In Just Jenny, Jenny Nance has a plan—save enough money to tour the world. The desire to traipse the globe is a dream she once shared with her twin sister. Jenny made a deathbed promise to her sister that she would go to all the places they had fantasized visiting together. Nothing will entice her to break her vow to Natalie, not even the sexy new Blue Ridge Valley police chief . . . No matter how attracted she is to him.
Dylan Conrad left the Chicago Police Department to accept the position as Chief of Police in Blue Ridge Valley. Burned out and haunted by a tragedy of his own, he needs to get away from the memories tormenting him. He’s hoping to find peace in the small mountain town, but the quirky residents, an infamous moonshiner, an errant prized bull, and a feisty redhead by the name of Jenny weren’t quite what he had in mind.
“Have you ever traveled? You know, like to other countries?” Jenny said.
“Yeah. Why?” Her question had come out of nowhere, and I waited to see where she was going with it.
She shrugged. “Just wondered. My dream is to go on a world tour. I’m leaving right after Autumn’s wedding. My flight is booked and paid for. I’m saving as much as I can between now and then so I can travel as long as possible.”
I leaned against the door of my car and crossed my arms over my chest. “When’s the wedding?”
“Second Saturday in December.”
So she’d only be around two more months. Probably for the best. I found her too intriguing. “Where do you want to travel?”
Her eyes lit up. “Everywhere! The Netherlands, Peru, China, Ireland, Scotland.” She laughed. “You name the place and I want to go there.”
I wanted to take all that energy and excitement to bed with me. “You’ll get to all those places, Red, if you’re determined to make it happen.” I could see that it wasn’t just idle talk, that she would live out her dream.
“I know. It’s just seems like it’s taken forever to save the money I need, but I’m almost there.” She eyed her car. “I’ve thought about selling my Mustang, but there’s no way I can bring myself to sell Lady.”
“You named your car?” This girl kept making me smile, and even though I was rusty at it, it felt good.
“You didn’t?”
“Didn’t know I was supposed to. How about Gaga? Then together we’d have Lady Gaga.” I loved how she laughed—deep, throaty, and sexy.
“Please don’t name your car Gaga.”
“Pity. I was rather liking it.” She took a few steps toward her car, and I wanted to ask her to come home with me, help keep my ghost away.
“Well, it’s getting late. I guess I should head home.”
Did guess mean she really didn’t want to leave? I was out of practice and didn’t like being unsure of myself. Put me in a roomful of misbehaving cops and I was confident I could whip them into shape, but I was at a loss as to how to go about seducing one slip of a woman.
“Good night, Dylan.”
There was no one else walking by, and damn if I was going to let her go without at least a kiss. I followed her to her car, opening the door for her.
“I think I should kiss my new girlfriend good night.”
A wide grin split her face. “You mean pretend girlfriend. Thank you, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” I did some fast thinking. She fascinated me, and I wanted to get to know her. “You know, it might not be a bad idea for us to continue the ruse for a while. Make sure he doesn’t doubt that you’re no longer available.”
“After tonight he’s probably given up.”
“Maybe, but we can’t be sure.” Was I pushing too hard?
“True, and he is stubborn. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to be seen together now and then.”
I hoped for more than now and then, but it was a start. “Can I kiss my pretend girlfriend good night?”
“Will it be a pretend kiss?”
“Red, when I kiss you, there will be no pretending about it.” I’d asked her twice now, and she’d evaded answering, which I took as her answer. I hid my disappointment, smiled at her, and said, “Good night, Jenny.”
“Wait,” she said when I stepped away.
“Hmm?” I paused, waiting for her to speak.
She grinned, then tapped her lips with her finger. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Am I? What’s that?” After her evasion, I wanted her to say it, to ask for a kiss.
“My kiss.”
“Ah, that.” I walked back to her, put my hands on the roof of her car, caging her between my arms, and lowered my face until our mouths were only inches apart. “To set the record straight, this kiss is going to be real.”
“Yes, please.”
That made me smile. She was simply adorable. I brushed my lips over hers. Her mouth was soft and warm, and although I’d only intended a brief good-night kiss, just one taste of her and my intentions flew out the window.
I moved to one corner of her mouth, teasing her with little flicks of my tongue. Her breath hitched, and when she tried to meld our mouths together, I dodged her attempt, moving to the other side of her lips, then gently nipped on her bottom lip.
She let out a soft whimper, and I was lost. I swept my tongue into her mouth, finally and fully tasting her. And forgetting we were standing in a restaurant’s parking lot, I plastered my body against hers as our tongues tangled in an age-old dance. It had been so long since I’d had a woman’s soft body pressed against mine, and I desperately wanted her. Right here. Right now.
Before I truly lost my mind and ravished her in a parking lot, I lifted my head, smiling down at her. It was only because of my training that I was able to project an image of control. Inside I was a trembling mass of desire. At least I wasn’t the only one affected by that kiss. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air.
“Good night, Red.” I wondered what she’d say if she knew she was the first woman I’d kissed since burying my wife.
“That was nice,” she said, then ducked into her Lady car.
I grinned as I watched her drive away. Nice, huh? “Next time we kiss, Jenny Girl, I’ll do better than nice.”
