Tantalizing Maria



Maria Gomez married her lover’s brother to give the baby she carried the name and future she deserved. Now she is widowed, and her oldest child’s father—the only man she ever loved—has returned.

In prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Jefferson Bay never forgot the beautiful woman who betrayed him with his own brother. When DNA evidence proved Jeff’s innocence years later and he was released, he vowed to find Maria and seek his revenge.

The passion between the two has never died, but can they learn to trust each other again?

Other Books In This Series


Reviews


"This is definitely the type of story that will have you alternating between smiling and crying. My heart broke at certain points. Hardt has a unique writing style that I have enjoyed across this series, a series I'm sad to see end."
-Romance Readers Retreat
"This is a deeply emotional story of love, betrayal, heartache, redemption, and second chances."
-The Book Sirens
"This series is a MUST READ. "
-United Indie Book Blog
"Helen masterfully tackled another story with heartbreaking consequences but a happy ending"
-Tina at Bookalicious Babes Blog

Excerpt


The kiss was deep and passionate.

Maria Gomez hadn’t known kissing could be so succulent and full of longing, yet so true at the same time. For truth existed in this kiss—a truth she had never felt before.

Never had the juiciest Colorado beef or the richest chocolate tasted as divine as Jeff’s mouth on hers.

Truth. Pure truth laced up in craving and wonder.

Maria wasn’t all that experienced. She was still a virgin at eighteen, but she’d done her share of kissing. From a shy peck from Leo Martinez when she was fourteen to making out with Greg Black in his car and at myriad parties senior year of high school—yeah, she’d been around the block as far as kissing went.

All of those kisses seemed like the cover band to sit through before Styx finally took the stage.

Jeff Bay? He was definitely Styx.

Jeff was a rebel—a cowboy who wore black leather and rode a Harley Davidson Fat Boy. Tall and built, he could easily model for GQ. His walnut hair hung below his ears in lazy waves, and his brown eyes were smoky and smoldering. His full pink lips curved up in a slightly lopsided smile that melted Maria’s heart. His skin was the color of peach cream. Maria loved the contrast with her own olive complexion. And when he took off his shirt? Oh my. Those broad shoulders and sculpted arms pointed the way to a gorgeous chest and abs. His nipples were two brown coins nestled in just the right amount of dark hair sprinkled over his chest.

And his butt—covered in jeans that hugged those hips and glutes just right and then snugged around his muscular legs all the way down to his black cowboy boots.

Jeff’s full lips slid over hers with the perfect combination of caring softness and reckless abandon. When he probed his tongue between them and entered her mouth, she nearly swooned. He tasted of cinnamon and strawberries, with an accent of wild and savage. His groan vibrated, more than sounded, against her cheeks.

She kissed him back. Not like she’d kissed any other man…no, boy. For in this moment, she knew she’d never kissed a man before. The others had all been boys. And she kissed him back for the first time as a woman, not a girl.

Passion. Eagerness. And agony. Yes, the pure agony of knowing she would never experience another kiss like this.