Sassy Southern Books: Hidden Paradise by A.M. Guilliams

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Hidden Paradise by A.M. Guilliams

Release Date: April 18, 2018

Cover Design: Annelle Willard

Synopsis

I’ve never been the type of woman to have a casual fling. But after a fight with my boss that ended in a forced vacation and one too many drinks in the hotel bar, I found myself enjoying the company of a man who went by the name of Thorn.

A man whose accent I couldn’t quite place and whose black eyes could command anyone to do anything he desired. We had seven days to enjoy each other. Seven days of no commitments, no worries of the future, and no personal details to share. Only, I returned with more than just memories and a few stolen photographs. Too bad we only agreed to share our first names.

Goodreads

Excerpt

“What brings you to Bora Bora?”

“A forced vacation,” I said with slight annoyance in my voice.

“Someone had to force you to come to this beautiful island. Damn, that’s a shame,” he said.

“Under normal circumstances, no. But I have too much work to do to take this impromptu vacation my boss forced me to take,” I admitted, wondering why I was telling a stranger the insanity known as my current situation.

“Ah, so you’re one of those types.”

I was about to ask him a question in response when the bartender came back with our drinks. Mine was a blue fruity concoction, I assumed based on the umbrella coming out of the top, and he had what appeared to be bourbon on the rocks in his glass.

“To fun in the sun,” he said as he brought his glass to meet mine.

“And what type would that be?” I asked after taking a sip of the delicious drink in my hand. I could taste the rum but couldn’t tell what other flavors assaulted my senses.

“All work and no play,” he replied as he moved the drink around in his glass before bringing it to his lips. I watched the liquid enter his mouth and his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed the amber liquid. His tongue moved across his full lips as he got the remnants of the alcohol off.

Damn, Lily. Get a fucking grip.

He chuckled as he sat the glass down, and I knew I’d been caught, yet again, checking him out. I needed to find a way to hide that better. And fast. Before he realized just how much he affected me and used it to his advantage.

I neither admitted nor denied his claim. No matter which answer I gave, he knew the truth. Somehow, he could sense the truth. And I loved and hated that he could.

Picking up my drink, I downed the rest of its contents and waved the bartender over to order another. The more alcohol the better in my opinion. I’d need it to gain the courage to stay in the company of the exotic stranger sitting next to me.

More questions passed with me only giving him vague answers about my line of work and life back home. I wasn’t ready to reveal any personal information. I’d likely never see him again after tonight since I didn’t plan on leaving that damn bungalow until it was time for me to go home unless it was for food. Leaving meant running into sexy strangers, and my body couldn’t handle another repeat of the man sitting next to me.

The contents of the second drink went straight to my head, and I felt dizzy the instant I went to stand to excuse myself to the restroom.

“Looks like you love falling all over me tonight,” he joked as he caught me from falling yet again.

“Seems that way,” I replied as I tried to gain my bearings.

“Want to get out of here?” he asked.

I didn’t know how to answer.

Did I want to leave with him?

Should I leave with him was the better question?

To hell with it.

This time I listened to my body and not my brain.

With liquid courage, I nodded and let him lead me out of the bar.

Once we got to the entrance, he turned and faced me.

“With one condition,” he urged, heat filling his eyes as he glared down at me.

I looked up at him the best I could without the alcohol running to my head and waited for him to tell me what the condition was.

“Your name, beautiful,” he whispered as he dropped my hand and brought his up to frame my face.

I swallowed hard at the intensity of his gaze.

One look and I was done.

Another word and I was finished.

I was putty in his hands as I leaned into him.

“Lily,” I forced out of my mouth without my gaze leaving his.

“More beautiful than any flower I’ve ever seen,” he whispered as his lips caressed my forehead. I closed my eyes and held back the whimper that wanted to escape.

I didn’t know what he was doing to me, but I couldn’t wait to find out.

Turning back toward the exit, he grabbed my hand again and headed in the direction of the unknown.

This was the craziest thing I’d ever done in my life, and no matter how hard my brain tried to intervene I didn’t let it. I let the sexy man in front of me lead me off into the unknown. Consequences be damned.

Giveaway

One of Five ARC's for Hidden Paradise

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About the Author

A.M. Guilliams is a romantic suspense and women’s fiction author who currently resides in Virginia with her husband, three children, and fur babies. Books, flip flops, coffee, chocolate, The Walking Dead, and Chicago Fire are just a few of her obsessions. Her love of books began with novels by Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, and the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. When she’s not writing, you can find her down by the river with her family, curled up on the couch with a good book, or watching her favorite movies and television shows.