Release Blitz + Review + Excerpt :: Being Brooke :: Emma Hart

     

My name is Brooke Barker…

And I’m a freaking disaster.

No, seriously. I’m a college drop-out working a dead-end job, my best friend Carly’s dog gets more action than I do, and I have more bad dates in my diary than there are movie remakes.

Not to mention I’m completely and utterly in love with Cain Elliott.

The problem? He’s in a relationship. With a girl who’s so plastic she makes Barbie cry herself to sleep with jealousy.

The second problem? He’s my best friend.

My shut-up-and-put-harry-potter, yes-this-is-your-shirt, help-I-have-no-power, crap-I’m-out-of-tampon, kinda best friend.

And that’s all he can be, right?

Right.

Being Brooke is a standalone romantic comedy. Hilarious, super-sexy, and possibly highly inappropriate at times, this is the perfect feel-good read!

iBOOKS / B&N

Amazon:

US: http://amzn.to/2huJIjL
UK: http://amzn.to/2hocLTt
AU: http://bit.ly/BeingBrookeAU 

CA: http://bit.ly/BeingBrookeCA​

Captain's Log :: Review

This book was hilarious and such a fun, quick read for me. I loved the trope here and have always been a big fan of Emma's work. Emma's writing is spot-on. Brooke completely lacks a filter and even though she ends up in murky waters often because of it, it's so real and easy to connect with.

This story had a fantastic plot and I loved the direction it took. But I'm not spoiling it for you! GO ONE CLICK THIS ONE!

Falling for her best friend wasn't something Brooke planned on - it just happened that way. The shenanigans that Brooke goes through in order to separate herself from Cain and endure their friendship led to some of the funniest things I've read in a while.

This book is so different for Emma Hart, but it was also so very her. The writing and the characters that you connect with are quintessential Emma Hart.

 

Excerpt:

  Cain’s phone begins to buzz on the table. The screen lights up, and the short name on the screen makes me have to fight a frown. I know it’s Nina. It always is. It’s like she has a Brooke-dar. She can sense whenever Cain and I are alone and hanging out. My heart sinks, slowly but heavily, and I school my expression into one of not caring. I refuse to look away from the TV now. Cain hands me his pizza box, which I take, begrudgingly, then he leans forward and grabs his phone. He waits for the buzzing to stop, then unlocks it and turns it off vibrate. Then? Then he shoves it under the table, screen down. Ho. Lee. Shit. I gape at him. I can’t help it. A piece of pepperoni drops off the slice of pizza in my hand—the same one that’s frozen halfway to my mouth as I stare at him in total disbelief. Did he really just do it? “What?” Cain shrugs and takes his box back, grabbing a piece of half-eaten, meaty pizza and shoving the end in his mouth. The crust crunches as he bites down. I swallow and glance at the coffee table. “I don’t think you’ve ever not taken a call from her.” I can’t help the derogatory way I say ’her’. It’s not intentional—honest. It’s ingrained in me to be vicious to other women. I think it’s a female thing. Self-preservation and all that. “I don’t think I ever haven’t either.” Cain tilts his head to the side and meets my gaze, a suspicious glint in his green eyes. “But the point is, we haven’t done this in weeks, and I’m having too much fun to leave. Besides, we have all this junk food. If I don’t help you eat it, you’ll eat it all, then it’ll be my fault when your pants don’t fit.” Oh my god. “Does she know you’re here?” I smirk slyly and raise my eyebrows. He shifts uncomfortably. With a cough, he puts his pizza down and grabs his beer bottle to swig from it. Oh. My. Shitty. Life. “She doesn’t, does she?” I sit up straight, throwing my half-slice back into my box and shoving his shoulder. “Cain!” “No,” he mumbles, scratching the back of his ear. “She doesn’t know.” I laugh. I can’t help it. It’s totally immature of me to delight in the fact he hasn’t told the Prissy Princess where is he and he’s ignoring her calls, but I do. It’s hilarious. And, okay. I’m smug. Totally smug. There’s only one reason he hasn’t told her, and that’s because she hates me too. Bitchy Best Friend Mission: Level Up! “And tell me.” I snicker, just about holding back the volcano of laughter threatening to erupt. “Where does Nina think you are?” “She thinks I’m at Mom’s.” He looks at me, his lips flattening into a thin line. “Stop laughing, B. No, don’t shake your damn head. I fucking mean it. She’s a little insecure over my friendship with you and Carly, that’s all. Sometimes it’s easier to just tell a... little white lie.” “A little white lie? She thinks you’re at your mom’s!” I laugh harder and wipe at my eyes because they feel a little too wet. “I just want the best of both worlds right now, all right?” “What is the best of both worlds? Pizza with me and blow jobs from her?” “She chooses not to eat gluten. Until she finds a gluten-free recipe she likes, I can’t eat pizza when she’s around.” Which is a lot. I raise my eyebrows again. “Your girlfriend won’t eat gluten but she’ll happily put your dick in her mouth?” “Brooke. Don’t be a bitch.” He chucks a piece of chicken from his pizza at me, his eyes narrowing. I’m dying. I think this is it—this is how I die, laughing at Cain’s lame excuses for lying to his girlfriend about spending time with me. “Oh my fuck. This is hilarious. Seriously. Someone call Comedy Central.” “Brooke.” He says my name again, this time quieter. I stop laughing. Just about. “I’m sorry. I just think it’s funny. You want me to be nice to her but you lie to her about spending time with me.” I shrug a shoulder and peel a piece of pepperoni off my pizza. I’m not even that hungry anymore. He sighs, putting the top down on his box, and sits back. “She thinks there’s something going on between us.” I laugh even harder because I might cry if I don’t. Hi, breaking heart. Grab the tissues, yo. There’s an awkward silence hanging between us now. It’s not the first time someone has thought that, but given that the more time I spend with Cain, the more I seem to fall for him, it’s awkward. Especially since he’s lying to her just to hang out with me. I clear my throat and look up at him. “That’s ridiculous. You’re my best friend. Like anything would ever happen between us. I can’t put up with your shit taste in music, for a start.” “Exactly,” he replies in a quieter voice, scratching behind his ear again. “It’s fucking stupid. I can’t stand your taste in music either. Who the fuck likes Justin Bieber?” “People who think Kanye West should retire.”  

