Title: For the Sake of His Heir
Series: The McNeill Magnates #6
Author: Joanne Rock
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 1, 2018
Blurb
When a marriage of convenience is the only answer…things get inconvenient.
Gabe McNeill is done being manipulated. By
everyone from his ex-wife who abandoned him and their baby to the grandfather
forcing him to remarry. Now the only way Gabe can ensure his son’s inheritance
is if Brianne Hanson agrees to be his bride. They’ve always kept things
strictly business and this is no different…until she falls into his bed and all
bets are off!
everyone from his ex-wife who abandoned him and their baby to the grandfather
forcing him to remarry. Now the only way Gabe can ensure his son’s inheritance
is if Brianne Hanson agrees to be his bride. They’ve always kept things
strictly business and this is no different…until she falls into his bed and all
bets are off!
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Excerpt
The curtain of hazy snow and steam around
them gave the sense that they were all alone in the world, a veil of cold mist
separating them from everything but one another.
them gave the sense that they were all alone in the world, a veil of cold mist
separating them from everything but one another.
Or maybe the wine was going to her head.
She felt a sweet happiness all over to be with Gabe. It was dangerous, perhaps,
to feel that way. But she’d never been with a man like him, someone strong and
noble, kind and warm hearted.
She felt a sweet happiness all over to be with Gabe. It was dangerous, perhaps,
to feel that way. But she’d never been with a man like him, someone strong and
noble, kind and warm hearted.
And so very sexy.
Her eyes dipped to the top of his chest
above the water as he drained his glass and set it aside, his triceps flexing
in a way that made her want to take a bite.
above the water as he drained his glass and set it aside, his triceps flexing
in a way that made her want to take a bite.
“I certainly didn’t expect a wedding gift.”
He shook his head, a wry smile kicking up one side of his mouth. “We’ll have to
make our own rules for this marriage since the regular conventions aren’t going
to apply.”
He shook his head, a wry smile kicking up one side of his mouth. “We’ll have to
make our own rules for this marriage since the regular conventions aren’t going
to apply.”
“Like tonight, for example.” She hadn’t
meant to say it out loud, but there it was, floating on the cold breeze before
she could take it back. Drawing a steadying breath, she explained herself. “I
don’t need to worry about your expectations because—”
meant to say it out loud, but there it was, floating on the cold breeze before
she could take it back. Drawing a steadying breath, she explained herself. “I
don’t need to worry about your expectations because—”
“Because there are none.” He cupped her
shoulders with his hands, a warm weight that anchored her in the swirling
water. “I thought we deserved this time together to get to know each other as
more than friends, but I will be glad just to talk to you tonight. To learn how
to make you happy.”
shoulders with his hands, a warm weight that anchored her in the swirling
water. “I thought we deserved this time together to get to know each other as
more than friends, but I will be glad just to talk to you tonight. To learn how
to make you happy.”
“I know that.” She wanted to close her eyes
and concentrate on how his hands felt on her. To soak up all the sensations of
being with him. “You never made me feel like you brought me here for more than
that, but still…it’s a wedding night. I can’t deny I’ve been thinking about the
possibilities of what that means.”
and concentrate on how his hands felt on her. To soak up all the sensations of
being with him. “You never made me feel like you brought me here for more than
that, but still…it’s a wedding night. I can’t deny I’ve been thinking about the
possibilities of what that means.”
His thumbs skated a slow circle over the
tops of her shoulders, a subtle touch that set the rest of her on fire.
tops of her shoulders, a subtle touch that set the rest of her on fire.
“I’ve been doing plenty of thinking of my
own,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we have to act on it.”
own,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we have to act on it.”
If he kept touching her, though, the
possibility of her launching across the hot tub to kiss him was very real.
possibility of her launching across the hot tub to kiss him was very real.
“When I said I wasn’t all that experienced,
I didn’t mean to suggest I’ve never been with a guy. Of course I have.” Though
she had kept her virginity longer than any of her friends, haunted by her
stepmother’s taunts long after they should have lost their power to hurt her.
“I just don’t feel like I ever got high marks. You know?”
I didn’t mean to suggest I’ve never been with a guy. Of course I have.” Though
she had kept her virginity longer than any of her friends, haunted by her
stepmother’s taunts long after they should have lost their power to hurt her.
“I just don’t feel like I ever got high marks. You know?”
“Sex shouldn’t be a graded assignment.” He
said it with one-hundred-percent seriousness.
said it with one-hundred-percent seriousness.
But she laughed anyway, because it was a
strange conversation for a wedding night. “Right. I get that.” She flipped a
damp piece of hair out of her eyes as she warmed to the discussion. “But when I
decided to lose my virginity, I think I was probably…too determined. I did some
research and felt well-prepared, but in the end—epic fail.” She shook her head,
remembering the expression on her boyfriend’s face afterward. It hadn’t been
blissful pleasure.
strange conversation for a wedding night. “Right. I get that.” She flipped a
damp piece of hair out of her eyes as she warmed to the discussion. “But when I
decided to lose my virginity, I think I was probably…too determined. I did some
research and felt well-prepared, but in the end—epic fail.” She shook her head,
remembering the expression on her boyfriend’s face afterward. It hadn’t been
blissful pleasure.
More like being shell-shocked, maybe.
“The thought of you researching to the
point of being over prepared is going to animate some very good dreams for me.”
He never stopped touching her. His thumbs trailed down the satin straps of her
bra in the back. Then in the front. Over and over. “It’s my turn to be
intrigued.”
point of being over prepared is going to animate some very good dreams for me.”
He never stopped touching her. His thumbs trailed down the satin straps of her
bra in the back. Then in the front. Over and over. “It’s my turn to be
intrigued.”
“I think I was studying techniques that
were too advanced for a beginner.” She shrugged, the water around her splashing
with the movement. “But I don’t like looking foolish, and I’d waited so long to
give sex a try that I put a lot of pressure on myself not to make it obvious
that I was a first-timer.”
were too advanced for a beginner.” She shrugged, the water around her splashing
with the movement. “But I don’t like looking foolish, and I’d waited so long to
give sex a try that I put a lot of pressure on myself not to make it obvious
that I was a first-timer.”
“What about afterward?” Gabe’s knee grazed
hers under the water and she didn’t skitter away because it felt too good.
“Didn’t things get better once the first time was out of the way?”
hers under the water and she didn’t skitter away because it felt too good.
“Didn’t things get better once the first time was out of the way?”
“I wasn’t keen to repeat the experiment at
the time.” She retrieved her wineglass and took another small sip. “But now, I
think maybe I’d like to.”
the time.” She retrieved her wineglass and took another small sip. “But now, I
think maybe I’d like to.”
Author Bio
Four-time RITA
nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author
of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently
focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by
nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her
life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at
regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing
community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree
in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing
skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite
sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded
sons.
nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author
of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently
focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by
nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her
life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at
regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing
community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree
in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing
skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite
sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded
sons.
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