New Release: A Billionaire Between the Sheets (The Overnight Billionaires #1) by Katie Lane + Excerpt, Q&A, and GIVEAWAY

A Billionaire Between the Sheets (The Overnight Billionaires #1) by Katie Lane

A commanding presence in the boardroom and the bedroom, Deacon Beaumont has come to save the failing company French Kiss. He was born to be boss in this glamorous new world of lacy lingerie and stunning supermodels. But one bold and beautiful woman dares to question his authority.

Olivia Harrington has dedicated her life to the company's success. Just because Deacon is sexy as hell doesn't mean he'll make a better CEO. With a limitless supply of push-up bras and garter belts, Olivia turns her considerable feminine charms on Deacon to discover what makes him tick . . . and reveals instead the billion reasons why she wants him to stay.

Uncomfortable beneath his intense gaze, Olivia turned to the window. The plane taxied down the runway, gaining speed until the scenery became a blur, then it lifted and fought against gravity and wind currents until it reached the right elevation and was able to level out. Olivia felt the same way. She felt like she had spent her entire life fighting against unknown forces just to find that space where she could finally enjoy the ride. She was brought out of her thoughts by the caress of Deacon’s thumb on her knuckles. She turned from the deep blue of the skies to the deep purplish blue of Deacon’s eyes. And suddenly everything inside her leveled out.

“So tell me, Ms. Harrington,” he said with a slight tipping of his lips. “What else do you want besides a trip to Paris?”

It was a good question. At one time, she could’ve easily answered it: Her father’s return. Michael’s love. French Kiss’s success. But now, her mind seemed empty of want . . . save for one thing.

Unable to help herself, she leaned across and kissed him. His lips were as hot as the rest of him, and she moistened them with her tongue before hungrily taking advantage of their softness. He went to release the clasp on his seatbelt so he could no doubt take control of the situation, but Olivia pulled back and shook her head.

He sent her a quizzical look, but allowed her to take his hand from the clasp and rest it on the arm of the seat. After unbuckling her belt, she did the same with his other hand, curling his fingers around the soft leather of the arm.

The flight attendant appeared, carrying a bottle of champagne. “Would you like me to serve lunch now, Mr. Beaumont, or wait until later?”

“Later would be better,” Olivia said with a smile. “Mr. Beaumont and I have some business to discuss.”

“Of course.” The attendant placed the bottle of champagne in the holder on the mini bar. “Just buzz if you need me.” She pulled the pocket door closed behind her.

Olivia turned to find Deacon watching her. “Please don’t tell me we’re going to spend the entire trip talking about business,” he said.

“What else would we do?” Slipping off her high heels, she got out of her seat and knelt in front of him. “Now the key to any good business meeting is knowing when to take charge and when to keep your mouth shut.” She smiled at him as she spread his legs and moved between them. “This time I’m in charge, Mr. Beaumont. Got it?”

1. What would readers be surprised to find out about you?

I’m afraid of gorillas—costumes or real. They scare the heck out of me. I once crawled up my husband’s back in a haunted house when a guy in a gorilla suit was slamming around some Samsonite luggage. Hmm? Come to think of it, baggage handlers scare me too.

2. Tell us about your writing process.

Slow. Think of the tortoise from the fable The Tortoise and the Hare. I’ll get there, but it takes awhile. I usually start with a question. With my Overnight Billionaire series, the question was . . . What would happen if three southern brothers inherited a lingerie company? From there, I start putting together my characters: Their history and present situations. Their likes and dislikes. Their passions and motivations. Once I have the characters, I pretty much let them tell me where the story is going to go. If I force them into a situation that they don’t want to go, things can get ugly in a hurry.

3. Who gave you the one piece of writing advice that sticks with you to this day?

My mother. No matter how many mountains you have to climb, or in this case, rejections you get, never give up on a dream.

