Excerpt: The Rebel's Return by Victoria James

Publication Date: August 22, 2016
Genres: Adult, Entangled: Bliss, Contemporary Romance

About the Book

Natalia Puccini has spent her entire life playing by her overbearing but well-intentioned Italian family’s rules…except the one time she took a chance on a bad boy and fell hard. She’s worked to get her life back on track so when Aiden McCann comes sauntering back into town with his heart-stopping smile, Natalia vows not to fall for him again. There’s no way she’ll let him mess with her perfectly planned life…and there’s no way she’ll let him near her heart again…Now reformed and a self-made success, Aiden is tormented by regrets and secrets. He left Red River years ago filled with anger and resentment and a promise to never come back. But when his ill father needs help, Aiden knows it’s time to face the mess he left behind, and face the one woman he never got over. It doesn’t matter how beautiful or intriguing she is, though, because he’ll never be able to give her what she needs. As soon as his father is healthy, Aiden is leaving Red River…for good.

Excerpt

“I hate hating people. I just dislike you intensely, Aiden. Don’t mistake my being kind to your father as kindness toward you. As for being civil, I can do that, too.”

Ouch.

“Great. Well, now that we’ve cleared the air… I’m glad things won’t be awkward between us while I’m here.”

“No worries.”

God, this was going to be a long eight weeks. “Fine. So you hate me.”

She shook her head. “That’s such a negative emotion. Also, too strong of an emotion for a man I haven’t thought about in ten years.”

He crossed his arms. “You haven’t thought about me in ten years?”

“Nope. Not. At. All.”

He took a step closer to her, mostly because he couldn’t resist. “I think you’re lying.”

“And why would you think that?”

“You bring my father food every day.”

She took a step closer to him. “Because I feel bad for him, not because of you.”

“Well, you must think about me every time you walk into the house.”

She rolled her eyes. “More like a passing thought. Like if somebody puked after eating Chinese food, then every time they saw Chinese food, they made the association.” He was torn between laughing and being insulted. He glanced down at her mouth, and his stomach clenched. She still had the nicest mouth he’d ever seen. Soft, kissable lips, and he knew, remembered, exactly how she tasted. He was pleased to notice her gaze kept going from his eyes to his mouth. So maybe she thought about other things besides puking when he was around. Not that he’d let on. “When you think about me, you’re thinking about vomit?”

She nodded. “Pretty much. Welcome back to Red River, Aiden.”

And with those endearing words, the woman he’d thought he’d one day marry opened the door and walked out.

About Victoria James

Victoria James is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Victoria always knew she wanted to be a writer and in grade five, she penned her first story, bound it (with staples and a cardboard cover) and did all the illustrations herself. Luckily, this book will never see the light of day again.

In high school she fell in love with historical romance and then contemporary romance. After graduating University with an English Literature degree, Victoria pursued a degree in Interior Design and then opened her own business. After her first child, Victoria knew it was time to fulfill her dream of writing romantic fiction.

Victoria is a hopeless romantic who is living her dream, penning happily-ever-after’s for her characters in between managing kids and the family business. Writing on a laptop in the middle of the country in a rambling old Victorian house would be ideal, but she’s quite content living in suburbia with her husband, their two young children, and very bad cat.

Sign up for Victoria’s Newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming releases and exclusive giveaways, follow her blog for daily antics and insight into her daily life, and get to know her on twitter and Facebook. She loves hearing from readers! www.victoriajames.ca

Connect: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads Newsletter | Amazon Author Profile