Factory mechanic Duke Crawford just wants to watch SportsCenter in peace. Unfortunately, living with four divorcee sisters doesn’t provide much silence, nor does it change his stance on relationships. But when a fellow commitment-phobe stumbles into his life, getting him good and worked up, he can’t deny his protective instincts.

Samantha Waverly’s brother just put her in an impossible situation. The only way out? Marry huge, gruff, gladiator look-alike Duke—for show, of course. She doesn’t make promises—she knows too well how easily they can be broken—and this is no exception.

As the blistering attraction between them grows, the lines around the no-strings relationship blur. But Duke and Samantha’s marriage is only for show…or is it?

Please note, there are explicit quotes and language used below! 

10. For those that follow Tessa Bailey on Twitter and Facebook, the inspiration for this hero is Pouty Man Bear or #PMB. You can see some pics on her pinterest boards.

And then along came Pouty Man Bear (#PMB). For those unaware, I have a Facebook group called Bailey’s Babes and every once in a while, I get inspired by a plot bunny SO BADLY, I have no choice but to ride it out. The Babes let me drop installments on them at random times and rejoice along with me. Pouty Man Bear was a five-installment chronicle of a big, bearded, NYC baker who had some extra cushion for the pushin’ and grumbled. A lot. We all adored this mountain of man meat and it just so happens, I was writing Duke’s book at the same time and was definitely inspired by the chronicle. So, I hope everyone enjoyed this #PMB in all his glory. Thank you, Pinterest gods

9. Duke and Samantha meet in a bar. He doesn’t want to notice her – but his body parts have other ideas.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Samantha.”

Now, why the hell did her name make his cock feel chafed inside the denim of his jeans? Somehow it did, though. Made him think of her naked on dark blue, silk sheets, high heels dangling off her toes before falling, knocked free by a man’s thrusts. His. Goddammit, this wasn’t convenient whatsoever. The sooner she moved on—went back to whatever upscale neighborhood she’d come from—the better.

8. I love hand holding in romance books

But she’d only made it about three steps when Goliath took her hand. And she gasped at the feel—actually gasped—ogling his appendage like it were made of thorns. Which wasn’t far off. His palms and fingertips were blunt and rough. As though someone had taken sandpaper to them and rubbed vigorously, leaving scars to cover the damage. His hand was warm eroded stone. Why did it feel so wonderful?

7. Their first kiss occurs after Duke drops her off at her apartment – and after he had already tried to leave. She calls him back. 

Samantha watched, breath racing in and out, as he squinted at the ancient green screen. The device fell to his outer thigh, his head falling forward, before he lifted and answered. “Yeah.”

“I need something.”

A low, shaking curse. “Sam.”

God, the way his voice deepened on that single word made her blood flame. “Yes.” No guts, no glory. “I-I could use a good night kiss.”

His stroll back toward the door seemed to take an hour. “You could use it?” He stopped, arms braced on the building’s doorframe, his breath fogging up the glass. “Or you need it?” For the first time in…maybe forever, Samantha’s loins started to ache, due to something other than her own imagination. And damn it all, even her crazy imagination couldn’t have conjured up a Duke. His blunt chin, the scratchy-looking hair on his belly. ”I need it.”

6. #Girth

His light colored jeans were old and faded, too thin to keep the brawn of his thighs a mystery. Since he stared straight ahead, appearing deep in thought, Samantha let her gaze move inward, where his bulge rested on the seat. And yeah, okay, she hadn’t imagined his…girth last night. Holy God.

….

“See something you want to get a closer look at, sweetheart?” Heat rushing to the top of her head, Samantha’s attention snapped up to find Duke watching her beneath hooded eyelids. “No? Then I suggest you get back on your side of the truck.”

5. This book isn’t all sexin’ – Samantha has a very playful side too

Samantha had other ideas.

“Put me down.”

“Soon as we get to where we’re going.”

“Ohhh? Where’s that?”

She was speaking through gritted teeth, which probably should have been a warning. As soon as he took another step, he felt Samantha’s hand slip into the back of his jeans, wrangling a fist full of underwear…and then the little hellcat—had he actually referred to her as sweet?—gave him an honest-to-God wedgie.

“Christ,” Duke spat, removing her from his shoulder.

4. I love this line – “I want to risk you being offended by the permission I’m going to take with them.”

“When men think of putting their mouths on a woman’s tits, they don’t picture themselves sucking gently. Or blowing on them.” He rubbed the seam of his lips across one delicious looking tip. “Not me, anyway. Not since I’ve seen this pair you’re walking around with.”

“What do you want to do?” she asked, voice unsteady.

The nervous quality of her tone shouldn’t have made his need more insistent, but lord, it did. Pretty thing, half naked in his dark hallway. All for him. “I want to show you how dirty they make me feel. I want to risk you being offended by the permission I’m going to take with them.”

3. When Duke is around, you better make sure everything is securely fastened and nailed in tight. 

Duke actually pulled Samantha off the wall, turned, and rammed her up against the opposite hallway wall, simply to shock a gasp from her lips. Because he wanted to swallow it. Savor it. So he reared them back and did it again, grinding their lower bodies into the solid surface, until her legs began to quake around his hips.

“Duke.” Her voice bounced along with her tits. “Duke. Take me somewhere.”

“Has to be here,” he growled into the crook of her neck. “I can’t take my cock off you. Can’t stop jacking myself on this hot pussy.”

As if his body needed to prove the truth of his words, he thrust into her juncture hard enough to shake the wall, two side-by-side picture frames falling off their nails and tumbling to the floor.

“Oh my God.”

2. Duke really likes to have alone time to watch Sportscenter. 

Christ, he needed to rake his cock up and back against that flesh. Later. Later. Right now, he would taste her between the legs, before he made her too sore to appreciate it.

“Are you—” Her flat belly shuddered up and down. “Are you doing this all because I put on SportsCenter?”

“Not going to lie, that got me real fucking hot.

1. Did I mention there is a marriage of convenience?

“I’m going to tell you something. You listening?”

Samantha nodded, heat swarming in her stomach over the deeper timbre of his voice. “Yes.”

“Good.” His grip tightened in her hair. “It’s my wife’s job to take off my pants. You want what’s on the other side? Get your hands to work and unzip my fly.”

Super fun book – both Duke and Samantha are so likable. Coming in at just under 200 pages, it’s a book you can sit down and read in one sitting and fall in love with Pouty Man Bear and the woman who steals his heart.

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