Exclusive / A Touch of Heavenby Samantha Chase
Paperback, 416 pages
Published November 6th 2018 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492622680
Exclusive
When little-known writer Taylor Scott is granted two weeks to interview a famous reclusive author, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. So is the chance to rekindle her friendship with Mike Greene, who happens to be the author's assistant. But as feelings deepen and time winds down, Taylor will have to choose between the story that could launch her career and an unexpected chance at love.
A Touch of Heaven
As Regan Amerson makes the emotional decision to sell their family home, her mother wins a home makeover from a reality TV show. Regan is furious, and jaded host Sawyer Bennett isn't thrilled either. That is, until he meets Regan--and finds himself enamored by the fiercely independent beauty. She may want nothing to do with him, but Sawyer isn't one to give up easily...
EXCERPT:
“He’s a dude.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
Regan sighed. “Todd is capable of doing this.”
“Your mother said you were doing the massage,” Sawyer countered mildly.
“Well, since she hasn’t been here much, she wasn’t aware of my schedule. You need a deep tissue massage and Todd is capable of doing that for you. He has the best hands.”
Sawyer clenched his own into fists. “I do not want to be massaged by a guy, Regan,” Sawyer said, then looked directly at Todd. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Todd said, all six-plus feet of him. He turned to face his boss. “It’s your call, Rae.”
Rae? He has the best hands? What the hell is going on here? Is Regan involved with this guy? Sawyer’s mind was spinning. The thought of Regan being involved with another man had never even crossed his mind! He didn’t relish the thought of breaking up her and her boyfriend, but neither was he able to deny how much he wanted her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared Regan down. “Do you have another client right now?”
“Well, no,” she said sheepishly. “But I do have other things to do.”
“I can wait until you’re done,” he said, his lips twitching with a smile because he knew she completely believed him. He would wait all day if he had to if it meant having her be the one to do the massage.
Regan looked from him to Todd and back again. “I’ve got this, Todd,” she said grudgingly. “Why don’t you get Mr. Bennett set up in room three, and I’ll be in shortly. Thanks.” She turned and walked away before Sawyer could see just how uncomfortable she was with this whole situation.
Back in her office, Regan took five minutes to get herself composed. She was a professional, she could do this. She’d massaged her fair share of men since she opened her business and this should be no big deal.
Only it was.
Because it was Sawyer.
Ever since she’d first met him, and especially since their kiss in the yard, Regan had dreamed of touching him. Of course, in her dreams it wasn’t in a professional manner; no, those dreams had them alone at her place—or anywhere she could have him—and they were wild for one another just as they’d been last week. Merely the thought of unleashing that kind of passion and have it not be in a public place sent tingles down her spine.
Then again, unleashing that passion in Sawyer anyplace was enough to send tingles down her spine.
With a sigh, mentally chanting the alphabet backward, Regan headed into spa room three and found Sawyer face down on the table with a blanket draped over his bottom half.
Now, that’s a damn shame, she thought and then realized she needed to get her professional shield back in place. She went through the questions she asked all her clients—was the temperature in the room okay? Did he want to use an aroma candle? Why was he here?
“I hurt my shoulder last month on a project and it’s been acting up again,” he said without looking at her. “It’s my right shoulder.” Regan nodded wordlessly and went to work.
It took less than a minute for her to realize she was in trouble.
He felt even better than she’d imagined, and as soon as she saw her hands on Sawyer’s back, all thoughts of professionalism went out the window. It was too easy to imagine her hands on him in a more intimate way, and when he let out a low growl, Regan had to scramble for a way to clear her mind. Unfortunately, her mind wouldn’t cooperate.
When she tried to think of her mother’s house, she saw the two of them kissing in the yard. When she tried to get angry at what he was doing at her mother’s house, she could hear his kind words as he whispered to her. She couldn’t remember the damn alphabet—backward or forward—to save her own life. How was she supposed to get through the next…fifty-five minutes! Had time simply stopped?
Staring at the clock, Regan worked on Sawyer’s shoulder until her fingers started to go numb, and that’s when she heard it. Her hands stilled for a moment before she went back to massaging him, and heard it again.
“No sex noises,” she hissed.
Sawyer raised his head and sleepily looked at her. “Excuse me?”
“You were just making sex noises. Stop that. It’s not allowed.”
He flashed her a wicked grin. “Regan, you have no idea what kind of noises I make during sex, but I’m glad to see where your mind is heading.”
She stepped away from the table and stared at him. “That is not where my mind is heading! I was working on your shoulder and you started…you know, moaning.”
“What can I say? You hit the sweet spot.”
