Title: Southbound Surrender

Author: Raen Smith

Expected Release Date: January 27, 2014

Cover Designer: Steph’s Cover Design

Hosted by: Love Between the Sheets Promotions

Synopsis

Five days. Fifty square feet. One last shot at love.

Cash Rowland first laid eyes on the tenacious and irresistible Piper Sullivan when they were both seventeen. He falls for her hard and just when he thinks she’s doing the same, Piper is torn from his life without warning. She leaves no contact information but only a vague promise of fate.

Five years later, their paths unexpectedly cross. When he shows up with his eighteen-wheeler unannounced, Cash persuades Piper to head out on the open road to give him one last shot at love. But what should be a routine delivery across six states suddenly becomes an unforgettable journey when they save a woman with a broken past and discover that second chances are only for the lucky ones.

 

Excerpt

We’re leaping through the air feet first, the rain falling down on us as we’re suspended above the water below. It’s only five feet down, but somehow I see the pink toenail polish on her feet and the sheen of her legs. Then I see her feet hit the water before I do. I’m holding my breath now, anticipating the cold rush of water around my whole body.

And it feels surreal, the rain pummeling my body as I jump off this cliff with the girl I fell in love with when I was seventeen. To say that I’m falling all over again is cliché and mushy and hopelessly romantic, but it’s true. And even though it’s just mere seconds that we’re suspended in the air, it feels like forever that we’re dangling there together. I’ve never seen my life and future as clear as I do now as I inch toward the water. Whatever happens in the next seventy-odd years that I plan on living, the only thing that matters is that Piper Sullivan is with me. I won’t ever let go of this hand.

The water crashes over me then, consuming me with a coldness that sends shockwaves through my body. My head ducks under momentarily before I pop back up to see Piper’s head emerging next to me. Her eyes are wide and wet with surprise as she exhales, sputtering water in front of her.

She lets out a shriek, “Oh my God, it’s so cold!”

“Hell yeah it is,” I reply as I kick my legs to stay afloat. Our heads bob in water that can’t be any more than sixty degrees, and I realize that we’re not holding hands anymore because we’re both treading water. I swim toward her until our faces are just an inch apart. The rain splashes against the water between us, plopping small splatters of water onto her chin. We’re both breathing hard as I reach underneath the water and wrap my arm around her waist. I feel the lace tucked against her skin and pull her closer until our bodies are rubbing against each other.

“Warm me up,” she whispers.

“I thought you’d never ask,” I say as I press my lips onto hers. They’re warm and soft, and a jolt rushes through my body as I connect with her. Our lips move against each other, slow for only a moment until we’re frantic against each other. She bites my lower lip gently again and damn, does it feel good.

Let’s be honest, it sends me overboard. I explore every inch of her lips and mouth as both of us still bob in the icy water. She reaches for me, putting her arm around my waist and guides her legs toward me. She circles her legs around my waist, and I’m holding her then as she sits on me. She rocks closer to me as I kick to keep us both above water. And I realize that the only thing between us are two thin, so unbelievable thin, layers of fabric. I can feel the goose bumps running along her legs. I hold her there as our lips find each other in the rain. The water crashes down behind us from the waterfalls, the dull thud of splatters echoing in my ears.

A glint of brightness lights up the sky for a brief moment, and I see her face like I’ve never seen it before. It’s full of desire and longing and bliss, and I swear, I catch a glimpse of love. I think for a second that maybe, just maybe Piper Sullivan loves me.

About the Author

Raen Smith is the author of the Unraveled Series and Southbound Surrender. She loves writing about complex characters with a sprinkling of happily ever after.

When she isn’t writing novels, she spends her time wrangling two small sons and teaching at a technical college. She lives in a small corner of Wisconsin with her husband and two sons.

Visit Raen Smith’s website, Facebook page or follow Raen on Twitter.

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