Title: Beautiful, Fragile
Author: Michelle Montebello
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 25, 2019
Blurb
Weâd hurt each other, my soulmate and meâ¦
Faith James is found on a remote beach in the south of Spain with a head injury and no recollection of how she got there. Recovering in hospital, she is desperate to return to her twenty-five-year-old, single life in Sydney.
But Faith has lost ten years of memories and her world becomes unrecognisable.
Her husband, Will, arrives to collect her, and she is told she has three young children waiting at home in London.
So begins the emotional journey to reclaim the life she's forgotten, learn how to be a wife and mother, and mend a broken marriage. She wants to remember everythingâ¦
But are all memories worth fighting for, even the ones that hurt?
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Excerpt
âI want you to remember, Faith,â he said softly. âI want you to remember all the good times and leave out the bad ones.â
âI donât think I get to pick and choose.â
âWe both did things we werenât proud of. Things that Iâd be happy for you to forget. But if it comes back to you, I want you to know that Iâm sorry. It was my fault.â
I wanted to ask him what weâd done, what awful things weâd put each other through. But I was afraid to know. Maybe, in some ways, my memory loss was a blessing. All the bad things had been wiped clean while for Will, he had to live with them each day, had to remember every word, every hurtful action.
I leant in closer and rested my head on his chest. At first his body stiffened, then he relaxed, put his arm around me and held me close.
We laid like that for a time while something skimmed the sky high above us.
âLook a shooting star,â he said.
âThe International Space Station.â
âShow off.â
I giggled. Then he bent his head, put his lips on mine and kissed me.
Author Bio
Michelle Montebello was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and two young children.
She is the bestselling author of The Quarantine Station and the Belle Series (Interwoven, A House of Lies and Beneath the Pepper Tree). Michelle won the 2018 Best New Author category in the AusRom Today Reader's Choice Awards. She was also a finalist for Author of the Year and Interwoven was a finalist for Best Book. She has a keen passion for reading, writing and travel.
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How long would you wait for true love? Someday, Someday, an all-new standalone romance by International bestselling author Emma Scott, is LIVE! Max Kaufman was kicked out of his home as a teen and his life has been an uphill battle ever since. From addiction and living on the streets, to recovery and putting himself through nursing school, he’s spent the last ten years rebuilding his shattered sense of self. Now he’s taken a job as a private caretaker to Edward Marsh III, the president and CEO of one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Max soon learns Marsh’s multi-billion-dollar empire is a gold and diamond-encrusted web of secrets and lies. The longer Max works and lives with the Marsh family, the tighter the secrets tangle around him. And his heart—that he’s worked so hard to protect—falls straight into the hands of the distant, cold, and beautiful son of a dynasty… Silas Marsh is set to inherit the family fortune, but his father is determined his heir be the “perfect” son. Before Silas can take over the company and end its shady business practices, he must prove himself worthy…and deny his true nature. Silas must choose: stand up to his father by being true to himself and his undeniable feelings for Max. Or pretend to be someone he is not in order to inherit everything. Even if it means sacrificing a chance at happiness and real love. Download your copy today or read for free in Kindle Unlimited! Amazon US:https://amzn.to/337XYT0 Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/SomedaySomedayES Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2nUBqGt 4.5 Heart Review by AshleyEmma Scott slayed me with Someday, Someday. From the first page, I knew my heart was going to be in for it. Here's your warning, this book was heavy. Hard to swallow at times. And I found myself rubbing my chest to ease some of the ache. But it was so worth it. I loved Max. His life was challenging but he was so strong. Pulled himself up out of his darkest moments, and learned who he was. What he would and wouldn't stand for. But it was his kindness, his compassion, his tender heart that endeared him to me the most. And when a job opportunity leads his to the door of the mysterious and guarded Silas, all bets are off. I bled for Silas. He had such a good heart under all his hurt. He had been through more than most. The pain of his past haunted him daily. He couldn't escape it even in his dreams. It took a lot of patience on Max's part and a lot of soul searching on Silas' but they came to a friendship of sorts. And bubbling under all of it was this attraction, this tension that was just waiting to ignite. Between a crisis of epic proportions brewing at work, and finally letting himself feel for the first time in ages, Silas is on unsteady ground. He doesn't like it. But he sure did like Max. The push and pull. The fear of the fall out of their friendship that was so much more...it was all getting ready to implode and no one would be left unscathed. What a twisted tale of family, scheming, forgiveness and hope. Hats off to Emma Scott for tackling addiction and abuse and acceptance boldly with the grace and care those topics deserve. And in the middle of it all was a love story that made my heart soar. Both Max and Silas battled so much. Survived so much. They fought hard for their happiness, their love. Each other. And that made everything they achieved together all the much sweeter.