4. Is there one thing you have to have when writing?

My cairn terrier, Roo. She’s my writing buddy. She puts up with all my insecurities and frustrations. And rejoices in my successes. (Meaning that when I do a fist pump and let out a yelp of happiness, she jumps up and thinks it’s time to play.) Oh, and chocolate. I definitely need dark chocolate to write.

5. How did you choose the names of your characters?

Sometimes, they just come to me. Other times, I have to search baby names until I find the ones that fit. For A Billionaire Between the Sheets, I did a little of both. I had the strong, no-nonsense, country boy name of Deacon, but I had to search for just the right name for my insecure, creative, only child Olivia who grew up in the glamorous world of French Kiss Lingerie.

6. How has music played a role in your life and in your writing?

I think music inspires everyone. It transcends time and space. I can hear a certain song from my past and immediately my brain pulls up the memory. Stairway to Heaven: first slow dance with Marcus Romero who was a good six inches shorter than I was. (I changed the name to protect the innocent…and the short.) If I’d had boobs in 7th grade, he would’ve been able to rest his head on them. For my writing, a song can bring up a scene or a character’s deepest desire. I listened to a lot of Adele when I was writing A Billionaire Between the Sheets.

7. When was the moment that you knew you had to be a writer?

In fifth grade, I was given an assignment to write a short story. I wrote it in the POV of a skirt. Yes, you heard me, a skirt. In the story, the skirt falls off this woman and shows her underwear. And in fifth grade, underwear is a hysterical word. When everyone laughed at my story, I knew that I wanted to become a writer. Which lets you know that I’m pretty much a people pleaser.

8. What can you tell us about your couple, that we won't find in the book?

Olivia is a horrible cook and has a fantasy about making love to Deacon when he has a full beard. Deacon hogs the television remote, and when he found out about Olivia’s beard fantasy, he now grows his beard out on vacation—just to make his wife happy.

9. Do you have any favorite book boyfriends of your own?

My all-time favorite is Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. I just love his courage, his love for his children, the way he teases the housekeeper, his convictions, and his patience with the townsfolk... I could go on and on.

10. What are five books on your night stand/bookshelf?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss, Hummingbird by LaVyrle Spencer, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, The Bible

11. What’s your favorite quote or scene from your book?

My favorite scene is where Deacon realizes that Olivia is wearing a corset under her clothes during work hours. For once, Olivia turns the tables on cool, controlled Deacon and makes him go a little crazy. I love the way he takes her hand and rushes to get to some place private. Which results in a steamy office love scene.

12. If your couple’s relationship had a theme song, what would it be?

Make You Feel My Love. Deacon and Olivia have some trust issues and they need to just trust and feel the love. Because they really would go to the ends of the earth for each other.

13. Tell us about the cover process.

I’m very fortunate to get photo shoots for my covers. I tell my editor about my characters and she relays that info to the creative folks at Grand Central and they make the magic happen.

14. If your book was being made into a movie, who would you include in your dream cast?

Theo James for Deacon, definitely. Have you seen the man in a suit? Holy hotness, Batman! For Olivia, I’m not so sure. Maybe Jane Levy if she dyes her hair blond. She’s cute with some sass.

15. Where do you find inspiration for you writing?

Inspiration is everywhere. Music, television, movies, or eavesdropping on the two women chatting about their Saturday night in the restaurant booth next to you.

16. Do you have any hobbies or activities that you enjoy outside of writing?

I love to play golf. I don’t get to do it often because it takes a big chunk out of the day, but when I get the chance, I go. Trying to hit that little ball into a little hole makes writing seem like a piece of cake.

17. Would the 10 year-old version of yourself kick your butt or praise you for what you've accomplished in life?

I would hope that my 10 year-old version wouldn’t care one way or the other. She doesn’t need to worry about what she’s going to be or do. She just needs to enjoy the present moment so she’ll have something to write about when the times come.

Katie Lane is the USA Today bestselling author of the Deep in the Heart of Texas and Hunk for the Holiday series. Katie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and when she isn't writing, enjoys reading, going to the gym, golfing, traveling, or just snuggling next to her high school sweetheart and cairn terrier Roo.