Looking for a spicy summer romance? Here's one you will not regret reading.
Luke, an all-new friends-to-lovers standalone in the McKades
of Texas series from Kimberly Lewis is available NOW!
This cowboy's about to be branded …
For
years, Karlie Kyle has had it bad for Luke McKade—wishing he'd see her as
something more than just a shy girl in braided pigtails. But now that she's all
grown up, she's ready to stake her claim and brand the heart of the sexy,
smooth-talking cowboy who "can't be tamed."
Punched
with lust from the moment he sees her again, Luke is shocked when he realizes
that little Karlie Jo isn't so little anymore. When she tempts him with a
proposition he just can't refuse, he's happy to oblige—temporarily.
Karlie is willing to play along, but her heart is set on forever. As raw desire
sparks something deeper, can Karlie convince Luke that rules are meant to be
broken? Or will their passionate summer fling end with broken hearts instead?
Heat Level 4 - Spicy romance with some detail. Nothing too graphic, but definitely hot.
Read an excerpt
“Karlie, hang on a sec!”
“Just leave me alone, Luke.” She brushed him off with a wave
of her hand and kept walking.
“Come on, Karlie,” he pleaded.
She started to take longer strides to put more distance
between them.
“Karlie Jo, stop!”
A whistle sounded from a group of people gathered by what
could only be described as a pickup truck on steroids. “Damn, what’d you do
now, McKade?” one of the guys taunted and was followed by the others’ laughter.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Good ol’ Blake here can fix whatever Luke done to you.”
“Shut the hell up, Evans,” Luke shot off and called after
Karlie again.
Man, did Luke sound pissed; the demanding tone of his voice
grew angrier by the second. If she wasn’t so pissed off herself, she probably
would have found it funny.
“Karlie Jo, I’m asking you nicely,” Luke warned. “Would you
stop and talk to me for a minute?”
“Not a chance, jerkwad,”
Karlie shouted back to him as she drew near to the end of the building, hoping
he’d get the point and leave her alone, but “The Egotistical Texas Cowboy” was
still hot on her trail.
A muffled curse came from Luke moments before she heard his
footsteps pick up pace. Was he seriously running after her now? Letting her
curiosity get the best of her, Karlie kept walking but turned her head to look
behind her with the intentions of spouting out another warning. Instead, a
sharp squeal erupted from her as Luke snatched her around the waist and, with
one smooth motion, spun her around in his arms then tossed her over his
shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Are you freakin’ kidding me!” Karlie yelled at him as she
attempted to squirm free. “You put me down right now, Luke McKade!”
“No way in hell.” Luke tightened his arms around her thighs.
“You’re going to tell me what’s got your panties all in a bunch whether you
like it or not.”
He maneuvered his way through the vehicles, but all Karlie
could see was the gravel that covered the parking lot—that and Luke’s firm ass
framed out nicely in his jeans.
Focus, Karlie! Stay mad.
“And you think going all caveman and tossing me over your
shoulder is going to make me talk?” Karlie laughed sarcastically. “Gee, I’m
surprised you just didn’t bash me over the head with your club and drag me
behind you by my hair.”
Luke shot off a short laugh. “That can be arranged if you
don’t stop moving.”
“Come on, Luke. Just put me down.” She tried once more to
wriggle free, but Luke’s grip was quite impressive. Karlie finally just gave in
with an exasperated sigh.
“Good girl,” Luke praised, and she could tell by the tone of
his voice that he was smiling.
She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat, and he
laughed.
A few seconds later, Luke came to a stop between two pickup
trucks near the back of the parking lot and placed his free hand dangerously
high on the back of her thigh. Whether he realized the exact position of his
hand or not, Karlie sure as hell noticed. Her body still buzzed from the anger
coursing through her veins, but now it blended with the anticipation of his
fingers trailing just a bit higher. The thought of them grazing against her
through her jeans made her stomach flutter and her breath hitch. Damn her
traitorous hormones.
“I’m going to put you down now,” Luke said softly. “But
don’t think for a second that I don’t have a backup plan for if you try to run
away.”
Karlie snorted. “What are you going to do? Tie me up?”
Silence hovered for a heavy moment before Luke replied,
“Well, I do have some bailing twine in my tool-box, and I am pretty good with
knots.” He gave a gentle squeeze to her thigh.
Surprised, Karlie let out a cross between a gasp and a moan
before her cheeks flamed red.
“What’s it going to be?”
She moistened her lips and took in a calming breath. “I’ll
be good.”
“Wise choice.” Loosening his grip, Luke carefully let Karlie
down from his shoulder, the
action forcing the hem of her shirt up to her ribcage. The moment her
boots hit the gravel, she took a tiny step away from him and adjusted the soft
cotton fabric so it fully covered her stomach, but not before she caught Luke
examine her with lust filled eyes.
“Please don’t look at me like that,” Karlie demanded softly
as she crossed an arm over her chest to cover herself.
Luke’s gaze met hers and he lifted a questioning brow. “You
don’t like me looking at you?”
She shook her head.
