No Gentle Giant by Nicole Snow
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow returns with a steamy and electrifying standalone romance thriller where one ginormous protector goes all-in to win Miss Unlucky.
You know the drill. Big hands, big feet, humongous—
Yikes. We’re not going there for the thousandth time.
I’ve got small-town problems aplenty and zero time for Paxton “Alaska” Charter.
Crushing on smokeshow men with caveman vibes can’t end well.
Sure, he saved my little coffee shop from total ruin once.
Yes, my ovaries melt watching single dad of the century with his little boy.
Of course, I’d sleep like a baby if I let him work his former SEAL hero magic on my mess.
That’s not why I’m freaking out.
Nobody told me how devastatingly kind Alaska can be.
Or the fact that his stubborn heart’s even more guarded than mine.
If he comes barreling into my life, it’s certain doom.
And it’s all thrown to the wind the day his kiss claims me.
We have to say goodbye. Right now. Before it’s too late.
He can’t keep sheltering my body, stealing my heart, and igniting my soul.
I won’t drag this gentle giant down my abyss of ugly secrets.
But Alaska has other plans—and they scare me.
Because they all involve impossible happily ever afters, no matter the cost.
Full-length small-town standalone romance heaven. The butterflies come in force when one large and in-charge single dad steps in to rescue the girl who abandoned all hope and forgot how to love.
Look, I’ve had a stressful few months. Years. Life.
I’m a little on edge, and a little emotionally raw.
But he saves me from having to fumble for words by turning a roguish smile on me, mock-squinting. “You, though. I’ve got my eye on you. I think you could be trouble.”
My laugh this time comes out weaker. “I wish that wasn’t true. I’m kind of a bad luck trap, Alaska.”
“Like an avalanche of coffee mugs?”
“Yep. Just like a mug storm.”
Another silence.
Another smile that makes my heart wobble.
Another long look from him, one that makes me wonder how he went from “coffee girl I vaguely recognize” to a sort of confidante in a matter of minutes. All over some smashed mugs and a cut on his knee.
But, hey, at least I’m not going to break down crying in front of a total stranger because he has mercy on me and changes the subject.
“So what’s the damage, lady? Give me all of it. Don’t forget the table, too.”
“We’ll forget the table. And the floor. Call it pain and injury compensation.” I smile wryly. “We’re at a cool eight hundred for the mugs, though. Manufacturer cost. I’m not charging you full retail.”
“You got it. I’d pay up now, but I’m not carrying eight hundred in cash around with me.” He cocks his head. “I’ll bring it by in the morning unless you want a check? Ladies’ choice.”
“No rush, but cash is fine.”
Too easy. Even if I’m already doubting the wisdom of keeping that much cash around here for more than a day or two, but that’s another problem I don’t want to think about right now.
So I stand, bracing my hands to my knees and levering up.
Of course, I forget not just how small my office is, but how much space Alaska occupies.
As I straighten and lift my head, I find myself practically eye to eye with him, and only because sitting on my desk knocked off like a foot from his titanic height.
I lock up, my heart crawling up my throat as I stare, barely an inch away from our noses touching.
This jittery little fantasy.
It’s not quite insta-love, but it’s bad.
If he didn’t still look so calm and unfazed, I’d probably dissolve into a stammering mess. But it’s like his inner chill stabilizes me, and I’m able to skitter back without tripping, clearing my throat and finding another smile in me.
Somewhere.
“Should we check on Eli?” I tilt my head toward the door. “Either he’s cleaned the whole shop by now or bailed.”
Alaska snorts. “He knows better, but yeah. He’s probably getting a little anxious out there.”
I sweep a mock-bow, pulling the door open for him. “Polar bears first.”
He throws back an evil eye over his shoulder.
“I’m gonna regret telling you that,” he grumbles.
Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.
No comments:
Post a Comment