Samantha Chase's Blog - Posts Tagged "samanthachase-excerpt-comingsoon"
The Proposal Playbook Excerpt
Check out this excerpt from The Proposal Playbook!
Pre-order today! https://www.chasing-romance.com/the-p...
Being single wasn’t a bad thing, but the older she got, the more she hated being alone. And with the way things were going with Xander, where she kept getting a glimpse of what it would be like to have someone in her life, going home to no one was that much harder.
Still, there wasn’t anything she could do about it at the moment. They had an arrangement or some kind of loose plan and she had to stick to it.
Even when she didn’t want to.
So she did her best to cheer up and do what she could to make tonight a good one. Opting to cook something for herself rather than get takeout, Daisy pulled into the Publix shopping center and was about to get out of her car when her phone dinged with an incoming text. She didn’t recognize the number.
Unknown: Hey, you done with work for the day?
Unknown: Thought maybe we could get together at my place.
Frowning, she muttered a curse. Great, now her phone was mocking her. Leave it to her to lament about how lonely she was and then get cute text messages from someone who clearly had the wrong number.
“Ugh, why does the universe hate me?” she mumbled, tossing her phone into her purse. Climbing from the car, she made it all of five feet before her phone started dinging again. She considered ignoring it since it was obviously not for her, but curiosity got the better of her.
Unknown: Pack an overnight bag. I’ve got dinner under control too.
If anything, it made her madder. It was tempting to text whoever this person was back and let them know they had the wrong number, but she was walking into the store and figured she’d grab a few things and respond to the texts when she got home.
Within the span of a minute, her phone dinged five more times.
“Seriously?” she hissed, pulling it out again.
Unknown: Hope you like Italian
Unknown: And red wine
Unknown: And tiramisu for dessert
Unknown: Let me know when you’re leaving so I can have everything ready
Unknown: Tonight is all about you
It was getting annoying that this person couldn’t put all this info in one message instead of sending a dozen damn texts, but she refrained from throwing her phone.
But part of her was super jealous because whoever this person was, they were pulling out all the stops.
“Meanwhile, I’m buying microwave ready potatoes.” Tossing the container in her cart, she strolled through the meat department to consider her options.
And then her phone dinged again.
“Oh, come on!” she snapped and then wanted the floor to open up and swallow her when a dozen people looked at her like she was crazy.
Obviously waiting to get home wasn’t an option because this person was persistent. Glancing down at the screen, the latest message made her heart kick hard in her chest.
Unknown: Looking forward to seeing you tonight, Daisy.
Unknown: It’s Xander, by the way
She was smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt. Turning around, she practically sprinted to retrace her steps and tossed the potatoes back onto the display before returning her cart. Out in the parking lot, she raced to her car and said a prayer of thanks she wasn’t far from home. Once there, she tossed the bare essentials into her weekender bag before taking a few minutes to freshen up. And then–finally–she responded to all the messages.
Daisy: This is a wonderful surprise! I just need your address and then I’ll be on my way
His response was immediate, and she was a little shocked to realize he only lived fifteen minutes away.
This had to be a good sign, she thought. After all, he was the one who took the initiative and reached out to her even though she’d never given him her number either. It made her feel good that clearly she wasn’t alone in all of this–that Xander was thinking about her just like she was thinking about him.
“Don’t go getting all dreamy,” she warned herself as she drove. “Just because he invited me over doesn’t mean he’s falling in love or looking to get serious with me.”
Pre-order today! https://www.chasing-romance.com/the-p...
Being single wasn’t a bad thing, but the older she got, the more she hated being alone. And with the way things were going with Xander, where she kept getting a glimpse of what it would be like to have someone in her life, going home to no one was that much harder.
Still, there wasn’t anything she could do about it at the moment. They had an arrangement or some kind of loose plan and she had to stick to it.
Even when she didn’t want to.
So she did her best to cheer up and do what she could to make tonight a good one. Opting to cook something for herself rather than get takeout, Daisy pulled into the Publix shopping center and was about to get out of her car when her phone dinged with an incoming text. She didn’t recognize the number.
Unknown: Hey, you done with work for the day?
