Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Cover Reveal: Loving Storm

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Have you seen the cover for Loving Storm by Carian Cole?! releasing on September 22nd, be prepared to fall in love all over again!

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Evie I met him in a snow storm... We spent forty-eight hours trapped in the back of his pickup truck. We fought. We touched. We fell. Hard. Storm She literally crashed into my life... The last thing I wanted was a relationship. Especially with a quirky chick who drove me insane. But something about her got under my skin, and into my heart. And I had to have her. All of her. Now. Falling in love in the back of a truck, just the two of us, was easy. Dealing with psycho fans, jealous exes, and demons from the past....not so easy. While Loving Storm can be enjoyed as a STANDALONE, it is best read after reading Storm

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Grab STORM now! FREE with #KindleUnlimited! ONLY 99 pennies!
Amazon US→ http://amzn.to/2wnFcuv Amazon Universal → myBook.to/StormCarian
About the Author: I have a passion for the bad boys, those covered in tattoos, sexy smirks, ripped jeans, fast cars, motorcycles and of course, the sweet girls that try to tame them and win their hearts. My first novel in the best-selling Ashes & Embers series, Storm, published in September of 2014. I have many books and sequels slated for this series. My new spin-off series, Devils Wolves, launched in 2016 with the best-selling novel, Torn. There are several books planned for this series as well. Born and raised a Jersey girl, I now reside in beautiful New Hampshire with my husband and our multitude of furry pets and spend most of my time writing, reading, and vacuuming. Sign up for her newsletter: http://bit.ly/cariancolenews
Web site: www.cariancole.com

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Review: Show Me Yours

For this review, I chose Show Me Yours by Sasha Burke.

I received a copy of the ebook for a honest review of this book.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

The woman’s killing me.

I’m not the kind of man who would normally even consider blurring the lines between landlord and tenant or boss and employee, but Summer is a walking temptation. Neurotic and obsessive-as-hell when it comes to work details, sure, but a damn cute-without-knowing-it temptation nevertheless.

She’s been a good tenant and an even better worker. Plus, she doesn’t simper or throw herself at me like a lot of women who find out my net worth. I’ve grown...fond of her, oddly enough.

But if she drags my ass out of bed in the middle of the night to talk about work one more time…

* * *

The man’s a saint.

Not only did Jason hire me for the greatest project I’ve ever run point on, but he also let me move into an amazing loft in his building as an extravagant job-relocation perk. Sure, he can be a grouch when I accidentally wake him up to go over the project, but he’s still a saint nevertheless.

He’s been a fantastic boss and a surprisingly protective landlord. But…when did his shoulders get so wide? And why is that growling voice of his making me all weak in the knees lately?

Also, is it still considered morning wood if it happens in the middle of the night…or something more?
 



I loved that this was a quick and fun read!  Summer cannot help that she is different.  It is the way she is.  She feels this tense attraction for her boss, Jason, but there can not be anything between them.  Jason feels this same tense attraction and has to have her.


Summer does not care that Jason is a millionaire.  She has worked hard her whole life and nothing will be in her way.  Jason loves her the way she is.  Quirky and all!!  Loved that Summer told Jason how it is.  She never held back.
☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: The Game by Vanessa Fewings

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Review: The Chase

For this review, I chose The Chase by Vanessa Fewings.

I received a copy of the ebook for a honest review of this book.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:
Will she risk it all for a priceless desire?

A rising star in one of London's top art investigation firms, Zara Leighton's talent for seeing deep into paintings is in her blood. She's chosen to help track down Icon, an enigmatic international art thief whose heists are methodical, daring, baffling. To Zara the case is maddening—bordering on an obsession.

She finds distraction in the chiseled form of top-shelf client Tobias Wilder, a magnetic American billionaire who demands her expertise, her discretion—and her secrecy. Wilder doesn't ask questions. He gives orders. His gaze alone ignites her deepest fantasies. And his touch…

The sudden whirl of exclusive exhibitions and decadent parties that Wilder introduces her to is a potent aphrodisiac. But surrender soon becomes tinged with suspicion. Is Zara's tryst with Wilder the real thing…or just a convincing forgery?
 



