A Kiss for A Kiss, an all-new
surprise baby, mature adult romance from
New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting is available now!
I’m Jake Masterson, single dad, and the General
Manager of Seattle’s NHL team. I walked away from a career as a player so I
could raise my daughter. For the last twenty-plus years, Queenie has been my
main priority, but now she’s getting married.
And there’s a small complication.
A beautiful, sexy complication named
Hanna.
She’s my son-in-law’s older sister. Or at least
that’s how they were raised. The truth is a little more scandalous than that.
I’ve been drawn to her from the moment I laid
eyes on her. And I spent months trying to keep a lid on that attraction.
Until we finally give in.
It starts with one searing kiss, but quickly
ends with us between the sheets—and in the shower, and the hot tub, you get the
picture—and turns into months of sneaking around.
Here’s the problem: we live on opposite ends of
the country. It can’t be anything but casual. And as I’ve already said…it’s
complicated.
But when Hanna finds out she’s
pregnant…suddenly things get real serious.
Excerpt
“You’re
trouble tonight, aren’t you?” Her fingertips dance along my traps as she
brushes past me. “And yes, to answer your question, I did, in fact, bring the
red bikini.”
She
disappears down the hall to the spare bedroom, where she’s sleeping tonight.
Because I invited her to stay at my place this weekend rather than at King’s.
It’s not that she isn’t welcome there. It’s more that she wants them to have
their privacy. It also means I get more time with Hanna, so it’s a win all the
way around. And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been thinking a lot about time
alone with her this weekend.
I
change into my swim trunks, pour myself a scotch, heavy on the rocks, and her a
glass of wine before I make my way outside. I set the drinks on the outdoor
dining table, remove the hot tub cover and check the temperature, making sure
it’s not too hot.
Once
I carry the drinks over and set them in the cup holders, I sink into the hot,
bubbly water, stretch my arms out, let my head fall back and my eyes close. All
the time I’ve been spending with Hanna is starting to get to me.
Reminding
me that I’m in my forties, and very much still a bachelor. There are a lot of
reasons why getting involved with Hanna on a romantic level would not be a good
idea. Queenie and King’s relationship being at the forefront.
But
she’s fun. And sexy. And we get each other.
A
minute later, the sound of the sliding door opening and closing and the slap of
flip-flops against the deck have me cracking a lid.
“You
better not be sleeping already!” she calls out.
“Not
sleeping, just waiting on you.”
I
watch as she pulls the tie on her robe and the terry fabric slips over her
shoulders, revealing that red bikini I’m such a fan of. Hanna is all curves.
Amazing curves. The kind I’ve fantasized about putting my hands on plenty of
times over the past several months. And with us spending a lot more time
together, it’s been hard not to give in to the constant draw.
I
rise from the water and hold out a hand as she climbs the steps. Her fingers
slip into my palm, sending a jolt down my spine and a stirring inside my swim
trunks.
“Could
you try to be a little less beautiful all the time?”I tease as I help her into
the tub. “Could you try to have more of a dad bod?” She drags her fingers down
my abs, brows waggling, a smile on her gorgeous face. “You are definitely good
for my ego, Jake.” She pats me on the chest and sinks into the water on the
opposite side of the tub from me.
Which
is probably a good thing since I feel like we’re playing with fire tonight. The
kind I wouldn’t mind pouring a gallon of gasoline on just to watch it burn
brighter.
“That
was a great engagement party. I think the kids had fun, don’t you?”She
stretches her legs out. Her toes skim the outside of my thigh and I barely
resist the urge to run my hand up her calf.
I
don’t know what’s in the air tonight, but things seem…different. Heightened.
“Yeah.
It was good,” I agree. She pokes me with her toe. “Then why are you frowning?
You’ve been off all night. What’s going on?” With all the planning and talks
we’ve been having, Hanna and I have gotten to know each other better. And she
can read me pretty easily.
“I
don’t know. On one hand, I’m happy for King and Queenie and I know he’s going
to be a great husband to my daughter, but I spent all these years raising her,
and being there for her. They’ve been living together for months, but for some
reason, it’s all kind of hitting me. It’s real now.” I take a sip of my scotch.