About Emma:Emma Scott is an internationally bestselling author whose books have been featured in Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, New York Daily News and USA Today's Happy Ever After. She writes emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and heroes with a heart of gold, you will enjoy her novels. Connect with Emma: SS buy links: https://amzn.to/2QoxQRa Amazon author link: https://amzn.to/2yUnFKJ Webpage: emmascottwrites.com Stay up to date with Emma by joining her mailing list: http://bit.ly/2nTGLf6 Facebook: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottFB Reader group: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottEntourage Bookbub: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottBB Instagram: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottIG Twitter: http://bit.ly/EmmaScottTW
Title: Man About Town
Series: Gentlemen, Inc.
Author: Thea Dawson
Genre: Contemporary Rom/Com
Release Date: November 13, 2019
□□□□
How did a working-class girl who dreams of being a writer end up with a job at one of the exclusive banks on the west coast?
Dumb luck, that's how.
I’m pretty sure that any minute now, the Powers That Be will realize I don’t belong here. Before that happens, I need to figure out how to fit in—how to look the part, dress the part, and act the part.
Fortunately, there’s Marcus.
Hiring him to be my date for the office party was easy.
Blackmailing him into helping me revamp my image is actually kind of fun.
But not falling for him?
That might be impossible.
□□□□□□
In an ill-advised moment of rebellion, I turned my back on my old job and my family’s wealth. Now I’m in Los Angeles working four part-time jobs and contemplating my life choices.
I grew up mingling with the rich and mighty, so I’m not worried when Alex hires me to impress her snooty co-workers.
And I’m only a little worried when she blackmails me into being her makeover mentor.
But when I start to fall in love with her?
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Amazon Customer "First off if you are looking for an original read and a well written story then this is the book for you." ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ Amazon Customer "A captivating read" ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ LadyM "I literally laughed out loud - like snort laughed, it was all fantastic."
The rings and rings, and I’m rehearsing what I’ll say to his voice mail when Marcus picks up.
“Good morning, Kitten.” His voice is thick with sleep. Somehow, over the weekend, I’d already forgotten how deep it is, and his baritone seems to vibrate right through to my core, distracting me with thoughts of the molded biceps and abs that go with it.
“Can’t go there,” I mutter.
“What was that?”
Shit, did I say that out loud? I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand. “I need your help, Hollingsworth,” I say in a low voice. “You’re not going to believe what’s happened to me this morning.”
“Good morning, Marcus. I’m sorry to wake you, Marcus. How was the rest of your weekend, Marcus?” he replies.
“Oh, for crying out loud, it’s nine a.m. on a Monday, Marcus. Most of us are up and running by now.” I freeze. “Wait, is the starlet of the week there?”
“The what?”
“Are you all groggy because you’ve got a woman there with you?”
“Do you honestly think I’d take a call from another woman if I had one here with me?” He actually sounds offended. “Unlike some people, I have manners,”
Okay, this conversation is getting off track. “Look, Hollingsworth, I need your help.”
“Oh, goodie.” He yawns. “Okay, Kitten. What’s up?”
“I just got asked to serve on a committee.”
“You woke me up to tell me you’re serving on a committee.” It’s not a question so much as an expression of profound resignation.
“It’s a big deal. Kind of like a promotion with more work and no extra money.”
“Sounds like just what you need. Maybe it’ll keep you out of trouble.”
“What I need is your help. You’re good at stuff like this. Plus, Logan was flirting with me. For real. I think. I need you to tell me what to do.”
“The only part of this conversation I understand is that you need my help with something, so let me ask you: what are you going to do for me in return?”
I bite my lip. I’d been kind of hoping he’d just help me because he’s nice, but that may be asking too much. “Um … not turn you in to Cassandra?”
“That one doesn’t work anymore. You turn me in, she slaps you with a five-hundred-dollar fine,” he points out evenly. “And you definitely don’t get my help. What else have you got?”
