REELING HIM IN

A Man of the Month Club Novella – Candy Cane Key #1

by Kara Kendrick

Release Blitz

Release Date: January 1, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Trope: Grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, small-town, beach romance

Synopsis

What happens when Little Miss Sunshine wins a night with her archnemesis and the town grump, all in the name of charity?

I never participate in Candy Cane Key’s annual Manuary auction for reasons. Mainly, why would anyone spend money to hang out with me? Sure, I’ve been told I’m good-looking—in a rugged kind of way—but people aren’t my jam. Honestly, I prefer fishing over talking any day of the week.

But when my life-of-the-party twin brother comes down with the flu the night of the auction, I’m suckered into standing on stage for him.

Even worse?

The bane of my existence, Lark Meadows, is the highest bidder.

Now I have to spend the next twenty-four hours listening to her pitch the boutique inn she wants to build on the land next to my bait shop. The land I own and don’t intend to sell. Ever. I’ve already turned her down once, but Lark isn’t taking no for an answer.

Worst of all?

I’m starting to kind of like her. And we might have kissed. But there’s no way Little Miss Sunshine is going to change my mind. No matter how sweet she or her deal is.

Excerpt

“You’re growing on me, Lark.” Levi takes a step toward me, grabbing me by the hand and pulling me up against his hard chest. “Come here.”

He drops his lips onto mine and I melt into his hard body, opening my mouth to him. He picks up where we left off back at the inn, but this time his hands shift lower, moving all the way down to my ass. He squeezes and wetness soaks my panties. I press against him, shimmying my hips against the bulge in his pants.

“Fuck, you’re sexy,” he murmurs into my open mouth, his voice gravelly with need.

“I never thought I’d say this—but same.”

Levi fiddles with the hem of my T-shirt, inching it higher and higher until it’s up past my bra.

“Go ahead. I already gave you the sneak peek back at the spa.”

His lips twitch as he strips my shirt off me, then does the same with his, flinging them both to the deck. Reaching around, he slowly unties the strings of my bikini and the black fabric falls away, joining my shirt.

“Magnificent,” he says, dropping down and tonguing one nipple to a hard point, then the other. I press into him harder as the boat rocks and he grips my waist, grounding me as my muscles becomes looser and more pliant. He palms one breast while he licks and sucks at the other and my body lights up like a Christmas tree.

I could do this every day.

The thought skitters through my mind, but I shut it down, focusing on the here and now. Levi’s hot, wet mouth on my breasts, the goosebumps rising when the chilled air touches my heated skin. He sinks down onto his knees in front of me, pulling my shorts all the way down to my ankles. Sliding his palm up my inner thigh, he pauses at the apex, cupping me at my core.

“You’re wet.”

I nod at him through lowered lashes as he hooks his thumbs in the sides of my bikini bottoms, dragging them down. Then he slides his hand back up, dragging his fingers through my wet heat before tasting his finger.

“Cherries.” He winks at me and my cheeks flame.

Levi dips his head, licking and sucking, and my legs are so weak I think I might fall down. Sensing this, he lifts me in his arms and carries me to the bench seat at the back of the boat, lying me down on the leather cushions.

“Hang on to the railing. I don’t want you falling.” He guides my hand to the rail, and I wrap my fingers around the cool metal, gripping it tightly. Levi straddles my naked body and feasts—sucking at me while I writhe beneath him, every nerve ending on fire.

“Oh fuck, Levi,” I moan, threading my fingers through his hair. He runs a rough palm over my skin, all the way up to my breast, tweaking my nipple and I cry out.

“You like that, don’t you?” he asks, lifting his eyes and shooting me a mischievous grin.

All I can do is nod. He does the same to the other nipple, then slaps the side of my ass lightly, sending a shimmery pleasure shooting through me.

“More,” I stammer, and he slaps me lightly again before climbing up my body and taking absolute possession of my mouth.

“You’re a dirty girl, Lark,” he murmurs, and I nod.

“Mmm-hmm.”

“I like dirty girls.” He breaks our kiss, moving his lips down my neck, nipping at my sensitive skin.

“Well, I like dirty boys,” I whisper, running my palm over the hard plane of his back muscles. “Very much.”

“Tell me more.”

“I like dirty boys who take charge. Who won’t take no for answer,” I say, reaching down and fumbling with the button of his shorts.

Without hesitation, Levi stands and strips off his khakis, then his briefs, flinging all clothing aside. Now we’re both naked, the sunset a bright pink over the water. Levi wraps his hand around his rigid cock, stroking it.

“I especially like dirty boys with big cocks,” I whisper, sitting up and wrapping my hand around Levi’s, stroking him. He groans, moving in between my spread thighs, and I move my other hand around to his firm ass.

Tentatively, I lick at the tip of Levi’s cock, ringing my tongue around his warm flesh and tasting him.

“Bananas,” I murmur, taking more of him into my mouth. Levi only groans, pressing deeper into my mouth. I take him in as deep as I can, kneading the hard muscles in his ass as he undulates slightly.

“Take me deeper, Lark,” Levi commands, and I do, relaxing my jaw and taking him into my mouth as far as I can.

“That’s a good girl,” he says, stroking my hair, and a warm feeling of pleasure slides through me.

The sun sinks lower and now the sky is a fiery orange. The boat rocks gently in the waves, Levi’s hands moving from my hair, caressing my neck.

“I’m going to come if you don’t stop,” he says, pulling out slightly. “And I never come first.” He pulls out, dropping down to his knees and coming back up with a foil packet.

“Seriously? You came prepared?” I ask, shock in my voice. “I thought you hated me.”

“I was a Boy Scout. Old habits die hard. And for the record—I never hated you.” He rips open the foil, sheathing up.

“So this isn’t a hate fuck, then?”

“Not on my end. What about you?”

I eye him, taking my time looking him up and down, admiring his muscular physique. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Now that we got that out of the way…” Levi sits down next to me, pulling me onto his lap in a straddle so I’m facing him. “You can watch the sunset while I make sweet, sweet love to you. Or drill you, whichever you prefer.”

About the Author

Kara Kendrick writes fun and flirty Contemporary Romance destined to give you all the feels. A reformed English major, she also has a master’s in counseling and was an elementary school counselor in her pre-mom life.

She loves the beach, wine, and rock hard abs, not necessarily in that order. When she’s not dreaming up Happily Ever After’s, you can find her chasing after her boy-girl twins, working out semi-hardish, or walking her adorable Shiba pup with her husband, who’s not too bad himself.