Worth the Risk by Claudia Connor (spotlight, excerpt and GIVEAWAY) TBT

Worth the Risk

The McKinney Brothers # 2
By: Claudia Connor
Releasing Feb 3rd, 2015
Loveswept

Blurb

When a McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and overwhelming desire are never far behind.

Two hearts locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days coaching children through injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at a time. She knows all too well how violence can change a child and leave scars that never heal. It’s easy for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is the thought of facing her own harrowing past.

Millionaire playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself. Five years ago he encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare won. No matter what he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . . or so he believes.

Both desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s intrigued. What he doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he never wanted to go again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . . a side that would scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance to win her trust is to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to protect.

(note from ELF, I LOVED the first book in this series, Worth the Fall , and my review is at this link)







EXCERPT
Stephen gazed at the woman next to him. Watched another bite of chocolate mousse slip slowly between her full, pink lips. Her tongue slipped out to lick what was left and he imagined doing the same. Just watching her eat made him sweat.

Even more beautiful than he remembered, and he had a damn good memory. Golden hair tumbled seductively in waves around her shoulders. He imagined how it would feel sliding over his skin. Wearing little makeup if any, the porcelain skin of her cheeks glowed in the soft light. She wore no jewelry other than tiny diamond studs in her delicate earlobes. Another place he imagined his mouth.

He’d watched her before, saw her start into the bar, then stop, and he’d felt a strange twinge in his gut, afraid she might turn around and run. He might have been wrong before about the nervous act and he didn’t like being wrong. Being wrong meant you lost, something he hated even more. He liked easy; she was anything but. Though staring into Hannah’s eyes over candlelight, he forgot what he liked. Forgot damn near everything.

Usually by this point in the evening he was more than ready to move things along. Either they were going to bed, or they weren’t and in that case he was done talking and ready to go home. Have a drink. Be alone.

The bill paid, the dessert now gone, he couldn’t put it off any longer. They rose, passing mostly empty tables, and walked outside.

The valet had already brought his car up, but not hers. Good. He wanted more time. When Hannah passed the guy her ticket, Stephen intercepted, reaching around for the keys. “I’ll take those.”
“Yes, sir.” The young valet pointed to her car a short distance away.

They walked in silence, and stopped beside it. It was odd ending a date this way, standing outside a car. It usually ended with him slipping out of a woman’s bed mildly rested and covered with guilt.
“I had a good time tonight,” she said, flicking her eyes up at him, then away. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Did I pass the test? Can I have your number now?”

No answer. Second time today she’d refused him and still, he ached to arch her back, taste that sweet mouth, nip his way across her cheek and down her throat. “How do you feel about parties?”

“Um . . .” Her eyes were everywhere but on him, teeth pressing into that bottom lip he was dying to suck into his own. “I’m not really into parties.”

“I think you’ll like this one.”

She held out her hand for her keys. “No, but thank you.”

“Hmm. The birthday girl will be very disappointed. If I don’t make an appearance she’ll get her feelings hurt. I’d hate to do that.” 

Something flashed in her eyes at the mention of another woman. So she wasn’t totally uninterested. Good.

“Why can’t you go by yourself?”

“I don’t want to go by myself. I want to go with you.”

“Well, if she really wants you to come to her party, she probably won’t be very happy about you bringing a friend.”

“No, she’d love me to bring a friend. Definitely the more-the-merrier type.”

“I don’t think so.” Hannah turned to her car, remembered he still had her keys and turned back with her hand out.

“You sure? Turning five is a pretty big deal.”

Her mouth dropped open. “Five?”

“Yes. My niece. Gracie.” He grinned, enjoying her shock. “It’s at my brother’s tomorrow. Five o’clock. Give me your address and I’ll pick you up.”

Her eyes met his and he waited. When the wind blew a long strand of hair across her face, they both reached for it. The second their fingers touched, she dropped her hand and eased back a tiny step, putting space between him that he didn’t like.


Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/11/worth-risk-mckinney-brothers-2-by.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22747252-worth-the-risk?from_search=true

Buy Links:  Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo



Author Info

Claudia Connor is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of heartfelt contemporary romance. Claudia attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and travel, but spends most of her time typing out the love stories of the almost real people that live in her head. Claudia lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.




Author Links:  Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads


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GIVEAWAY

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My review is at this link.


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The first book in the series is: