Size: 7.99 x 5.00 in
Pages: 176
An invitation to Cupid's Cafe will change your life.
Former social worker Roxie Fisher believes she’s cursed to never find happiness and an invitation to Cupid’s Café isn’t going to change her situation. All the same, against her better judgment, she gives it a try. What else does she have to lose?
After the death of his wife, accountant-turned-firefighter Aidan Craig, can’t stop taking ridiculous risks and never turns down a dare. So an invitation to Cupid’s Café is an offer he can’t refuse. What he doesn’t expect is to meet the social worker who helped him through the darkest days of his life. Now she’s the one struggling, and he’s compelled to help.
The two experience an immediate attraction, but Aidan swore to never become involved in another relationship, and Roxie can’t imagine daredevil Aidan being interested in a boring, cat-rescuer like her.
Can Roxie find the simple joy of taking a risk? Is Aidan willing to risk his heart? Or will they both lose out on a chance at true love?
When they got to the bike, she huffed out a breath. That dance had just about made her crazy. Crazier—whatever. He’d been touching her, moving against her, and she thought she’d felt him harden against her stomach. She was pretty sure, to be honest, but that didn’t make any sense. Hot firefighter and her? She didn’t think so.
Now, she’d have to climb up behind him, clutch him tight, and ride with the big machine between her legs, when she was already wet and achy with want.
“Everything cool?”
“Yeah, it’s all good.” She grabbed the helmet and pulled it on before he could see her face. She’d never been a good liar.
He got on the bike and she slung her leg over to clamor up behind him. Once there, she put her hands out in front of her, slowly pressing them into his back. It was that or wrap herself around him, and she didn’t need any more encouragement.
READ MOREWhen she touched him, he took off like a shot, speeding onto the road. Why was he in such a hurry?
They moved through the streets quickly and out of town, then began to climb a steep incline. At the top, he pulled the bike to the shoulder and turned it off.
“Where are we?”
“I want to show you something. Hop off.” His speech was clipped. Was he mad at her?
When she got off, she slid the helmet over her head, curls going everywhere. She tried her best to smooth them back down. That’s all she needed, to look like a wild woman.
Aidan took off and Roxie stood there for a second. Was she supposed to follow him?
Was he going to take a leak? But, no. He’d gone to the bathroom before they left and he told her he wanted to show her something.
She rushed to catch up with him. When he stopped short, she ran into his back. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Come here.” He took her hand and guided her to stand beside him.
Nerves clamored for her attention just under the skin, all diving into her stomach in a vise gripping her tight. “Aidan, what are we doing?”
“Looking at the lights.” He put an arm around her shoulder and used that hand to point at the city lights below them.
She was hot, even though there was a breeze, and her skin felt too tight. She glanced from his hand to the lights. “They’re… pretty.”
“Right? I love coming up here.”
He’d brought her to one of his favorite places. Okay, she could get behind that a lot better than a party. Quiet, peaceful, no one else. “It’s beautiful, actually.”
They looked at it for a while. She was hyper-aware of his fingers grazing her neck.
“You’re being awfully quiet.”
“I’m not sure what to say. I told you I’m terrible at peopling.”
“If you want to leave, I’ll take you home.”
A breath shuddered through her. “I don’t want to leave. I didn’t like the party, but this is nice. I like being with you.”
His hand dropped to her waist. “Roxie.” His voice was low, his tone odd.
She turned to face him, to ask him what was wrong, and he hauled her against him.
His throat worked and she thought he was going to say something else.
Her heart beat a crazy rhythm in her chest and her breathing had become shallow and quick. She should say something, but she didn’t want him to stop. Him holding her so close and staring at her lips, but it was the sanest she’d felt in a long time.
He had a small scar on his brow she’d never noticed. She wondered if he’d gotten it fighting fires or riding his motorcycle. More than anything, she wondered what it would be like if he kissed her. Her eyes fluttered shut. God, she wanted to feel his lips on hers.
