Beautiful Ties
by Alicia Rae
Beautiful Ties Synopsis:
While watching her brothers find their happily ever afters, Abbey dreams of falling in love. Smart, fun, and sexy, Abbey is also independent and works hard alongside her brother, Kyle. When Kyle joins his business ventures with his wife’s cousins, Jason and Damon, Abbey struggles with keeping things professional.
Jason is instantly enamored with Abbey, and he becomes determined to win her over. Although she does not want to mix business with pleasure, he works his way into her heart with his good looks and sweet charm.
All the while, Abbey begins building a friendship with a lonely neighborhood child, Pearl. Abbey’s heart warms to Pearl, and their friendship quickly blossoms into a loving relationship.
Can Abbey find a way to balance her growing feelings for Jason with her need to take care of Pearl? Or will Abbey need to sacrifice one relationship for the sake of the other?
**Book Contains Mature Content**
Alicia Rae Bio:
Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.
Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing in my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo
Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you.
Believe in yourself and follow your dreams…
Beautiful Ties Excerpt:
Suddenly, I felt a warm breath right next to my ear, and I inhaled a familiar husky cologne, the same scent I had smelled for the first time only hours ago.
“If I catch that garter, Abbey, I get to dance with you for a whole three minutes, and you won’t be able to run off,” Jason whispered seductively in my ear.
I kept my gaze on the couple in front of me. There was no way I could fall for his sweet charms since we would be working together soon. However, I couldn’t resist a good challenge. I was competitive in every sense of the word, and I also couldn’t ignore the effect he had on me.
I tilted my head to look up into his eyes, ignoring the way they made me feel inside. “Then, I hope you miss,” I replied, stifling my smile.
He let out a throaty laugh, causing delicious goose bumps to break out across my skin.
“Oh, Abbey, one thing about me you’ll learn quickly is that I never back down from a challenge, and I never miss a good catch,” he responded confidently.
Before I could figure out what he’d meant or voice my retort, the crowd roared with clapping and laughter. I brought my attention back to Kyle, who was holding a small football in his hand. My jaw dropped. Surely, he had not pulled that out of Lily’s dress, but the look in his eyes told me differently. I had to chuckle at Lily’s creativeness. Kyle ducked his head again and went back under Lily’s dress for round two.
As I wondered if a garter was even under there, Jason bent forward and spoke lowly in my ear, “A football?” He grinned. “The odds are definitely in my favor now.”
I bit my lip, praying an all-star college quarterback wasn’t behind me. Out of all the single men here tonight, I had to have a good chance that someone else, anyone else besides Jason, could catch that damn football. I was not sure if I could survive having his hands on me for three minutes without wanting to taste his lips.
Kyle reappeared from under Lily’s fluffy white dress, and he sat back on his haunches with a lacy garter between his teeth. Kyle’s eyes beamed brightly as he let the white material fall from his mouth only to gracefully catch it with his free hand. He leaned forward to place a smacking kiss on his bride’s mouth. Then, he rose to his feet and snapped the garter in place around the football.
“Who wants this bad boy?” Kyle grinned, raising the football in his hand.
I shook my head in pure awe as every single man practically ran to the dance floor.
“Game time,” Jason whispered before strolling over to join the other men. He stood right in the center of the dance floor, and then he tilted his head at me, releasing one wicked grin, before redirecting his gaze back at Kyle.
Brooke came to stand at my side. “Holy crap,” she breathed in wonder, shaking her head. “Have you ever seen so many men jump in line to catch a garter?”
I laughed. “Nope. But I’m pretty sure they just want that football.”
“That sounds about right.” Brooke chortled.
The DJ counted to three. All the single men seemed to brace themselves in anticipation, and I surprisingly found myself doing the same. Kyle faced away from the men. He raised the football and whipped it backward. I held my breath as it went flying. Jason was the only one I was watching. He moved with lightning speed and jumped up as he lifted his hands in the air.
And he caught the ball.
My mouth dropped open in shock. What are the odds?
“Well, hot damn! Looks like he is quite the catch!” Brooke joked. “And he’s extremely determined to dance with you, Abbey,” she added teasingly, nudging my shoulder.
