Morning Light
A Day of Pleasure
Book 1
Cora Cade
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Publisher:
Samhain Publishing
Cover
Artist: Lyn Taylor
Book
Description:
His toughest battle is ahead—the battle for one
woman’s heart.
During
Noah Harper’s ten years as an Army Ranger, Tennyson Sharpe’s letters were his
lifeline. With each mail call, the bright and vibrant girl of his youth slowly
became the woman of his dreams.
Now he’s
home—and he’s in hell. The problem? Tenn is his little brother’s best friend.
Claiming her risks all kinds of collateral damage.
Tenn is
getting nervous. Since Noah came home, they’ve been circling each other,
neither willing to risk the status quo. It’s time to kick things up a notch and
make a play for the man she’s loved since she was sixteen—before someone else
does.
Dressing
to impress works better than she could have dreamed. After a scorching
interlude leads to a steamy morning wrapped in each other’s arms, reality comes
crashing down. Shining a devastating light on Tenn’s deepest fears…and forcing
Noah into scramble mode to convince her forever was always on his mind.
Product
Warnings
This book contains some serious foreplay in the great
outdoors; stand-up sex with a hot, stand-up guy; and a wounded Army Ranger
who’s determined to leave no heart behind—especially the one belonging to the
girl of his dreams.
Excerpt:
Copyright © 2013 Cora Cade
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publication
Moving down the stairs from the apartment to the pub below, Noah heard
the distinct sound of someone cussing up a storm. He quickened his pace to
reach the door separating his living space from his workspace and gently opened
it.
There, standing on top of his immaculately gleaming mahogany bar, stood
Tennyson Sharpe in her bare feet. All five feet two inches of her. She was on
her tiptoes, reaching for one of the light fixtures with one hand and a light
bulb in the other. The stretch caused her white, fitted tee to slide up her
belly and expose a sliver of summer-tanned skin.
She stuck her tongue out at an angle—in concentration, he supposed. As
she twisted the used bulb from the fixture, she uttered a soft, “Gotcha.” The
final motion to remove the bulb caused her to dip forward on her toes and
lifted her jean skirt higher, offering a delectable view of her plain white
cotton panties.
Noah instantly hardened at the sight. He’d been in lust with this girl
since she was sixteen to his nineteen, and after ten years apart he was finally
home. And here she stood, flashing him the sexiest view he’d seen in years. He
leaned against the doorframe and watched the scene unfold, never happier to
have given her a key a few months back.
As she placed the fresh bulb in the fixture, she stretched again. Her
whole body lengthened, straining to reach the fixture. She was all tan limbs
and womanly curves. Her body was at enough of an angle that he could see her
breasts tight against the fitted tee, but more importantly her cute behind as
she placed both palms on the bar to hop down from her perch. As she braced
herself she lifted her perky behind and flashed him.
The curve of her sex flashed before him as those white panties
intimately hugged her. In a flash, both feet were planted on the floor and she
was picking up the used bulb from the bar, then slipping her sandals back on.
Time to turn around and head back upstairs before she caught him with a full-on
erection and he embarrassed himself.
Noah eased the door shut and sprinted back up the stairs as quietly as
he could, hoping to give himself a few moments to calm his erection before she
unceremoniously showed up in his apartment for their breakfast plans.
He needed a cold shower before they left or he’d never survive the
meal. He was going to have wet dreams about her white panties for weeks to
come.
Stripping off his jeans and plain black tee, he dropped his clothes
where he stood and snapped the bathroom door shut as his apartment door opened.
“Noah?” Tenn heard the shower start as she closed the door behind her.
Well, that was unusual. Noah was nothing if not prompt. Ten years as an Army
Ranger kind of beat that into you. She rapped on the bathroom door with a
knuckle. “Hey, are you alive in there?”
“I’ll be out in minute. Got a late start to the morning. Give me five.”
She glanced down and saw a pile of clothes. Strange. Noah was also one
of the neatest, cleanest people she’d ever known. His place was always
immaculate, with nothing out of place. Let alone a pile of clothes tossed by
the bathroom.
Now she was starting to sweat. Did he have a girl here? Had she
interrupted the morning-after? Shit. That Amber bimbo had been making a play
for Noah ever since he’d come home. And if she was in this apartment right now,
Tenn was going to die of embarrassment. Right after she beat Noah to death.
They had plans. Even if they weren’t the romantic kind, they were
definitely plans. They’d had Sunday breakfast as a standing date since his
return from overseas. And he’d never had a woman here.
Who was she kidding? He had every right to get freaky with anyone he
wanted. She was just the trusty sidekick, the platonic friend who was always
there. Like a lapdog.
