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BLOW ME AWAY by Christina Hovland – Blog Tour

Today Christina Hovland is here to share her blog tour, BLOW ME AWAY!  Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!

 

Title: Blow Me Away

Author: Christina Hovland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

About Blow Me Away:

It’s all fun and games until somebody falls in love…

Jase Dvornakov has always loved women, 80’s hair band music, and things that go boom. He used to disarm bombs in the Navy, but he’s back in Denver after a mission overseas went sideways and destroyed his future, including his marriage. Now he arranges flowers in his family’s floral business because flowers don’t explode.

Cookie-baker extraordinaire, Heather Reese, has had one too many rounds of heartache, so she’s sworn off men and prefers to spend her evenings binge-watching game shows. Plus her no-men rule gives her time to focus on her dream come true—Heather’s Cookie Co.—her very own bake shop with an underground following for naughty shaped treats. She refuses to be interested in the hot-shot florist across the street. He is trouble with a capital T. Sexy trouble, but still, a hook-up with Jase is a hard nope.

Desperate to avoid his family’s incessant matchmaking, a fake breakup with the beautiful Heather is just what the florist ordered. If his family believes Heather decimated his heart, they’ll leave him alone. Heather isn’t so keen on the idea, but Jase is determined to make it worth her while. When a pretend breakup becomes the real romance neither was expecting, together they’ll have to decide if it’s finally time to light the fuse on love…

Get Your Copy Today:

AMAZON | AMAZON CA | AMAZON UK
AMAZON DE | AMAZON FR

 

 

About Christina:

Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.

 

Connect with Christina:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Enter Christina’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

BLOW ME AWAY by Christina Hovland – Release Day Blitz

Today Christina Hovland is here to share her release blitz, BLOW ME AWAY!  Check it out and be sure to get your copy today!

 

Title: Blow Me Away

Author: Christina Hovland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

About Blow Me Away:

It’s all fun and games until somebody falls in love…

Jase Dvornakov has always loved women, 80’s hair band music, and things that go boom. He used to disarm bombs in the Navy, but he’s back in Denver after a mission overseas went sideways and destroyed his future, including his marriage. Now he arranges flowers in his family’s floral business because flowers don’t explode.

Cookie-baker extraordinaire, Heather Reese, has had one too many rounds of heartache, so she’s sworn off men and prefers to spend her evenings binge-watching game shows. Plus her no-men rule gives her time to focus on her dream come true—Heather’s Cookie Co.—her very own bake shop with an underground following for naughty shaped treats. She refuses to be interested in the hot-shot florist across the street. He is trouble with a capital T. Sexy trouble, but still, a hook-up with Jase is a hard nope.

Desperate to avoid his family’s incessant matchmaking, a fake breakup with the beautiful Heather is just what the florist ordered. If his family believes Heather decimated his heart, they’ll leave him alone. Heather isn’t so keen on the idea, but Jase is determined to make it worth her while. When a pretend breakup becomes the real romance neither was expecting, together they’ll have to decide if it’s finally time to light the fuse on love…

Get Your Copy Today:

AMAZON | AMAZON CA | AMAZON UK
AMAZON DE | AMAZON FR

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

“Heather?” Jase stuck tape on the corners of the top poster.

“Hmm?” Her eyes met his again, because she refused to show weakness.

“You catching that?” he asked, his focus returning to the poster and the tape.

“Catching what?”

Poster in hand, he moved to the front window and pressed it against the glass, smoothing it before turning back to her. “Catching the little buzz we have going on between us.”

“A little… The thing is…” C’mon, Heather, be strong. You are the cookie lady now. You don’t date. You are all you need. That’s what the podcast she’d been listening to said to her over and over again. Mantra in hand, she slapped on her I’m-in-charge-here-buddy mask. “It would never work between us.”

The edges of his lips ticked up ever so slightly. “You can’t know that.”

Oh, she knew.

He sauntered toward her.

Unwilling to back down, she stepped toward him. Expression firm, she said, “I can already see exactly how this whole thing would play out if we let it. You’d start with a horrible pickup line.”

“Guilty.” His hands fell to the belt loops of his jeans.