“It’s different from when she went away to college, and even when she moved out
of the pool house and in with King. There’s this hole I didn’t expect.”
“It
sounds like empty nester’s syndrome.” She moves to the spot beside to me, where
the glass of wine I poured her sits.
“Is
that what this is? I’m all morose and shit.”
She
chuckles and props her elbow on the edge of the tub. “You need to look at it
with a fresh perspective, that’s all. You’re not losing your daughter. It’s
different with girls. Sure, she’s found her partner in life, but she’s always
going to be your baby girl. And the two of you are so close.”
“I
don’t know what to do with all of this freedom,” I admit. “My entire life up to
this point has been revolved around raising Queenie and my career.”
“Which
means you did your job. And that’s a good thing. Think about it, Jake. This is
the great part about having a kid young. Sure, you lost out on the freedom of
your twenties, but in some ways, this is even better. You’re in your forties.
You have a great job, you’re in incredible shape.” She twists and pulls her
knee up so it rests against my thigh, her arm extending along the back of the
tub, fingertips skimming my . “You have all of your hair.”
“I’m
definitely grateful for the last one,” I joke.
“You
have great hair.” She runs her fingers through it. “It’s sexy.” She bites her
lip and then shakes her head. “Anyway, what I’m saying is, you’re in the prime
of your life. Most people in their forties are raising teens, or maybe their
kids are getting ready to go to college. You’ve done all that. Now you can just
live. You can date. Have fun. Do whatever you want.”
“Fun
would be good.”My gaze drops to her lips. “And I’d like to do whatever I want.”
“Me,
too.” Her bottom lip slides through her teeth. “Like right now I could kiss
you.”
“You
definitely could.” I skim her thigh under the water with my fingertips.
She
nods. “There’s nothing stopping us.”
“So why
aren’t your lips on mine yet?” I ask.
Hanna
shifts again, her wet palms come to rest on either side of my jaw, and she
presses her soft lips to mine.
I
slip my hand under her hair and wrap it around the back of her neck. For a
moment, I question whether this is a good idea. But when our lips part and our
tongues meet, I forget all the reasons why it might not be.
I
groan as I sink into the kiss and our tongues tangle. She tastes fruity, like
the wine she’s been drinking. She straddles me and settles in my lap, her
breasts pressing against my chest.
She
breaks the kiss for a moment and our eyes meet. “I’ve been thinking about this
for months.”
“I’ve wanted to know what your lips taste like since the first day I met you,”
#SportsRomance #SurprisePregnancy #SecretRomance #ARC
5 STARS
Mature characters in a surprisingly complicated
relationship.
I have waited for Jake and Hanna to get together. This was worth the wait. Their story is written in first person from a
dual POV. Though it is book four in the
series it can be a standalone with a HEA for Jake and Hanna.
Hanna has a complicated relationship with Ryan, from A
Secret for a Secret. She falls into a
fling with Jake, who happens to be Queenie’s dad, and who becomes Ryan’s
father-in-law in this book. I really
appreciated that both Hanna (46) and Jake (45) are mature characters who end up
getting thrown for a loop with a surprise pregnancy. I loved that the author tackled the risks of
midlife pregnancy as well as the perspective change required to become parents
again at that age when they least expected it.
I love the communication that must happen between Jake and Hanna to get
to their HEA. I love the passion they
share. Their relationship and a baby add
additional complications to already complicated family dynamics, and I
understood Hanna’s hesitancy regarding the relationship.
I loved Hanna’s story.
I loved how her relationship with her mother changes and grows over the
course of the book. I adored the
relationship she forms with Queenie and the girls in Seattle as well as the
relationship she shares with her best friend Paxton. Everyone needs a best friend like her. I was disappointed with Jake’s initial
reaction to the pregnancy, but proud of how Hanna handled his response. I loved that it did not take him long to get
it together and become the hero I knew he would be. I really enjoyed the read
which made me laugh, cry, swoon, and break out a fan. Their HEA in the epilogue is sweet and full
of hope for the future.
About Helena
Hunting
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of PUCKED, Helena Hunting lives on the
outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately
intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst
to romantic sports comedy.
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Website: http://www.helenahunting.com/
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