Unknown: Thought maybe we could get together at my place.
Frowning, she muttered a curse. Great, now her phone was mocking her. Leave it to her to lament about how lonely she was and then get cute text messages from someone who clearly had the wrong number.
“Ugh, why does the universe hate me?” she mumbled, tossing her phone into her purse. Climbing from the car, she made it all of five feet before her phone started dinging again. She considered ignoring it since it was obviously not for her, but curiosity got the better of her.
Unknown: Pack an overnight bag. I’ve got dinner under control too.
If anything, it made her madder. It was tempting to text whoever this person was back and let them know they had the wrong number, but she was walking into the store and figured she’d grab a few things and respond to the texts when she got home.
Within the span of a minute, her phone dinged five more times.
“Seriously?” she hissed, pulling it out again.
Unknown: Hope you like Italian
Unknown: And red wine
Unknown: And tiramisu for dessert
Unknown: Let me know when you’re leaving so I can have everything ready
Unknown: Tonight is all about you
It was getting annoying that this person couldn’t put all this info in one message instead of sending a dozen damn texts, but she refrained from throwing her phone.
But part of her was super jealous because whoever this person was, they were pulling out all the stops.
“Meanwhile, I’m buying microwave ready potatoes.” Tossing the container in her cart, she strolled through the meat department to consider her options.
And then her phone dinged again.
“Oh, come on!” she snapped and then wanted the floor to open up and swallow her when a dozen people looked at her like she was crazy.
Obviously waiting to get home wasn’t an option because this person was persistent. Glancing down at the screen, the latest message made her heart kick hard in her chest.
Unknown: Looking forward to seeing you tonight, Daisy.
Unknown: It’s Xander, by the way
She was smiling so hard that her cheeks hurt. Turning around, she practically sprinted to retrace her steps and tossed the potatoes back onto the display before returning her cart. Out in the parking lot, she raced to her car and said a prayer of thanks she wasn’t far from home. Once there, she tossed the bare essentials into her weekender bag before taking a few minutes to freshen up. And then–finally–she responded to all the messages.
Daisy: This is a wonderful surprise! I just need your address and then I’ll be on my way
His response was immediate, and she was a little shocked to realize he only lived fifteen minutes away.
This had to be a good sign, she thought. After all, he was the one who took the initiative and reached out to her even though she’d never given him her number either. It made her feel good that clearly she wasn’t alone in all of this–that Xander was thinking about her just like she was thinking about him.
“Don’t go getting all dreamy,” she warned herself as she drove. “Just because he invited me over doesn’t mean he’s falling in love or looking to get serious with me.”
Kiss the Girl Excerpt
Now he felt like shit for complaining about his own petty problems when she’d already dealt with far worse.
As if reading his mind, she looked at him. “I’m not saying this to make it sound like my troubles are worse than yours. Your feelings are legit and your struggles are real. I think you should talk to Cash about this. He might not be the best at helping you figure out your future, but he’d damn good at putting things into perspective.”
It was wrong to be angry at how much better she knew his father. She got to have him as a constant in her life for all these years. Hell, maybe she was even the reason Cash stayed away. Maybe…
Don’t go there…
Yeah, that was a slippery slope for sure.
Unfortunately, now that the thought was out there, Jackson knew he was going to have a hard time forgetting about it.
Suddenly, he felt tense and uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do about it, so he focused on his meal and did his best to think about anything else but…that.
Beside him, Savannah chatted about some new products that Parker wanted to stock at the spa and how she was getting included in the decision-making process. Jackson knew he smiled and nodded when it was appropriate and just did his best to focus on her and how happy she sounded and not his own dark thoughts.
Once they were finished eating, Savannah cleaned everything up before coming back to the sofa and sitting closely beside him. “I feel like there’s something on your mind.”
He nodded and this was one of those sliding-door moments. Telling her this recent revelation would definitely kill the mood for the rest of the evening. Is that really what he wanted?
Or…he could do what he’d been thinking about all day which was maybe going for a walk through town and getting some ice cream or watching a movie or…
One soft hand cupped his jaw and brought his attention back to her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “I do not.”
