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Stay the Night
A Day of Pleasure #3
Cora Cade
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 29, 2016
She's everything he
wants. Even when she can't see it.
After her last
relationship ended in the hospital, Lainey Eversman ditched Ohio to start fresh
in a sleepy North Carolina town. Her tiny apartment above the Drunken Duck may
be cramped, but she’s ready to let her big dreams erase those bad memories.
When she sprains her
ankle, she reluctantly accepts Chris Harper’s help to cut her last few ties to
Ohio, though she dares not accept anything else from the sexy architect. The
last thing she can trust is her instincts when it comes to men.
Chris knew the fiery
Lainey was his one and only the moment he set eyes on her. If only she’d let
him get closer than arm’s length. But their trip to Ohio cracks the walls
shielding her vulnerability, and she finally, hesitantly, takes that last step
into his arms.
It’s still going to be
tough to convince her to give love a fighting chance—especially with an ex who
won’t take “go away” for an answer.
Warning: Contains a
small-town hero who’ll do anything to convince a skittish big-city girl that
he’s a safe bet. Expect loyal friendships, sweet kisses, and hot, dirty sex in
the great outdoors.
Chapter One
The
idyllic countryside of Lainey Eversman’s new home left a lot to be desired when
you were under attack by mutant country spiders. Four weeks ago she’d purchased
ten lakeside acres in the lush mountains of North Carolina. Currently she was
standing on a rickety kitchen chair swatting at a horde of massive spiders
crawling through a crack in her cabin’s ceiling. All the while wishing
desperately she’d never left the confines of city life.
She was
trying admirably to not freak out like a total pansy, but when a shower of
leggy spiders fell in her hair she gave up the fight. Giving a little squeak
she launched herself from the old wooden chair and began to dance around like a
lunatic while brushing her hands madly through her hair.
After a
brief tussle with her own ego, she finally gave up and headed for a real
shower. The kind with water and soap. No one had to know she’d nearly had a
meltdown over a few spiders. Those ten acres, so happily purchased a few weeks
ago, had come with a tiny hunting cabin. One room encompassing a very small and
formerly very dirty shower, a toilet, a kitchen sink the size of her favorite
pair of shoes, and a mini fridge fresh out of the box, all in a
twelve-by-twelve room.
At the
time it had seemed like the perfect place to hang tight while she had a place
built. In retrospect she should have taken her brother and his girlfriend up on
the offer to make use of their guest room until the build was completed. She
loved both Cal and Molly, but she had little interest in finding them in
compromising positions all over the apartment. Given the pair of them, it would
be near impossible to catch them doing anything but getting frisky.
The
creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere was her home for the duration. It wasn’t
so bad, aside from the bugs, the smothering summer heat, and the incessant
nature noise. No one ever told her living in the sticks was loud. Since her
first week in the cabin she’d been serenaded nightly by an orchestra of
bullfrogs, crickets, and assorted evening critters. Every morning the birds
woke her at first light. Eventually she’d adjust to the nature sounds, but to
date she’d been averaging about six hours a night; not really enough to feel
rested. Altogether leaving her just a little bit cranky from lack of sleep.
In theory
living alone surrounded by nature was an amazing retreat, but in reality it was
quite the adjustment for a city girl leaping into the next stage of her life.
After
scrubbing all the spider particles from every square inch of her body she
exited the shower and tossed on a pair of simple cotton panties and the
thinnest tank top she could find. It was a beautiful August evening, but the
heat of the day hadn’t dissipated enough to leave Lainey comfortable. The heat
and humidity left her feeling sticky the moment she toweled off from the
shower.
Being a
half-mile down a winding lane in the middle of nowhere had its perks. Sitting
on her miniscule porch in her underwear with her feet propped up was definitely
one of them.
Well,
until she saw a car’s lights turn off the main road and make its way toward the
cabin. It could only be a handful of people. Her brother Cal, Cal’s girlfriend
Molly, or more likely Chris. Chris the hottie architect that she’d met through
Cal and Molly, who was contracted to redesign the coffee shop she’d purchased.
Given the
light glow of a near full moon, Lainey guessed it to be nearly ten. Rather late
for a business meeting. Finally, she determined it was Chris, as his sleek
black car eased slowly closer until it was nearly ready to park next to her own
car on the far side of the porch. Lost in her own thoughts, she was about to
greet the hottie architect in her panties.
Dammit.
Launching
herself to her feet in an effort to reach the front door of the cabin before
Chris cleared the porch was easier said than done. In her rush she almost
crushed a cricket with a poorly placed foot. Attempting to save the cricket’s
life, Lainey lurched to the left and managed to trip over her own feet. Landing
in an inelegant pile, she watched the cricket hop away unharmed.
As she
was attempting to right herself Chris stepped into view and halted his progress
at the foot of the porch.
Nestled
away in a small town in Ohio, I spend my days adding delicious books to my
library, snuggling with my three rotten dogs, and debating the finer points of
life with the dear husband. When I'm not
tucked away with a book you can be find me tapping away at my laptop. With
coffee. And my playlist.
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