Follow your heart to Bliss Cove. . .
Love Walks In, the first sweet and steamy standalone in the Bliss Cove series from Nina Lindsey is available now!
Synopsis
Bus ticket to hometown of Bliss Cove ā $24.50
Purchase of old building and business license ā $35,250
Twelve orphaned cats ā free
Finally proving to her family that she can be successful ā priceless.
Ā Shaking off her past mistakes and fickle reputation, Aria Prescott is determined to start a new life with her latest venture, the āMeow and Then Cat CafĆ©.ā Though the cafĆ© is in the townās most rundown neighbourhood, Aria will let nothing stop her from success.
Then property developer Hunter Armstrong shocks the Mariposa Street shop owners with a buyout offer that threatens to destroy the old district. Aria refuses to let the ruthless businessman intimidate her into selling her beloved cafĆ©, even if Hunterās dark, glowering sexiness secretly makes her want to purr.
Hunter needs to close the deal and secure his promotion to CEO of Imperial Properties. He would be victorious in no time if it werenāt for a stubborn, beautiful cat rescuer who believes in things like healing crystals and forever homes.
Aria and Hunter are soon locked in a fiery, tense war over the fate of Mariposa Street. But when Hunter starts falling for this sexy town sweetheart, he discovers that winning the battle might mean losing his heart.
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Discover the rest of the Bliss Cove Series!
Ā
And I Love Her
Releasing October 2019
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Ā
Ā Ā
Love Me Tender
Releasing November 2019
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2n1xNOC
Ā
Ā
Excerpt
Good things came in large, thick envelopes. At least, that was what Aria Prescott had always believed. Wedding invitations, college acceptances, Christmas cards, love letters.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā But this?
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā She sank onto a chair in her darkened cafĆ©, crumpling the brown envelope in her fist. The formal letter was clipped to a stack of papers made heavier by the copious use of legaleseāclauses, conditions, title. Financial terms.
           Dropping the letter, she looked through the brick-and-glass partition separating the lounge from the front room of the café. Evening light illuminated the painted Meow and Then sign on the window. A chalkboard menu hung on the wall behind the counter. Wooden shelves held cat toys and cat-themed merchandise.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Sheād created this. For the first time in her life, sheād gone the distance, gotten the job done, seen the plan through. She couldnātāwouldnātālet anything change that now.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Jumbo butted his fuzzy head against her arm.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āSorry, sweetie.ā Stroking the tabby catās ears, Aria got to her feet. āThirteen orders of chicken bites in gravy coming right up.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Cats of all sizes stirred from various lounging positions around the room. Tails swishing and ears perked, they padded over to the row of food and water dishes.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Pushing the letter out of her mind, Aria retrieved cans of chicken from the storage cabinet and prepared dinner for her thirteen charges. A few of them meowed and slithered around her legs, while others sat waiting regally for their meal to be served.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā A one-eyed cat with patchy fur, a torn left ear, and a sharp-fanged tooth poking out of his mouth crouched under a table.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āCome on, Fang.ā Aria clicked her tongue at the old cat, who glared at her. āYummy chicken.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā She filled a separate dish and set it close to him. Only when she backed away did he edge forward to eat.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā After refilling the water dishes, she tied the full trash bag and headed out the back door to put it in the garbage bin. A thick layer of ocean fog and encroaching rainclouds covered the sky, blocking the sunset. Though the April weather had been temperate, evenings were cool in the coastal California town of Bliss Cove.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā It was Ariaās favourite time of yearāwarm days bursting with colour and new life followed by chilly nights of sweatshirts and bonfires. But this spring was more important than all previous ones because before summer arrived, Ariaās mother and two older sisters would see that she could not only follow through with a plan but make it a success. Sheād finally prove that she was stronger and smarter than anyoneāherself includedāhad believed.
           The backdoor of the café creaked. A large calico peered at her from the crack in the open door, which she never forgot to close.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Until now. Not the greatest start to smarter.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āHey, boy.ā Keeping her voice soft, she locked her gaze to his. āGo back inside. Iāllā¦Porkchop!ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Faster than a blink, the cat shot into the alley and ran.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āPorkchop!ā Aria slammed the door shut so the other cats wouldnāt escape. She hurried around to the front of the cafĆ© just as his swishing tail disappeared around the corner. āWho knew you could move so fast? Porkchop!ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Soon it would be dark and rainy. Breaking into a run, Aria followed the cat away from Mariposa Street. The rundown historic district was at least three miles from the centre of downtown. Shops and restaurants lined the streets converging toward the popular and busy Starfish Avenue.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Annoyance flickered through her. In the two weeks sheād had Porkchop, heād proven to be both wily and smug. Heād chewed rolls of paper towels, shoved other cats off the windowsill, and Aria swore heād deliberately broken one of the cat figurines in the lounge.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā There! A black-and-orange furball was just visible under a parked pick-up truck. She crept forward and extended her hand.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āCome on, Porkie Pie,ā she crooned. āCome back home and Iāll give you some nice tuna fishā¦Porkchop!ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā He darted away. Several passers-by paused to try and catch him. The overweight cat continued to move surprisingly fast, evading every grasp.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ariaās lungs started to burn. Skidding in her flat, strappy sandals, she caught sight of him crossing the street to the ramshackle Outside Inn. The old Queen Anne building sprawled over an expanse of tree-dotted lawn with a trail leading to Pelican Beach.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Heavy raindrops started to fall. Aria hurried up the pathway leading to the wrap-around porch. Thick shrubs and overgrown weeds lined the foundation of the inn underneath the multiple lighted windows. Porkchop shot behind a dense boxwood.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYou littleā¦ā She pushed through the shrubs, cursing as her flowy cotton skirt caught on a wet branch and tore. āYouāre lucky I took you on, you ungrateful little mouse catcher. If it werenāt for me, youād beā¦Porkchop!ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Tail swishing, he bounded to the corner of the inn. If he took off toward the beach trailā¦sheād never find him on the dark shoreline. But under the awning, he was protected from the rain. Maybe heād opt for comfort over risk and adventure.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Comfort is a far better choice, my feline friend. Trust me on that.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The cat stopped. His whiskers twitched. His yellow eyes gleamed. Aria gritted her teeth.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYou come here right now.ā She clapped her hands sharply and raised her voice. āI work very hard to give you and your fellow feline brethren a nice place to live, and I do not appreciate being forced to race through theāā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā A window slammed open right above her. āWhat the hell is going on out here?ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā The deep male voice boomed like thunder. Ariaās heart jumped into her throat. Forcing an apologetic smile onto her lips, she straightened and looked up. Right into the scowling face of a man whose glare burned right into her.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā She opened and closed her mouth. No words came out. Her heart raced.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āWell?ā His black eyebrows snapped together over his intense dark eyes. He was still holding the window sash up, and the lifted position of his arms stretched his white dress shirt over impressively bulging biceps.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āWhat are you doing out here?ā he barked.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āIā¦.thereās a cat.ā Trying to gather her scattered wits, she ran shaking hands over her dress. āUh, I was justāā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āYou were annoying the crap out of me is what you were just doing.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Irritation stiffened Ariaās spine.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āIām sorry, I didnāt mean to annoy you.ā She indicated Porkchop, who was still sitting at the corner of the inn, staring at the man as if he, too, were transfixed by his sheer potency. āIām trying to save my cat.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā His mouth twisted sardonically. āYour cat.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āMy felis catus, if you want the Latin term.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā He expelled an impatient breath, his scowl deepening. Letting go of the window sash, he raked a hand through his dishevelled dark hair. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing tanned forearms corded with muscle.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Good God. Who was he, this man whose glower ratcheted up his sexiness by about a thousand degrees?
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā And what was she doing fixating on him when she still had to catch Porkchop? The rain was coming down harder.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI apologize.ā She drew her shoulders back and met his smouldering black eyes. āMy cat escaped and made his way here, for some reason. Iām trying to catch him.ā
He shot a glare at the animal, who was still staring and twitching his tail. āGiven his size, it doesnāt look as if catching him should be that hard.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Aria frowned, stung by the dig about Porkchopās weight. āIāll thank you not to insult my cat.ā
āYou named him Porkchop.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI didnāt name him. And he is on a metabolic feline weight management program.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āMaybe thatās why he ran away.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āI know this doesnāt look plausible, but heās led me on a wild goose chaseā¦or maybe I should say a wild cat chaseā¦ā She chuckled at the joke. Glowering Stranger did not. āAnyway, my point is that despite his girth, Porkchop can run pretty darned fast.ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā He turned his scowl on to her. An oddly pleasurable shiver raced down her spine, which made no sense. Before she could move, or even think, he hefted himself over the window sill and landed onto the ground in front of her.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ariaās breath stopped. Like, stopped, right in the middle of her chest.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā In addition to being dangerously sexy, he was also bigāwell over six feet with wide shoulders and a broad chest that was no doubt a landscape of hard muscles. With him standing right in front of her, she practically felt the power and energy coiling through every millimetre of his body. The garden lights cast shadows over his strong features, emphasizing the cut-glass lines of his jaw and cheekbones, his thick-lashed eyes, and a beautifully shaped mouth that looked as if it were made to do dirty things to a woman.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Parting her lips, Aria forced air into her lungs before she started getting dizzy.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āIf youāll step aside, Iāll get my cat.ā She managed to sound both haughty and cool, even though her blood was hot and her heart pounding.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āBeen real successful at that so far, havenāt you?ā Arching an eyebrow, he turned toward Porkchop.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā After admiring the fact that his back was as appealing as his front, Aria edged backward. If he approached the cat from this side, and she darted around behind Porkchop, they might be able to box him in.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā He took a few steps toward the cat. Porkchop blinked at him. Glowering Stranger made a deep, rumbling noise that was obviously meant to soothe the animal, but that also had the strangest effect on Ariaālike a hot wave rolling over her skin and settling right into her core.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Suppressing the ridiculous sensation, she prepared to move around and surround the cat as soon as the man got close enough.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āGood boy.ā Glowering Stranger bent and picked Porkchop up as if the cat wereā¦well, a docile, pick-up-able creature who hadnāt just fled through the streets of Bliss Cove like an escaped felon.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Aria gaped. Porkchop just…curled into the manās arms as if he didnāt have the slightest interest in getting away. In fact, the little traitor even nuzzled his furry head against Glowering Strangerās chest.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Aria had the fleeting thought that sheād kind of like to do the same thing.
About Nina
Nina Lindsey writes romances filled with heart, heat, and happy endings. She is delighted to introduce readers to Bliss Cove, California, a coastal town with an abundance of warm cookies, ocean breezes, and the ever-present possibility of love.
Nina loves all things spicy and sweet, with chilli chocolates being at the top of the list. She is also a fan of glossy magazines, pop culture, Gilmore Girls, energy bites, Orangetheory, and the sound of silence.
She lives in Wisconsin with her meteorologist husband (yes, she asks him daily, “What’s the weather forecast?”), their two children, a hyperactive dog, and a snail named Pipsqueak.
Connect with Nina
Website: www.ninalindsey.com
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