That seemed to satisfy her. “Okay then.”
Closing the distance between them, she pressed her lips to his and then it was as if everything negative, everything dark, simply disappeared. His arms slowly wound around he waist and together they maneuvered until she was in his lap. This kiss was unhurried and honestly, Jackson just enjoyed the feel of her against him.
I’m being ridiculous. Savannah isn’t the cause of any of the issues with Cash. That’s all on him…
Her tongue delicately traced his lower lip as she wiggled to get closer. Reaching up, Jackson fisted his hand in her gloriously long hair and dove in with a kiss that was so carnal it bordered on painful.
And as usual, Savannah was right there with him, giving as good as she got.
It might not be the smartest thing to do, but right now, he wanted her. Needed her. Craved her. As she had pointed out, there was so much going on in his life right now and most of it wasn’t great. If this was all he had – these few stolen moments with her that made him feel good – shouldn’t he grab them with both hands?
Or…grab her with both hands?
Which he did.
She had an amazing ass and as he held it and squeezed it, he knew it was all just a distraction.
A pleasurable one, but a distraction none the less.
But as the kiss went on and shoes got kicked off and clothes started to get peeled away, he realized maybe it wasn’t just him. Maybe on some level Savannah needed this just as much as he did.
And could only hope that her demons weren’t nearly as dark as his.
As if reading his mind, she looked at him. “I’m not saying this to make it sound like my troubles are worse than yours. Your feelings are legit and your struggles are real. I think you should talk to Cash about this. He might not be the best at helping you figure out your future, but he’d damn good at putting things into perspective.”
It was wrong to be angry at how much better she knew his father. She got to have him as a constant in her life for all these years. Hell, maybe she was even the reason Cash stayed away. Maybe…
Don’t go there…
Yeah, that was a slippery slope for sure.
Unfortunately, now that the thought was out there, Jackson knew he was going to have a hard time forgetting about it.
Suddenly, he felt tense and uncomfortable and didn’t know what to do about it, so he focused on his meal and did his best to think about anything else but…that.
Beside him, Savannah chatted about some new products that Parker wanted to stock at the spa and how she was getting included in the decision-making process. Jackson knew he smiled and nodded when it was appropriate and just did his best to focus on her and how happy she sounded and not his own dark thoughts.
Once they were finished eating, Savannah cleaned everything up before coming back to the sofa and sitting closely beside him. “I feel like there’s something on your mind.”
He nodded and this was one of those sliding-door moments. Telling her this recent revelation would definitely kill the mood for the rest of the evening. Is that really what he wanted?
Or…he could do what he’d been thinking about all day which was maybe going for a walk through town and getting some ice cream or watching a movie or…
One soft hand cupped his jaw and brought his attention back to her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Shaking his head, he replied, “I do not.”
That seemed to satisfy her. “Okay then.”
Closing the distance between them, she pressed her lips to his and then it was as if everything negative, everything dark, simply disappeared. His arms slowly wound around he waist and together they maneuvered until she was in his lap. This kiss was unhurried and honestly, Jackson just enjoyed the feel of her against him.
I’m being ridiculous. Savannah isn’t the cause of any of the issues with Cash. That’s all on him…
Her tongue delicately traced his lower lip as she wiggled to get closer. Reaching up, Jackson fisted his hand in her gloriously long hair and dove in with a kiss that was so carnal it bordered on painful.
And as usual, Savannah was right there with him, giving as good as she got.
It might not be the smartest thing to do, but right now, he wanted her. Needed her. Craved her. As she had pointed out, there was so much going on in his life right now and most of it wasn’t great. If this was all he had – these few stolen moments with her that made him feel good – shouldn’t he grab them with both hands?
Or…grab her with both hands?
Which he did.
She had an amazing ass and as he held it and squeezed it, he knew it was all just a distraction.
A pleasurable one, but a distraction none the less.
But as the kiss went on and shoes got kicked off and clothes started to get peeled away, he realized maybe it wasn’t just him. Maybe on some level Savannah needed this just as much as he did.
And could only hope that her demons weren’t nearly as dark as his.
