Spotlight: Cowboy Kind of Hooked by Becca Turner
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Only An Okie Will Do, Book 8
Contemporary Western
Date Published: 01-16-2024
The moment Chance Nash bumps into a sassy blonde at the local bar, he knows she's The One. She might play hard to get, but he gradually wears her down and even learns her name on their first date.
Isla Michaels has come to Oklahoma under false pretenses. Sort of. Although she grew up with privilege, her family life lacked warmth. She recently learned she has a half-brother she never knew about. In order to meet him, she pretends to be interested in one of his horses. Maybe if it goes well, she'll tell him who she is. What she doesn't expect is to be charmed by Chance. He's cute, he's caring, and he immediately breaks through the walls she's erected to keep her heart safe.
But pressure to return home is mounting and Isla's still not sure she wants to spill the truth about her family history. Her deepening feelings for Chance complicate everything she planned for her future. And even though he promises to follow her anywhere, she knows it's wrong to take him away from his family legacy. Isla's decisions will either lead her away from the cowboy she's hooked on or back home to the austere life she built before Chance.
Excerpt
Isla smiled. “My brother’s going to worry if I don’t come home.”
“It’s not like I’m trying to kidnap you. I’m inviting you to an event. That’s all.” She sighed and leaned back onto her palms. “Maybe I should let you kidnap me. I could live the life of luxury as a rodeo clown’s wife.”
“Hey! I’m not a clown.”
“You look pretty funny to me.”
She laughed as she met his gaze. In her denim and plaid, she looked at home in the back of his truck. Like she belonged there with him. Bonus that she loved horses. And he loved her wicked sense of humor. She kept him on his toes.
He ducked his head. “I know you’ve gotta go home. I just wish you didn’t.” The river rippled past them slowly pulling at the banks. A few crickets chirped among the grass and weeds. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect evening. “A little bit of me wishes I didn’t have to either.” She rubbed at a smudge of dirt on his tailgate. “Maybe I’ll call Rhett and tell him you did kidnap me, but I’m cool with it.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I ain’t even kissed you yet.” Her icy blue gaze met his. “What’s stopping you?”
Isla inched closer to him until their thighs touched.
Chance twisted toward her. “You sure about this? Because once you kiss me, if you leave, you’re gonna regret every minute you spend away from me.”
“Oh my God, you’re cocky.” For a second, her teeth sank into her lower lip. Then she leaned into him.
He gripped her waist as their mouths met. Isla pressed against his chest as her hands slid up to cup his face.
She kissed like a lazy summer day—hot and slow, promising more. Adventure and excitement. She took her time, exploring his mouth, stroking her thumbs over his cheekbones. The tips of her fingers brushed into the hair right above his neck. Lightning zagged through his veins. Every bit as addicting as the thrill of dodging the blow of a bull.
Chance sucked in a breath when her hand fell on his belt buckle. “Isla…” She looked up at him, blue eyes sparkling. “Yes?”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Her head tilted and she traced the embossed letters on the buckle. “I’m not in the habit of doing things I don’t want to do.”
He swallowed as her fingers dropped below the warm metal. “Damn, girl. You’re making it hard to be a gentleman.”
“Maybe I’m trying to make sure you want to follow me back to Arizona.” Her tongue slid over her lower lip. “Because in spite of common sense, I really like you.”
“That’s kind of obvious. I don’t want you thinking I set it up this way. I didn’t bring you out here to seduce you.” He stroked a hand over her hair. “I wanted to talk. Get to know you. You’re funny and smart. Smart enough to know you don’t have to hook up with me if you don’t want to.”
The smile edged toward a frown. “Are you trying to turn me off?”
That was the last thing he wanted to do. “No, ma’am.”
“Are you shy or something?”
In front of this beautiful woman who was way out of his league? Hell, yes. “Um…” She continued to watch him through thick lashes, but she drew her hands back. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I’m not usually the type who throws herself at a man right after meeting him.”
“But there’s something between us that clicks.” He pulled her hands into his. “You feel it?”
She nodded. “As much as I tried to pretend I didn’t.”
“I think you’re beautiful.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to her neck. “I want you real bad.”
More than he’d wanted a woman in a while. As Isla tipped her head back and closed her eyes, he breathed in the citrusy scent of her hair. “Sunshine.”
One of her eyes opened. “What?”
“You remind me of sunshine.”
“Oh. Thanks, I guess?” The familiar smile returned. “You remind me of a wild horse. A little mysterious, all untamed.”
He shook his head. “Nope. That’s you. Ain’t no way anyone could tame you. And if they tried, it would be a tragedy.”
She laughed before she kissed him again.
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About the Author
"The West isn't won until a cowboy claims your heart."
Becca Turner was raised in Missouri except for a couple of formative years in SW Oklahoma that left her with an Okie accent. One day she was reading cowboy romance novels and wondered why they're all set in Texas. Then she set out to do something about it.
She lives in Missouri with her husband and two dogs.
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