By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies—usually wine—and writes books.

Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.

She likes to be busy—unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.

SIGN UP FOR ALL NEW RELEASE INFO!

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Cover Reveal :: Hollywood Prince :: Kim Karr

Hollywood Prince by Kim Karr

Release Date: January 2, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover designer: Michele Catalano-Creative

Model: Andrew Biernat

Photographer: WANDER AGUIAR :: PHOTOGRAPHY

Synopsis:

Brooklyn James should know better.

Born into Hollywood royalty, the brooding prince has a reputation as being a player. A manwhore. A womanizer.

Adoring fans are his thing.

His best friend’s little sister is not.

Even thinking about her the way he is isn’t cool.

Not cool at all.

And yet every time she pouts those sexy lips at him, she turns him inside out. Makes him harder than he’s ever been. Drives him to the brink of insanity.

Amelia Waters has always idolized her big brother, and the last thing she wants to do is disappoint him.

Falling for her brother’s ex-roommate is off-limits.

She knows this, but she can’t help herself.

The way Brooklyn looks at her with those smoldering blue eyes makes her wet in an instant. Turns her into a shivering, shaking mess of sexual frustration. And soon the idea of spreading her legs for him is the only thing she can think about.

She wants him.

He wants her.

When they finally decide to give in to their insane attraction, they agree it will remain between them. That their illicit affair will be short-term. No strings. No baggage. No messy ending.

But when the first night of mind-blowing sex leads to another, and another still, how long can the endless hookups go on before Amelia’s brother finds out? Or worse yet, before feelings develop?

Brooklyn and Amelia know they need to walk away from each other before either of those things happens.

The problem is doing it.

Talk about a mess.

Hollywood Prince is a sexy, standalone, contemporary romance about a bad boy and the off-limits girl who steals his heart.

Add to Goodreads:  

https:http://bit.ly/2fLQLnI

Pre-Order Links:

iBooks: http://bit.ly/AppleHollywoodPrince

Kobo: http://bit.ly/KoboHollywoodPrince

About the Author:

Reader * Writer * Coffeelover * Romantic

Kim is a daydreamer. So much so that if daydreaming could be a hobby it would be her favorite. It's how her stories are born and how they take root. An imagination that runs wild is something to be thankful for, and she is very thankful. :)

She grew up in New York and now lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She's always had a love for reading books and writing. Being an English major in college, she wanted to teach at the college level but that was not to be. She went on to receive an MBA and became a project manager until quitting to raise her family. Kim currently works part-time with her husband and with the rest of her time embraces one of her biggest passions--writing.

