About the Book
Title: Love on the Forbidden Side
Author: Mariah Ankenman
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Assistant
District Attorney Julie Ryder plans to hide out at her brother’s ranch house in
Peak Town, Colorado after a killer she put away escapes. Hoping for a little
peace and quiet, what she gets instead is hot and bothered when she discovers
the good sheriff is gone, and his sexy best friend is house-sitting.
FBI agent Liam Graham is on medical leave after a career-jeopardizing
injury. He's taking the time to rethink his professional choices while watching
his buddy’s place, but he never expected to watch the guy’s sister, too. Julie
is a fiery ball of sweet temptation he's been denying himself for years.
When
she finally reveals the real reason for her visit to Peak Town, Liam does
everything in his power to keep her safe. But with his focus on protecting her
body, Liam fears he may lose his heart.
Author Bio
RWA® Golden Heart® Nominated author Mariah Ankenman began writing at the
tender age of five. Her first book “George and the Green Glob” received high
praise from her mother. Many years, and green glob stories later, Mariah
received a playwriting degree from the University of Wyoming.
After a few years
in Hollywood, working in “the biz,” she came home to the beautiful Rocky
Mountains. When she’s not writing Mariah loves to read, crochet, and play her
ukulele. She loves to hear from readers.
Links
Social media:
Twitter: @MAsBooks
Buy links:
Book Excerpts
Excerpt 1:
“I told you, Liam. I play by house rules, and this is
my house, so my rules.”
He stared her down. “What if someone doesn’t like your
rules?”
She shrugged. “I can be flexible. Can you?”
No. Not on this. They weren’t talking about cards or
making food. They were talking about something dangerous. Something they both
wanted, but he knew he could never have. Friendship was all he could offer
Julie, no matter how much more he wanted.
“We have standard fitness tests every six months.
Flexibility isn’t a requirement of the FBI.”
Her smile faltered before she burst out laughing. “Oh,
Liam. You’re hopeless. Fine, we’ll play by your rules. For now.” She winked.
“Go set up the movie. I’ll get the popcorn.”
She moved off to the panty, and he beat a hasty
retreat to the sanctity of the living room.
For now.
The words sounded like a threat, a very tempting one.
He grabbed the remote, flipping the TV on. Scrubbing one hand down his face, he
groaned. How the hell would he survive two weeks alone with this woman? He knew
one thing, Ryder’s water heater would be getting zero use. For the next two
weeks there would be nothing but cold showers in his future.
The beeping of the microwave echoed from the kitchen.
Moments later, Julie came into the room with a bowl of fluffy white popcorn.
She sat on the couch, patting the seat next to her.
“Come on FBI man. Time to get our movie on.”
He glanced at the couch—which had never seemed small
until this very moment—and the tempting woman sitting on it. A hot flush of
sweat broke out all along his body.
Oh yeah, there would be many, many cold showers for
the next two weeks.
Excerpt 2:
“I thought I’d head into town after I brush down Wind
Chaser.” She patted the horse affectionately on the neck. “Wanna come? We could
grab dinner. Maybe catch a movie at the drive in.”
That sounded speciously like a date. Number one on the
“things not to do with Julie Ryder” list. His mind brought up an image of her
riding again, bouncing up and down—okay, maybe not number one, but it was on
there.
Her smile dimmed at his hesitation. “I mean, unless
you have other things to do. I’m sorry. I kind of just showed up and usurped
your vacation time. You probably had a whole list of things you were planning
on doing.”
Yeah, if that list included wallowing in self-pity and
trying to figure out his life now that he might not be a field agent. Sure, big
fat freaking list.
“No. You didn’t ruin anything. I really just planned
on taking it easy.”
The beautiful smile returned, and damned if he wasn’t
glad to see it.
“Great! No better way to relax than dinner and a show.
Ooooh, and we can stop at the shop for cupcakes.” She winked. “I’m on the “free
cupcakes for life” list.”
It still felt like a date, but he was sure she didn’t
mean it that way. She might flirt with him jokingly, but that was just her
personality. Julie was friendly with everyone. He knew she kind of had a crush
on him when they first met, but that was years ago. Now, he was sure she just
liked to mess with him. Like cheating at cards and calling it “house rules.”
Silly things like that. It was part of the dynamic of their friendship.
“Sounds good. Who can turn down free cupcakes?” Friends went to dinner and movies
together all the time. No big deal. That’s all this was—no matter how much the
raging hard-on in his pants wished otherwise.
“Just let me brush down Wind Chaser and change.” She
tapped her heels against the horse. “I’ll be ready in about an hour.”
Liam watched the large animal lumber toward the barn.
Dinner, movies, and dessert with a woman who tempted him like no other. The
very same woman who was so off limits it wasn’t even funny.
“What the hell did I get myself into?”
It was going to be a very, very long night.
Excerpt 3:
Reaching out, she grabbed his hand in hers. “Do I have
nightmares every now and then? Yes, who wouldn’t? But I’m okay. I can go to
work, run errands, even drive my hog down 225 on a sunny day.”
Eye’s shutting in a wince, he groaned. “Okay, first of
all, don’t say hog. You sound
ridiculous.”
“I do not! That’s what us bikers call our rides.”
“You’re not in a biker gang. You’re a lawyer who
bought a very ill-advised motorcycle in a state that—may I point out—cannot
accommodate bipedal vehicles half the year.”
“I like to think of it as half a year of good riding.”
He shook his head. “Optimist.”
“Pessimist,” she shot back with a grin.
He felt his lips curl in an answering grin. This,
right here, was why he enjoyed spending time with Julie so much. She had such a
playful way of engaging people, such an upbeat attitude. No one could be sad
around her; it just wasn’t possible. That’s why it killed him whenever he saw
her jubilant spirit torn down.
“Does your brother know about your hog?”
Her gaze narrowed. “No, he does not, and if you tell
him, I swear I will strap you down on Wind Chaser and send her on the highest
mountain trail I can find.”
“Your secret is safe with me, but for the record, I
don’t think you should be riding around on something so dangerous.” The first
time she told him of her vehicle purchase he nearly drove up to Aspen to take
the thing from her. There was a reason doctors called them donor mobiles. He
shuddered, imagining her riding one.
Scratch that. Picturing Julie clad all in leather,
straddling a huge, vibrating beast of a bike between her legs did not make him
shudder. It made him hot, horny, and frustrated. Knowing what could happen to
her on one of those things…that
terrified him.
“Ugh, if it were up to you and Jake, I’d never have
any fun.”
“We’re just looking out for you. It’s our job.”
Arching one perfectly plucked brow, she leaned
forward, invading his personal space. “No, it’s Jake’s job to look after me.
He’s my brother. You are—”
“Your brother’s best friend,” he quickly interrupted.
“Plus, I’m older than you, so I have to look out for you.”
Her gaze studied him for a moment. He shifted uncomfortably
under her probing scrutiny.
“You know, Liam. Those excuses are sounding weaker and
weaker every time.”
She inched forward, going up on her knees until she
was so close he could feel her soft, warm breath on his face. The tiny freckles
on her nose were so close he could count them. Fifteen, he knew there were
fifteen because, idiot that he was, he’d been counting them for years.
“You’re not that much older than me, and just because
I’m someone’s sister does not mean I’m not a woman.” Her hands snaked around
his neck. “A woman with needs and desires.”
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