Ramblings From This Chick: Feature and Giveaway: Where I Need to Be by Jamie Hollins

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Feature and Giveaway: Where I Need to Be by Jamie Hollins

When heroin stole James Foley’s wife and destroyed his marriage, he poured all his energy into raising his young son and running his auto garage. There’s no room in his life for anything else until Megan McKenna walks into his shop. He finds it impossible to resist the sexy school teacher.

After an ugly divorce, Megan lost her home, her job, and a big chunk of her self-respect. With her posh lifestyle now a memory, she starts over by indulging in an unexpected fling with a hard-bodied mechanic.

What begins as something casual turns into something meaningful. But how can their relationship survive when it’s built on half-truths?

James and Megan soon discover that being honest with themselves is just as important as being honest with each other. Only then will their relationship fire on all cylinders.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Check out the McKenna series:

Megan handed her overused credit card to the woman. Spending money on her shitty car was like spending money on dental work. She’d pretty much rather spend it on anything else.

As Janie ran the card, Megan glanced through the large windows that separated the office from the garage. Her breath caught when she spotted James talking with two other guys. She hoped she didn’t sigh out loud so his office manager could hear her, but she almost melted into the counter she was leaning against. He looked just as gorgeous as she remembered.

He was holding a grimy black piece of metal and pointing to something attached to it. It must have been heavy because his bicep bulged, and she could see the thick cords of muscles strain in his forearm. The two guys he was talking to were nodding in agreement with whatever he was saying. She stopped herself from nodding too.

Boy, did she have it bad for James Foley.

“Alrighty,” Janie said, bringing Megan’s attention back to the present. “Just your John Hancock on this work form and on this receipt please.”

Megan scribbled her signature where Janie indicated and returned her credit card to her wallet. “Anything else you need from me?”

Janie shook her head and handed over the car keys. “Nope, you’re all set. I think James brought your car around front.” The woman looked beyond Megan and pointed out the door. “Yep, she’s right there.”

“You refer to cars as girls too, I see,” Megan joked.

“Yeah, these guys rub off on me. Some of them even name their cars.”

Janie’s smirk made Megan laugh. She was just about ready to ask Janie to let James know that she needed a word with him when the man himself walked into the front office.

“Hey,” he said, his smooth voice rumbling as he finished wiping his hands with a rag.

He sounded slightly rushed, like he’d run over to catch her before she left. Maybe he was just as anxious to see her as she was to see him.

“Hi,” Megan replied.

She was glad to hear her voice didn’t shake like the rest of her. Not more than five days ago, she’d added this man to her very short list of sexual partners, and being in the same room as him now was causing all sorts of abnormalities in her body. Primarily, weak knees and a racing heart rate.

“I’m glad I caught you,” he said. “Do you have a minute for me to show you something on your car?”

“Yeah, sure.”

She hoped this was just a ploy for the two of them to have some privacy. He pushed open the door and ushered her through.

As they walked side by side to her car, he asked, “How have you been?”

“Good.”

She looked over at him, hoping to catch that sparkle in his eye that warmed her from the inside out. But instead of making eye contact, he just nodded and looked straight ahead.

When they reached her car, he rounded to the opposite side and bent down next to her front right tire. “See this?” he asked, pointing to her tire.

She shuffled closer and bent forward, thinking he wanted to get out of view of his gawking co-workers. She watched his face, which lacked any sort of readable emotion.

“Yes.”

He looked up at her and frowned. “Megan, you’re not looking. Look here.”

Her eyes moved to where his finger was pointing. He actually wanted her to look at her tire. Dear Lord. Suddenly embarrassed, she bit her lip and nodded.

“The tread on these tires is worn down to the point where they’re not safe for winter conditions. You’ll slip and slide all over the street with even a trace of ice or snow.”

Bristling with embarrassment, she stood up. “It seems like every time I come here you’re telling me something else is wrong with my car.”

He rose from his crouch and turned toward her, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s because there is always something wrong with your car.”

James’s tone was one she recognized easily. It was the same tone she used every day in her classroom when she was talking to a student who wasn’t paying attention. Her earlier embarrassment quickly turned to irritation.

Her car was becoming—had become—a money pit. It wasn’t worth all these repairs she was making. She needed to get from her apartment to school. That’s it. She’d only bought a car because it would be more convenient in winter. Maybe she should rethink taking the bus.

On top of that, it was pricking her pride that James was acting like they hadn’t fucked each other five days ago. His words, not hers. Megan didn’t know what she’d been expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t a matter-of-fact conversation about the tread on her tires.

Jamie Hollins was born and raised in rural Northeast Ohio. After graduate school, she embarked on a perilous career in Human Resources where she met plenty of real life characters. When she’s not writing or chasing after her toddler, she enjoys reading and golfing. Jamie lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and their dog, Winston.