Kim wears a lot of hats! Writer, book-lover, wife, soccer-mom, taxi driver, and the all around go-to person of her family. However, she always finds time to read.

She likes to believe in soul mates, kindred spirits, true friends, and Happily-Ever-Afters. She loves to drink champagne, listen to music, and hopes to always stay young at heart.

Connect with the Author:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/1ZV7YbJ

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimKarr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorkimkarr

Website: https://www.authorkimkarr.com

Release Blitz + Excerpt :: The First Touch of Sunlight :: Len Webster

Title: The First Touch of Sunlight

Author: Len Webster

Genre: A Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: December 13, 2016

Blurb

My Josh. His Beth. Someone else’s Meredith.

Destined to fall apart before their lips have even touched, Samuel Michaels and Meredith Driessen have seven years of almosts between them.

Seven years ago, a night by the river would bind them together. Seven years ago, Sam’s entire world blew up before his eyes.

His only saviour …

Meredith.

She saved his life, exposing him to what it could be like to be with her. But that wasn’t Life’s plan. Because deep down, his secrets will destroy their lives and separate them. His secrets will break both their hearts until the day he finds her standing on the edge of the train platform, completely lost.

He did this to her.

And Sam knows that if he doesn’t go to her, he’ll lose her forever.

Will seven years be enough to mend their scars? Or will the secrets they both keep deny them once more?

One thing is certain …

 You may never know tomorrow’s sunlight if you’re drowning in yesterday’s storm.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

B&N / KOBO / iBOOKS

Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

 SAM

 Seven years ago

It’s my fault.

It’s always my fault.

Samuel Michaels picked up the bottle of Jack Daniel’s from the passenger seat. It was lighter than before he got in the car. His mother wouldn’t be happy. Disappointed wouldn’t even come close. She couldn’t look him in the eye. Not after what had happened.

Because of Beth.

Because of what they had done.

They destroyed what they knew.

They destroyed how they lived.

Their lives would now change.

He uncapped the bottle of whiskey and brought it to his lips. He paused and stared out at the river. It had started raining almost ten minutes ago, and in those ten minutes, his phone had rung a handful of times. Looking out the windshield, he was thankful the moonlight aided in his view of the river. Sam could just make out the raging waves. A sigh had left his lips before he threw back the alcohol and felt the burning on its way down his throat. Whiskey had never been his drink. The way the liquor scorched waves in his stomach was one he hated, but for Sam, he needed strong. He didn’t want weak beer.

He wanted to be numb.

To forget.

The ringing of his phone had him returning the bottle back to the seat next to him and picking it up. He saw Phillip Hall’s name flash on the screen—no doubt, his mother had called his best friend. Sam declined the call and threw his phone next to the empty bottle. It’d been over an hour since he’d run out of his house to his car. He drove to the bottle shop and then to the riverbank. It was too dark for anyone to notice his car, not unless they came close.

Sam curled his fingers tightly around the leather-wrapped steering wheel and let his forehead rest on it. He wouldn’t cry. He promised himself he wouldn’t. But the flash of Beth’s trembling lip had him sobbing. It had been a mistake. She had said that months ago, and now, that same mistake had caught up to them.

The alcohol had finally kicked in, and he no longer felt. Instead, he relished the numbness consumed by his body. He smiled and then belted out a heavy laugh.

“What the fuck has she done?” He leant back into the driver’s seat, and his hand searched the door for the handle.

The moment he found it, he opened the door and fell out of his Jeep, landing on his hands and knees. Sam ran his palms through the wet grass and rolled onto his back, laughing. Once he was able to get back on his feet, Sam lifted his arms up and down as if he were flying and stomped towards the riverbank. He let his feet sink, even squishing his shoes into the sloshy mud. He laughed like a child, continuing to march in the dark night.

When he had reached the edge of the bank, he watched the water rush past him. With the moonlight beaming from above, he was just able to see the river current drowning a log.

“I want to be that log,” Sam said as he bent down and unfastened his shoes. He removed them and placed them on the wet ground. Moisture seeped through his socks and hit his skin, causing his toes to wiggle.

“Sam?”

“Can’t save me,” he said to the sweet and gentle voice. “I need to be the log… I need to die.” He closed his eyes and leant forward, intending to fall into the cold water and never resurface. To be free.

The impact of the water had him opening his eyes. The current was strong, trying to force him under. His instincts had him fighting against what he had wished for. Water rushed into his mouth, and he swallowed it for air, choking him. His arms fought against the strength of the river.

“Dutch, stay!” the voice commanded.