Teasing You Excerpt
“How was your night last night? Did you have dinner with Chloe?”
She nodded. “I did and it was…interesting.”
“Oh?”
“We sort of had a bit of a disagreement—something we haven’t done in ages—and we ended up talking until after midnight and then I made her sleep over because I knew she was tired.”
“What was the disagreement about?” When he noticed the small frown, he backpedaled. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
She took a sip of her wine before resting her head on his shoulder. “Chloe and I are total opposites. She’s the cheery one and I’m the ragey one.”
Laughing softly, he asked, “Ragey one?”
Nodding, she explained, “Definitely. Chloe tends to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and is a people pleaser whereas I am the one who gets mad, gets even first, and doesn’t give a damn what other people think. I’ve gotten myself into more than my share of trouble by lashing out before I think things through. It’s a terrible trait.”
You’re telling me…
“Anyway, we were talking and I got…well…bitchy with her and she called me out on it. And trust me, Chloe never calls anyone out on their behavior. So for her to do that to me, I knew I’d screwed up. But not before I stormed off to my room, slamming the door and everything. Ugh…it was awful.”
Now he desperately wanted to know what they were discussing, because if it had to do with the fire and maybe Ashlynn having something to do with it…
“Anyway,” she went on, “we worked it all out and it was a good night.”
“Oh, well…that’s great.” He took a sip of his own wine. “And what about today? Anything exciting going on?”
“Well, I’ve quit the coffee shop because I don’t want anyone coming in and giving Jade grief about me being there until all this Lavish Locks stuff is cleared up,” she said firmly, her head still on his shoulder. “Billie got off at noon today and we looked at all kinds of equipment for the salon and met with the general contractor who is going to be doing the bulk of the renovations on the shop. We had to walk through the space with him and tell him where we plan on putting everything. The architect should have plans for us next week.”
Twisting slightly, he kissed the top of her head. “That sounds very exciting.”
“It is.”
But he couldn’t tell by the tone of her voice.
Which is what he said to her.
“I’m just…” She sighed. “I’m just waiting for something bad to happen. Like every time I step outside, I’m waiting for Becky to be waiting there or for the cops to be there to arrest me.” Another sigh. “Honestly, Reid, I still can’t believe she’s trying to pin the fire on me.”
Then she straightened and her expression was full of hope.
“You can help clear me, can’t you? You can work with the inspectors or whoever it is heading up the investigation and tell them that I’m innocent, right?”
He didn’t respond right away and he watched helplessly as her expression fell.
“My captain knows you and I are dating so he’s already made it abundantly clear that I can’t be objective,” he said solemnly. “I tried talking to him last night, but…”
Holding up her hand, she put some space between them. “I get it,” she said quietly. “I don’t like it, but I understand. I’m sorry that you got put in the middle of this and it was wrong of me to even ask you to try to step in.”
There was a slight tremor in her voice and Reid took the wine from her hand and placed both their glasses on the coffee table before gently pulling her into his arms. “If it were up to me, there wouldn’t be any investigation and I certainly wouldn’t be standing by and only taking the word of one person.”
She pulled back again and looked up at him. “Is that what they’re doing? Are they simply taking her word on this and not even looking into this?” Now her voice was nearing hysteria and he knew he needed to put her mind at ease.
“Ash, no one would do something like that. Ever. It’s not ethical and it’s not the way the department works. They’re going to investigate this until they know exactly how and where the fire started.”
Then he maneuvered her back into his embrace.
“It’s not fair,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“This should be a great time for me and it’s not. I should be celebrating, and I can’t.”
He felt completely conflicted and helpless all at the same time.
“Tell me what you need, Ashlynn. I know I can’t go in and help with the investigation, but…tell me what I can do to make you feel better.”
She was quiet for a minute before she tilted her head back again and looked at him. “You’re here and we have the entire night and all day tomorrow together. I know you’re tired, but…maybe we can go inside and…you know…fool around a little before we order dinner? I missed you last night and…”
He didn’t let her finish.