I rack my brains trying to think what I can offer him, but short of hard, cold cash, I can’t think of anything. And I’m running low on cash. “Oh crap, I don’t know, Hollingsworth. Are you going to make me beg?” This is followed by a long silence. “Are you still there?”
“Mm …” His voice sounds thick now with something besides sleep. “Just picturing you on your knees in front of me.”
Thea Dawson is a world traveler, vegetarian, salsa dancer, film fanatic, and lover of happy endings. In an alternate steampunk universe, she travels by dirigible and gets in sword fights with dashing villains.
In this one, she lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband/salsa partner, three antic children, and an agenda-driven cat. She writes at the intersection of smart, sweet and steamy; her goal with every book is to melt your heart and brighten your day.
A stoic force to be reckoned with. The steady rock on which England is destined to lean. Everyone’s reliable mate, at the ready to defend when called upon. To the world, Vance Morley is the next great keeper for the Rogue Football Club, biding his time at the academy. The definition of tall, dark and handsome, his quiet confidence and mysterious persona only draw the public in. He’s their mighty anchor, both on and off the pitch. But when it comes to the one woman he claims to love, he conveniently vanishes at the exact moment I need him. The first time I saw Vance, he was a ten-year-old standing on his lawn across the street. The first time he kissed me, we were sixteen and sitting on the very shores we grew up on. We crashed into each other like waves in a storm, fated to destroy everything in our paths. Including each other. The first time Vance saw our son, by serendipitous accident, my little boy had already lived the first year of his life. And instantly, the man who chose football over me wants to have it all. There is no way I can trust his declarations of love and fatherhood, especially when I’m set to marry another man. We’re a new game, one to occupy him until the world stage beckons. But the more I try to tell myself he’s not the one, the more Vance’s efforts to win us back increase. How can I guard my heart against seeing my son with his father? Can Vance really sacrifice his dreams in the name of love and family? Is there a way that everyone else’s safe harbor can finally become mine too? Read The Mighty Anchor now! mybook.to/TheMightyAnchor About the Author Author of romance novels such as The Tenth Girl and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the love stories of her imagination, and the athleisure dress code, much better.
When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, daughter and Lab/Great Dane rescue. AUTHOR LINKS Website: authorcarrieaarons.com Newsletter: bit.ly/2LzzxXA Amazon: amzn.to/2Pn3XkR Facebook: facebook.com/carrieaarons Reader Group: bit.ly/2DDt1xX Instagram: instagram.com/authorcarriea Twitter: twitter.com/authorcarriea BookBub: bookbub.com/profile/carrie-aarons Goodreads: goodreads.com/carrieaarons ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
Title: BLINDSIDED
Author: Amy Daws
Genre: Sports Romance
Release Date: November 21, 2019
Cover Designer: Amy Daws ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ What happens when an almost thirty-year-old virgin agrees to let her Scottish footballer best friend give her some lessons in seduction?Lots of banter, awkwardness, jealousy, and heat. Midfielder Maclay “Mac” Logan is a loud-mouthed, tattooed ginger content with focusing on football. But when an adorably-freckled seamstress comes barreling into his life, he finds Netflix-And-Bickering with her to be his new favorite pastime. Freya Cook is used to being the invisible woman with a needle and thread, offering cheeky punchlines as she helps dress London’s finest. She’s plus-sized in body and spirit, and other than her friendship with Mac, talking to the opposite sex is one skill she never mastered. However, after one innocent game of Never Have I Ever, Mac offers to play Love Coach for Freya. What neither of them see coming are the feelings that develop when the clothes come off. Now they’re both about to learn the biggest lesson of all: Don't fall in love with your best friend.
4 Heart Review by AshleyFull of humor and family and football, Blindsided is the type of rom-com I love to get lost in. And dare I say it? Freya may just be my favorite Amy Daws heroine. There was something so charming and endearing about Freya. She was confident yet vulnerable. Bold yet shy. And I know that sounds contradictory but her personality was so much of that. I loved that she was unapologetically herself. Especially around Mac. Her best friend. Goodness me, Mac! He may've been a big footballer but he had a tender heart under all those tattoos and that wild mop of hair. But I think my favorite thing about him was how her tried to get Freya to see herself through his eyes. To stop with the negativity and embrace all the awesomeness that is her. When Mac learns of Freya's "issue" he sets about to help his best mate out of her predicament. What he didn't plan on was caching feelings. And when his world is rocked again, he's torn between following his heart or fulfilling a lifelong dream. My heart just ached for the situation Mac found himself in. No matter what, choice he made, there would be wreckage left in its wake. This friends to lovers romance had me laughing as hard as I was swooning. The banter, the pets, the friendships (yes, there is more than one Harris and Roan sighting), The Sex. From start to finish, Amy Daws had me hanging on every word. And that ending...it was bloody perfect.
