Title: STRIPPED – A Ferro Family Novel
Author: H.M. WARD
Publisher: Laree Bailey Press
Release: September 2, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult

By New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling New Adult author H.M. Ward.

The V Card. Virgin. Most of us want to punch that sucker ASAP, and hide the fact until then, but not Cassie Hale. Three years ago she frickin’ covered hers in glitter and laminated the thing, proudly telling me that she’s waiting for the perfect guy.

So when I see her half naked, tangled together, rolling around on the floor with another stripper, I’m kind of shocked. Okay, that’s an understatement. I’m enthralled. I have to know what cracked her picture perfect world and landed her here, and I hope it’s something horrible-an event that broke her the way she broke me. Because, that’s who Cassie Hale is–the woman who stole my heart and crushed it in her hand.

Excerpt

As I climb the steps up the side of the stage and head to the silvery tinsel curtain, I call back to Beth. “Who is this party for again? And why is he the shit? I must have missed the memo.”

She laughs as she’s examining one of the lights within the glass table. It looks like fire, but it can’t be since it’s pink. She looks up at me. “Dr. Peter Granz, and he’s the shit because he’s a Ferro. Hence the swank party.” Beth looks up when I don’t answer.

I rush at Beth, nearly knocking her over. My jaw is hanging open as worry darts across my face faster than I can contain it. “Ferro?”

“Yeah, why?”

I’m in melt down mode. “I can’t be here.” I glance around the room and look at the door longingly. Before I make up my mind to run, I hear male voices approaching. Fuck! My heart pounds faster in my chest. If he’s here, if Jonathan sees me—the thought cuts off before it finishes.

I’m ready to bounce out the window when Beth grabs my wrist and hauls me to the front of the room. She shoves me behind the curtain and hisses in my ear, “If you freak out now, Gretchen will steal your job. Snap out of it. Whoever this guy is, he isn’t worth it.”

The tinsel curtain in front of me flutters, but it conceals both of us for the moment. The male voices grow louder until the door is yanked open. The curtain rustles and I’m in full freak-out mode. He can’t be here. He can’t see me like this. At the same time, Beth’s right. I can’t skip out. Bruce will run me over with the van and there’s no way in hell they’ll ever give me another cent.

I stand there, frozen, unable to think. Every muscle in my body is strained, ready to run, but I don’t move. My bare feet remain glued to the floor as I smash my lips together.

Then, I hear it—that voice. It floats through the air like a familiar old song. Oh God, someone shoot me. I can’t do this.

H.M. Ward is the #1 bestselling New Adult author in the world, having sold over 2 million books in 2013. This NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and Amazon #1 bestselling writer’s series include: THE FERRO FAMILY: DAMAGED, THE ARRANGEMENT, and STRIPPED; as well as SCANDALOUS, TRYSTAN SCOTT, and SECRETS. Ward was recently featured in FORBES, the WALL STREET JOURNAL, and the WASHINGTON POST.

You can interact with this bestselling author at: www.facebook.com/AuthorHMWard.

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