Today we have the blog tour for Erin Rylie’s
NEEDING TO LOVE YOU!
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NEEDING TO LOVE YOU
Author: Erin Rylie
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
Carlos Ramirez has always prided himself on two things: being damn good at his job on the Houston police force and being able to land any woman he wants. When a devastating car accident leaves him crippled and in excruciating pain, he begins to rely too heavily on his prescription painkillers. The only person who can help him heal is the only woman who has ever rejected him—and on more than one occasion. Living with Kelsey while he works through physical therapy wasn’t anything he ever expected to happen, but it might just be what he needs.
After a divorce that left her doubting her ability to love, Kelsey Byrne wants nothing to do with relationships. Unfortunately for her, the only man she could see herself loving needs a place to live and help while he recovers. She had a hard time pushing him away after a one-night stand, so how can she possibly keep him at arm’s length when he’s in her house every day, playing with her son, cooking her meals, and leaving her cute notes every morning? Carlos may be working his way into her heart one sweet gesture at a time, but can she give him everything knowing that she’s more than a little broken inside?
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Excerpt
She leaned across the table, well aware
that her shirt gaped when she did so. She could tell from the tightness of his
expression that he was struggling not to look down her shirt, still trying to
maintain the charade that he was a gentleman.
“This has already been the best date I’ve
ever been on. I’ve been waiting all my life to meet a woman like you—you’re
smart, funny, and full of fire. Even if this is all you can ever give me, this
right here, this night with you? It will be something I cherish for the rest of
my life.”
She leaned across the table, well aware
that her shirt gaped when she did so. She could tell from the tightness of his
expression that he was struggling not to look down her shirt, still trying to
maintain the charade that he was a gentleman.
Kelsey pitched her voice low so that
nobody else would overhear what she said but Carlos. “Would a gentleman go down
on me in the kitchen?”
Carlos grinned. “Absolutely, that
sounds like a very gentlemanly thing to do.” He winked at her, still managing
to keep his gaze on her face when she knew he wanted to look down.
“Well, I can tell you want to look down
my shirt. Trying to get a good look at my tits? What are you thinking about
doing to them right now?”
The smile slid from his face and his
eyes blazed with lust. He coughed and took a sip of the water she hadn’t even
noticed a server pouring. “I’m not thinking about them, actually. I’m thinking
about…um…baseball?” Carlos’s voice rose at the end, making his intended
statement a question.
Poor guy. Kelsey knew that she was
torturing him needlessly. “Just go ahead and look. I know you want to.”
Carlos eyed her suspiciously. “You won’t
call me a pig?”
“Nope,” she replied, popping the “p.”
Before the word had entirely left her
lips, Carlos had propped his elbows up on the table, rested his face in his
hands, and was staring at her breasts with open adoration. He let out an
audible sigh and just stared.
Their waiter chose that exact moment to
walk over, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Sorry to um, interrupt, but did y’all
want to order anything to drink besides water?”
“Not now, buddy. In the middle of
something,” Carlos replied, not moving an inch, his eyes locked on her
cleavage.
Kelsey sighed and looked at the waiter.
The poor guy was clearly uncomfortable, torn between doing his job and running
the hell away. “Sorry about him, I can’t take him anywhere, really. We would
love a bottle of Malbec; which do you recommend?”
The waiter stuttered out a
recommendation, which Kelsey accepted, and hurried off to get their bottle and
some glasses.
“Are you proud of yourself? You’ve
traumatized the wait staff. Next, the manager will come over and ask us to
leave.”
Carlos waved his hand in the air as if
the prospect of being thrown out of a fine-dining restaurant was of no
consequence. “I’m a cop, they won’t throw me out.”
“Wow, so you use your power for evil?”
“No, definitely not. But I will
absolutely use my power to get me more time with your breasts. I’m a boob man,
remember?”
“I thought you were an ass man?”
“On you, I like it all.”