He was kissing her—devouring her—because he’d missed her too. But more than anything, he was frustrated and angry at the situation and needed to just shut the world out for a little while just like she did.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her into his bedroom. Once she was on the bed, he stood and peeled his shirt off and smiled sexily down at her. “Take your clothes off, Ash,” he said gruffly and smiled even wider when she did.
It was hard to say who stripped faster; all he knew was it was practically in the blink of an eye that he was joining her on the bed and kissing her again. Her warm, silky limbs wrapped around him as she pressed closer and he loved the feel of her skin against his. It was both calming and a complete turn on.
Her hands went right to his hair as she forced him to look at her. “Take me, Reid. Take me now. Hard.”
“Sweetheart, that was already the plan,” he murmured before kissing her again.
It was hard and fast and he could feel all the anger and need in her that mirrored his own. Sex wasn’t the solution for what was going on in their lives, but it sure as hell worked as a great distraction.
And right now, that was all he could ask for.
She nodded. “I did and it was…interesting.”
“Oh?”
“We sort of had a bit of a disagreement—something we haven’t done in ages—and we ended up talking until after midnight and then I made her sleep over because I knew she was tired.”
“What was the disagreement about?” When he noticed the small frown, he backpedaled. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
She took a sip of her wine before resting her head on his shoulder. “Chloe and I are total opposites. She’s the cheery one and I’m the ragey one.”
Laughing softly, he asked, “Ragey one?”
Nodding, she explained, “Definitely. Chloe tends to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and is a people pleaser whereas I am the one who gets mad, gets even first, and doesn’t give a damn what other people think. I’ve gotten myself into more than my share of trouble by lashing out before I think things through. It’s a terrible trait.”
You’re telling me…
“Anyway, we were talking and I got…well…bitchy with her and she called me out on it. And trust me, Chloe never calls anyone out on their behavior. So for her to do that to me, I knew I’d screwed up. But not before I stormed off to my room, slamming the door and everything. Ugh…it was awful.”
Now he desperately wanted to know what they were discussing, because if it had to do with the fire and maybe Ashlynn having something to do with it…
“Anyway,” she went on, “we worked it all out and it was a good night.”
“Oh, well…that’s great.” He took a sip of his own wine. “And what about today? Anything exciting going on?”
“Well, I’ve quit the coffee shop because I don’t want anyone coming in and giving Jade grief about me being there until all this Lavish Locks stuff is cleared up,” she said firmly, her head still on his shoulder. “Billie got off at noon today and we looked at all kinds of equipment for the salon and met with the general contractor who is going to be doing the bulk of the renovations on the shop. We had to walk through the space with him and tell him where we plan on putting everything. The architect should have plans for us next week.”
Twisting slightly, he kissed the top of her head. “That sounds very exciting.”
“It is.”
But he couldn’t tell by the tone of her voice.
Which is what he said to her.
“I’m just…” She sighed. “I’m just waiting for something bad to happen. Like every time I step outside, I’m waiting for Becky to be waiting there or for the cops to be there to arrest me.” Another sigh. “Honestly, Reid, I still can’t believe she’s trying to pin the fire on me.”
Then she straightened and her expression was full of hope.
“You can help clear me, can’t you? You can work with the inspectors or whoever it is heading up the investigation and tell them that I’m innocent, right?”
He didn’t respond right away and he watched helplessly as her expression fell.
“My captain knows you and I are dating so he’s already made it abundantly clear that I can’t be objective,” he said solemnly. “I tried talking to him last night, but…”
Holding up her hand, she put some space between them. “I get it,” she said quietly. “I don’t like it, but I understand. I’m sorry that you got put in the middle of this and it was wrong of me to even ask you to try to step in.”
There was a slight tremor in her voice and Reid took the wine from her hand and placed both their glasses on the coffee table before gently pulling her into his arms. “If it were up to me, there wouldn’t be any investigation and I certainly wouldn’t be standing by and only taking the word of one person.”
She pulled back again and looked up at him. “Is that what they’re doing? Are they simply taking her word on this and not even looking into this?” Now her voice was nearing hysteria and he knew he needed to put her mind at ease.
“Ash, no one would do something like that. Ever. It’s not ethical and it’s not the way the department works. They’re going to investigate this until they know exactly how and where the fire started.”
