Title: Now or Never
An Irresistible Series Standalone
Author: Stella Rhys
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 14, 2020
Blurb
He’s ten years
older. My brother’s best friend.
older. My brother’s best friend.
And for the next
two weeks, he gets to have me in all the ways he’s ever wanted.
two weeks, he gets to have me in all the ways he’s ever wanted.
HOLLAND
The last time I saw
him, he still called me kiddo.
him, he still called me kiddo.
But fast forward
five years, and more than a few things have changed.
five years, and more than a few things have changed.
He’s still Iain
Thorn. He’s still my brother’s best friend and the painfully sexy man I clearly
never stopped wanting. But me?
Thorn. He’s still my brother’s best friend and the painfully sexy man I clearly
never stopped wanting. But me?
Apparently, I’ve
grown up in more ways than he can resist.
grown up in more ways than he can resist.
IAIN
I’m going to hell
for looking at her like this.
for looking at her like this.
She’s too young for
me. Too sweet and naive.
me. Too sweet and naive.
She has no idea
what I would do to her.
what I would do to her.
But since the day she
walked back in my life in that tight little dress, I’ve felt myself caving. I
said I’d never in my life get involved with Holland Maxwell.
walked back in my life in that tight little dress, I’ve felt myself caving. I
said I’d never in my life get involved with Holland Maxwell.
But since I’m
already going to hell, I might as well make it worth it.
already going to hell, I might as well make it worth it.
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Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
IAIN
Fuck me if that’s her.
A single upward
glance and just like that my night was screwed.
glance and just like that my night was screwed.
In an instant, my
pulse doubled, and I could feel my jaw ticking tighter and tighter under my
palm as I ran my hand over my face, my eyes devouring her body in
ways I told myself had strictly to do with the shock.
pulse doubled, and I could feel my jaw ticking tighter and tighter under my
palm as I ran my hand over my face, my eyes devouring her body in
ways I told myself had strictly to do with the shock.
Because what the
hell was she doing here?
hell was she doing here?
And for Christ’s
sake, what the hell was she wearing?
sake, what the hell was she wearing?
My shoulders tensed
under my suit and my grip tightened around the lowball of Scotch I suddenly
wanted to pound like a shot, because now that I’d looked up—now that I’d
seen her—I had a face to the match to all the filthy, vulgar shit
my clients had spent the past two minutes groaning about, and it wasn’t just
any face.
under my suit and my grip tightened around the lowball of Scotch I suddenly
wanted to pound like a shot, because now that I’d looked up—now that I’d
seen her—I had a face to the match to all the filthy, vulgar shit
my clients had spent the past two minutes groaning about, and it wasn’t just
any face.
It was one I’d known
since she was only thirteen years old.
since she was only thirteen years old.
“Jesus fuck.
How do we trade our waitress for that Playboy bunny-lookin’ thing?”
How do we trade our waitress for that Playboy bunny-lookin’ thing?”
My jaw clenched at
Watt’s description.
Watt’s description.
It wasn’t far off.
In fact, it was surprisingly fucking accurate, but still—I was failing to
reconcile what I was seeing with what I was remembering, because the last time
I saw her she was a sweet, innocent little thing. This shy little
girl wearing a powder blue backpack and braided pigtails—who I made it my job
to protect because her own brother had no instinct whatsoever.
In fact, it was surprisingly fucking accurate, but still—I was failing to
reconcile what I was seeing with what I was remembering, because the last time
I saw her she was a sweet, innocent little thing. This shy little
girl wearing a powder blue backpack and braided pigtails—who I made it my job
to protect because her own brother had no instinct whatsoever.
But now… for
Christ’s sake, now there was no trace of that shy little girl as she flitted
from table to table in a tight little dress, holding a tray of drinks up high
and arching her back so taut I wanted to clench my teeth out of my
skull.
Christ’s sake, now there was no trace of that shy little girl as she flitted
from table to table in a tight little dress, holding a tray of drinks up high
and arching her back so taut I wanted to clench my teeth out of my
skull.
“Goddamn, when she
bends over in that thing…” Ty growled into his fist.
bends over in that thing…” Ty growled into his fist.
“Do it again, baby.
Come on,” Watt willed her, licking his grinning lips and
forcing me to exhaust every muscle in my body to keep myself from
knocking him the fuck out right there. “See the new waitress?” he turned to
ask me, shaking his head and sucking a sharp breath between his teeth—his
way of emphasizing just how badly he wanted to fuck her.
Come on,” Watt willed her, licking his grinning lips and
forcing me to exhaust every muscle in my body to keep myself from
knocking him the fuck out right there. “See the new waitress?” he turned to
ask me, shaking his head and sucking a sharp breath between his teeth—his
way of emphasizing just how badly he wanted to fuck her.
