10 Reasons to Love Adam Waters
The Hero of THE BABY BARGAIN
1)Β Β Β Adam is a former Marine. Like all veterans, he is willing to die for his country. That makes him brave, loyal and committed.
2)Β Β Β Heβs loyal to his friends. When Adam leaves the service and comes home, he creates the One A Marine Security Agency to give his friends from the Marines a job and a purpose. Adjusting back to civilian life can be challenging, but Adam is there to make the transition easier.
3)Β Β Β Adam also hires the widow on a friend who died in the line of duty. Adam never leaves anyone behind, even family members of fallen soldiers.
4)Β Β Β Adam rescues a dog that was hit by a car taking her to a veterinarian (Dr. Megan Young, the heroine) then taking the dog home with him.
5)Β Β Β Adam and Megan have a past. When Adam sees her again, he owns up to his mistake of hurting Megan in the past and apologizes. Whatβs not to love about a man who recognizes his mistakes and is sorry?
6)Β Β Β When Megan reveals a secret that shocks Adam to his soul, he still steps up and protects her from a looming danger. He is protective like that.
7)Β Β Β Adam wonβt blame a child no matter what mistakes the parents make. In fact, he soon falls in love with the child and wants only the best for him.
8)Β Β Β Adam respects Meganβs work as a veterinarian and is proud of her. Heβs alpha in all ways, including being strong enough to recognize and admire the accomplishments of others.
9)Β Β Β In a terrible moment of disaster, Adam instantly acts, saving a life.
10) Adam is tortured by old demons, but for Megan and their child, he faces them down with the same courage that he fought for his country. Heβs willing to make any sacrifice, or face any challenge to have Megan and their child.
Bonus Point: Adam is a selfless, giving lover that rocks Meganβs world and melts her heart.
If you like fast paced, sexy, emotional stories with a to-die-for Marine hero, and a happily ever after, I hope youβll give THE BABY BARGAIN a try!
Now itβs your turn to share qualities you love in a hero!
Blurb:
Seeing Adam Waters is the last thing veterinarian Megan Young expects. Ex-Marine. Ex-boyfriend. And still extremely dangerous territory. But Adam doesnβt know the secret Megan has been keeping from him. The secret that was created three years ago, after their last night togetherβ¦
Adam returns to Ravenβs Cove to sell his home in a final break with the town and memories that haunt him. The problem is that his attraction to Megan is as blazing hot as it ever was. But when a vicious smear campaign against Megan turns ugly, Adam learns the truth he never knewβhe has a son.
Now the only way Megan can protect her child is to strike a bargain with Adam. And itβs a bargain that looks a lot like blackmailβ¦
Excerpt:Β
Chapter One
Dr. Megan Young sank into the empty receptionistβs chair to check her schedule for the next day. With her staff gone for the day, she enjoyed a few minutes of blissful silence before heading home.
Even Max was quiet as he snoozed in his bed at her feet. That was one of the perks of being a veterinarian; she could bring her dog to work.
The door opened.
βStay, Max.β Megan walked around the desk. βWeβre closed, but if this is an emergencyββ She snapped her mouth closed when she saw who it was. Not a pet emergency, but definitely a problem. It wasnβt the bulldog expression that worried her, but the envelope the man shoved in her face.
βMegan, be smart and take the money.β
Of course he didnβt bother with a greeting. Or even an explanation, not that she needed one. She stared pointedly at the thick white envelope in the manβs hand. βYou mean the bribe?β She let disgust coat her voice.
Nathan McCrayβs blue eyes narrowed. βNow you balk? After all the money you charged me for Celtic Fireβs vet visits? You milked my dimwitted ex-wife for every cent you could.β
Megan had to struggle to contain her boiling fury. βGet out.β She would not allow anyone to bad-mouth her integrity as a veterinarian. She loved animals, more than people sometimes, and she would never cheat their owners.
βI was a famous pro golfer while you were still in school.β He leaned closer and added, βI made Ravenβs Cove the town it is today, and I can destroy you and your veterinary practice with a few phone calls.β He shoved the envelope toward her. βTake the money Iβm offering you. All I want in return is your testimony that you have revised your medical opinion on Celtic Fireβs health, and I am the better person to get custody of her.β
Never.Β Nathan and his ex-wife were in a custody battle over their show dog Celtic Fire, and Debbie McCrayβs attorney had subpoenaed Megan to testify on Debbieβs behalf. This wasnβt Nathanβs first attempt to influence Meganβs testimony, but offering her a bribe was the most insulting. McCray had just proved himself to be the jerk she had always suspected him of being. βYou donβt deserve Celtic Fire. Debbie loves that dog.β
βFirst you force us to retire the dog from show. Now Debbie is trying to stop me from breeding her.β He snorted in disgust.
