Roman Holiday 1: Chained: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance (6 page)

Flirting with Disaster

Truly (Coming Spring 2014)

Novellas

Room at the Inn

How to Misbehave

Making It Last

Roman Holiday (Serialization)

P
HOTO
: M
ARK
A
NDERSON
, STUN P
HOTOGRAPHY

USA Today
bestselling author R
UTHIE
K
NOX
writes contemporary romance that’s sexy, witty, and angsty—sometimes all three at once. After studying British history, she became an academic editor instead. Then she got really deep into knitting, as one does, followed by motherhood and romance novel writing.

Her debut novel,
Ride with Me
, is probably the only existing cross-country bicycling love story. She followed it up with
About Last Night
, a London-based romance whose hero has the unlikely name of Neville, and then
Room at the Inn
, a Christmas novella—both of which were finalists for the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Her four-book series about the Clark family of Camelot, Ohio, has won accolades for its fresh, funny portrayal of small-town Midwestern life.

Ruthie moonlights as a mother, tweets incessantly, and bakes a mean focaccia. She’d love to hear from you, so visit her website and drop her a line.

http://www.ruthieknox.com

Be sure to continue your Roman Holiday with Episode 2:
Hitched

* * *

“You really shouldn’t get sexually involved with your boss,” Ashley said. “It’s such a bad idea. This one time, I was working at a swim-with-dolphins place, and—”

“She’s not my boss,” Roman shot back.

“But you
are
sleeping with her.”

No response from him.

“Or maybe you just want to be? If so, I’d lay off the
kitten
thing. you’ll never get her to give it up that way.”

“Don’t be crude.”

“What, you’re not trying to get her to give it up? You are straight, aren’t you?”

“None of this is open for discussion. It’s private. My private business.”

It was. And her heart was pounding, her head full of imaginary versions of Roman’s Carmen. Long, thick black hair. Lush curves packed into a designer suit.

Killer high heels.

She didn’t like these visions—this physical reaction—but if Roman’s locked-down mouth was any indication, he didn’t like it even more.

“Maybe it’s not open for discussion, strictly speaking, but here we are, stuck together for however many hours, and you’ve already kissed me. We should probably—”

“I didn’t kiss you. You kissed me. If I’d had any warning, I would have stopped you.”

“Okay, well, all I was trying to say is that we should get this stuff all out in the open. Like, I should probably tell you that I’m not currently involved with anybody. There was a guy with the nonprofit in Bolivia, Chad, but he came back to the States a few weeks before I did, and anyway he wasn’t all that in the sack. Not bad on oral, but—”

“Ashley,” he interrupted. “I’m not
interested
in your sexual exploits.”

The extra emphasis he bestowed to the word
interested
gave her a thrill.

“So you’re saying you’re not available?”

* * *

Coming November 18th. Preorder now!

Curious about something? Want to ask the author a question or chat with other readers?

Visit the Roman Holiday forum at
http://forum.ruthieknox.com
and join the conversation!

Or subscribe to the Roman Holiday mailing list at
http://www.ruthieknox.com/roman-holiday-mailing-list/
to be notified when new episodes are available.

And don’t miss the
Camelot
series which begins with a deliciously sexy original novella, in which a good girl, Amber Clark, learns,
How to Misbehave.
Her brother Caleb meets headstrong Ellen and the two bump
noggins—
and bodies—in
Along Came Trouble.
Sister Katie Clark enters a no-strings fling that looks an awful lot like falling in love—or,
Flirting with Disaster.
Lastly, revisit Amber and a story that will take you to new heights with a desire reinvented,
Making It Last.