Touched to the Soul
Touched, #2
By Elsa Winckler
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release
Date: August 6, 2015
A passion that runs soul deep...
Zoe Sutherland can't stand the pushy, arrogant architect Dale
Cavallo. He was just too damn sure of himself, too handsome, too…everything.
Maneuvered into working as the interior decorator on his latest project, a
glamorous new hotel, Zoe can't keep her mind on the job. And worse, the strange
man won't give her access to the hotel's floor plans. How is she supposed to
finish the design when she doesn't have the plans? And when the obnoxious man
distracts her with every smoldering look, every touch...
Dale has one goal: get rid of the pesky interior designer. Since
he's been forced into close proximity with the beautiful Zoe, everything's gone
downhill. And to make matters worse, she's only out to further her own
career—and he's not about to give her the hotel's plans so she can steal his
ideas. He needs to get her out of his system, and sleeping with her seems like
the best way to do that. When it comes to women, he's found the best way to
handle them is to love 'em and leave 'em. But something strange is
happening...because after a night of loving Zoe, he's finding it harder than
ever to leave…
Desperately she tried to get her sluggish brain cells
to work, tried to rationalize what she was feeling. If she thought about it,
her reaction was normal. She was young and unattached; he was a sought-after,
rich tycoon—what girl wouldn’t swoon a little bit? And anyway, this was
probably the way he always danced with any woman. She’d read enough about him
to know he seldom had the same girl on his arm. So she knew this was just for
tonight.
Slowly she became aware that the music was farther
away, that they’d moved on to the wide terrace overlooking the sea. He steered
her farther away around a pillar. And for the first time, she looked up at him.
His eyes were dark with an expression she’d never seen
before. What was it? Desire? But that was impossible; it had been obvious from
the start that he could hardly stand the sight of her. Surely he wasn’t
interested in her in that way, was he?
“Zoe, this is exactly the reason why I’ve stayed away
from you, why I haven’t danced with you tonight. This is so not what I want,
but I can’t seem to help myself around you…”
Before she could ask what he was talking about, he
kissed her.
His lips were warm and demanding, and with a sigh she
surrendered. It never even occurred to her to deny him this. To deny herself
this pleasure. Because that’s what it was. Pure, unadulterated pleasure.
With a shaky exhale, she pulled him closer and thrust
her fingers into his hair. He groaned while his hands restlessly explored her
body. Don’t stop, please don’t stop, a voice begged inside her head. For a
split second she worried that she’d said the words out loud, but quickly
remembered her mouth was otherwise engaged. As far as she was concerned, it
could stay that way forever.
Inspired by the writing of Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, Henry
James, and the Brontë sisters, Elsa Winckler likes her heroines beautiful,
feisty, independent and headstrong. She married her college boyfriend who,
after 40 years, still makes her weak in the knees. They have 3 interesting
children, 3 beautiful grandsons and live in the picturesque little seaside
village of Betty's Bay, South Africa.
Thanks for hosting me - much appreciated!
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