Intoxicate, Book # 4 in the Explosive Series
Can be read as a standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Day: January 29, 2015
Blurb
Marry me.
Two words Kalli Montgomery never expected to say out loud to Xavier Cruz, even though she's been in love with the sexy, single father for as long as she can remember. Unfortunately, she hasn't just been friend-zoned for the past ten years. No, even worse, he's treated her like a little sister, no matter how hard she tried to prove she could be so much more. When she agrees to spend the summer as the caregiver for his daughter, Lily, she knows it's her last chance to finally make him take notice.
As unexpected circumstances threaten to disrupt his home life, Xavier's desperate to keep his family together. He'll do whatever it takes, even if it means marrying a woman he doesn't love. For Xavier and Lily, Kalli will do just about anything, even at the risk of getting her heart broken in the process.
Little does she know, sometimes love isn't quite as unrequited as one may think. Xavier sees her-he always has. And the vow he made all those years ago never to go there with his best friend's little sister is wavering, and it's wavering fast. When they come up with a plan that leads to wedding bells, it's a no brainer.
This marriage of convenience has one rule: absolutely no falling in love.
Easier said than done. Throw together a girl who believes rules are meant to be broken, and a man whose whole career revolves around following orders and you get a recipe for disaster. What could possibly go wrong?
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Excerpt
Xavier’s eyes fall to my lips for a quick moment before he looks back up at me. I see the desire in his expression, and without him even saying a word, I know he wants this, too. So why is he making me wait?
“You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now. How many times I’ve thought of doing just that. Every time you were curled up against me on the couch, I wanted to kiss you. Every morning when you showed up, I wanted to kiss you. Every time you said goodnight to Lily and then slipped out my door? I wanted to kiss you before you left. It’s not a new development. The first time I ever saw you, Kalli, I wanted to kiss you. And I’ve wanted to ever since.”
His admission floors me. He’s told me before that he “saw” me, but I had no clue it was from the very beginning. I’m not really sure how to process it. In fact, he beats me to the punch.
“So now you know. This will be just as hard for me, but it will be so damn worth it. Because when you’ve wanted something for as long as I’ve wanted you? It’ll be the best feeling in the world when I finally get it.”
“Our first kiss will be that epic?”
“A first kiss to rival them all,” he quips, grinning at me. He holds his arms out wide. “Now, we’ll start with a hug and work our way up.”
“I feel like I’m sixteen again,” I tell him as I wrap my arms around his waist.
His hands come down to my back and he gives me a big squeeze, my head pressing against his firm chest. I love this feeling of being in his arms, him holding me close. There’s nowhere on the planet I’d rather be than right here with him. As much as I want him, I know he’s right. I don’t care when it comes. Because when it does, our first kiss will be unforgettable.
His chest rumbles as he chuckles. He squeezes me tight one last time before letting me go. “And it’s only just the beginning,” he tells me. “Have a good night, crazy girl.”
Review
"All right, boys and girls. Hold on to your seats. Here's the story of how Xavier Cruz and I became husband and wife."
Okay, I will start by saying that I LOVE these kind of stories. You know...The ones where two people have loved each other from afar for so long, and then they finally are put together in a crazy situation. Now don't go thinking it's the same as so many others. It is most certainly not!
"She was finally mine. Yet she wasn't. Not really."
Xavier and Kalli made me fall in love with them from the start! From the first few pages, you can see they were meant to be together. Of course, if they were perfect from the start there would be no story to tell. Boy, do they have a story!!
For ten years, Xavier and Kalli have hid their feelings from each other. Being that Kalli was only sixteen when they met, Xavier tried to push his feelings away, but she never left his mind. He spent his time putting his focus on his daughter, Lily. Xavier was left a single father at a young age, not to mention being in the military. Not gonna lie, I really hated his ex! Thank goodness for his mama!! I loved her so much!! She was his saving grace:)
Now when there is a chance he could loose his daughter, Kalli draws out a deal that's sure to ease Xavier's mind. Get married! Make them a family and it will all be okay. Easier said than done.
"But where's the fun in life if you're not willing to take risks?
This may just be the biggest one of my life."
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Their chemistry was there from the start, but they could only go so far without breaking the one rule they set for themselves...do not fall in love. Too bad they were already there. Not only was Kalli head over heels for Xavier, but she was just as in love with Lily. I absolutely loved the connection that those two girls shared! Kalli has always been in Lily's life, so it was easy for the two of them to fall into a routine together.
Also the love that Xavier has for his daughter makes him swoonworthy enough! Goodness me!! Every woman wants a man to love his child the way he does Lily. The banter between the two of them is adorable!!! She stole the show in so many parts.
"If I'm honest with myself, she's already dug in so deep that no matter what happens, I won't ever be able to extract her, no matter how hard I try. And I don't know why I'd even want to."
This book is not all hearts and flowers with romance. Love isn't easy. Especially for someone that is scared to love again. Xavier gave his heart once, and it was crushed. If he gives it to Kalli, would she break it too? You felt bad for him, but at the same time you wanted to kick his butt into shape, and tell him to take the plunge! Kalli was his perfect match!
I have a major girl crush on Kalli Montgomery!! Like major! She freakin rocks my socks off! She is tough as nails, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. The way she fights for them, and how she stands by him through it all is wonderful.
"What are you doing to me, crazy girl?"
"Nothing you haven't been doing to me for the past ten years. Payback's a bitch, huh?"
In true Tessa form, this book had humor, drama, sweet moments, tearful events, and hot as hell love making! I anticipated their first kiss as much as the characters did! :) I loved catching up with all the other characters of the Explosive Series. Also, seeing Kale handling his best friend marrying his sister was great! hehe.
I didn't want their story to end!! As always, I love everything Tessa writes, and this book was no exception! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did!!
"How do you know it's me that you want? Not the guy with the cute little girl that you love so much?"
"Because from the moment I met you, my heart started to flutter. And it's never stopped."
***SWOON***
Author Bio
I'm a twenty something book junkie who is also obsessed with sports. Bengals, Buckeyes, Reds are my teams! I work for the government during the day, hang out with Air National Guard on the weekends, and have been married to my own book boyfriend for over seven years. We currently live right outside of Dayton, OH with our two cats.
If I’m not writing or looking through tons of photos of hot men, all in the name of research, then you can probably find me curled up with my Kindle, ignoring the rest of the world. I love my sports almost as much as I love my books. My other obsessions include red wine, hot men, country music, and all things Grace Potter.
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I've been looking for another good romance, looks like I might have found it!
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