I have mixed feelings about the tale Goldilocks and the
Three Bears. I mean she broke into their house and just settled in however
she wanted. She ate their food and then messed up their beds. She was an
entitled little girl with no manners. But my story of Baer and the Three
Goldilocks is a whole different story. One woman, three men. Yippee-ki-yay!
Blurb:
Susan
Baer, founder of Baer Hugs, health centers for women, longs to find her special
someone. Sadly, there are no prospects in sight. Suddenly, three men come into
her life. All successful, all gorgeous, all blond. And posing their own unique
problems. One is too rough and hard in his treatment, one is too soft and wants
her to take charge. The last is…well, let's just say he's unavailable. *sigh*
Can any of them turn out to be “just right?”
Buy link:
Amazon Kindle Unlimited and print
https://www.amazon.com/Baer-Three-Goldilocks-Dee-Knight-ebook/dp/B08R7TR367
Excerpt:
Susan came into her office at
breakneck speed, talking the whole way. “I know it’s after two and I’ve taken a
longer lunch than anyone has a right to.” She threw her purse in the bottom
drawer of her desk. With barely time for a breath, she spun around and slammed
into Duncan’s broad, solid chest.
He grasped her shoulders to steady
her. She stepped back and he dropped his hands.
“Oh! Sorry! I didn’t mean to blow
through like a tornado.” Taking a deeper breath, she smoothed the French twist
she’d pulled her hair into that morning, then did the same to her skirt. She
hoped she didn’t look as flustered as she felt. Gesturing to the guest chair,
she said, “Sit. Tell me what’s going on.”
Duncan looked at her for a few long
seconds before laying her phone messages on the desk. “Did you have a good
lunch?” It was quietly said, and with little inflection. So why did she get the
impression he meant more than his words’ literal meaning?
“It was fine, thanks. We drove down
towards Williamsburg. How was yours?” Absently, she shuffled through the call
slips. Nothing important jumped out at her.
“It was good. The girls and I talked
about you.”
Her head snapped up. “Me? What about
me?”
He lifted one shoulder in a shrug.
“Curiosity.” Narrowing his eyes, he leaned forward slightly. “Why you’d want to
go out with that jerk, mostly.” He paused, and when she didn’t respond he
leaned back.
“We talked out of concern, not
idle gossip. You know he’s made a pass at most everyone who works here.” His
mouth hitched into a smile. “Except me, of course.”
That caused her to return his
smile. “No, Toby has been pretty clear on that score.”
Duncan held out his hand, casually
examining his nails. “You know, it’s been my experience that men who protest as
much as he does sometimes have something to hide. Do you know for certain that
he’s not more on my team than yours?”
She laughed. “Pretty sure.”
He put his hand down and looked
intently at her. “But not certain?”
“Why does it matter to you?” She left
a hint of a smile on her face. Was he fishing to find out if she and Toby had
had sex? Her heart fluttered a little at the possibility that he wondered.
“Because I care for you. I’m your
friend and I hate to see you waste yourself on someone like him. Why do you see
him, Susan?”
Friends. Oh. She said nothing. The reasons she dated Toby were rooted so far in the
past she wasn’t sure she could explain them in a few quick sentences. And she
certainly didn’t want to explain them to Duncan. Her feelings for him were too
complicated as it was without adding Toby into the mix.
“Susan, why?”
“Toby and I have known each other a
long time. You see him at his worst. He does have good qualities.”
If Duncan had worn glasses, he’d have
been staring over them in abject denial, giving her a “Yeah, right” look.
She shrugged in acknowledgement. “I
know it might not be obvious, but he does. My relationship with Toby is a long
story, and one that’s none of your business, Duncan.”
As though a mask dropped over his
face, his expression became impassive. He pushed out of the chair. “You’re
right. I’m not going to apologize for worrying about you, though. Meetings are
scheduled in Lexington for all day Monday, and our reservations are confirmed
for Sunday and Monday nights.” He pointed to the call slips on her desk. “It’s
been quiet and that’s all you have to take care of.”
He stopped on his way out the door
when she called his name.
“I appreciate the worry, but it’s all
right, really.”
Shrugging, he exited, closing the
door behind him.
Which left her alone to wonder to herself
why she went out with Toby Williams. It was more, she hoped, than proving to
Toby that she was different from the overweight girl who’d had a crush on him
for three years of high school. She was certain that was how it had started.
“The question is, how did it get to
where it is now?” Propping her head in her hands, she considered her situation.
Quite by accident, she’d met Toby
about four weeks ago at a business function. She’d scanned the crowd and
noticed a distinctive looking, tall tow-head with light blue eyes. Those eyes
had met hers across the room and she’d known without doubt who he was, even
after sixteen years. By the questioning look he’d given her, she guessed he was
confused—as though she was someone he should know, but couldn’t place.
That made her smile. And her smile practically guaranteed that he would make
his way to her. Which he had, in short order.
In the four weeks since, they’d seen
each other only five or six times. It had started well but reflecting on it
now, she realized his attitude had worsened with each meeting. While his hands
and lips had grown bolder, so had his words. Not in blatant verbal attacks but
in snipes and subtle hints regarding her dress, her work, her opinions. None
was very noticeable individually. But taken together, as she thought of them
now, each abusive comment had worked to make her revert from who she was now,
to acting like the shy, embarrassed girl she had been years ago. Wanting to
capture his attention, wanting so much to belong.
Reviews:
"…beyond wonderful! … was truly one of the most
enjoyable stories I've read! … perfect for a quiet night at home!"
"…Baer and the Three Goldilocks, has it all. … A hot
and scintillating story in this modern day fairy tale romance, definitely not
one to miss in Ms. Knights line of books
"…whimsical and funny but heart wrenching and sexy … a
wonderful tale filled with all of the elements that create a truly readable
romance."
A little about me:
A
few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning
fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk
with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex.
After a while, Dee split her
personality into thirds. She writes as Anne Krist for sweeter romances, and
Jenna Stewart for ménage and shifter stories. All three of her personas are
found on the Nomad Authors website. And all three offer some of the best romance
you can find! Also, once a month, look for Dee’s Charity Sunday blog posts,
where your comment can support a selected charity. Sign up for my newsletter
and have access to free reads.
Author
links:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Blog:
http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749
Sweet ‘n Sassy
Divas: http://bit.ly/1ChWN3K