Picking up the clothes, she folded them and set them on the back of the
couch a few feet away. The apartment was neat as a pin and pretty spacious, as
far as it went. It was an open floor plan with only two separate rooms off the
main living area, the master bedroom and the bathroom. Everything else was one
large, airy space. From this angle she couldn’t see into the bedroom and was
half-afraid to know if someone was still in his bed. Warming it for him, so to
speak.
Deciding she needed to know, she took a step toward the bedroom after
picking back up the stack of clothes she’d set down a moment before. It was a
perfect excuse to check out the situation. His dirty clothes needed to be
tossed into the hamper. Right.
She was about to fully push open the bedroom door when Noah yelled,
“Hey, Tenn. I left my clothes out there. Could you grab them for me?”
And before she could whip around and not look guilty he popped his head
out of the bathroom door. As she turned in his direction, she could only see a
portion of his upper body, with the rippling muscle and just-now-fading tan
from his time in Afghanistan, but it was enough to stop her dead in her tracks.
The man was masculine perfection and her panties got a little wet looking at
him.
“Oh, did you want these? Um, I was about to put them in your hamper.”
Belatedly she whirled around and held up the clothes in question. “I thought
they were dirty.”
For a moment he looked like he blushed. Really? “Sorry, I wanted to
take a quick shower before we headed out and I tossed them on the floor in my
rush.” He reached out a hand and beckoned her forward.
She was going to combust before she reached him. Not only was the man
deliciously muscled, he still dripped from his shower. His dark hair, cut in a
military-style buzz, glistened in the morning light. Eyes the color of the
ocean on a sunny day, clear and crisp-blue, tracked her progress. She cleared
the edge of the couch and his gaze skated down the length of her body, snagging
on her legs before coming back to her face.
Once within reach of the bathroom door heat crept up her neck and face
when she realized Noah stood naked on the other side of the door. His body was
positioned so she could only see a naked hip and the curve of a well-defined
ass, but it was obvious he hadn’t bothered wrapping a towel around his waist
before popping his head out the door.
She dropped his clothes before he could get a grip on them and they
fell to the floor with a soft impact. Unbelievably, as she bent to retrieve the
clothing, her face flamed even hotter in embarrassment.
My Review: 4 1/2 stars
This was a fantastic story. I was able to connect with each primary character in one way or another, which is important. I really liked Molly, I thought she handled Chris, Noah and Tenn like a pro. She didn't mince her words and was a straight shooter. A girl after my own heart. Chris, I think needs to be slapped upside his head for a couple of reasons. One, Tenn is a great friend and what he said to her was not friendly at all, even if he apologized. Two, he was selfish in trying to keep Tenn to himself, as his best friend, not wanting to realize the feelings that Noah and Tenn had for each other and had been holding back. Seriously, how would he know what his brother wanted after 10 years? He may have known when they were in high school, but that changed before Noah even left. Chris just didn't know that. Noah, I think had great restraint on the one hand - he did wait six months after he came back from the military to try anything with Tenn. He wanted to be sure he wasn't stepping on anyone's toes when he went after Tenn to make her his. On the other hand, he had everything he needed to make his intentions very clear to Tenn exactly what he wanted from her. Tenn got exactly what she always wanted, Noah. She's been waiting 10 years for him to come home and hoped that he would want her as much as she wants him. Except after they spent the morning together, she ran away, physically and emotionally. Noah wasn't having it. This was such a sweet read. I loved the end of the book. It was perfect for them. They had a few bumps in a very short span of time, but they got through them by talking together about what had happened. I loved that. All in all a great story, great sex scenes. I'd love to read more about them in another book. Maybe something with Molly? I don't really know. I just really liked the characters, and Molly intrigued me. This is book one in the series, so I'm really looking forward to the next book.
About the Author:
Nestled
away in a small town in Ohio, Cora Cade spends her days adding steamy books to
her library, snuggling with her four rotten dogs, and debating the finer points
of life with the dear husband.
When
she's not tucked away with a book you can find her tapping away on her laptop.
With coffee. And music.
Web: www.coracade.com
Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/coracade
Tour wide giveaway
12- Free
ebook copies
2- Gift
baskets with coffee mug, 1/2 lb of flavored coffee, and chocolates
It has been so much fun visiting all of these blogs on your tour, Cora. I like being introduced to new bloggers because I get introduced to new authors too...like you! :-) I you're wearin' o' the green today! jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHi Janice!
ReplyDeleteI hope your goody package arrives very soon! The post office said Monday, but I'm a tad skeptical. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment. It's always very much appreciated!