Then he maneuvered her back into his embrace.
“It’s not fair,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“This should be a great time for me and it’s not. I should be celebrating, and I can’t.”
He felt completely conflicted and helpless all at the same time.
“Tell me what you need, Ashlynn. I know I can’t go in and help with the investigation, but…tell me what I can do to make you feel better.”
She was quiet for a minute before she tilted her head back again and looked at him. “You’re here and we have the entire night and all day tomorrow together. I know you’re tired, but…maybe we can go inside and…you know…fool around a little before we order dinner? I missed you last night and…”
He didn’t let her finish.
He was kissing her—devouring her—because he’d missed her too. But more than anything, he was frustrated and angry at the situation and needed to just shut the world out for a little while just like she did.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her into his bedroom. Once she was on the bed, he stood and peeled his shirt off and smiled sexily down at her. “Take your clothes off, Ash,” he said gruffly and smiled even wider when she did.
It was hard to say who stripped faster; all he knew was it was practically in the blink of an eye that he was joining her on the bed and kissing her again. Her warm, silky limbs wrapped around him as she pressed closer and he loved the feel of her skin against his. It was both calming and a complete turn on.
Her hands went right to his hair as she forced him to look at her. “Take me, Reid. Take me now. Hard.”
“Sweetheart, that was already the plan,” he murmured before kissing her again.
It was hard and fast and he could feel all the anger and need in her that mirrored his own. Sex wasn’t the solution for what was going on in their lives, but it sure as hell worked as a great distraction.
And right now, that was all he could ask for.
Wanting You Excerpt
“Is everything okay?”
He hesitated for a moment. “I wanted to throw something out there, and if I’m being too presumptuous, please let me know.”
“O-kay…”
“We have dinner reservations tonight at seven up at Summit Ridge, but…I was wondering if you might…I mean…I just thought…”
“Tanner?”
“Hmm?”
“Just say what you want to say.”
After letting out a long breath, he looked at her, his expression serious. “I thought maybe we could…reserve a suite for the night,” he said gruffly. “Maybe it’s too soon, and the last thing I want to do is pressure you, but…”
“Let’s do it!” she blurted out. “I mean…the room. Let’s reserve a room. I think that would be a wonderful thing to do! Can we check in before our dinner reservation? Would that be enough time? Ooh…do you think we could order room service in the morning?” Pausing, she laughed softly. “Sorry, but I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Moving in close, Tanner rested his hands on her hips. “Beautiful girl, we can order room service for dinner if you’d like and then again for breakfast.”
Her eyes went wide and her heart raced because this sounded like the best thing ever.
And not really because of the room service, but because it meant a whole lot of time alone with Tanner, where neither of them had to leave at the end of the night.
“I’m going to go home and pack right now,” she said before giving him a quick kiss. “Wait…what if they don’t have any rooms available? What if…?”
Pulling his phone out, Tanner scrolled a bit and then put the phone to his ear. “Yes, good afternoon,” he said smoothly. “I was curious if you have any suites available tonight?” He paused and smiled at her. “You do? Fantastic!” Another pause. “Westyn. Tanner Westyn.” Then he hummed happily. “That’s me! I used to compete.” And yet another pause. “Well, thank you! That would be incredibly generous of you!” He gave Chloe a thumbs up. “Oh, one night or two?”
He looked at her for an answer and she decided to be bold. “Two,” she whispered.
“Two nights, Micah. Thank you so much and we’ll see you soon.” After another minute of conversation, he hung up. “Well, Miss Donovan, you and I will be staying in one of Summit Ridge’s VIP suites this weekend. Pack your bathing suit because our suite comes with a hot tub.” Then he wrapped his arms around her. “Or maybe don’t. Because it’s super private and we don’t have to wear anything at all.”
Don’t look nervous…don’t look nervous…
But clearly, she looked nervous, because Tanner completely backtracked.
“I mean…again, no pressure. Sorry. That was just…ugh…I got carried away. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. No worries,” he assured her.
Reaching up, Chloe cupped his jaw. “Let’s just see where the weekend takes us, okay?” Then, with another quick kiss, she stepped out of his embrace and began collecting her things. “How much time do I have before you want to pick me up?”