Just when she thought the want might obliterate everything, his lips captured hers. It wasn’t a soft kiss, it started hard, almost like it made him angry to be kissing her. He laid siege to her mouth, his peppermint taste on her tongue as he teased her lips open.
He licked and nibbled, stroked her tongue with his own. The balmy night air grew hotter until their clothes served as a constricting barrier between them. His hands roamed up from her waist, feathery touches on her breasts and back, everywhere.
Holding onto his shoulders like a lifeline, Roxie leaned into his kiss. No doubt about it this time, his erection pressed hard against her. What came over her wasn’t that she hadn’t been wanted in a while, it was all about this man, about Aidan. No one had ever made her feel so freaking aroused with a kiss.
Barely able to think, acting on pure instinct, she ground her hips against him and he groaned in her mouth. She wanted him so much. Right here, off the road, on the ground. She wanted.
A car passed by on the distant street, and Aidan pulled back from her. She stared into his hazel eyes, gray in the moonlight, and he stared right back. He shook his head, like a spell had come over him and he was just getting out from under its effects. Maybe he was. Something had to explain why he’d kissed her.
Shaking, Roxie worked up her courage to speak. “What was that?” Her voice was breathless, a near whisper.
“I don’t know.” His hands fell away from her all at once, and he took a step back.
The moment was broken, but Roxie found she couldn’t shake the intimacy between them yet. She slipped her hand in his and turned back to the city lights. “Okay.”
He gave her hand a squeeze, and they stood there for another ten minutes as their breath slowed. Roxie tried to stuff her hopes back in the little box from where they escaped.
The kiss was incredible, but she needed to keep expectations low. She couldn’t think it would ever be more than one fantastic experience. And that was that, right? No more kisses, because he was obviously less than thrilled he’d given into whatever temptation she’d somehow offered.
COLLAPSEJodi Hunter on Amazon.com wrote:5 stars! “Roxie is so damaged when she meets Aiden again and she’s at the end of her rope. She is no longer a social worker and suffers from a traumatic situations that happened while on the job. I loved Roxie’s dad because he reminds me of my own.
Aiden is great and he loves taking risks after losing his wife years ago. He does it to defeat death and wants to live life fully. Aiden and Roxie really beend well together and seems to even out each other.
I will be reading more from this author and hope there is more to come with Cupid’s Cafe!”
Katherine McIntyre on Goodreads wrote:5 stars - "I read this book so quickly, it was hard to put down. I loved the characters and you will too, you have to read this book."
Reviewer King on Goodreads wrote:5 stars – “Couldn't put this book down!! Sweet, deep, and wonderfully emotional.”
on Books Laid Bare:5 stars – “A ravishing book with [a] beautiful setting! Highly recommended.”
on The Genre Minx:“I loved the push and pull between Aidan and Roxie, the fact that he was willing to see the woman inside and not the shell of a woman that she appears to be.
I loved that Aidan was willing to encourage Roxie to think outside the box, to do things that she had never done before and to take back control of her life, but would what started out as the most fabulous friendship turn into something more?
The something that they both needed?
Well you will have to read the book to find out whether that is the case or not but let me just say that you may just be more than a little surprised.
Highly recommended!”
Tina on Amazon wrote:“Exactly Like You is exactly what you need to be reading! It is a delightful journey between two hearts separated by fear and doubt by connected through friendship and something more. I highly recommend!”
I really loved this story. Made me smile as I read it. Beautiful love story I could not get enough of.
Roxie is a former social worker. She believes she is cursed to never find love. She suffers from crippling depression. She gets an invite to the Cupid's Cafe and goes just to make her family happy.
Aidan, his wife has died. He is an accountant turned fire fighter. Can't stop taking risks. Never turns down a dare.
Roxie never takes chances.
Aidan seems hell bent on killing himself with the chances he takes. He remembers Roxie she helped him when his wife died. Now he wants to be the one that saves her.
Roxie is worried she is too boring for Aidan.
But Aidan is a decent guy, and he is not going to give up on the one person he has grown to love.
I loved these two. They are what the other needs in life. Perfect for each other.