Title: The Perception
Series: The Exception #2
Author: Adriana Locke
Release Date: Feb 28, 2015
There is no greater burden than a secret, and Kari Stanley has been carrying one alone for a long time. But fate intervenes in the form of a broken down car and the kind offer of assistance from a handsome stranger with a sweet, southern drawl. In exchange, all she has to do is go to dinner with him. Temptation was never so sweet.
Max Quinn has secrets of his own. His good deeds aren't just a product of his southern upbringing; they're his atonement. As one dinner turns into two, he realizes that Kari just might be his salvation.
As they struggle to find their path together, their secrets weigh heavier on them. Will they be able to trust one another with the truth, or will their secrets keep them apart forever?
This book CAN be read as a stand-alone novel.
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Prologue
Max
Well, well, well. What do we have here?
I spotted a woman standing in front of her car a few spots from mine in the parking lot. Her head in her hands, she stared at the front of her vehicle. I just finished my meeting and really wanted to go back home, but I couldn’t leave a woman stranded in the heat.
Not with a clear conscience.
And not with an ass like that.
“Somethin’ wrong?” I asked, shutting my truck door behind me and walking slowly towards the brunette.
She turned her head and a smile slowly spread across her pretty face. She stood, wiping her hands down the sides of her green workout shorts. Her body was lean and tight and I wanted to run my hands all over it.
She was little as hell, probably a good foot shorter than my 6’2” frame. Her tight white tank top showcased her breasts in the best way possible. Her hair was piled on top of her head, strands sticking to the back of her neck.
Her smile grew wider as I made my way across the parking lot. Sweat dotted her smooth, tanned skin and she wiped her brow with the back of one hand.
The beauty raised her eyebrows, her green eyes lighting up. “My car won’t start.” She ran her gaze down my body, making little effort to conceal the fact that she liked what she saw.
That makes two of us.
I flashed her a smile and cleared my throat. I needed to focus, but that was easier said than done. The last thing I wanted to do was come across like Cane, my friend with no couth.
“What seems to be the problem?” I unlatched the hood and raised it open.
“I turned the key and got nothing but a buzzing sound,” she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her.
I looked up, the movement catching my attention, and my gaze landed right on her chest.
“What are you looking at?” she asked cheekily.
“Nothin’ you shouldn’t be proud of.”
Hi!
I’m Adriana Locke, author of The Exception Series and two standalone novels, Sacrifice and Wherever It Leads. My next story is set to be released in September 2016.
Living in Indiana, I’m a true Midwestern. Life, for me, is about family, faith, and food. I spend a large amount of time playing with my four unruly sons, three cats, two dogs, and a bird that chirps constantly.
I run on lots of coffee and sticky kisses. I love sunshine, candy, random quotes, and steamy bad boys in fantastic books.
I’m on nearly every social media platform. Please find me on the ones you frequent – I love chatting with readers!
Thank you for visiting! I look forward to hearing from you!
xo,
Addy
