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Worth the Fight #4
Sidney Halston
Releasing August 18th, 2015
Loveswept

Perfect
for fans of Monica Murphy and Cecy Robson, Sidney Halston’s scorching new MMA
romance proves there are no holds barred when it comes to seduction.
Growing
up an Army brat, Violet Channing could never meet her dad’s high expectations.
But in the eyes of her best friend, she could do no wrong. He even insisted
that he should be her first kiss. Now Cain Sorensen is all grown up, hardened
by years in special ops and always looking for a good fight. Tall, with
striking blue eyes and impossibly blond hair, he’s a modern-day Viking warrior.
Of course, Violet’s all grown up, too, and she’s ready to surrender to his
every command.
Cain
knows he’s bad for Violet. His work is dangerous, and his hobbies are downright
deadly. As a private mercenary and a mixed martial arts fighter, he could never
let such an innocent soul into his world. And yet his most grueling combat
training is no match for Violet’s killer curves, hot touch, and suggestive
glances. Now all of Cain’s most explosive fantasies are coming true—but once
they cross the line between friends and lovers, there’s no turning back.
BUY NOW
Excerpt 
She was kicking a
rock out of the way when Cain grabbed her hand and pulled her to a nearby tree,
causing her to yelp as she struggled to keep her balance. At nineteen, Cain was
thin and lanky—all limbs. She was still short and stumpy. He turned her around
brusquely and pressed her back against a tree, the bark digging into her. She
looked up at him and saw an intensity in his eyes she’d never seen before. His
cheeks were flushed and the vein by his neck pulsed. Suddenly she became
nervous. He’d never looked at her this way—the way the cute guys looked at the
pretty girls.
Lately she’d felt
flustered when Jeremy was nearby, with his mess of curly dark brown hair and
dimpled smile. Feelings that hadn’t been there before were now creeping in. In
fact, she could’ve sworn Jeremy had been flirting with her lately—complimenting
her clothes and hair, brushing against her “accidentally,” inviting her to the
movies without Cain around. But these brief flirtatious moments were with
Jeremy. Not with Cain. Never with Cain. Cain was just her friend. A little
gangly, a little quiet, a lot overprotective.
That was until now.
Suddenly there was an
awareness that had never been there before.
When he licked his
lips, her pulse sped up. A foreign feeling—desire—began to take root. He
reached toward her hair, and she flinched a little before he tucked a stray
strand behind her ear. The tender action surprised her. For the first time, she
noticed how clear his blue eyes were, how his hair was so blond it almost
looked white. All of a sudden, he didn’t seem like just this boy who was always
around. Unfamiliar feelings began to erupt throughout her body. She felt her
cheeks flame and her heart race.
When he finally
spoke, his voice shook a little. “I’m your friend because I want to be your
friend. Not because of your parents or your dumb threats. I don’t like it when
you call yourself fat. You’re not fat.”
She nodded and
murmured, “Okay.” She drew her lower lip into her mouth and nibbled as her wide
eyes gazed at his. Cain reached over and pulled her lip out of her mouth.
“You’re nervous.” It wasn’t a question. He knew her well enough to be aware of
her tells.
“I . . . uh . . .
what are you doing, Cain?”
“I don’t want you to
kiss just anyone to get it outta the way.”
Words failed her, so
she just nodded again. There was a moment where neither spoke. He just looked
at her as if trying to decide on his next move.
“I should be the
first person you kiss,” he finally said as his tongue flicked out a little and
wet his lips.
She gasped and looked
up into his eyes nervously. His eyes never left hers, but his reddened ears and
neck showed that he was also nervous. She too knew him well.
Like a fool, she
bobbed her head up and down mostly because the words were stuck in her throat.
It felt like he stared at her lips for an eternity until he finally leaned
forward, causing her to press herself further back against the tree, her hands
gripping the bark. He tilted his head to the side and she imitated the action.
Should I open my mouth? Leave it closed? What about my
tongue? What should it be doing?
Softly, almost
feather light, his lips brushed against hers. Her eyes instinctively closed
tight, and she stopped breathing. It was less than ten seconds but it was
forever. In that moment she fell into the category of girls who’d had their
first kiss. She kept her eyes closed for far too long, and when she opened them
he was standing upright, his face even more flushed. Her own tongue snuck out
of her mouth to taste her lips. She swallowed and looked at him, her eyes as
wide as saucers. What just happened?
Then, with the same
intensity in his expression, he leaned back down, but this time he pressed
harder against her lips causing her lips to part slightly. His body moved
closer to hers, and then she felt his hands grip her waist and his tongue touch
her lips before it moved into her mouth and brushed hers for a brief second,
his fingers digging into her skin at her waist. She instinctively melded into
him, her body seeking him out.
Again he moved away
and looked at her. His expression never changed, and neither did hers. Her eyes
were wide; she touched her lips, as if to determine whether the kiss had really
happened. They just looked at each other, neither saying anything, her heart
beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Finally she spoke and said the
only thing that came to mind. “Wow, my cup runneth over,” she whispered. It was
a phrase he teased her about constantly, but it was exactly how she felt: she
could barely contain her happiness.
He chuckled, and the
smile did her in: she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Hard. He
wrapped his arms around her waist and walked them the half step back against
the tree again. Their noses bumped. It was awkward, but as first kisses went .
. . it was perfect.
“Happy Valentine’s
Day, Vi.” It was the last thing he said to her before leaving for war.

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Sidney Halston lives her life by one
simple rule: “Just do it.” And that’s exactly what she did. At the age of
thirty, having never written anything other than a legal brief, she picked up a
pen for the first time to pursue her dream of becoming an author. That first
stroke sealed the deal, and she fell in love with writing. Halston lives in
South Florida with her husband and children.

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