Love and Hope (Stanford Creek #2) - OUT NOW

Stanford Creek, Book 2

Falling in love can be easy if you want it badly enough.

Danny Hudson has finally found a place to stop. With his daughter Hope in his arms, and his place in the music group Hudson Hart gone, he has a future to plan and a family to raise. Staying at his friend Cody’s house is hard enough, but finding a home of his own is impossible. A place to stay over the coffee shop in town is a godsend, but it comes with one proviso—he must work the cost of the room off in redecorating and rebuilding.

Rachel has secrets that she doesn’t even want to admit to herself, let alone her close-knit family. Dating the wrong guys is one way to protect her heart, but meeting Danny could change all that.

Can Rachel ever get past the reasons why she thinks real love isn’t possible and realize that love is the only thing that actually matters?

Buy Links

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Reviews

Archaeolibrarian - 4/5 - "....Rozenn Scott's Stanford Creek books are certainly more wholesome than some of her R.J. Scott books that I have read. However, the one thing that stands out clearly is the depth of emotions that she shows in her writing, with subjects that may make some feel uncomfortable. After all, you don't usually get rape, miscarriage, and baby heart defects in just one book. You DO get it in here though, and it is sensitively yet powerfully written.

With no editing or grammatical errors that I could see, plus a fast-paced yet smooth flow to the story, I have no hesitation in recommending this...." - Read the full review

Excerpt

“Hey, sexy,” he murmured. He wasn’t gloating, or smiling, in fact he looked utterly focused. “You okay?”

Of all the things he could say, that was the worst. Instead of grabbing her, pulling her, demanding, he was asking her if she was okay. What kind of man did that?

Danny did.

She took her hand from his, but couldn’t fail to see the flicker of disappointment there, like he expected her to move.

That was her undoing.

She placed both hands on his shoulders and waited, staring down at him, her long hair falling around her face.

“One kiss,” she whispered. Then in a smooth move she relaxed her hold and sat firmly in his lap, wriggling to get settled, completely aware of the stark look of need on Danny’s face.

“You’re killing me,” he whispered back, reaching up and running his hand through the ends of her hair. “So beautiful.” She stared into his stunning eyes, could see each sooty eyelash, and the flecks of a darker blue in the sapphire. “I want to keep you safe from everything,” he murmured.

She leaned down, pressing her lips to his. He opened to her, and she lost herself in the kiss. He tasted of coffee and sex and she wanted more. The one kiss was more than that, tasting each other, his hands tangling in her hair, holding her gently. And he was hard, the ridge of him was right against the heat of her, and for a brief moment she wished they weren’t both in jeans. Although if she pressed just right—if she moved, if he did—she could feel the tightening of her muscles, the rush of warmth, the desperation to get off, right now in his arms.

Like he could read her, he lifted her a little, adjusted himself in his jeans, and let her down again. They were just right, kissing and sliding, pressing and retreating, and Rachel was going mad with the need of it all. His hand slipped down between them and rested on her right breast, fingers rubbing and flicking one nipple, and she was losing control under his intensely erotic touch. When he deepened the kiss, pressed her down against him and pinched at her nipple all at the same time, she pulled back from the kiss. She was wet, and ready, and embarrassingly needy.

“Danny.”

“Please let me see you come,” Danny said, his voice like she was in a dream. He slipped his other hand down, unbuttoning her jeans. “Is this okay?” he murmured.

She couldn’t speak, simply raised herself a little, needed his hand there, feeling his fingers slip past the denim to the cotton below. All he did was press against her, all he did was touch her like she’d never been touched, with care, and need, and skill.

She splintered, moaning low in her throat, pressing hard on Danny’s fingers. He held her like a precious thing, supporting her weight, withdrawing his hand, and pulling her down for another kiss.

And they sat like that, until the kissing eased, and she hid her face in his shirt, embarrassed and still ridiculously turned on.

“I need to… I want to…” she said between breaths.

“I don’t need, or want. I watched you come apart in my arms. Thank you,” he murmured against her mouth. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”

She felt heat, the scarlet of embarrassment, no doubt staining her face. “Fuck,” she cursed low and flat into his shirt.

He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face so he could look at her.

“We should have another date,” he said. “With more kissing.”

“I think you should go,” Rachel said. Levering herself up and away from Danny. As her orgasm subsided, the fear began to settle in.

Danny nodded thoughtfully, ignoring her sudden change in demeanor. “I’ll see if Megan and Cody can have Hope for our date.”

“Danny, you’re not listening.”

Danny stood, slipped on his coat, and unlocked the door. At the last moment he turned to face her. “Saturday, if I can get a babysitter. I’ll text you. Lock the door after me.”

With that parting shot he left.

She locked the door, resting her head on the cool wood for a moment, and then she turned and slid down the door to the floor, resting her head in her hands.

What the hell had she just done?