Kareem spent his teen years fighting his growing desires for his sister’s best friend, Amy. Now, he’s taking part in a charity bachelor auction and his sister wins the bid… for her bestie. Readers who love holiday romances with bachelor auctions will enjoy Coming Down Her Chimney by Imani Jay, a steamy, small town, sister’s best friend, second chance romance.
Buy Now or Read FREE with KindleUnlimited!
Amy
My bestie dragged me to the lovely beach town where her parents retired. What she failed to mention is her brother, superstar basketball player (and my lifelong crush...), Kareem, is also here...
Kareem
I spent my teens fighting my growing desires for my sister's best friend. And seeing Amy again after all this time? She looks even better. And she's still the sweet, funny, smart girl I could never forget...
What happens when Kareem takes part in the local Charity Bachelor Auction and his sister wins the bid... for her bestie.
Tag along for a safe, steamy, second chance romance with no cheating, no cliffhanger and a guaranteed HEA!
Excerpt
Copyright 2023 Imani Jay
I push open the heavy glass door of our office building, the cold, San Francisco December air hitting my cheeks. I hurry inside, my heels clicking on the polished marble floors. As I make my way past the rows of cubicles, I catch a glimpse of myself in the dark computer screens - my curly hair bouncing around my shoulders, my brown eyes peering out from under thick lashes.
I plop down at my desk, setting my coffee, purse and laptop bag down. I boot up my computer, the screen lighting up. Numbers, always numbers. Sometimes I dream in debits and credits.
As I open up the latest expense reports, my mind drifts to the coming holidays. While my coworkers chat about their ski trips and what parties they'll attend, I'll be spending Christmas in the real cold with my sister and her family in Virginia. The thought of the frigid winter depresses me. I crave sunshine on my skin, sand between my toes. But my traitor parents left the city for a Caribbean cruise, so it's whether a solo holiday in my apartment or family time on the East Coast.
I'm interrupted from my daydream by the ringing of my phone. I smile when I see the name flash on the screen.
"Hey Lisa!" I answer.
My best friend's bubbly voice comes through the receiver. "Ami! How's my favorite girl?"
We chat about life, work. As always, her law firm is keeping her busy. Then Lisa asks me about my holiday plans, and I sigh.
"Pfff, my parents went on their cruise. So it's Virginia with my sister or just me, takeout, and Netflix. I'll live vicariously through your tropical vacation pictures."
Lisa gasps. "Oh my god! I can't believe I didn't think to invite you sooner. Come down to my parents' beach house with us!"
My eyes go wide. THE beach house? In Florida? That sounds like a dream. But imposing on their family holiday...
"Are you sure that's okay?" I ask hesitantly.
Lisa scoffs. "Of course! You know Mom and Dad love you. And I could really use my bestie to help with all the holiday activities' organization."
I chew on my bottom lip, considering. A warm beach vacation with Lisa and her awesome family does sound amazing. Way better than sitting alone in my apartment or going to freeze my butt at Marie's.
"Alright, I'm in!" I finally say. Lisa squeals in excitement. And as we discuss travel plans, I can't keep the grin off my face. No snow for me this Christmas - I'm heading for sunshine and sand!
Lisa fills me in on the details - I'll fly into Tampa next week and drive down to the Keys to meet them.
"And we can talk about you and my brother," she teases.
I feel my cheeks heat. Lisa laughs.
I suck my teeth. "Girl, leave me alone."
Truth is, I've had the biggest crush on Kareem Mason forever. The first time Lisa invited me to her house back when we were in high school and became inseparable. But he's always been older, cooler, waaayyy out of my league. And now, he's a successful, rich and famous basketball player. I'm just me - no way he'd ever look at me as more than his little sister's best friend.
The thought of him makes my pulse quicken. I push that to the far corners my mind.
"I'm just looking forward to sunshine and piña coladas," I say breezily.
"Uh huh, sure," Lisa teases. "Well, I better get back to it. I have no intention of taking any work with me, and I hope you do the same. Get ready for the best holiday ever, bestie!"
We say our goodbyes and I set the phone down, shaking my head with amusement. A week lounging on the beach sounds like heaven.
I start mentally packing my bikinis and sunscreen, daydreaming about crystal blue waves.
Buy Now or Read FREE with KindleUnlimited!
About Imani Jay
Imani loves reading romances with curvy queens who find their HEA with alpha hunks, so that's what she writes! If you enjoy sweet and spicy stories filled with fun, heat and all the feels, you're in the right place!
Website | Facebook | Reader Group | Twitter/X
Instagram | TikTok | Pinterest | Goodreads
Bookbub | Amazon | Newsletter
This promotional event is brought to you by Indie Pen PR
No comments:
Post a Comment