Flutters and Flails: Blog Tour: Making the First Move by Reese Ryan

You know how I feel about Making the First Move based on my review, but when offered the opportunity to take part in the official Blog Tour, of COURSE I had to accept. Because Reese Ryan is awesome and so is her book. Read it.

Making the First Move is available at these fine booksellers:
Amazon | B & N | B-A-M | iTunes | Amazon United Kingdom | Audible

Melanie Gordon has spent the past five years obsessing over her career to dull the pain of a devastating breakup and the loss of her father. Her effort pays off when she receives the promotion that could be her big break. Only it means returning to her hometown to face her past while leaving behind the man who could be her future. Selfless (and insanely sexy) philanthropist, Raine Mason, is committed to his cause. But his passion for rescuing high-risk young males from the road to disaster is fueled by his own dark and tragic past. When Raine is ready to take his casual friendship with Melanie to sizzling new heights, her one-way ticket to Cleveland is already booked. But a steamy night of passion leaves them both wanting more, even if Melanie is afraid to admit it. She reluctantly agrees to a long-distance relationship with no promises and no commitments. Melanie may finally be ready to give Raine her heart…but then she discovers startling news that causes her to question everything she knows about him. Worse, he’s harboring a dark secret from his past that threatens to shatter any hope of a future for them unless he can convince her that their love is worth the risk.

Excerpt Saturday morning I awake alone, tangled in the sheet. I roll over and look at the clock. It’s ten-thirty. Sitting up, I look around for evidence of my night with Raine. I need confirmation that it wasn’t an exceedingly vivid fantasy. Raine’s clothes are no longer on the floor where he’d tossed them last night, but I smell food and hear pots clanging. Slipping from under the covers, I hurry into the bathroom, grateful I won’t be forced to do an awkward sheet shimmy. The mirror reveals what Raine must have seen this morning. Hair smashed flat on one side, crust in the corners of my eyes—and is that dried drool? I shudder. Standing under the steaming hot water in the shower, I lather my hair, replaying the night before. Finally I emerge from the bathroom in my bathrobe—teeth brushed, body scrubbed, hair washed and pulled into a neat, low bun. I follow the tantalizing aroma of breakfast. Raine stands at the stove barefoot in jeans and an undershirt. He turns toward the sound of my footsteps. His eyes light up and he breaks into a grin that flexes every muscle in his face. The last time someone was this glad to see me, I had to take him for a walk and give him doggy treats. “Morning, sleepyhead.” He leans in to kiss me then quickly returns his attention to the skillet. “Hungry?” “You cuddle. You spend the night. You make breakfast.” I shake my head. “Are you for real? ’Cause I’ve seen this in Lifetime movies. It doesn’t end well.” When he looks away quickly, I’m afraid I’ve offended him. But then the right side of his mouth turns up in a half smile. “Consider yourself the beneficiary of two decades of trial and error,” he says. “Or maybe this is all part of my evil plan.” He raises his eyebrows up and down manically. “So there is an evil plan. Well, that’s a relief.” I smile. “But I shouldn’t be surprised. There’s a lot more to you than you let on.” I gently trace the sword tattoo on his right arm with my fingertips. Raine offers a quick smile before he focuses on his cooking again. He slides a spatula underneath the omelet he’s cooking and gently flips it. “Like I said, things were crazy for a few years. My mother likes to call it my ‘Tattoo Period.’” “Looks like you were quite the badass.” I touch the faded blue head of a large phoenix across his back. “Exactly how many tattoos do you have?” “Four. One on each arm. One on my chest. One on my back. It only looks like more because of their size.” He picks up a strip of bacon and offers it to me. I take a bite. “That’s practically a choir boy by NBA standards.” “True.” I nibble on the bacon. “Still, there must be a helluva story behind every one of those.” “There is.” A hint of perturbance flashes behind stormy gray eyes. “But that’s a conversation for another day.”

Bio:

MAKING THE FIRST MOVE author, Reese Ryan

Reese Ryan writes sexy, contemporary fiction filled with colorful characters and sinfully-sweet romance. She secretly enjoys torturing her heroines with family and career drama, reformed bad boys, revealed secrets, and the occasional identity crisis, but always rewards them with a happily ever after. Born and raised in the Midwest, she now resides in Central North Carolina with her husband and young adult son who tolerate her propensity to sing and dance badly. A self-proclaimed Bohemian Southern Belle, she treads the line carefully between being a Northerner and a damned Yankee--despite her insistence on calling soda pop. Reese gauges her progress by the number of “bless your lil’ hearts” she gets each week. She is currently down to two. Visit Reese online at ReeseRyan.com. Follow her on Twitter @ReeseRyanWrites. Connect with her on Facebook. Making the First Move Blog Tour Grand Prize