Factory mechanic Duke Crawford just wants to watch SportsCenter in peace. Unfortunately, living with four divorcee sisters doesn’t provide much silence, nor does it change his stance on relationships. But when a fellow commitment-phobe stumbles into his life, getting him good and worked up, he can’t deny his protective instincts.
Samantha Waverly’s brother just put her in an impossible situation. The only way out? Marry huge, gruff, gladiator look-alike Duke—for show, of course. She doesn’t make promises—she knows too well how easily they can be broken—and this is no exception.
As the blistering attraction between them grows, the lines around the no-strings relationship blur. But Duke and Samantha’s marriage is only for show…or is it?
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“I need something.”
A low, shaking curse. “Sam.”
God, the way his voice deepened on that single word made her blood flame. “Yes.” No guts, no glory. “I-I could use a good night kiss.”
His stroll back toward the door seemed to take an hour. “You could use it?” He stopped, arms braced on the building’s doorframe, his breath fogging up the glass. “Or you need it?”
For the first time in…maybe forever, Samantha’s loins started to ache, due to something other than her own imagination. And damn it all, even her crazy imagination couldn’t have conjured up a Duke. His blunt chin, the scratchy-looking hair on his belly. “I need it.”
The condensation left by his breaths appeared faster, undeniable proof he was affected, too, despite his desire to stay free of entanglements. Just like her. “One kiss. I can’t give you any more than that.” His fist came up to bang against the glass. “Don’t ask me to bring you inside. Please. I’m not the kind of man you’re looking for. But you’d get me, regardless, if we fucked. You hearing me, sweetheart?”
Samantha’s vocal cords had lost the ability to function, so she simply hung up the phone, stowed it, and set the bag in the vestibule’s corner. And waited, palms raking up and down the skirt of her dress. Duke watched her through the door a beat, before jerking it open. There was no slow motion coming together or easing into the kiss, either. No, Duke…stormed Samantha. And…and he was out of practice. She could tell right away. He couldn’t seem to stop baring his teeth long enough to kiss her properly, his hands settling on her hips and gripping way too tight. Bruises. She’d have bruises and they hadn’t even begun yet. Everything about the hovering—the brink, his harsh, growling hesitation—turned Samantha on. This was unusual for him…he didn’t do this.
All pent up. The giant’s adrenaline was all pent up.
“You look so…” He shuddered, lifting her off the floor so he could suck the skin of her neck, his arm like steel around her lower back. “You look so fucking sexy in that dress, I—”
“Thank you,” she whimpered, feet swinging, searching for purchase. The need for solid ground was gone a second later, however, when a thick, flexing thigh shoved in between her legs, pressing against her juncture with such unexpectedness, she tightened her limbs around it, gasping. “Duke.”
“We still being honest with each other, sweetheart?” He didn’t wait for an answer, roughly gliding his hands down, hooking them beneath her knees and sliding her higher on his thigh. The move dragged her core over so many ridges of sinew, she lost count, a moan slipping free. “Someday, when you’re long gone and you’ve forgotten my name, I’ll still be wondering what you’d have felt like. Taking me. Working me up, letting me take you down. Hold you down.”
Samantha found herself in Hook, the a little town of New Jersey, with some time to spare until a life defining meeting with her brother, Renner, the factory owner and biggest employer in town. When she walked into The Third Shift, the only real bar there, she was hoping to some distraction from her problems and to pass by as unnoticed as possible. A mission that revealed itself impossible in a town where everyone knew everybody and she stood out like a sore thumb. She sure drew attention, even from someone for whom a woman was the last thing on his mind.
Duke just wanted some peace and quiet to enjoy his Sport Center and beer away from the chaos his sisters had created in his house. Now that he was working as a factory repair mechanic after getting injured and retiring from the military, that was all he aimed for. He thought the Third Shift was that safe haven, but when an enticing and quirky brunette walked through the front door. He could not resist her, and his peace was from that moment on lost. In the best way!
