Two
Little Lies by Rhonda Helms
Mini
interview
Q1:
How did you come up with the concept for TWO LITTLE LIES?
A1: When I was writing the other
book in the series, ONE BROKE GIRL, I realized that Kyle and Natalie belonged
together, no question. Natalie has loathed Kyle since elementary school, when
he threw her lunchbox out a bus window. Kyle’s now a sexy, cynical PI; I knew I
wanted something work-related to give them a reason to start talking. Hence the
research into Natalie’s boyfriend and the start of the story. These two
characters practically wrote themselves.
Q2:
What are you working on right now?
A2: I’m doing a New Adult two-book
series for Kensington Publishing, so I just finished drafting the second book
(the first is called SCRATCH, coming Sept 30). And I have a few other teen and
New Adult book ideas battering around my head that are all begging for my time.
;-)
Q3:
What is your go-to snack while writing?
A3: Does wine count? Hah. I also
enjoy noshing on chocolate or chugging a Diet Coke. Gotta love addictions…
Q4:
What was your favorite scene to write in this book?
A4: Oh, this one’s easy. The
bathroom scene, hands down. I was like, OMG these two are a bit naughtier than
I realized. Hah. I kinda pushed my own personal envelope a bit while writing
it. I hope you guys enjoy!
Q5:
How can readers learn about what’s up next for you?
A5: You can drop by my website at
http://rhondahelmsbooks.com to find out more about all my
teen and adult romance releases. Make sure to sign up for my newsletter at http://bit.ly/1x35SsU. I do
exclusive giveaways, teasers, and other fun things!
Two Little Lies by Rhonda Helms
Excerpt
1
“Natalie,”
Kyle said. I looked up at his rough voice to see his eyes locked on mine.
Everything he was thinking and feeling was right there on his face. The
realness, the openness of it stunned me. “You shouldn’t be alone tonight. Not
after what you just went through.”
“I’m
fine,” I repeated in a low whisper. Strangely enough, being this close to Kyle
shoved all thoughts of West out of my brain. I swallowed. Now that I was
looking at Kyle, really looking, I
could tell that what I’d identified as anger in his eyes was actually worry.
He was
concerned? About me?
I sucked
my lower lip. His gaze dropped to my mouth then moved down my deep, exposed
neckline. My skin tightened like he’d given me a physical caress. I saw his
Adam’s apple bob, and a light sigh flew out of my mouth, unbidden.
“That
dress is dangerous, you know.” There was a guttural element to his voice that
made my sex clench. Holy shit, how had I never realized how potent the guy
could sound? His eyes grew heavy-lidded, the right side of his jaw ticking. “I
think you should go home.”
All I
could do was shake my head in response. My entire body throbbed, and my mouth
opened with a sight part of my lips. If I weren’t here right now, I wouldn’t
believe I was having this strong of a reaction to Kyle. I knew he could read my
desire on my face; I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted him to see what I was
feeling.
Wanted
to see what he’d do with the open invitation in my eyes.
I
wasn’t normally this impulsive, but some earthy, feminine part of me ached to
push him into action. Was it the alcohol? My long-denied sexual hunger? Or was something
else at play here?
Kyle
blinked and looked away to rest his hand on the stall door. Then he muttered a
cuss word and took a step toward me, his fingers moving behind his back. The
sound of the metal sliding in the door lock made my heart give an excited
lurch.
Before
I realized what was happening, Kyle tugged me to him then dug his fingers into
the bound hair at the nape of my neck. He lowered his head and took my mouth in
a hot kiss.
There
was no asking for permission, just claiming.
Excerpt
2
Sensory
detail came to me in little pieces. The strips of weak sunshine through the
blinds on the window. The rich cotton of the pillow and sheets that touched my
skin. The firm mattress.
The
warm hand resting on my naked hip.
I
froze, cracked one eye open. This wasn’t my bedroom. I wasn’t in my apartment.
Where the hell was I? I ordered my brain to think faster, but it was like
trying to navigate a boat through a thick fog.
Snippets
of memories from last night finally seeped through the swiss cheese holes in my
brain. Tino’s bar. Kyle showing up with friends. His mouth on mine in the bathroom
stall. Coming back to his place to talk. And then…
Oh, God. My face erupted in a burst of
flames that spread down my throat, across my chest. Had I really had sex with
him? I was lying naked in not-my-bed, with not-my-hand touching me. My pelvis
and thighs had a slight tenderness that wasn’t unpleasant. All signs pointed to
yes.
Conflicting
emotions battered at me. Part of me wanted to run away, pretend like this had
never occurred. After all, what was gonna happen between him and me now? Would
he wake up, look at me and be horrified about last night? Regretful? Rude and
dismissive?
The
other part of me couldn’t stop focusing on the gentle pressure of his fingers
cupped around my hip. How his hand flexed in his sleep so he gave me little
unconscious squeezes. The soft cadence of his breath stirring the back of my
hair.
My
chest tightened, and I sucked in a breath. I’d had sex with Kyle. And now that
the pieces were filling in, I remembered that it had been amazing. The best I’d
ever had, hands down. Unbelievably hot and intimate too. There had been moments
of genuine connection between us last night. Not just physical lust. And maybe
that was the thing that was tripping me up the most right now. Because I’d felt
something for him.
