Stand-Alone Works
Excerpt from Her Wild Defender:
Her bodyguard’s scowl deepened. “Do you always parade around half dressed?”
Her mouth fell open. Her jaw dropped, she was that surprised by his comment and presumption he had a right to talk to her like that.
“I’ll dress any way I please,” she said, though the thin camisole and boy shorts were pretty revealing and, under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t be caught out of the house in them. These weren’t normal circumstances, though. “Or did you think I should have dressed before coming to defend my house from a possible burglar?”
“That’s my responsibility.”
“Yeah. You’re doing a real bang-up job of it, too.”
A Paranormal Romance Novella, Release Date: March 10, 2023
Love in the Kingdom Series
Lisa Kirkpatrick is stubborn, but she’s not stupid. If this guy needs a cover date to evade an unwanted admirer, who is she to object? It’s not as if handsome men fall all over themselves to ask her out. Most don’t even see her. Sure, they know there’s a woman in the wheelchair, but it would never occur to them that there’s a woman in the wheelchair. He notices. This solid, fun, straight shooting guy ticks off every box on her ideal man list. But why do they call him Slick?
Roger Plankey didn’t know what he was missing. Health, prosperity, friends, and family, he thought his life was full until he walked into the town clerk’s office and laid eyes on the woman behind the counter. A spunky, independent woman with a dash of humor and just enough sass to keep him on his toes. She fills that unknown void in his life like she was made for him. But is there such a thing as too perfect?
A Full-Bodied Love, Book #4 in the Love in the Kingdom series, took home the prize at
the 2021 Fall in Love With New England conference in Boxborough, Massachusetts!
https://www.fallinlovenewengland.com
Excerpt from A Full-Bodied Love:
“I don’t want you to think I’m fast or anything,” she clarified, kicking off her clogs. They dropped to the carpet with muted thuds.
“Everything about this is fast.” He hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but he’d only met the woman a month ago.
“Does it scare you?”
The uncertainty in her gaze cut him to the quick.
“More like excites me,” he said. Kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck, he added, “I mean, I should probably be worried about whether or not you leave the toilet seat up or hog the remote control, but we’ll figure it out.”
She did laugh then, the full-throated sound he loved, cut short when he pulled her earlobe between his teeth and laved the soft cartilage.
“Tell me more.”
“Hmm. You’ll probably leave half a cup of coffee in the pot.” Shifting his weight to one side, he snagged the zipper of her pullover top and slowly worked it down the center of her torso.
“Or drink orange juice directly from the carton.” He spread the sides of her shirt apart and kissed her bare shoulder.
“You might not understand how hard it is for a man to work all day and still look this good.”
She muffled a laugh against his throat.
Release Date: May 4, 2022
“I don’t want you to think I’m fast or anything,” she clarified, kicking off her clogs. They dropped to the carpet with muted thuds.
“Everything about this is fast.” He hadn’t meant to say it aloud, but he’d only met the woman a month ago.
“Does it scare you?”
The uncertainty in her gaze cut him to the quick.
“More like excites me,” he said. Kissing her lips, her cheek, her neck, he added, “I mean, I should probably be worried about whether or not you leave the toilet seat up or hog the remote control, but we’ll figure it out.”
She did laugh then, the full-throated sound he loved, cut short when he pulled her earlobe between his teeth and laved the soft cartilage.
“Tell me more.”
“Hmm. You’ll probably leave half a cup of coffee in the pot.” Shifting his weight to one side, he snagged the zipper of her pullover top and slowly worked it down the center of her torso.
“Or drink orange juice directly from the carton.” He spread the sides of her shirt apart and kissed her bare shoulder.
“You might not understand how hard it is for a man to work all day and still look this good.”
She muffled a laugh against his throat.
Release Date: May 4, 2022
Open Door to Love - Love in the Kingdom Book #3
Release Date - May 17, 2021
Jonnie Moulton's chance for a fresh start as Somerset's marketing consultant might be over before it begins unless she can convince David Wang she knows what she's doing and isn't the desperate woman he met three years ago.
This confident new Jonnie makes David's blood sizzle. He plans to keep her close and not just because she's living in one of his resort cabins. He "gets" her like no one else. She excites him more every day.
