Book in the Spotlight: Shallow

Shallow
Author: Georgia Cates
Release Date:  September 21, 2012
Buy the Book: (Amazon)
Book description
Payton Archer's best friend, Claire, strives to be perfect in every way. Payton doesn't and this is her story.
Nick Hawke likes his car fast and his girls even faster. He blows through females quicker than his muscle car races down the "The Strip" in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother leaving, he believes there is no room in his life or his heart for a relationship lasting more than one night. He seeks happiness in things that won’t let him down...fast cars, adrenaline and one night stands. To his absolute dismay, all of that changes when he unexpectedly runs into an old friend and is introduced to Payton Archer, the first girl he ever wanted for more than one night. There’s only one catch...she is completely immune to him and his smooth talking ways.
Payton Archer is looking for what Claire has with Jessie, but she has given up on finding it...at least until she leaves for college in the Fall because she is certain that is where she will find the perfect guy to fit into her perfect world. She plans on Summer being nothing but three uneventful months of fun, but it turns out to be anything but ordinary when Payton is introduced to Nick Hawke, one of Jessie’s old Collinsville friends. She is shocked by her immediate and intense attraction for “Hawke” because nothing about him is what Payton is looking for. Sure, he’s hot and sexy but he comes from Collinsville and that is definitely not on her list of prerequisites. Everything about him makes Payton’s heart speed because he is exciting and dangerous, but his fast car and the dangerous chances he takes aren't what scares Payton the most...it’s the way Nick Hawke makes her feel every time he looks at her. Can Payton find that moment of total fearlessness and make the decision to leave the safe, shallow end of love to risk going under completely?

Book Excerpt
“Calm down and play nice, Payton. Keep in mind that you just ran into the back of his car,” Claire graciously reminded me.

“I don’t play nice when I’m given ultimatums.” I slammed my car door shut and straightened my short skirt before I walked toward Mr. Prince of Nothing Charming in my four inch wedge heels. This was going to be the most fun I’d have all night so I planned to take advantage.

Damn. The closer I got, the more I realized how great looking this jack off was and frankly it was a little unnerving. His hair was dark and longer than I liked, but it suited him so perfectly the way the untamed tendrils curled and stuck to the perspiration along his forehead. He reached to shove a lock out of his face and his dark chocolate brown eyes pierced mine through his long sooty lashes as though he saw straight through to my soul.

His shoulders were broad, just the way I like them and his black T-shirt fit his chest tightly so I was able to see how well defined his chest was beneath it. I could tell he worked out. A lot.

He caught me looking and my own heart betrayed me as it began to race without my permission. My breath was held hostage in the back of my throat as my eyes moved from his chest up to his face and I wondered what his semi-scruffy chin would feel like against my throat as it slid lower.

Hey, Self! Stop having a lady boner moment! This guy is trying to coerce you into a date by the means of a threat. Don’t crack just because he’s eye candy.

I stood in front of him with my arms folded and waited for him to say the first word, but he didn’t. Good thing I didn’t mind speaking up. “So, I have to go out with you if I don’t want to get sued, huh? Are you kiddin’ me, dude? That’s called blackmail and it’s illegal.”

He gave me a big lopsided seductive grin and I was certain it wasn’t the first time he had used it to get what he wanted. “Some might call it extortion, but I think a date would be adequate compensation for any damage that may have occurred.”

I turned to look at the back of his car and saw that neither of our vehicles had suffered any damage during my unfortunate Jedi sex trick mishap. I could have argued that there was nothing to be compensated for, but I felt like having a little fun with this guy. “Do you have something I could use to write my contact information on?”

His lopsided grin oozed with satisfaction and turned up on both sides to reveal two of the cutest dimples I had ever seen. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell. “Don’t need it. I’ll put you in my phone,” he said as he stood there waiting to hear my digits.

He was going to add me in his cell phone, today’s version of the Little Black Book. He didn’t see the smirk on my face because he was busy looking at his phone while I called off, “5-5-5-3-9-8-5. Vivian Archer, Attorney at Law. She’s my mother and your attorney may contact her so they may discuss the conditions of your claim against me.”

Okay, that was a little bit of a lie. My mother had not practiced law in years, but he didn’t have to know that. His sexy little grin faded and mine spread bigger. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have money riding on a race and I’d like to be there to collect my winnings.”

That lopsided grin made a reappearance. “A race, huh? I heard about that. I hope you bet on Hawke instead of that spoiled rich kid from East Franklin or you can expect to kiss your money good-bye.”

