Capturing You (Maple Grove #1) by Katana Collins
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date of Publication: 12/16/14
Word Count: 72,000
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Book Description:
After discovering she's infertile,
Lydia Ryder has all but convinced herself that she doesn't need children or a
family to be happy. All she needs is her camera, her passport, and a damn good
manicure. And maybe, maybe a sexy male travel companion. But when her job as a
magazine photographer lands her in the small town of Maple Grove, NH, a
precocious ten year old and her single father barge into Lydia's life, turning
what she thinks she wants onto its head. In this town full of happily ever
afters, Lydia finds herself wishing for things she had sworn off long ago...
When Cameron Tripp's wife passed away
from heart disease, he thought he'd never find love again. He certainly never
would have expected a woman like Lydia Ryder to waltz into his life and awaken
his dormant heart and libido. But despite his better judgment, Cam finds
himself drawn to the vivacious and argumentative outsider. He quickly learns
that, like him, she knows all about misplaced trust, heartbreak, and how
quickly a family can fall apart if you let it.
As impassioned arguments morph into
frenzied kisses, the two wonder if one weekend can ever be enough. Despite
lacking a maternal side, can Lydia connect with his ten year old daughter? And
when Cameron finally learns the true nature of Lydia's article, the trust he
worked so hard to build crumbles once again. With such doubts filling their
minds, is there any hope that Lydia and Cameron will be able to start a new
life together?
Chapter Eleven
It
didn't take long before Cam was lying on the floor, face up, a half-empty
bottle of wine clutched in a hand. His ceiling fan was so dirty. He'd have to
make a mental note to dust up there next time. If he'd even remember in this
inebriated state. Do drunk people use words like inebriated? Apparently this
one did.
He
looked to his left, swiveling his head without lifting it off the floor. Callie
was lying face down on his couch. One leg dangled off the edge and knuckles
that grasped her bottle of vino scraped the floor. Her cheek was squished
making her loose lips pucker. Sensing his stare, she opened her eyes; they were
red and bloodshot. “You're so drunk,” she slurred.
“You're
an enabebler,” Cam attempted to speak. Clearly it wasn't going well. He could
tell in his own head it was wrong and his sister broke out in a fit of giggles.
“This
is fun,” she said, “Why didn't we ever do this before?”
“Because
you weren't twenty-one before,” he grunted and bringing the bottle to his lips,
took another swig. The sweetness wasn't so much of an issue after your sixth
glass. And after almost a whole bottle? You didn't even taste it anymore.
Callie
sat up on an arm, propping her body in some sort of yoga-like pose that made
Cam's back hurt just looking at it. Shit, he was getting old. “Listen, mister.
I've been twenty-one for...” she counted on a few fingers, her eyes rolling
into the back of her head as though the extra thinking hurt, “many months now.
There's no excuse!” Her elbow gave out and she fell back down onto the couch
with an oomph.
“Yeah,
well, I've got reponsibilities,” he said. “Responsilibilities,” he tried again.
“Re-spons-ib-ilities.” There. He got it, finally.
Callie
broke out into another fit of girlie giggles and rolled off the couch onto her
back next to Cam. He couldn't help but laugh too. And damn it felt good to
laugh. It was creaky; unused. But nice, nonetheless. “So seriously,” Callie's
eyes were only half open, “who's the city chick?”
Cam
groaned. Lydia. Everything came back to Lydia lately. “I need to be drunker if
we're going to talk about this,” he lifted the bottle again, the halogen lamp
reflecting off the tinted glass. It was noticeably lighter than before.
“C'mon,”
she propped herself up on an elbow. “Tell me about her.”
He
sighed. “She's...beautiful. Like a sunset on...uh, a summer's eve.”
Callie
burst out laughing again. “Okay, I think you've had enough,” she reached across
him and took the bottle from his hands. “You just compared a woman to a
feminine cleansing product.”
