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Forbidden Fruit - by Anne Rainey

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FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Anne Rainey

Copyright © Anne Rainey, 2008
All Rights Reserved, RED SAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

EXCERPT FROM FORBIDDEN FRUIT

“Oh god, what am I even doing here? I don’t belong here!”

Jen took Ava by the shoulders and gave her a shake. “Remember Monday? Standing on Luke’s front porch and hearing every awful word that fell out of his big dumb mouth?”

Ava remembered. It hurt, but she remembered.

She’d gone to Luke’s on Monday because he’d found a cat on his front porch and hadn’t a clue as to what to do with it. Inches from the screen door, she stopped dead at the words that drifted out to her.

“Since when do you have the hots for my sister’s friend?”

“I wouldn’t say I have the hots for her, but there’s no denying that she’s one sexy piece of ass, Luke.”

“Dr. Doolittle? Sexy?”

He sounded so incredulous and Ava felt her heart sink.

“Hell, yes, sexy!” At that moment, she could have planted one on Pete’s lips for that manly comment. “I’d give my left nut to see that curvy ass of hers in the buff. It’s all heart-shaped and…just so damned squeezable.”

Luke, the idiot, dug himself in deeper. “Are we talking about the same woman here?”

Pete just plowed on; oblivious that Luke wasn’t buying a word he was selling. “And those magnificent tits. Just right, ya know? All soft and bouncy and round. I swear to Christ I don’t think she owns a single bra.”

“How can you tell what her ass or her tits look like when every piece of clothing she owns is big and baggy and ugly as sin?”

Her shoulders slumped. That confirmed her worst fears. Luke would never see her as a woman. Only ever as the plain tomboy, animal lover friend of his sister, Jen.

Great.

“You don’t need to have x-ray vision, Luke. Ava Sweet isn’t all fluff and makeup, true, but, she’s real and everything a man could want in a woman. She has natural beauty. The kind most women envy. And I’d bet money that beneath those baggy clothes is one helluva woman just waiting for a man to sink his teeth in.”

“But, again, I ask you, how the hell can you even tell? She’s all bulky cotton material! And that hair. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it out of that nasty ass ponytail she wears day in and day out.”

Can you blame her?”

“What do mean?”

“She probably dresses like that to deter her boss and every other man she comes across.”

“What does her boss have to do with it?”

Yeah, that’s what she’d like to know.

“I’ve been to the clinic where she works and I’ve seen the good doc giving her the once over. If she came to work looking all…girly, he’d be on her quicker than a cat to cream.”

“You’ve been to her clinic?”

“Yep.”

“What the hell for? You don’t even own a pet.”

“Jesus, Luke, for such a ladies man you can be real dense sometimes.”

Enough was enough, Ava decided. Time to retrieve the cat and give Luke a piece of her mind in the process.

Category: Contemporary

Length: Novelette'

MSRP/List Price: $3.99

Our Cover Price: $2.50

Available Format: eBook

Description: Veterinarian assistant Ava Sweet has lusted in secret after bad boy Luke McGiffin since high school. Years pass, but she never loses hope that he will come to see her as a desirable woman.

Then one day she overhears Luke scorning her. “Dr. Doolittle? Sexy? How can you tell when every piece of clothing she owns is big and baggy and ugly as sin?”

That’s it. No more of him treating her like a kid sister. It’s time to show the hunky roofer her feminine side. The plan? Step One: arrange a fake date right under Luke’s nose to drum up some jealousy. Step Two: let her best friend Jen give her a seductive, innocent-vixen, miniskirt makeover. Step Three: tempt Luke right out of his sexy jeans.

But can Ava handle a man with such strong appetites, or is she in over her head?

To My Reader It’s a pleasure for me to create less than perfect heroines that are easy to relate to and I especially had fun with Ava Sweet. She’s one tough lady, but with a soft center. She deserved a hunky bad boy to show her just how beautiful she is. I dearly hope you enjoy Ava’s transformation from shy tomboy to sexy siren!

ISBN: 9781603101707

Publication Date: 04/01/2008

Reviews

FALLEN ANGELS REVIEW - Forbidden Fruit

5 ANGELS AND A RECOMMENDED READ!

In Anne Rainey's story, Forbidden Fruit, veterinarian assistant Ava Sweet has had the hots for her best friend's older brother Luke since the first day she saw him, many years ago. Unfortunately, he has always seen her only as the tom boy she had been-or so she thinks. In reality, Luke has always seen and wanted the woman beneath the baggy clothing, but calls her Dr. Doolittle in an attempt to hide his attraction to her. This backfires when she over hears his disparaging remarks about her femininity (or lack thereof) as he tries to discourage a mutual friend from seeing her as sexy. Stung, Ava sets out to make him eat his words.

She gets more than she bargained for when Luke brings her home. He has wanted her for far too long to only sample her favors once. No, he wants her over and over. But Ava is determined not to be a hanger on, so she slips away while he is sleeping. Now Luke wants her back, and this bad boy is not above using a little puppy love to accomplish his goal!

