Behind
the Love Series
By P.C.
Zick
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Leah
Bryant lives a quiet life helping others. When her future mother-in-law,
Geraldine, threatens her causes, she’s left confused by the hypocrisy and
befuddled by a stranger who roars into town on a Harley.Dean Davis never wanted
to return to his hometown. But when his father dies, he knows he must return
and faced his mother, Geraldine, and his ugly past. When Leah discovers the
stranger is the brother of her fiancé that she’d been told was dead, she’s
drawn to him and furious about the deception. Both are bowled over by an
intense attraction to one another. The magnetic pull draws them into a
passionate embrace within minutes of meeting.
Leah’s
controlled life and Dean’s emotional barriers both shatter and force them to
examine their lives. Leah must choose between her safe engagement to Dean’s
estranged brother, Jacob, and a dangerously passionate affair with Dean. And
Dean must confront the demon from his childhood, his mother. Dean’s fear of
loving and Leah’s need for security pull them together, rather than apart.
But
none of it will matter if they can’t stop Geraldine, an unhinged woman on a
destructive course to abolish everyone who opposes her thirst for power. When
Dean and Leah, along with Jacob, threaten her, she goes on a rampage to destroy
them all.
Behind
the Altar is the first novel in the Behind the Love contemporary romance series
that features sizzling attractions, dramatic confrontations, and intertwined
and complicated lives. Set in the fictional small town of Victory, Florida,
friends fight and love and form families of their own choosing.
Dean
turned and walked out the same door he’d entered a few minutes earlier when
he’d captivated Leah so thoroughly. No wonder he looked familiar, Leah thought.
He and Jacob were brothers. She ran to the door, ignoring her fiancé’s plea to
stay there. She needed to know more about Dean.
She
found him sitting on a motorcycle on the side lawn of the church used for
Sunday morning parking overflow.
“Where
are you going?” Leah asked as she approached the bike where he straddled the
engine. He was sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest. He rolled his
eyes at her approach.
“What
do you care?” he asked. “You almost accepted my invitation for dinner back
there. Why?”
“I
don’t know. Maybe I was being tested.”
“For
what?”
“For my
love for Jacob. I wouldn’t have gone on a date with you.”
“But
you wanted to go with me.”
“For a
few seconds, yes, I did.”
She
walked closer to him. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close until his knee
rested on her hip. He placed one arm around her shoulders and put the other
around her waist. He leaned so close to her, their lips almost touched as they
stared into each other’s eyes. It happened so quickly that Leah didn’t have
time to react. Now that they were touching, she couldn’t even think, let alone
pull away from him.
“It
won’t take you long to find out what I learned at a very early age,” he said
softly, his breath caressing her lips. “When you do find out, you’ll come
running to me for more of this.”
He
leaned down until his lips touched hers, gently at first, but then he pushed
with a hardness that made their teeth clink. Leah parted her lips further,
allowing his tongue to enter. She put her arms on his chest and felt the
hardness of his pecs. She started to push him away, but then she lost herself
in the sensations of his touch.
Leah
forgot everything, until the sound of a horn from the street only yards away
startled her. It was enough to draw her back to reality. She pushed against his
chest with the palms of her hand and pulled her head away from his.
“I have
to go back inside,” she said. “I can’t do this. I don’t know what happened.”
“Have
it your way,” Dean said. “I’m finished with those two, but you go back to them.
If they lied to you about me, what else have they lied about?”
Susie
Williams yearns for a romantic wedding with her boyfriend of five years. Reggie
Barker runs from demands to marry any woman, including Susie. After the wedding
of their best friends, Reggie resists Susie’s hints about marrying. He suggests
they take a break. An angry and heartbroken Susie kicks him down the road and
into the arms of the voluptuous Sally Jean. After Susie is mugged, she
discovers Reggie’s gambling debt brought the thugs to Victory to scare him into
paying. With her love for Reggie in doubt, she is tempted by a rich publisher
and reconsiders her options. Meanwhile, Reggie starts to realize Susie means
more to him than the tavern he owns, more than the gambling he’s hidden, and
more than any other woman he knows.
But it
all might be too late for Susie, who begins to unravel a mystery from a night
long ago when Reggie and all the other characters played a pivotal role in her
life. And before Reggie can commit to marriage, he must come to terms with a
father who abandoned marriage many years earlier Both Reggie and Susie must
learn to trust each other before love can ever survive a second chance.
