Stacey Joy Netzel

After escaping an abusive ex-husband, Jenny Clark focuses on making ends meet from one day to the next. Then she meets her new apartment building manager, and the passion in his kisses dare her to believe she could have a second chance at love.At a crossroads in his life, Grant Walker returns from New York to manage his apartment building in Redemption. He didn't expect to meet the woman of his dreams and find everything he never knew he wanted in small town Wisconsin.But someone doesn't want either of them to be happy, and even as menacing acts of vandalism pull Jenny and Grant closer together, a harbored secret could destroy all hope of their happily ever after.EXCERPT:Grant motioned Jenny back toward the door with a little jerk of his head. "Can I talk to you for a quick sec?"She followed him outside, and once out of sight of the other girls, he turned to face her."What's up?" she asked.He cast a cautious glance around the barnyard before crooking his finger for her to come closer. His secretive demeanor made her wonder what the heck was going on, and she snuck her own furtive glance as she moved forward. There was no one around. Nothing looked out of the ordinary."What is it?"She turned back to face him as Grant leaned in, and she caught her automatic reflexive jerk backward. His lips curved into a grin seconds before settling on hers. Closing her eyes, she relished the warmth of his mouth, and a moment later, willingly parting her lips with the first sweep of his tongue. He slid one hand into her hair at the nape of her neck while the other settled at her curve of her waist.As the kiss deepened, she lifted her arms around his neck, raising on her tiptoes to press full against him. A low moan rumbled in his chest, and his arms closed around her. His lips and tongue caressed hers, coaxing a response and sparking desire like she hadn't experienced in so very long. The press of her sensitive breasts against his unyielding chest started that throb of arousal deep inside.Wrapped in a world of wonderful sensation, she clung to him even as he brought the kiss to an end."Well, hell," he murmured in a husky tone. "That backfired.""How so?" Jenny braced her hand against his chest to support her weak knees.He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face before resting his forearm on her shoulder. "That was supposed to give you something to think about while I'm gone, but all it did was get me worked up."Palm still pressed to his chest, she noted his rapid heartbeat, felt the synchronized beat in her own body, and admitted with a suddenly shy smile, "That's not all it did."His brown eyes darkened even more as they took in her flushed cheeks. He rubbed his thumb over the racing pulse point near her collar bone, and a smile curved his mouth. "Good. Because I've been wanting to do that since Tuesday."Feeling a bit bolder after the kiss, she suggested, "Next time don't wait so long."The smile became a grin. He drew her forward for a brief, firm press of his lips, and then abruptly broke contact and departed with a brisk, "I'll be back by five-thirty."After he'd driven away, she turned for the barn and found the other two women at the doorway watching her. Her face heated, but wiping the foolish grin off her face proved impossible."Someone's got it bad," Joy said, grinning with her."I'm that obvious?""Well, yeah, but I was talking about him."

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