Buttercup's Book Blog: Excerpt Reveal: The Relationship Pact Excerpt Reveal

THE RELATIONSHIP PACT by Adriana Locke Release Date: December 17th

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Excerpt:

I reach for the chair in front of me. Instead of finding leather, my fingers brush against something else. Something warmer. Something smoother and rougher all at the same time. My heart jumps in my chest at the same moment that my head snaps to the side. Oh. Shit. The most beautiful set of hazel eyes I’ve ever seen traps my gaze. The warmth of the chocolate brown is cooled by the spring green embedded in the orbs. Gold flecks twinkle as the man slowly withdraws his palm away from mine. I open my mouth, but I’ve somehow forgotten how to speak. “Hey,” he says, his southern drawl rippling across my ears. “You can have it.” I shake my head to try to jolt myself out of the haze I’m in. “I … I can have what?” His full, pouty lips split into a sexy smirk. “I meant the chair, but if there’s something else on your mind, just let me know.” My heart flutters in my chest as a wave of heat courses through my body from head to toe. A couple of days’ scruff peppers a sharp, chiseled jaw. His skin is sun-kissed and imperfect and there’s the slightest mole beneath his left eye that gives a bit of softness to his appearance. His body is long, well over six feet, with broad shoulders and a thick chest. It’s one heck of a picture. Slowly, oh-so-slowly, the fog in my brain lifts. “Can I buy you a drink?” he asks. A crazy idea pops into my brain. The longer that I watch the stranger peer at me from under his thick lashes, the more it seems possible. Crazy, yes, but possible. “Want to do me a favor instead?” I ask before I can talk myself out of it. My chest rises and falls in quick succession as he, and I, ponder my question. He narrows his eyes as he undoubtedly considers why a woman he just met might need his help. His heavy brows tug together. “That depends on what it is.” Blood pours through my ears as I realize I’m teetering on the edge of something impetuous. Again. I’m about to do the one thing I told myself I wouldn’t do. Wasn’t I going to put the brakes on this kind of thing? Didn’t I swear that I was not going to tangle myself up with men? Wasn’t I going to save myself time and energy until good men come back into the universe? I look up and down his long, muscled body. I bet he’s a damn good man. “Are you going to ask or not?” he asks, killing me softly with a playful quirk of his brow. Screw it. I take a quick lungful of air and commit to this insanity. “I’m going to need an answer to two questions.” “Shoot.” “Quickly.” He grins. “I can’t answer them if you don’t ask them, beautiful.” I steady myself against the term of endearment and stay focused. “Do you have a girlfriend?” I ask. His eyes sparkle with mischief. “I like where this is going.” “That’s not an answer and we’re running out of time.” “No,” he says hurriedly. “Hard no. Definitely not. No girlfriend.” “Second question …” I take another deep breath and then go in for the kill. “Will you be my fake boyfriend for five minutes?” His grin knocks the breath I’m holding right out of me. “When do we start?” For Hollis and Larissa, starting is the easy part. It’s ending their fake relationship that’s hard. Fall in love with them here: https://geni.us/Hq6TNb

Blurb: How hard can it be? That was the question rolling around Larissa Mason’s mind just before she asked Hollis Hudson to be her fake boyfriend. It was only supposed to be for five minutes, after all. Granted, that was also before she felt his hand on the small of her back as he charmed the heck out of her family. She hadn’t heard his laugh yet either. And it was definitely before she saw the football god shirtless. Otherwise, she would’ve had an idea of just how hard some things could be. It turns out that pretending to be in love with a crazily handsome, somewhat enigmatic, and absolutely unforgettable tight end (that has an amazing tight end) is easy. Reminding herself that just because opposites attract doesn’t mean they’re forever is much harder. What they have isn’t love—it’s a relationship pact. Right?

About the Author: USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author Adriana Locke lives and breathes books. After years of slightly obsessive relationships with the flawed bad boys created by other authors, Adriana has created her own. She resides in the Midwest with her husband, sons, and two dogs. She spends a large amount of time playing with her kids, drinking coffee, and cooking. You can find her outside if the weather's nice and there's always a piece of candy in her pocket.