Excerpt!
She went into the kitchen and brought back a plastic tub with a blue lid. “I made these for you this morning.” Mack shifted the baby on his hip so he could open the lid, and the delicious scents of peanut butter and chocolate wafted up to him. “You made me cookies?”
“Yeah, I saw that Reese’s wrapper in your truck, so I figured you must like peanut butter and chocolate, so these are basically chocolate chip cookies with peanut butter chips mixed in as well.”
“Wow. I don’t know what to say. No one’s ever made cookies just for me before.” He gingerly lifted one out and stared at it. “Damn, I’m trying not to get choked up over a simple baked good, but this means a lot.”
“I’m glad,” she whispered, smiling up at him. And danged if her eyes weren’t a little teary.
He stuffed the cookie in his mouth, partly because it smelled so good, and partly to keep him from telling her he’d just fallen in love with her. He groaned at the mouthwatering flavors of vanilla, peanut butter, and chocolate. The cookie was just the right mix of chewy and crunchy, and he reached for a second one. “These are amazing.”
“Yeah?” She smiled up at him, but still a question hung in her eyes. “You really like them?”
“Hell yes, I do.” He grinned around another bite. “They kind of remind me of you. A little salty, a little sweet, kind of gooey on the inside, and just looking at them, I know they’re gonna taste delicious.”
She laughed. “You have quite the mouth on you.” Her gaze dropped to his lips and a rush of heat surged through him.
He leaned close to her neck, close enough for the scent of her to surround him and make his head a little dizzy. “Just say the word, and it could be on you.”
Her eyes widened, and pink flared her cheeks as a naughty grin teased the corners of her lips.
She’s considering it. Score one for the cowboy.
She looked up at him from below her long eyelashes, a coy smile on her lips. “You do tempt me, Mack Lassiter,” she whispered.
His gaze dropped to her lips.
Speaking of tempting.
She swallowed then pulled her bottom lip under her front teeth, and he almost groaned as hard as he had with the bite of cookie. He knew she would taste just as good.
He came to find a family. He never expected to find love.
After meeting the three half-brothers he never knew existed, cowboy Mack Lassiter decides to stay and try to build a new life in the small Colorado mountain town of Woodland Hills. But he didn’t expect to find another family in Lorna Gibbs, the sweet single mom and local coffee shop owner, whose strength and warmth instantly captivated him.
Lorna’s not looking for love—her only focus is on giving her son and infant daughter the stable life they all deserve. The last thing she needs is a tall cowboy stirring up feelings she’s locked away for years. But Mack isn’t just any man—he’s steady, kind, and a little broken, just like her.
When her no-good ex suddenly returns and starts threatening her and the life she’s built, Mack steps in to play the role of devoted boyfriend. But as their charade deepens and the threat from Lorna’s ex intensifies, their fake relationship blurs into something real. And now they’ll have to decide if they can trust each other enough to build a family that’s anything but pretend.
She’s done with men. He doesn’t believe anyone stays. But a fake relationship might be just what they need to find something real…
Author bio:
Jennie Marts is the USA TODAY Best-selling author of award-winning books filled with love, laughter, and always a happily ever after. Readers call her books “laugh out loud” funny and the “perfect mix of romance, humor, and steam.” Fic Central claimed one of her books was “the most fun I’ve had reading in years.”
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a parakeet who loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books range from western romance to cozy mysteries but they all have the charm and appeal of quirky small town life. She loves genre-mashups like adding romance to her Page Turners cozy mysteries and creating the hockey-playing cowboys in the Cowboys of Creedence. The same small town community comes to life with more animal antics in her latest Creedence Horse Rescue series. And her sassy heroines and hunky heroes carry over in her heartwarming, feel good romances from Hallmark Publishing. Take the Honey and Run is her newest cozy mystery in the A Bee Keeping Mystery series.
Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, Twitter at @JennieMarts, and at jenniemartswriter on Instagram. Visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.
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