I wake the next morning to a rough tongue touching my nipple. A smile spreads across my face as I open my eyes and expect to find Freya. My face falls when I see it’s her fucking demon of a cat laving at my pec like it’s going to produce milk at any moment.
“Fuck off, you wee bastard!” I bellow and shove the animal off my chest. Hercules takes off down the hallway, and a snort echoes in the room. I turn my gaze to find Freya perched on a chair in the corner of her bedroom. She’s dressed in a long nightshirt, her red hair a wild mess of curls, and her makeup smudged like she was properly fucked last night. And she looks positively entertained. “Did you just sit there and watch your cat violate me?” I croak, sitting up and rubbing my tender nipple. She giggles and steadies herself so as not to spill the two cups of coffee in her hands. “I came in to bring you a coffee, but Hercules looked like he was warming up to you, so I just sat down here to not interrupt. I had no idea he was going to lick your tit.” She bursts out laughing all over again. “You and I are in a fight then,” I reply gruffly, propping myself up on the headboard of her bed. “That was disturbing.” She nods, her face still tormented with poorly concealed laughter. “For us all.”
Check out Amy's Facebook page for an awesome paperback giveaway! ⚽ ⚽ ⚽ Amy Daws is an Amazon Top 25 bestselling author of sexy, contemporary romance novels. She enjoys writing love stories that take place in America, as well as across the pond in England. When Amy is not writing in a tire shop waiting room, she's watching Gilmore Girls, or singing karaoke in the living room with her daughter while Daddy smiles awkwardly from a distance. For more of Amy's work, visit: http://www.amydawsauthor.com
⚽ ⚽ ⚽ Dangerous Game
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: The fight was almost done. Dominic’s fighter didn’t have a single drop of blood on him. All it took was a couple more punches and the Salvatore fighter was on the mat, his face a swollen, bloody mess. Sam hooted and hollered in celebration, prodding me to celebrate with him. “Come on, Faith. Your team just won.” If only I’d known I had a team. I stood with him and clapped along with everyone in the crowd. Marco handed out the stacks of money to those who made the right bets, and once that was done, he took the largest amount of cash over to Dominic and handed it over. I’d never seen that much money before. “This seriously can’t be legal,” Sam said, gazing around in awe. “That doesn’t bother you?” I countered. If he only knew the things I did. Judging by the look on his face, it didn’t. “Not at all,” he said, shaking his head. He was starstruck. The room was filled with some of the richest people in New York City. With the right connections, his brewery could skyrocket. It was scary how money could blind you. Tons of people walked up to Dominic to congratulate him and he met them all with a smile on his face. There were even a couple of women who tried to rub up on him and he moved away without giving them a second notice. Deep down it gave me a level of satisfaction to see that, but it still didn’t change the fact that he kept a huge secret from me. “Why are you standing over here and not with Dominic?” Sam asked, nodding over at Dominic. I met his gaze and when I didn’t answer, he sucked in a breath. “Oh my God, you didn’t know about all of this, did you?” I shook my head. “Dominic failed to mention it.” His eyes widened. “What the hell? I’m so sorry. Do we need to go?” “Probably. I don’t want him knowing I’m here.” A part of me wanted to go right up to Dominic so he’d know I was there, but the other wanted to test him, to see if he’d ever tell me the truth. However, it didn’t look like I’d get to do either of those things. You know how in the movies there would be a crowded room and the two lovers were destined to make eye contact? That was exactly what happened. Dominic found me from across the room and froze. My heart stopped and everything around me ceased to exist. There was no sound, only the pounding of my pulse in my ears. Sam grabbed my arm. “Faith! What do we do?” The spell had broken, and I sucked in a breath. By now, Reed had seen me and both him and Dominic tried to get through the crowd. It wasn’t the right time or place to confront him. I squeezed Sam’s arm. “You can stay here, but I have to go. Thank you for tonight.” Turning on my heel, I hurried toward the door, but I didn’t get far before someone stepped in my way. “I should’ve known you’d find your way down here.” Dominic and Reed still hadn’t managed to get through all the people, but I was running out of time. I looked up at Isaiah who had a smug grin on his face. “Yeah, well, I’m resourceful like that.” I tried to step past him, but he blocked me again. “Seriously, Isaiah, you need to get out of my way.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re not thinking of running off, are you?” I wasn’t the type to run away from anything. I faced my problems head on. Huffing, I pursed my lips. “Actually, I want to go to my room. In a matter of minutes, Dominic will be pushing through that swarm of people,” I said, pointing at the mob behind me. “And when he does, I don’t want to be here. He can find me upstairs.” Isaiah’s gaze narrowed, but then he nodded. “Okay. I’ll make sure you get up there.” In other words, he probably didn’t believe me and had to make sure I didn’t try to run away. Instead of going to the door I came in, Isaiah led me to a red door at the far end of the room. Once we made it through, there was a long hallway and a set of elevators. Things were about to change. I could feel it.
