Title: Surrender to the Stars
Series: Fated Love #2
Author: Swati M.H.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Cover Me Darling
Release Date: May 13, 2021
BLURB
Vik Bedi was not supposed to be the one.
Arrogant, smooth-talking surgeons—who also happen to be Geminis—are bad news.
Our chemistry might be off the charts, but I’ve been burned by guys like him before.
You’d think I’d have learned my lesson . . .
But in a moment of weakness, I foolishly allowed a one-time fling to get him out of my system.
Now I’m addicted—to his devilish smile, his heated gaze, and the way he steals my breath just by walking into the room. As a NICU nurse, I know how to be strong in the face of fear and chaos, but he knows when I just need to be held.
He’s slowly inching his way into the one part of me that he can never have—my heart.
They say the brightest stars burn the fastest, but I’m afraid he’ll leave me in embers.
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EXCERPT
Knowing I won’t be able to avoid talking to him, I steady myself and stand as tall as my five-foot-one inch frame will allow, much like the way one should stand when coming face to face with a bear. “Don’t you have better things to do like repair spines than stalk me?”
The corners of his mouth lift as his gaze sears into me like a diamond blade cutting metal. “There is no one better I’d like to do.”
I shake my head, not giving him the satisfaction of acknowledging his comment--no matter how much it makes my core clench. “Sorry, I don’t give rides to hitchhikers.”
He scratches his jaw, rubbing his hand slowly against the light scruff, his smile still intact. Whether he picks it up or not, he doesn’t address my double entendre. “That seems wise considering the state of your car at the moment.”
“It’ll be fine,” I say, unlocking my car door and throwing my purse onto the driver’s seat. I push the key fob to unlock the trunk.
Vik immediately goes to the back of my car to get the spare tire.
“You really don’t have to help me. I’ve changed a tire before.” Only once, and Dad did most of the work. “I’ll be fine doing it on my own.”
Why is his presence so unsettling? Why do I turn into a porcupine whenever he’s around? And why, for the love of God, am I still picturing myself swiping my tongue across his lips?
Giving me a pointed look as he passes by, he carries the tire and car jack to the front of the car, setting them near my flat. He rolls up his sleeves slowly, showing off his ridiculously gorgeous forearms with a soft smattering of dark hair. “I have no doubt that you can do it, but I’d like to help anyway.”
Within minutes, Vik has my old tire off while I try to make myself useful by giving him unneeded directions. I feel like the new helicopter mom I met today as she gave me directions on how to position her baby during his bath. After he puts the spare on, ensuring the bolts are tight, I gather the tools and the flat tire and put them inside the trunk of my car.
“Thanks,” I mumble, considering the ground next to him.
His smug smile suggests that he can see the physical pain I’m in after thanking him. “I’m sorry,” he leans closer, “what was that, little firecracker? Was that a ‘thanks’ that I just heard?”
Yup, he’s definitely hard of hearing.
I roll my eyes and speak a little louder for his benefit. “Yes, though, I’d like to repeat that I didn’t need your help. But still, thank you for saving me some time. It would have taken me longer.”
“Sure,” he says, victory written clearly on his face. “Though . . . I suppose I do deserve something for the favor I just did you.”
And there it is. The organ donation.
I scoff. “You mean . . . the favor you forced upon me?”
“Hey, you’re the one who just said I saved you time.” He puts both hands up in the air in a this-was-all-your-fault kind of way. “Now you have all this extra time on your hands.”
I don’t like where this is going . . ..
I squint at him. “Not that much extra time. Maybe ten minutes, and that’s if I’m being generous.”
“I’ll take whatever you can spare.”
I sigh, knowing this can’t be good. “What do you have in mind?” This is exactly why I didn’t want to owe him a favor. The less time I want to spend with this man, the more the universe resists.
He takes a step toward me, making me look up at him as his milk chocolaty gaze turns molten and a sinister smile plays on his lips. “Have a drink with me.”
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AUTHOR BIO
I prefer to call myself a storyteller rather than an author. I'm a mom to two beautiful little girls and a wife to an incredibly supportive husband. My days start with caffeine and sometimes end with a glass (or three) of wine.
I'm a Texas raised Indian American currently living in the Bay Area. With a degree in Computer Science and an MBA, I've had a successful career building software products but writing is both my hobby and my passion.
For me, writing and reading are an escape from real life. I love meeting and creating characters who I'd love to take out for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. My goal as a storyteller is to distract my readers from their daily grind with stories about everyday couples finding and fighting for incredible love with the help of a little luck.
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