I bit
my lower lip. How could I have experienced an emotional link with someone who
wasn’t my type? A guy who tended to aggravate me more often than not? And to
add to the issue, I was freshly single. Twenty-four hours after dumping West,
I’d been all too willing to hop into the sack with Kyle.
Or the
couch, to be technical.
What
kind of a girl did that? This kind, apparently. Bianca would approve of my
sexual revolution. Hell, she’d probably give me a box of condoms and tell me to
keep up the good work.
I lay there
for another moment, coming up with scenarios that wouldn’t end this event in
total awkward disaster. Finally, I rolled onto my back. His hand slid
possessively across my belly and cuddled me closer.
I
swallowed as my heart squeezed. It was so dumb, the momentary flare of wanting
this to be real. Never gonna happen.
Excerpt
3
“You deserve honesty,” Kyle said out of
nowhere, and my hand paused. “I’m not looking for a relationship right now, and
I wanted to be open and upfront about it.”
I
nodded. No big surprise there. I refused to think about the tiny sting in my
ego.
Then
he reached for my hand, drew it into his lap. His fingers danced across my
skin, and I found myself shivering for a whole different reason.
“But
I’m drawn to you, Natalie. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since
that night.”
I
turned my head to face him. His eyes were heavy-hooded, his lush lips parted.
“Me neither.”
“I’d
like to explore this…thing between us.” He flipped my hand over and stroked his
index finger along my palm. My brain remembered where those clever fingers had
been on my body, in my body, and I dragged in a rough breath. “Just to see what
happens. No rules, no commitments. Is that something you want too?”
I
wasn’t normally one to date around, even though Bianca had always encouraged me
to give it a shot. I liked to be in a steady relationship, had done so since I
was in high school. But maybe having a casual thing with Kyle would be fun,
less pressure. Could I do it without my feelings getting tangled along the way?
Was this worth the risk?
Only
one way to find out.
I
ached for him to lean across the seat and kiss me. My nipples beaded at the
thought, and I was glad I had a thick winter coat on. I was growing far too
turned on from this simple gesture to be able to speak, but I wanted to meet
his honesty with my own, so I gave a quick nod to answer him.
“Okay. So back to your question of dinner,” he
continued in a silken voice. His thumb stroked the pulse at my wrist. I felt
like every nerve ending in my body had rerouted to that one spot. “Yes, I’d
like to. Tonight. Takeout?”
“Sounds
good,” I whispered.
“Your
skin is so soft. And it’s like this everywhere.” He sounded matter of fact, but
his fingers slid up the delicate skin of my inner forearm, and I bit back a
groan of pleasure.
I
almost begged him to strip my coat off and touch me right here in this parking
lot but managed to restrain myself somehow.
“Be at
my house at six.” He ducked his head down, and his tongue swiped my wrist,
which made my sex tighten in agonized hunger. And then he was gone, leaving me
in my car.
Two Little Lies by Rhonda Helms
(Edgewood Falls #2)
Publication date: June 9th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
(Edgewood Falls #2)
Publication date: June 9th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
Natalie Goldsmith has a fabulous life and an equally awesome boyfriend. So what is her best friend Bianca thinking when she says she suspects West is cheating—and confesses that she’s hired a PI to prove it? Totally not cool.
Especially since the cynical PI, Kyle Winslow, is her grade school nemesis. With a smug, know-it-all look on his face, Kyle declares he can smell a cheater from a mile away, and he’s willing to bet it all on West. Well, if he wants to waste his time chasing a lie, more power to him. But just days later, he presents irrefutable evidence of her boyfriend’s unfaithfulness, and Natalie’s enviable life takes a total nosedive.
Determined to not let this ruin her New Year’s Eve, she goes out on the town, dressed to the nines…and ends up having a drunken night of mind-blowing sex with Kyle. Now the guy she hates is the one person she can’t get out of her mind. Even crazier, he seems just as drawn to her too. The more time they spend together, the more she realizes Kyle could be everything she’s been looking for. But should she risk it all on a guy who says he doesn’t believe in love?
Especially since the cynical PI, Kyle Winslow, is her grade school nemesis. With a smug, know-it-all look on his face, Kyle declares he can smell a cheater from a mile away, and he’s willing to bet it all on West. Well, if he wants to waste his time chasing a lie, more power to him. But just days later, he presents irrefutable evidence of her boyfriend’s unfaithfulness, and Natalie’s enviable life takes a total nosedive.
Determined to not let this ruin her New Year’s Eve, she goes out on the town, dressed to the nines…and ends up having a drunken night of mind-blowing sex with Kyle. Now the guy she hates is the one person she can’t get out of her mind. Even crazier, he seems just as drawn to her too. The more time they spend together, the more she realizes Kyle could be everything she’s been looking for. But should she risk it all on a guy who says he doesn’t believe in love?
Purchase:
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AUTHOR BIO
Rhonda Helms started writing several years ago. She has a Master's degree in English and a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing. She also edits for Carina Press (an imprint of Harlequin Publishing) and freelance edits.
When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.
Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family.
When she isn't writing, she likes to do amateur photography, dig her toes into the sand, read for hours at a time, and eat scads of cheese. WAY too much cheese.
Rhonda lives in Northeast Ohio with her family.
Author links:
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