Review: HER HANDS-ON MAN by Tory Richards

Title: Her Hands On Man

           Ellora’s Cave QUICKIES Series

Author: Tory Richards

Release Date: April 19, 2011

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave

Category: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Type: Kindle

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Ms. Richards Website

Book Blurb:

Ivy and Jake were lovers until Jake’s scheming brother interfered. Three months after they part ways, a theft against Jake’s logging company brings them back together. Ivy’s brother is the culprit and she’s desperate to keep him out of jail. She’s prepared to offer Jake a payment plan—but he has other ideas on how she can pay the debt.Jake’s been missing Ivy, and he figures a weekend of sex, anywhere, anytime and any way, will cure his hunger. Ivy gives in to his demands and before the weekend is over, more than one truth is uncovered, giving them hope for the future.

Book Excerpt:

Ivy felt sick inside. That Jake hated her was apparent, no matter that his gaze moved over her with interest, lingering briefly on her breasts. It was obvious that he still found her attractive, but what was between them was in the past. Although facing him now was bringing it back at an alarming speed. She felt heat envelop her body and knew it probably colored her cheeks. She could barely meet Jake’s quiet gaze.

Can I trust him not to take out his anger with me on my brother? As quick as the thought came to her, Ivy knew the answer. If he took it out on anyone, it would be her. “He’s my only family. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

For the first time Ivy saw emotion flicker in his eyes. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear it was humor.

“Really?” This time when Jake’s gaze moved over Ivy, her nipples hardened into peaks of awareness. She resisted the urge to run her arm over her breasts to ease the tingle.

Damn him! He’d always had the power to make her body betray her in the most obvious way, letting him know she wanted him, no matter where they were. When they’d been together it had usually led to hot and heavy sex. Now it was the worst betrayal. She watched one brow lift arrogantly.

“Is that why you’re dressed the way you are? Were you prepared to pitch that same remark to my father?”

It didn’t take Ivy long to realize what Jake meant. There was nothing wrong with her silk blouse, short skirt and stilettos. This was how she usually dressed for a day of work at McCaffey’s Jewelry Store. But the way his gaze was running over her, he made her feel as if she were dressed like a hooker or something.

She reacted before she could think, raising her hand to respond to his obvious insult. Too late, she saw his sensuous mouth turn up in a smile.

He stopped her hand in midair. “Easy, sweetheart. There’s already one person in your family heading for jail.” His comment took the fire right out of Ivy. She relaxed her arm, although Jake didn’t release his hold. “That’s better. I think we should finish this inside.”

It was obvious he meant his father’s office. Ivy cast a glance at the receptionist, who quickly averted her gaze and pretended to be looking at something on her desktop. Ivy wanted to get the hell out of there. Being alone with Jake wasn’t a good idea. So why am I letting him drag me inside? She’d always been weak where he was concerned. She wasn’t fooled into thinking anything had changed in three months. The man was too damn sexy. And the worn jeans, boots and work shirt only emphasized his rugged appeal.

It was too late to dig in her heels. Before she knew it they were in the office and Jake was closing the door. Her heart skipped a beat when he reached behind him and locked it, never taking his gaze off her. Something in his eyes and the sudden tautness of his body brought back the memory of the last time they’d been together. Big mistake.

The memory of that night opened the floodgates of emotion. Ivy stepped back nervously, gasping when she came up against the desk. She felt her heart beating out of control. A quiver of intense awareness in her belly released damp heat between her legs. The last time Jake had looked at her like he was now, they’d been naked and fucking as if there was no tomorrow. He stepped forward and her eyes widened.

“Why are you so nervous, Ivy?”

She cleared her throat. “I’m not afraid of you, Jake.” He couldn’t hurt her anymore. Could he?

A humorless chuckle passed through his lips. “Have I ever hurt you?”