He
closed his eyes, picturing her face. That sleek chestnut hair; grey eyes with
little specks of gold like his granite countertops; high cheekbones and large,
plump lips. When he opened his eyes, Callie was looming over him smiling.
“You're thinking about her, aren't you?”
He
groaned. “She has a boyfriend. It's a moot point.”
“Did
she say it was a moot point?”
“She
doesn't have to. She has a boyfriend and she lied about it.”
Callie
arched an eyebrow. “Which only proves that she's into you, too.”
Cam
thought of the kiss; of her breasts pressed against his body, that silk shirt
tickling his skin. “Doesn't matter,” he mumbled. “Boyfriend. In New York. She's
leaving.”
“You
should sleep with her anyway,” Callie collapsed back onto the floor beside him
and he couldn't help but laugh at the statement.
“Okay,”
he said, “Now you're the one with the drunken drunk talk.”
“I'm
serious! Sleep with her.”
“She
has a boyfriend.”
“All
the more reason to do it. Neither of you will get attached.”
“You
want me to use her to get my feet wet again?”
“If
your feet get wet, I think you're doing it wrong.”
He
groaned. “Oh, gross. You're my baby sister...what do you know about sex?”
She
snorted a laugh. “You sure you want me answering that?”
“Oh,
god,” he covered his face with both hands. “No. You're twelve. You're
twelve and you collect My Little
Ponies.”
Grabbing
a pillow, she hit him playfully across the face. “Just think about it, bro. We
all just want you to be happy.”
Happy.
The word rolled around in his mind like a marble on a slick surface. It was too
soon to be happy. Too raw. He liked the wound—liked keeping it fresh and open.
It was his only connection left to Hannah.
Cam
pushed off the ground, room spinning as he got to his feet. With a groan, he
grabbed a plastic bag, gathering the empty bottles.
“What
are you doing?” Callie mumbled.
Cam
rubbed his eyes with a knuckle. “I can't have Maddie or mom coming home
tomorrow to find these. I'll take them out to the recycling tonight.”
Callie
gurgled something that half sounded like words before she rolled over, smashing
her face into a pillow.
The
recycling was locked in a wood shed on the edge of the property to protect
their garbage from bears. Cam shivered, his unlaced boots crunching in the snow
as he staggered to the shed. He had to pause a moment, leaning on the banister
to make the snow below him stop spinning.
At
the water's edge was a vision. A beautiful woman bundled in a coat staring out
into the night. Cam blinked. Was he just seeing things? Surely he couldn't
trust his eyes when he was this drunk.
But
then, the woman turned and he was struck by Lydia's stunning svelte body,
backlit by moonlight. She took his breath away and they both stood frigidly
staring at each other.
Tossing
the recycling into the shed, he huffed toward the frozen lake and Lydia stood
there, unmoving. His insides wrenched and he didn't bother thinking.
“Cam,”
she said as he approached. Only he didn't let her get anything else out. He
grasped her tiny waist with both hands and tugged her into him, sloping his
mouth down over hers in a kiss that stirred fire even on the coldest night.
She
moaned into his mouth and their tongues explored each other in wild, feverish
movements.
He
scooped his hand into her hair, tugging the strands and pulling her head back
to expose her neck. His erection nestled onto her hip and she ground against
him. “God, you are beautiful,” he whispered against her. “And smart. And
talented.” Then, dragging his lips up her neck, he scraped his teeth along the
tender flesh there. Her muscles quivered against his mouth and he grinned,
loving that he could affect her this way.
He
kissed her jaw up to her chin, pausing just in front of her full, curvy pout.
“What are you doing to me?” He rasped.
Lydia's
eyes danced, fluttering open to meet his gaze. She licked her lips and
swallowed. “You've been drinking.”
“Only
a little,” he lied. Cam tried to blink his alcohol fogged brain back into
commission, but all he could see was Lydia. All he wanted was Lydia. He didn't
care about the wine. Or the auction. Or the fact that she had some boyfriend waiting
for her in New York. He just wanted to live in the moment and for once do what
his heart desired. “I've wanted to do this since the moment I saw you,” he
groaned and pressed his lips to hers once more.
