Refrain by Claire Davon 💕 Book Tour and $20 Giveaway 💕 (Contemporary Second-Chance Romance)

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Saving her business means working with the man who broke her heart...

Ryder Bingham fled Austin for Nashville six years ago, vowing never to return. However, wisdom comes with age, and to build the family he craves, he must face the hardest thing—his ex, Evelyn.

Evelyn Abbott spent years dodging news of Ryder's country music stardom. When he offers her a house remodel, her instinct screams not to do it. But with bankruptcy looming, this job could save her company. Besides, the bastard owes her. As they work together, their unhealed breakup colors everything.

Drawn to each other yet haunted by the past, their collision is catastrophic. Can they repair the damage? Or will they walk away forever?

“The pool table got installed. Care to check it out?” He poured both of them more wine and gestured to the lower level of the house, then rose, bottle and glass in hand.

“Sure.” She took another deep gulp of wine, the liquor flowing all the way to the pit of her stomach.

She followed him down the stairs. A new high-end pool table in oak that matched the floor was in the middle of the level, with the balls racked and two cue sticks resting by the side of the table.

Evelyn ran her hand over the top of the pool table. “This is nice.” He had done as she asked and picked a table harmonious with her design. The glasses of wine were curling through her, making her a little more reckless than normal. She took one of the pool cues from its mount on the wall before returning to the table to remove the rack.

Ryder picked up the other cue but didn’t move. Instead, he stood in place and watched her.

“We used to have such fun playing pool between sets,” she said. “Remember how much of a novice I was?”

He grinned. “You didn’t know a damned thing about pool. But by the time I was done with you, you were a shark. I loved watching you act innocent and then take guys down.” He poured her more wine and handed her the glass.

She took another deep sip. “Like you said, Ryder, those were good times. We were so young.” Her next words shouldn’t be spoken, but she was reckless tonight. “Do you ever wish you could go back to those days?”

His sharp intake of breath echoed in the room. “Every day. I’d give up fame and money to regain that lost time.”

Instead of answering, Evelyn stepped up to the table with her cue poised. She broke the balls, then watched as a solid-colored ball fell into the corner pocket. “Solid,” she called.

“Care to place a bet?” he asked, leaning on his pool cue.

“Do you think I’ve lost my touch? Bring it on.”

“For every ball I sink, you have to kiss me. For every ball you sink…”

She couldn’t believe they were having this conversation, but the wine had made her comfortable. “You have to kiss me.”

“Deal.”

She sank a ball first. He closed the distance to her and placed a light kiss on her cheek. She’d expected more, and a perverse sense of disappointment settled over her. Aiming the cue, she gestured to where the next ball would go. And sank it. He kissed her other cheek, his warm lips moving over her in a gentle caress. Hunger and longing stirred behind his amiable expression. She aimed her cue, then an idea washed over her.

She missed on purpose and gave him a sideways glance. “Your turn.”

She shouldn’t be playing with fire this way. She shouldn’t even be here, alone in his basement and semi-tipsy, with the man who had betrayed her. The man she still craved so much she forgot to breathe.

“Yes.” His gaze played over her face. “My turn.” He took aim and sank a striped ball into the middle pocket. “Guess you owe me a kiss.”

She put her stick down and walked to him. “Guess I do at that.” She reached up and brought his head to hers. She touched his lips, and the world ignited. In an instant his mouth had opened, and his tongue flashed out. Whimpering, she took him inside her, shifting to align her body closer with his.

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Claire can’t remember a time when writing wasn’t part of her life. Growing up, she used to write stories with her friends. As a teenager she started out reading fantasy and science fiction, but her diet quickly changed to romance and happily-ever-after’s. A native of Massachusetts and cold weather, she left all that behind to move to the sun and fun of California, but has always lived no more than twenty miles from the ocean.

In college she studied acting with a minor in creative writing. In hindsight she should have flipped course studies. Before she was published, she sold books on eBay and discovered some of her favorite authors by sampling the goods, which was the perfect solution. Claire has many book-irons in the fire, most notably her urban fantasy series, The Elementals’ Challenge series, but writes contemporary and shifter romances as well as.

While she’s not a movie mogul or actor, she does work in the film industry with her office firmly situated in the 90210 district of Hollywood. Prone to break out into song, she is quick on feet and just as quick with snappy dialogue. In addition to writing she does animal rescue, reads, and goes to movies. She loves to hear from fans, so feel free to drop her a line.