Hanging by a Thread
Riley O'Brien & Co. #3
By: Jenna Sutton
Releasing June 7, 2016
Berkley Sensation
Blurb:
Thirty-year- old Bebe Banerjee is desperate to get rid of two things: her fiancé and her virginity.
Escaping her arranged marriage might be impossible, but she refuses to give her firsts to an
entitled jerk who lives on another continent. Instead, she devises a plan that guarantees another
man will get her momentous firsts. But she never imagined that man would be Cal O’Brien, the
gorgeous heir to the Riley O’Brien & Co. denim empire…
Although Cal has always been fascinated by Bebe’s brilliant mind and beautiful eyes, he’s never
pursued her. She can’t stand the sight of him, and every time they’re in the same room, they
end up trading insults. Yet when he finds out about Bebe’s bold plan, he makes his move,
unaware of her upcoming nuptials. He promises to make her firsts unforgettable, but he doesn’t
know how hard it will be to forget her when their arrangement ends.
Oh what a tangled sheet we make, when we practice to procreate!
AND OH, HOW DELICIOUS THE FUN!
Cal O’Brien has stolen my heart and what a handsome thief he makes! He cooks, he cleans, he gives numerous orgasms. His charm should be patented and sold as an accessory with his jeans (yes, read the book and you’ll get that). There must be something about him not to like, but I’ll be damned if I know what it is!
And Bebe (aka Bindu)…what can I say about Bebe? She’s definitely a unique character. She’s smarter than Einstein and as clueless as Alicia Silverstone, but she’s also lovable, loyal, and trustworthy -not to mention open-minded, which one would have to be to be with Cal. They have almost too much fun (almost), and I couldn’t wait to see what they’d get into next. There was nothing outlandish going on, it was just a tasty (no pun intended) treat to read about them…okay, and maybe the pun was intended. 🙂
Some century earlier than the 20th century did rear it’s old-fashioned head with the whole arranged marriage thing, but hey, I was cool with it. To my understanding, such things do continue to happen today; and even if not, who cares? It’s fiction – well-written fiction, might I add -, so I was right there with the storyline. I loved the secondary characters as much as I loved the H/H, and I’m so definitely going to read the other books in the series. The comradery between the group is all-around good. Sometimes I laughed, and one time I felt some tears forming. I thought that tear-forming scene was well-placed and a crafty way to reveal Cal’s true feelings to his family.
I must say, the epilogue was absolutely, hands-down the best epilogue I’ve ever read in say….well, ever! Bunches of Kudos to Sutton!!
The flow was smooth, and the pace was steady. I was totally beyond entertained.
Rating system: Cups of Coffee (the less the better)
0: You won’t need any coffee to stay up for this one. It’s intriguing enough all on its own.
1: You’ll stay up late, but not all night. Brew one cup.
2: You’ll read as long as you’re not tired. If you are, two cups should do the trick.
3: I hope you got plenty of rest; you’ll need it, or at least 3 cups.
4: If the cable goes out, read the book. It’s better than nothing, I guess. Oh, don’t forget your brew!
5: Find anything else to do- it doesn’t matter what it is. Don’t waste your coffee. Too much caffeine is bad for you.
My rating: 0 cups of coffee
Author Info
Jenna Sutton is a former award-winning journalist who traded fact for fiction when she began writing novels. Surprisingly, the research she conducted for her articles provided a lot of inspiration for her books.
Jenna is the author of the Riley O’Brien & Co. romances including All the Right Places and Coming Apart at the Seams. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Texas Christian University and a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University.
Jenna and her husband live in a 103-year- old house in Texas affectionately known as “The Money Pit”. You can find out more about her and her books by visiting www.jennasutton.com.
Chaste. Untouched. Maiden. Pure. Innocent. The words that described a virgin might sound
pretty, but the truth was downright ugly, at least in Bebe Banerjee’s opinion. She was convinced
her virginity was the reason her heart raced, her breath seized, and her palms sweated
whenever she was near Cal O’Brien.
Bebe surreptitiously studied Cal, trying to ignore the wave of lust that surged over her. If she’d
had some experience between the sheets, she was sure she’d be able to handle the way he
made her feel.
If she had gotten naked with a few guys, maybe she wouldn’t obsess about his glacier-blue
eyes and his thick, dark hair. Maybe she wouldn’t notice the way his jeans clung to his tight
behind and long legs. Maybe she wouldn’t fantasize about his lips, his smile, his big hands . . .
Bebe desperately wished she could just avoid him, but his little sister, Teagan, was her best
friend. If she wanted to spend time with Teagan, she had to put up with Cal. She said no to a lot
of Teagan’s invitations to hang out because of him, and she had to be very careful not to offend
her best friend.
That was why the object of her X-rated fantasies stood next to her in a club-level suite at
PacBell Park. The San Francisco Giants were in the playoffs, battling against the Atlanta Braves
to win the National League pennant, and Teagan had invited her to attend the game in the Riley
O’Brien & Co. suite.
Founded by Teagan’s great-great- grandfather, Riley O’Brien & Co. was the nation’s oldest
designer and manufacturer of blue jeans. Americans had worn Rileys for nearly two centuries.
In fact, Bebe was wearing a pair right now.
Teagan and her brothers were involved in the day-to- day operations of Riley O’Brien & Co. She
managed the company’s law department, while her oldest brother, Quinn, served as president
and CEO, and Cal handled global marketing and communications. Even Quinn’s wife, Amelia,
was involved in the company, heading up the women’s division.