She glanced around her waiting room, done in mellow greens and browns that were meant to soothe the anxious owners of her patients. It didnβt help her right now. Turning back to McCray, she struggled to stay calm. βIβve explained this to you. The infection Celtic Fire had last year damaged her heart. A pregnancy could be dangerous. Even fatalββ
βThat dog is a champion, and after all the money and aggravation I put into her, I intend to recoup my investment.β
Sheβd heard enough. A dog was not anΒ investment. βGet out. Now.β
McCray stepped deep into her personal space. His perfectly tailored golf shirt and slacks did nothing to hide the true thug underneath. βNo one tells me to get out. Iββ
A low growl came from behind the reception desk.
The arrogant confidence in McCrayβs expression drained away to fear. βWhat is that?β
βMax, come.β Megan dropped her hand to her side and her eighty-five pound German shepherd mix walked over and sat beneath her hand. Then he pulled back his lips and growled low in his chest.
Megan felt the fur on his neck stand up. Max was easy-going until he got riled, and then he could be very intimidating, to say the least, making him the perfect companion. βI am asking you to leave, Mr. McCray.β
The manβs faded blue eyes darted to the dog, then back to her. βIf that dog comes near me, Iβll file a vicious dog report. And then you and the dog will be destroyed.β He backed toward the door, yanked open the handle, and left.
Through the window, Megan watched him practically run to his car. She dropped to her knees and hugged Max. βGood boy.β She pulled a treat out of her white coat pocket and gave it to him. The dog wolfed it down, and nudged her hand to check for more. βThatβs your limit on treats.β But there wasnβt any limit on her love for the animal, and she spent a few minutes petting and talking to him as her heart rate slowed from her encounter with McCray.
βTime to go home and see Cole.β
But the door opened again. Megan shot to her feet, worried that McCray had come back. She sucked in a breath and braced for another battle, then froze.
Not Nathan McCray.
This was worse.
Time slowed as she stared at the man pushing the door open with his shoulder. When the light hit his face, she gasped as the memories in her head spun and danced. Adam Waters. A part of her brain noted that he carried a dog, but Adam dominated her thoughts. Image after image flashed through her mind, snapshots of the man she had met in college and fallen in love with. But that was before he broke her heart.
Twice.
The second time, heβd told her he was never coming back.
βHello, Meg.β
His rich voice sounded exactly as she heard him in her dreams. But this was more like a nightmare.Β Adam.
βWhat are you doing here?β It was unbelievable. Adam had always hated Ravenβs Cove, while she had loved the small town nestled along the coastline not far from Carmel, California. Since Adamβs parents were no longer alive, she couldnβt imagine what brought him back here now.
He shouldered the door open wider and strode into the waiting area. Megan got her first clear view of the bleeding, whimpering dog in his arms. The animal weighed about forty poundsβpossibly a juvenile Labradorβbut Adam lifted it with ease. βTell you later. Right now, the dog needs help.β
The dog, concentrate on the dog, she told herself. βWhat happened?β
His golden-brown eyes darkened. βShe was hit by a car. The cretin kept right on driving. No one stopped.β
The disgusted anger riding his voice snapped her into action. βBring her to the back room,β she said and headed to the treatment area. Max started to follow. βMax, bed.β
Obediently, the dog turned and went to his bed behind the reception desk. In the treatment room, Megan donned gloves. βPut her on the table.β Adam gently lowered the dog.
Megan watched, mesmerized as Adamβs arms and shoulders rippled and bulged beneath his cotton pullover shirt. While he calmed the dog, questions blew through her mind, fast and furious. What was he doing here? Why was he in town? Did heΒ know?
Once the dog had stopped trying to escape, Adam straightened up to his full six-foot-two. He kept a hand on the dogβs back, rubbing her coat. And Megan saw that his brown shirt had dark patches of blood from carrying the poor animal.
βBad cut here.β Adam pointed to the dogβs left flank. βSheβs in a lot of pain, Meg.β
Meg.Β Heβd called her that for the nearly two years they had dated in college. But she didnβt have time for a trip down memory lane. Quickly, she moved next to him and examined the six-inch gash. The dog whimpered and tried to move away. All business now, she said, βMy staff is gone. Iβm going to need your help with her.β
βTell me what to do.β
βHold her and keep pressure on the wound.β She set a sterile pad over the cut and Adam pressed his large palm over it. With his free hand, he stroked the Labradorβs head gently. Megan checked the animalβs hip and leg, looking for anything that appeared broken or any sign of internal injuries. βNo tags on her?β
βNo collar at all.β He kept the animal still and somewhat calm by petting the dogβs furry brown head. βShe looks a little rough, like sheβs been on her own for a while.β He stroked the dirty, matted fur on the dogβs neck. βNo worries, girl, weβll get you fixed up. Find you a home.β
βShe might have a microchip.β Megan kept going with her examination, feeling the dogβs accelerated breathing, but she was reasonably certain it was from fear and pain rather than a chest injury. She didnβt hear any gurgling or wheezing. The dogβs gums were a normal color and her ears looked fine. Megan couldnβt feel any breaks or dislocations. βHer left flank and hip took the worst of it. I want to do an x-ray. Can you move her to the table right through that door?β She pointed across the room to the door of the x-ray room.
