Thursday, November 9, 2023

The wait is over! A new Maverick is Here!

 

Yes, it’s true! I’m excited to tell you all that Endless in Love is now available!



Bella and I loved writing Endless in Love. And we fell in love with our hero, Dane Harrington, and his beautiful heroine, Cammie Chandler. Actually, I fell in love with Dane when he first popped in to visit us in Unforgettable in Love. You might remember that Dane bought Gideon’s painting. And if you can’t remember the painting, catch up with Captivating in Love!

So here’s a bit more about Dane and Cammie’s endless love story!


A sexy billionaire and the one woman he can’t have…


Dane Harrington is the epitome of power, wealth, and success. The self-made billionaire is used to getting what he wants, when he wants it. And he’s well aware he wouldn’t be able to get it all done without his brilliant personal assistant, Cammie Chandler.

 

Cammie is smart, beautiful, and fiercely independent. And before she ever thought she’d work for Dane, the two of them shared a steamy night full of sensual touches and passionate kisses. But once he offered her the fantastic position as his personal assistant, they both agreed the only possible way to make it work was if they remained perfectly professional. But no matter how hard they’ve both tried, neither of them has been able to completely forget their one incredible, sexy night together.

 

When Dane finally admits the only woman he’s ever truly wanted is Cammie, their burning desire becomes too powerful to resist. Can they throw out the rule book that has kept them safe for so long? Or will a love that seems endless be forever doomed?


Ooh, these two make me swoon and so does their love story! Here’s where you can get Endless in Love! 


Kindle | Kindle UK | Kindle AU | Kindle CA

Apple Books | Apple Books UK | Apple Books AU | Apple Books CA

Nook | Kobo | Google Play


I’ve got a few bits of news to impart, and at the end of the blog, look for an excerpt of Chapter One of Endless in Love! 


First, I’m running a special contest with a couple of great writer friends! We’re each giving away one of our holiday romances through BookFunnel. All you have to do is download your free read! In addition, you can enter our contest for a $50 e-gift card! Here’s where you can find all the free book links and the details on entering our gift card contest:

https://forms.gle/MvxwEoX7S8PRzgLJ8

Note: This giveaway will end on Nov 30


Second, Bella and I have a special giveaway for you, Endless in Love! The US-only Goodreads giveaway starts 10/28 and runs through 11/17. So get your entries in for this Goodreads Giveaway!



ThirdReunited in Love, Maverick Billionaires Book 9, will be winging its way to you on June 20, 2024!  So get in your preorder now!

Kindle | Apple Books | Nook | Kobo | Google Play




And fourth, in case you didn’t know it, I’ve got two series in Kindle Unlimited. So for those of you who belong to KU, be sure to check out the Once Again Series, from Dreaming of Provence to Cruising the Danube, And Courtesans Tales, starting with The Girlfriend Experience.  And 3 new boxed sets for the Courtesans, Courtesans Box Set 1-2-3, Courtesans Box Set 4-5-6, Courtesans Box Set 7-8-9!




Check out all the other current freebies, first-in-series Dead to the Max and Revenge. And don’t miss Sheer Dynamite, Show Me How to Love You, and Breathless in Love, free for a limited time! And right now, Unforgettable in Love is on sale for .99. Grab it now before it goes back to full price!




Be sure to join my newsletter for more free books and to get the 411 on contests! http://bit.ly/SkullyNews


And now for your excerpt of Endless in Love!


CHAPTER ONE

© 2023 Bella Andre & Jennifer Skully

 

“Now, that’s a lot of pregnant ladies.” Eyes on the women on the sidelines, Dane Harrington’s sister Ava pulled her glossy, dark red hair into an elastic band.

Dane couldn’t tell if that was envy in her eyes. Or terror. Knowing his sister, who was thirty-six and a couple of years younger than him, it had to be terror. She didn’t flinch in boardrooms, and a ferocious game of soccer never alarmed her. But babies struck fear into the hearts of all the Harrington siblings—his two sisters and two brothers.

Golden Gate Park on a Sunday afternoon provided the backdrop for one such ferocious soccer game. The Mavericks set up the collapsible goal nets his sister Gabby had brought, and his brothers, Troy and Clay, finished the chalk lines. Since the lawn wasn’t an official soccer field, they shared it with kids flying kites, dog owners throwing Frisbees, families enjoying a picnic, and sunbathers catching rays on the first sunny Sunday anyone had seen in six weeks.

January had been wet in the San Francisco Bay Area, with storms hitting hard along the entire West Coast. The rain, thankfully, had let up a week ago, and now, at the tail end of January, the turf had dried out, making an impromptu game possible without it turning into a mud bath. Not that Dane was averse to getting dirty for something important.

And today was important to him.

