Publication Date: August 18th 2015 by Berkley
About the book:
From the New York Times bestselling authors of the Masters of Ménage series . . .
They
are the Perfect Gentlemen of Creighton Academy: privileged, wealthy,
powerful friends with a wild side. But a deadly scandal is about to tear
down their seemingly ideal lives . . .
Maddox Crawford’s
sudden death sends Gabriel Bond reeling. Not only is he burying his best
friend, he’s cleaning up Mad’s messes, including his troubled company.
Grieving and restless, Gabe escapes his worries in the arms of a
beautiful stranger. But his mind-blowing one-night stand is about to
come back to haunt him . . .
Mad groomed Everly Parker to be a
rising star in the executive world. Now that he’s gone, she’s sure her
job will be the next thing she mourns, especially after she ends up
accidentally sleeping with her new boss. If only their night together
hadn’t been so incendiary—or Gabe like a fantasy come true . . .
As
Gabe and Everly struggle to control the heated tension between them,
they discover evidence that Mad’s death was no accident. Now they must
bank their smoldering passions to hunt down a murderer—because Mad had
secrets that someone was willing to kill for, and Gabe or Everly could
be the next target . . .
My
Thoughts:
Gabriel and Everly’s lives collide
during very inconvenient circumstances, but their combustible attraction can’t
be denied or ignored, and so they spend a passionate 48 hours together not
knowing how very connected their troubles are.
Both are hit hard when Maddox
Crawford is killed. Maddox was Gabriel’s best friend, but they recently had a
big falling out, and now he’s inherited Maddox’s company. Everly is an executive in Maddox’s company
and they shared a very close friendship, one that many speculated was more, and
so with his loss Everly is not sure she’ll still have a job. The situation turns even more precarious when
it becomes apparent Maddox’s death wasn’t an accident. When Gabriel and Everly’s identities come to
light it creates problems and suspicions, but that must be put on the back
burner when it becomes apparent and there's a threat to both Everly and Gabe,
and they must work together to find a murderer.
Everly and Gabe instant attraction
was all consuming! It started out with a sizzling 48 hours, and I do mean sizzling! Gabriel was insatiable,
surprising himself with just how much he wanted Eve. He couldn't get enough of
not only her body, but her mind too. Gabriel's life is turned upside down when Maddox
is murdered, and Everly provided a much needed distraction, but their connection
turns into so much more. In spite of everything going on Gabe tries to figure
out a way to hold on to her, and I so loved his determination! Very sexy
indeed!
Everly feels overcome by her
attraction, wanting more, but in the background thinking it’s just not
possible. It feels like too many things are in flux and her life is in upheaval
after her mentor dies. With her future is uncertain, having time for a
relationship seems unrealistic. Plus,
Everly suspects Gabriel is the playboy type and while it seems like what they
have is more, she doesn’t want to get her hopes up. When they discover just who each other are,
things become even more complicated, and Everly is prepared to walk away, and I
really didn’t blame her. Everly was a strong, feisty heroine, capable on her
own and I liked her immediately. Thankfully,
Gabe and Everly are forced to work together and sort out their emotions along
the way.
Scandal Never Sleeps was an exciting start to The Perfect Gentlemen series! Shayla
Black and Lexi Blake expertly combined mystery, danger, twists and romance in
just the right amounts to keep me glued to the pages. I can’t wait for the next installment!
4 Suns
Excerpt:
“What are your plans tonight, Eve?”
That was a loaded question. Her current plan included going to a
lonely apartment where she could worry about her future and try to figure out
if someone had murdered her friend. She could be alone with her fear and doubt
. . . but she didn’t really want to. “I was getting ready to leave. What about
you?”
“So was I. I thought I’d get some dinner before I called it a
night. I don’t think the food here is going to be any good. Giovanni’s is one
block over. Italian might be nice. I can promise you won’t have any trouble
getting a glass of wine there.”
“You’re asking me out?” It was a little surreal. She saw much more
attractive women still in the bar. Why had he chosen her? Maybe he liked a
curvier girl. Some guys did.
