It seems he and Carmen are at each other’s throats one minute—
and on each other’s lips the next. Someone’s gotta give . . .
LUCKY CHARMED
Charmed in Texas #2
Sharla Lovelace
Releasing July 18th, 2017
Lyrical Shine
Carmen Frost hates honey. And bees. And in her hometown of Charmed, Texas, which practically invented the stuff, that’s a problem. The good news is that the summer Honey Festival is finally over. Even better, so is the annual Lucky Hart carnival, a road show that made off with her dreams years ago—including the boy she loved. Now she’s got a divorce behind her, and a successful law career in front of her, but in a tiny town, big memories die hard. Or they don’t die at all—as Carmen discovers when she runs into an all too familiar pair of eyes—older, wiser, and just as heart-melting as ever . . .
Sully Hart has had enough of the nomad lifestyle. Travelling with his father’s carnival gave him adventures, but it cost him much more. Now he’s home to stay, contracted to create an entertainment complex in Charmed. He wants roots, a house with a yard and all the mundane pleasures that go with it. But the girl he loved has become a woman who still wants freedom. Can she still want him? It seems he and Carmen are at each other’s throats one minute—and on each other’s lips the next. Someone’s gotta give . . .
I lifted my chin, and refused to look away. No matter what was liquefying in my chest as his gaze burned through me. No matter what images flashed like a movie reel in my head. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.
“Good for you,” I said, placing the package back on the shelf. I needed them more than ever but I would not need them in front of him. “Welcome back to Charmed.”
I made to walk around him, but the heat from his hand on my arm stopped me.
“Carmen, wait.”
His voice was like hot honey over my body.
I hate honey.
I was proud of myself. My acting ability to not suck my tongue down my throat, or choke on my own spit, or jerk my arm free like I’d been bitten by a rabid squirrel—was Oscar-worthy. Instead, I patted his hand and smiled up at him, slowly stepping to the side until his fingers slid free.
“We’re grown-ups now, Sully,” I said, wondering where the hell the words were coming from. “It’s all good. Have a great day.”
And I walked away. And out. And to my car. The pains stabbing through my middle stealing my breath. Damn grateful for nothing else in my hand because being chased down for shoplifting cookies while in a blind haze of what-the-fuckery would have been the final icing on a messed up cake.
Fumbling for my keys, I hit the button and got in as quickly as possible. I had to leave. Now. Before he came out. Before I could see what he was driving and then obsess over every other that vehicle I saw in every other parking lot in Charmed. Before I could succumb to the temptation of watching to see where he went. Where he lived, what his home looked like.
“Leave,” I whispered, my voice sounding vaguely desperate. I felt the burn behind my eyes and I shook my head and tilted my head back. “No. You will not cry, damn it.”
I blinked at the roof. I was thirty-three. Eighteen was a long time ago. Suck it up, Carmen.
I took a deep breath and faced forward, just in time to see him walk out of the store. He’d slid the sunglasses down over his eyes, causing a stray lock of dark hair to fall next to his face. He was probably twenty-five feet away, and I could feel that strand of hair on my fingertips.
Without another look, I pulled out and drove away.
Sharla Lovelace is the bestselling, award-winning author of sexy small-town love stories. Being a Texas girl through and through, she’s proud to say she lives in Southeast Texas with her retired husband, a tricked-out golf cart, and two crazy dogs. She is the author of five stand-alone novels including the bestselling Don’t Let Go, the exciting Heart Of The Storm series, and the fun and sexy new Charmed in Texas series. For more about Sharla's books, visit her website, and keep up with all her new book releases easily by subscribing to her newsletter. She loves keeping up with her readers, and you can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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