Roughing It with Ryan

Roughing It with Ryan
Jill Shalvis

Suzanne Carter has sworn off men…really! Her inability to take life seriously drives them crazy, so it's best she leaves them alone. Then one night, strong, handsome Ryan Alondo rescues her and she simply melts. Who could resist all that rough-and-tumble sexiness? But as tempting as he is, she's not going to fall for his charms. Because there's no way she wants to ruin a man this gorgeous.From the moment Ryan sets eyes on Suzanne, he knows she's the one for him. She's fun and sexy and exactly what he needs in his overcrowded, responsible life. And the passion between them can't be ignored. He just has to convince her he's serious enough for both of them. Good thing he can be very, very persuasive….

Suzanne was drowning in pleasure

She had the cold counter at her back and a hard, warm Ryan at her front and she’d never felt so hot in her life. The shadows lent to the intimacy, which threatened to overwhelm her.

“This is just what we said, right? No more, no less,” she said on a gasping breath.

“Sex.” Ryan’s deep voice sent another thrill through her.

“Just sex. And when we’re done…”

“We’re done,” he finished. Was she imagining things or did he sound skeptical, as though he didn’t believe what he’d just said?

“Right. Itch scratched.” She was panting now, and so was he.

“Right.”

For the longest moment he just looked at her, her dark and beautiful man. Then he groaned, pulled her even closer and she melted against him. His mouth was so firm, and so deliciously demanding, she couldn’t help but sink into the mindlessness of it, needing the mindlessness of it. He had a wonderful mouth, a make-her-forget-everything mouth, and he knew just what to do with it to make her wild.

And she intended on getting very, very wild….

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited about this book, as it’s the first in my three-book Temptation miniseries SOUTH VILLAGE SINGLES. I loved the idea of writing a series about three friends who make a vow of singlehood. And I started thinking about the sexy, irresistible men who could tempt them to break that vow. Just what kind of man would it take to break a vow between friends—especially since we’re talking about strong, independent women! Guess you’ll have to read on to find out.

I hope you enjoy reading Suzanne’s story—and have fun with her as she tries so hard to resist the very charming Ryan. Be sure to catch Nicole’s story in Tangling With Ty available in February, and Taylor’s story, Messing With Mac, available in March, as all three of them fall hard and fast in the most unexpected ways….

Happy reading,

Jill Shalvis

P.S. I love to hear from readers! You can reach me through my Web site www.jillshalvis.com or by writing me at P.O. Box 3945, Truckee, CA 96160-3945.

Roughing it with Ryan

Jill Shalvis

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Kelsey, this one is for you.

You might be my oldest, but you’ll always be my baby.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Epilogue

1

SUZANNE CARTER glanced between the apartment-for-rent ads and the balance in her checkbook. No matter how much she squinted, added or subtracted, she was pretty much S.O.L.

With what she had, she’d be fortunate to get a place that had four walls and a roof, never mind such luxury items as hot water and a bathtub.

And yet, anything would be better than where she currently lived, which was nowhere. As of this morning, her fiancé—ex-fiancé, she reminded herself, her very ex-fiancé—had politely stacked her things outside the apartment they’d shared. Honest to God, she’d thought he’d been kidding.

Until her key hadn’t worked. Seemed the joke was on her. Damn if the joke wasn’t always on her.

In any case, she’d finally realized the truth. She was relationship cursed. If she hadn’t been, then she could blame any one of her other ex-fiancés—there had been three in total, not that she was counting—for the relationship failures, but the fault was hers alone. She seemed to possess the single-handed ability to destroy a good man. She’d destroyed Tim to the point he’d cried every night, wanting her to talk about her feelings, begging her to open up. She’d felt horrible, but deep down she knew she didn’t want a man who also cried at long-distance commercials and when he talked to his mother on the phone. Daily.

Not that Tim hadn’t helped commit their relationship to doom by getting caught performing sexual gymnastics against the front door with his cleaning lady. But he’d pinned that on Suzanne as well, saying his heart had been so broken by her distance and lack of commitment that he’d needed the release.

Uh-huh.

This latest relationship disaster only confirmed in her own mind that she was cursed. And so, as of this moment, she was vowing to give up men to save them from herself. Too bad no one could save her from these dismal rental listings. Maybe she should have fought for the apartment, but she no longer wanted it. With a sigh she lifted her red pen and circled the very cheapest ad in the paper she could find. That’s right, get thrifty, she could hear her mother say with approval. And regimented.

Everyone said Suzanne needed some regimentation. Well, everyone but her father, from whom she’d gotten her “lack of.” Just ask her mother.