Driven to Distraction(Road to Love #1)
by Lori Foster
Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Expected publication: November 20th 2018 by HQN Books (first published November 19th 2018)
ASINB077ZYC2SD
When desire gets this hot, you’d better buckle up…
Mary Daniels doesn’t let anything get in the way of her job acquiring rare artifacts for her wealthy boss. But this particular obstacle—huge, hard-muscled, unashamedly masculine—is impossible to ignore. Stuck in a cramped car with Brodie Crews for hours en route to their new assignment, Mary feels her carefully crafted persona—and her trademark self-control—is slipping, and she won’t allow it.
Brodie can’t imagine what secret in Mary’s past has left her so buttoned-up, though he’d dearly love to find out. Maybe then she’d trust him enough to explore their explosive chemistry. But he needs this job, so he’ll play by her rules and bide his time…until an enemy determined to outwit them strikes and he needs to get close—in every way—to protect her. Otherwise they could lose much more than a precious collectible. They could lose it all.
Excerpt:
At his deliberately misspoken question, little Red whirled, her expression aghast. She looked ready to faint. Or maybe scream.
Odds of her running away were high.
Brodie grinned—then winced at the pain in his head.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She closed it again, breathing deeply from flared nostrils.
Gorgeous mouth, he noticed. Full lips that looked a little pouty when he doubted this woman knew how to pout. As he stared at her, more freckles appeared over the bridge of her narrow, hoity nose. Her eyes were vivid blue, like the midday sky or sapphires or…hell, he was too hungover to pinpoint the exact color of her eyes.
Her hair though, he could nail that: Fire-red. And curly.
His gaze swept over her body quickly, but a glance was all he’d needed to realize she was stacked and doing her best to hide it.
Jack cleared his throat and the woman jumped as if his brother had goosed her. She looked back at Jack with longing, then at Brodie with distaste. “You’re Brodie?”
Never had a woman said his name with such disappointment. True, he wasn’t at his best, but still…
Just then, Gina’s boobs smooshed up against his sweaty back as she draped herself over him, trying to stake a claim.
“Brodie,” she whined in his ear. “About tonight.?”
There’d be no shrugging her off, so he said to Red, “‘scue me a sec,” and turned to walk toward the car. After a smug look shot at Red, Gina came along.
He hadn’t gone far enough away not to be heard, but it was his best stab at compassion. He shoved his hands in the back pockets of his sagging jeans. “I already told you no. No for tonight, no forever. Let it go, okay?”
“But—”
“No buts. Jack and I share a lot, but not that.”
He heard Red gasp again, heard Jack growl, and then the office door opened. Brodie glanced their way in time to see his brother escorting the scorched redhead inside.
Why the hell did that bug him so much? Because she came here for me.
“Jack was a mistake. I want you, Brodie.”
He rolled his eyes. Now she was insulting his brother? Did the woman not know his feelings on family?
Apparently not.
“This isn’t a carnival. You don’t get a ticket for all the rides.” Her pout was deliberate and perfectly practiced. If she hadn’t screwed his brother, he might’ve been interested. “Go home,” he said, a little more gently. “We’re not happening.”
Without bothering to look at Gina again, he turned to Howler. The dog had sprawled in the scant shade of the Mustang, catcher-mitt paws in the air, junk on display, one loose lip drooping down to touch a floppy ear. “C’mon, boy. Let’s go cool off.”
Howler opened one eye, grumbled and closed it again.
“I’m going to get lunch.”
That got his attention. The dog’s long bony legs flailed in the air as he frantically struggled upright, lumbered to his feet and ran over with a “Woof.”
At his deliberately misspoken question, little Red whirled, her expression aghast. She looked ready to faint. Or maybe scream.
Odds of her running away were high.
Brodie grinned—then winced at the pain in his head.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She closed it again, breathing deeply from flared nostrils.
Gorgeous mouth, he noticed. Full lips that looked a little pouty when he doubted this woman knew how to pout. As he stared at her, more freckles appeared over the bridge of her narrow, hoity nose. Her eyes were vivid blue, like the midday sky or sapphires or…hell, he was too hungover to pinpoint the exact color of her eyes.
Her hair though, he could nail that: Fire-red. And curly.
His gaze swept over her body quickly, but a glance was all he’d needed to realize she was stacked and doing her best to hide it.
Jack cleared his throat and the woman jumped as if his brother had goosed her. She looked back at Jack with longing, then at Brodie with distaste. “You’re Brodie?”
Never had a woman said his name with such disappointment. True, he wasn’t at his best, but still…
Just then, Gina’s boobs smooshed up against his sweaty back as she draped herself over him, trying to stake a claim.
“Brodie,” she whined in his ear. “About tonight.?”
There’d be no shrugging her off, so he said to Red, “‘scue me a sec,” and turned to walk toward the car. After a smug look shot at Red, Gina came along.
He hadn’t gone far enough away not to be heard, but it was his best stab at compassion. He shoved his hands in the back pockets of his sagging jeans. “I already told you no. No for tonight, no forever. Let it go, okay?”
“But—”
“No buts. Jack and I share a lot, but not that.”
He heard Red gasp again, heard Jack growl, and then the office door opened. Brodie glanced their way in time to see his brother escorting the scorched redhead inside.
Why the hell did that bug him so much? Because she came here for me.
“Jack was a mistake. I want you, Brodie.”
He rolled his eyes. Now she was insulting his brother? Did the woman not know his feelings on family?
Apparently not.
“This isn’t a carnival. You don’t get a ticket for all the rides.” Her pout was deliberate and perfectly practiced. If she hadn’t screwed his brother, he might’ve been interested. “Go home,” he said, a little more gently. “We’re not happening.”
Without bothering to look at Gina again, he turned to Howler. The dog had sprawled in the scant shade of the Mustang, catcher-mitt paws in the air, junk on display, one loose lip drooping down to touch a floppy ear. “C’mon, boy. Let’s go cool off.”
Howler opened one eye, grumbled and closed it again.
“I’m going to get lunch.”
That got his attention. The dog’s long bony legs flailed in the air as he frantically struggled upright, lumbered to his feet and ran over with a “Woof.”
About the Author:
Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.
Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.
Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/
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