Book Title: An Unexpected Encounter
Author: Robin Shaw
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 8, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
Entrepreneur Zachary Wilkins doesn’t see himself as a brother
to his younger cousins, like they have considered him to be. He feels indebted
to his aunt and uncle for adopting him and officially making him a member of
their family. When he encounters Shaina Hayes, he wants her just as much as she
wants him. Seeing her, for a second time, at his cousin, Aaron’s wedding, stirs
emotions in him that he can’t shake and further fuels his desire for her.
Shaina Hayes has had two rules since moving into Bloomfield
Township, Ohio; work hard and keep to herself. One night, however, she goes out
to celebrate her new job. A tall, handsome man catches her eye and the
attraction between them unravels into an explosive night of passion. A night
that she relives in her mind and vows to herself to never repeat again.
Eyes scanning the interior of the bar, Shaina couldn’t find a corner or a table she could occupy. As she pivoted around, she saw a very handsome man with facial hair that looked like it’d taken a week or two to grow in. As the older waitress picked up all of the bottles and empty baskets, the man told her something and slipped what looked like a stack of bills into the tiny pocket of her apron. The waitress looked stunned and he gave her a smile that made the women look like she was going to melt.
Five minutes later, the man Shaina had
her eyes on hadn’t moved from the table. Was he waiting for someone? His
girlfriend? Based on the man’s manners and seemingly agreeable demeanor, Shaina
could easily picture him having the company of a woman tonight. Or a man.
Looking directing at her target, Shaina
marched over to him. The man’s eyes settled on her before she stood across from
him. He had a beautiful shade of azure eyes. Usually, she didn’t feel like she
needed to take a cold shower when she saw
a good-looking man. Not even a drop dead gorgeous one. Perhaps it was because
his eyes seemed familiar to her, as odd as that sounded. It became apparent
that he was here by himself. She wouldn’t leave him sitting at a table in a bar
by himself for more than five minutes if she was out with him tonight.
“Is this seat taken?” Shaina’s tone was
blasé. He shook his head “no” and she sinuously slid down on the hard wooden
chair. “What can I get you to drink?” she asked.
He flashed a grin that conjured up an
image in her mind of his head disappearing between her legs, the texture of his
stubble on her hot core. How could this man be so devastatingly seductive
without having spoken? He held up his finger and the waitress was at their
table immediately.
“Get this lady here anything she wants.
I’ll have a Stout and salty soft pretzels.”
The waitress jerked her eyes to Shaina, a
barely perceptible grin on her face. The power that this man held in his deep
voice was at odds with his laid-back appearance. She’d noted that he was
wearing sandals.
“A Stout for me too,” Shaina replied.
They were alone a split second later.
“I am Shaina.” She dipped her head a
little, the same boldness floating in her tone was reflected in her hazel eyes.
“I am Zachary.”
“Zachary, for a couple of minutes it
looked like you were here with someone.”
His lips curved into a smile. “You were
watching me?”
Shaina nodded.
“Would you not have asked to get me a
drink if someone else was with me?”
“If I thought you were with a random
person like me who was talking to you, then I would’ve came over here
regardless.” She slightly lifted her shoulders. “I wanted to know if you’re as
handsome as you looked four feet away up close.”
Shaina couldn’t tell what Zachary was
thinking. He studied her as the waitress brought their food and drinks to the
table. He knew that he was more than just pleasant to look at. Zachary told the
waitress “thank you” and he resumed his appraisal of Shaina. As Shaina swigged
her ice-cold Stout, she felt warm all over; her body flushed.
“You’re easy on the eyes, as you well
know.” He lifted his glass of Stout to his lips and she peered at the slow
movements along the column of his lean neck and the breadth of his shoulders.
Heat began to build between her legs. “I’ve seen you in town but never here.”
“I haven’t been in Joey’s in a while but
I’ve passed by you once or twice that I can remember. I think you were clean
shaven, though and bundled up.”
Zachary bobbed his head and Shaina bit
into the salted pretzel. “You had to be all covered up yourself. I favor you in
what you have on—exposing just enough of your skin.” He raked his gaze over her
face and down to her cleavage. “I like what you’ve put to the imagination.”
A flash of desire swept over Shaina and her
mouth went dry. She reached to take another sip of the beer when she heard him
ask, “Why’d you end your hiatus from here tonight?”
Shaina’s cheeks lifted into a slow,
wistful smile. “I have a new job.”
Zachary’s eyebrows furrowed. “There’s
something more to it. Kind of like you’d go back to the position you previously
had if you could.”
Shaina didn’t think she’d given any hint
that her new position was bittersweet for her. “Sort of, but my boss knew that
I wanted the job I now have when I’d applied. What do you do for a living?” She
gulped her drink down and ate some more of her salty pretzel.
“I work with relatives of mine.”
“We don’t have to discuss our
professions. That’s not why we’re doing this little dance around what my
purpose in conversing with you is,” Shaina said as her expression changed, the
ferocity of her gaze betrayed that she wouldn’t continue to pursue him under
any circumstance.
“Are you married?”
“No,” Zachary said, “and I am not dating
other women at the moment.”
Shaina turned the knob on her tiny purse,
tore a sheet of paper from her note pad and took a pen. She wrote something
down and then slid the small piece of paper over to him. With an indecipherable
expression, Zachary glanced at it and then peered at her once more, his eyes
more penetrating and intense than hers had been when she’d asked about his
marital status.
“You wouldn’t even need to drive to my
apartment. I live six blocks down from this place. The building after Lou’s
diner,” Shaina told him, not sounding the least bit discouraged. He gave her an
“I know my way around Bloomfield Township” look as she surged to her feet, and
grabbed another salty pretzel, chewing on it as she strutted away from him.
I am
Robin Shaw, a hopeless romantic who loves to read and write about romance. Life
is filled with enough unhappy endings, so I enjoy penning tales with a HFN or
HEA.
No comments:
Post a Comment