Her palm itched to press against the front of his tee, but she refrained. “Then I’d counter with a witty response. This time, my reply would be even better. Funny, intelligent…everything.”

“Now, that I’d like to hear.” Nothing but a foot of crackling air sizzled between them.

“Trust me, if I had said it, it would have been epic. You can’t repeat something like that. It has to happen in the moment.” She shook her head, the sleek ponytail she’d carefully arranged earlier brushing against the collar of her jacket.

“That right there is why we wouldn’t have worked out. I mean, you couldn’t even come up with a snappier reply.” He crossed his arms, the little veins of his muscled forearms flexing with the motion.

“Oh, I would’ve. It would’ve been the best response in the history of pickup line replies.”

“I don’t believe you.” The glimmer in his eyes lit up his entire face.

He was enjoying this exchange entirely too much.

Control. She needed the power back. “Trust would’ve always been one of your issues in our relationship.”

“Maybe you just couldn’t be honest with me about how you felt. That’s probably why we would have always argued.” He raised his eyebrows in a clear ultimatum.

Challenge accepted.

She stepped the tiniest bit closer to him. “Let’s say you threw out that awful line again. The one about taking me out.”

“I’m with you so far.” He glanced down to the floor in clear acknowledgment of her movement forward, but he held his ground.

“We’d banter for a good bit—”

His face sparked with humor. “Sounds about right.”

“Both of us would get that tingly feeling of attraction. You know the one.” So maybe she made her voice a little breathier than usual. Sue her.

His mouth parted, the exaggerated fullness of his lower lip apparent. “You have a tingly feeling?”

She shook her head and raised a hand. Not touching his chest like she desperately wanted to, but getting within millimeters. “That’s not the important part. Eventually, you would convince me to go on a date.”

“I’d take you to this great taco stand. I love tacos.”

“Despite that, I’d probably let you take me out again. And again,” she said, not willing to acknowledge the way she wanted to nip at his lip with her teeth.

He nodded. “I’m digging this relationship so far.”

“Eventually, you’d ask me to move in. I’d say no. You’d pressure me, even though I wouldn’t be ready.”

“What can I say? I wouldn’t want to spend a night away from you. No use paying for two apartments.”

She shrugged, dropping her hand. “I’d cave, and we’d finally move in together—”

“Do we get to hook up first? Don’t skip that part.” This time he moved forward, just a smidge.

She stayed put. She refused to back up first. “Of course. It would be awful. Sorry Speed Racer, but I need more than three minutes of go time.”

“That’s not what you’d say after you screamed my name.” He leaned forward, the whisper of his words brushing against her ear.

God, there wasn’t but a breath of space between them. She was all turned-on Heather, ready to throw her why-have-a-man-when-you-can-have-cookies resolve away.

His breath smelled of cinnamon candy and coffee, turning her knees effectively to melted butter.

No, she stopped herself. Back to the fictional breakup at hand.

Cookies were just fine for her. Better, even.

“Then we would be horribly irresponsible one night and, surprise, it’s a boy!” She waved her hands and grinned.

He frowned. “I’d never be that irresponsible.”

“It would happen. And then you’d insist we get married in a huge production I’d totally resent.” Now, she stepped to the counter to grab the rest of the posters.

“C’mon, baby. I’d tell you we could keep it small.”

She held the posters against her front like weak card-stock armor. “It wouldn’t matter, you’d be all kinds of grumpy when you stopped getting your full three minutes on top. Before you could say ‘honeymoon,’ we’d hate each other. The divorce would be sweet relief for everyone involved, and we’d never speak again.” She flashed him a goodbye smile. “Aren’t you glad we aren’t doing that?”

 

About Christina:

Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.

 

Connect with Christina:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Enter Christina’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

BLOW ME AWAY by Christina Hovland – Blog Tour

Today Christina Hovland is here to share her cover reveal, BLOW ME AWAY!  Check it out and be sure to preorder your copy today!

