An Excerpt From COMING UNDONE
Jul
24
2012

Coming Undone is the second book in the Brown Siblings series and features Brody Brown, big brother, tattoo artist and all around hot alpha male.

KEEPING IT TOGETHER

Brody Brown has always been responsible for others. After his parents’ death, he gave up a promising artistic career to care for his younger brother and sister. Now, with his siblings grown, Brody owns his own business, has a nice house, makes a nice living, and for the first time in years he’s on his own.

Elise Sorenson has come to Seattle with her young daughter to find peace. After years as a world-famous ballerina—(and just as many years in a marriage-gone-bad)—she’s looking for neither love nor attention. But she finds both in the handsome, honest man who befriends her with no strings attached.

More than friends, Brody and Elise discover in each other what they need—wild, physical passion without commitment. But it’ll take a shadow from Elise’s past to make them look beyond what they need—to what they truly desire.

Brown Siblings: COMING UNDONE by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2010, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Berkley Publishing Group

The tavern wasn’t fancy. At first glance one might even call it a dive. But it was a family-owned place, the food was great and the beer was cheap. The pool tables were kept in excellent condition, and all was right with the world when he walked in and saw their group already assembled and ready to go.

And it wasn’t like he was going to complain each time Elise blew the chalk from the cue or when she bent to take a shot. True to her word earlier that year, she was an excellent pool player, cleaning the floor with Ben, Adrian and Arvin.

“How hot is that?” Todd murmured as they watched Erin, Maggie and Elise play against Adrian.

“Yeah. I can’t complain. That’s a whole lot of very pretty, very capable woman there.” Arvin grabbed a wing as he settled in at the table.

They watched as Elise won again and it was Brody’s turn to play.

Elise’s skin broke out in gooseflesh every time he walked behind her, taking care to get extra close. He brushed against her, bringing the line of his cock against her ass or thigh each time he moved around the table.

“If you think you can distract me with sex, you’re totally right,”

she murmured as he leaned in beside her to take his shot. And missed.

She grinned and he gave her a hard kiss. “You did that on purpose.”

“Totally. But I wasn’t lying.”

He laughed and she let Todd win because she wanted to sit down, drink a beer and eat some wings.

Brody’s body next to hers in the booth was warm and reassuring, even as he set off hormonal earthquakes within her every time he touched her.

“I’m glad you could come out tonight.” He leaned back and she rested her head against his shoulder. She was utterly relaxed, enjoying herself with her friends, having a moment with the man she liked; all was well in the world.

“I am too.”

“How long has it been?” He played with her hair, sifting it through his fingers, making her feel like a pampered cat. He smelled good, familiar and warm, and totally sexy. She wanted to lick him. A lot. So she gave in and let herself nuzzle his neck, breathing in the way he was, letting that scent lodge in her senses until she shivered.

“You’re distracting me,” he said, amused.

“Sorry,” she said, totally not. “How long has it been since I dated?

Played pool?”

“Dated. Somehow, I have a hard time imagining you playing pool on a date before me.”

She laughed. “Am I that much of a fuddy-duddy?”

“Fuddy-duddy? Wow, I haven’t heard that one since first grade.”

He squeezed her to let her know he was teasing. “You’re not a fuddyduddy. I just meant I knew you were married and then were on the road and dancing.”

“I happen to like the word ‘fuddy-duddy,’ thank you very much.”

She winked at Adrian. “Three years? Yeah, and then it was a few dates. Dinner, the theater, nothing as fun as pool.” She shrugged.

“How long were you with your ex?”

“I was twenty-three when we met, and we were married by the time I was twenty-four. I divorced him when I was twenty-seven, a few months after Rennie was born. It had been a done deal for about a year before that anyway. I’d kicked him out about two months into my pregnancy and then he did jail time. Blah, blah, blah.”

“He sounds like a total tool,” Adrian said.

“He was. But he gave me Rennie, and for that, I’m glad for him. Anyway, I’m out of the dating habit. I have no idea. Am I doing it right?”

Brody leaned toward her and kissed her nose. “You’re rocking it. And Elise, tell me true, have you ever not done things right in yourlife? I bet you were good at everything growing up.”

“I did well in school. I was a good dancer. Oh, it’s my turn.” She scrambled over him and out of the booth before he could say more.

“Dude, how long as it been since you’ve had a date?” Adrian leaned back and watched Brody, an amused smile on his face.

“What? I’m here with a beautiful woman. How am I failing again? Oh, please do inform me, since you’re here with your steady girlfriend of five years. Oh wait, you’re here alone, rock-boy. How you gonna school me with a record like that?”

“Talk’s cheap, old man. Have you not noticed how she gets uncomfortable with any mention of how perfect she is? She was snuggled up to you, sending all the right signals, and you made the comment about her being perfect and she scampered off. Not very smooth.”

Brody snorted at his brother, partly because he wanted to but partly because Adrian, damn him, was right, and had seen something Brody himself had seen but hadn’t quite put together the same way Adrian had.

“We all have our wounds, Brody. Now you know what hers are about and you can avoid them, or at least poke at them in private.”

2 comments to “An Excerpt From COMING UNDONE”

  1. Diane
    July 24th, 2012 at 6:21 am · Link

    I think I like Big Brother!!!



  2. Viki S.
    July 24th, 2012 at 1:18 pm · Link

    I loved this one!