Sinful Rewards 12
A Billionaires and Bikers Novella
By USA Today bestselling author Cynthia Sax
9780062354327 / Avon Red Impulse / On Sale: 6/16/2015 / $0.99
“A YEAR OF SIZZLING HOT SAX”
THE SEXIEST 12 MONTH SERIAL is SINFUL REWARDS
The thrilling conclusion to the Billionaires and Bikers series!
One tiny mistake turns Bee Carter's worst fears into a terrifying reality. She knows she isn't alone. The sexy, honorable man she adores stands by her side, willing to sacrifice his freedom to ease her concerns.
But she yearns for more than he is offering. She wants a partner who will love her as fiercely as she loves him, who will say the words and mean them, and someone who will choose her because this is what he desires more than anything else, not merely out of a misguided sense of duty.
Will saying no to the man she loves earn Bee unbearable heartache or will she finally get the forever she craves?
Nicolas stands in the hallway, a sheepish smile on his beautiful face, and my small burst of joy dissipates, replaced by the dreaded malaise. He’s handsome, the lights shining on his black wavy hair, tanned skin, dark eyes. He’s immaculately dressed in a gray suit, white shirt, pink tie. He’s carrying ice cream, a small tub of Heavenly Hash cradled in his perfectly manicured fingers.
But he’s not Hawke. He’s not the man I love, the only person I want to see.
“Don’t look at me like that, Bee.” Nicolas pushes his way into the condo. “I had that situation with the New York build last night. There will be fancy events in the future.” He holds up the tub. “I brought ice cream.”
I summon a smile. “You forgot about me.” I take the ice cream from the dashing billionaire. “What do those articles I sent you say about forgetting friends?”
Nicolas grimaces. “You knew I was a bad friend.” He walks with me to the kitchen, smelling of expensive cologne and wealth.
“You’re not a bad friend.” I set two bowls and two spoons on the counter. “You’re a terrible friend.” I open the tub of ice cream.
The real estate developer settles his long lean body on a bar stool and dips a spoon in the container. “You’re not giving up on me, are you?” The lines carved between his perfect eyebrows belie his casual tone.
“I’d never give up on you.” I knock his sucked-clean spoon away and huddle over the tub, protecting the ice cream from impatient-billionaire-induced contamination. “Hawke doesn’t love me,” I blurt, needing to voice this, to share this with someone.
“He said that?” Nicolas steals a spoonful of ice cream from the bowl I’m filling.
“No.” I frown, scooping as fast as I can. “But he’s never said he loves me, either.” I push Nicolas’s bowl toward him.
His eyes sparkle. “I’ve never said I love ice cream.” He shovels the sweet treat into his mouth with a boyish glee. “But I do. Very much.” His lips curl upward. “The name of this flavor is perfect. It is heavenly.”
“Hawke doesn’t love me,” I repeat stubbornly, dishing out a smaller portion for myself.
“A good friend would agree with you.” Nicolas’s head is bent over his ice cream.
“You’re not a good friend.” I place the tub in the freezer compartment of the fridge. “What would you do?”
“I’d tell you that neither of you are acting rationally, that if craziness is a sign of love, Hawke has it much worse than you.” Nicolas licks his spoon. “He guards you like you’re the last piece of prime real estate on the planet. I’m taking my life into my hands by simply eating ice cream with you.”
I climb onto the bar stool beside him, his observations about Hawke’s protectiveness appeasing me, banishing some of my melancholy. “He cares about me.”
“No, he cares about his team.” The billionaire’s lips flatten grimly. “Disregarding all of my advice about maintaining his distance.” Nicolas believes remaining aloof from his employees makes painful staffing decisions less traumatic. “What Hawke feels for you is in an entirely different category.”
“It isn’t love.” Or is it?
Saying Goodbye to Bee, Hawke And Nicolas
Cynthia Sax
One of the most common questions reading buddies ask me is “What is the toughest part of writing?” For me, the toughest part is the last chapter or, in the case of Sinful Rewards, my sizzling hot 12 novella contemporary erotic romance series, the last novella.
I know, while writing this part of the story, that I’ll be saying good-bye to beloved characters. Yes, I’ll be able to reread the story and visit them but I’ll no longer be living in their world, listening to their every thought, experiencing every emotion.
What will I miss most about the characters in Sinful Rewards?
Bee/Belinda
Bee, of all of the characters in Sinful Rewards, has grown the most. Our exhibitionist-in-training heroine started the serial with a fairly shallow view of others, herself, love, life. She’s endured quite a bit. These experiences have changed her.
I suspect she’ll continue to change, continue to make the transition from twenty-something new grad to mature, confident woman. She’s surrounded by strong female role models—her mom, Ellen, Lona. I can see them all influencing her. I’ll miss seeing that change.
Hawke
Hawke is a man of surprises. That’s what I’ll miss about our tattooed bad boy biker. He loves new experiences and sharing these new experiences with the people he loves. I doubt that he will ever have a ‘normal’ day. His job is constantly changing and he enjoys this aspect of it.
I couldn’t guess what he’ll be doing a day, month, year after Sinful Rewards ends. I know he’ll have his loved ones, his team around him. He’s as loyal as Bee is, as committed to his friends, family, woman. But I don’t know what his day will entail.
Nicolas
Nicolas is the character I wish I had spent more time with. Our jellybean eating billionaire has emotional depths we haven’t even started to explore. I’ll miss his self-depreciating sarcasm and his feigned arrogance, the vulnerability he hides under his business bastard personae.
I’ll miss the characters from Sinful Rewards but I feel fortunate to have known them. They’ve changed me as much as, I suspect, I’ve changed them.
USA Today bestselling author CYNTHIA SAX lives in a world filled with magic and romance. Although her heroes may not always say “I love you,” they will do anything for the women they adore. They live passionately. They play hard. They love the same women forever.
Cynthia has loved the same wonderful man forever. Her supportive hubby offers himself up to the joys and pains of research, while they travel the world together, meeting fascinating people and finding inspiration in exotic places such as Istanbul, Bali, and Chicago. You can visit her at @CynthiaSax and http://cynthiasax.com/
I did have a secret admirer, but it was very sweet and innocent. I was 14 :) good memories
ReplyDeleteI've had a few secret admirers
ReplyDeleteI have an admirer not a secret but he's a tad young for future romance :) but very sweet non the less ..
ReplyDeleteI had a secret admirer once. Sweet memories
ReplyDeleteI tried to a secret admirer to someone. This series sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteI have admired many people from afar...if I have ever had a secret admirer, I don't know...obviously it was a great secret !!!. thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
ReplyDeletei have never had a secret admirer that i know of..lol
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me today!
ReplyDelete(big hugs)
I really appreciate it!
I had the freakiest admirer, he used to leave me letters & notes on my car ~ I had no idea who it was until one evening I opened the blinds in my spare room and seen him in his window, facing my window playing with himself and left a note the next morning asking if I enjoyed the show!!!
ReplyDeleteSadly I have not been
ReplyDeleteI did have a secret admirer! I was a teenager then, which was a long time ago. He would leave notes on my car while I was at work. It never bothered me until he started leaving them on my car while I was at home. It then became creepy lol!
ReplyDeleteTo my best recollection, I have never had a secret admirer and neither have I ever been a secret admirer.
ReplyDeleteI had admired a few people :)
ReplyDelete