Good morning, website peeps!
The very first author I met when my first book was about to get published was the wonderful, Roxanne D. Howard. She’s sweet, genuine, and will always hold a special place in my heart.
So I want to showcase her release, Sonnet Coupled! I’ve seen some fabulous reviews rolling in and I can’t wait to dig into it!
And…she’s provided us with not one, not two, but THREE fabulous excerpts. Y’all enjoy! *kisses*
ER nurse Sonnet Mendoza’s new housemate Griffith Parker proves there is more to a man than meets the eye, and shows her there’s more to life than just her career.
ALWAYS FAITHFUL
Sheltered and cosseted, Sonnet Mendoza abided by her papi’s wishes her whole life: no boys, studies first and always. Now an ER nurse in a busy Chicago hospital, medical school is so close Sonnet can taste it. Just like her father always wanted. Just like she can taste all the things she wants—like Griffith Parker, the man of her dreams and her new housemate.
Working “graves” in a large hospital as a security guard while attending the police academy during the day doesn’t leave ex-Marine Griffith Parker any personal time, but after meeting the beautiful Sonnet Mendoza, business as usual is anything but. Sassy, smart…and interested in him, too? Except, she’s made an art of keeping her distance, and she’s been clear that her plans don’t include him. But the heart wants what the heart wants. His wants Sonnet. He’ll put it on the line to win her.
Excerpt #1
Griffith took the proffered mug of coffee with a grateful grin, and went out to his car. She was curled in the armchair, reading a medical journal article on the benefits of holistic medicine when he came back inside. In one hand he had a run-down red power drill. In the other, he lifted what looked like a black bike rack.
“Is it okay if I put this up? I’ll remove it and fill in the holes when I leave.”
She set her new mug of coffee on the table. “Um, sure. What is it, exactly?”
“A Rogue.”
“A what? Like the character in X-Men?”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “No, c’mon. I’ll show you.”
She followed him to the open archway where the living room led into the dining room. He looked around the ceiling, and lifted a hand to knock on the wall partition above them. It made a solid sound. “Here should be perfect. There’s enough space for it below the wainscot.”
“For what?” she asked, confused.
He chuckled, positioned the black rack-like thing on the wall above them, and held it still. “Oh, it’s a pull-up bar?”
“Yep.”
The loud, electric whirr of the power drill echoed as he fixed the pull-up bar to the wall space above them. She watched his strong legs as he stood on a chair securing the last screws. He yanked on the bar a little to ensure it was in place, and patted the wall. “That ought to do it.” He jumped down from the chair and set the power drill on it. “Want to see it in action?”
He’d need to jump a few feet in order to even hold onto it. “If you can reach that thing and still do pull-ups, be my guest. I’ve got to see this.”
Griffith chuckled and ducked his head as he peeled off his T-shirt. She did her best not to salivate at the sight of his hard body. The man was all muscle, and didn’t have an ounce of fat on him.
“Don’t want to get sweat on it.” He winked at her, balled the shirt up, and set it on the chair. But Sonnet wasn’t listening, her eyes remained glued to his impossible muscles as he jumped up, clutched the bar, and crossed his ankles. He started doing pull-ups.
She folded her arms and stared. Hell, she couldn’t pretend not to, even out of courtesy. Her pussy throbbed, and she clenched her thighs together to soothe the ache. “One,” she joked when he got to ten.
“Hey, shut it, you. These are, ugh, hard to do.”
A small trickle of sweat trailed past the long, faded scars between his shoulders, along the center of his spine, and the crazy image of licking off the droplet filled her brain. “I’ll take your word for it, and let you do all the work.”
“Fine by me,” he grunted, and dropped back down. “And that’s how it’s done.”
She held onto his shirt while he grabbed some paper towels and dried off, then chucked them in a nearby bin. She handed him the shirt, though what she really wanted to do was bury her nose in it.
Excerpt #2 (NSFW)
Sonnet put water in the K-Carafe and listened to the hiss and gurgle of the brew as she got some organic eggs and soy milk out to scramble. She decided to make Griffith breakfast, too, even if it had to wait for him in the fridge. It was nice to have someone to look after again.