Loved this book a lot.  It had a lot.  Romance, mystery, intrigue, sexy scenes!!  I read this book in 2 settings.  I was hooked and I needed to know who ICON is.  As I read, I would think it was this one person (don't want to give anything away), but then I would think no, it couldn't be that person.  Then I was back to but it could. 

This was my first book by this author and I can not wait to read book #2, The Game.

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: Show Me Yours by Sasha Burke.

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Blog Tour: Taboo & Kinky


Title: Taboo & Kinky (Penthouse Pleasures) 
Author: Opal Carew, Jayne Rylon, Avery Aster 
Genre: Erotic Romance 
Release Date: August 22, 2017 





One luxury building holds six penthouse apartments owned by kinky Manhattanites. Their sizzling stories will be told throughout the Penthouse Pleasures series from New York Times bestselling authors Opal Carew, Jayne Rylon, and Avery Aster.

From trailer trash to elite New York City lawyer, Casey Clark has transformed her life. There’s only one change she regrets. The one that left her blazing her trail alone. 

Her tough ex-boyfriend Jace West has made a career of protecting people in bad situations, just like he always did for her. When Casey finds something in her new penthouse apartment that could put her in danger, he’s the first one to volunteer to keep her body safe—even if it puts their hearts at risk again. 

Jace counts on his partner Ian to chaperone his alone time with Casey. Instead, it seems the guy balances out Jace’s rough edges with a suave sophistication Casey always craved. The combination has the potential to fill the void in her life that money, power, and ambition can’t…if she’s bold enough to take what she wants from each of them. 

Venturing into taboo territory, Casey could become the woman Jace has always needed. The kind who’s enough for not just one super sexy man, but two of them.


 




She’s an innocent young woman from his past whom he swears to protect. But the forbidden attraction between them threatens to override all reason.

Bonus: This story includes a short erotic audio that will melt your panties!

Kent never dreamed he’d be picking up Christina from the police station in the middle of the night. He hasn’t seen her since she was sixteen, but she was sweet and innocent.

When he gets there, he’s shocked to see that she’s a full grown woman… and very sexy. And she’s been arrested for soliciting. When she throws herself into his arms and calls him Daddy, then begs him to pretend he’s her stepfather, he plays along.

But the echo of that whispered word in his ear… Daddy… sets his blood on fire. He’d love nothing more than to take a firm hand with her… in the bedroom. But that can never happen.

KINKY is the second book of the Penthouse Pleasures series. This is a sizzling story of a young woman and the sexy older man who captures her heart. Their story is wrought with emotion and conflict as they struggle through the difficult journey to happiness despite past pain and a taboo romance that should never happen.

Warning: The hero is a sexy father figure who gets turned on when his "baby girl" calls him Daddy. And there’s a sexy neighbor who might just join in the fun. (Translation: Ménage a trois!)







 






Kinky ~ 18+




Kent stepped out of the shower and dried off then tossed the towel over the hook. He opened the door and as soon as he stepped into his bedroom, he saw Christina standing at the top of the stairs.

Her eyes widened, then her gaze fell right to where it shouldn’t be.

“Christina, what the hell?”

His heart pounded as he grabbed the throw from his bed and draped it around his waist.

“I’m sorry.” Her face blossomed a deep rose. “I didn’t realize the stairway led right into your bedroom.”

“All right. But why did you come up here?”

“I…” Her gaze had moved from his now covered cock—which was rising to attention despite the awkwardness of the situation—and drifted up his bare chest and settled on his face.

“I wanted to talk,” she said.

She drew in deep breaths, which made him all too aware of her firm, round breasts under the thin cotton of her pullover pajama top, and wrung her hands together. He wasn’t sure if it was anxiety, embarrassment, or both.

Concern swelled through him.

“What is it? Is there something wrong?”

“No… well, yes.”

Protective instincts bubbled through him. What was so important that she would come looking for him in the middle of the night?

“All right. Come in and we’ll talk."

He walked to the couch and sat down and she walked further into the room.