Kelsey leaned back in her seat and
adjusted her shirt, hiding her cleavage from his view. Carlos put on his best
hurt look.
“Bye ladies, I’ll miss you.”
She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight
her smile. He was the most ridiculous man that she’d ever met. It was probably
one of her favorite things about Carlos, actually. He didn’t give a shit what
other people thought of him. He was always, unabashedly himself, no matter the
situation or setting.
The waiter returned, looking relieved
to see that Carlos was no longer openly gawking at Kelsey’s boobs, and poured
their wine before taking their dinner order.
As they waited for their food, they
slipped into an easy conversation, talking about work, Carlos’s physical
therapy, and of course James. The clear affection Carlos had for her son warmed
her heart. The two of them were definitely buddies. They frequently played a
game they’d invented called “Zoo Keeper,” and Carlos had recently ordered a
slew of board games for them to all play together. They actually had a
board-game night planned for Sunday when Kyle brought James home.
All of Kelsey’s usual reticence
disappeared when she was in the presence of Carlos. All of her relationship
fears fled, chased away by the ease of their conversation, by the occasional
heat in his eyes that did things to her body. It was the reason she’d been
avoiding him in recent weeks—he was irresistible to her and she needed to
remember why she avoided relationships. She was broken, and he deserved better.
He deserved someone who could love and cherish him for the rest of their lives.
She didn’t know that she could ever be that person for anyone, but damn, Carlos
made her want to try.
Before long, the sun began to set,
pulling Kelsey’s attention from their conversation. The light outside turned
orange, bathing downtown Houston in a warm glow that took her breath away. She
didn’t know that she’d ever truly appreciated the beauty of her city until now.
“Wow,” she breathed. “This view is
breathtaking, Carlos.”
She glanced over to find him gazing at
her, the open affection in his expression taking her by surprise. “Yes, it is.”
“Nope, no sir. You take that back. You
will not use some cheesy movie line on me on our first date. Try again,
please.”
Carlos laughed and nodded. “I meant it,
but fair enough. Okay, let me dig in the vault and pull out some of my best
lines. How about this one—I lost my rubber ducky, can I bathe with you
instead?”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Try
again.”
“Is your name winter? Because you’ll be
coming soon.”
“Oh my God, no!”
“Your breasts remind me of Mount
Rushmore, my face should be among them.”
Kelsey shook her head, her body quaking
with laughter.
“The FBI wants to steal my penis. Can I
hide it inside you?”
“Carlos! These are just getting worse.”
He looked thoughtful for a few moments
before a wolfish expression crossed his face. “Okay, I’ve got it, I have THE
pickup line. This one is definitely going to get me laid tonight.”
“Doubtful, but let’s hear it.”
“If it’s true that we are what we eat,
I could be you by morning.”
Kelsey laughed so hard she was wiping
tears from her eyes, and her cheeks hurt from the wide smile on her face.
Before she could respond, the smile dropped from Carlos’s expression, his
handsome face serious.
“I’ll try one more, deal?”
She nodded, unsure what to expect.
“This has already been the best date I’ve
ever been on. I’ve been waiting all my life to meet a woman like you—you’re
smart, funny, and full of fire. Even if this is all you can ever give me, this
right here, this night with you? It will be something I cherish for the rest of
my life.”
About Erin:
I'm a Montana born, Texas raised New Jersey transplant with a degree in hospitality. At 29 years old, I decided it was finally time for me to pursue my real passion in life - writing. I've been writing princess stories and LOTR fan-fiction since I was in middle school, so the transition into romance has been fun! When I'm not writing, I'm reading (fantasy, sci-fi and romance are my genres) or working. I'm currently obsessed with Brooklyn Nine Nine which should tell you all you need to know about my sense of humor. Finally, I am 100% an old cat lady. My cats Socks and Kaz are little weirdos and I love them more than most people.Connect with Erin:
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