Hell, after yesterday, he deserved it. She knew she shouldn’t entertain starting something with him with medical school on the horizon, but after spending time with him, a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she was ready to start fresh and tackle her workweek. She sang a little, opened the fridge, and bent to retrieve the bacon from the bottom shelf. A sharp intake of breath filled the silence from a few feet away.
From under her arm she saw Griff, half naked in black sweat bottoms with the Police Academy logo. Her eyes drifted to the hard planes of his abs, a sculpted eight pack most men would give their left nut for. His stacked chest rose and fell, and his fists clenched. Like a current in the air, she could feel him trying to keep it together.
Her gaze trailed past his ribs and flat stomach, down the sharp V of his hip flexors, to the promise of what lay beneath.
Finally, her brain kicked in and she realized her bikini thong was on display with the globes of her ass cheeks parted and raised in the air, like she was waiting for him to grab hold and ride. Her hair chose the wrong moment to slide over her shoulder and into her face, and he let out a strangled moan.
Oh, God.
She stood and yanked the hem of her shirt down. “Jeez, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think you were up. I was just about to make breakfast before I got changed.”
He gulped. Her eyes flicked to the hardened bulge of his cock, which tented against his sweats. He looked like he wanted to devour her. “I…need to use the bathroom,” he growled tightly, then marched down the hall and slammed the bathroom door.
She looked at the exposed bottom half of her panties, and rolled her eyes. “Great, Sonnet. Just great.” She turned off the stove, abandoned the breakfast food, and made her way to her bedroom. A stifled moan escaped from behind the closed bathroom door as she passed, and stopped her in her tracks.
In any other circumstance she wouldn’t give it a second thought—people moaned all the time because they were tired or relieved—but she listened. It was a certain kind of moan, one she made the first night she’d met him when she touched herself.
She heard a distinctive rhythmic thwacking of flesh upon flesh, a series of muffled pants, a grunt, and soft thud against the wall, and her pussy throbbed. She clenched her thighs together and put her palm over her mouth.
Excerpt #3
It had grown dark, and the lampposts in the parking lot were lit. She had a little pep in her step as she walked to the ER doors, but she stopped and didn’t go in. He was there, hands on his duty belt as he talked with a patient near the security desk. Griffith emitted shock waves of sex appeal, even from where she stood.
Oh, hell no.
She’d never be able to walk past him after what she’d done the other night. She reddened. Not like he would even know about her stupid fantasies, but she would. She’d half forgotten he would be on graves with her, too wrapped up in the exhilaration of getting into medical school and…other activities.
Evasive maneuvering seemed the best way to go, so she sidestepped and made her way around to the back employee entrance leading into the ER. She smiled to herself over the minor victory, and pushed against the handle to go in, but it didn’t budge.
“You’ve uh, got to pull it.”
She turned around, and there he stood, dangling a black Maglite in his hand. She reigned in the growl that wanted to surface. “I’m sorry?”
“The door. You need to yank the handle toward you, not push it. There’s a sign.”
Sonnet froze, and eyed the PULL sticker she’d been oblivious to, right above said handle.
“Of course,” she murmured. “Figures.” Even though he must think her an imbecile, she raised her chin with defiance and muttered her thanks as she tugged on the door. It didn’t move.
“Use your badge,” he said. “It’s a security measure so no unauthorized personnel get in.” She glanced at him. He crossed his arms, and his lips fought a losing battle to twitch upward.
Sonnet shook her head, flustered, and rooted around her purse for her work badge. “Look, I realize you think I’m a total moron here, but it’s my first night on the floor, my car had trouble starting earlier, and my nerves are all shot to hell. So, I’d appreciate it if you, your ridiculously stacked chest, and all your muscles wouldn’t judge me, okay? I’m nervous enough as it is. We’re not all perfect.” She held her badge to the RFID reader. The second the green light went on, he beat her to the handle and held the door open for her.
She didn’t see a wedding ring on his left hand. Hmm.
He smirked. “Good to know you like my muscles.” He raised his eyebrows as she clipped past him.
“Shut it, Rambo.”
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