Two of a Kind
(Haven Bay, Book 2)
by
Alexa Rivers
Blurb ~
After a lifetime of being held back by illness, blogger
Brooke Griffiths is finally healthy enough to pursue her dream of
hiking to Mt Everest base camp. The first step in her plan is
convincing professional adventurer Jack Farrelly to help her prepare.
Only, they exchanged a mind-blowing kiss weeks ago, and he never
called, which in a town the size of Haven Bay, is downright awkward. All she
has to do is put her pride aside to achieve her goal. Should be easy—right?
Jack Farrelly dated a woman in the public eye
before, and he doesn’t care to repeat the experience, no matter how
tempting Brooke is. Though the instructor in him wants to help her get
ready to hike Mt Everest, he thinks she’s better off setting her sights a
little lower. But denying her proves impossible—both professionally and
personally—and before long, he’s in deeper than he ever imagined
possible.
When old wounds are reopened, can Brooke and
Jack overcome the pain of their pasts and take a chance on love? Or will
they let the fear of being hurt keep them apart?
Buy Link ~ https://www.bklnk.com/B088P8T8LB
Book Excerpt ~
Slamming
the car door shut, Jack strode to the foyer, where the group was waiting. The
Kathmandu couple had come back for more and greeted him with eager smiles.
Mavis had also returned, but she’d brought Betty rather than Nell. Three fit
guys in their twenties lounged against a wall, talking quietly between
themselves and stealing occasional glances at the final member of the party.
Brooke.
If
Kat hadn’t shared what she had, he wouldn’t have believed that Brooke had been
anything other than perky and energetic since he’d seen her last. She looked
vibrant standing behind the desk, a smile flirting with the corners of her
mouth and a rosy flush on her cheeks. Lust speared through his gut and he bit
the inside of his lip to stifle a groan. Why did she have to be so appealing,
with her electric blue eyes and dewy complexion? His body reacted to her
instinctively, going on an all-systems-alert. Strange, when he was rarely
affected this way by a woman. Ruthlessly squelching his response, he reminded
himself that he couldn’t think of a girl less suited to his lifestyle, and he
was sure the same could be said when it came to his suiting her. Unfortunately,
his mind and his body had different ideas.
“Hi,
everyone,” he said, once he had himself under control. “I’d like you to all
head into the parking lot. I’ll join you in a moment.” When they started
moving, he pointed at Brooke. “Except you.”
Mavis
and Betty tittered and exchanged glances, like they didn’t want to leave her
alone with him. He raised a brow and they hustled away, casting dubious looks
over their shoulders. He scowled. Did they really think he posed a risk to her?
“You
wanted me?” Brooke asked, coming around the desk to stand in front of him. He
tried not to notice the way her slim-fitting tank top outlined slender curves. Not
appropriate. Even if she wasn’t all wrong for him, she was probably too
young to be interested. It was hard to gauge her age, but he put her somewhere
in her early twenties. Compared to his thirty, that was a big difference in life
experience.
“I
think it’s best if you stay here,” he told her, noticing that Kat hovered a few
feet away.
Her
jaw dropped. “Why? I managed all right the other day. I didn’t hold anyone up,
or get in the way.”
He
sighed. Did she really want to go down this path? “No, you didn’t. But you
slept for eighteen hours afterward.”
Her
gaze slid over to Kat and she glared. “I was fine,” she insisted through
gritted teeth.
He
softened his expression. “Be honest with me, Brooke. You’re not doing either of
us any favors if you pretend to be fine. I’m not a mind reader. If you come
with me, I need to be able to trust you to let me know how you’re doing at all
times.”
“Okay,
maybe I overdid it,” she conceded. “I should have taken it easier, but I’ve
learned my lesson, and I promise to be more up-front with you and pace myself.”
“I’m
not sure I’m willing to take that risk,” he said. “We’re walking farther than
we did last time, and I don’t have time to figure out how we can make it work
for you.”
She
crossed her arms and looked somewhere over his shoulder, blinking rapidly as
though holding back tears. “If I need to stop, I will, and you can collect me
on the way back. Please.” A note of pleading entered her voice, and it twisted
Jack’s gut. “I need to do this. It’s important. I could explain why, but it’d
take more than a couple of minutes and I know you want to get moving.”
“Brooke,
honey,” Kat said, laying a gentle hand on her arm. “It’s one trip. There will
be others.”
Would
there? Because Jack wasn’t sure.
Brooke
closed her eyes. “Sorry. Of course there will.” She released a shuddering
breath. “I’m being unreasonable.”
“Maybe
a little,” Kat confirmed, a smile creeping over her face. “Why don’t you sit
this one out so Jack doesn’t get off schedule, and then we can have a talk
about what to do in the future once he returns.”
Jack
could see the emotions warring within her. Apparently joining the group meant a
lot to her.
“Okay.”
Her shoulders drooped, and oddly, his mood dropped with them. “I guess that
will be fine.”
“Great,”
he said, before she could change her mind. “I’ll come by once we’re back.” He
didn’t know where he’d find her, but considering he didn’t plan to go anywhere
near her without Kat to play mediator, his friend could show him where to go.
“Don’t
forget,” Brooke warned, and from her expression, he could tell that if he did,
she’d hunt him down.
He
nodded, then followed the others outside, finding them waiting beside the four-wheel
drive.
Betty
waved a hiking pole as he approached. “Did you scare that poor girl away?”
“We
decided she’s better off not joining us today,” he replied.
She
harrumphed, in that way only little old ladies could. “I don’t suppose that was
her idea.”
He
didn’t say anything, just handed bags to the three young men. Once they’d all
geared up, he issued directions, then fell into step at the back.
Betty
joined him. “You know what I think?” she asked.
“I’m
sure you’re going to tell me whether I want to know or not.”
She
thwacked his leg with the end of a pole. “You’re a cheeky devil, Jack Farrelly.
I think you don’t want Brooke coming because you don’t like the way she makes
you feel.”
Huh.
Well, there’s a thought.
“And
how’s that, Betty?”
“Aroused.”
Jack
tripped over his own feet. Dear God, what?
He
glanced at Betty. Had he heard her correctly? Had the God-awful word “aroused”
just passed between her prune-like lips?
She
hooted with laughter. “I hit the nail on the head, eh, Jack?”
She…
He…
He
shook his head, both amused and dismayed. It wasn’t as though he could deny it.
“Don’t
be ridiculous,” he said, then added fondly, “and get your pointy little nose
out of my business.”
Author Bio ~
Alexa Rivers is the author of sexy, emotional small town
romances set in gorgeous New Zealand.
She lives in a small town herself, complete with
nosy neighbors and quirky traditions.
She shares a house with a neurotic dog and a husband who thinks he’s hilarious.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling,
baking and decorating cakes, eating those cakes, cuddling fluffy
animals, drinking excessive amounts of tea, and absorbing herself in
fictional worlds.
Author Contact Links ~
Email: alexa@alexarivers.com
Facebook: facebook.com/alexariversauthor
Instagram: instagram.com/alexariversauthor
Twitter: Twitter.com/LexRiversWrites
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18995464.Alexa_Rivers
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alexa-rivers
Website: alexarivers.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alexa-Rivers/e/B07PWNRD5S/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
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