What Happens in Summer
by Caridad Pineiro
Blurb:
"One Summer Night is the perfect escape! It's tender, funny and sexy, with wonderful characters you'll fall in love with. You can't go wrong with Caridad Pineiro."—RAEANNE THAYNE, USA Today bestselling author
She knows the kind of man he is:
The kind who breaks hearts.
But a hot summer at the Jersey Shore
Might be just what they need to light up their lives...
As the only daughter of a single mom, Connie Reyes swore she would never put herself in a similar position. But when she runs into oh–so-tempting Jonathan Pierce at a wedding, she knows she must stay away. She'll fall for him—hard. And he's not the type to stick around. So far the only loyalty he's shown is to his rescued puppy.
Ever since he left town after their teenage fling, Jonathan hasn't been able to forget about Connie. He can't wait to show her the man he's become. And when the night finally comes, their mutual desire will lead to unexpected consequences...
At the Shore Series:
One Summer Night (Book 1)
What Happens in Summer (Book 2)
Available for purchase at
Excerpt
Jonathan Pierce stared hard at the mirror, wondering what Connie
Reyes might see tonight when she and her friends came over for the dinner his
brother Owen had arranged. What Connie might think after so much time had
passed.
The teen she had known seven years earlier was gone as was the man
she’d run into shortly after Hurricane Sandy.
That man had been replaced by one who had known his share of hardship
and success. Barely perceptible laugh lines that hadn’t been there that last
summer bracketed his mouth and eyes. There was a thin scar above one brow
thanks to a crash while testing a new vehicle prototype on the Bonneville Salt
Flats. Another jagged white line on his jaw was courtesy of shrapnel when a
hydrogen fuel cell had unexpectedly exploded in their lab.
He looked away and leaned heavily on the edge of the vanity, noting
the other assorted nicks and scars on his hands. They were the hands of a man
who had lived life to the fullest and made himself what he wanted to be and not
what others expected. He knew he’d sometimes hurt people with his choices,
especially his older brother Owen, who’d had to shoulder the burden of the
family business as well as their father’s ire whenever one of Jonathan’s
escapades caught the attention of the media.
He’d gotten used to the interest the press had in him. After all, he
was the renegade son of a wealthy family. A self-taught inventor who had sold
his first small invention for millions. He was now revolutionizing the motor
vehicle and battery industries with his innovative designs, unconventional
methods, and fearless experiments.
He had brought idea after idea to life with detailed research and
hard work. There had been failures along the way, but that had only made the
successes that much more enjoyable. He had celebrated those successes with his
team, his brother, and a bevy of actresses and models who were only too keen to
be seen on the arm of a rebellious multi-millionaire who might soon be a
billionaire if his company’s stock prices continued to climb.
Only… none of those women could hold a candle to Connie.
Connie, who he would see in just a few hours thanks to his brother.
Owen had finally decided to fight for Maggie Sinclair, and he was happy that
his brother was following his heart. But
while Jonathan would do almost anything for Owen, he wasn’t happy about having
to spend time with Connie.
Smart
and beautiful Connie, he thought with a sigh and a shake
of his head.
He’d managed to avoid her for the last several years. Sure, he’d
seen her after Sandy and occasionally from afar when Maggie and her friends had
come down to Sea Kiss. Or every now and then when he’d gone to some business
event in the city.
He’d tried to tell himself he didn’t like the sleek professional
woman she’d become. That she wasn’t prettier than ever. He tried not to imagine
peeling off those elegant business suits to reveal the real woman beneath. But
he was lying to himself.
He had never really gotten over the Connie Reyes that had emerged
that summer they had shared. The woman
who had learned to live for the moment and have fun. Who had been carefree and willing to explore
their love. He doubted he would ever forget that women and wondered if she was
still there, trapped inside her very prim and proper suits.
Maybe he’d find out tonight, he thought, and prepared himself for
what might be a very difficult dinner.
***
Connie Reyes splayed her hand across the nervous butterflies in
her stomach that were beating their wings so violently, she felt like throwing
up. She was tempted to beg off from dinner with the Pierce boys, only Maggie
needed her moral support and Connie never disappointed a friend. Especially
Maggie, who was like a sister. She’d do anything
for Maggie, even suffering through a meal with Jonathan Pierce.
“You feeling okay? You’re looking a little . . .” said Emma Grant,
her other BFF. Emma eyed her intently, her green-eyed gaze inquisitive.
“I’m just fine,” she lied,
but it was clear from Emma’s meaningful stare that her friend suspected
something was up as they followed Maggie onto the patio and to the long row of
tall privet hedges that separated the two Jersey Shore mansions.
She tamed the flutters much as she did when arguing a case before a
judge and trudged along behind Maggie as they eased through the hedges and
approached the entrance to the Pierce mansion. They had barely reached the
front porch when Owen threw open the door, a big friendly smile on his handsome
face.
He welcomed them warmly, but Connie couldn’t resist mumbling to
Emma, “Said the spider to the fly.” As much as she wanted things to work out
with Owen, she still worried about how Maggie would be hurt if they didn’t.
Emma jabbed her in the ribs and luckily, it seemed as if Owen either
hadn’t heard her comment or if he had, was choosing to ignore it. She gave him
props if it was the latter, since it indicated he was truly trying to be nice
for Maggie’s sake.
They quickly walked through the foyer and living room and back to
the dining area. Jonathan was in the kitchen, an apron over his jeans and
T-shirt. The T-shirt hugged his broad, muscled chest and laid bare the powerful
muscles of his arms. His light brown hair still had the kiss of the summer sun
and was tied back from his face, revealing the sharp lines of his features.
He looked older, but still so handsome.
She had thought she could handle this dinner for her friend’s
sake. That she could face Jonathan and
not get caught up in the emotions from years past. But it was impossible to forget the way he’d
held her in his arms, a dimpled smile on his lips, his sea-blue eyes bright
with humor and love. With that memory, the flutters in her stomach were
replaced by an ache in the region of her heart.
Giveaway
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