He was surprised when she sat down beside him instead of in one of the armchairs. His groin tightened even more.

Fuck, he’d just taken a cold shower to calm down his body from his lascivious thoughts about her. Now with her so close, the sight of her in her pajamas—which were modest enough, but her nipples peaked to points under the light, cotton fabric of the top—made him want to jump under a stream of frigid water again.

He should send her right back down those stairs. But if she needed to talk, he couldn’t turn her away.

“I think we should talk about what happened earlier,” she said hesitantly. “When I told you that you were the only man I trust.”

Fuck.

“Nothing happened earlier.”

“That’s not true. We had a moment.” Her green gaze caught on his. “We almost kissed.”

She rested her hand on his arm and the softness of her skin on his made him all too aware of his nakedness. Of the intimacy of the situation. Of how easy it would be to take her into his arms and…

He lurched to his feet, holding the blanket securely at his waist and paced.

“I think you should go back to your room.”

She stood up and walked toward him, determination in her emerald green eyes.

“I’m attracted to you.” She rested her hand on his cheek and sparks flared across his skin. “Are you going to tell me you don’t feel the same for me?”

His jaw clenched. “I’m old enough to be your father.”

“I’ve never had a father in my life. I don’t know what that’s like. But with you, I’ve always felt safe and cared for. I’ve always felt protected.”

She stepped closer and rested her hand flat on his chest, right over his heart, which started to pound faster. She pushed herself on her tiptoes and her lips brushed his ear.

“And I like the feeling.”

Fuck, his cock was aching with her so close.

She nuzzled his neck, the light flutter of her lips on his skin sent his pulse racing.

She cupped his face and found his mouth.

Time stood still as the overwhelming sensations of her body against his, the delicate feel of her tongue nudging between his lips, made his body harden.

His barriers crumbled and his arms glided around her. He pulled her tight, his mouth opening and he drove his tongue deep into her, tasting her sweetness.

She sucked in a breath, then wrapped her arms tight around his neck as he plundered her mouth.

His heart pounded as his cock swelled and he backed her up to the bed. Seconds later, she was on her back beneath him, her breasts crushed against his naked chest. His hand glided along her ribs, then he cupped one soft mound.

At the feel of it in his hand, her nipple hard and thrusting upward, heat surged through him. She arched her lower body, pressing against his aching shaft.

He tore his mouth from hers.

“Fuck, what the hell am I doing?”

The age thing was bad enough, but she was a virgin, for fuck’s sake.

She stared up at him, her eyes wide and filled with need.

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded.

He pushed away and surged to his feet.

“Christina, I want to protect you… not take your virginity.”

She stood up and grasped his hand, her small fingers curling around his.

“Please. You’re the only one I trust enough to do this with. You can help me past my fear of being with a man. I know you’ll be tender and loving—and won’t judge me or try to force me into anything more.” She gazed up at him. “And that’s what I need right now.”

She moved closer and rested her hand on his chest.

“I think you want to protect me like a father would.” She pushed herself up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his ear. “But you’re not my father. So you can do anything you want with me.”

She took his hand and pressed it to her breast again. The softness of it unraveled his resolve.

She leaned close to his ear again.

“Daddy,” she murmured.

“Ah, fuck.”

Her hand slid to his waist and the coverlet fell to the floor. His cock sprang upward and she wrapped her hand around it. As her feminine fingers curled around his hard shaft, he sucked in a breath, his blood boiling.

“I think you like me calling you Daddy.” She kissed his ear then nibbled his lobe, sending tingles racing along his spine.

Like was too mild a word. It was electrifying.

She squeezed his fingers around her breast as she ran her hand the length of his cock. When she began to stroke him, he knew he had to stop her. His groin tightened painfully and he was getting too fucking close too fucking fast. 

He grabbed her wrist, intent on pulling it away, but she nipped his ear, then arched her breast tighter into his hand.

“Oh, Daddy. I love you touching me like this.”

Fuck, he’d never been this wildly turned on in his life.

His grip loosened and she stroked him faster. 

