Contemporary romance is in the Summer Reading Spotlight with:
Never Say Forever – by Kay Harborne
Never Say Forever
Do you follow your dream or follow your heart?
That’s the decision Kendall
McKenzie has to make when she meets hunky businessman Jake Newman. It’s obvious
that he’s as attracted to her as she is to him. But Kendall has vowed to never
get married – and it seems that Jake, too, is determined to never commit. When
the two are together however sparks fly and it’s obvious to everyone except
themselves that they’re meant to be together. Can Kendall trust Jake enough to
give him her heart? And if she does will she have to say goodbye to her dream?
Extract
He turned
and saw an open door leading into the kitchen where Kendall, her back towards
him, was unplugging the kettle. She was wearing a neat, grey, pinstriped suit,
the jacket tapering in at the waist and the skirt finishing just above the
knee, with enough of a slit to reveal her very shapely legs.
She
turned around and smiled at him, and his heart missed a beat. She was
incredibly pretty and fresh, even at this early hour. Her glowing hair was
loosely tied back from her face, which was bare of make--‐‑up apart from a touch of
lipstick, and her eyes were bright and sparkling, as if she’d had a restful
night’s sleep.
“OK, I’m ready now. I’ve
just got to get my suitcase out of the bedroom.”
Here was where he was
supposed to tell her that she was staying at the Birmingham office, that he
didn’t need her in Spain, after all. But the words wouldn’t come. He might not need
her in Spain with him, but he definitely wanted her there.
“Ouch!” Kendall’s cry of
pain interrupted his thoughts. He dashed down the hall and saw her bending
down, rubbing the back of her leg, the suitcase on the floor behind her.
“Are you all right?” he
asked, worried. His eyes rested on the hole in her tights and the bruise
already forming. “That looks nasty,” he said sympathetically.
She flushed. “The case
was heavier than I thought. I stumbled and caught the back of my leg with it.
I’ll be fine. I just need to change my tights.”
“I’ll wait in the car for
you.” He effortlessly picked up the heavy suitcase. “And we’re all right for a
few minutes if you want to put some ice on that bruise.” Without waiting for an
answer, he carried the suitcase out the front door.
Maybe he was the one who
needed the ice, he thought, as he took the case down to the car. The sight of
Kendall’s bare skin peeping through the hole in her tights and hint of cleavage
as she’d bent down to rub her leg had certainly made his temperature rise.
Don’t even think about
it, he warned himself as he pressed the remote to open the car boot. This was a
business trip, and he had to keep it that way. He never mixed business with
pleasure and he wasn’t about to start now. Not even with Kendall McKenzie.
Especially not with
Kendall McKenzie.
****
It was only as she walked into the
car park at the back of the flats that Kendall realised she didn’t know what
sort of car Jake drove, but the sleek, midnight--‐‑blue sedan just had to be his. She was a bit taken
aback when he got out, walked around,
and opened the passenger door for
her. Not many guys did that nowadays.
“Thank you,” she said as
she slid onto the leather seat.
“My pleasure.” There was
a hint of teasing in his reply, as if he knew he’d surprised her.
“Love the car,” she said
as he got in beside her.
He flashed her a smile.
“I quite like it too.”
“It might have been
better if you’d got someone to drop us off at the airport so they could take
the car back,” she suggested. “I wouldn’t risk leaving a car like this parked
at the airport.”
ʺI’m not. I’ve left a
spare set of keys with my chauffeur. He’ll pick it up later this morning then
drive it home for me. It didn’t seem fair to drag him out of bed this early.”
He’s a nice guy, Kendall
thought, kind and considerate yet rich and successful. In her experience, the
qualities didnʹt always mix.
As they drove along, she
was acutely aware of his presence beside her, of his strong hands holding the
wheel casually but firmly, of his left hand reaching down to change gears
effortlessly and smoothly, just a few centimetres from her knee.
“How long did you teach
in Thailand?” he asked her. “I spent a bit of time over there myself a couple
of years ago. It’s a beautiful country.”
“I was there for a year.”
She was glad of the diversion. “I taught in a school in Chiang Mai.”
For the rest of the
journey they spoke about Thailand and some of the other countries they had both
visited, and she realised that he was actually very easy to talk to with a good
sense of humour. She was almost sorry when they arrived at the airport; she’d
enjoyed his company so much.
Careful, she told
herself. I bet he’s as charming as this with all the women he meets. She knew
he had a reputation for collecting beautiful girlfriends — Tanya had hinted as
much at the engagement party. He was the eternal bachelor. Well, she was the eternal
bachelor girl, wasn’t she? She could handle Jake Newman, even if he did make
her go all goose-bumpy
Buy Links
About Kay Harborne
Kay Harborne has written several romance stories for women's magazines. Her romance novel The Millionaire Plan was nominated for the RONE Award earlier this year. Never Say Forever was originally published by as a People’s Friend Pocket Novel, then in large print by Linford Romance. She is delighted that Astraea Press have republished it. Kay has also written many children's books under the name of Karen King. She loves reading, writing and eating chocolate.
Links
Website: http://www.karenking.net/
Twitter: @karen_king
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kay-Harborne/e/B00D5VD6LG/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1373543640&sr=8-2