Sam turned his head to see her. She was on her stomach, reaching for his hand. His heart had drowned at the sight of her. The look of determination on her face was one he could not miss. Sam paddled—not to reach her but to get away from her.

To die quickly.

“Sam!” she screamed and reached out further, almost falling in. I can’t let her die.

The sight of her instantly sobered him. Not her.

Sam pulled his hand up from the water in time for her to take hold of it. He kicked his legs to get closer to the bank and to stop her from falling in. When he was close enough, she had tried to pull him out of the water, but Sam had fought her. He just wanted her to fall back on the ground.

“Stop fighting me!” she demanded loudly, tugging on his hand.

A wave hit him, dragging him under and pulling her entire arm into the water. It was a miracle he hadn’t dragged her with him. He broke through the surface, and his eyes met hers. It was too dark to see the colour, but he already knew they were a bright blue. Not dark enough to resemble the ocean, but not light like crystal clear water. The colour was somewhere between.

Sam coughed, trying to breathe in air. “My life isn’t worth much. Let me go, Meredith.” Can’t let her die.

Not her.

She gripped his hand tighter, as if she knew he was moments away from letting the current take him.

Meredith blinked once, and the fear in her eyes left her. The determination had returned along with her tears.

Meredith Driessen was crying.

Because of him.

Because she thought he was about to die.

“Your life is important to me, Sam. The moment you give up, I’m following you,” Meredith said. Don’t save me, Meredith.

His heart squeezed in a way it had never done before. He held Meredith’s hand tighter, his lifeline.

“You’d …” Don’t let me live a life where I want you.

Meredith nodded. “Yes, Sam, I would. I wouldn’t hesitate.” Don’t let me love you.

She wrapped her other hand around his arm and gave him a small smile. “Let me save you, Sam.”

Let me drown, Meredith.

Author Bio

Len Webster is a romance-loving Melburnian with dreams of finding her version of ‘The One.’ But until that moment happens, she writes. Having just graduated with her BBusCom from Monash University, Len is now busy writing her next romance about how a boy met a girl, and how they fell completely and hopelessly in love.

 She is also not a certified explorer, but she’s working on it.

Author Links

FACEBOOK

WEBSITE

TWITTER

GOODREADS

AMAZON

INSTAGRAM

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Blitz + Review :: Yours to Bare :: Jessica Hawkins

Yours To Bare by Jessica Hawkins

Released: December 8, 2016

Synopsis

Finn

No matter how cruel it’s been in the past, I’ve never been able to flip fate the bird. I’m a romantic at heart. So when fate drops a leather-bound journal at my feet, I know I should walk away.

I don't. I pick her up, bend her spine, spread her pages. From the first word, I’m a goner. The owner didn’t give me access to her most intimate desires, but I devour them anyway. Her private darkness, her candid, explicit poetry—it all goes down like warm milk. And from that point forward, I drink, eat, and sleep her.

Halston

I went to his apartment and let him take my picture. Just once, to see how it would feel. I’m not his to look at, to inspire, to touch, but when he watches me through his lens, it gives me a high I don’t want to come down from…

My journal is the one place I can be myself—as long as I can tie it up and put it away when I’m finished. But when Finn undoes the bow, he pulls strings that could unravel each of us.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US

Amazon CA

Amazon UK

Captain's Log :: Review

          I had really wanted to love this book. I felt pretty meh about Slip of the Tongue but had a serious crush on Finn.

At the end of this book, I determined that I still have a crush on Finn. He's charming, soft when you need him to be and rough when you need him to be. He's romantic and even though he's been hurt, he still believes in "The One" and fate.

I have also determined that no woman will ever be good enough for him.

And I'll leave it at that. ;)

This book was a great follow-up for those that wanted Finn's story. You DO NOT NEED TO READ Slip of the Tongue in order to 'get' or appreciate this book.

For more on Yours To Bare click here

Connect with Jessica Hawkins

Website → http://www.jessicahawkins.net

Amazon Author Page ➜ amzn.to/1aFhenW

Mailing List ➜ goo.gl/WMAk6

Twitter→http://twitter.com/jess_hawk

Blog Tour :: The Hard Way :: Katie Ashley

Sports + Bad Boy + Second Chance

The Hard Way by Katie Ashley NOW AVAILABLE!