Without thinking, he walked her backward until she was against the wall. She released his cock long enough to pull her loose-fitting pajama top over her head, revealing her generous, round breasts. His breath caught at the sight of them.

He claimed her lips, pressing his body tight to hers, excited by the feel of her soft, naked breasts crushed against his chest. As he claimed her with his passionate kiss, she squeezed his cock and stroked it. Moving faster and faster.

He groaned into her mouth. She pulled away and gazed up at him.

“Oh, Daddy, I want you so badly,” she whispered breathily.

“Ah, fuck!” The raging ache in his groin spiked, then incredible heat burst through him. He groaned as pleasure surged through every part of him, and he erupted in a fountain of hot come.

He was shocked at how much it turned him on when she called him Daddy.

He’d just come and he was still hard, for God’s sake.

He realized he was leaning against her, so he drew back, still panting.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed, then lay down on it. She pushed down her pajama bottoms, exposing her sweet, naked pussy.

God help him.

“Please. Make love to me now. I want you to be my first.”

He ran his fingers over the glistening white goo on her stomach. Smearing it over her creamy skin.

Instead of answering, he glided to his knees and pulled her to the edge of the bed. He widened her legs and stared at her intimate folds.

“You’re beautiful, baby girl. Do you like me calling you that?”

“Oh, yes, Daddy.” Her voice quivered with need.

He chuckled as he ran his fingertips over her, feeling the slickness of her arousal. “You’re so wet for me.”

He opened her folds and stared at her opening, so soft and inviting.

“You want me to push my big cock into your innocent little pussy?”

“Yes.” She licked her lips, her eyes wide and full of desire. “Please.”

He chuckled. Fuck, he couldn’t believe he’d soon be driving his cock into her untried passage. Because he’d gone past the point of saying no. She wanted this. And he certainly fucking wanted it.

He stroked over her folds again, eliciting a soft moan. Then, watching her, he pressed his finger inside her. Gliding in past the first knuckle, then to the second. He pushed another finger inside, delighting at the tight grip of her around him. Her eyes glazed and the look of need on her face made him ache to drive inside her right now.

But instead, he leaned forward and covered her pussy with his mouth.

“Ohhh,” she moaned.

He lapped at her folds until he found the little button inside. Then he teased it with the tip of his tongue. 

Her fingers glided through his hair and she pulled him tighter to her wet flesh.

“That feels so good,” she murmured, a note of desperation coloring her voice.

“You like that, baby girl?” he asked.

“Mmm. Yes,” she breathed.

He sucked on her clit and she gasped, then arched against him.

He began moving his fingers inside her. Surging in and out as he suckled her sensitive button.

She pivoted her hips up and down, as if riding his mouth and hand. He kept pulsing into her. His tongue quivered over her clit.

“Oh, God…” She gasped. “Oh, it feels so…”

Then she moaned, her body shuddering as the orgasm claimed her. He kept his fingers moving inside her, his tongue teasing, his gaze turned up to watch her beautiful face glowing with bliss.

When she finally collapsed against the bed, he slowly drew his fingers from her tight canal and gave her one final lick, then lifted his head, smiling.

She looked so wonderfully sated, he wondered if he should stop here. But she opened her arms to him.

He prowled over her, then captured her lips. She drove her tongue inside his mouth and stroked with vigor.

“Please, now, fill me with your big cock.”

He stared into her wide green eyes. “Baby girl, are you really sure this is what you want?”

“Oh, yes.” She pulled him closer and nuzzled his temple. “Please, Daddy. Fuck me now.”



Goddamn. He couldn’t refuse her. Because he wanted this so fucking badly, too.

