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Runaway
Cowboy
Rodeo
#3.5
By:
T.J. Kline
Releasing
February 3rd,
2015
Avon
Impulse
”You
had your chance, and you threw it away…“
Five
years ago, Jen woke up with a ring on her finger and her fiancé
nowhere to be found. She swore she’d gotten over the betrayal, but
when Clay unexpectedly hires on with the rodeo for a week, she finds
herself torn between passion and regret.
Clay
left intending never to see Jen again. He’s been running from his
troubled past for far too long, and it’s not a life he wants for
her. But it’s hard to run from the past when the past is your own
family, and Clay finds himself thrown back into the chaos he thought
he’d finally left behind.
Will
the truth drive Jen away, or is there a second chance at happily ever
after for this runaway cowboy?
Clay
grabbed her arm, and she spun on him, wildly swinging her purse at
his head and jerking her arm from his grasp. “Don’t touch me.”
He
easily caught the purse in his hand and dropped it at his feet as he
pulled her into his arms. “What do you have in that thing? Bricks?”
“Let
go of me, Clay,” she said through gritted teeth, twisting, trying
to release herself from his grasp.
“Only
if you let me explain.”
Every
inch of her that was in contact with him burned with icy flames. The
heat of his hands on her arms sent warmth running down her spine to
melt her limbs and ignite the desire pooling in her belly. She wanted
to push him away, to run to her trailer and stay there until he went
back to wherever he’d been hiding, but when her eyes met his,
pleading with her to listen to him, she couldn’t deny herself just
one more moment with him. How was she supposed to keep hating him
when her body wouldn’t follow her commands?
“You
have five minutes.” One for each year she hadn’t heard from him.
He released her cautiously. She walked back to the truck, knowing he
would follow, and flipped the tailgate down. She hopped up on it,
letting her legs dangle. When he sighed and scrubbed a hand over his
jaw, she quirked a brow. “Time’s ticking Clay. Start talking.”
“You
know, for someone who seems to think she has everything figured out
better than the rest of us, you sure can be irresponsible. What were
you thinking going into that bar?”
Jen
almost let her mouth fall open at the audacity of his accusation. She
bit the inside of her cheek until the metallic taste of blood forced
her to stop.
She
jumped from the back of the truck. “That was some explanation. I
can’t believe I waited this long for it.”
Clay’s
fingers circled her wrist as she started to walk away. “I have at
least three minutes left.”
He
pulled her back toward him, drawing her against his chest as one arm
circled around her waist. His other hand buried into her long hair,
and she gasped in surprise as his mouth found hers. Her body betrayed
her again, melting against him as her bones seemed to turn to molten
lava. Her fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulders, but she
wasn’t sure if it was to keep her balance or because she couldn’t
resist touching him. His mouth was gentle, in spite of their
argument, as if he wanted to savor this kiss, to taste her, to force
the memories of the tenderness they’d once shared to the surface.
Clay nipped at her lower lip, testing her resolve, and when she
didn’t protest, he plunged ahead. His tongue swept against hers as
she slid her hands over his shoulders before curling her fingers
around the nape of his neck, twining into his hair.
Clay’s
lips trailed over her cheek and jaw. “I’ve missed you, Jen. You
have no idea how much.”
Five
years ago Jen thought life was as good as it could get. She'd just
become engaged to the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life
with. Hours later her heart is shattered when she wakes up to find
the man she loves has left her with only a ring to remember him by.
Clay left the only woman he'd loved because he had no choice. He did
what he thought was right at the time. Now he's back to apologise
and Jen wants some answers. Will they be able to ignore the feelings
they still harbor for each other whilst Clay is back?
On the
surface Jen is a strong woman who is comfortable in her own skin.
Under the surface is a someone still struggling with events from the
past that have shaped her life to how it is now. She mostly does a
good job of hiding her insecurities with her sassy retort, but her
nightmares give away a different story.
All
Clay wants to do is apologise and head back
out to his next job. He's almost grateful that Jen doesn't want to
give him the time of the day. But actions can be deceiving... The
problems that took him away are still very real and rear their head
before Clay gets a chance to explain.
The
animosity between the Jen and Clay is palpable. The obvious
resentment is very clear as is the underlying sexual tension. The
friendly teasing by Derek and Scott adds a fun element to the
proceedings-after all they are the only ones who can see the whole
picture!
I
really enjoyed this novella, even though I normally avoid short
stories. I felt that for this particular plot, everything was
covered sufficiently without feeling anything was missing. T.J.
Kline is one of my go-to authors if I'm looking indulge myself in a
cowboy story. Runaway Cowboy is no exception when it comes to the
quality of writing I associate with this author.
4 ½
Stars
***arc
received courtesy of the publisher via Edelweiss***
Link
to Follow Tour: HERE
T. J. Kline was raised competing in rodeos and rodeo queen competitions since the age of 14, She has thorough knowledge of the sport as well as the culture involved. She has had several articles about rodeo published in the past in small periodicals as well as a more recent how-to article for RevWriter. She is also an avid reader and book reviewer for both Tyndale and Multnomah.
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