Romance
Date Published: 8/4/2015
Once Upon a Time never felt like this…
Amy is committed to her career, but when her old college roommate gets in touch, Amy realizes her success has come with a price: she gave up more than her dreams of being an artist when she graduated from college.
Sean hasn’t written his own music since he saw the power his lyrics could have, but that doesn’t stop him from playing covers and trying to have a little fun with every woman he meets. When Amy gets under his skin, however, Sean starts to wonder if a random hook up could become something more.
CUTTING LOOSE is a contemporary romance inspired by Rapunzel, and it's the second book in the Once Upon a Desire series.
Once Upon a Desire: contemporary fairy tales with a pinch of spice.
Excerpt
Amy wandered away from the crowd and stared at the placid waters of the lake. Stooping down, she found a small, oval pinecone on the ground at her feet, and giving into instinct, she pulled her arm back and flicked the cone into the water, trying to make it skip.
“Need a stone for that,” Sean said from behind her. Amy repressed a delicious shiver at the sound of his voice.
“I figured. It just seemed like the thing to do.” She gestured out at the water. “It’s beautiful up here.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Even though it’s the back end of beyond?”
“Your words, not mine.” She paused. “And I’m not judging anyone,” she finally added, glancing up at him. “Well, except maybe you.”
He grinned at her. “I guess I deserved that.”
She nodded. “Just because I’m from the city—“ she took a deep breath. “I don’t want to spoil this.” She gestured out to the lake, hoping he’d understand that she was done bantering. “Any of it,” she added, risking a glance at his face, but his expression was unreadable.
After a beat, Sean started to walk along the lakeshore, further away from the party guests, and after a moment, Amy fell into step beside him. “It is pretty, I guess,” he admitted. “You forget how beautiful things are when you see them every day.” He glanced at her with a wide smile. “Although I doubt any guy would be able to forget you.”
Amy laughed, but her heart sped up. “Smooth.”
Sean tipped his head. “I try.”
They lapsed into easy silence as they moved along the lakeshore, and after a few minutes, Sean reached for her hand. Waiting for the flirty banter that Amy had started to expect from him, she hesitated, but Sean didn’t say anything, and Amy couldn’t shake the feeling as she laced her fingers through his that something had shifted somehow, without her being aware of it.
Walking hand in hand with him, Amy searched for something to say. “I can’t figure you out,” she finally offered.
Sean lifted his shoulders in a gentle shrug. “What’s to figure?”
“Are you really as full of yourself as you seem?” The words sounded harsh, and Amy tried to soften them. “I mean, one minute, you’re coming onto me, and the next, you’re—well, you’re confusing.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “So you’ve been thinking about me?” He tightened his fingers around hers.
Amy flushed. “Maybe a little,” she admitted, “but that’s just because I don’t know what’s going to come out of your mouth next.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Ladies love a mystery man, right?” He grazed his thumb against her palm, and she shivered.
“I guess what I’m saying is, I’m trying to figure out who the real Sean is.”
He looked down at her, his eyes sharp. “Maybe that doesn’t matter. Can’t we just be two strangers who can’t keep their hands off each other?”
Amy’s pulse started to pound. “That isn’t what I had in mind,” she said.
About the Author
Charity Hillis has always had a thing for fairy tales…there’s just something magical about all those happily ever afters! She writes contemporary romance, and is the author of the ONCE UPON A DESIRE series, including MIDNIGHT RUN, CUTTING LOOSE , and PRINCESS SUITE (coming winter 2015).
Purchase Links
Giveaway
3 sets of ONCE UPON A DESIRE ebooks
(Midnight Run and Cutting Loose)
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