Why take a bite of the Big Apple when thereâs bachelor Luca Paladino?
Luca Paladino is moving into his Little Italy apartment now, and nothingânot even incomplete renosâwill stop him. Well, except maybe for the incredibly sexy redheaded stranger he finds standing in his unfinished bedroom. In her underwear. Who is tempting him beyond all beliefâ¦
April Branaganâs been in New York for exactly a minute, and sheâs already been swindled. Fortunately, sheâs talked the extra-hunky-with-a-side-of-abs bachelor into letting her stay in his apartmentâin return for helping out. But when April and Lucaâs sexual attraction goes from a simmer to full-on piccante, their little deal turns into a whole lot more than either of them bargained for!
âYouâre driving me crazyâ¦â
Luca gave April a slight tug but it was enough to bring her too close.
He stared at her as if she was made of secrets. âDo you have any ideaââ he said, his words so low she might have missed them if she hadnât been just inches away. He opened his mouth once more, only to pull her into a searing kiss.
Oh, God. His lips, warm, urgent, on hers. His arms suddenly wrapped around her, holding her tight. His tongue seeking entry, teasing her to open her mouth.
All coherent thought vanished. It was what sheâd wanted since the second night. This kiss, this heat, this urgency between them.
She tasted a hint of wine and something that belonged to Luca. Him. His scent, his hard body pressing against her, his erection growing and pulsing between them.
He wasnât her dream man, he couldnât be, not after all that had happened. She knew better than to believe that fairy tale. But he sure kissed like him.
His guttural moan was so intimate and eroticâ¦and April knew she wasnât going to be the one to say no.
Dear Reader,
Now, hereâs a real welcome to New York: a long bus trip, stolen savings, breaking and entering (well, not so much breaking), a looming arrest and meeting the hero for the first time in nothing but your bikini panties!
Thatâs April Branaganâs first day in the Big Apple.
Lucky for her, sheâs crash-landed at Luca Paladinoâs new apartment. Somehow she convinces him to let her stay. Then he canât bear to see her go! But things get complicated when Luca tries a little too hard to help fiercely independent April, and it almost tears them apart. In the end, though, love saves the day. Thank goodness.
I hope you enjoy the second book in my NYC Bachelors miniseries! Look for the final book in the trilogy, madly handsome Dominicâs story, coming in April 2017!
Oh, and did I tell you I was in Little Italy last October? After writing this book Iâm more than ready to go again. I ⥠NY!
Ciao,
Jo Leigh
JO LEIGH is from Los Angeles and always thought sheâd end up living in Manhattan. So how did she end up in Utah in a tiny town with a terrible internet connection, being bossed around by a houseful of rescued cats and dogs? What the heck, she says, predictability is boring. Jo has written more than forty-five novels for Harlequin. Find her on Twitter, @jo_leigh.
The Paladino Legacy
IN THIS GENTLY reimagined tale of Little Italy, the Paladino family has lived in their house on Mulberry Street in Little Italy since 1910. When Antonio Paladino, the brothersâ great-great-grandfather cobbled together some money working as a skilled mason, the first thing he did with it was buy property.
By the time Joseph Paladino had his three sons, the Paladinos owned a great deal of what is now the very heart of Little Italy. The Paladino Trust had been set up years ago to protect the properties and the familyâs privacy in the hope of preserving Little Italy. Each of the three sons owns property within the Trust, comprised of both commercial businesses and housing.
But none of the family has any intention to sell. The people in the tight-knit community have no idea that the Paladinos are their landlords, hidden behind the name that had been assigned to the Trust. They believe they have a rent-control situation that keeps their rents reasonableâunlike the rest of the newly gentrified Lower East Side of Manhattan.
1
âWATCH IT!â
Luca followed his brotherâs gaze across the gutted floor of the Grasso home and let out a breath. âItâs okay. Sheâs got it.â
âShe almost hit Frankie with that beam,â Tony said.
âShe did not. Youâre just worried because sheâs a girl.â
âHey, up yours. You know better than that.â
Luca laughed. If his brother didnât know when he was screwing around by now, then that was his problem. Luca had enough of his own.
âWhoa, is that the famous Tony Paladino?â Salâs booming voice came from behind them, and they both turned around. âWhatâs got you in a hard hat, boss? You felt like slumming today, or what?â