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2bAuwiA

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2bzDAWm

**Additional retailers to follow**

Blurb

Cade Hall has always been the golden boy of the gridiron. Because of his talent at football, coupled with his father’s wealth, he’s always gotten his way. But when a night of drunken debauchery lands him in hot water with the college athletic board, neither his influential father nor his charming grin can save him. Cade finds it a total buzz kill when he is sentenced to community service with troubled youth at an inner-city shelter. But his nightmare is only beginning when his greatest high school regret is the very one in charge of the program, and she has him by the balls in more ways than one.

For Avery Prescott, senior year was a nightmare of epic proportions, and Cade Hall played the lead villain. After she fled her small town for college in the bright lights of Atlanta, she thought she had escaped the painful memories of her past. She never could have imagined Cade would waltz through the door of the outreach program she presided over. But Avery has news for Cade—she isn’t the same shy, doormat of a girl she was in high school. Since she holds Cade's football future in her hands, she’s more than ready to make payback a real bitch.

Will they stay in the defensive zone or discover that sometimes life's greatest lessons are learned the hard way?

Excerpt

“Is this one of those old-timey record players?”

“A Victrola,” I answered as I joined him.

Cade snapped his fingers. “That’s right. There was one of these at my grandparents’ house.” He eyed the contraption curiously. “Does it work?”

“Sure.” I set my cup down before winding up the crank. Then I placed the needle on the record, and a slow instrumental tune came out of the Victrola’s horn. At Cade’s groan, I grinned. “Not a fan of classical music?”

“No. It’s more about the fact that it’s one of Strauss’s waltzes.”

Cocking my brows at him, I asked, “You know Strauss?”

With a snort, Cade said, “Don’t look so surprised, and no, I didn’t learn about him in Harlington’s music appreciation class either.”

I held up my hands. “I wasn’t alluding to anything.”

“Yes, you were alluding, as you say, to the stereotype of me being an uncivilized jock,” Cade teased in a snooty-sounding voice.

“I’m sorry. I’ve got to stop doing that. You really are so much more than a jock.”

He swept his hand to his heart. “Why, thank you.”

“So tell me how you know Strauss.”

“I have waltzed at ten cotillions and three debutante balls.”

“Wow. That’s quite impressive.”

“What about you?”

“I’ve never been to a cotillion or deb ball.”

“No, I mean, haven’t you ever waltzed before?”

I laughed. “Oh yeah, I often practice my dance skills out in the corn.”

“Every lady should know how to dance.”

“But I’m not a lady.”

Cade smiled. “Yeah. You are.” When I started to protest, he said, “Money and position aren’t what make a lady. It’s what’s inside you that counts.”

His words and his tone caused the breath to wheeze out of my lungs. Just when I thought he couldn’t surprise me any more with the things he said, he went and said something like that. “Thank you,” I finally mumbled.

“You’re welcome.” The world seemed to slow to a crawl around us as we stood there staring at each other. The sound of Cade clapping his hands together caused me to jump. “Okay. One waltz lesson coming up.”

“I’m going to warn you that you’re probably going to regret this. I’m the worst dancer ever.”

“How can anyone who plays the piano suck at dancing?”

“I’m not sure how it’s possible, but trust me, it is.”

Cade laughed. “We’ll see.”

A tingling jolt of electricity shot through me when Cade took one of my hands in his. After he put his other hand on the small of my back, he drew me closer to him. Even with all the times I had sat next to him while we worked on our project, I hadn’t been this close.

“Now you put your other hand on my shoulder.”

“Okay.”

“Step back with your left foot and then bring your right to the side.” After I followed Cade’s lead, he said, “Now bring your left foot to your right, and then step forward with your right.”

My mind spun as I frantically tried processing Cade’s instructions. Somehow it managed to click together, and I followed his lead. “Hey, you’ve got it,” he remarked with a smile.

“It’s not because of me—it must be the teacher.” I glanced up at him and smiled. “Sports, brains, and dancing; you’re really a true triple threat.”

“You forgot devastating good looks and charm.”

I grinned. “Does that make you a quintuple threat?”

“Make it a sextuple threat if you throw in the money.”

“I should have known you’d find a way to have ‘sex’ in your title.”

Cade threw his head back and laughed. “Always busting my balls, Prescott.”

“Yep. Just consider me your Little Ball Buster like Judith in Walking Dead was called Little Ass Kicker.”

Cade’s brows rose in surprise. “You watch Walking Dead?”

“Sure I do.”

“That surprises me.”

“Why?”

“I guess I just figured you only watched pretentious stuff like Downton Abbey.”

“Downton Abbey is not pretentious.”

Cade grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes that you watch it.”

“I certainly do.”