Not physically. But a few months ago he’d broken her heart. A pain so raw she never wanted to go through it again. Ivy was determined not to rehash the past and decided to get right to the point. She took a calming breath. “I’m here on Wally’s behalf.”

“So talk.”

“He’s young, Jake. We’ve all made mistakes when we were his age. He deserves a second chance. He came to me the moment he realized he’d made a big mistake and asked me to help him make it right.”

“Why isn’t he here pleading his case? He’s a man now. When are you going to start letting him run his own life and grow up?”

“You don’t understand.”

“I understand, remember? The last time he got into trouble I heard it all. Has it changed?”

“He’s sorry he borrowed that money!”

Jake snorted. “Borrowed?” Ivy watched him move around the desk and sit. “I don’t want to hear any more. I’m not interested. All I want to hear now is how you’re going to make it right.” He paused before raising his brow and adding, “Twenty-thousand-dollars right.”

Twenty thousand dollars! Oh god, it was worse than she thought. Wally had led her to believe it was significantly less. She took a deep breath, wishing she had the answer. She’d come here with the intention of offering a six-month payment plan but it would take years to pay back that kind of money.

“There must be something I can do.”

She didn’t like the way Jake leaned back and studied her. When he linked his hands behind his head, she couldn’t take her gaze off his muscular biceps and the width of his chest. Then he brought his booted feet up and crossed them on top of the desk. Ivy’s gaze followed the length of his legs and powerful thighs up to the front of his dusty jeans. There was no disguising the growing bulge behind his zipper.

Fire erupted through her. She’d never stopped loving him or wanting him. And she wanted him now. She’d been addicted to him since the moment they’d met four years ago. I wonder what he’d do if I walked around the desk and unzipped his pants. In the old days she would have had the nerve. “Well?”

His deep voice dragged Ivy back to the present and Wally. Her wayward brother was counting on her one last time. Because she’d made it clear this was it. The next time he screwed up he was on his own. Jake was right. He was a man now.

“Maybe we can work out some kind of a…ah, payment plan?” She chewed on the inside of her lip, realizing how weak and pitiful she sounded.

“I have a better idea, Ivy. Seeing you again has only reminded me of what I’ve been missing. With interest, a payment plan will take years. How about one weekend?”

One weekend? “I don’t understand. You know I can’t come up with that kind of money in one weekend.”

Laughing, Jake slammed his feet to the floor and leaned forward. “Come on, honey, you’re not stupid. But just in case you can’t read between the lines, let me clarify. I want one weekend.”

Her brows furrowed. “One weekend of what?”

There was a long pause. “Of you.”

He can’t be serious! “What?”

“One weekend of you, as many times as I want, wherever I want, in any position I want. One weekend of fucking you will erase the debt Wally owes our company.”

Dialogue Highlight:

Jake was a good cook. The omelet was perfect, soft the way she liked her eggs.

While she was taking her first sip of coffee, a humorous thought struck her.

“This could be dangerous.” Her smiling eyes went to Jake as she sipped at her

coffee carefully.

He grinned in turn, his interested gaze dropping to her breasts. “It’s not the first

time you’ve enjoyed a meal in your birthday suit.” When Ivy set her cup down he took

the nearest breast in his palm. “But it would be a crime to mar this flawless skin with

hot coffee.” He caressed her as he spoke.

Ivy tried to remain in control, but whenever Jake put his hands on her she melted

into a pool of want and desire. “Thank you for dinner, Jake.” She took a shaky breath.

“Did it satisfy you?” He flicked his thumb across her erect nipple, sending a quiver

of awareness down her spine.

She looked into his lazy gaze. Is he still talking about dinner? “Yes.” Why are we having

this ridiculous conversation? In spite of that Ivy found herself asking, “Did it satisfy you?”

Jake’s smile became toothy, wolfish. He swiveled Ivy’s stool and somehow pulled

her closer until they were facing each other. Then both hands were on her breasts,

caressing them with growing urgency, a sign that his arousal was rapidly escalating.