“Will an hour be enough? It’s already almost 4:30, and by the time we get home and pack and I come pick you up, it will be almost 5:45. Our dinner reservation is at seven, so…”
“An hour is perfect,” she told him. “Come on! This is going to be a great weekend!”
That’s what she kept telling herself as they walked out of the school and she got in her car.
Then she panicked and immediately called Ash.
“Hey! Any chance you have time to come to the salon? I just had a cancelation and you’re due for a trim.”
“There is literally no time for that!” she said in a near hysterical tone. “I’m going away for the weekend with Tanner and it all sounded like a good idea, but…I’ve never gone on a sexy getaway before! Every time Evan suggested one, I chickened out!”
“Wait, so you’re going on a sexy getaway? When did this happen?”
“Just now! Jeez, Ash, come on! Pay attention!” she huffed with annoyance. “We had dinner reservations up at the lodge and then Tanner suggested that maybe we get a suite for tonight. Then he called and because everyone there seems to know his name, they got us one of the VIP suites with a hot tub for the weekend! I don’t even have sexy underwear! What am I supposed to do?”
“Well, first you have to breathe. Second, I’ll meet you at your house in thirty minutes and…”
“Tanner’s picking me up in an hour! There’s no time!” And yeah, she was on the verge of hyperventilating.
“Okay, I’m already in my car. Just go home and start packing and stop freaking out. I’ll be there as fast as I can!” Then the line went dead and Chloe knew her sister was right. She needed to stop freaking out and go home and get herself ready.
“Still doesn’t make sexy underwear magically appear in my drawers,” she mumbled, but drove home with a little more calmness than she had a few minutes ago.
Once at her house, she ran inside and took the world’s fastest—and yet extremely thorough—shower. Then, with her hair in a towel and in nothing but her robe, she began rummaging through her closet for what she was going to pack. She’d already picked out the dress she was going to wear to dinner and it was hanging on the closet door; now, she just needed at least two casual outfits, another dress for dinner tomorrow night, and something to wear to bed.
Or do I?
“I’m here! I’m here!” Ashlynn called out as she slammed the front door. They always had keys to each other’s places, and Chloe was glad to have her barging in right now. Running into the bedroom with an armload of stuff, she breathlessly dumped it all on the bed. “I bought stuff to quickly do your hair, and I had just ordered a bunch of sexy lingerie that I haven’t worn and they still have the tags on them, but you can pick out whatever you like! Whew…” Bending over slightly, she nodded. “It’s okay to call me a hero. Because I am.”
“Good grief, Ash! Again, there’s no time!”
WANTING YOU - coming 5/21!!
Amazon: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Amazon
Apple: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Apple
Barnes & Noble: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Nook
Kobo: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Kobo
Google Play: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Google
He hesitated for a moment. “I wanted to throw something out there, and if I’m being too presumptuous, please let me know.”
“O-kay…”
“We have dinner reservations tonight at seven up at Summit Ridge, but…I was wondering if you might…I mean…I just thought…”
“Tanner?”
“Hmm?”
“Just say what you want to say.”
After letting out a long breath, he looked at her, his expression serious. “I thought maybe we could…reserve a suite for the night,” he said gruffly. “Maybe it’s too soon, and the last thing I want to do is pressure you, but…”
“Let’s do it!” she blurted out. “I mean…the room. Let’s reserve a room. I think that would be a wonderful thing to do! Can we check in before our dinner reservation? Would that be enough time? Ooh…do you think we could order room service in the morning?” Pausing, she laughed softly. “Sorry, but I’ve always wanted to do that.”
Moving in close, Tanner rested his hands on her hips. “Beautiful girl, we can order room service for dinner if you’d like and then again for breakfast.”
Her eyes went wide and her heart raced because this sounded like the best thing ever.
And not really because of the room service, but because it meant a whole lot of time alone with Tanner, where neither of them had to leave at the end of the night.
“I’m going to go home and pack right now,” she said before giving him a quick kiss. “Wait…what if they don’t have any rooms available? What if…?”
