Book: Barefoot in Pearls
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Release Date: January 30, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Summary
As
her two best friends settle into their happily ever afters, destination
wedding designer Arielle Chandler is beginning to wonder if the promise
of “The One” – one true love, meant only for her – is merely folklore
passed down from her Native American grandmother. But when a mysterious
man nearly mows her down on a hill overlooking Barefoot Bay, the legend
of destined love suddenly feels very real. That is, until Ari learns of
Luke McBain’s plans to demolish a piece of land she believes is sacred.
Luke
isn’t proud of the fact that he spent ten years as a mercenary warrior,
fighting battles for another country. With those dark days behind him,
he’s focused on creating a new life instead of destroying others, so
he’s moved to Barefoot Bay to launch a contracting business and build a
house for an old friend. But when an enigmatic dark-eyed beauty steals
his attention and stops his progress with her announcement that he is
about to flatten a native burial ground, Luke has a new battle to fight.
While
their immediate and potent attraction grows complicated, Luke and Ari
discover the hills of Barefoot Bay could be hiding something far
different – and even more valuable – than ancient art or graves. They
are determined to discover the truth, but that will come at a cost. Will
they risk their chance at once-in-a-lifetime love to uncover secrets
that could change the landscape of Barefoot Bay forever?
Teaser Excerpt
He wasn’t handsome, not in any conventional way. Just rough and dark with heavy whiskers over
a jaw that looked like it might have met a few fists in its day. His nose was a
little off center and maybe broken once or twice. His chest and shoulders dwarfed her, with no
tattoos, no chest hair, just tanned, sweaty skin covering rolling, ripped
muscles.
“Really sorry,” he said again. But he didn’t sound sorry, or look it,
either. He scanned her face and made no
effort to unlock his grip on her wrist.
She should yank free. She should step away. She should
stop staring. She should...breathe.
But right that minute, bathed in sunlight and pinned by a
green-gold gaze the color of oxidized copper, Ari Chandler couldn’t do any of
those things. Because her whole body was
kind of tingling and buzzing and sparking, like she’d just stuck her entire arm
in an electrical socket.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked. “’Cause you look like I rung your bell.”
He rang something. There was no other explanation for how lightheaded she suddenly felt.
“I...I’m...I think...” Words failed her. No chance of a coherent sentence.
His brows pulled into a frown as he gently turned her arm
and placed a thumb over her pulse, which hit warp speed.
“Whoa. Your heart’s
racing more than mine.” He started to
lower her back to the ground. “Sit down.
I have some water in my truck. Let me get it.”
“No, no, I’m fine.” But Ari let him guide her down, sitting as he crouched in front of
her. “Who runs with their eyes closed?”
“I was trained that way.”
“For what? Suicide missions?”
“Something like that.” His voice, low and charged with mystery, sent another cascade of chills
down her spine, a shocking feeling that had no place dancing over her in this
heat and humidity.
“Really, what are you doing here?” she asked. “Not very many people on Mimosa Key even know
how about this place.” Only dirt roads
led to this acreage, which was marked at the perimeter as “Private Property.”
He glanced around. “I’m checking it out.”
“With your eyes closed?”
He almost smiled, just enough to show a hint of dimples and
straight white teeth. Just enough to
take the edge off his face and turn it into something arresting. She needed to look away, but all she could do
was blink at the white lights flashing behind her eyes.
Had she hit her head or...or...oh, no. No.
“No,” she murmured. “No, this isn’t…you can’t be...no.” This wasn’t possible.
“No…what?” he asked, leaning in to get closer to her. “I can’t check the place out? I have the
owner’s permission. Do you?”
But it was possible. He could be... No, that was her
imagination, not the universe answering her plea. Right? “No,” she managed to say.
For one long, suspended second, the world around her
crystallized, making her hyperaware of every color, scent, and sound. Everything was magnified. Like the slow roll of a bead of sweat trickling
over a scar on his temple. And the
flecks of color that somehow mixed to make his eyes a haunting blend of emerald
and topaz. Even the timbre of his voice,
baritone and sweet, and the rhythmic sound of his breaths as the run caught up
with him. He smelled like sunshine and
the sea, and his hand, still wrapped around her wrist, was like a hot brand of
man against her skin.
Everything about him was…right.
“Miss?”
She tried to nod at him, letting the very real possibility
of what was happening sink in.
“Hey.” He snapped his
fingers in front of her face, making her jump. “Do you know your name?” he asked
sharply.
“Arielle Chandler.”
“Place of birth?”
“Sacramento, California.”
“Husband’s name?”
“I don’t have one.”
His eyes flickered. “Phone number?”
She paused, but not because she couldn’t remember it. But because his smile went from almost to
full force, and the impact actually hurt.
She could practically hear Grandma Good Bear on her deathbed
describing exactly these feelings.
“No way!” She shook
her head, still not believing it.
“Hey, it was worth a try.” Still smiling, he leaned back on
his haunches. “Since you’re coherent
enough to turn me down, I guess you’re okay, Arielle Chandler. In fact, you’re…” He let his gaze drop over
her. “You’re fine.”
And every cell in her body just went numb.
Author Biography
Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today
Bestselling author of more than thirty novels of romance and suspense.
She is the author of the Barefoot Bay contemporary series as well as two
very popular suspense series, the Bullet Catchers and the Guardian
Angelinos.
A
six-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award for
the best in romantic fiction, Roxanne's books have also been awarded the
National Readers Choice Award for best romantic suspense three times,
as well as the Daphne du Maurier award, the Booksellers Best Award, the
Award of Excellence, the Maggie, the Holt Medallion and many more.
Roxanne's books have been published in dozens of countries and are
routinely featured as selections in the Doubleday and Rhapsody book
clubs.
Buy Links
Amazon: http://bit.ly/PearlsAmazon
iBooks: http://bit.ly/PearlsiBooks
Google Play: http://bit.ly/PearlsGooglePlay
Social Networking Links
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment