Please be forewarned some readers may find the following content offensive, disturbing, and/or triggering
Most of us have been there – the unrequited crush, the fantasy lover who still haunts our dreams. Usually that longing fades to a bittersweet memory. For Hailey Hollinger, it's not that easy—the object of her secret affection is her husband's brother
Hailey Hollinger has it all—a great husband, a fantastic career, good friends… and one hot brother-in-law who won’t stay out of her fantasies
When Hailey was sixteen she thought her boyfriend, Brent, was the best-looking guy around. That was until he introduced her to his older brother, Mike. From that moment on she had the biggest crush on him and he became the star of all her teenage fantasies.
Hailey’s all grown up now and has been married to Brent for three years. They have great careers, a nice house—they enjoy life and each other. Everything is supposed to be perfect. Except that pesky little infatuation with her husband’s brother has never completely gone away. A crush, by nature and definition, is supposed to be short-lived and should diminish over time. But, unfortunately for Hailey, it hasn’t, and it’s beginning to mess with what she thinks should be perfection. And, if her life is so great, why does she then find herself groping her brother-in-law in the cab of his truck like some sex-starved teenager? Or the more pressing question yet—why is he groping her right back?
Author Note: This erotic romance story, which has been previously published, is written in first person, and contains cheating/adulterous themes. The material has been updated and reformatted for re-release, with a smokin’ new cover, as well as additional content
What Readers are saying:
HK Carlton did a fantastic job of showing the angst Michael and Hailey faced as they deal with their growing attraction to each other. You fall in love with them as their love grows, and you wonder if they will choose to betray their spouses and act on their love for each other.
Swap was an excellent read that kept me captivated the entire time. Hailey and Mike's struggle of their attraction to each other was incredibly well written - I could feel the tension between them myself and of course was silently rooting for them. Most people might find their trysts immoral, but once you learn of Hailey and Mike's relationships with their own spouses, you'll understand the imperative need to have Hailey and Mike find their own happily ever after together. I definitely recommend Swap as a must read, and if you cherish a good night's sleep then I also recommend that you start the book early in the day, because you'll find it impossible to put down.
Most of the book chronicles Hailey's and Mike's desperate attempts to remain faithful despite their mutual attraction. Neither of the main characters treats marriage casually. Both want to do the right thing. As time goes on, though, it becomes clear that their physical connection is merely a symptom of the deep emotional bond that connects them. Ultimately, they have no choice but to surrender to their passion and face the consequences...
....Swap is a brave book, tackling as it does the uncomfortable topic of infidelity. A few years ago, this subject would have been taboo in a romance. Ms. Carlton does not whitewash the issue, but handles it with an admirable degree of honesty and realism. Hailey and Mike are sympathetic, likable characters. They really try to resist one another, although it's clear to the reader from an early stage that this is futile. In fact, their heroic efforts to “be good” raise the level of sexual tension, as they skirt the edges of adultery, drawing back time and time again from a precipitous fall.
Excerpt:
We paid the bill, then headed for the truck.
In the parking lot, he handed over the keys.
In a moment of sheer insanity on my part, I threw my arms around his waist and gave him a squeeze. “I really am proud of you, you know.”
He placed his arm around my shoulder and he pulled me closer. I felt his chest rumble. “Thanks, Hails.”
We slowed our progress, as if neither one of us was in any hurry to get to the truck. I laid my head back against his shoulder. We walked to the passenger’s side of the truck and I hit the remote on his key fob, unlocking the doors. I opened it for him. He laughed. “I’m supposed to get the door for you.”
“Oh, I thought that was just a shotgun thing, not a chivalry thing. A woman can open the door for a dude, ya know,” I said with mock impatience. “Just get in.”
He turned to face me and, to my surprise, he reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear. “You’re really lame, ya know?” He laughed at my expense.
“I think that’s an eighties catchphrase. And yeah, I know I’m lame, but you love me anyway.” I tossed his words from earlier back at him.
But his smile slipped. “Yeah. I do.”
Something in his voice made every body part I owned turn liquid. In my head, I rushed to tell myself that he meant like a brother and that he’d had a few beers, but his next words stopped my thought process cold.
“You might be the only thing I’ve ever envied about my little brother.”
He moved his hand to the side of my neck and grazed my cheek with his thumb. Then his lips were there, hovering just inches from mine, as if he were seeking permission. My senses swam with the possibilities.
I pounced, seizing what might be my only opportunity to kiss him. I didn’t hold back—he experienced the full-on, ravenous impact of years of worship and sexual fantasies that had run the gamut from sweet, innocent eighteen-year-old’s kisses to the tantalizing nocturnal fantasy that I’d created just the night before.
I flattened my chest against his, trying to get inside his coat. He spun me around, and nudged me onto the seat of the truck. I didn’t want to separate from his lips afraid that if we lost contact he would call a halt to this. So, I fisted my hands into his shirt and hauled him in after me. I opened my legs, encouraging him between them.
When he followed, I crabbed toward the driver’s side. My shoulder hit the steering wheel. I released his shirt long enough to grope for the tilt-steering lever. I pushed the wheel up to give us a little extra room. He was not a small man. The thought shot another little thrill through my already highly sensitized body.
He reached backward with one arm, trying to close the door, but I pulled him toward me with all my strength. I wanted to get as much as I could before he put a stop to this. I knew he would. He was too nice a guy to let this happen. What did that say about me?
© H K Carlton
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