The Adult Contemporary Romance/Mystery, Collared (Book #4, Going to the Dogs)
by Zoe Dawson has been released! To help celebrate, we have an excerpt and giveaway
below.
by Zoe Dawson has been released! To help celebrate, we have an excerpt and giveaway
below.
Release: October 14, 2013
Diamonds are a dog’s best
friend.
friend.
Harper Sinclair discovers
that her champion, award-winning standard poodle, Ch. Edgewood Sky High Blue is
missing her $50,000 diamond dog collar that was given to her by Harper’s
eccentric, indulging grandmother. Harper calls the robbery division of
the NYPD and reports the theft. The detective they send is surly and
tough with a pair of blue eyes that make even this calm, cool socialite’s lungs
claw for air.
that her champion, award-winning standard poodle, Ch. Edgewood Sky High Blue is
missing her $50,000 diamond dog collar that was given to her by Harper’s
eccentric, indulging grandmother. Harper calls the robbery division of
the NYPD and reports the theft. The detective they send is surly and
tough with a pair of blue eyes that make even this calm, cool socialite’s lungs
claw for air.
Rough and tumble Detective
Caleb Shaw has better things to do than run over to the penthouse of a frigging
socialite to find a frigging collar for a frigging pampered poodle—award
winning or not. He has real cases to solve, but when he gets a load of the
poodle’s owner, his interest in the case…heats up. Satin sheets or not,
he wants Harper.
Caleb Shaw has better things to do than run over to the penthouse of a frigging
socialite to find a frigging collar for a frigging pampered poodle—award
winning or not. He has real cases to solve, but when he gets a load of the
poodle’s owner, his interest in the case…heats up. Satin sheets or not,
he wants Harper.
Can a lovely socialite
collar a hard-boiled detective or are they worlds apart?
collar a hard-boiled detective or are they worlds apart?
EXCERPT
Someone jostled him
and pushed him roughly into her. He caught her against him to keep them both
upright just as the music softened into a slow dance. She grasped his shoulders
to maintain her balance and discovered they were rock-hard with muscle. Her
breasts were pressed against his chest.
and pushed him roughly into her. He caught her against him to keep them both
upright just as the music softened into a slow dance. She grasped his shoulders
to maintain her balance and discovered they were rock-hard with muscle. Her
breasts were pressed against his chest.
He didn’t let her go.
“What’s happening
here, Ms.—”
here, Ms.—”
“Oh, for God’s sake,
call me Harper. I think you can figure it out. I heard you were a hotshot
detective.”
call me Harper. I think you can figure it out. I heard you were a hotshot
detective.”
He laughed and that
earthquake inside her turned into a tsunami, an overwhelming force of nature.
earthquake inside her turned into a tsunami, an overwhelming force of nature.
“How about I call you
princess? That tone makes you sound like you’re sitting on a throne and I’m
your doting subject. As long as I don’t have to curtsy when I’m in your
presence.”
princess? That tone makes you sound like you’re sitting on a throne and I’m
your doting subject. As long as I don’t have to curtsy when I’m in your
presence.”
“I have other ways to
bring you to your knees.”
bring you to your knees.”
He bit his bottom lip
and shook his head. “You are coming
on to me.”
and shook his head. “You are coming
on to me.”
“If there was any
doubt, I must be doing it all wrong.”
doubt, I must be doing it all wrong.”
“Wrong isn’t exactly
the word I’m looking for here. Stupid. Now that’s a word.”
the word I’m looking for here. Stupid. Now that’s a word.”
Was he actually
turning her down? That was something else that had never happened to her
before. This man was full of surprises, but she liked it. Men didn’t really
play hard to get. That was a woman’s thing, so what was going on with him?
“Aren’t you attracted to me?
turning her down? That was something else that had never happened to her
before. This man was full of surprises, but she liked it. Men didn’t really
play hard to get. That was a woman’s thing, so what was going on with him?
“Aren’t you attracted to me?
“F**k, yeah, but I
like my job, and getting involved with you isn’t a good idea.”
like my job, and getting involved with you isn’t a good idea.”
“How would this
affect your job?”
affect your job?”
“I’m not exactly
sure, but when the commissioner pulls me in from medical leave to work a case
with a missing dog collar and a socialite, I have to think that he’s not going
to be too keen about me messing with said socialite.”
sure, but when the commissioner pulls me in from medical leave to work a case
with a missing dog collar and a socialite, I have to think that he’s not going
to be too keen about me messing with said socialite.”
She draped her arms
over his shoulders as they moved slowly together. Her hand played with a lock
of his soft hair. “You’re not afraid of the commissioner.”
over his shoulders as they moved slowly together. Her hand played with a lock
of his soft hair. “You’re not afraid of the commissioner.”
He just stared at
her.
her.
“That would mean you
were afraid of me.”
were afraid of me.”
He gave a short
laugh. “I’m not afraid of you.” She moved closer to him. “Look, I get it. We
have some chemistry, and you’re a very beautiful woman, and a man would have to
be blind not to notice.”
laugh. “I’m not afraid of you.” She moved closer to him. “Look, I get it. We
have some chemistry, and you’re a very beautiful woman, and a man would have to
be blind not to notice.”
“Ooh, I like the
compliments better than the sarcasm. You do both well, though.”
compliments better than the sarcasm. You do both well, though.”
He chuckled. “Charm
has its uses.”
has its uses.”
“As you so recently
implied, I’m a brat and I do like to have it my way, so I think I will call you
Caleb.”
implied, I’m a brat and I do like to have it my way, so I think I will call you
Caleb.”
“As long as you say
my first name with the same regally bored tone you use when you say
‘detective.’”
my first name with the same regally bored tone you use when you say
‘detective.’”
“There is nothing
boring about you.”
boring about you.”
“But.”
“There’s always a
‘but.’”
‘but.’”
“But, Harper, truth
of the matter is you don’t fit into my life and I certainly don’t fit into
yours. I work the streets and you live in the clouds. So you stay on your
pretty side of the tracks my side is much too gritty.”
of the matter is you don’t fit into my life and I certainly don’t fit into
yours. I work the streets and you live in the clouds. So you stay on your
pretty side of the tracks my side is much too gritty.”
“I don’t accept that.
If this was reversed, and you were a rich man and I was a cop, there wouldn’t
be any need for this discussion.”
If this was reversed, and you were a rich man and I was a cop, there wouldn’t
be any need for this discussion.”
“But it’s not
reversed. Like I said, you wouldn’t last five minutes in my world. So, Harper,
back to the subject at hand. A list of your staff and friends.”
reversed. Like I said, you wouldn’t last five minutes in my world. So, Harper,
back to the subject at hand. A list of your staff and friends.”
Anger suffused her
and made her stomach churn. She was even more determined now to show him that
he was wrong.
and made her stomach churn. She was even more determined now to show him that
he was wrong.
About
the Author
the Author
Zoe Dawson is the alter ego of Karen Anders, award
winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and
branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her
belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction.
Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban
fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever
afters feed her heart.
winning, multi-published author. Her writing journey started with poetry and
branched out into fiction. With a couple of college English courses under her
belt, she penned a historical, then moved onto contemporary romance fiction.
Today, she is happy producing romantic suspense, romantic mystery, urban
fantasy and paranormal novels. The words feed her soul and the happily ever
afters feed her heart.
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