This Love Excerpt
I am a horrible person. No, seriously. Just horrible.
My freshly jilted best friend was drunk. He definitely wasn't thinking clearly when he made a pass at me.
I should have pushed him away.
I should have said no.
But I didn't.
No. Instead, I leaned in and kissed him back.
This could very well be a disaster.
Rather than sleeping, I lay awake most of the night and worry endlessly about what this could mean for our friendship. Raif has been my best friend since we met the summer before we started grammar school. We were practically babies. But we bonded instantly. For life.
His father had been in a temper, and Raif was hiding in my backyard behind the giant oak tree where I played when my mother didn't want me in the house. The foliage was thick enough that even when it rained, I was protected. As long as I was outside, everything was okay. I could pretend that nothing was wrong in my world.
Raif was a big part of that feeling. And that first day, one of his eyes had been black and blue, practically swollen shut, his bottom lip split and still bleeding. I had wanted to call 911, but he'd made me promise I wouldn't.
Instead, we'd shared the granola bar I'd had stashed in a pile of leaves for an emergency. My mom often forgot that she had to shop for groceries since she didn't care about nourishment.
Drugs and men were the only things that ever interested my mother.
From that moment on, Raif and I took care of each other any way we could.
And while I'm half terrified I may have just lost my very best friend in the world, I'm also haunted by the need still thrumming inside me from his hands and mouth on my body.
Desperately Waiting Excerpt
"Forgive me, beautiful, what would you like to talk about?"
Her cheeks pink, but she just smiles as I pull up in front of her hotel.
Rather than answer me, she asks, "Walk me up?" Her voice is softer now, her eyes on her hands. Hope and longing merge in my chest and I grin at her. "You bet. Let me park and I'll escort you to your room."
She waits for me to come around, somehow knowing I want to help her out even though I know she's capable of jumping out on her own. I'll do anything to be close to her, to touch her. I think she's ok with it.
She keeps my hand, tangling our fingers together after I've helped her out of the Jeep. She tucks herself into my side like she was made to fit there and I squeeze her fingers lightly, opening the door and letting her go in ahead of me. She leads me to the bank of elevators in the lobby. Under any other circumstances, I'd be taking in every detail of the swank boutique hotel, but right now, all my attention is on Daisy.
There's a reason I can count on two hands the number of times she and I have been completely alone. I want so badly to take her in my arms like every time I'm near her. And now, in public, but alone, the need to feel her, taste her, claim her is overwhelming. We ride the elevator in silence, both of us seemingly lost in our thoughts.
As the elevator doors slide open, she looks up at me from under her lashes and asks, "Are you ever gonna kiss me, Brandon?"
My gut twists with need, my breath trapped in my throat. "Is that what you want?" I ask my voice low.
She sighs at me, stepping away and through the elevator doors. I follow without thought. "You're making me work way too hard," she murmurs, her cheeks pink again. "What do you want, Bran?"
What do I want? Other than to touch her right this instant, to taste her lips and breathe her in and keep her for myself?
Nothing.
All I want is her. More than I want to take my next breath, I want her to be mine. We get to her door and she slides the card against the reader and then turns back to me with the door ajar. Her face is pink, her fingers trembling and I swallow down my nerves and tell her the truth.
"I want you, Daisy."
Her eyes meet mine and it's like all the air is sucked out of the hallway. There's just her and me in the whole world. She's close enough that all I have to do is take one step and I could have her in my arms, feel her lips on mine. All I have to do is close the distance.
She takes it out of my hands, grabs the collar of my shirt and yanks me into the room with her. I stand there staring at her while she closes the door behind us and then leans against it, her eyes steady on mine.
Waiting patiently for... oh!
Me... right.
She really does want me.
Get it together, Bran.
I step into her space and her chin comes up, her eyes hopeful, her pretty pink lips slightly parted, anticipating my kiss. I stop thinking, and finally, I kiss her.
Crash my Party Excerpt
It's been two days since I set eyes on Mia West. I don't know if it's because I've been warned away from her so thoroughly or what, but she's all I've been able to think about. It's not really surprising. The girl's a knockout. Long honey blonde hair and big dark blue eyes, a mouth made for sin. Not to mention a body I'd love to get better acquainted with. Generous curves in all the right places. And she smiled right at me after giving me the once over. I winked; I couldn't help myself.
Yeah, I could be in some trouble here, but only if I don't control myself.
I can control myself.
Also, I didn't make the best first impression on her. I will probably have to work really hard to have a shot with her.
I don't do that. Well, I haven't so far in my life.
There is a first time for everything. Besides, if I sleep with her, there's no way the boys would find out unless I wanted them to.
This could work...
Hard to Love Excerpt
Luke saves me by spinning Chloe into the scene, both of them laughing. "Hey everyone's congregating. It's been too long since we were all together," Chloe says, a smile on her pretty face.
It doesn't hurt the way it used to. That smile could rip me to pieces at one point. Now, it's an echo, more sadness and the endless missing how our friendship used to be. I don't know how to get us back there now.
I miss my best friend. Both of them.
"That's what I just said," Daisy pipes up from under my arm and Chloe smiles my way.
"Well, let me pile on and say we miss you, Raif."
"We really do," Luke chimes in. "And we haven't seen you covered in baby puke yet... that must be remedied. The rest of us have practically bathed in it."
Bran shudders but Troy just nods. "Sofie does this exorcist thing that scares the bejesus out of me." Mia snorts and covers her mouth. She rests her head on Troy's chest and he smiles down at her like she makes his world make sense. Damn if I don't suddenly feel like I'm all alone in this world even though I'm surrounded by my closest friends. My family. Everyone else has a partner, I have memories and regrets.
I have to find a way forward.
Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI like the blurbs, Sounds like a series that I would enjoy.
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