Returning Home (Return to Me #4)
A.L. Parks
Genre: Contemporary /
Adult / Romance
Release Date: October 28, 2014
Clarissa
wants nothing to do with her father – even in his death. But she can’t escape
returning to Newport to settle her father's estate. The safe world she has
established starts to crumble and secrets she has locked away threaten to be
exposed. Meeting Griff, her father’s partner, provides the only peace and
happiness in the darkness that suddenly surrounds her.
Griff
has built his custom bike shop from nothing into a thriving success. After the
sudden death of his silent partner, Griff finds himself in a fight to save his
business from the grieving widow. But falling for his partner's headstrong daughter
may cost Griff everything.
Brandi
has become accustomed to certain amenities in her life - money and men. She
refuses to allow the death of her philandering husband to inconvenience her
comfortable lifestyle. Setting her sights set on her husband’s very young, very
sexy partner, nothing will get in the way of what she wants - even if it means
destroying Clarissa to get it.
He had his
back to her completely unaware she was standing there. She was about to
announce her presence, when she heard him singing softly along with the music.
Her eyes travelled over his tight black t-shirt. The bike shop logo was
imprinted on it, and pulled across the taut muscles of his back and the
broadness of his shoulders. He had on worn jeans that looked as if they had
permanent oils stains on them. They were faded and frayed, and formed perfectly
to his body. He had an ass to die for, at least what she could tell from the
way the jeans clung to the near perfect roundness of it.
How had she missed how hot this man was when she had seen him at her
father’s house a day or two earlier?
He turned and
caught sight of her standing in the doorway staring at him.
“How long have
you been here?” he asked. There was no amount of cordiality in voice.
“Good morning
to you, too,” she snapped back. “I just came in a minute ago.”
“Well, manners
would dictate that you announce your arrival when you enter a room, or does
your net worth prevent you from having manners?”
Whoa! What the hell?
“One, I was just about to say something when you turned around. Two, my
net worth doesn’t prevent me from doing anything. In fact, it allows me to do
pretty much whatever I damn well please.” She never flaunted her wealth, it
made her uncomfortable. But Asshole had tripped her meter, and she wasn’t going
to stand around and let him insult her. At least she remembered why she didn’t
find him attractive. His mouth negated any sexy he had.
They stood starring at each other, neither backing down, each assessing
the other’s formidability as a foe. There was no way she was going to let this
jackass get the better of her. She dealt with men not giving her credibility
simply because she was a woman. It was a load of crap and she was getting a
little tired of having these pissing matches just to prove she could go
toe-to-toe with a man.
He dropped his head, shaking it slightly. When he raised his eyes to
hers, they were less hard. “Okay, truce. Let’s try this again. I was making
coffee, and haven’t had a cup yet, obviously. Can I offer you one while I get some
for myself?”
Dragging in a deep breath, she attempted to relax a bit. “Yes, that
would be great, thanks.”
“Take anything in it? Sugar? Cream? We only have the powdered stuff,
though.”
She took a step into the room, closing some of the distance between them.
“Black, please.”
“Really?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.
“Really. You learn quickly to drink it that way when you’re miles away
from civilization with only a thermos and none of the extras. It’s a pain in
the ass trying to add cream and sugar into a travel mug while perched in a tree
getting a close-up of a nest of newborn birds before their mother comes back
and starts pecking arms, hands…face. Black coffee is more conducive to those
situations.”
He handed her a mug. His face was blank, but his eyes had softened and
brightened a bit. Clarissa wasn’t sure what that meant, but he didn’t seem to
be pissed at her anymore, so that was at least something.
“Yeah, I guess I’d switch to drinking it black, too.” He smiled, sending
flutters through Clarissa that invaded her stomach. The smile, along with the
beautiful eyes, where enough to make her forget her own name. Sweet, but in a
sexy way. And Clarissa was sure no man had ever smiled at her that way in her
life. He looked away, snapping her back to reality.
Get a grip, girl. You do not fall for men like him that can’t decide if
they resent you or just want to fuck you.
“I guess we’ve never been properly introduced. Robert, right? Or do you
go by Rob?”
“Neither. Griff,” he said, and left it hanging there like unfinished
business.
“Griff?” she asked with a touch of disdain she hadn’t intended.
His eyes went dark and flat. “Yeah, Griff. Not quite as sophisticated as
Clarissa, but we can’t all be as high and mighty as you.”
“Were you born with that chip on your shoulder, or is it something
you’ve cultivated over time?”
“Just calling it like I see it, sweetheart.” He walked past her and out
the door.
“Maybe you should look into getting some glasses, then,” she murmured,
following him down the hallway and into the office. He pointed to an empty
chair as he made his way behind the desk and sat down.
“Let’s just get this over with so you can be on your way back to merry
ol’ England.”
“That sounds lovely, Robert.”
“Griff.”
“Whatever.”
Amazon:
Author Bio
Born and raised in the Rocky Mountains, A.L. Parks has
spent the last 25 years moving all over the United States. Married to the Navy
- well a man in the Navy - Parks has lived in various places throughout the
United States. She currently resides in the Washington D.C area, with her
husband, four children, and one spoiled German Shepard.
2013 marked her debut in publishing. Her first novel,
Strangers, released on her 45th birthday. She was amazed at how many people
fell in love with a story about two people dealing with grief, and finding love
again. Abby and Bryce were the perfect couple to introduce Parks as an
up-and-coming author.
She released the first of the Return To Me series (an
anticipated 4.5 book series) in December 2013. A wonderful Christmas romance,
The Return introduced readers into the whirlwind romance of Eve and Jake, and
proved that second chance romance can be even better than first love. Book two,
Return To Newport, followed the struggles that come while on a journey to
happily ever after.
Parks unique style of writing, along with her depth of
characters and emotions, is carving out a niche in romance for those who crave
love and romance a second time around. While many current novels focus on first
love, Parks' novels seek to find happily ever after when first love has failed.
They are a testament to second chances at true love that lasts forever.
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