GIVEAWAY!
Title: Wordless
Author: Sabrina Stark
Genre: NA Romance
Release Date: November 23, 2019
Blurb
Sparks fly between a plucky intern and her billionaire boss in this new standalone from a USA TODAY bestseller.
For someone so famous, he sure has a lot of secrets. He's Jack Ward, my billionaire boss, at least for the summer while I support his national book tour. But the funny thing is, the tour doesn't make much sense. The odd cities, the late-night excursions, the secrets simmering between us â they're all making me a little crazy, especially when he gives me one of those looks. You know the kind.
He's up to something. I just know it. And I'd love to find out what. There's just one tiny problem. With his movie star looks and devious mind, he's distracting me to no end. And just maybe, I'm distracting him, too.
But the worst thing? I'm pretty sure I like it.
***Wordless is a fun, full-length standalone romance with a guaranteed happily-ever-after!***
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
Chapter One
For someone I'd known less than four hours, he sure was bossy.
"Pack your stuff," he said. "We're leaving."
I stared up at him. "We?"
His hair was thick and blond, and his eyes were so blue, they made the ocean look dingy in comparison. "Well you're not going alone," he said.
I struggled for a reply and came up empty. Honestly, what was I supposed to say? The guy in front of me wasn't just a new acquaintance. He was also Jack Ward â my favorite author, a total hottie, and a billionaire several times over.
Unfortunately, he was also just a little bit scary. Ask my roommate. He'll tell you â well, unless he's already escaped through his bedroom window, that is.
I glanced around the condo where I'd been living for the past two weeks. To say the arrangement had gone to crap would be giving crap a bad name.
Turns out, my roommate was a druggie and a dude. On top of that, he wasn't terrific at keeping his horse in the barn, if you know what I mean.
Until just five days ago, I'd never even met the guy, much less realized that "Nicky" wasn't short for Nicole, but rather Nicholas. But in my own defense, the gal who'd rented me the place had neglected to mention this little detail, along with a whole bunch of other stuff â on purpose, no doubt.
And me? Like a total sucker, I'd actually trusted her.
Now I didn't know who to trust. I bit my lip. If only my sister were here.
Jack's voice interrupted my thoughts. "If you need boxes, let me know. I'll have some delivered."
I blinked. It was nearly ten o'clock on a Sunday night. This was a small town. Nothing was open. I shook my head. And was box delivery seriously a thing?
Not in my world, it wasn't.Then again, I wasn't a billionaire. In fact, my bank balance was dangerously close to zero.
I just had to ask, "Who'd do that?"
"Do what?" Jack said.
"Deliver boxes. I mean, nothing's open."
He gave me a look. "Do you need them or not?"
"No," I admitted.
"Good," he said. "Then get packing."
I didn't appreciate his tone. "Don't you think that's kind of bossy? I mean, I never said for sure that I'm moving."
His jaw tightened. "Well you're not staying here. I can tell you that."
Yup, he was definitely bossy.I wanted to argue. But I couldnât. And why?
It was because he was right.
I couldn't stay. Not anymore. But I'd known that already.
Stalling for time, I glanced around the condo. The place was surprisingly nice. It had come pre-furnished, too, which meant that nearly nothing was mine.
Sure, I had some clothes in the bedroom along with my notebook computer and a few essentials. But the sad truth was, I could probably cram everything I owned into my cheap compact car.
No boxes needed.