 

Title: Blow Me Away

Author: Christina Hovland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: February 22nd

 

About Blow Me Away:

It’s all fun and games until somebody falls in love…

Jase Dvornakov has always loved women, 80’s hair band music, and things that go boom. He used to disarm bombs in the Navy, but he’s back in Denver after a mission overseas went sideways and destroyed his future, including his marriage. Now he arranges flowers in his family’s floral business because flowers don’t explode.

Cookie-baker extraordinaire, Heather Reese, has had one too many rounds of heartache, so she’s sworn off men and prefers to spend her evenings binge-watching game shows. Plus her no-men rule gives her time to focus on her dream come true—Heather’s Cookie Co.—her very own bake shop with an underground following for naughty shaped treats. She refuses to be interested in the hot-shot florist across the street. He is trouble with a capital T. Sexy trouble, but still, a hook-up with Jase is a hard nope.

Desperate to avoid his family’s incessant matchmaking, a fake breakup with the beautiful Heather is just what the florist ordered. If his family believes Heather decimated his heart, they’ll leave him alone. Heather isn’t so keen on the idea, but Jase is determined to make it worth her while. When a pretend breakup becomes the real romance neither was expecting, together they’ll have to decide if it’s finally time to light the fuse on love…

 

Pre-Order Your Copy Today

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

“You catching that?” Jase asked, his focus returning to the poster and the tape.

“Catching what?” Heather replied.

Poster in hand, he moved to the front window and pressed it against the glass, smoothing it before turning back to her. “Catching the little buzz we have going on between us.”

“A little… the thing is…” C’mon Heather, be strong. You are the cookie lady now. You don’t date. You are all you need. That’s what the podcast she’d been listening to said to her over and over again. Mantra in hand, she slapped on her I’m-in-charge-here-buddy mask. “It would never work between us.”

The edges of his lips ticked up ever so slightly. “You can’t know that.”

Oh, she knew.

He sauntered toward her.

Unwilling to back down, she stepped toward him. Expression firm, she said, “I can already see exactly how this whole thing would play out if we let it. You’d start with a horrible pick up line.”

“Guilty.” His hands fell to the belt loops of his jeans.

Her palm itched to press against the front of his tee, but she refrained. “Then I’d counter with a witty response. This time my reply would be even better. Funny, intelligent…everything.”

“Now, that I’d like to hear.” Nothing but a foot of crackling air sizzled between them.

“Trust me, if I had said it, it would have been epic. You can’t repeat something like that. It has to happen in the moment.” She shook her head, the sleek ponytail she’d carefully arranged earlier brushing against the collar of her jacket.

“That right there is why we wouldn’t have worked out. I mean you couldn’t even come up with a snappier reply.” He crossed his arms, the little veins of his muscled forearms flexing with the motion.

“Oh, I would’ve. It would’ve been the best response in the history of pick-up line replies.”

“I don’t believe you.” The glimmer in his eyes lit up his entire face.

He was clearly enjoying this exchange entirely too much.

Control. She needed the power back. “Trust would’ve always been one of your issues in our relationship.”

“Maybe you just couldn’t be honest with me about how you felt. That’s probably why we would have always argued.” He raised his eyebrows in a clear ultimatum.

Challenge accepted.

She stepped the tiniest bit closer to him. “Let’s say you threw out that awful line again. The one about taking me out.”

“I’m with you so far.” He glanced down to the floor in clear acknowledgment of her movement forward, but he held his ground.

“We’d banter for a good bit—”

His face sparked with humor. “Sounds about right.”

“Both of us would get that tingly feeling of attraction. You know the one.” So maybe she made her voice a little breathier than usual. Sue her.

His mouth parted, the exaggerated fullness of his lower lip apparent. “You have a tingly feeling?”

She shook her head and raised a hand. Not touching his chest like she desperately wanted to but getting within millimeters. “That’s not the important part. Eventually you would convince me to go on a date.”

“I’d take you to this great taco stand. I love tacos.”

“Despite that, I’d probably let you take me out again. And again,” she said, not willing to acknowledge the way she wanted to nip at his lip with her teeth.

He nodded. “I’m digging this relationship so far.”

“Eventually, you’d ask me to move in. I’d say no. You’d pressure me, even though I wouldn’t be ready.”