This characters were simply extraordinary! But Duke, wow, he was in a league of his own. He was far from the typical romance novel hero, and that just made me (and Samantha) love him more. He was a true man’s man! And she gives his perfect description.
Mother Mary. There were men. And then there was Duke Crawford. He wasn’t pretty or sculpted. Didn’t have the kind of physique that would land him on the pages of a calendar or on a “hot bodies” board on Pinterest. No no. Duke was husky and covered in hair. A bear among mere cubs. His muscles were slabs she wouldn’t be able to lift if they were separated into individual muscle packs. Muscle packs? You’re losing it.
Of course the chemistry was immediate, and hard for them to fight, but both had serious draw back when he came to relationships, not to their past love lives, but what they witnessed – in Duke’s case-, and what they suffered – Samantha’s heartbreak caused her stepfather.
Truth was that’s what happened in relationships. One person inevitably let down the other. And he had too much respect for women to make one miserable on his account. Never. Happening.
But their magnetism was impossible to overlook, and Duke fast realized that he wanted Sam more than anything in his life, that she was worth the fighting for. And there was no way in hell he would allow anyone else to steal her from him.
Christ, the girl busted a hole in his gut every time she looked his direction, and at the same time somehow patching up all the holes inflicted over the years.
She created so many foreign and unexpected feelings in him, that the poor guy had no way how to react to those other that jumping the gun and making a life changing proposal. Samantha was as sweet, smart and creativity – which fitted well with her career as children’s books illustrator -, she had a gentle soul, a quirky manner, and a no bound, overworking imagination that it was delightful to read about. All that and her personal brand of sassy really got Duke She really brought his caveman nature to surface, or better yet, barbaric – like she imagined him sometimes – and it couldn’t have been more delicious to see.
Like she soon discovered Duke was all growl and no true bite (unless she wanted, LOL) and behind his bear like appearance and vibe he was a sweet and gentle soul, a true marshmallow, that protected, cherished and cared for those his loved, more than he did for himself. A truly golden hearted soul.
“You claim to be a commitment-phobe, but you’re just a big imposter, aren’t you? Even to yourself.”
A good soul with one insanely FILTHY MOUTH, we have to say! And let’s take a moment here to discuss this IMPORTANT matter because, Sweet Baby Jesus!!!! Tessa Bailey always creates the best dirty talkers in this genre, but DUKE, oh Lordy, he really took it to a whole new level!!!
“I’m going to wear your come all night, sweetheart. Right where it’s meant to be. On my cock, like a badge of fucking honor. I’m going to run my hand over it when no one’s looking, feel that dampness and remember the sweet pussy it came from.”
Tessa always gives us amazing sex scenes too, and these two were simply EXPLOSIVE! I honestly think this book should come with a special warning on that regard, because it sure isn’t for the faint of heart, and hot flashes and tingling areas are most definitely guaranteed. So BEWARE!!! 😉
This was my favorite book of the series, with a stand out role for Duke, he is on my top 3 of Tessa’s Hs. And the secondary characters helped to that, and I loved to revisit them. But apart from that it was the perfect balance between the love story, the sex scenes and the drama that made WORKED UP gain that highlighting spot! I can’t wait to read Renner and Milo’s story! It sure will be an interesting one!!! <3
We’re becoming husband and wife because there’s some heavy magic here between us and we’re not questioning it. Ever again. We’re letting the magic work.” (Duke to Sam)
“I love you,” Samantha said, her voice uneven. “I love my husband. I could fill a thousand sketchpads and still never find a description for you. Because there isn’t one. You’re just…love. And you have mine.”
ARC kindly provided by the author via Indie Sage PR
in exchange for an honest review
BOOK TRAILER
CRASHED OUT (Made In Jersey #1)
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ROUGH RHYTHM (Made In Jersey #1.5)
THROWN DOWN (Made In Jersey #2)
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Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
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