Behind
the Bar is the second novel in the Behind the Love contemporary romance series,
but it is also a stand-alone romance. Once you read one novel in this series,
you’ll want to learn more about the romances that feature sizzling attractions,
dramatic confrontations, and intertwined and complicated lives. Set in the
fictional small town of Victory, Florida, friends fight and love and form
families of their own choosing.
SUSIE
WILLIAMS WATCHED AS her best friend, Leah, exchanged wedding vows with Dean.
She stood next to the bride, and on the other side of Dean, stood Reggie, her
boyfriend of five years. Susie—while happy for her friends who had only met a
few months before—couldn’t help but wonder when she and Reggie would stand next
to one another and vow to love and cherish until death.
When
she glanced around the couple, she tried to catch Reggie’s eyes. But he wasn’t
paying attention to the ceremony. His body was turned toward Leah and Dean, but
Reggie’s head was turned out to the guests. His eyes roved around the crowd.
Despite her fervent prayer willing him to look at her as they witnessed the
open expression of love between their best friends, Reggie never turned toward
her.
Leah
and Dean exchanged their rings. When the wind blew in the trees, a small branch
fell behind the minister as he blessed their union. Susie wistfully watched
them kiss.
She
wanted to be the bride, not the maid of honor. Reggie and she had dated long enough
for her to know he was the one she wanted to marry. But Reggie hadn’t asked,
despite her hints. Worse, he made disparaging comments about the institution of
marriage every time it came up to whomever would listen. He always treated his
comments as a joke, but lately Susie had been worried that he really meant the
things he said. The time had come to have a serious talk about their
relationship. She’d hinted at what she wanted, and then she’d waited for him to
suggest the rest.
She
looked at Reggie again, but he still surveyed the small crowd gathered on the
banks of the river for the wedding. Finally, she followed his gaze, and to her
surprise, she saw her sister, Lisa, standing in the front row with the others
who had come to witness the marriage of Dean Davis and Leah Bryant.
Why
hadn’t Lisa called to tell her she was coming to the wedding? Typical of her
sister, who did exactly what she wanted when she wanted to do it. But Susie was
still happy to see her. Lisa had left years ago, but now she’d finally come
back to Victory.
Lisa Williams has discovered a
way to achieve her life-long goal of becoming a famous actress by bringing a
reality television show to her hometown. Tommy Jackson despises the idea of
exploiting the town and hates it even more when his editor assigns him to cover
the show for a Tampa newspaper. Lisa and Tommy have known each other all their
lives. Tommy even dated her baby sister, Susie back in high school. But he’s
not her type, and her values disturb him. Besides, when she returns to town,
she comes with her boyfriend, Jet, who will also star in the television show.
When Sally Jean makes an appearance on the show, the producer falls in lust
with her, and Lisa worries that Sally Jean will be made the star of the show.
Tommy is disgusted by Lisa who seems intent on dragging her family and friends
through painful memories in her pursuit of stardom.
When Tommy’s mom is diagnosed
with cancer, Lisa shows a different side to her character. Sitting with Mrs.
Jackson during her final days gives Lisa a perspective on her own life she’s
never had before. Tommy and Lisa are drawn to one another through the real-life
tragedy unfolding. But first they must deal with an out of control Jet and
reality show producer who want to exploit the small town even more as they see the
potential of showcasing some of the more famous of Victory’s citizens, such as
the fallen football star, the criminal publisher, and a tattoo artist turned
farmer. Mrs. Jackson and Lisa’s sister Susie share in the circle of life to
bring this dramatic romance to a bittersweet end.
Behind
the Curtain is the third novel in the Behind the Love contemporary romance
series, but it is also a stand-alone romance. Once you read one novel in this
series, you’ll want to learn more about the rest of the romances that feature
sizzling attractions, dramatic confrontations, and intertwined and complicated
lives. Set in the fictional small town of Victory, Florida, friends fight and
love and form families of their own choosing.
LISA
WATCHED AS HER baby sister, Susie, exchanged vows with Reggie on the front
porch of their house. Standing next to her smiling new husband, Susie glowed.
Reggie patted his new wife’s protruding belly, and the crowd of friends roared
with laughter.
Lisa
smiled. At least one of them had managed to find love.
Sally
Jean greeted Lisa when she stepped off the front steps to mingle with the folks
gathered in the front yard. Lisa had known most of the guests her entire life,
even though she hadn’t spoken to many of them in a decade. But Sally Jean
Compton had been one of her best friends since high school. The third member of
their trio, Mable Cornish, had died years before. Her death had probably drawn
Lisa and Sally Jean even closer, even though Lisa lived in New York City.