Luke McGiffin is h-o-t, and the combination of him and Ava…well, let's just say I had to keep wiping my glasses free from the steam which collected as I was reading! It is easy to get inside Ava's head and picture the difficulty of trying to attract a man known for his conquests, and the heady sense of wonder when she realizes he already desires her. It is just as easy to imagine the need to save her pride, and protect her heart from the pain of being dumped. However, Ms. Rainey also does an outstanding job of allowing us entrance into Luke's thoughts, and it's very quickly obvious that once he has had her, there will be no turning back.

Forbidden Fruit is the second book by Anne Rainey I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing, and I will eagerly grab the next one I see.

~~~Reviewed by: Lynn~Five Angels- RR

Rating: 5 Enchantments!!!!

Luke, a good looking hunky roofer who realized about six months ago that he was in love with Ava, aka Dr. Dolittle, a veterinary technician and a friend from high school.

Ava is a small town girl that has been in love with ‘bad boy’ Luke since she can remember. Ava never made a pass at Luke, she never thought he ever noticed her; after all she was just an animal lover and a sloppily dressed tomboy, why would anyone ever look twice at her.

This is a cute romance where the small town bad boy falls for the small town vet tech. Ava comes to the dance club where Luke, whose just hanging out, sees her dressed in a tiny skirt and silky top, and gets suddenly possessive. One thing leads to another and Ava goes home with Luke and they indulge in a wild night of pleasure. In a few months, Luke and Ava plan to get married and have a double wedding with Luke’s best friend Pete, and Luke’s sister Kelly, Ava announces to everyone that she is pregnant with Luke’s baby, Luke is thrilled. What Ava doesn’t announce is she’s pregnant with triplets! She thought she’d spring that one on Luke privately.

Very fun read, dessert after dinner so to speak. This totally darling, very sexy story leaves you with that fluffy in love feeling, and Luke and Ava are so cute together. This story is just how one might picture the small town ‘bad boy’ and sweet, tomboy girl, develop into a relationship. I can certainly picture it. Luke and Ava are wildly attracted to each other and have wild passionate sex together, where there is light bondage involved. Ava’s long time dream comes true, Luke falls in love with her, something one would wish for any girl who’d had a crush for years. This is one of those quick, fun, easy reads, totally enjoyable!

This paragraph came straight out of the book ‘Forbidden Fruit’ it is totally cute and creative and I could not have written anything more entertaining. Anne lives in a small town way out in the middle of no-where-ville. She is a gorgeous blonde with wonderful curves and a money tree in the backyard. Clearly, Anne is a mere figment. A ghostly figure that pops in and out of my head like a drive-by author. Nevertheless, I do so love it when she’s visiting, because her imagination really is wickedly delicious! She’ll bring you fantasies and erotic delights that will have you grabbing the ice water. You can contact Anne at www.eRedSage.com

~~~Desiree Douglas ~ ENCHANTING REVIEWS - Rating: (5) Enchantments

Rating: 4 Stars!!!!
Heat level: H

Ava Sweet has had a crush on Luke McGiffin for quite some time. Overhearing a conversation with Luke telling a friend how horrible Ava looked was the last straw. Luke couldn’t believe his friend Pete was suddenly noticing Ava. Luke knew he had to do whatever he could to get Pete’s mind off of Ava, even if it meant telling a few ‘white lies’. Ava never knew what inviting Pete out on a date would spark with Luke.

Forbidden Fruit was a great short read. I always enjoy those stories When two people finally recognize they are meant for each other. Ava’s character is like the girl next door. She has loved her best friend Jen’s older brother for a long time. Luke is the ultimate bad boy; the alpha male that no other male wants to cross. I love that in a man! When Luke decides Ava has gone too far with her flirtation of Pete, he becomes the ultimate ALPHA, stopping things before they even get started, issuing threats to both parties. When Luke finally admits that he wants Ava and has for a while, the sparks begin to ignite. The sexual chemistry was so hot between Luke and Ava and the sexual relationship is a great compliment to their love. There were numerous secondary characters that helped the story along. For a short read with hot sex, I recommend Forbidden Fruit.

~~~LT Blue - Just Erotic Romance Reviews

FORBIDDEN FRUIT – Anne Rainey

Erotic Contemporary Romance

Ohio – Present Day From the moment Ava laid eyes on Luke she’s wanted him, but he only sees her as his sister’s best friend. Well, the fact that she dresses in a drab way may have something to do with it, but darn it, she isn’t that bad looking. One makeover later and Luke is eyeing her like a thirsty man in the middle of the desert eyes water. Oh, my! Will Luke prove to be Ava’s fantasy lover come true? Ever feel drab and unloved but there’s a hot guy you wish would notice you? Well, that’s what Ava feels. When she overhears Luke talking to a friend that Ava is well…not exactly a hot number, she becomes bent on proving Luke wrong. To her surprise, she learns a few things about Luke and herself that just might pave the way for a happily ever after for them.

~~~Holly Tibbs - Romance Reviews Today Erotic Reviews