It
made me picture my forearm digging into his neck as I pinned him to
the wall and detailed exactly why he’d never lay a finger on her.
made me picture my forearm digging into his neck as I pinned him to
the wall and detailed exactly why he’d never lay a finger on her.
But despite the
vivid image, I managed a nod and a smirk to remain outwardly calm, casual.
Sitting forward, I adjusted my onyx cufflinks, throwing in a “very nice” that
sounded so convincingly disinterested that Watt rolled his eyes and gave
a pfft before turning his hungry stare back to her—and
that tiny little skirt that had her legs so close to naked I had to
look away.
vivid image, I managed a nod and a smirk to remain outwardly calm, casual.
Sitting forward, I adjusted my onyx cufflinks, throwing in a “very nice” that
sounded so convincingly disinterested that Watt rolled his eyes and gave
a pfft before turning his hungry stare back to her—and
that tiny little skirt that had her legs so close to naked I had to
look away.
Fucking hell.
I white-knuckled my
drink, silently wracking my brain for a plan while reminding myself that no
agent had ever put his own clients on the injured list, so I shouldn’t aim to
be the first. Shane Watt and Ty Damon were two of the biggest athletes in
sports. They were two of the best sluggers in baseball, two of the
highest-earning contracts on my all-star roster of clients, and I really
couldn’t afford to kill them right now.
drink, silently wracking my brain for a plan while reminding myself that no
agent had ever put his own clients on the injured list, so I shouldn’t aim to
be the first. Shane Watt and Ty Damon were two of the biggest athletes in
sports. They were two of the best sluggers in baseball, two of the
highest-earning contracts on my all-star roster of clients, and I really
couldn’t afford to kill them right now.
So I opted instead
to shut their fucking mouths.
to shut their fucking mouths.
“Enough,” I cut in
sharply, interrupting their debate about whether or not she was wearing a
goddamned push-up bra.
sharply, interrupting their debate about whether or not she was wearing a
goddamned push-up bra.
I could feel my eyes
on fire, and my blood fucking boiling, but by the time my clients turned to
face me, all they saw was an easy smirk on my lips that made them grin
sheepishly, because they knew this look—the one I wore right before I set their
asses straight.
on fire, and my blood fucking boiling, but by the time my clients turned to
face me, all they saw was an easy smirk on my lips that made them grin
sheepishly, because they knew this look—the one I wore right before I set their
asses straight.
“Gentlemen, we’re
here tonight to talk about the Under Armour deal, but if you want to
waste my time drooling over some waitress, then you’re welcome to find a
different agent to negotiate your contract for a third of the price,” I said,
leaning back in my seat. “But in that case, Watt, you’d have to tell your wife
that the new beach house is a no-go. Is that something you’re interested in?”
here tonight to talk about the Under Armour deal, but if you want to
waste my time drooling over some waitress, then you’re welcome to find a
different agent to negotiate your contract for a third of the price,” I said,
leaning back in my seat. “But in that case, Watt, you’d have to tell your wife
that the new beach house is a no-go. Is that something you’re interested in?”
“No! No, no, no,”
Watt laughed in a panic before socking Ty in he arm. “Come on, asshole. Pay
attention.”
Watt laughed in a panic before socking Ty in he arm. “Come on, asshole. Pay
attention.”
“What! Me?”
And just like that,
we were back on topic.
we were back on topic.
But as I returned to
discussing business with my clients—even with my eyes fixed directly on them—I
had my attention sharply trained on her.
discussing business with my clients—even with my eyes fixed directly on them—I
had my attention sharply trained on her.
Little Holland
Maxwell.
Maxwell.
My best friend’s kid
sister who was clearly all grown up, and about to make my night a living
hell.
sister who was clearly all grown up, and about to make my night a living
hell.
Also Available
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Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Stella Rhys is a romance author who lives for baseball
season, Irish coffees and Love Island UK. She was born and raised in New
York and when she isn’t writing, you can find her with her family and friends,
scouring the city in search of her next book-inspiring adventure.
season, Irish coffees and Love Island UK. She was born and raised in New
York and when she isn’t writing, you can find her with her family and friends,
scouring the city in search of her next book-inspiring adventure.
Author Links
Review
Ian has created a successful career as a sports agent based on his honest and direct approach to business. He has a painful past that he likes to keep buried and because of that he comes across as closed off and allows very few people close. When he reunites with the sister of his best friend, he is determined to protect her even if she doesn’t like it.
Holland has had feelings for Ian since she was a teenager and he made her dismal homelife bearable. She has left the house that was more prison than home and forged her independence and isn’t about to let anyone, Ian included, take that away from her.
When Ian’s attempt to protect her incites her wrath neither of their lives will ever be the same. Let the fireworks begin! Humor, heat and all the feels as Ian and Holland help each other heal from the past.
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