NEW RELEASE
She’s his greatest temptation. He’s her biggest risk. Together, they just might fall...
Love? I don’t do that anymore. I’ve had my fill of betrayal, of trusting the wrong people, of letting my guard down only to be burned. My life is about control now—running the Freeman family empire, upholding our legacy, and keeping my heart locked behind walls no one can break.
Then she shows up.
Sierra Watson is nothing like the women I’ve known—bold, beautiful, and completely unimpressed by me. She challenges me, meets my sharp edges with smooth confidence, and refuses to be anything less than herself. I should stay away. I need to stay away. But when she looks at me, I feel something shift, something crack open that I thought was long dead.
But love has cost me before, and I can’t afford to lose again.
Sierra
I don’t have time for love. Not when my family is depending on me. Not when my sister’s reckless decisions have forced me into a second job I never wanted, working for the powerful Freeman family to clean up a mess I didn’t make.
Then I meet him.
Jabari Freeman is infuriating—cold, controlled, and way too arrogant for his own good. He pushes, I push back. But the more I fight it, the harder it becomes to ignore the fire between us. And when that fire ignites, it’s impossible to put out.
But love has never come without sacrifice for me. And just when I think I might finally have something for myself, the life I’ve been trying to escape comes crashing back in.
Jabari has his own demons to fight, and I have mine. The question is… are we strong enough to fight for each other?
→ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223504816-free-to-fall
Excerpt
Copyright 2025, Louise Lennox
Her skin is soft, her touch electric. “Thank you for being here tonight,” I say, meaning every word. “You’ve made me feel like the luckiest man in this room.”
“Jabari, you’re laying it on a little thick,” she says, though her eyes sparkle. She likes it—she can’t hide that, and honestly, I don’t want her to.
“Maybe. But you’re worth it,” I tease, my voice dropping lower.
Her laugh is soft, almost shy, and I swear it’s the sweetest sound I’ve heard all week. She drops her menu and lets out a frustrated sigh. “Ok, I give up; how do we order off this menu? There are too many small sections.”
I chuckle and lift my menu between us, my eyes meeting hers over the edge. “This is how it works,” I say, letting my voice drop to that rumble I know gets to her. “It’s a tasting menu. We pick a bunch of things to share.”
“Share?” She raises an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. “You and-We’re going to share food?”
“Absolutely,” I say, grinning. “Tonight, I’m going to feed you.” The words roll off my tongue smooth as silk, and I don’t miss how her breath catches.
“I may love to eat, Jabari,” she says, leaning in just enough for her voice to wrap around me, “But I’m a picky eater. And this is a lot.”
“Trust me, you’ll savor every bite.” I know she’s thinking about the cost—practical to a fault—but that’s not her problem tonight. She’s with me, and when you’re with me, you don’t worry about a damn thing.
The waiter returns, and I rattle off our order: coco bread, cornbread, lamb, shrimp with a kick, lobster, and a plate of jollof rice and chicken. It's comfort food—my food.
“Jabari, are you sure—” she starts, but I cut her off with a wink.
“Relax. I’ve got this.”
Dinner becomes its own kind of game. The air shifts, the tension turning warm and playful as she laughs at my jokes and throws back quick comebacks. I insist on feeding her—a piece of lamb here, a forkful of rice there. She fights it at first, her independence flashing in those eyes, but eventually, she softens.
Every time my fingers brush her lips, her body relaxes more. Every flick of her tongue, every quiet sigh, tightens something deep inside me. And if my pants get any tighter, my dick is going to bust through.
“Stop it,” she says, but her voice is weak, her protest half-hearted, when I lick a dollop of butter that fell to her fingers,
“Can’t.” My voice is rougher now because this woman is doing things to me I can’t ignore.
“Jabari…” Her tone shifts, and there’s no mistaking the heat simmering in her words.
“Sierra.” I hold her gaze, daring her to admit what’s building between us. She doesn’t, but she doesn’t have to. It’s all there, written in how her lips part and body lean just a little closer to mine.