“The sweet spot?” she croaked and prayed he wouldn’t raise himself up anymore. As it was he was braced on his elbows, so now she had a fine view of his chest and yes, it was mouthwateringly good.
Making a tsking sound, he shook his head. “Regan, certainly you are aware of sweet spots,” he said with a voice that melted over her like butter.
Oh, she was aware of them all right. As a matter of fact, he had several of hers tingling with just the sound of his voice. This is bad, she thought. Bad, bad, bad! “That’s neither here nor there—the fact is that if a massage seems to be getting a client…aroused, then we stop.”
“The only one who thinks I’m aroused is you,” he said sweetly and put his face back on the pillow. “But if it makes you feel better, I promise not to make a sound.”
Regan watched as he got back into position, cursing herself. She should never have agreed to this; it was totally unfair that he seemed unaffected by this while she was practically standing in a puddle of her own drool.
Charming.
With a good mental scolding, she went back to the task. Fifteen minutes later, she needed him to roll over so she could work on the shoulder from the front, and then it was her turn to let out a small sound.
“Excuse me?” Sawyer asked, not opening his eyes. “What was that noise?”
“I don’t know… I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” Regan lied and went right to work on his shoulder, hoping to distract him.
“Now, I’m no expert in the noises you make during sex, but I’m pretty sure that sounded like a sex noise.”
Regan instantly removed her hands from him and stepped back. “I think we’re done here.”
Slowly, Sawyer sat up, looked at her and then at the clock. “I believe I still have another thirty minutes scheduled.”
“Well, if you want to use them, I’ll send Todd in to finish,” she said tartly. Why was this happening to her? She never made purring or sex noises outside of the bedroom. Why did it have to be here and now with Sawyer?
“Okay, okay,” he said, sensing her discomfort. “That was out of line and I’m sorry. I was just kidding with you. It was a little too quiet in here and I just thought I’d say something to break the tension. It was in poor taste and I’m sorry I offended you.”
“I just don’t think—”
“What you’re doing is really helping,” he said. “Please, Regan. I won’t utter another word until you’re done. Scout’s honor.” He held up his hand and gave her his most innocent smile.
Her lips twitched with the urge to smile back. “How do I know you were a Scout?”
“You can ask my dad; he’ll tell you. I went from Cub to Eagle, and he’ll be happy to share with you some of the adventures we had.” Remembering his promise to stop talking, he lay down and pretended to zip his lips.
And then Regan’s soft laugh was the only sound in the room.
“He’s a dude.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
Regan sighed. “Todd is capable of doing this.”
“Your mother said you were doing the massage,” Sawyer countered mildly.
“Well, since she hasn’t been here much, she wasn’t aware of my schedule. You need a deep tissue massage and Todd is capable of doing that for you. He has the best hands.”
Sawyer clenched his own into fists. “I do not want to be massaged by a guy, Regan,” Sawyer said, then looked directly at Todd. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Todd said, all six-plus feet of him. He turned to face his boss. “It’s your call, Rae.”
Rae? He has the best hands? What the hell is going on here? Is Regan involved with this guy? Sawyer’s mind was spinning. The thought of Regan being involved with another man had never even crossed his mind! He didn’t relish the thought of breaking up her and her boyfriend, but neither was he able to deny how much he wanted her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared Regan down. “Do you have another client right now?”
“Well, no,” she said sheepishly. “But I do have other things to do.”
“I can wait until you’re done,” he said, his lips twitching with a smile because he knew she completely believed him. He would wait all day if he had to if it meant having her be the one to do the massage.
Regan looked from him to Todd and back again. “I’ve got this, Todd,” she said grudgingly. “Why don’t you get Mr. Bennett set up in room three, and I’ll be in shortly. Thanks.” She turned and walked away before Sawyer could see just how uncomfortable she was with this whole situation.
Back in her office, Regan took five minutes to get herself composed. She was a professional, she could do this. She’d massaged her fair share of men since she opened her business and this should be no big deal.
Only it was.
Because it was Sawyer.
Ever since she’d first met him, and especially since their kiss in the yard, Regan had dreamed of touching him. Of course, in her dreams it wasn’t in a professional manner; no, those dreams had them alone at her place—or anywhere she could have him—and they were wild for one another just as they’d been last week. Merely the thought of unleashing that kind of passion and have it not be in a public place sent tingles down her spine.
Then again, unleashing that passion in Sawyer anyplace was enough to send tingles down her spine.
With a sigh, mentally chanting the alphabet backward, Regan headed into spa room three and found Sawyer face down on the table with a blanket draped over his bottom half.
