What’s a girl to do when her summer lover wants forever?
Haunted by dark memories
of her parents’ volatile marriage, artist Kay Browning keeps her heart locked behind a free-spirit facade and contents herself with the comfortable affair she has every summer with easygoing photographer Nate Quinn.
The only trouble with her plan?
This summer Nate’s come to Lake Mohave to claim the lover he can’t let go. He’s done with the endless traveling and settling for temporary homes and temporary loves. Kay’s always been more than just a vacation fling, and now he must convince this woman, who sees love as a course to certain heartbreak, to take that leap of faith and learn how safe love with the right man can be.
“This is a sweet, compelling love story. The heroine, Kay, must face down her demons from the past to see the plain truth staring her in the face. Her ordered life really does have more room in it than she ever imagined. The journey Ms. James takes us on for Kay to make this discovery is delightfully sexy and filled with tender emotion. The main characters are believable and wonderfully flawed. Ms. James’ use of gentle, fluid prose makes this read a delightful journey.”
~Nena Clements, Author of Caught Unawares
“CLEAR AS DAY is a story about two friends with benefits that are faced with the fears and uncertainties of taking their relationship to the ultimate level. I loved the way that Babette James handled the emotions and reality of Kay and Nate’s situation. Prickly Kay and laid-back Nate will capture your heart as surely as they did mine and their sex scenes were wonderfully sensual. Babette has filled the story with secondary characters as rich as her main characters and they provided a good foil for Kay and Nate’s journey. Any story that can make me both laugh and cry is a winner and CLEAR AS DAY did both.”
~Marguerite Labbe, Author of All Bets Are Off
★★★★½ RT Book Reviews Sensuality: Scorcher Though very sensual, this is still a sweet romance. The heroine must come to terms with her unhappy family life and accept that her choices can be the right ones for a future built on love, with an outcome of peace and contentment.
Kay Browning is disappointed when she learns that none of her friends will be able to join her on their annual camping vacation. She will especially miss Nate Quinn and the sexual encounters they’ve shared for two weeks each summer for the past six years. She’s very surprised when Nate shows up and tells her the gang’s all at another campsite to surprise her. She’s shocked when Nate produces a ring and tells her he wants to make their association a permanent year-round affair. But Kay likes the fact that they are just friends with benefits. She has an unacknowledged past that has her running scared from any type of committed relationship. Can Nate convince her that the future is hers to choose?
~Romantic Times Book Reviews, May 2012
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~ Excerpt ~
She trailed her fingers over his collection of pebbles on the table, polished by sand, wind and water. Be happy. Be happy. How could she feel so happy and terrified at the same time? You’d think one would cancel out the other.
She would be happy. They would talk. She would sort out her mind.
Don’t worry, be happy.
She slipped on her leather sandals and picked up her sunhat, sunglasses and beach bag. “All set.”
As Kay and Olivia arrived at Spider Camp, Nate was talking and taking casual shots of Dave sitting on his boat. Dave waved. Nate stopped talking the moment she came into sight, his attention fixed on her in a way that rushed heat through her and kicked a happy tumble in her heart.
He waved. “Hey, babe!” He raked his gaze over her. “Stop right there.” He raised his camera and made swift adjustments. “Okay, move.” Rapid shutter clicks followed his order. “Oh, yeah. Beautiful. Slower. Perfect.”
He met her halfway and kissed her hot and hard. “I was about to track you down. You look great.”
“And you look happy.”
“Life is good.” He gave her another quick kiss. “I took some awesome shots today.”
Be happy. Kay smiled. She just needed to practice. Starting now. “Want a beer then to celebrate?”
“Sounds great.” Nate slid an arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, “Damn, I love this suit on you. Why does it always make me want to peel you out of it?” He caressed his hand down over her bottom, holding her close. He softly nipped her earlobe. “Between this one and that yellow-dot one, I am one happy man.”
Desire twisted and heated through her. Wanting him was so easy. That, at least, she never doubted.
“Let’s go swimming, so I can play. Hmm?” he murmured, with more little nips. “Please?”
Go on, practice being happy. Go swimming. Play. Relax. Enjoy. Love.
What was so hard about all that?
Nothing.
Kay tugged the knot of her pareu free and tucked the wrap into his hand. “Okay.” She pulled away from him and strolled off, slipping off her shirt and tossing it, her sunglasses and hat on a chair as she passed, kicking off her sandals as she reached the damp sand.
Running feet pounded up behind her, and Nate scooped her up in his strong arms. He charged laughing with her into the water and threw them both in, the cool shocking splash against her sun-heated skin driving a giggling shriek from her.
Laughter and friendly catcalls rang behind them from their friends.
Nate tugged her to her feet, his body hard and warm against hers. He shook the water from his hair. A big smile, alive with affection and delight, lighted his face. Mischief danced in his eyes. “Come on, follow me.” He swam with lazy strokes toward the moored boats and flipped around, floating on his back, waiting. When she followed, he kicked farther on, putting Lloyd’s and Dave’s boats between him and the shore. She caught up with him. The water here was breast deep. He snagged her wrist and drew her close.
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