The Authors of Wanna Be Bad- Adaline Raine

Wanna Be Bad is an anthology of  hot and sexy stories about forty-something women who find their first (or second) chance at love, after spending most of their adult life focused on other things. This weekend, I'm introducing you to the fabulous authors who have contributed to this collection.

Today, I'm featuring Adeline Raine, author of Calling the Shots.

Roxy Monroe, a tough-as-nails emergency room nurse, finds herself at the bedside of a man who has stoked the fire of her fiercely protected heart. His name is Keith Cooper. He’s a paramedic and volunteer fire-fighter, and staring down at him, feeling her pulse race and heart quicken, she wonders if she’s the one in need of medical attention. 
Later the tables are turned, and when Keith rescues her from a life-threatening situation, Roxy finds herself asking him to dinner. In spite of her determination to keep him at arm’s length, Keith’s charm and wit slowly melt away her protective wall of ice…until her fear takes hold, and though deeply conflicted, she pushes him away. 
But has Roxy met her match? What happens when a stubborn woman and a tenacious man, both driven by love and an undeniable chemistry, find themselves in a clash of wills?

Excerpt:

"So, I don't remember seeing you around the ER before your suspected concussion incident. Did you move here recently?"
"You've never noticed me before." He cracked a smile. "I had to drag you out of a burning building for that to happen." Her lips twitched, but he couldn't tell why. "The answer is no. I've been with Life Trek since for about ten years or so? I took the EMT skills test on my eighteenth birthday and the paramedic on my twenty-first."
"Oh." A light flush crept across her cheeks. "Well, I've been sort of preoccupied. Thinking back, I'm sure I've seen you. Anyway, I hope your partner feels better." Trying to move past him proved to be a challenge. She shifted the board to her other side, but it pressed her hip into his. "Excuse me."
"Are you serious about dinner?" He brought up the earlier, more interesting topic. Keith stepped backward to insert himself between her and the exit.
"Yes. You saved my life. That doesn't happen every day. So I figured if our schedules matched up sometime between now and three years down the road, we can grab something to eat."
"If they don't match up in three years, the offer expires?"
"Yup."
"Roxy?"
"Okay, well not really. I'm working four nights in a row followed by three days off. You?"
"I'm also working the next four nights and then I get three off." He grinned in spite of himself.
"You're lying."
"I do not lie about nights. Those things are hell on earth."
"Fine. Pick me up at 6 o'clock on Thursday. It gives us both a day to relax and sleep." Her tone held an edge, but her eyes sparkled just a little.
"Do you plan on taking me to dinner in the hospital cafe'?"
"No. You’re driving me crazy." She reached into her pocket and then pulled out a notepad and a blue dry-erase marker. Roxy jotted what he hoped was her number down, and then ripped off the top sheet. "Here. I'm not good at small talk."
"I'll text you later on to get your address, but I'm sure we'll run into each other." He wanted to kiss her, right here in the damn dungeon, but what if he read her wrong? Maybe this was just dinner. No strings attached. Then why was she still looking up at him instead of rushing off?
"I bet we will. One other thing. I’m so sorry I caressed your buns."
"Don't be sorry." Risking a slap to the face, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'd say we're even."
"We're not even close to even."
"Oh yeah?" He grinned. "What do I have to do to you to get even?"
"No, nothing. That's not what I meant."
Roxy sounded like he had to grope her to be even. Not that he would mind doing so. "What did you mean?" He loved teasing her. It caused the light pink on her cheeks to deepen.
"Nothing. I have to get back." Roxy used the backboard as a battering ram to push him to the side but he caught it in his hands. "You’re getting on my bad side."
"Which implies at the moment I’m on your good side."

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