Sweet On You: Sanctuary, #4

By Evie Snow

Finding love can be a sticky business...

 

Derek James is stepping out of his comfort zone to try online dating. The animal rescue officer is great with animals, but humans are another matter entirely. However, he thinks he's met the perfect, sweet woman in Brea Marquez. But then he receives a message requesting a dick pic the day they're due to meet in person. Now he's standing in his bedroom with his phone, while his family members laugh their asses off on the other side of the door.

 

Candy store owner Brea Marquez has a history of disastrous dates. But she thinks she's met the perfect guy in Derek. He's sweet, patient and kind, not to mention super-hot. The only problem is that she is worried she's gonna ruin things by doing something awkward. Little does she know that her meddling sister has kidnapped her phone and has sent Derek a message that has made things awkward before the date's even begun!

 

Brea and Derek go on their date, but with Brea having no idea what her sister has done, and Derek wondering if he hasn't made a big mistake, will they make it through to dessert?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Exile Publishing
• Release date: Jan 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9781912305124

Evie Snow

Evie Snow is the pseudonym for a globe-trotting writing team working towards their very own Happily Ever After: Best-selling author Georgina Penney does the actual writing and reads far too many books. Her husband, Tony Johnson (AKA The Kraken) helps out with plot wrangling and is in charge of caffeine distribution. Franky, their surly cat also helps by running the complaints department from his hiding place under the coffee table. When not writing warm and funny contemporary romance, Georgina and Tony can currently be found roaming the wilds of England & Scotland, hiking valiantly from café to tea shop in a never-ending quest to find the perfect scone.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Derek? Are you going to take all day? It’s only a picture

Derek James heard his sister’s voice through his bedroom door and took a moment to contemplate how much simpler his life would be if he could explode people with sheer will of thought.

If there were ever a time when a man needed solitude to do his own business and take a damn photograph, this was it. Everyone else in the world might be fine plastering their pictures all over the internet, but not him. He was the type of person who balked at having his picture taken, even for newspaper stories about his work with the Monterey SPCA—and those pictures were of him with clothes on, with a cute dog or cat in his arms to distract people’s attention.

He gripped his phone in his left hand and braced himself against the wall, wondering how the hell he’d gotten into this situation. Oh, that’s right, he’d made the mistake of talking to Marlee about his personal life. Which now meant that he, a grown-ass man, was standing in his bedroom with his jeans around his ankles.

"I’ve got a website here. It’s called Rateyourdickpic.com, and it says the best way to take one is by getting a half-loaf, whatever that is. I’m guessing it’s a half-wood, so I think you maybe need to make it half-hard. Not that I want to even think of my brother like that, but—"

Not helping, Marlee. Derek focused on his reflection in the closet mirror. A thirty-five-year-old man with tawny skin, dark-brown eyes and a short fade looked back at him. It was the face of someone who’d stood his ground when charged by an aggressive Rottweiler two days ago. It was a man’s face. It had determination written all over it. Yeah. He was determined, and a lifetime of shyness around women wasn’t going to get in his way. This wasn’t a disrespectful thing. He wasn’t doing anything wrong. He’d been asked to do this.

I’m helping you more than you know, his sister piped up again. For one thing, I’m standing on the other side of my brother’s bedroom door when I could be spending quality time with my husband on the first day we’ve been kid-free for months. Just take the picture. It can’t be that hard . . . oh wait, scratch that thought. Derek thought he heard smothered laughter. In fact, he was sure Marlee was laughing. "Are you even trying? There are some really interesting tips on this website. One says you’re meant to evoke a feeling that gives the picture context. Are you evoking a feeling? If you were evoking a feeling, what kind of feeling would you be evoking?"

Right now all I’m evoking is the urge to come out there and kick your ass, Derek growled while trying to refocus on the task at hand, which just happened to be his dick, which was literally in his hand. He raised his phone, sighted himself up and—

By the way, the person on this website says you’re not supposed to take the shot from straight over it. You’re supposed to take it from an angle, like it’s an accidental thing, you know?

No, I don’t know! Derek yelled. "How does a man accidentally take a picture of his wiener? It’s not like it’s gonna accidentally fall out of my pants and take a picture of itself."

That sent his sister into gales of laughter.

Derek had had enough. For God’s sake, Marlee, can’t you let me do this in peace?

"I would if I actually thought you’d do it. And if you’re not going to take it, why don’t you stop being