RELEASE DAY BLITZ ~ GOLD BY K. A. LINDE

The prey becomes the predator.

Love. That cursed four-letter word no longer belongs in Bryna’s vocabulary. The only four-letter word she knows now is gold.

…and fuck.

She’s well acquainted with that one. And that’s exactly what she plans to do. She’s no longer the golden girl, and when she meets a businessman who promises everything she could ever want from the arrangement, she intends to get her money’s worth.

Follow the conclusion to Bryna’s gold digging story in this scandalizing, duplicitous second book to the USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde’s All That Glitters series.

“Good choice.”

Bryna startled. She hadn’t realized anyone had walked up to her while she was salivating over the earrings.

She faced the stranger, and her heart stuttered. Oh, yes. So much yes.

“Well, I have impeccable taste,” she drawled.

He smiled. “I can see that.”

He was perfect. Older than even Jude or maybe the same age. Mid to late thirties and utterly delectable. High cheekbones, full lips, chiseled strong jaw, and gleaming light-brown eyes. What she noticed next was just as important—an indulgent custom suit that fit him like a second skin. With that kind of cut and quality, it had to be something straight out of London’s Savile Row. A fine suit had all the same necessary characteristics as a diamond, and both should be worn as often as possible.

She shifted her Louis Vuitton bag to her other arm and faced him head-on. “It appears I’m not the only one with good taste.” She wet her lips.

“You can never go wrong with diamonds.”

She completely agreed. “You think so?” she asked, playing coy.

“Absolutely.”

“And what exactly are you shopping for?” She was mesmerized by his cool exterior.

Their conversation was intense, and they had barely shared more than two-dozen words. He had a commanding presence with such little effort.

The man leaned in slightly. “Just browsing.”

He looked her directly in the eyes, and she got the impression he considered her to be merchandise.

If the Harry Winston diamonds around her neck were any indication, she could be bought.

The doorbell pulled her from her thoughts. She scrubbed her hands over her eyes and jogged downstairs. She wrenched open the door.

“Hey,” she said to the deliveryman.

“Package for Bri. Is that you?”

“The one and only.”

“Sign here.”

She scrawled her name on the line and took a small box from him. After what the last package had contained, she couldn’t control her excitement as she tore into the wrapping. When she saw the label, she bit her lip in delight.

Agent Provocateur.

Inside was a black strappy bra and thong set, plus the garter belt and stockings. It even contained the matching black leather paddle. Her heart fluttered. She had always been a La Perla girl, but Agent Provocateur was overtly sexual and suited her very nature.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her phone and dialed his number.

“Hey,” she breathed lightly into the phone when he answered.

“Bri.” He sounded happy to hear from her.

“Where and when do I get to wear my present?”

He laughed. “It’s good to hear you got it. Straight to the point.”

“Always.”

“Well, I’ll be in town in two weeks. Pack a bag. I think, this time, you won’t be leaving at the end of the night.”

As she worked on the dessert, they talked about football and their undefeated season.

“I wished I were playing,” he admitted. “I’m still on the team, but it’s different, being on the sidelines.”

“But you said you could play.”

“I could,” he agreed. “But I wouldn’t do that to my parents. They were freaked out when I hurt my knee. At first, the doctors didn’t know if I would walk. It was not a good time in my life. I recovered remarkably well, but I don’t want to go back into something I’m good at if it could kill me. I’m still young and smart. I can do something else.”

“Coach? Is that the dream job?”

“Of course. That’s the goal even though so few people make it to the top. Coach thinks I have the right eye for it. That’s why he agreed to train me after I busted my knee,” he told her. “What about you? What’s the dream job?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I always assumed I’d marry into money.”

“You’re not serious,” he said in disbelief. “You’re smart and in college. You have to have some dreams, right?”

She stuffed another bite of the banana split into her mouth to keep from answering right away. Her dreams had always been so muddled by everyone else’s expectations of her. She didn’t know how much of what she wanted was from herself or her parents.

“Sometimes, I think film,” she said. She had never said that out loud. “When I was younger, I used to watch clips and piece them together for my dad…when he was around.”

“Cool. So, are you a film major?”

“Um…no. I’m undecided. I don’t think my father would take me seriously if I told him I was in film even though he was in film here.”

“Why not?” Eric asked.

“I’ve never really shown interest in it. Plus, I don’t want to seem like I’m riding his coattails.”

“If you like it, you like it. You have to decide to do it and not give a fuck about what anyone else thinks. I thought you were already pretty good at that.”

Bryna crinkled her nose and shoved another bite of the banana split into her mouth. She was almost finished, but the more she sat around and talked with Eric, the more she thought it might be nice to hang out with him over break. She hadn't envisioned this being a bet that she would want to lose, but if she didn't finish the banana split he won...which meant she could hang out with him again. She had been bored out of her mind, and he was actually pretty good company—when he wasn’t acting like a douchey hostile football player.

She got down to her last bite and just stared at it. “Maybe I will change my major then and see how film suits me.”

“Killer. That sounds like a great idea. At least, once you’ve tried it, you’ll know if it’s for you.” Eric then looked at her bowl. “I can’t believe you only have one bite left. I never would have guessed you could finish that whole thing.”

She smiled and then pushed the bowl over to him with the one remaining bite in it. “I didn’t finish.”

“It’s only one bite.”

“I lost. This was fun. Let’s hang out again.”

USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde has written the Avoiding series and the Record series as well as the new adult novels Following Me and Take Me for Granted. She grew up as a military brat traveling the United States and Australia. While studying political science and philosophy at the University of Georgia, she founded the Georgia Dance Team, which she still coaches. Post-graduation, she served as the campus campaign director for the 2012 presidential campaign at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An avid traveler, reader, and bargain hunter, K.A. lives in Athens, Georgia, with her husband and two puppies, Riker and Lucy.

K.A. Linde's GOLD Release Week Giveaway