The moment is interrupted when the waiter drops the check on the table, but Sierra moves fast, her hand darting out like lightning to grab it.
“Sierra,” I warn, my voice steady but low. “Don’t even think about it.”
“It’s just a check, Jabari,” she says, feigning innocence, but the spark in her eyes gives her away.
“Touch it, and I’ll take you over my knee right here,” I say, my voice dropping to a growl. “Spank you until you’re a real redbone.”
She gasps, her cheeks flushing that perfect shade of pink. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me,” I shoot back, my jaw tightening as I dare her to test me.
Her hand retreats, and she pouts, crossing her arms with a defiance that only makes me want her more.
“Good girl,” I say, my voice softer but no less firm. It’s not a dig—it’s appreciation. This woman is fire, and I want to get burned.
I stand, holding out my hand. For a moment, she hesitates, but then her fingers slide against mine, and it feels like victory.
“Come on, Siren,” I say, my voice coaxing. “Let’s return to Chesapeake Heights and walk by the water.”
“Jabari, I live here in the city; that’s almost an hour away. Are you going to want to bring me back home?”
“No, but I will,’ I say with a wink. Plus, it’s Friday night. We’ve got nothing but time."
*****
As we walk, I feel Jabari’s presence before I see him, his shadow a faint whisper behind Ann’s confident steps. When I steal a glance over my shoulder, there he is—hands clasped tightly behind his broad back, his expression unreadable but his posture screaming control. He’s a silent guardian, watchful and unrelenting.
I whip my head back around, pretending not to notice him, but the heat of his gaze burns into the small of my back like a brand. It’s steady and searing; I feel it no matter how much I try to shake it off. I bite my lip, fighting the overwhelming urge to glance again, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much his stare rattles me.
Instead, I focus on the uneven trail, willing myself to stay composed, but fate has other plans. My foot catches on a big, stubborn, and perfectly placed root to send me sprawling.
Time slows as I lurch forward, bracing for the harsh sting of dirt and gravel against my skin. But it never comes.
Instead, strong arms yank me back, wrapping around me like a vice and holding me steady before the ground can claim me. His touch impacts me like a lightning strike, sending electricity coursing through me as I gasp at the warmth of his body pressed against mine. His chest is solid, his grip firm, and for a moment, I lean into him, caught between the safety of his embrace and the unmistakable charge sparking in the air between us.
“Careful, Siren,” Jabari murmurs, his voice low and rough against my ear. The way he says it sends shivers down my spine, his tone full of something I can’t quite name but feel everywhere. “We can’t have you hurting yourself.”
Before I can process the warmth of his breath against my skin and the solidity of his presence behind me, he sets me upright and steps back. His hands fall away as quickly as they came, leaving me cold and off balance in more ways than one.
I catch my breath, my heart racing for reasons that have nothing to do with the near fall and everything to do with the man standing behind me.
“My name is Sierra,” I mutter as I move past him.
Ann continues, blissfully unaware of the hot mess unfolding behind her. When she suddenly stops, she turns and smirks at her son but doesn’t say a word. Instead, she gestures to a green clearing encircled by towering, venerable oaks. “And here is where we host our annual jazz festival,” she says. “Every first week of July, music becomes the heartbeat of Chesapeake Heights.”
“Sounds amazing,” I reply, my voice faltering just a little, caught in the pull of Jabari’s eyes. He might as well be wrapped in caution tape, the way he stands so still, so controlled. His fitted tee clings to his muscular frame like a second skin, and every inch of him exudes power and restraint.
I want him to unravel.
"Sierra, are you alright?" Ann’s concerned voice breaks through my reverie.
"Absolutely," I lie, offering a brittle smile. The truth is, Jabari makes me nervous, not because of his brooding demeanor, but because there’s something in his guarded gaze that threatens to scale the walls I’ve built around my heart with ease.
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About Louise Lennox:
Contemporary Romance Author with Heart and Heat
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