βSure.β Adam lifted her while Megan kept pressure on the wound. With Adam following directions, they worked seamlessly, and soon she was studying the x-rays on the light board. Satisfied, she went to the locked pharmacy cabinet while she said, βNo breaks or fractures. Iβm going to give her a shot, then suture the cut once sheβs numb.β
Adam returned the dog to the treatment table, and Megan injected the contents of the syringe into the animalβs hip. She looked up and met Adamβs eyes. For a second, everything else slid away and it was just the two of them, no injured dog, no old heartbreaks, no complicationsβ¦
βGood thing you were still here tonight,β he said softly.
His voice brought her back to reality. That was the danger of Adamβhis magnetism overwhelmed her until she believed he actually cared about her, wanted to share more than sex with her. But after being burned twice by his deceptive allure, she knew better.
βI got held up. I was just leaving when you came in.β She needed to check with her mom and see if sheβd keep Cole for a couple more hours. βI have to make a call. Watch her for a minute.β She peeled off her gloves, dumped them in the trash, and hurried to her small office to find her cell phone.
Her mom answered on the second ring. βHi, Sweetie. Going to be late?β
Parental guilt snaked through her as she walked down the hallway. βGot an emergency. Can you take care of Cole for a while longer?β
βOf course. Weβll see you when you get home.β
Grateful, she paused in the hallway. βTell Cole I love him. βBye.β She stowed her phone in her lab coat pocket and continued to the treatment room. She jerked to a stop in the doorway.
Adam had stripped off his shirt, and he stood under the lights, his skin gleaming with pure male strength. His muscles were well defined but not gym bulked. Nope, this body came from years of hard work. Back in college, heβd been hot in a cute, boyish way. But a decade in the Marinesβmany of those years in Special Opsβhad carved a hard and dangerous man out of the boy.
Adam belonged to the Marines, as evidenced by the emblem tattooed on his right biceps, an eagle holding a globe and anchor in his claws. Inked above the image were the wordsΒ Semper Fi, and below it the letters βUSMC.β A true symbol that heβd never belonged to her. She didnβt want to dwell on the old feelings that those thoughts dredged up and moved her gaze from his tattoo. His brown hair was longer than last time sheβd seen him, and his tawny eyes were edged in faint lines that hinted at torment. Once heβd been a heartbreaker with his good looks. Now he had a lethal edge that made him devastating.
His eyes brightened as he saw her. His gaze drifted down to her mouth, igniting memories of their shared kisses. Her skin warmed as she stood there, the moment growing intimate.
He lifted his stare to her eyes. βHave to cancel a hot date?β
Jerking her gaze away from him, she pulled herself together and went to gather up her suture supplies. βYou took off your shirt.β
βDried blood itches. I hate the feel of dried blood.β
His words hung in the air for a second, and Megan glanced over to see his jaw clenched tight, his chest rippling with internal tension. Bad memories? Ten years of being in war-torn countries had to have marked him.
βI have another shirt in the car.β
A wave of sympathy assaulted her resolve to keep Adam at a distance. That sympathy had been her downfall three years ago. Heβd come home for his parentsβ funeral, and her heart had ached for him losing both his parents in a car accident. Sheβd spent time helping himβ¦and theyβd ended up in bed.
She thought at the time that suffering such a loss had made him realize he truly cared for her. But the morning after his parentsβ funeral, he told her he was returning to duty and would never come back to Ravenβs Cove. He was done. Yet here he was, and Megan had to remember that she hadnβt meant anything to him beyond a few hours of pleasure. What else could she believe? If he had cared about her, he would have stayed in contact.
Clamping down on her feelings for Adam, on her desperate need to find out what he was doing in town, she returned to the dog and focused on the one who really needed her. Stroking her head, Megan said, βYouβre being a very brave girl.β The dogβs shivering had stopped and her muscles were relaxing. The shot was numbing up the area Megan had to suture.
βWho is Cole?β Adam asked, his voice edgy. βYour boyfriend?β
He must have heard her on the phone. Long practice kept her hands working steadily as she began suturing, but panic raced through her system at hearing that name on Adamβs lips. She could feel his stare on her as he waited for an answer.
βIs eavesdropping one of the skills you learned in Special Ops?β
He was silent, so she paused in her stitching and looked up.