“What can I say? I wouldn’t want to spend a night away from you. No use paying for two apartments.” She shrugged, dropping her hand.

“I’d cave, and we’d finally move in together—”

“Do we get to hook up first? Don’t skip that part.” This time he moved forward. Not a lot, just a smidge.

She stayed put. She refused to back up first. “Of course. It would be awful. Sorry Speed Racer, but I need more than three minutes of go-time.”

“That’s not what you’d say after you screamed my name.” He leaned forward, the whisper of his words brushing against her ear.

God, there wasn’t but a breath of space between them. She was all turned-on Heather, ready to throw her why-have-a-man-when-you-can-have-cookies resolve away.

His breath smelled of cinnamon candy and coffee, turning her knees effectively to melted butter.
No, she stopped herself. Back to the break-up at hand.

 

About Christina:

Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.

Connect with Christina:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE by Christina Hovland – Blog Tour

Today we have the blog tour for GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE by Christina Hovland! Check it out and get your copy today!

Title: GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE

Author: Christina Hovland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

About Going Down On One Knee:

“An utterly charming opposites-attract-story. Hovland perfectly balances simmering sexual tension with a surprising amount of emotion, and the stomach-flip-causing ending is the perfect example of why I read and love romance.” – New York Times Bestselling Author, Lauren Layne

 

Number-crunching Velma Johnson’s perfectly planned life is right on course.

 

That’s a lie. Sure, she’s got the lucrative job. She’s got the posh apartment. But her sister nabbed Velma’s Mr. Right. There has to be a man out there for Velma. Hopefully, one who’s hunky, wears pressed suits, and has a diversified financial portfolio. He’ll be exactly like, well… her sister’s new fiancé.

 

Badass biker Brek Montgomery blazes a trail across the country, managing Dimefront, one of the biggest rock bands of his generation. With the band on hiatus, Brek rolls into Denver to pay a quick visit to his family and friends. But when Brek’s sister suddenly gets put on bed rest, she convinces Brek to take over her wedding planning business for the duration of her pregnancy.

 

Staying in Denver and dealing with bridezillas was not what Brek had in mind when he passed through town, but there is one particular maid-of-honor who might make his stay worthwhile.

 

Velma finds herself strangely attracted to the man planning her sister’s wedding.

 

Problem is, he ticks none of the boxes on her well-crafted list. Brek is rough around the edges, he cusses, and doesn’t even have a 401(k). But trying something crazy might get her out of the rut of her dating life–so long as she lays down boundaries up front and sticks to her plan…

Get Your Copy Today!

 

Check out the Trailer:

About the Author:

Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.

 

Connect with Christina:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Enter Christina’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE by Christina Hovland – Release Day Blitz

Today we have the release day blitz for GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE by Christina Hovland! Check it out and get your copy today!

 

Title: GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE

Author: Christina Hovland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 

About Going Down On One Knee:

“An utterly charming opposites-attract-story. Hovland perfectly balances simmering sexual tension with a surprising amount of emotion, and the stomach-flip-causing ending is the perfect example of why I read and love romance.” – New York Times Bestselling Author, Lauren Layne

 

Number-crunching Velma Johnson’s perfectly planned life is right on course.

 

That’s a lie. Sure, she’s got the lucrative job. She’s got the posh apartment. But her sister nabbed Velma’s Mr. Right. There has to be a man out there for Velma. Hopefully, one who’s hunky, wears pressed suits, and has a diversified financial portfolio. He’ll be exactly like, well… her sister’s new fiancé.

 

Badass biker Brek Montgomery blazes a trail across the country, managing Dimefront, one of the biggest rock bands of his generation. With the band on hiatus, Brek rolls into Denver to pay a quick visit to his family and friends. But when Brek’s sister suddenly gets put on bed rest, she convinces Brek to take over her wedding planning business for the duration of her pregnancy.

 

Staying in Denver and dealing with bridezillas was not what Brek had in mind when he passed through town, but there is one particular maid-of-honor who might make his stay worthwhile.

 

Velma finds herself strangely attracted to the man planning her sister’s wedding.

