The gentle giant slowly awakens her long-dormant
passion.
NIC
Rossi Brothers #2
JM Stewart
Released Nov 14th, 2016
Single
father Nic Rossi’s only desire is to raise his little girl with the same love
and security his grandparents gave him and his siblings. That is, until Anna
Thompson and her frightened daughter walk into his family restaurant, looking
for employment, and turn his carefully ordered world upside down.
On the run from her abusive ex, Anna wants one thing: a quiet place like Angel Bay to raise her daughter. But she needs a job to pay for that dream, even if her new boss is a man whose sheer size makes her tremble. Yet Nic’s capacity for kindness leaves her feeling safe for the first time in years, and the gentle giant slowly awakens her long-dormant passion.
Then her ex-husband turns up like a bad penny, threatening not only Anna’s safe haven but Nic’s daughter in the bargain, forcing them to choose between love and family.
On the run from her abusive ex, Anna wants one thing: a quiet place like Angel Bay to raise her daughter. But she needs a job to pay for that dream, even if her new boss is a man whose sheer size makes her tremble. Yet Nic’s capacity for kindness leaves her feeling safe for the first time in years, and the gentle giant slowly awakens her long-dormant passion.
Then her ex-husband turns up like a bad penny, threatening not only Anna’s safe haven but Nic’s daughter in the bargain, forcing them to choose between love and family.
EXCERPT
She blew out her held breath, pushed
her plate away, and offered him a smile. “Thanks for the meal. I will repay you. I need to get her to
bed. What time would you like me to be here tomorrow?”
She scooted out of the booth, but his
hand caught her arm before she could turn to pick up Lacey. Blood whooshed in
her ears, and breathing became impossible as panic clawed its way through her
chest. Tony’s face lodged itself in her mind. Eyes narrowed and staring her
down. The way he looked right before his
fist came down on her …
He’s
not Tony. He’s not Tony. She repeated the long-held mantra
over and over and drew slow, deep breaths in an effort to put a lid back on the
panic. Still the room around her spun as the past closed in on her.
“The meal’s on me, remember? You can
pay me back by letting me help you.”
Nic’s voice jerked her back to the
present. She lifted her head to find him watching her, gentle concern in his
searching eyes. Was he really this nice? Or was this just a ruse, the way it
had been for Tony? She didn’t know, but she had no desire to find out. She
didn’t need his help. She just needed a job.
She glared at Nic. “What is it with
you? Do you have a thing for taking in strays or something, Mr. Rossi?”
“My name is Nic, and yes, actually I
do. My nonna used to roll her eyes every time I brought home a stray cat or
dog.” Amusement laced his tone, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
God, did nothing faze the man?
His expression sobered. “Let me help.
Because I can.”
She blew out a defeated breath. “Why
do you even care?”
“Why do I scare you so much?”
Touché.
Nic released her arm and folded his
hands on the table instead. “You want the God’s honest truth? That’s why I give
a damn. Because I terrify the both of you, and I hate it. Every time I look at
your daughter, I see my own.”
She wrapped her arms around herself.
The man left her feeling open and exposed. He offered her something she didn’t
know if she could ever repay: human decency. “I can’t ask you to do that for
me.”
“Then do it for her.” He nodded in
Lacey’s direction.
J.M. Stewart is a coffee and chocolate addict who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two sons and two very spoiled dogs. She’s a hopeless romantic who believes everybody should have their happily ever after and has been devouring romance novels for as long as she can remember. Writing them has become her obsession.