Now, that’s a damn shame, she thought and then realized she needed to get her professional shield back in place. She went through the questions she asked all her clients—was the temperature in the room okay? Did he want to use an aroma candle? Why was he here?
“I hurt my shoulder last month on a project and it’s been acting up again,” he said without looking at her. “It’s my right shoulder.” Regan nodded wordlessly and went to work.
It took less than a minute for her to realize she was in trouble.
He felt even better than she’d imagined, and as soon as she saw her hands on Sawyer’s back, all thoughts of professionalism went out the window. It was too easy to imagine her hands on him in a more intimate way, and when he let out a low growl, Regan had to scramble for a way to clear her mind. Unfortunately, her mind wouldn’t cooperate.
When she tried to think of her mother’s house, she saw the two of them kissing in the yard. When she tried to get angry at what he was doing at her mother’s house, she could hear his kind words as he whispered to her. She couldn’t remember the damn alphabet—backward or forward—to save her own life. How was she supposed to get through the next…fifty-five minutes! Had time simply stopped?
Staring at the clock, Regan worked on Sawyer’s shoulder until her fingers started to go numb, and that’s when she heard it. Her hands stilled for a moment before she went back to massaging him, and heard it again.
“No sex noises,” she hissed.
Sawyer raised his head and sleepily looked at her. “Excuse me?”
“You were just making sex noises. Stop that. It’s not allowed.”
He flashed her a wicked grin. “Regan, you have no idea what kind of noises I make during sex, but I’m glad to see where your mind is heading.”
She stepped away from the table and stared at him. “That is not where my mind is heading! I was working on your shoulder and you started…you know, moaning.”
“What can I say? You hit the sweet spot.”
“The sweet spot?” she croaked and prayed he wouldn’t raise himself up anymore. As it was he was braced on his elbows, so now she had a fine view of his chest and yes, it was mouthwateringly good.
Making a tsking sound, he shook his head. “Regan, certainly you are aware of sweet spots,” he said with a voice that melted over her like butter.
Oh, she was aware of them all right. As a matter of fact, he had several of hers tingling with just the sound of his voice. This is bad, she thought. Bad, bad, bad! “That’s neither here nor there—the fact is that if a massage seems to be getting a client…aroused, then we stop.”
“The only one who thinks I’m aroused is you,” he said sweetly and put his face back on the pillow. “But if it makes you feel better, I promise not to make a sound.”
Regan watched as he got back into position, cursing herself. She should never have agreed to this; it was totally unfair that he seemed unaffected by this while she was practically standing in a puddle of her own drool.
Charming.
With a good mental scolding, she went back to the task. Fifteen minutes later, she needed him to roll over so she could work on the shoulder from the front, and then it was her turn to let out a small sound.
“Excuse me?” Sawyer asked, not opening his eyes. “What was that noise?”
“I don’t know… I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” Regan lied and went right to work on his shoulder, hoping to distract him.
“Now, I’m no expert in the noises you make during sex, but I’m pretty sure that sounded like a sex noise.”
Regan instantly removed her hands from him and stepped back. “I think we’re done here.”
Slowly, Sawyer sat up, looked at her and then at the clock. “I believe I still have another thirty minutes scheduled.”
“Well, if you want to use them, I’ll send Todd in to finish,” she said tartly. Why was this happening to her? She never made purring or sex noises outside of the bedroom. Why did it have to be here and now with Sawyer?
“Okay, okay,” he said, sensing her discomfort. “That was out of line and I’m sorry. I was just kidding with you. It was a little too quiet in here and I just thought I’d say something to break the tension. It was in poor taste and I’m sorry I offended you.”
“I just don’t think—”
“What you’re doing is really helping,” he said. “Please, Regan. I won’t utter another word until you’re done. Scout’s honor.” He held up his hand and gave her his most innocent smile.
Her lips twitched with the urge to smile back. “How do I know you were a Scout?”
“You can ask my dad; he’ll tell you. I went from Cub to Eagle, and he’ll be happy to share with you some of the adventures we had.” Remembering his promise to stop talking, he lay down and pretended to zip his lips.
And then Regan’s soft laugh was the only sound in the room.
About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today Bestseller/contemporary romance writer Samantha Chase released her debut novel, Jordan's Return, in November 2011. Although she waited until she was in her 40's to publish for the first time, writing has been a lifelong passion. Her motivation to take that step was her students: teaching creative writing to elementary age students all the way up through high school and encouraging those students to follow their writing dreams gave Samantha the confidence to take that step as well.
When she's not working on a new story, she spends her time reading contemporary romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
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