Unstoppable
a Country Roads novel
by Shannon Richard
a Contemporary Romance
from Hatchette
About UNSTOPPABLE
Some things you don't dare let go . . .
Melanie O'Bryan knows life is too short to be afraid of taking chances. And former Air Force sergeant Bennett Hart is certainly worth taking a chance on. He's agreed to help her students with a school project, but she's hoping the handsome handyman will offer her a whole lot more. Yet despite his heated glances and teasing touches, Mel senses there's something holding him back . . .
Bennett Hart is grateful to be alive and back home in Mirabelle, Florida. Peaceful and uncomplicated-that's all he's looking for. Until a spunky, sexy-as-hell teacher turns his life upside down. After one smoldering kiss, Bennett feels like he's falling without a parachute. But with memories of his past threatening to resurface, he'll have to decide whether to keep playing it safe, or take the biggest risk of all.
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EXCERPT
Oh God, who was she kidding? She’d never felt this way about
any man before. Bennett was…well, infuriating to start with, but he was brave,
smart, kind, funny, intense. There was nothing like having his full attention
focused on her. He gave her way more than butterflies. It was like eagles were
flapping around in her stomach whenever he was around. There were no flutters.
They were freaking tidal waves.
Yeah, getting over Bennett was going to be way easier said
than done.
Mel headed toward the supply closet at the back of her
classroom where she locked up her purse in a filling cabinet. She grabbed the
key and unlocked the top drawer, pulled out her purse, and slammed the drawer
shut. When she turned around Bennett was standing in the doorway. Filling it completely.
Mel stopped short and stared at him. His eyes were focused on her, the
determination in them making all of the thoughts vacate her brain.
“I can’t leave you alone.” He came into the room and shut
the door behind him. “And I’m not playing games.” He crossed the small space.
“Or at least I’m not trying to.” He shook his head. “I think about you all the
time.” He stopped in front of her, took the purse out of her hands, and put it
on top of the filing cabinet. Then he reached up and touched her cheek. His
fingers fanned out as he pushed his hand to the back of her head and tilted her
face up.
Holy hell, what is
happening?
She looked into his eyes, and her knees went just a little
bit weak. She reached back and planted her hands against the wall, trying to
find some balance, something to keep her upright, because she really didn’t
want to miss this.
“Because I am
interested in you, Mel.” He cupped her face with his other hand and ran his
thumb across her lower lip. “Very interested.” He leaned forward and pressed
his mouth to hers.
The kiss was soft and gentle at first, just his lips against
hers. He took another step into her, pushing her back. When she hit the wall
she gasped, and Bennett took advantage of her open mouth. He sucked her bottom
lip into his mouth, and she couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her throat.
She plastered herself up against him, against every inch of
his hard body. Her arms wound around his shoulders; her hands skittered up the
back of his head. She opened her mouth further and his tongue touched hers.
Bennett groaned as their tongues began a thorough exploration of each other’s
mouths.
His hands were at the back of her head, his fingers deftly
pulling out the pins that held up her bun. And then he was unwinding her hair,
his hands plunging deep into her unruly curls.
“I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he said against her
mouth. “These curls of yours drive me out of my mind.”
“What stopped you?” She nipped at his lower lip.
“Pure stupidity,” he said, as he claimed her mouth again.
Holy cow, can this man
kiss. I feel it everywhere, and do I mean everywhere!
He had her toes
curling in her shoes, all manner of body parts tingling where they were pushed
up against his, and his hands were magic in her hair. One of his hands drifted
down to her side. He touched her hip for a second before his hand slid to the
small of her back. He held her to him, but really, she wasn’t going anywhere.
“Mel,” a voice called out from her classroom. “Are you
here?”
There were only a few things that could bring Mel back to
reality with the snap of a finger. The sound of her little brother’s voice was
definitely one of them.
“Oh crap, it’s Hamilton,” Mel gasped, pulling back. Bennett’s
hand was behind her head, and it prevented her from hitting the wall. “I’ll be
right out!” she answered Hamilton, unable to completely cover up the breathy
edge to her voice.
Bennett nodded. He let go of her reluctantly, and took a
step back. “You’re going to have to give me a minute before I can go out
there,” he said, clearing his throat uncomfortably.
“Oh,” she said, nodding. “Um, okay.”
Actually, she was going to need a minute, too. She knew her
hair was everywhere, and she had a feeling Bennett’s scruffy jaw had left its
fair share of marks on her face. Not to mention her thoroughly swollen lips.
Soooo worth it.
About Shannon Richard
Shannon Richard grew up in the Florida Panhandle as the baby sister of two overly protective but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English Literature and still lives in Tallahassee where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She's still waiting for her Southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy, and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she's a pretty big fan of the whimsy.
Shannon’s social media
@shan_Richard
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