 

Problem is, he ticks none of the boxes on her well-crafted list. Brek is rough around the edges, he cusses, and doesn’t even have a 401(k). But trying something crazy might get her out of the rut of her dating life–so long as she lays down boundaries up front and sticks to her plan…

Get Your Copy Today!

 

 

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

He shoved his key in the door and turned the knob. His gut took a hit like it always did when Velma was in the room. The lights were on, and she sat at the table with a girly teacup next to her laptop.

She wore pink flannel pajamas and her fuck-me glasses—the rimless kind that sat high on the bridge of her nose. Every so often her glasses would slip, and she would haphazardly push them back, making her look like a librarian. A sexy librarian who did dirty, dirty things to rebels who returned books late and didn’t pay their fine.

“Hi, Brek.” She glanced up from the light of her computer screen, a sucker stick poking out of the edge of her mouth. She popped the lollipop from between her lips, and his dick stirred to life. Down, boy. A few days ago, he’d found a canister in the back of the pantry filled with all sorts of candy. He’d never seen her enjoy her private stash, but he resolved right then and there to keep it stocked.

“Hey.” Bare-chested, he tugged his towel around his neck and held it at the ends. He couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought, so he evacuated to his room to change into a dry pair of shorts.

With a firm word that his dick needed to behave, he grabbed his post-workout recovery shake from his shelf in the fridge and shook it. Velma had labeled his black mixer bottle with a sticker that read B.

Early on, he had decided to find her love of labels cute. That and the swear jar she’d decorated with multicolored ribbons and placed in the center of the kitchen counter. He had already prepaid by dropping in a hundred-dollar bill. She hadn’t found that cute at all. Nope, she threw a tizzy about it. Didn’t matter, though. Her tizzy was fuckin’ adorable.

 

Check out the Trailer:

 

About the Author:

Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.

 

Connect with Christina:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Enter Christina’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE by Christina Hovland – Teaser Reveal

Today we have the gorgeous teaser reveal for GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE by Christina Hovland! Check it out and pre-order your copy today!

 

Title: GOING DOWN ON ONE KNEE

Author: Christina Hovland

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Day: Oct 15th

 

About Going Down On One Knee:

“An utterly charming opposites-attract-story. Hovland perfectly balances simmering sexual tension with a surprising amount of emotion, and the stomach-flip-causing ending is the perfect example of why I read and love romance.” – New York Times Bestselling Author, Lauren Layne

 

Number-crunching Velma Johnson’s perfectly planned life is right on course.

 

That’s a lie. Sure, she’s got the lucrative job. She’s got the posh apartment. But her sister nabbed Velma’s Mr. Right. There has to be a man out there for Velma. Hopefully, one who’s hunky, wears pressed suits, and has a diversified financial portfolio. He’ll be exactly like, well… her sister’s new fiancé.

 

Badass biker Brek Montgomery blazes a trail across the country, managing Dimefront, one of the biggest rock bands of his generation. With the band on hiatus, Brek rolls into Denver to pay a quick visit to his family and friends. But when Brek’s sister suddenly gets put on bed rest, she convinces Brek to take over her wedding planning business for the duration of her pregnancy.

 

Staying in Denver and dealing with bridezillas was not what Brek had in mind when he passed through town, but there is one particular maid-of-honor who might make his stay worthwhile.

 

Velma finds herself strangely attracted to the man planning her sister’s wedding.

 

Problem is, he ticks none of the boxes on her well-crafted list. Brek is rough around the edges, he cusses, and doesn’t even have a 401(k). But trying something crazy might get her out of the rut of her dating life–so long as she lays down boundaries up front and sticks to her plan…

Pre-Order Your Copy!

 

 

 

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

Three words. Three. Little. Words. Nothing important.

Okay, so the three words were important. Massive, really.

“Congratulations, you two,” Velma Johnson rehearsed aloud to the vase of a dozen yellow roses gripped in her arms. With a reaffirming gulp of Denver’s crisp spring air, she hustled through the open-air parking garage to the security door of her apartment building.

Her sister, Claire, had big news. To be exact, Claire and her boyfriend, Dean, had big news. Velma had a feeling she knew exactly what their news would be—they were moving in together. The next step in their relationship. Tension in Velma’s neck strung tight at the thought.