Jayne Rylon is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She received the 2011 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Indie Erotic Romance. Her stories used to begin as daydreams in seemingly endless business meetings, but now she is a full time author, who employs the skills she learned from her straight-laced corporate existence in the business of writing. She lives in Ohio with two cats and her husband, the infamous Mr. Rylon. When she can escape her purple office, she loves to travel the world, avoid speeding tickets in her beloved Sky, SCUBA dive, and–of course–read. http://jaynerylon.com 

Opal Carew is the author of over a dozen romance stories in which she makes offerings of hope, success, and love to her readers. Opal loves crystals, dragons, feathers, cats, pink hair, the occult, Manga artwork, and all that glitters. She earned a degree in Mathematics from the University of Waterloo, and spent 15 years as a software analyst before turning to her passions as a writer. Opal lives with her husband and two teen-aged sons in Ontario, Canada http://www.opalcarew.com 

Avery Aster: A graduate of New York University and a resident of the Big Apple for twenty years, New York Times bestselling author Avery Aster writes popular fiction in several genres. Erotic Romance fans enjoy Avery’s The Manhattanites books, while New Adult readers can’t get enough of the Undergrad Years. For those who like a good thrill that’ll mess with their mind, check out Avery’s Psychological Suspense series, Piper Adler and other books at www.AveryAster.com

Cover Reveal: Seducing His Student

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Seducing His Student by London Hale releases September 18! Check out the HOTTT cover now!

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Pre-Order on your favorite platform:
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2w9wzmF
ADD TO YOUR TBR: http://bit.ly/2v5DTjK

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BLURB: The last thing a newly hired dean should be doing is one of his students… Dirty flirting with the unbelievably hot barista at Bundt & Grind café is not how Elliott Goodridge should be spending his time. Temperance Falls College hired him to counteract a scandal—not burn through his paychecks on overpriced coffee with a side of impure thoughts. For the amount of time college student Samantha Monroe spends fantasizing about the new guy in town, she should know more than just his name. But despite putting out all kinds of signs that she's down for, well, putting out, Elliott hasn't made a move. Yet. By the time the truth is revealed, it's too late to stop the charge between them. Sparks fly, but so do rumors. For Elliott, a day without his hands on Sam is too long—and two orgasm-free weeks until graduation is flat-out impossible. London Hale novellas may be read in any order and enjoyed as standalones. Looking for something quick, filthy, and taboo? The couples of Temperance Falls deliver. 17352306_177020782805657_2928202939973731385_n

About London Hale: London Hale is the combined pen name of writing besties Ellis Leigh and Brighton Walsh. Between them, they’ve published more than thirty books in the contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and romantic suspense genres. Ellis is a USA Today bestselling author who loves coffee, thinks green Skittles are the best, and prefers to stay in every weekend. Brighton is multi-published with Berkley, St. Martin’s Press, and Carina Press. She hates coffee, thinks green Skittles are the work of the devil, and has never heard of a party she didn’t want to attend. Don’t ask how they became such good friends or work so well together—they still haven’t figured it out themselves.
Follow London online:

It's Live!!





Release Boost: Sacked in Seattle

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Are you ready to be SACKED? Sacked in Seattle by Jami Davenport is NOW LIVE!

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GRAB IT NOW! iBooks: http://apple.co/2trJE6g

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He's loved Tiff since high school--but tragedy has blockaded her heart. Tyee University football player Riley Black has adored Tiff since high school, but she's never felt the same way. As Riley enters his senior year of college, he's finally moving on and enjoying the perks of being a star athlete. Until one glimpse of Tiff unearths all those old feelings of longing and desire, not to mention the trauma of their shared past. Tiffani Vernon has been running from her demons for seven years. When she's forced to return to Seattle for financial reasons and attend the same college as Riley, she's confronted with the traumatic event which has shaped her future and scarred her memories of Riley. Tiff struggles to avoid her secret high school crush, but he's not having any of it. He's pursuing her with a relentless determination to prove once and for all, they were meant to be together. Can love finally heal their wounds or will they succumb to the pain and forever wonder what could have been?