Pulling his phone out, Tanner scrolled a bit and then put the phone to his ear. “Yes, good afternoon,” he said smoothly. “I was curious if you have any suites available tonight?” He paused and smiled at her. “You do? Fantastic!” Another pause. “Westyn. Tanner Westyn.” Then he hummed happily. “That’s me! I used to compete.” And yet another pause. “Well, thank you! That would be incredibly generous of you!” He gave Chloe a thumbs up. “Oh, one night or two?”
He looked at her for an answer and she decided to be bold. “Two,” she whispered.
“Two nights, Micah. Thank you so much and we’ll see you soon.” After another minute of conversation, he hung up. “Well, Miss Donovan, you and I will be staying in one of Summit Ridge’s VIP suites this weekend. Pack your bathing suit because our suite comes with a hot tub.” Then he wrapped his arms around her. “Or maybe don’t. Because it’s super private and we don’t have to wear anything at all.”
Don’t look nervous…don’t look nervous…
But clearly, she looked nervous, because Tanner completely backtracked.
“I mean…again, no pressure. Sorry. That was just…ugh…I got carried away. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. No worries,” he assured her.
Reaching up, Chloe cupped his jaw. “Let’s just see where the weekend takes us, okay?” Then, with another quick kiss, she stepped out of his embrace and began collecting her things. “How much time do I have before you want to pick me up?”
“Will an hour be enough? It’s already almost 4:30, and by the time we get home and pack and I come pick you up, it will be almost 5:45. Our dinner reservation is at seven, so…”
“An hour is perfect,” she told him. “Come on! This is going to be a great weekend!”
That’s what she kept telling herself as they walked out of the school and she got in her car.
Then she panicked and immediately called Ash.
“Hey! Any chance you have time to come to the salon? I just had a cancelation and you’re due for a trim.”
“There is literally no time for that!” she said in a near hysterical tone. “I’m going away for the weekend with Tanner and it all sounded like a good idea, but…I’ve never gone on a sexy getaway before! Every time Evan suggested one, I chickened out!”
“Wait, so you’re going on a sexy getaway? When did this happen?”
“Just now! Jeez, Ash, come on! Pay attention!” she huffed with annoyance. “We had dinner reservations up at the lodge and then Tanner suggested that maybe we get a suite for tonight. Then he called and because everyone there seems to know his name, they got us one of the VIP suites with a hot tub for the weekend! I don’t even have sexy underwear! What am I supposed to do?”
“Well, first you have to breathe. Second, I’ll meet you at your house in thirty minutes and…”
“Tanner’s picking me up in an hour! There’s no time!” And yeah, she was on the verge of hyperventilating.
“Okay, I’m already in my car. Just go home and start packing and stop freaking out. I’ll be there as fast as I can!” Then the line went dead and Chloe knew her sister was right. She needed to stop freaking out and go home and get herself ready.
“Still doesn’t make sexy underwear magically appear in my drawers,” she mumbled, but drove home with a little more calmness than she had a few minutes ago.
Once at her house, she ran inside and took the world’s fastest—and yet extremely thorough—shower. Then, with her hair in a towel and in nothing but her robe, she began rummaging through her closet for what she was going to pack. She’d already picked out the dress she was going to wear to dinner and it was hanging on the closet door; now, she just needed at least two casual outfits, another dress for dinner tomorrow night, and something to wear to bed.
Or do I?
“I’m here! I’m here!” Ashlynn called out as she slammed the front door. They always had keys to each other’s places, and Chloe was glad to have her barging in right now. Running into the bedroom with an armload of stuff, she breathlessly dumped it all on the bed. “I bought stuff to quickly do your hair, and I had just ordered a bunch of sexy lingerie that I haven’t worn and they still have the tags on them, but you can pick out whatever you like! Whew…” Bending over slightly, she nodded. “It’s okay to call me a hero. Because I am.”
“Good grief, Ash! Again, there’s no time!”
WANTING YOU - coming 5/21!!
Amazon: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Amazon
Apple: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Apple
Barnes & Noble: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Nook
Kobo: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Kobo
Google Play: https://geni.us/WantingYou-Google