The Maverick ladies sat in deck chairs on the grassy sidelines, ready to cheer on their husbands and significant others. And yeah, that was a lot of pregnant women. Paige Collins was the furthest along, her due date somewhere around the end of March.

Fernsby, Dane’s butler, who insisted on going everywhere with Dane, rolled his ubiquitous tea trolley through the gathering, offering his baked treats and cups of tea.

Dane caught Cammie’s eye, and she gave him a thumbs-up. While her hair shimmered red-gold in the sunshine, Cammie’s green eyes seemed to sparkle, something he swore he could see even from this distance. Among the women on the sidelines, she formed the Harrington cheering section—along with T. Rex, the long-haired mini dachshund they shared, who’d run to her the moment Dane unleashed him.

His personal assistant for the last twelve years, Cammie Chandler was one of the most caring, loyal people he knew. He felt exceptionally grateful she’d taken time away from her uncle’s bedside in the San Juan Bautista care home to make the two-hour drive north to Golden Gate Park. Her uncle suffered with late-stage Alzheimer’s, and Cammie had been on family leave for the past five months to be with him.

But Dane needed her input on the Mavericks before he moved forward with his plans. Cammie’s impressions were always spot-on. He thanked his lucky stars for the day Clyde Westerbourne sent her to him for that job interview twelve years ago. His work life had been a shambles, with one assistant after another only making his problems worse. All of twenty-two at the time, Cammie had saved his work life from catastrophe.

Ava kicked his shin. Thinking about Cammie, he’d missed Will Franconi kicking the ball and starting the game. Though soccer normally required at least seven players, there were only five Harringtons. Playing in teams of five, the Mavericks probably thought they had the advantage since they could bring in Cal Danniger or Gideon Jones to spell the others—not that Dane had ever seen an exhausted Maverick.

But they didn’t know Gabby and Ava were the Harringtons’ secret weapons.

Gabby was right there, taking control of the ball, dribbling it down the field, even though she could have kicked it to one of her brothers. But that was Gabby, totally focused on the goal. Youngest of them all at only thirty, she was blond like their mother, while all the males of the family were dark-haired. Ava, with her red locks, was a throwback to their grandfather.

Both his sisters were holy terrors on the soccer field. And super competitive. Even he found their ruthlessness shocking. They could steal the ball out from under you in a split second. Of all the Harringtons, they were the fastest and wiliest. Soccer wasn’t about brute strength. It was about agility and strategy. And they were both excellent tacticians.

Gabby swiftly passed the ball to Ava, just as Matt Tremont made his move, going in for the steal. But he pulled up short, mystified to find the ball no longer there.

Dane and his siblings had played soccer with Gabby since she’d joined her middle school soccer team in the Bay Area, then had gone on to play all through high school. The family had used the game as a way to deal with their parents’ deaths in an avalanche while skiing in the French Alps. The blows had continued when they’d learned their parents had squandered their fortune, racking up huge debts. Soccer practice helped them blow off steam and kept the family from imploding. Dane had spent his entire adult life keeping his brothers and sisters together. They were all his best friends, the ones he turned to, counted on, be it critical middle-of-the-night calls or just goofing around.

But now they’d all found their own paths and were doing damn well. Even if each of them had yet to find a partner—or, hell, even a serious relationship. And at thirty-eight years old, his life had become about business, his resorts, and expansion.

His team—his family—moved the soccer ball rapidly down the field toward the Mavericks’ goal net. While Clay played goalie, Troy and Ava kicked the ball back and forth, but soon Gabby would move in for the kill. Cal and Gideon yelled instructions from the sidelines while Matt, along with Evan Collins, tried vainly to steal the ball. They hadn’t a clue it was no use.

Gabby went for the goal. Sebastian Montgomery dove for the ball before it made it into the net, his fingers falling an inch short.

Of course one of his sisters scored first. Dane high-fived his teammates, while the Mavericks stomped the grass like angry stallions.

They were an equally competitive bunch, one of the many reasons they interested him. Since that New Year’s Eve gala at Dane’s Napa resort, the Mavericks and Harringtons had been feeling each other out over one-on-one lunches, drinks, or dinners. All the proceeds from the fundraiser had gone to benefit Lean on Us, Gideon’s foundation for veterans and foster kids. Dane had worked with Cal Danniger and Lyssa Spencer extensively on the holiday gala, getting to know them well. As he learned more about the Mavericks, he discovered a synergy between them he couldn’t quite explain. And he envied it.

A couple of days ago, Will Franconi had called him, saying they should all talk.

Dane had suggested the soccer game.

“Sounds perfect,” Will said. “Afterward, we’ll grab a pint in the city and talk.” After a beat, he added, “We feel there’s great potential in working some business ventures with all of you.”

