Butterfly Harbor Stories Book 11
by Anna J. Stewart
Genre: Clean Contemporary Romance
She’s playing it safe…
He’s anything but!
Famous race car driver Declan Cartwright is only in Butterfly Harbor to recuperate from a devastating crash. But when food truck operator Alethea Costas literally falls into his arms, he realizes the sleepy seaside town has more to offer than he imagined. Alethea is drawn to the charming daredevil despite her cautious nature. Can he show her that taking a chance on life—and love—is worth the risk?
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Worth the Risk Excerpts
#1
Moving across the large front yard was an adventure in tetanus avoidance. The property was a mess, from the overgrown yard to the tarp-covered something that had probably been a car in a previous life. Junk and debris, from car parts to plywood scraps, had piled up to the point of merging into an unidentifiable blob. Add in some nuclear waste and it would probably form into a comic book super villain.
The whirring continued, this time accompanying an energetic, male and very off-key declaration to “shake it off.” Stifling a laugh, she approached the door and poked her head just inside.
A dark figure dropped straight down like a giant spider splayed on an industrial metal web.
Alethea yelped and jumped back. She’d have landed right on her butt if a large, rough hand hadn’t reached out and caught hers. Rather than steadying her, she found herself yanked forward and into the solid embrace of her caterwauling mystery man.
“Oh, wow.” She grabbed hold of his shoulders as he swayed, feet dangling a good few feet off the ground, at the end of a harness and pullied rope. His hold on her was steady, sturdy, and, as he shifted his grip, seemed to be sending tiny little shock waves rocketing through her system. She blinked, clearing the surprise from her eyes and drew him into focus.
Long, shoulder-length dark blond hair. A good three days growth of beard covering what she suspected was a stone-carved jaw. His gray eyes reminded her of a summer storm, with lightning bolt sparks of amusement curving his full lips into an entertained smile. “Wow.” She said again as the flush warmed her face.
“Sorry to scare you.” He released her, reached down to unhook himself from the rope, and still hung onto it while he lowered his feet to the ground. “Lost my hold on the rope. You all right?”
“I’m fine.” She stepped back, tucked an invisible curl behind her ear and shoved her suddenly shaky hands into her pockets. His voice carried a hint of the South and coated her roughened heart like smooth molasses. She took a deep breath and wondered when the combination of leather, sawdust and sweat had become appealing? “I called out from the house.” She had to shout over the music. “But I guess you didn’t hear me.” She inclined her chin toward the Bluetooth speaker that continued to blare. “Nice music.”
#2
Declan set the book down on the counter, faced Alethea, who he had no doubt had something to say about both his plans and his impulsiveness. Sure enough, the disbelief on her face had every hackle rising inside him.
The second he opened his mouth, something sharp stabbed him in the back of his calf. What the…he didn’t want any new pains! He let out a strangled, rather pathetic groan.
“What’s wrong?” Alethea demanded as he reached back and down.
When he encountered something furry, soft and moving he nearly jumped out of his shoes. The tiny stabbings made their way up the back of his jeans, into the fabric of his shirt until the kitten he’d met earlier settled on his shoulder.
“Percy.” Sebastian sighed and walked around the counter, reaching for the cat. “I’m so sorry. He’s usually pretty skittish which is why I let him wander. I want him to get used to people. But not like that.”Sebastian continued to hold out his hands for the tiny fur ball. “Come on, little guy. Let’s discuss boundaries and personal space.”
Percy’s claws came out to cling to Declan’s shoulder. He mewed and dug his claws in deeper.
“Ow. Ow. Okay, how does something so little hurt so much?” He waved Sebastian off and reached up to gently grasp the cat, who released his hold the second Declan touched him. Declan pulled the cat down and held him up to his face, nose to nose. “You are too curious for your own good.”
#3
WAS SHE EVER going to get past this?
Walking to the marina with Declan after what had turned into a disastrous and rather silent breakfast felt like a punishment. She’d been determined to prove to him, to herself, that she could take chances, that she could appreciate the unexpected excitement and opportunities life presented and yet…
And yet.
She tucked her hands farther into the pockets of her sweatshirt and wondered how she could extricate herself from the rest of the day without looking like an even bigger fool than she felt. The marina stretched out before and around them, welcoming them into its embrace. She loved being here and watching the boats come and go. But rarely, if ever, did she want to be on one. What was wrong with her that she couldn’t leave the past where it belonged? Behind her.
“It occurs to me.” Declan spoke easily, so easily she had no doubt he’d been rehearsing what to say. “That we should be focusing on moving beyond acquaintances toward a more solid friendship. We really don’t know anything about each other. Other than what you’ve read about me online or heard on the news.”
“Acquaintances don’t really have much reason to delve deeper.” Alethea stopped walking. “In fact, it’s probably best if we keep things in that realm. I don’t think I should come along—”
“No.” He could have caught her arm, could have touched her in some way that would have made her want to stay with him. But he only blocked her path. “No, this is exactly why you should. I think there’s a solution to our situation.”
“Do you?” She looked at him through narrowed eyes.
“I might not know or understand a lot about you, Alethea, but I know you’re smart and I know you’re in pain. There’s also something between us. Maybe you felt it that first day. I know I did the second I touched you.” He stepped closer, but again, didn’t touch her. Simply feeling the warmth radiating off his body was enough to scatter whatever thoughts she still had in her head. “I’m a man who says what he thinks. Probably more often than I should. My sisters say I’m filterless. I think of it more as open and honest.”
Alethea ducked her head to hide her smile. She could see both sides of that argument. “Attraction doesn’t have to lead to anything.” She did not have time for, what would she call this? A romantic complication? “Being friends or even acquaintances is a good thing to be.”
USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes sweet to sexy romances for Harlequin and ARC Manor’s Caezik Romance. Her sweet Heartwarming books include the Butterfly Harbor series as well as the ongoing Blackwell saga. She also writes the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and contributes to the bestselling Coltons. A former Golden Heart, Daphne, and National Reader’s Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Since her first published novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has released more than forty novels and novellas and hopes to branch out even more thanks to Caezik Romance. Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. You can read more about Anna at her website, www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.
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