Still, I shoved a hand through my hair and tried to think. Leaving sounded easy enough, but where would I go?
A hotel?
As if I had the money.
My sister's place?
That would've been the plan, if only she were in town.
I was still running through my options when Jack said, "Becka."
I jumped at the sound of my name. "What?"
"You're not packing."
"I know, because I'm thinking."
"So do both," he said.
I sighed. On this, he was right, too. After all, it would take me at least a half-hour to gather up my stuff. Surely by then, I'd know where I was going.
But for now, I was simply going crazy.
Some of this was Jack's fault. Not only had he just assaulted my scuzz-bucket of a roommate, he was distracting the heck out of me.
Some people go for movie stars. Or rock stars. Or hell, even reality TV stars. But me? I'd had my nose crammed in one book or another for as long as I could recall. Some of those books were better than others.
But seven years ago at the ripe old age of seventeen, I'd fallen head-over-heels in love â with his books, sprawling medieval tales that were beyond brutal, and yet sometimes so beautiful they almost made me cry.
It was totally insane. Jack was only a few years older than I was. In fact, he'd just turned thirty-one last month. And how did I know this?
I'd read it on the internet, of course.
Now, he was glowering down at me like I was a bratty kid refusing to clean my room.
I wasn't bratty. I was just confused.
Hell, I'd been confused ever since showing up on my sister's doorstep four hours ago, only to encounter someone who definitely didn't belong.
And that was putting it mildly.
Author Bio
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Sabrina Stark writes fun contemporary romances featuring plucky girls and the bad boys who capture their hearts. She's worked as a fortune-teller, barista, science writer and alas, jobs that required a hairnet. She has a journalism degree from Central Michigan University and is married with one son and a bunch of very spoiled kittens. She currently makes her home in Northern Alabama.
Author Links
Alee
-- EXCERPT: Funeral food is like every other party food. Pinwheel sandwiches, mini-meatballs in a brown sauce, wilted salad, and an assortment of cheese and crackers. Laine plucks a cucumber from the tray. He dips it in ranch then shoves it in his mouth with an inappropriately timed sexy smile. “Bryn hates baby carrots. She said there was something unnatural about them.” “Toss them.” Laine points to the trash receptacle. “She’s right, they look like fat little baby fingers.” He inspects a dried out digit shaped carrot. I pick up the tray and carry it to the trash. “This is for Bryn.” The carrots make a raucous as they spill into the bin. A few people glance my way, not for long. Too much eye contact and they’ll have to acknowledge me, speak me, console me. Laine tosses his carrot in from a few feet away. “Bryn for the win.” He holds pose a few seconds the way Steph Curry does when he hits a three. We return to the buffet where Frances is speaking to Bryn’s English teacher. She was an honor student so we never had classes together. “Bryn was smart,” I tell Laine because he’s the only one here who will listen. “She had a 4.0 for, like, ever.” I remember watching her study, wondering where all that information went. She was like a sponge, absorbing everything around her. Bryn immersed herself in life. She was always moving, always busy with practice of some kind, volunteering, studying, me. I was a project too. She tried like hell to get me involved, get me out of my shell. My spirit animal is a crab; shells are my thing. Laine and I move to the stage on the other side of the room. A bunch of unattended kids run back and forth squealing like baby pigs. Laine knows a couple of them. They jump on him as soon as he sits down and beg for piggyback rides. He obliges. Laine is a nice guy. I like Laine. That’s probably why I fucked him. “Are any of these yours?” It’s a joke, but you never know. “That one kind of has your eyes.” I point to the little girl clinging to his back. He gently lets her down and she runs off. “I volunteer at an after-school program at the rec. At first, it was just something to add to my college applications, but I liked it so I stayed.” “You really are a good guy, aren’t you?” “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” “I owe you an apology, for that day. For sucking you into my shit show. You didn’t deserve that.” His shoulder leans into mine. “No apology necessary. Honestly, I could tell you and Benny weren’t gonna make it.” Laine is Benny’s best friend, he knows all about Benny’s side chicks. Maybe that’s why he did it. I wonder if Bryn knew it too.