Lydia's
hand found Cam's erection and she squeezed him through the denim fabric.
“Fuck,” Cam hissed and trailed one palm down her back to her ass, cupping her
through flimsy pajama pants while the other slid into the front, nudging the
silky boy short panties to the side.
She
pumped him through his jeans and he brushed his fingertips across her damp
heat, dipping his fingers inside. She bucked against him and cried out, her
face falling into his shoulder with a stifling bite.
God,
she was so wet. So ready for him. He wanted nothing more than to bury his
erection deep inside her wet sex and lose himself there forever. He plunged two
fingers deeper this time, using his thumb to circle her clit. Within minutes,
she was trembling into his palm, crying out. Her muscles clamped his fingers,
pulsing as she came.
His
erection raged just as strong in her hand as she exhaled with a sigh. “That
was...” she swallowed. “That was...”
“Delicious.”
Cam finished for her, sucking his fingers clean. She tasted sweet and tangy and
all Lydia.
Her
eyes darkened. “Why don't we go inside so I can take care of you, now?”
Cam
looked to the house as a light clicked on in his kitchen. Lydia followed his
gaze, her eyes widening in alarm. “Oh, god. Is Maddie awake?” She covered a
mouth with her hand, moving it to the blush on her cheeks. “Oh, shit.”
The
ground below him seemed to be suddenly made of pudding and Cam could barely
keep his footing. “Y-yeah. I should probably get back inside,” he slurred.
Lydia
nodded. “Of course. I-I'll see you tomorrow.”
Cam
watched as she ran back to the guest house before he too, entered the house. He
fell back on the floor below Callie who had resumed her place on the couch. She
blinked awake with a knowing grin.
“Shut-up,”
he mumbled.
FYI,
reading Meeting You is a must before starting Capturing You; especially
when how these two met has such a big impact on the story. (At least I feel it
does.)
As
a huge fan of Katana Collins’ Soul Stripper series, I am a bit taken aback by
how sweet this read is. I am used to her action packed, sex infused epicness.
So when I got a modern day romance, I had to shift gears from all my
preconceived notions of her prior writings.
So
what do I think? It is sweet and lovely. Lydia and Cameron have an attraction
within moments of meeting, but that is all it is: a fleeting moment. Months
later, these two meet again with the conduit of Cameron’s daughter and an
auction that commemorates his late wife. I am always happy when an author
includes a child into the story as an active member and not a side note. This
is done unbelievably well.
Lydia
and Cameron dance around each other with lust and distain. There are other
factors that are at play, trying to manipulate family members as well as the media.
It was a bit predictable at times, but with the writing style and such likable
characters, that can be overlooked.
All
in all I really liked this introduction into the Tripp family. This is going to
be a great series and I feel it will just keep getting better and better as we
get to know the Tripp siblings.
4
Stars
T~
Katana Collins Katana Collins splits
her time evenly between photographing boudoir portraits and writing
steam-your-glasses romances. Between navigating life as a small business owner,
a first-time homeowner, and a newlywed, Kat is in a constant state of
"OHMYGODINEEDCOFFEENOW."
She is the author of the Soul Stripper
trilogy, Wicked Exposure, and the graphic novel, Cafe Racer, co-written with
Sean Murphy.
She and her comic book artist husband
commute back and forth as they please between Brooklyn, NY and Portland, ME
with their ever-growing family of rescue animals (up to two dogs and a cat and
still counting!). She can usually be found hunched over her laptop in a cafe,
guzzling gallons of coffee, and wearing fabulous (albeit sometimes impractical)
shoes.
Visit her on the web at www.katanacollins.com , on Twitter @katanacollins,
or find her on Facebook www.facebook.com/KatanaCollins
3 paperback bundles of the Soul
Stripper Series open to US Shipping
2 digital bundles
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