A smile danced on the corner of his mouth. “Well that’s
interesting, and totally not the impression I’ve got from you this week. Tell
me something.” He advanced a step in her direction, and she retreated until her
shoulders bumped against metal. “What changed your mind?”
Was he for real? Karlie glared at him, bemused, as she
spoke. “Um, you did and your
so-called ‘help.’”
This time, Luke didn’t hide his smile. He expelled a soft
sigh and shook his head. “Karlie, I was just—”
“You were just what?” she interrupted. “Trying to be nice
like Norah and help me find a nice boy
closer to my own age?” Her temper flared as she scoffed. “No thanks, I’m good.”
Luke released another sigh and pressed his lips firmly
together—amusement in his eyes. The fact that he apparently found this funny
set her off even more.
“You know, you can turn me down if you want. It’s fine,
really. Whatever. I don’t care. But this mess of trying to set me up with other
guys is ridiculous.” Her chest rose and fell dramatically as adrenaline flowed
through her veins. “It’s not like I’m not some stupid kid willing to settle for
the first sweet treat that comes along,” she smarted off. “Don’t try to sell me
on plain old vanilla ice cream when I really want a sundae with the works.”
Luke’s lips twitched. “A sundae with the works?”
“You know what I mean.” She released a heavy breath as her
irritation grew by the second.
“If you’re all done with your little rant now—”
Little rant? Oh, this man was infuriating! “No, I’m not.”
She expelled a sarcastic huff and shook her head. “I don’t get you, Luke.”
“Karlie, please, just shut up for a minute so I can—”
“Don’t tell me to
shut up.” Narrowing her eyes, Karlie glared at him in disbelief. “I see the way
you look at me, Luke, so I can tell that you want me as much as I want you.
But, apparently, you’re too much of a chicken to admit what you really feel.”
Her heart exploded against her ribcage as Luke suddenly
stepped into her. She hadn’t been expecting it or the hungry look that now
appeared in his eyes. With his hard body pressing against her front, Karlie
found herself trapped against the pickup truck. Her breathing accelerated as
she locked her eyes on Luke’s face and tried to figure him out.
“Let’s get one thing straight,” Luke murmured, bringing his
hand up to rest on the side panel next to her shoulder. The sexy sound of his
deep voice inches away from her sent a thrill of anticipation through her
limbs. “I am not chicken.”
“Could’ve fooled me,” she managed to say around the tight
ball of nerves in her throat.
Luke’s mouth quirked up into a cocky sideways grin. “Such a
smart mouth.”
Karlie moistened her lips as her chest rose and fell with
every dramatic intake of air.
“What would you have me do to prove it?” Luke leaned his
head down to her level so that the tip of his nose brushed against hers.
Was she supposed to answer that? She couldn’t process a
single clear thought with Luke being this close to her and the dominance he was
exuding.
“Strip you down ‘til you’re wearing nothing but that sassy
little smile?”
Holy shit.
He brushed his cheek against hers, placing his lips next to
her ear. “Put my mouth on every inch of your body and find all of those secret
spots that makes you moan?”
A shudder rippled through her as his warm breath hit her
highly sensitive skin.
“Tease you relentlessly until you can’t take it anymore and
you’re screamin’ my name?” He withdrew slightly to look at her.
Oh, sweet mercy. Karlie squirmed beneath Luke’s penetrating
stare and clenched her thighs as lust rolled over her.
“Do I have your attention now?” Luke asked, his voice so low
it was almost a whisper.
Tucking her bottom lip between her teeth, Karlie nodded,
unable to speak.
“I do want you, Karlie.”
Her heart took off at his words—pumping so fiercely it
almost hurt.
With the back of his hand, he leisurely traced the outline
of her face and rested his palm against the crook of her neck. “More than I
should.”
She narrowed her eyebrows in confusion. “Then what was all
of that back in the bar?”
Luke grinned. “You mean you’re actually going to let me
explain now?”
“Yes.” Karlie smirked and swatted at his side.
He gave a short laugh. “I needed to get you away from Norah
and Andi, and that seemed like the easiest way to do it without giving away my
intentions.” Holding her gaze, Luke stroked the pad of his thumb against her
skin, back and forth, creating a pattern of heated goose bumps down her neck
and arm.
Her smirk faded as she sobered at his words. “Which are?” In
the silence she searched his eyes, hoping to find the answer within their deep
blue depths.
Luke’s grin lifted the corner of his lips higher, and his
eyes sparked with a desire that matched her own. Slowly, he angled his face to
hers and murmured, “We’ll start with this,” before capturing her mouth with
his.
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About the
Author
Kimberly Lewis is the bestselling author
of sweet, sexy contemporary romances filled with heart and humor. She lives in Maryland
with her husband and two children.
Having caught the creative bug at an early age, Kimberly
fully embraced her active imagination and grew up with a fondness for
reading, drawing, and crafting stories. She eventually veered away from
the art world to explore other career options, but a rediscovery of
her love for the romance genre reignited that creative spark and—just like
that—her first novel was published in 2011. Her stories are filled with
humor, emotion, and a whole lot of love.
Connect with Kimberly
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