Spotlight~ Jess Buffett

jessbuffett@gmail.com

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Cowboy’s Chocolate Roses

Silver Stone Ranch 1

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Having just signed a deal that will set his ranch up for life, Joshua Jell is totally unprepared for the changes that are headed his way. After a night spent with the woman of his dreams, josh is devastated when he wakes up alone. Packing his bags, he heads for home, nursing a broken heart.

Brianna Evans has spent the last two years struggling to take back control of her life after a horrific trauma. When events lead her to Josh, she finally believes there is a chance for her to be happy again.

When a ghost from her past threatens to take everything away from her, Bri must trust that her cowboy will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

EXCERPT

Waking up slowly, Bri groaned.  Her mind was fuzzy, her head throbbed, and it felt like something had died in her mouth.  God, why did she let Charlotte talk her into doing stupid things?  And it would be Charlotte's fault.  Her sister constantly pushed Bri out of her comfort zone.  And drinking alcohol didn't agree with Bri.  Why did I drink so much?

Because Charlotte had everything Bri wanted and might never have a chance to get.  A pang of guilt wormed its way into Bri's thoughts.  She loved Charlotte and wished her every happiness, but Bri would admit to having a streak of envy running through her heart, too.  The perfect sister with the fairy tale wedding, a dream Bri gave up—no, she wouldn't think about it.  Not now.

Blinking open her eyes, she winced when a sharp jab shot through her skull at the light, then instantly stiffened—though not from the pain.  She didn't belong here.  The warm beige walls and the dark, heavy furniture were nothing like those in her room.  Oh, God.  Where am I?

Bri shifted, trying to get a better look at her surroundings, but a strong arm around her waist pinned her to the mattress.  A soft sheet draped over her, kissing her skin and Bri realized she wore nothing.  Heat along her back, and a firm, naked erection pressing into her had a prickle of nervous awareness skittering down her spine.  Her pulse beat wildly and she struggled with the implications.  

Oh, God.  What had she been thinking?  She could have gotten hurt…again.  No!  She wouldn't think about that.

She muttered, "Geez, Bri.  What have you done, now?"

Cupping a hand over her mouth, afraid she may have woken the man behind her, Bri sighed in relief when the stranger grunted but remained asleep.

Pulling herself gently away, making sure not to rouse him, she slipped out of the bed.  Her knees shaking, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly until the wobbly feeling decreased.  Turning to inspect her bed partner she gave herself credit, he had handsome features.  Thick blond hair, slightly longer on top to frame his eyes, and a chiselled, angular bone structure, the term masculine work of art came to mind.  With the sheet draped to just below his hip, his hard, muscular body seemed huge against the white linens.  Oh, wow.  His erection peeked out from under the heavy cotton, long and thick, and almost begged for attention.  Dampness pooled between her legs, surprising Bri.  She'd never had such an instant reaction to a man before.

It scared her.

The sudden need to run became too hard to ignore.  She trembled at the thought of him waking up and things turning ugly.  She couldn't let it happen again.  Bri fought for breath, sudden fear suffocating her.  She hated being afraid.  Hated feeling weak and helpless.

Grabbing her dress, she quickly pulled it on, before picking up her underwear, clutch, and shoes.  Tiptoeing to the door, she glanced back, taking one last look at the beautiful man lying in the bed.  Regret pierced her heart for a guy she didn't even remember, but so did an overwhelming sense of terror.

"One of these days, you're going to stop being so afraid," she said to herself.

Slipping on her shoes and stuffing the rest inside her clutch, she exited the room, then raced home as fast as she could.  Home was good.  Home was safe.

*****

Stretching his arms up above his head, Josh let them fall back by his side.  Patting the space beside him, he opened his eyes and turned his head.  Empty.  He lay there dumbfounded for a moment.  Josh thought he and Bri had really hit it off, but it seemed she didn't feel the same.  Judging by the coolness of the sheets, he guessed she'd left some time ago.

Josh gazed at the ceiling wondering what had gone wrong.  He had sensed something, knew it had her more cautious than most, but then she opened up a little.  He assumed she had become more comfortable with him.  Christ, he had spoken more to her than he had any other woman in his life.

"Nice one, Josh.  She took you for a ride."  He should have known better, but it had been nice.

No woman ever wanted to talk to him that much, most just tried to get into bed with him.  They all assumed good looks and a cowboy hat equaled not a lot upstairs; he was just a cowboy after all.  Bri clearly thought the same as those women, and that hurt.  Josh actually thought they'd made a connection, one that could maybe go somewhere.  He felt like a fool.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart.
Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door.
A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.