Halayna took the steps two at a time and burst into
her bedroom suite, slamming the door behind her. Struggling to get air into her
lungs, she paced the length of the room a couple of times before collapsing
face first onto the king size bed.
What
the heck had just happened?
One
minute, she and Sloane were talking, laughing, and eating, and in the next
minute, they were hugged up together kissing.
“Oh
my God!” Halayna groaned into the mattress as the full weight of what they’d
done hit her. He was her best friend’s brother. A man who was so far out of her
league, it was laughable. Yet, he had kissed her, and it hadn’t been just any
kiss, but a kiss that had her questioning her sanity.
Sloane
kissed me… and I liked it… a lot.
Oh
man, she more than liked it. She wanted a repeat. A repeat of his full,
demanding mouth taking what he wanted from her. A repeat of the way he held her
close to his big, hard, muscular body, and she wanted a repeat of how good it
felt being held in his strong, unyielding arms.
For
those few minutes, with their tongues tangling, all Halayna’s thoughts and
worries had fallen away, and in their place had been a peace she hadn’t felt in
months or maybe even years. Sloane had somehow made her feel more cherished
than she’d ever felt by a man. Which was saying a lot since she’d been engaged
to be married and supposedly crazy in love with Owen.
She
snorted at the thought. Talk about her picker being off when it came to
choosing men. It was a good thing her relationship with Owen had imploded.
Marrying him would’ve been a huge mistake because kissing and being with him
had felt nothing like what she had just experienced.
Kissing
Sloane had felt like a dream. Like something straight out of a sexy fairy tale,
an X-rated fairy tale. But this wasn’t a fantasy. His kiss and the way he’d
held her had been very real. She still felt his lips covering hers and the
taste of him lingered on her tongue.
How
was that possible when it had been just one kiss? One soul-stirring, passionate
kiss.
It
was clear she and Owen hadn’t had a strong connection. Not like what she had
felt a short while ago with Sloane, and that realization had her shook. She
almost married a man she was sure she’d been in love with. Yet, she never felt
the intense desire and passion swirling inside of her. Never felt that
I-can’t-live-without-you vibe.
How
was that even possible?
Halayna
flipped onto her back, and as her heart rate slowly went back to normal, she
stared at the ceiling, her mind reeling at these new realizations. The most
shocking one was Sloane wanting her to agree to a marriage of convenience… with
him.
She
shook her head. Sloane Davidson, the wealthiest man she’d ever known, had asked
her to marry him. He wanted her to be his fake wife. No, not fake. Just
convenient. Wait. Not convenient. He wanted a marriage of convenience. But what
the hell did that even mean?
USA Today
bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a
happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes
contemporary romance, romantic suspense, as well as romantic comedy. She enjoys
rainy days, carpet picnics, and family game night. Her stories have won
numerous awards, including The Rochelle Alers Best Series award for her
Atlanta’s Finest Series (2022) and The Beverly Jenkins Author of the Year award
(2021). When she isn’t writing, Sharon loves hanging out with her amazing
husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To
read more about Sharon and her novels, or to sign up to be notified of her
latest releases, visit www.sharoncooper.net