“Yeah. Why?” Her question had come out of nowhere, and I waited to see where she was going with it.
She shrugged. “Just wondered. My dream is to go on a world tour. I’m leaving right after Autumn’s wedding. My flight is booked and paid for. I’m saving as much as I can between now and then so I can travel as long as possible.”
I leaned against the door of my car and crossed my arms over my chest. “When’s the wedding?”
“Second Saturday in December.”
So she’d only be around two more months. Probably for the best. I found her too intriguing. “Where do you want to travel?”
Her eyes lit up. “Everywhere! The Netherlands, Peru, China, Ireland, Scotland.” She laughed. “You name the place and I want to go there.”
I wanted to take all that energy and excitement to bed with me. “You’ll get to all those places, Red, if you’re determined to make it happen.” I could see that it wasn’t just idle talk, that she would live out her dream.
“I know. It’s just seems like it’s taken forever to save the money I need, but I’m almost there.” She eyed her car. “I’ve thought about selling my Mustang, but there’s no way I can bring myself to sell Lady.”
“You named your car?” This girl kept making me smile, and even though I was rusty at it, it felt good.
“You didn’t?”
“Didn’t know I was supposed to. How about Gaga? Then together we’d have Lady Gaga.” I loved how she laughed—deep, throaty, and sexy.
“Please don’t name your car Gaga.”
“Pity. I was rather liking it.” She took a few steps toward her car, and I wanted to ask her to come home with me, help keep my ghost away.
“Well, it’s getting late. I guess I should head home.”
Did guess mean she really didn’t want to leave? I was out of practice and didn’t like being unsure of myself. Put me in a roomful of misbehaving cops and I was confident I could whip them into shape, but I was at a loss as to how to go about seducing one slip of a woman.
“Good night, Dylan.”
There was no one else walking by, and damn if I was going to let her go without at least a kiss. I followed her to her car, opening the door for her.
“I think I should kiss my new girlfriend good night.”
A wide grin split her face. “You mean pretend girlfriend. Thank you, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.” I did some fast thinking. She fascinated me, and I wanted to get to know her. “You know, it might not be a bad idea for us to continue the ruse for a while. Make sure he doesn’t doubt that you’re no longer available.”
“After tonight he’s probably given up.”
“Maybe, but we can’t be sure.” Was I pushing too hard?
“True, and he is stubborn. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to be seen together now and then.”
I hoped for more than now and then, but it was a start. “Can I kiss my pretend girlfriend good night?”
“Will it be a pretend kiss?”
“Red, when I kiss you, there will be no pretending about it.” I’d asked her twice now, and she’d evaded answering, which I took as her answer. I hid my disappointment, smiled at her, and said, “Good night, Jenny.”
“Wait,” she said when I stepped away.
“Hmm?” I paused, waiting for her to speak.
She grinned, then tapped her lips with her finger. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Am I? What’s that?” After her evasion, I wanted her to say it, to ask for a kiss.
“My kiss.”
“Ah, that.” I walked back to her, put my hands on the roof of her car, caging her between my arms, and lowered my face until our mouths were only inches apart. “To set the record straight, this kiss is going to be real.”
“Yes, please.”
That made me smile. She was simply adorable. I brushed my lips over hers. Her mouth was soft and warm, and although I’d only intended a brief good-night kiss, just one taste of her and my intentions flew out the window.
I moved to one corner of her mouth, teasing her with little flicks of my tongue. Her breath hitched, and when she tried to meld our mouths together, I dodged her attempt, moving to the other side of her lips, then gently nipped on her bottom lip.
She let out a soft whimper, and I was lost. I swept my tongue into her mouth, finally and fully tasting her. And forgetting we were standing in a restaurant’s parking lot, I plastered my body against hers as our tongues tangled in an age-old dance. It had been so long since I’d had a woman’s soft body pressed against mine, and I desperately wanted her. Right here. Right now.
Before I truly lost my mind and ravished her in a parking lot, I lifted my head, smiling down at her. It was only because of my training that I was able to project an image of control. Inside I was a trembling mass of desire. At least I wasn’t the only one affected by that kiss. Her chest heaved as she sucked in air.
“Good night, Red.” I wondered what she’d say if she knew she was the first woman I’d kissed since burying my wife.
“That was nice,” she said, then ducked into her Lady car.
I grinned as I watched her drive away. Nice, huh? “Next time we kiss, Jenny Girl, I’ll do better than nice.”
A member of Romance Writers of America's Honor Roll, Sandra is a 2013 Golden Heart® Finalist for her contemporary romance, CRAZY FOR HER. In addition to her contemporary romantic suspense novels, she writes Regency stories.
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Great excerpt!! Sounds good!Shared on all my socials!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cover and sounds fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI like the cover. I love these kinds of stories set in small towns.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds so romantic!I love it!
ReplyDeletesounds good!
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This looks fabulous! I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteLooks good.
ReplyDeleteJust Jenny sounds like a good read. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSeems like the kind of book I like to read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance!
ReplyDeleteI liked both the excerpt, and the gorgeous book cover.
ReplyDeleteI would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including Just Jenny. I wish the best in keeping up the good work in the future.
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