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EXCERPT:
Chapter 1—Running * Riley * Life-changing moments can be as obvious as a guy holding a gun to your forehead or as subtle as glimpsing a face in a crowd. That gun and that face haunted my nights and often my days. I hadn’t laid eyes on Tiffani Vernon since the night of our high school graduation over three years ago. She couldn’t leave Seattle fast enough, while I’d never considered going anywhere else. Seattle was the only real home I’d ever known, and I wanted to stay here and make things better. Face my fears head on. You know, crap like that. Tiff ran from her fears, and our last night together had been epic, unforgettable, and scary as shit. She sped out of town and never looked back—especially not at me. I knew why. It wasn’t personal, but that didn’t make me feel any better. I reminded her of that horrible, awful day when our lives hung in the balance, the world shifted in a matter of minutes, and nothing would ever be the same again. And there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Except move on. And I had. Or I thought I had, until I saw her standing across that proverbial crowded room. Our eyes met. Her brown ones to my blue ones. Recognition flashed in her eyes, then panic. Her mouth opened as if she were going to say something. Her expression went soft with regret. Shaking her head, she turned and ran, weaving through the crowd faster than a running back angling for the end zone. Her little pink skirt swished back and forth, calling attention to her fine ass and shapely legs. She was so smoking hot, heads swiveled as she passed. Pain stabbed deep in my gut. Memories flooded back and slammed me to the turf, leaving me stuck to the beer-soaked floor. Graduation night. Her skin glowed in the moonlight as she gave herself to me, body and soul. I lost myself inside her, certain we’d be together forever. She left town the next morning, and I never saw her again. Squelching that memory, I stood alone in a crowd of people, hearing nothing, sensing nothing, seeing nothing but the place where she’d stood a second ago. People elbowed me in their haste to get to the keg of beer I was blocking. I shook my head, attempting to clear it. She couldn’t be here. She should be at USC starting her senior year, just as I was starting mine at the Ty, what us locals call Tyee University on Lake Union in Seattle. She’d traded the rain and mud for sun and sand, and she’d traded me for surfer dudes and Hollywood wannabes. But now she was back. My feet refused to follow my orders. All I could do was gape open-mouthed like some creep with a stalker crush. There’d been other times I’d sworn I’d seen her, only to race after her and embarrass the hell out of myself when I found out the poor girl I’d dogged wasn’t Tiffani. But we’d locked gazes this time, and there wasn’t any doubt in my mind. She was here. I tried to swallow, clear my throat, gulp in some oxygen. I swear my organs were either shutting down or going into overload. My heart slammed in my chest as if building to detonation, and my head pounded to the beat of the music in the room. Oblivious to my disinterest, the blonde who’d been hustling me all night leaned in closer and gripped my arm. She slipped her tongue in my ear while her hand migrated to my crotch. I gave her a gentle shove, not giving one shit how rude my behavior was, even though I usually prided myself on being a nice guy. “Later,” I told her and pushed through the throng of frat-house party-goers. Almost frantic, I shoved my way to where I’d last seen her and caught a flash of blonde hair as she slipped out the door. I dashed after her down the sidewalk into the street and glanced left and right. She was gone, vanished into thin air as if she’d never existed. I waited five, then ten minutes, she never reappeared. With a sigh, I trudged back to the party, ignoring the curious stares of the guys. I sank onto the couch in the living room, next to a couple of teammates, and faked interest in a football game on TV. My heart thudded wildly, and my hand shook as I lifted a pizza slice to my lips. My eyes met the concerned blue gaze of my best friend, Gage Harmon, the team quarterback, campus man slut, and proud of both titles. He was chewing slowly and staring at me as if he expected me to strip naked and dance on the table while stone-cold sober. “You okay, Ry man?” “Yeah, fine. Thought I saw someone. I was wrong.” One brow crept upward, disappearing under his messy blond hair. “Female?” I nodded, refusing to meet his gaze on the off-chance he’d see the pathetic truth and peg me for the idiot I was. What kind of loser pines after a girl this long when he has the world at his feet? This loser. Tiff was the only girl I’d ever truly loved. And I’d never stopped loving her, as fucked up as that was. * Tiff * Running into Riley Black was inevitable. The Tyee campus was big, but obviously not big enough. Even so, I hadn’t expected to see him during my first week of classes. I’d carefully avoided the areas where he might be hanging out, such as Greek Row, and opted for an off-campus apartment. I planned my classes to avoid being near the football field and gym in the afternoons when he’d most likely be practicing. I timed everything