Innocence & Betrayal
Hidden Truths #2
By: Brittney Sahin
Releasing March 1, 2016
Self-Published
Blurb
Reserved biochemist Ava Daniels has spent the last six months working on a top secret assignment for Homeland Security. One morning, after a night of finally letting loose, she discovers her lab empty and her boss missing. Interrogated by the very organization she works for, followed by unknowns, and attacked, Ava finds herself in search of answers as the clock winds down.
Aiden O’Connor, Irish born and raised, attempted to put his past behind him when he opened a bar in the heart of Boston. Until one night, when Ava Daniels shows up asking for help. She is like no other woman he has ever met—breathtakingly beautiful, brilliant, and in terrible danger. Once he learns the true nature of her problem, Aiden realizes she is the key to unlock his past . . . and perhaps to get a second chance.
Innocence & Betrayal, Book 2 of the Hidden Truths series, is a stand-alone novel that features appearances from some of your favorite characters in Book 1: Silenced Memories.
Hidden Truths is a new romantic suspense series, which features ex-Marines in these stand-alone novels–no cliffhangers. To avoid spoilers though, it is recommended that the books be read in order, as characters make cameo appearances in other novels. Each book in the series is riddled with mystery and romance, as lies and corruption are unraveled to reveal the truth.
Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/01/innocence-betrayal-hidden-truths-2-by.html
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28256052-innocence-betrayal
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo
Author Info
Brittney Sahin began writing at an early age, with the dream to be a published author before the age of 18. Although academic pursuits (and, later, a teaching career) interrupted her aspirations, she never stopped writing–never stopped imagining.
It wasn’t until her students encouraged her to follow her dreams that Brittney said goodbye to Upstate New York in order to start a new adventure in the place she was raised: Charlotte, North Carolina. Here, she decided to take her students’ advice and begin to write again.
In 2015, she published her first novel, Silenced Memories. When she is not working on upcoming novels, she spends time with her family. She is a proud mother of a spunky toddler and a lover of suspense novels, coffee, and the outdoors.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Excerpt
“Four more hours. You up to drive again?” he asked as he reached for the coffee in the cup holder.
“I’m used to little sleep.”
“I imagine getting your Ph.D. at Berkeley kept you up a lot.”
“How’d you know I went to Berkeley? I didn’t tell you that.” She turned in her seat to better face him. “Did you Google me?”
He smirked. “Yes, I did.”
Her mouth dropped open a little. “Is that how you knew about my sister, Lily?” she fished. She noted his abashed expression. “You didn’t seem all that surprised by Michael’s reaction.” She leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.
He didn’t speak for a moment.
“Does it bother you that your dates already know what you look like before getting in bed with you?” he asked at last.
Now her mouth was wide open. Jaw unhinged. “And why does this interest you?” She waited for an answer, but he didn’t respond. “She doesn’t pose nude, by the way.”
“Skimpy lingerie. Pretty damn close.” He kept his eyes on the road.
Ava wanted to slap him in the arm, but remembered the wound he was sporting. “I don’t date all that much,” she admitted instead. She looked out her window, trying to will away the red in her cheeks. “I hate it, yes.”
“Do guys confuse you a lot?”
She nodded. “Yeah, which is why I try to look and dress as plainly as possible.”
Aiden released a deep laugh. “Plain? You think you’re plain?”
“Um. Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, love, but you couldn’t pass as plain without plastic surgery. You can’t exactly hide who you are just by not wearing make-up—and you can sure as hell look sexy in jeans and a T-shirt.”
His words moved through her, slow and deliberate. Aiden thought she was sexy? She fought back a nervous laugh and bit her lip as his eyes locked on to hers. “Hey, look at the road!” she shouted as a semi-truck edged into their lane, inches from the SUV’s front bumper.
Aiden swerved the car away from near disaster. “See, you’re one hell of a distraction.”
She could see the smile in his eyes, even from his profile. “You’re crazy.”
“I must be.”
“Ah. Gee. Thanks.”
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “So, does your sister give you a lot of free lingerie?”
Now she couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re a horrible person.” Aiden somehow had a way of making her feel almost human, despite the near-permanent state of anxiety that had settled into her over the last few days. He’d turned a topic she hated talking about—her twin—into a great diversion. “And yes. There are a lot of perks to being her sister, I suppose.”
“Perks? I bet there are an awful lot of perks,” he teased, slipping her a sideways grin.
“You’re bad.” She reached over and slapped his pecs, careful to avoid his arm. But as she started to pull her hand away, he caught her by the wrist. His touch was gentle, but having his hand on her—even in such an innocent place—made her body sizzle. She swallowed as he looked over at her.
He cleared his throat and released her wrist. “Your sister is lucky to have you, you know. She might be a supermodel, but you’ve got the looks and the brain. Much sexier,” he said with a deep, velvety voice.
She digested his words and tried to squeeze the image of Aiden’s naked body pinning her beneath him, out of her head. “And you’re going to get us in an accident. Keep your eyes on the road.”
“Then stop being such a bloody distraction.” He smirked. “Talking about lingerie and all.” His Irish accent was thick and sweet; it poured over her slowly, like molasses.
“Just get us to Charlotte in one piece, okay?” She reached for the radio and turned on the music. “I think I’ll shut my eyes for a bit, so I can stop being such a bloody distraction,” she drawled. The atmosphere in the SUV suddenly seemed too small for the teasing to continue.
“Best idea you’ve had all day,” he joked, turning up the volume as the Ellie Goulding song, “Love Me Like You Do” came on to the radio.
She peeked at her savior one last time before shutting her eyes. Although her life had turned upside down in the last two days, she had a feeling that Aiden was going to spin it full tilt.
Thank you for hosting INNOCENCE & BETRAYAL today!
Crystal, Tasty Book Tours
My pleasure!