Reader's Edyn: Blitz: The Proposal (Cupcakes & Cocktails #1) by Maya Hughes + GIVEAWAY

**The Proposal by Maya Hughes**

Good Morning, Everyone! So thrilled to see you all today! I featured this book a couple of weeks ago for the cover reveal – and what a hot cover it is! I can’t wait to find out more about this book today because it’s available now and you’d better believe I have it on my TBR list! Let’s read some excerpts! Please allow me to once again feature on the blog Maya Hughes and her release, THE PROPOSAL … Plus, a GIVEAWAY!

**MAYA HUGHES**

**BIO**

Maya Hughes, that's me!, can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! :-) I'm a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

I'm the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I can't breathe, traveling with my family and Jeff Goldblum.

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**THE PROPOSAL**

Publication date: July 16^th, 2020

Series: Cupcakes & Cocktails #1
Genres: Adult, Romance, Contemporary

**BLURB**

When I envisioned Zara Logan dropping to her knees in front of me, this wasn’t what I had in mind…

I was expecting a lot less glaring and a lot more moaning.

Instead, she’s proposing an enticing deal that I can’t bear to walk away from.

To land one of the city’s biggest clients, she wants us to put our differences aside and play fake fiancés for the next thirty days.

So, I slip the diamond ring onto her finger and agree to play the perfect fiancé. How hard can this be?

A hell of a lot harder than I thought…

She’s infuriatingly stubborn and she thinks I’m a cocky jerk with an enormous ego. (She’s right, but I can definitely back it up…)

As our long days stretch into even later nights, it’s getting harder to remember we’re only playing pretend, which means one thing.

She won’t be faking it for long…

**EXCERPT**

“You want me to propose to you?” With muscles tense and tight, she stared at me before crossing the room to me in two strides.

“It’ll make a wonderful story to tell if anyone asks. Or we can call the whole thing off and confess, but you’re the one who led us down this path with the relationship talk. Kathleen would probably kick us off the project. Or maybe just you.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Just when I think you’re not a complete asshole. Fine.” The word shot out like a nail gun. Covering her mouth, she mumbled into her hand. “Will you pretend to be my fake fiancé for the next thirty days?”

I cupped my hand around my ear. “That wasn’t exactly romantic and you’re not even on bended knee. Boyz II Men would be disappointed.” I dangled the ring in front of her.

She squeezed her forehead and snatched it out of my hand.

I braced myself for her to fling it straight into my face, but she didn’t. Hiking up the skirt of her suit an inch, she lowered herself to the floor with her gaze trained on mine. The intensity of her emerald gaze sent my blood thrumming through my veins. Her thick eyelashes framed her eyes and the ill wishes she was trying to sear into my brain.

But damn if her sinking to her knees in front of me didn’t flash me into a whole different set of circumstances with her where she wasn’t wishing me dead and I wasn’t trying to steal this project out from under her.

“Leo Charles Wilder, will you please agree to be my fake fiancé for the next thirty days and make me the most miserable woman on earth?” She held out the ring in her palm.

I tapped my finger against my lips and stared up at the ceiling. “When you put it like that…”

“Put some pants on. You’ll poke someone’s eye out with that thing.”

He laughed. A drawer opened and closed. “Your modesty is safe. I’m covered.”

I dropped my hand, heat cranking up a notch. “Gray sweatpants? And no shirt? Why not whip your dick out and rest it on my forehead?”

He tripped in the doorway, swinging around staring at me, stunned, before bursting into laughter.

“You think I’m kidding.”

“Are you eating my last cupcake?”

Turning my back to her, I lifted the cupcake overhead. “I’ve had a long day. I deserve it.” My long-suffering sigh was cut short by another bite of the cupcake.

She jumped, grabbing at my arm, trying to snatch away the vanilla bean goodness. “I’ve been saving that since yesterday.”

“Saving it for me? How sweet.” I craned my neck, bringing it closer to my mouth.

“Don’t you dare take another bite.” She held onto my arm like she was trying to do pull-ups.

“I’m sorry, did you want a bite? Why didn’t you say so?”

She fell off my arm the same time I dropped it, accelerating the speed of its descent and sending my cupcake filled hand straight into her face. The cake and icing smeared across—and up—her nose, cheek, and halfway in her mouth.

Her stunned, wide open mouth was partially filled with cupcake and icing. The rest plastered all over her face. Pretty sure that didn’t count as me sharing the last cupcake with her.

“Oh shit.”

“You were flirting.”

“She was flirting with me. There’s a difference.” Wait a damned minute. Why was I feeling guilty? “And so what if I’m flirting? Even if we were engaged, engaged men can flirt.”

“You’re right. You can do whatever the hell you want.” Her next ax hit the target faster than before. “You can flirt with, kiss, bang whoever you want. This”—she gestured to the rock on her finger—“doesn’t actually mean anything outside of these events.” She waved her arms around at the catered set up.

And then it hit me like a 400lb offensive lineman. “You were jealous.”

Her throw went wild and she picked up another ax. “That’s insane. No, I wasn’t.”

“You were ear steamingly, can’t stop yourself, jealous of the woman I was flirting with at the coffee shop.”

She released a blisteringly hot glare, but it only heated up the fall weather even more, setting my skin ablaze.

“I thought she was flirting with you, not the other way around.” She cut her gaze to mine before gritting her teeth and flinging the ax.

I closed the space between us with a playfully predatory smile. The trap had been laid and neither one of us had been paying attention. We’d set it for ourselves and I was ready to spring it even if she wasn’t secure enough to dive in. I stepped in behind her again, this time no longer feeling like I had to hold back. I let the words skim along the curve of her neck. “Wow, Gingersnap, all you had to do was admit it.”