Colors of Us
by
Sandra Bunino
Genre:
Contemporary Romance/New Adult
Release
Date: August 2014
Everything
she knew to be true fell apart. Then fell apart again…
Michelle
Willis is running from her past. What better place to hide than in the
anonymity of New York City. Finding refuge in a tiny SoHo art gallery, she
rebuilds her life one painting at a time.
A wrong turn
sends Hunter McAvery on a crash course with disaster. He fights his own demons
by following his big brother’s lead - drinking and bed-hopping his way through
Manhattan.
A glance at
Michelle’s self-portrait triggers emotions Hunter can’t tamp down. Driven to
meet the artist, he discovers a fiery chemistry as their lives collide. But
when their past threatens to tear them apart, can their love survive?
“I think pink
is your color. It looks great against your dark hair.” Reaching past her
shoulder, he curled a strand of her hair between his fingers and tugged gently
before letting it fall onto her shoulder.
Meeting his
gaze, she smiled. “Thanks.” Michelle wasn’t used to compliments. It’d been her
goal to fade into the crowd and not to call attention to herself. But her
self-imposed rules seemed to float away around Hunter McAvery.
Returning her
smile, he continued the lesson. “After you slide your hands into the opening,
you’ll wind the long strap around your fingers and wrist like this.” Holding
her fingers in his hand, he wound the dangling strap around her palm and over
her knuckles. “You want to protect the part of your hand that meets the bag.”
He stepped
closer as he slipped the strap around the base of her thumb. When he brushed
his fingertips against the sensitive area just below the fleshy part of her
palm, a shiver shot up her arm and traveled to her belly. His warm breath
ghosted her face as he circled the end of the strap around her wrist and
secured the Velcro tab. Before she knew it, strong fingers captured her left
hand and guided her arm to the warmth between their bodies. She itched to graze
her fingers along his muscled chest, capturing his heat with her palm. Her gaze
bounced to his neck and stubbled jaw, which clenched as he slid the other wrap
over her hand. Slowly wrapping her other wrist, he secured the strap and held
both of her gloved hands in his. “Make a fist,” he said huskily.
Tightening
her hands into a ball, she tucked her thumb around the outside of her fingers
like he showed her at the gym.
He squeezed
her fists. “They look good. You’re a badass.”
Michelle
snorted. “A badass in pink.”
“Let’s see
what you got. Show me some upper cuts. Right here.” He tapped his abs.
“You want me
to hit you?” She giggled.
“Sure. I can
take it.”
Turning her
palms up, she made a fist and alternated soft punches to his belly. His
rock-hard belly. Each strike made her aware of how alive he made her feel. The
force of impact sent ripples up his tight shirt, awakening the planes of his
muscular form. She gulped back the desire to open her fists and run her
fingertips along the line of each thick muscle.
His hands
came to rest on her forearms, halting her movement. The pads of his thumbs
stroked the sensitive skin near the inside of her elbow causing a delicious
shiver up her arm. Michelle’s eyes met his. The fire brewing in his darkened
gaze drew her in. Hunter stepped between her legs, nudging her back against the
wall next to the mural. She closed her eyes and choked back a groan,
wanting—no, needing—to grind her heat on his leg. Raising her arms above her,
he pinned them against the wall on either side of her head. His scent flooded
her senses as she lifted her chin to close the gap between them.
“I’m trying
like hell not to kiss you.” Hunter straightened his back but didn’t loosen his
grip on her arms.
Her skin
prickled from the nearness of his body. She let her gaze drift to his lips.
“Why?” she whispered.
He blew a
slow breath between his teeth. “Nothing good would come of it. I’m not capable
of giving or feeling… or offering anything much to you.” He shook his head but
he didn’t move from her body.
“I don’t
believe that.” Michelle wriggled her arms from his grasp. Her fingertips
lingered on his corded forearms, which flexed under her touch. Easing a trail
toward his shoulders, her fingers reminded her of a paintbrush’s first dab of
color on a fresh canvas. She’d always believed each canvas had a personality of
its own, and it was the symphony of the brush, artist, and canvas that created
the work of art. She wanted to explore the blank canvas of Hunter McAvery.
She studied
his arms, still caging her in. Protecting her. Wanting her. Her eyes met his
gaze. He stared at her, unmoving, but a spark burned in his eyes. She held her
breath, afraid to break his trance. Her palms smoothed over his shoulders and
down his chest, stopping at the center of his ribs. Pushing into the muscles of
his chest, she felt the strong beat of his heart on her fingers. “Kiss me,
Hunter.” Raising her eyebrows, she dared to look him in the eyes, almost afraid
of what she’d see.
“You don’t
understand. You’re too… good.” He averted his gaze.
“Maybe you
should let me decide what’s good for me.” She moved closer, his breath burned
hot on her face, and he squeezed his eyes closed.
“Michelle….”
Her hands
traveled up his chest and rested on the bulk of his strong shoulders. Pulling
him in, her breasts molded into his chest and, finally, he crashed his lips
down on hers. She met every stroke of his tongue as her fingers raked through
the ends of his hair. Moaning into his mouth, she straddled his muscular thigh
as warmth flooded her sex. She’d never felt more alive.
His hand
grazed her cheek before taking her chin between his thumb and index finger and
pulling away from their kiss. He tipped his forehead to hers, his raspy breath
hot on her mouth. “Shit.”
Michelle
widened her eyes. “What?” she whispered.
“You. Me.
This just can’t happen. Not now. Not like this.”
Sandra Bunino
is a romance author of several novellas including The Satin Rose Experience
series. Her first full length novel, Colors of Us from the McAvery's Brothers
series, makes its debut during the summer of 2014. She makes her parents proud
by putting her MBA degree to good use dreaming up Alpha heroes who dominate the
bedroom as well as the boardroom.
When not
staying up past her bedtime torturing her oh-so-sexy heroes, she can be found
shopping for shoes or saving turtles.
She looks
forward to hearing from her readers and she may be contacted at
sbunino@gmail.com. As a social media junkie in need of a ten-step program, you
can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@sandrabunino). Join her book
group, Bunino's Bookalicious Babes, on Facebook!
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