A successful career and a posh apartment she could eventually rent out as an investment were steps one and two of Velma’s elaborate five-year plan. She had ticked both those boxes. Dean, three kids, and moving to a two-story house just outside of Denver had been steps three through seven.

Not anymore. Now, her sister was moving in with the man Velma had crushed on for years. The one Velma measured all others against. The one she sang Prince and Madonna songs with at the office.

Yes, they were moving in together. That’s why Claire had called yesterday and asked to take her to dinner. Velma had insisted they meet at her place instead. Her invitation had nothing to do with the fact she liked having Dean visit her apartment—even if he was with her sister. She’d offered because it made sense they’d want a private location for their big reveal. And when the announcement came that they’d be embracing that next relationship milestone…well, being on her home turf sounded pretty darn appealing.

Just as she reached the security door, the sound of a motorcycle that clearly had no muffler cut through her thoughts. She turned. The bike pulled up next to her car—into the parking spot meant for her guests. A super-muscled, badass-mother-trucker of a biker swung his leg over the side of the motorcycle and stood.

Her heart stopped with a thunk.

Vin-Diesel-biker-dude pulled off his helmet and—sweet mother of Mary, had the temperature jumped by ten degrees? She got the picture: he rode a motorcycle, hit the gym twice a day. The type she avoided because she did not do badass. She preferred the suspenders-and-slacks kind of man. Except, at that moment, she debated how important that preference really was to her.

Focus, Velma. Head held high, she approached him. “Excuse me? Sir? You can’t park there.”

He frowned at the number marking the spot.

Normally she wouldn’t mind sharing the space, but with Claire, Dean, and his friend Brek coming to dinner, she needed both of her parking spaces.

This man was obviously not Dean’s friend. Dean’s friends were all buttoned-up, suit-wearing, Wednesday-afternoon golfers. She was nearly certain.

The black leather jacket and jeans ripped at this guy’s knees looked horribly out of place next to her Prius. His longish, rock-’n’-roll blond hair was nicer than hers (although his could use a trim). She didn’t even mind the dragon tattoo creeping around the side of his neck or the layer of mud coating his motorcycle boots. Everything about the man screamed masculine.

Velma shifted the heavy vase in her grip. Fudge. Which of her neighbors was letting their guests use her spot this time?

“No, see, that’s the spot for my apartment.” Oh, how she wanted to rub at the headache pulsing at her forehead. She didn’t have time for this. Not today. “I’m sorry, it’s just that my sister and her boyfriend and his friend are coming for dinner because my sister has big news. And while I have no idea what that news is, it’s important to her. So that makes it important to me. Which is why I put on a pork roast, bought roses, and got out my crystal wine goblets. That’s what you do when your sister has big news, you know? Never mind she’s practically living my five-year plan without even trying, and I’m over here without even a boyfriend. That was not part of my plan. At this point, I should be at least six months into dating my future husband.”

Oh God. She was rambling. And he was staring at her with a half grin that made her skin flush. Seriously, the way the man smiled should be outlawed.

She ducked her head. “Anyway, I have company coming and I kind of need my spot.”

“Five-year plan?” he asked. As though that was the important part of what she’d just spit out.

This is how one makes an absolute idiot of oneself. “You know what? It’s fine. You can stay right there. Don’t worry about it.” She shifted the flowers again and turned on her heel.

See? People said she was inflexible, but here she was, absolutely rolling with it. She smiled at her flexibility.

“One sec,” Motorcycle Dude called. “This is the number they gave me.”

She paused midstride and turned around.

He ticked his head to the side. “Velvet?”

Oh dear. She could easily be swayed by the gravelly way he said her name. Well, the nickname her family called her—despite her repeated cease-and-desist requests.

“Um, yes?” She gripped the glass vase harder with her clammy hands.

“Brek.” He looked at her like she should know him and pointed to his chest. “Dean’s friend.”

Velma stared.

Oh.

 

About the Author:

Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale—an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dog around.

 

Connect with Christina:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

Enter Christina’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 


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