Dane thought the same thing. His family agreed. The Mavericks would complement everything his sisters and brothers brought to the table.

They got in position for the Mavericks’ turn at the ball. Now they’d had a taste of the Harringtons, the Mavericks would be on guard and not as easy to beat.

Dane went for the steal right under Evan’s nose. But the man saw him coming, and the ball whirled out of his reach to Matt, who dribbled it down the field. Yeah, the Mavericks were now playing tough.

He’d first met the Mavericks when he anonymously purchased a Miguel Fernando Correa painting from Gideon. The famous artist’s work had come into Gideon’s hands through an army comrade. After remaining unknown for generations, the painting was now worth millions. Instead of exploiting the windfall, Gideon had used the proceeds to start his nonprofit foundation.

Of course, Dane had heard of the Mavericks long before that. Who hadn’t? When Lyssa and Cal came to London with the intention of hitting him up for a donation, he’d revealed the Correa painting upstairs in his study. And told them of his desire to help the foundation in any way he could. He’d brought in more donations and offered his resort for the gala fundraiser Lyssa planned.

But it was Cammie who’d first seen the magic in the painting, encouraging him to bid on it. He’d upped the bid until there was no doubt the amazing work of art would be his. After he’d enjoyed the painting in his London townhome for a few months, it was now making the rounds of galleries and museums worldwide. Cammie had set up the tour from her uncle’s bedside.

His gaze drifted once more to her on the sidelines. She watched the game as avidly as the Maverick ladies, all of them shouting encouragement as their men kicked the ball between them, moving it swiftly down the field, neither Gabby nor Ava able to check their momentum.

If Cammie hadn’t pointed out the Correa painting to him, Dane would never have connected with the Mavericks.

She amazed him with her dedication. She’d taken care of her uncle for years after he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. Seven years ago, the disease progressed to the point that she’d had to put him in a memory care facility. He’d lived far longer than most Alzheimer’s patients. A few months ago, however, it became clear he was close to the end of his journey. Dane had insisted Cammie take family leave when he found her sleeping at her desk. The only person who could calm her uncle, she’d been traveling back and forth to the care home several times a week. But caring for him and managing her job at the same time was affecting her health.

After the last months without Cammie, Dane’s life was again in a shambles. Which was why he was so glad to have her here today, though he knew how hard it was for her to leave her uncle. She was more than Dane’s personal assistant. She was as important to him as his family. She kept him on track. She was right on about ventures he should go for and schemes he should avoid, seconding his gut feelings. She was smart. She was diligent. And so efficient there’d never been a single hiccup in his work life. Until she left. Even with the temps who’d taken her place, he was barely hanging on. Not that he’d tell her. Her place was by her uncle’s side right now.

Except today, when Dane needed her.

The ball thwacked him in the head. He hadn’t even realized he’d stopped running. Or that Gabby had gone for another steal. But Matt stole it back. On her feet, his wife, Ari, punched her fist in the air, screaming at Matt to go all the way.

The sidelines erupted with cheers when the Mavericks kicked the ball into the corner of the net despite Clay’s dive.

Almost lost among the women on the sidelines, Cammie jumped up and down on the grass, waving her hands, throwing out catcalls. Because she was all for the Harringtons. Always had been. Always would be.

That was his girl Friday.

***

The tied game roused all the passions on the sidelines, everyone shouting hurrahs for the Mavericks, who’d just put in Gideon and Cal to replace Evan and Daniel.

Lyssa Spencer, her dark curls shining in the sunlight, turned to Cammie. “Dane’s sisters are crazy good.” Even her eyes, a chocolate brown like her brother Daniel’s, seemed to smile.

Having taken her seat again, Cammie ran her fingers through Rex’s fur as he climbed once more into her lap. Ava and Gabby were the Harringtons’ surprise advantage. “They’re pretty good.”

Letting out a big laugh, Lyssa gushed, “They’re out of this world. They could go pro. I mean, my brothers are no slouches.” She put a hand on her belly. “And look at Cal out there. He’s crushing it.” The pure love on Lyssa’s face made Cammie’s heart stutter. Cal Danniger, the Mavericks’ business manager, though quite a few years older than Lyssa’s twenty-six, was still extremely attractive and fit, with a hint of silver in his dark hair.

At more than three months pregnant, Lyssa wore that special motherhood glow. Dane had mentioned that Cal and Lyssa had postponed their wedding until after the baby came in July.

Kelsey Collins, Evan’s younger sister, nudged Lyssa’s arm. “And let me tell you, those Harrington men are no slouches either.” She winked, adding a swoony note to her tone. “Talk about tall, dark, and handsome.”