But is this simply passion, or have they found an open door to love?
Release Date - May 17, 2021
Jonnie Moulton's chance for a fresh start as Somerset's marketing consultant might be over before it begins unless she can convince David Wang she knows what she's doing and isn't the desperate woman he met three years ago.
This confident new Jonnie makes David's blood sizzle. He plans to keep her close and not just because she's living in one of his resort cabins. He "gets" her like no one else. She excites him more every day.
But is this simply passion, or have they found an open door to love?
Excerpt from Open Door to Love:
Excitement sang through her bloodstream. She was running. In the cold. With a man whose every movement, every word fascinated her more than the previous one.
“It’s going to get tricky.”
He wasn’t kidding. This was no leisurely run on a school track but mountain running. The trail wound around trees, over frozen brooks, and through snow-covered gullies. Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs, and her body temperature rose. Her base layer shirt clung to her torso.
They neared a strip of beach on the back side of the lake, and the path opened up. David moved over so she could run next to him, and he slowed the pace. She flipped the top on her water bottle and sipped while his dark gaze took in the condition of her footwear.
“If they’re chafing, we can stop and walk.”
“I’m good.”
“If you get blisters, you won’t be able to run with me again on Wednesday.”
“Is that an invitation?”
“It is if you want it to be.”
Excitement sang through her bloodstream. She was running. In the cold. With a man whose every movement, every word fascinated her more than the previous one.
“It’s going to get tricky.”
He wasn’t kidding. This was no leisurely run on a school track but mountain running. The trail wound around trees, over frozen brooks, and through snow-covered gullies. Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs, and her body temperature rose. Her base layer shirt clung to her torso.
They neared a strip of beach on the back side of the lake, and the path opened up. David moved over so she could run next to him, and he slowed the pace. She flipped the top on her water bottle and sipped while his dark gaze took in the condition of her footwear.
“If they’re chafing, we can stop and walk.”
“I’m good.”
“If you get blisters, you won’t be able to run with me again on Wednesday.”
“Is that an invitation?”
“It is if you want it to be.”
Tender Possession - Love in the Kingdom Book #2
Released April 29, 2019
The only way to conquer her heart is through a tender possession...
Emmeline Charbonneau spent most of her life protecting others from her father's violent mood swings and erratic behavior. Now that he's gone she isn't so much relieved as cast adrift. She desperately needs an anchor.
Romney Wilson is his mother's second son and his father's second child. Success may take him all over the world, but he is still that youngest sibling trying to find his place in it. Quite simply, he needs to be needed.
The connection between them is immediate and strong. But can she trust this impulsive and spontaneous charmer to stick around? And will he get past her wall of self-preservation only to scare her away?
Released April 29, 2019
The only way to conquer her heart is through a tender possession...
Emmeline Charbonneau spent most of her life protecting others from her father's violent mood swings and erratic behavior. Now that he's gone she isn't so much relieved as cast adrift. She desperately needs an anchor.
Romney Wilson is his mother's second son and his father's second child. Success may take him all over the world, but he is still that youngest sibling trying to find his place in it. Quite simply, he needs to be needed.
The connection between them is immediate and strong. But can she trust this impulsive and spontaneous charmer to stick around? And will he get past her wall of self-preservation only to scare her away?
Excerpt from Tender Possession:
"You’ll be coming to Andros, then?”
Unsnapping her coat, she brushed by him and hung it up, buying time. “I think we need to get some things straight first. Some boundaries.”
“Oh?”
She stepped back a few feet to look directly at him.“I don’t want to sleep with you.”
“Yes, you do.”
His arrogance momentarily left her at a loss for words. Recovering quickly, she said, “I mean I’m not going to sleep with you.”
“Is there something wrong with me?” He cocked his head to the side and ran his gaze down the length of his body, then up again. “Something I should know about?”
Nonplussed, she said, “No, there’s nothing wrong with you.”
His smile was blinding. Deep grooves formed on either side of his mouth, and his dark eyes lit with humor. She had to admit she fell right into that one even before he said, “Then you do want to sleep with me.”
"You’ll be coming to Andros, then?”