Still speechless, I continued to gawk at Jason. His eyes found mine just then. They were shining with a mixture of triumph and mischief. The look made my heart pound frantically in my chest, and my insides warmed, weakening my knees. If he could melt me into a puddle with just one look, I had no idea how I was going endure the feel of his strong hands wrapped around me for an entire song.
Lily appeared at my opposite side, squealing with delight. “Holy shit! Jason caught it!” she cried.
I turned my wide eyes to her.
“Don’t give me that look! I’ve seen the way you two have been eyeing each other all night,” she purred, pointing her finger at me.
Before I could voice my weak protest, Lily’s twinkling eyes turned back to the dance floor. The DJ announced that the two winners would dance to “19 You + Me” by Dan and Shay,and Lily squealed with excitement. From the corner of my eye, I could see Jason approaching us.
Lily spoke first, “Did you come to steal my new sister-in-law away from me?”
My gaze shifted to Jason.
“I did,” Jason replied throatily with a mischievous grin. Meeting my stare, he outstretched his hand to me, sending my nerves into a frenzy all over again. “Abbey, I believe you owe me this dance.”
Lily’s eyes bounced between the two of us. As I hesitantly lifted my hand, Lily took a backward step, stretching her arm out behind my back, and she pushed me forward into Jason’s arms. A smile tugged at his lips as he placed one hand at my waist, steadying me. He lowered his eyes to my hand as he reached forward to enclose his much larger hand over my slight one. His touch was warm and strong and confident.
Jason was silent as if absorbing the feel of me, of our first contact since the ceremony earlier today.
Our attraction was palpable and undeniable, like a fierce electrical current brewing among us. I had only known this man for a few mere hours, yet I was already worried about my heart surviving the intensity of his touch for the next three minutes.
Jason slightly lowered his head toward mine. The movement was slow and graceful. His expression was thoughtful as if he, too, was processing what was happening between us. He finally broke the silence. “Ready?” he asked gently.
I was unable to say anything, afraid my voice would squeak, so I answered with a nod.
This day sure had taken so many intriguing yet unexpected turns. My mind was reeling, and I had butterflies in my stomach. In that instant, I decided to hand over the cards to fate, opening myself to whatever it might bring, as I embraced this moment.
Our chosen song began to pour from the speakers. Without another word, he led me to the center of the dance floor, and everyone gathered around the edge. They observed with drinks in their hands as they talked among themselves.
Jason twirled me under his arm once, and I could not help but smile up at him. Even as I wore heels, he towered over me. Then, he pulled me close against his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist. I rested my hands on his firm chest, feeling the toned muscles beneath my palms and fingertips. I tried to keep my movements subtle, but my hands wanted to feel more of him. He let out a deep breath while keeping his eyes on me. He continued to move us in tune to the music, never faltering his stride. The slight caress of his hands on the small of my back was nearly my undoing. My skin warmed under his touch. I was unable to stop the urge, and I slid my palms up each curved muscle until I reached his shoulders.
Even with my smaller frame, I seemed to fit against him perfectly. The thought was soothing and nerve-racking all at the same time.
The tangible energy intensified between us with every step. The room around us was quiet, and I had to remind myself that our family and friends were watching us.
“You look stunning in this dress, Abbey,” Jason said in a soft tone while his thumb stroked back and forth against the silkiness of my black bridesmaid gown.
“Thank you. Lily let us each pick out our own,” I answered.
My gaze caught Lily while she was watching us, and I could practically see her eyes shining brighter than the sun.
I glanced back at Jason, smiling softly. “She really is great. I’m so happy she came into my brother’s life.”
“She is. Lily is one of the most kindhearted people I have ever met,” he agreed affectionately. Then, he led me into another spin and brought me close. “But I must say, I’m glad to finally meet you after hearing so much about you,” he said with a sexy-as-all-get-out smile.
I blinked in surprise, wondering how much he had heard about me, so I took the bait. “And what have you heard?”
Jason lowered his head, and when he chuckled, I could feel his warm breath on my exposed throat.
“That you’re beautiful and smart”—he led me backward, never relinquishing the lead—“a hard worker”—he pivoted us to the left while keeping his hold on my waist and eyes on mine before dipping me as the song came to an end—“and stubborn.” He gave me an impish grin.
“Very stubborn,” I breathed, nearly speechless.
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