So, he was a ‘know it all’ also. “As a matter of fact, I did not bet on anyone named after a bird. My money is riding on the brand new Porsche.”

In his fitted black T-shirt and dark washed jeans, he stepped back and leaned against his old black Camaro. He crossed his arms and I suspected he did so to call attention to his muscular, tanned biceps. Mission accomplished.

“You placed a bet on a car with no consideration for the driver? That’s known as bad betting, Doll Face. I hope you didn’t wager a lot of money because you are going to lose.”

I shifted my weight to one leg and kept my arms crossed over my chest. “I have two Benjamins on the Porsche that is going to win.”

He let out a high pitched whistle. “Wow, you seem very confident in your car, so how would you feel about upping your ante since you’re so positive the Porsche will leave Hawke in the dust?”

I wish I could, but I didn’t have cash on me and I doubted this jerk took credit. “Sorry, no can do unless I can swipe my Visa up your ass crack.”

He grinned and laughed. “Wow, I didn’t expect anything like that to come out of a beautiful little delicate mouth like yours.”

His statement alone showed he didn’t know all he thought he did because it was a rare occasion that anything delicate came out of my mouth. “You’d be surprised.”

He cocked his head slightly and rubbed his scruffy chin with his hand, a sure sign that he was intrigued by my less than ladylike statement. “I love surprises.”

I heard a car honk its horn in the distance. “In case you forgot, we’re in the middle of the road holding up traffic.”

He displayed his lack of concern with the traffic by the wave of his hand in their direction. “They can wait. I have a proposal for you.”

I suddenly thought of Demi Moore and Robert Redford in Indecent Proposal. “And what might that be?”

“Don’t worry, Doll Face. It’s a decent proposal.” Did he just read my mind? “I’d like to make a side bet with you. If your Porsche wins, I’ll give you two-hundred bucks in addition to the winnings you’ll receive from the pot on the bet you have already placed.”

Wait for it. Wait for it. Where was the catch? “I’m listening, but I didn’t hear what you are proposing I wager?”

There was that seductive lopsided grin again. “I only ask that you agree to one night with me.”

Was he kiddin’ me? There was no way that could be considered a decent proposal. The way he said it was so seductive and I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by ‘one night with him.’ I was speechless. I was breathless. I was curious.

His expression became smug as he lifted one eyebrow and said, “I guess you’re not as confident as you claim to be or this would be a no-brainer.”

Shizzle, that eyebrow lift thing he did was sexy. I mentally pimp slapped myself and doused my face with ice water. I managed to gather some words but I wasn’t sure how convincing I sounded when I squeaked them out. “I’m very confident that my driver is going to win.”

“Okay, prove it then. Accept my bet.”

There it was. He challenged me and got my competitive juices flowing. I knew I shouldn’t agree to it because it would prove nothing, but it sure would be funny to wipe that grin off his face. Plus, it never hurt to make an extra two-hundred bucks. “I’m not afraid, so I’ll take your challenge.”

He held his hand out to me and I looked at it like it was the snake in the Garden of Eden. Once I decided it wasn’t going to bite me, I reached to take it. “Can I safely assume that you will be at the race and that you won’t run off with my money after Dane wins?”

He laughed at me and I might have been pissed about it except I got to see his gorgeous dimples again. “There won’t be any running off with your money, Doll Face. I’ll be looking for you so we can settle up on our night together.”

His cockiness pissed me off so I was the one to pull my hand free from his. “I think you’ve delighted me long enough with your trash talk. I have a race to watch.”

“And I have a race to win.” He winked at me before he got into his car. Once inside, he started the engine and it roared loudly, just like a race car. I stood frozen in the middle of the road and watched him pull away as I realized I never asked his name.

Shit! Was that Nick Hawke and had I just unknowingly been preyed upon by the Sex Tricks Jedi? I did not want to admit it, but I think I had just been bested. I walked with my tail tucked between my legs and got into my car.

“What’s wrong, Payton?” Claire asked when I didn’t volunteer an explanation.

“I think Hell just froze over,” I said as I stared ahead at the spot once occupied by a Camaro and its driver.

“Oh, shit!” I heard Jessie groan from the back seat. “I know that look.”

I turned around and said, “That was him, wasn’t it? Nick Hawke?

Stop by the other blogs on for this book tour to get to know the author, enter a giveaway, and read more about this book.