with careful attention to detail and avoidance. Lot of good that did me. Coming to this party had been a lapse in judgment. I should’ve known he’d be here. Maybe I secretly hoped to run into him, just to torture myself. Maybe I was all kinds of screwed up. Okay, well, that’s stating the obvious. Ask my family. Ask my counselor. Ask my horse. They’d all agree. I, Tiffani Grace Vernon, was one fucked-up girl, and years of therapy had barely put a dent in my tormented past. Through no fault of his own, Riley brought back every traumatic memory of that fateful day when my charmed life became a living nightmare. He was a victim as much as I was. Now, here we were. At the same frat party. I shouldn’t have come. Our eyes met, and recognition instantly lit up his gaze. Those same cobalt blue eyes had studied me intently from across the room in our high school biology class. They’d watched me ride my horse in endless circles at the arena near his aunt’s house. Those same eyes had opened wide in horror as my ex-boyfriend, also his teammate, pointed a gun at each of us, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The loud bang had deafened me, and the smell of iron had filled my nostrils, followed by the wrenching pain of being slammed to the ground. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Seeing him brought it all back as if it had happened six minutes ago instead of almost seven years. Maybe seeing me did the same for him, too? He’d gaped at me like he’d seen a ghost. Momentarily frozen in shock, his mouth opened and closed as if he were trying to say something but couldn’t. Not that I would have heard him over the sea of drunken partygoers and the roar in my ears. My brain clawed at the last shred of sanity as wave after wave of dizziness sucked me deeper into a swirling abyss of darkness. My lungs begged for oxygen until I had to be blue in the face. My legs wobbled, and I stuck out a hand to steady myself. Swaying like a drunken sailor, I accidentally buried my fingers in some sorority girl’s cleavage. She raised her hand to take a swing at me but was too wasted to come close. “You stupid, perverted bitch.” Whatever. She was the least of my worries. The music was so loud, no one paid attention to us. I wasn’t a fighter, and the time had come to get my ass out of here, not so much to run from her—I could handle her—but to get away from him and the demons nipping at my heels I abandoned my beer on a windowsill and shoved my way through the crowd, desperate to exit as quickly as possible. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Riley dodging people in the crowd with deft footwork that would do any running back proud. Only he wasn’t a running back. He was a tight end. The starting tight end for Tyee University. A big man on campus with an NHL star uncle. And I was— Nobody. And I planned on keeping it that way. I didn’t have any interest in being in the spotlight or even in a flashlight. It’d been a mistake to enroll here, but I hadn’t had a choice. My parents’ divorce had been costly, leaving no money for out-of-state tuition. So here was I was. Back in the area I both loved and despised among the best of memories drowned out by the worst of tragedies with the one person who played a part in both. I ran out the door and down the front steps, knowing he was only seconds behind. Glancing around desperately, I dived into some bushes in front of the apartment building next to the frat house and huddled in the darkness. I waited what seemed like hours. Finally, I peeked through the branches of the bush. Riley stood there, several feet away, gazing down the street with such profound sadness, you’d think he’d lost his best friend. His big hands hung loosely at his sides. He still had that one lock of dark hard that refused to stay in place. He looked the same, but different. A familiar face, yet a stranger. Shaking his head, Riley trudged back inside, his shoulders slumped and his feet dragging. I almost ran after him—almost—but I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t invite the one person back into my life who could destroy every bit of progress I’d made since high school. Even worse, I couldn’t drag him down with me. I waited long after he’d gone inside before creeping along the side of the building, and around the corner. I ran the several blocks home and collapsed on my bed. Only then did the wrenching sobs shake my body and wring every bit of emotion from my soul until nothing was left but bone-deep weariness.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
USA Today Bestselling Author Jami Davenport writes sexy contemporary, sports, and new adult romances, including her two new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle series and the Men of Tyee series. Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland dog with a tennis-ball fetish, and a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat. She works in computer support in her day job and juggles too many balls, but she wouldn't have it any other way. Connect with Jami! Subscribe to her newsletter to receive a free novel and be notified of new releases, special sales, and contests: http://eepurl.com/LpfaL
Website Address: http://www.jamidavenport.com
Twitter Address: @jamidavenport