Hero: Shane Gallagher. Ex-con. Artist. Moves back to his hometown to start rebuilding his life. He is cranky and full of sexual frustration.

Heroine: Bobbi-Jo Barker. Used to date Shane, until they hurt each other so much they had to push each other away. Leaves her fiance at the alter and ends up drunk in a bar with Shane. Shane frowns at this (did I mention he is cranky?). Their deep, hidden love for each other will be too much ignore.

“It’s your turn,” she whispered as she continued to stroke herself.“Take your clothes off.” Shane’s long sleeve Henley was over his head and on the floor in two seconds flat. He tugged his boots off, tossed them and his jeans followed suit. In less than a minute he was completely naked and unlike Shane, Bobbi had no problem seeing every inch of him.

He stood, almost glaring at her, hands fisted to his sides as they stared at each other through the mirror. Her fingers were between her legs, and deep inside she felt the beginnings of an orgasm beckon.

Shane’s body had always been impressive. He was tall, well over six feet in height, with powerful shoulders and abs any athlete would kill for. Her eyes ran over his chest. Over the intricate tattoo on his right pectoral—a new one—until she saw the Gaelic symbol on his bicep. Her tattoo.

Something tugged at her then. A powerful emotion that she knew had no business rearing its head here. This was all about the physical. She needed to shut that emotional shit down right now.

Quickly her gaze dropped to his erection and she bit her lip as she continued to work herself and watch him. Her belly clenched, muscles tightening as she teased her clitoris and coaxed the orgasm that was there, just at the edge.

When he strode forward she couldn’t speak. Instead, she felt the heat of him, the hardness of his erection at her back when he came up behind her. But he didn’t touch her. He watched her in the mirror, now able to see everything, as she pleasured herself. As she came and shuddered and moaned.

And then with a curse, Shane grabbed her. He picked her up and carried her to the rug in front of his fire place. He set her face down so that she rested on her elbows with her ass in the air. And Bobbi, still in recovery, watched as he rolled a condom over his straining cock. She was so turned on, her body still trembling from its orgasm that she could barely speak.

When he moved in behind her. When she felt one hand on the small of her back, and the other between her legs urging them apart she managed to ask, “What…” but she was so far gone she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Could you die from anticipation?

Shane covered her, his heat simmering along her back as he leaned in close to whisper. “This would be the fast and hard fucking.”

Collide by Juliana Stone. Goodreads l Kindle l Nook

I’ll be posting a review of Collide this week. I enjoyed it overall.