The Harrington brothers were definitely a handsome lot—all over six feet, with thick, dark hair and blue eyes that seemed to see everything inside you. At least, Dane’s gaze did. Once, long ago, Troy had asked her out. Naturally, she’d turned him down. Working for Dane, it would have been awkward, even if she’d been interested. She was fairly certain Dane had read Troy the riot act for trying to poach one of his employees. He’d even apologized for Troy’s harassment, though Cammie had scoffed at his use of that word. Troy had asked, she’d said no, they’d both been fine, end of story. Clay, of course, had never even thought about dating her. They might be drop-dead gorgeous like their older brother, but no way did she need that kind of complication.

But she certainly wasn’t blind. They were all drop-dead gorgeous. Especially Dane. Not that she actually looked.

“I really thought you would date him, Lyssa.” Kelsey waggled her eyebrows. “He’s such a hottie, with all that thick hair a woman would just die to run her fingers through.” She kneaded the air with her fingers like a cat. “Especially after that trip you made to his London townhouse.”

Lyssa’s gaze rested on Cal, adoration in her eyes as she said, “Dane’s London house is stunning, filled with furniture and artwork that should be in a museum.” She ignored Kelsey’s insinuations about Dane and pointed to Fernsby. “And the house came with its very own British butler.”

Fernsby, now busily passing out his baked treats, had been with Dane for years, long before Dane bought the townhouse in the fashionable London borough of Chelsea. Cammie always suspected that baking was how Fernsby showed his love, though you certainly couldn’t tell from his manner. With the ageless face of a person who neither smiled nor frowned, he could be anywhere from forty to sixty. Wearing his ever-present stern expression, and with his tall frame and cultured voice, he was the epitome of the loyal manservant, always at Dane’s side no matter where, be it the London house, the manor in the English countryside, the Pebble Beach estate, the San Francisco flat, or even the small Caribbean island Dane owned.

But Kelsey didn’t let the subject go. “Come on, Lyssa, don’t tell me you didn’t think about a little—” She fluffed her ponytail of tawny blond-streaked hair and grinned instead of saying exactly what. “—for just a moment during that first meeting with Dane in his fabulous London home.”

Hands on her baby bump, Lyssa’s gaze fastened on Cal as he masterfully controlled the ball. “You know Cal was always the man for me.” Her eyes reflected the dreamy note in her voice. And she nudged Kelsey. “You’re the one who should date Dane. He’s perfect for you.”

Kelsey visibly shuddered. “No way. He’s too rich, powerful, and handsome. I want someone I don’t have to compete with.”

Cammie liked the outspoken Kelsey. From Dane, Cammie had learned that Kelsey and her twin brother, Tony—who couldn’t make it today—had appeared in their older brother’s life only a year ago. Evan had known nothing about the twins, his mother having left when he was only nine years old. But he’d apparently welcomed them all with open arms, his birth mother included. Cammie was sure there had to be a major story there.

On the field, Dane stole the ball from Cal, and the Maverick ladies erupted once more. Of course, Cammie jumped to her feet cheering. Rex, accidentally dumped on the ground, barked his joy, too, then abruptly ran off to beg Fernsby for a treat.

Kelsey had said she didn’t want someone too rich, powerful, or handsome. But she’d forgotten one adjective—perfect. The things Kelsey said about Dane didn’t bother Cammie. She wasn’t proprietary about her boss. She certainly wasn’t jealous. She was just a little uncomfortable with Kelsey talking about Dane as if he were a prize piece of beef. Even if he was. Cammie had done her best not to notice that over the years she’d worked for him. She’d had her uncle to think of, who’d relied on her so long she couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t. And she’d always been there for him.

But even if she had absolutely no designs on Dane—their working relationship was too important—she liked the way he’d introduced her today, not just as his assistant, but adding, “I can’t do anything without her.”

With all the jeering from the Maverick ladies, Cammie cheered the Harringtons. Staid Fernsby, incapable of even cracking a smile, certainly couldn’t do it.

Cammie punched the air. “You go, Dane. Crush those Mavericks.”

Suddenly, she was the target of all the Maverick females, battle light in their eyes, ready to squash the opposition.

Until Kelsey laughed loudly. Then they all doubled over, laughing in near hysteria.

Lyssa held her baby bump. Ari Tremont and Rosie hugged each other, both women as far along in their pregnancies as Lyssa. Paige Collins, Evan’s wife, had to sit. There wasn’t a more polite way to say it: She was huge, beautifully pregnant with twins, and due in a couple of months.

Wistfulness fell over Cammie, even as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes. They were all so happy. And their children would be so close in age. The two boys, Matt’s son, Noah, and Rosie’s son, Jorge, both almost seven, were dying to be big brothers. One huge happy family, they were wonderful to watch.

And the burst of laughter they’d all shared made Cammie long to be one of them.


Get it now!


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