Beside her, Cal shifted slightly and took a pull on his Shiner Bock. He was close enough to
touch, and she clenched her hands into fists just in case her fingers suddenly decided to act out
her secret fantasies. He didn’t even look her way, and he probably wouldn’t unless he felt the
need to toss an insult at her.
“How was Antigua?” Cal asked, directing the question to his sister and her new husband, Nick
Priest.
“It was the most amazing place I’ve ever been,” Teagan said, her blue eyes shining and her
glossy lips turned up in a smile.
Teagan and Nick had just returned from their three-week honeymoon to the Caribbean island.
Both of them were glowing from their tans and their newlywed status.
“We were lucky we had our own private beach because Nick is apparently an exhibitionist,”
Teagan added with a lustful gleam in her eyes.
Nick was a former professional football player, and he had been voted as one of the “Sexiest
Men Alive” by People magazine. With his blond hair and bright green eyes, he was gorgeous,
no doubt about it. But in Bebe’s opinion, he wasn’t nearly as gorgeous as Cal.
No one is as gorgeous as Cal.
Nick leaned down and whispered something into Teagan’s ear, something that was obviously
naughty because her face turned the color of cherries. When he straightened to his full six-five
and saw her red cheeks, he chuckled.
“You’re so bad,” Teagan muttered, lightly slapping Nick’s chest. In response, he grabbed her
hand, hauled her up against him, and kissed her . . . with tongue.
Cal made a gagging noise. “Jesus Christ,” he groaned, “do you have to do that in front of me?”
Teagan pulled away from Nick. “Please,” she shot back, her voice full of disgust. “Do know how
many times I had to listen to my high school friends talk about you and your big—”
Much to Bebe’s disappointment, Cal covered his sister’s mouth with his hand and cut off the rest
of Teagan’s sentence. She tried to pull his fingers away, and finally she got free by elbowing
him in the stomach.
Laughing, Cal stumbled sideways into Bebe, almost knocking her over. He grabbed her forearm
to steady her, his hand hot against her skin, and she gasped. Even the slightest touch from him
made her pulse pound, and she tugged her arm to get away from him.
Instead of releasing her, his fingers tightened. She looked up . . . way up. He was almost as tall
as Nick, and he loomed over her by more than a foot. He was a little leaner than Teagan’s
husband but still solid muscle. His faded Giants T-shirt showed off his broad shoulders,
impressive biceps, and ropy forearms. He’d paired the shirt with ancient Rileys that fit him like a
glove and well-worn boots.
“Sorry about that, Cookie,” Cal apologized offhandedly.
“I told you not to call me that,” she snapped, trying to jerk her arm free.
She hated it when he called her Cookie, and he knew it. Of course, that was why he did it.
He had come up with the nickname right after he’d found out she had a medical degree in
addition to her MBA and law degree. He’d claimed it was a better moniker than Bebe since she
was such a smart cookie, but she knew it wasn’t a compliment.
“I thought you liked nicknames.” He smiled angelically and widened his eyes to look innocent.
“You call Teagan kanya all the time.”
Kanya was Bebe’s nickname for her best friend. It meant “girl” in Hindi, the native language of
her Indian ancestors. She had been born and raised in the United States, but using Hindi words
was one way she stayed connected to her heritage.
“Teagan and I are friends,” she pointed out.
He got her message loud and clear because his eyes got all squinty. “I can be friendly.”
Yes, he could be friendly. In fact, he was friendly to everyone but her. He never had anything
nice to say to her, and she returned the sentiment.
She wasn’t sure who had struck first, probably her, but now they launched verbal missiles at
each other with frequency and precision. He went out of his way to be rude and antagonistic,
and she did the same.
Bebe knew the real reason she acted like such a bitch around Cal. She liked him, and she didn’t
want him to suspect how she really felt. She didn’t want to be the pathetic geeky girl with a
crush on the hot guy.
Before Cal, she had never been attracted to any man. She’d never even experienced a high
school crush because she had entered the ninth grade when she was twelve and had graduated
when she was fifteen. She had immediately headed off to college, and she’d obtained two
bachelor’s degrees in three years.
By the time she had been able to vote, she had been in her first year of medical school. She’d
become accustomed to being viewed as a study partner rather than a sex partner.
She wasn’t oblivious, though, and over the years, she had noticed good-looking men. But she
had never felt that zing of sexual attraction until she had met Cal four years ago. She hated the
way he made her feel: gauche, nervous, and overstimulated. When he was near, sounds were
louder, colors were brighter, and smells were stronger.
Right now, she could smell him, a panty-soaking aroma of warm male and expensive cologne. It
was so delicious, she could barely concentrate on the conversation swirling around her.
“Even though Antigua was amazing, I’m glad to be home,” Teagan said, ignoring Cal and
Bebe’s sniping. “I missed everyone. Mom and Dad. Quinn and Amelia. Bebe. Letty.”
“You didn’t miss me?” Cal asked, feigning hurt feelings.
Bebe knew Teagan had intentionally excluded Cal, trying to annoy him. The O’Brien siblings
teased one another mercilessly. Their relationship was so different from the one Bebe had with
her older brothers.
She rarely talked with Pritam and Ranjit, and when she did, they definitely didn’t tease her. They
didn’t even call her Bebe. They insisted on referring to her by her full name, Bindu, which she
hated.
“No. I missed Kim more than I missed you,” Teagan replied, referring to the woman who did her
nails at the swanky spa she frequented.
Teagan’s snarky response made laughter well in Bebe’s throat. Before she could choke them
back, giggles escaped her. Cal stiffened next to her, and she mentally prepared for their next
verbal battle.
Ready. Aim. Fire.
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely review!
It was my pleasure! I loved the book!