“She’s
a beautiful bride,” Sally Jean said as she hugged Lisa. “I’m really happy for
the two of them.”
“Not
jealous?” Lisa asked. “I thought you had a thing for Reggie. At least, that’s
what Susie thought at one time.”
“I know
she did, and I love Reggie like a brother, but that’s all. You know as well as
anyone Dean always had my heart. But that ship sailed when he met Leah.”
“But
you’re over him, right?”
“I’m
more envious that they found one another while I’m still searching for the
right person.” Sally Jean frowned. “Dean’s still a hunk though.”
Lisa
put her arm around her friend. A decade ago, Sally Jean dated Dean Davis and
Lisa was set to marry Sam Rollings. They both thought back then that they’d
found their forever princes. But princes turn to frogs. They were all so young.
Both those relationships ended right after their high school graduation ten
years earlier. She felt sorry for Sally Jean sometimes, but Lisa knew she was
just as messed up when it came to relationships as her friend was. What right
did Lisa have to judge her? The people in their small hometown of Victory,
Florida, already did enough of that.
“I hope
you don’t have any lingering thoughts about him. Leah has that man all wrapped
up in her arms and legs.” Lisa felt compelled to address Sally Jean’s sometimes
misplaced emotions. “Besides, did you know Leah is pregnant?”
Leah
would be furious if Sally Jean still harbored feelings for Dean. Leah was
Susie’s best friend, and by extension, a friend of Lisa’s as well. Sally Jean
needed to face reality, and Lisa was the only person who would tell her.
“Pregnant?”
Sally Jean turned pale under her heavy blush. “I’m really happy for them. Dean
is probably over the moon. When he settled down, he did it with a big thud.”
“Are
you okay? You look pale.” Lisa knew the news had the potential of upsetting her
friend, but Sally Jean had to face the facts. “I thought you should know.”
“And I
appreciate that. It’s better hearing from you than from the guys down at the
Tavern. I like Leah, I really do. But if Dean asked me to be his girl again,
I’d be hard pressed to say no.”
“I
don’t think you’ll have to worry about that happening.” Lisa watched Sally
Jean’s mouth turn down, and she immediately regretted her words. “I’m sorry,
Sally Jean. I just meant, their relationship is pretty rock solid. And I want
you to be realistic.”
“You’re
right.” Sally Jean smiled. “My relationship with Dean ended ten years ago when
he left town without saying a word to me.”
“That’s
exactly what I did with Sam, and I did it because it was over. But both Dean
and I owed you and Sam explanations.”
“That’s
true. Dean had to leave because of Geraldine and her awful accusations, and you
had to leave because of what Sam did. I understand all that now. And who cares
what Sam thinks? He deserved it.”
“What a
town,” Lisa said. “The Peyton Place of Florida.” They both laughed.
“We
need to put that on the welcome sign at the city limits,” Sally Jean said. “Now
let’s forget about the past and get some of that champagne they’re pouring. I
want to forget everything but having a great time tonight.”
Just
then a tall man with red hair approached them with two glasses of champagne.
“What
are the two most beautiful women at this wedding doing over here in the corner
without drinks in hand?” Tommy Jackson handed each of them a glass of champagne
as if he’d heard Sally Jean’s suggestion.
Bestselling
author P.C. Zick describes herself as a storyteller no matter what she writes.
And she writes in a variety of genres, including romance, contemporary fiction,
and nonfiction. She's won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials,
articles, and fiction.
The three novels
in her Florida Fiction Series contain stories of Florida and its people and
environment, which she credits as giving her a rich base for her storytelling.
"Florida's quirky and abundant wildlife—both human and animal—supply my
fiction with tales almost too weird to be believable."
Her contemporary
romances in the Behind the Love series are also set in Florida. The novels in
her most recent series, Smoky Mountain Romances, are set in in Murphy, North
Carolina. She is currently working on a new romance series, Rivals in Love.
Join the Crandall family of Chicago as the siblings find love despite their
focus on successful careers. All of her books are stand-alone reads, even if
they appear in a series.
Her novels
contain elements of romance with strong female characters, handsome heroes, and
descriptive settings. She believes in living lightly upon this earth with love,
laughter, and passion, and through her fiction, she imparts this philosophy in
an entertaining manner with an obvious love for her characters, plot, and
themes.
You can keep
track of P.C. Zick's new releases and special promotions by signing up for her
newsletter by clicking
here. For more immediate information, sign up for P.C. Zick’s Lovers
of Romantic Tales on Facebook by clicking
here.
Thank you so much for spreading the news!
ReplyDelete