GIVEAWAY! Traceless
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play -- EXCERPT: I pull her into my arms on impulse, her small sound of pain as her eyebrow brushes against my shoulder making me let go. “Sorry.” “No. It’s okay. I like being close to you.” “You do?” “Yes.” We breathe into each other, mouths a few inches apart, her features blurring. An edge lives inside me, vibrant and real, relocating wherever it’s needed. It divides me, making me know the difference between baseline calm and danger. I want to live in baseline with her. I want to live with her. Not co-exist. Live. She turns, somber and achingly present. “We can’t keep doing this.” “Doing what?” “Not talking about this.” Instead of asking her what she means, I slide my hands to her waist, palms greedy at her curves. She’s taut and fit, with more muscle than I can see. My hands find it, memorize it. Want it. “Let’s talk, then.” “We’re breaking every rule.” Her eyes flit to the jammer bar on my wrist again. “Once you’ve mastered the rules, you know when you have to break them.” “We were never taught that.”
GIVEAWAY! Pinky Promises
-- EXCERPT: She bent over. Again. And I stared. Again. And possibly drooled. What the hell was wrong with me? I’d been dating my girlfriend for ten years and never once thought of another girl in a totally inappropriate and downright lusty way. Plus, I was her damn landlord. There had to be some kind of weird power thing making my dirty mind even worse. When the hell had I turned into Creepy McGoogly-Eyes? I shook my head like a confused dog and headed through my glass door into the open kitchen. “Chicken okay for you?” I asked over my shoulder. That was the other thing. Why had I asked her to dinner? Maybe it was because I couldn’t figure her out. New York sass one minute and stupefaction the next. Yeah, that was it. Not her bendy little butt, coal-black hair or insanely charming accent. “Chicken is perfect. Thank you so much for your hospitality; I really didn’t expect it.” Leyla’s soft smile revealed a small dimple in her chin. She tapped the counter a couple of times and surveyed the room before meeting me at the fridge. “What can I do to help?” Damn, she was short. She didn’t even have to hunch down to look in at the shelves. And I didn’t fail to notice her offer. Whenever Holly came over, which was most nights when she wasn’t traveling for work, she would find excuse after excuse not to chip in. Either she’d just gotten her nails done or was too tired or would just blink and say, “I do love it when you spoil me, babe. You don’t mind if I chill, work was a bitch.” It had just seemed like something I’d accepted in our relationship. I’d often wondered how much she would do if we ever had kids. And if I was honest, it was one of the things holding me back from buying a ring. “Give me something to chop.” Leyla held open her hands. “Or I can just rummage around and make a salad out of whatever I find.” I pulled out the marinated chicken breast from the bottom drawer and met her olive eyes on the way back to standing. “Go for it. There’s a head of lettuce and vegetables in the second drawer. You want a beer?” “You trying to get me drunk?” A small, sarcastic snarl wrinkled her face. I yanked my head back, and she cringed. “Fuck. I’m sorry. Oh, Christ, now I said fuck. And Christ. I’m so sorry.” Rapid blinks were followed by one long one and a sharp exhale from her nose. “I think I have a little bit of fish-out-of-water syndrome. I’m sorry if I offended you with my language or implied…” She really was quite the little pickle. I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is that a yes or a no?” “Maybe it will help me stop committing social faux pas. A beer would be great, thanks.” Leyla pulled out two red peppers and an onion and set them on the counter. I stepped out of the doorway, opened the cooler, grabbed a longneck, and wiped the ice water it dripped onto a nearby dish towel. A quick hiss escaped the bottle as I twisted the cap and brought it back to the kitchen. I slid the beer across the counter, where Leyla was already busy chopping vegetables. “Just for the record, I don’t consider the swearing a problem. The gawker comment, yes,” I deadpanned. Her face fell as she reached for the beer. The bottle hovered below her lips and her eyes went wide. “I—” “Relax. I’m fucking with you.” And dear God, it was more fun than I’d had in a long time. She was easier to wind up than a toy from the dollar store. She set the beer down and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed, but a glimmer of something, maybe mischief, betrayed what she probably wanted to read as anger. “You were kinda staring at my ass.” Her ass was kinda staring back as far as I was concerned, sending all kinds of voodoo messages that had somehow convinced me to check it out every chance I got. But no way was I confessing to that. “Sorry. But no. I told you. I was just trying to figure out how you’d made yourself into a human pretzel.” Human pretzel in ridiculously revealing shorts. Her slightly pouty lips plumped out and Leyla rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Mr. My Girlfriend is in Vegas.” She turned back to the vegetables, took a swig of the beer, and went back to work.
GIVEAWAY! |