“At least I’m 1 and 1 on picking the TV shows you like.”

“While you know me pretty well, you have a lot more to learn, Mr. Hall,” I teased.

“I look forward to you educating me.”

As I stared into his face, Cade’s expression grew serious. The idea of educating him suddenly seemed to take on a deeper meaning—one of both mental and physical knowledge.

Cade dipped his head to where our mouths were just inches apart. His breath fanned across my cheek, causing me to shiver. I stared into his eyes, silently pleading with him to go ahead and kiss me. We’d already been down this road before. Since Thanksgiving night, I’d wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on mine again.

When he finally kissed me, it sent energy humming all over my body. I’d kissed other boys, but it had never felt the way it did with Cade. It was all-consuming of my mind, body, and spirit.

Considering his experience, it shouldn’t have been too surprising that Cade was a good kisser. What surprised me the most was the emotion behind his kiss. It ran so much deeper than just a physical act, as if he was putting his heart and soul into kissing me.

Cade deepened the kiss by plunging his tongue into my mouth. It tangled along with mine in a waltz of its own composing. My hand snaked up his back to capture the hair at the base of his neck, and I ran my fingers through the silky strands, marveling at how much softer it was than I had imagined.

The Victrola ran out of steam, and the only sound filling the room was heavy breathing. At the loss of music, Cade stopped leading me around the floor, and his hands slid underneath my buttocks. He gripped the globes of my ass before hoisting me up to wrap my legs around his, and I molded myself tighter against him. I couldn’t seem to get enough of him—the way his strong arms felt around me, his thick waist against my legs, his broad, muscular back underneath my hands. Even though I knew I shouldn’t, I wanted all of him.

When we crashed into a chest of drawers, Cade momentarily released my lips to breathlessly ask, “Are you okay?”

“Mmhmm.” I gazed into his hooded eyes. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

I rubbed myself against the ridge in Cade’s pants, causing him to groan against my throat. “Jesus, Prescott, if you keep doing that, I won’t be able to stop.” When I did it again, my action was rewarded with a growl.

Cade’s wild eyes glanced around the room before leading us over to the wide red settee in the back corner. We collapsed onto the smooth velvet material. I widened my legs to allow Cade’s hips between them and his mouth sought out mine in a frantic kiss.

As our tongues battled against each other, Cade’s hand came to my breast. He kneaded and cupped it over the fabric of my uniform, my nipples hardening under his touch. When he began undoing the buttons of my dress, he broke the kiss to glance at me as if asking my permission. At my nod, he practically ripped the remaining buttons open.

He gave me a sheepish grin as he pulled me into a sitting position. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” I said as I slid my arms out of the sleeves.

My breath hitched when Cade’s arms snaked around my back to undo my bra. Once it was unhooked, I couldn’t help bringing my arms to cover my chest and keep the bra in place. I hated that in this moment I couldn’t seem to get past my modesty, or my fear that my average-sized chest would turn him off.

Cade tilted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look him in the eye. “You sure you’re okay with this, Prescott?”

“I am, I promise.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I’m just a little scared,” I whispered.

“That I’ll hurt you?” Cade questioned with a wounded look.

I gave a quick jerk of my head. “That you won’t like what you see.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been with so many other girls. I’m afraid I won’t measure up.”

His expression darkened. “That’s the stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever heard.”

I ducked my head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help the way I feel.”

Cade cupped my face in his hands. “There’s only right here and right now, and there’s no one else but you and me. None of the past, just us and this moment.”

My heartbeat thrummed wildly at his sentiment. “Okay,” I murmured as I stared deeply into his eyes.

“And you could never not be beautiful to me. I like everything about you, both inside and out.” At what must’ve been my incredulous look, Cade grinned. “And I’m not just saying that so you’ll let me in your pants.”

“I know you wouldn’t.” Deep down, I knew it to be the truth. If Cade had really wanted to just screw me, he would have attempted it over the past two months.

“I wouldn’t be here tonight if I didn’t want to be with you for the long haul.”

Once again, my heart began to beat so erratically that I felt a little dizzy. “Really?”

He nodded. “You’re all I need, Avery.”

About the Author

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, and her two very spoiled dogs. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.

With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education, she spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.

Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads   Amazon Page | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY

$25 Amazon Gift Card

<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/09964f03887/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="09964f03887" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_7mt8srnh">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>

Share link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDk5NjRmMDM5ZDM4YTBjYWM0YzAyYzM0NGI2ODRhOjg4Nw==/?