Unsnapping her coat, she brushed by him and hung it up, buying time. “I think we need to get some things straight first. Some boundaries.”
“Oh?”
She stepped back a few feet to look directly at him.“I don’t want to sleep with you.”
“Yes, you do.”
His arrogance momentarily left her at a loss for words. Recovering quickly, she said, “I mean I’m not going to sleep with you.”
“Is there something wrong with me?” He cocked his head to the side and ran his gaze down the length of his body, then up again. “Something I should know about?”
Nonplussed, she said, “No, there’s nothing wrong with you.”
His smile was blinding. Deep grooves formed on either side of his mouth, and his dark eyes lit with humor. She had to admit she fell right into that one even before he said, “Then you do want to sleep with me.”
Precedent for Passion - Love in the Kingdom Book #1
Released October 15, 2018
Their attraction set a precedent no one else could match…
Abby’s imagination hadn’t been playing tricks with her memory. Fifteen years after meeting him in a court room, Glen Plankey is still so attractive he makes her toes curl. And that voice! Deep and authoritative, she practically melts into a puddle at the sound of it. She can’t wait to see more of him.
He can’t get away fast enough. Everything about her reminds him of that terrible day, yet his brain turns to adolescent mush when he looks at her curvy body and his heart skips a beat each time she smiles.
Soon undeniable attraction leads to scorching passion and grows into a true love affair. But is it strong enough to survive when he thinks she has played him for a fool?
Released October 15, 2018
Their attraction set a precedent no one else could match…
Abby’s imagination hadn’t been playing tricks with her memory. Fifteen years after meeting him in a court room, Glen Plankey is still so attractive he makes her toes curl. And that voice! Deep and authoritative, she practically melts into a puddle at the sound of it. She can’t wait to see more of him.
He can’t get away fast enough. Everything about her reminds him of that terrible day, yet his brain turns to adolescent mush when he looks at her curvy body and his heart skips a beat each time she smiles.
Soon undeniable attraction leads to scorching passion and grows into a true love affair. But is it strong enough to survive when he thinks she has played him for a fool?
Excerpt from Precedent for Passion:
“I’m going to kiss you, Abby.”
“Uh-huh.”
He loved the way she didn’t hesitate with her response, though her face flushed, and the pulse at the side of her neck started racing.
It was a hard, dry kiss. Not satisfying by a long shot, but he didn’t want to presume any more than he already had. He could still remember the shock in her eyes fifteen years ago when his ex-wife made him sound like an animal. He didn’t want to scare her away.
So his heart skipped a beat when she whispered, “More. Please.”
Nothing turned him on quite like a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. Except maybe this woman. Everything about her excited him. Grasping her shoulders and pulling her close, he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips until they opened, then delved into the warm recesses of her mouth.
She held nothing back. Meeting him with equal passion, she poured herself into the kiss, and when she slid her fingers beneath the brim of his hat, scraping the sides of his skull with her nails, a sizzle raced up his spine. He was a teenage boy again. On fire with lust for her like it was the first time he ever held a woman, he was ready to put the car seats back and fog up the windows.
“I’m going to kiss you, Abby.”
“Uh-huh.”
He loved the way she didn’t hesitate with her response, though her face flushed, and the pulse at the side of her neck started racing.
It was a hard, dry kiss. Not satisfying by a long shot, but he didn’t want to presume any more than he already had. He could still remember the shock in her eyes fifteen years ago when his ex-wife made him sound like an animal. He didn’t want to scare her away.
So his heart skipped a beat when she whispered, “More. Please.”
Nothing turned him on quite like a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask for it. Except maybe this woman. Everything about her excited him. Grasping her shoulders and pulling her close, he slid his tongue along the seam of her lips until they opened, then delved into the warm recesses of her mouth.
She held nothing back. Meeting him with equal passion, she poured herself into the kiss, and when she slid her fingers beneath the brim of his hat, scraping the sides of his skull with her nails, a sizzle raced up his spine. He was a teenage boy again. On fire with lust for her like it was the first time he ever held a woman, he was ready to put the car seats back and fog up the windows.
Copyright 2018 Amber Cross