His eyes heated. βNot skills, simple curiosity. Iβve missed you, Meg.β
Adamβs voice was pitched low and needy. The tone skated over her skin and sank deep into her belly. The memory of his touch was burned on her mind and body. Sheβd never found anyone else who made her feel like he did when he was with her, as if she was the center of his world. Twice sheβd thought that meant he wanted a real relationship, and twice heβd cut her off. That was what she had to remember for her own sake, not to mention Coleβs.
βNot interested.β
She returned her full attention to the dog that needed her. βAnd Cole is none of your business.β
But that was a lie.
Had she done the right thing by not telling Adam that sheβd had their son?
Book buy links for THE BABY BARGAIN:
KindleΒ |Β NookΒ |Β KoboΒ |Β iBooks
Author social / website links
Blog β http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/blog/
Website βΒ http://jenniferlyonbooks.com/jennifer-apodaca/
Facebook β https://www.facebook.com/JenniferApodacaAuthor
Twitter βΒ https://twitter.com/Jenniferlyon
Bio:Β
Award winning author Jennifer Apodaca grew up in Southern California and met her very own hero at the dog pound. She worked there, he came in on a business, and it was puppy love. They married and had three wonderful sons.
While her husband worked on his masterβs degree, Jen did the mom thing by day and went to college at night with the intention of perusing a marketing degree. But her trueΒ passion wasΒ writing. With time at a premium, she had to make a choice.
Choosing writing, and with the full support of her husband, she poured herself into her dream. A mere eight years later, she published her first bookΒ DATING CAN BE MURDER. In her career, Jen has written a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances. Taking the pen name ofΒ Jennifer Lyon, she also created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and most recently,Β The Plus One Chronicles, an emotional and sexy adult contemporary series.
Jen has achieved many of her dreams except for attaining a self-cleaning house, a latte delivery service, and finding the holy grail of nonfattening wine and chocolate. She can live with those disappointments as long as she can keep writing the stories she loves to share with readers.
Contest Information:
Grand Prize Winner will receive a $10.00 gift card to Amazon and an eBook of THE BABY BARGAIN.
TWO Runners-up will also receive an eBook of THE BABY BARGAIN
Just comment and fill out the rafflecopter below to enter!
Thanks for the posting and the blurb! Another book on my “to be read” list. π
Sandy, glad you enjoyed the blurb π
I am adding this to my TBR list!!! It sounds like a great read! π
Robyn, thanks so much!
I love finding new authors and books to read~~ My list just keeps growing…lol
Gail, I’m the same way! Love discovering new authors!
Thank you for the post. My TBR list is getting longer π
Becki, my TBR list in huge too π
OK. You’ve got me hooked. Fortunately I just got Amazon gift cards for Mother’s Day. This book will be on my kindle by noon.
Margie, oh thank you! Hope you enjoy the book!
I have read Jennifer’s paranormal series and so loved it. I haven’t read this one yet. I am sure it’s just as good though.
Thank you for inviting us to celebrate your new release.
Michelle, thank you on the Wing Slayers!
I loved the excerpt! The Baby Bargain is on my TBR list. Thanks for the giveaway!
Kim, thanks for putting The Baby Bargain on your TBR list π
Desiree, thank you so much for having me today, and letting me join in your awesome release party for BUCK NAKED π
Can not wait to read this…The teasers are just great.
Yes I have added to my TBR list. His past occupation is my lust.
Love books that have secret children and Marines! Thanks
I am so glad I clicked on this blog! I hadn’t heard of these books before, but will be added to my TBR list now!! Thanks!!
I love a Happy Ever After. Especially if it is someone who wants a baby really bad and finally gets one. I can’t imagine the pain someone must go through who wants a baby and can’t.
I’ve been wanting to read the Baby bargain for some time now, it looks like a great read!!
Adding this to my tbr pile! Sounds like a great read.
Love finding new authors, great excerpt!
Awesome contest !
Have added to my TBR pile which is ever growing. Thanks for the giveaway
Another great book to read. Thank you.
A story with a dog! I love animals and military men, can’t go wrong with this one!
What qualities do I love in a hero? I love a man who can laugh at himself and who can make me laugh.
Great excerpt. Definitely have my attention and I can’t wait to see what Meg does next.
mythic021@gmail.com
Awesome excerpt, would love to read the story!
I’ve really enjoyed some of your previous stories, Jennifer–have heard nothing but good buzz about this one! Looking forward to adding to my TBR π
ive heard so much about this book I cant wait to read it sounds so good . added it to my wish list
ive heard so much about this book I cant wait to read it sounds so good . added it to my wish list . ty for the chance
Love the theme of your books! How do you do your research for your books?
Thanks for the giveaway!