The arm that slid around her shoulders was notably tense. And Ava moved to step back so she could see Sam fold.Only instead of giving her space, Sam pulled her in closer, shifting so it was his mouth against her ear.

Oh no.

One breath, warm and wet, and a tremor sliced through her.

A shift of his head, and the slight scrape of his jaw skimmed along the column of her neck, waking the sensitive stretch of skin with a prickly awareness that stole the air from her lungs.

His words washed over her in a low rumble. “You only win because I always let you. But not tonight.” Oh God, she was done for. He was right. Of course in this case it probably had more to do with the handicap she was playing with, but whatever her excuse, Sam had her.

Literally. She wasn’t sure her legs would hold her if she didn’t have that hard, solid arm pinning her in so close to his body.

And right then Ava was wishing like hell she were one of those women with enough confidence in the sanctity of their personal space to keep a vibrator on hand. But Sam Farrow had been burrowing through her crap for two decades, so anything she didn’t want him to find, she didn’t keep at home. And secure as her lockbox was at the bank . . . well, a vibrator wasn’t happening there either. Which sucked, because she was in a sorry state and something told her taking the edge off tonight was going to be a monumental undertaking.

Stupid Stalker Guy. This was all his fault.

Even as she thought it, she caught sight of him from across the room. Eyes locked on her like he didn’t believe a second of what he was seeing. Which was pretty ironic, actually, considering the last moments were probably the most honest Ava had allowed in too many years to remember.

But whatever.

“Jesus, this guy doesn’t give up,” Sam growled, following her eyes with his own. “How bad do you want to get him off your back, Ave?”

An entire evening of seeing her with someone else and he was still watching? “Bad.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. Here, come with me a second.” Smoothly, Sam guided her over to the terrace door and stepped outside.

The wind had picked up and despite the half-dozen strategically positioned heaters, it was cold enough that they were alone. Ava shivered and without missing a beat, Sam slipped off his suit jacket and draped it across her shoulders, pulling her toward a remote corner.

Suddenly Ava was wondering if she’d made a serious mistake.

“Sam, okay, you know I want to lose this guy. But whatever you’re planning out here is making me nervous. You can’t threaten him or try to scare him away. The whole point was to be passive. If I need to be direct, I’ll do it myself.”

She felt bad even saying it, because that was so not who Sam was. Not anymore. But—

“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong. I’m not even going to talk to the guy.”

Ava breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good.” Only there was still a tension in the air. In Sam, who hadn’t taken his eyes off the doorway since they’d gotten out there. “So what are you going to do?”

Sam squinted down at her with a look she recognized as typically preempting some fool move sure to torque her off. Only instead of the usual, “Don’t be mad,” this time he said, “Don’t freak out.”

Steven stepped through the door and Sam kissed her.

What do you say, Ave,” he asked, searching her eyes. “Feel like making a really bad decision with me?”

If you’re looking for a sexy and feel-good friends-to-lovers romance, then this book is an absolutely must read. It had it all; humor, steam, MCs that you will root for from the very beginning, fantastic secondary characters, and a great plot. In short? I absolutely loved it!

Aww, Muffin-top, you know you like my special pet names for you. We’re in love. It’s what we do.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, going up on her toes to murmur at him. “It IS what we do, my little Dippin’ Dot. My sweet gherkin. My darling TIC-TAC.”

Sam and Ava have been friends for over 20 years. Ever since nine year old Sam stumbled on eight year old Ava begging her older brother to play hide and seek with her while escaping his tumultuous and violent home life. Sam envied Ava and Ford’s life and dreamed to be a part of it. Being abandoned by his own mother and having a drunk for a father, he was welcomed into the Meyers’s fold and treated as one of their own. While young Sam dreamed of marrying Ava when he’s older just so he can truly be a part of their family. But the Sam of the now is much too terrified to cross any lines with Ava beyond friendship for fear of losing her. He knows the risks of taking it further, and the last thing he wants to do is take the chance and lose his best friend forever.

Because still, after all these years, she felt guilt over her lack of action when the truth was, she’d been the one to save him. In a thousand different ways, she’d saved his life.

Ava has been in love with Sam since she was just a little girl, but she’s become great at hiding it. They live in the same building and share every aspect of each other’s life. She knows Sam’s reputation with women, and they’re definitely been enough of them. But desperate times call for desperate measures and when a co-worker of hers decides to be even pushier in his advances, she knows she needs help. What better way then to pretend she has a boyfriend and bring him to the party? And when everyone backs out on her at the last minute, Sam is there to save the day. Sam is not one to back away from a challenge, and when they really have to sell their lie, what’s a kiss between friends?

One kiss soon turns into something that begins to burn hot and out of control. What’s a few fantasies shared between friends? They can keep their feelings out of it and not ruin their friendship. They’re adults after all, right?

…she knew, KNEW, all he really wanted was sex. A physical release that was just a step up from what his right had had to offer. And what she wanted was EVERYTHING.

I love a good friends-to-lovers trope, and this was definitely one of the best ones I’ve read. I loved the banter between Sam and Ava. They were such endearing and fantastic characters. Sure they had their stubborn moments, but it just worked. And when they’re together? They absolutely burn up the pages together. The chemistry between them is pure sizzling.

I also really loved all the secondary characters; Maggie and Tyler from Truth or Dare, Ford, Tony, they were all the icing on an already great cake, and I really hope to see this series continue with Ford or Tony next.

I loved this book from beginning to finish. It was humorous, sexy, and entertaining as hell. Pure indulgence.

USA Today bestselling author Mira Lyn Kelly grew up in the Chicago area and earned her degree in Fine Arts from Loyola University. She met the love of her life while studying abroad in Rome, Italy, only to discover he’d been living right around the corner from her back home. Having spent her twenties working and playing in the Windy City, she’s now settled with her husband in rural Minnesota, where their four beautiful children and naughty dog provide an excess of action and entertainment. When she isn’t reading, writing, or running to keep up with the family, she loves watching movies, blabbing with the girls, and cooking with her husband and friends.