His face settled into a polite mask. “I don’t know that I would
call it a date.”
“What would you call it, then?”
He stepped closer, into her personal space. “Eve, I want to be
honest with you.”
Eve. She wasn’t Everly to Gabriel. Which meant that he didn’t
expect her to be a good, polite girl. She didn’t have to be shy about what she
wanted.
She stood a bit taller and met his beautiful blue eyes. She could
see the five‑o’clock shadow darkening his jaw and wondered what it would feel
like to brush her fingertips over his face, to run her thumb across that full
bottom lip of his. “Honesty is good.”
She wasn’t being entirely honest with him, but it didn’t matter.
They were sharing a moment out of time. She wouldn’t see him again. She didn’t
even know his last name.
“I’m looking for an escape tonight. I can find it in the bottom of
a bottle or I can take you out of here and try to make us both feel good. Why
don’t you let me buy you dinner and plead my case?”
He was asking her to sleep with him. A one-night stand. She’d
never had one. She’d slept with two men in her whole life, and they’d both been
her boyfriends. Sex had been all right, but something about the look in
Gabriel’s eyes told her this would be far better.
He wanted to escape. She wasn’t sure from what, but she glimpsed a
world of worries and sorrow in his expression that drew her. She understood
loss and longing. She knew what it meant to need a few hours of escape. Hadn’t
she been wanting that herself?
A single memory pierced her in that moment. Two days before he
died, Maddox had shaken his head over her nonexistent dating life. He’d tried
to persuade her to let him set her up on a blind date, but she’d said she
didn’t have time. She’d needed to get some reports done and go through the
purchase orders on the new hard drives and security systems. He’d rolled those
piercing eyes of his.
You need to live a
little. Your whole life can’t be spent behind a computer screen. Life is often
about taking risks. Sometimes you have to leave yourself to figure out who you
really are.
She didn’t have to be herself. Not tonight.
“Kiss me.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop
them. She was never bold or brazen when it came to men. She’d never demanded
anything sexually of a lover, but she wanted Gabriel to kiss her. She wanted to
see if that spark she felt translated to something truly physical.
She expected some discussion, and when he hesitated, she was more
than willing to admit that she’d been hasty. Everly was about to shake her head
and try to laugh the incident off when he cupped her face and his body brushed
hers. He tilted her head up and his mouth descended.
Soft. His lips were soft
on hers. Gentle. He moved with predatory grace. His fingers sank into her hair,
and her hands seemed to naturally find the lean muscles at his waist. Even
through his crisp dress shirt, she could feel the heat of his body. It
practically poured off him and into her, warming her skin and making her come
to life.
He was gentle, but Everly knew precisely who was in charge. His
lips locked onto hers, leading her. A little tug on her hair told her which way
he wanted her to move.
Everything about him—scent,taste, feel—made her melt. She forgot
where she was, forgot that they were in public. The noise of the bar receded
until all she could hear was her own heart beating furiously in her ears.
Nothing mattered at all but the feel of his body under her hands, the masterful
way he moved her.
“Is that what you wanted, Eve?” He breathed the words against her
mouth. “You wanted to see if I can kiss? I can give you more. I don’t simply
want to kiss your lips. I want to strip you down and find out if you’re as
sweet and soft everywhere as you look. I want to run my tongue over your skin
until I memorize how you taste. I want to kiss you so long and hard that you’ll
forget you were ever kissed before.” He lifted his head up and dragged in a
breath. “So what do you say? Will you have dinner with me?”
She swallowed. His words made everything but her need fall away.
“It’s not dinner I’m interested in anymore.”
Posted
by arrangement with Berkley Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A
Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © Shelley Bradley, LLC and DLZ
Entertainment LLC, 2015.
About the authors:
Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal and historical romances. Shayla has received or been nominated for the Passionate Plume, the Holt Medallion, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence and the National Readers Choice Award. She lives in Texas with her family. Connect online with Shayla Black:
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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author
Lexi Blake began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. Lexi lives in North Texas with her family. Connect online with Lexi Blake:
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