Her breath caught.

“Nothing satisfies me completely but you, Ivy. Touching you, kissing you, being

inside your body.”

Ivy was trembling, her emotions running on high. He might have plans of keeping

her in bed all weekend, but she had another agenda. “Can we talk?”

“Hell, no.” He pulled her from her stool onto his, placing her legs over his thighs on

either side of him. “I’m still hungry.”

She moaned deeply, half in protest and half in pleasure. But it was important that

he listen to her. Her hands came up to Jake’s shoulders with the intention of pushing

him away, only she found herself giving in to the persuasion of his mouth. Jake was a

masterful lover. And he knew all the moves to drive Ivy wild. Denying him had never

been an option. They could talk later.

Review:

I really enjoyed this story. HER HANDS-ON MAN is the classic tale of love gone wrong based on a pigheaded fool who refuses to listen to reason because he is unwilling to confront his true feelings and would rather say screw it all to hell instead. Nice, long, sentence, yes? LOL Unfortunately, the fool Jake, ends up hurting Ivy tremendously. And Ivy has had so much hurt from Jake that she is not sure she can handle another rejection. This unexpected meeting has thrown her for a loop and brought her desire for this stubborn man raging back to the surface. He was the center of her world and vice versa. She knows the truth, but the trick will be in getting Jake to actually hear the truth of what really happened. If not, then she will walk away with a bruised and battered heart.

Ivy’s brother has been working for Jake and his father for a while now. He ended up “borrowing” some rather expensive equipment and then turning it around for a profit to himself. Because of the large amount the equipment is valued at and the fact that, come to find out, this is not the first incident with her brother, she has come to plead her case to Jake’s father and hope for some sort of payment plan. She knows that realistically she will never be able to pay this huge amount off, but hopes for the best. Now all she has to do is avoid an encounter with her former love and get the heck out of dodge.

Yeah, well, obviously that wasn’t going to happen. Jake has this all planned out. And a weekend of Ivy and her delectable body is just what he needs. Bartering Ivy’s time for her brother’s debt seems the reasonable thing to do; especially when the sparks reignite with rapidity and the two can’t even make it out of the office before completing their negotiations without keeping their hands off of each other.

But Ivy has a plan that she intends to carry out too … if she can manage to make it through this weekend without getting her heart shredded to pieces again. Somehow she is going to make Jake listen to her. She has to make him hear the truth of the compromising situation he found her in. And if he pushes her away again, so be it – but at least she gave it her all. And Ivy knows that Jake still loves her just as much as she loves him. The trick is getting him to drop his defenses and admit it.

I enjoyed my time spent with the characters and only wish I had read a full-length novel instead. I found myself curious about Jake and Ivy’s back story. How did they meet? When did their relationship begin? What type of lives did they lead before getting together?

My only issue with the story is that the explanation given for Jake’s brother’s behavior was too short. Yes, it made sense. And worked for the purpose of this novella, but I couldn’t help but feel that there could have been so much more to it than that. There had to have been other incidents that put the brothers at odds. Had to have been scenes played out between Jake’s brother and his father and the separation that occurred so many years ago. Basically, while I really enjoyed the story, I crave more knowledge about the characters.

So I think you can see that overall, this was a terrific story. The intimacy was scorching up the pages. The familiarity between the characters was an added benefit because they didn’t have to waste time getting to know one another’s likes and dislikes. Another fantastic component was how Ivy knew what Jake was communicating without only a look. He is a man of little words and their connection allows her to understand him.  Their love was obvious. And I found myself rooting for Jake to listen. Of course I also wanted to clobber him for believing Ivy would do such a thing in the first place; especially given his brother’s track record. I connected with Jake and Ivy and was drawn in to this novella very easily. I highly recommend giving this story a read. It is a quick, entertaining read with some fantastic sex scenes and characters you like immediately.

(EBook copy provided by author for review.)