R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 90

B@@K REVEAL: Limey Bastard by Skye Callahan

Limey Bastard
Skye Callahan
Publication date: July 18th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

One year of post-doctorate research separates me from the career that will get me the heck out of Rhode Island and away from my obtrusive parents.

I expected Dr. Greyson Bedford, a sexy British professor from Oxford University, to upend life on campus, but I didn’t expect him to do the same with my heart.

Despite his persistence, I keep to myself, but when a migraine strikes at work and I have no one else to turn to, he gives me something unexpected: a connection I haven’t felt in years. His touch opens a conduit to my past and the accident that almost robbed me of my dreams.

I swore I’d never let anything get in my way again, especially a brash heartthrob who will return to England at the end of the school year.

I had a plan. Not the best laid plan, but one semester with him changes everything.

Limey Bastard is a standalone story inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s British Bedmate with appearances from Simon, Bridget, and family.

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Author Bio:

"Skye's writing takes darkness and gives it spice and romance." ~ Pepper Winters, NYT Bestselling Author

A Top 25 Romantic Suspense Author on AmazonBestselling author on Amazon, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble

Named a Rising Star in Romance by iBooks in 2015, bestselling author Skye Callahan uses fiction to explore the darker aspects of human nature and the resiliency needed to survive. Prior to pursuing writing full-time, Skye earned M.A. in History and participated in numerous local history projects including a full-length Civil War documentary for PBS. During grad school, a spark also rekindled her love of reading and writing fiction, and she's been living in a daydream ever since.

Skye's first romantic suspense Irrevocable was named a Top Read of 2014 by Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads, and continues to be a fan favorite.

If you want to know what Skye is working on next, head over to her website, skyecallahan.com, where you can also pick up a free ebook just for signing up to her mailing list. You can also connect with Skye on Facebook /SkyeCallahan, Twitter /Skye_Callahan, or Instagram /authorskyecallahan.

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BOOK BLITZ: A Shifter's Sin by Debbie Cassidy #GIVEAWAY

A Shifter’s Sin
Debbie Cassidy
(Wolves of Hawthorne Cove #1)
Publication date: June 3rd 2021
Genres: Adult, Reverse Harem, Romance, Urban Fantasy

A Lycan that can’t shift is no use to anyone.

I’ve made it my mission to be useful to my pack. As pack enforcer, I’m fast and strong, but when the time comes to bond with my mate, it isn’t enough.

Rejection means lone wolf status and isolation from the pack. But when a package arrives with an unexpected inheritance, the pack that wants to shun me, suddenly has a new use for me.

Turns out, I’m the proud owner of a house in mysterious territory, rumoured to be home to a pack of beautifully twisted shifters. Hawthorne Cove is Impregnable to Lycans, but not to a half human like me.

Now I have a second chance to be accepted by my pack.

All I have to do is infiltrate the Hawthorne pack, find the source of their power and steal it.

Easier said than done.

Because once I pass the mystical boundaries surrounding the town, I’ll be absolutely, and totally at the mercy of the wolves of Hawthorne Cove.

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Author Bio:

Debbie Cassidy lives in England, Bedfordshire, with her three kids and very supportive husband. Coffee and chocolate biscuits are her writing fuels of choice, and she is still working on getting that perfect tower of solitude built in her back garden. Obsessed with building new worlds and reading about them, she spends her spare time daydreaming and conversing with the characters in her head - in a totally non psychotic way of course. She writes Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and Reverse Harem Fantasy. All her books contain plenty of action, romance and twisty plots.

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B@@K REVEAL: Damaged Gods by JA Huss writing as KC Cross #GIVEAWAY

Damaged Gods
JA Huss writing as KC Cross
Publication date: July 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

If you’ve gotta be stuck in a curse with monsters—they might as well be sexy monsters.

When I answered an ad for a caretaker at Saint Mark’s Sanctuary I thought I’d be dusting chandeliers and polishing floors. I didn’t expect to be tricked into a curse, going in debt to a monster, and being forced to take a self-paced “Let’s Learn Magic” course so I can fix a two-thousand-year-old problem.

And that monster?Not your ordinary, everyday beast.He has hooves, and horns, and fur on his legs.But ya know where he doesn’t have fur?Yeah. There.Which is fine.Except he doesn’t wear pants.

Nothing at Saint Mark’s is exactly what it seems.The entire inside is magic, the hallways upstairs are nothing but parties from the past, and the super-hot guy who lives in the dungeon?Yeah.Not human.

My name is Pie and all I want is to be a normal girl with an average life.I refuse to get stuck in this curse.I refuse to learn magic to break it.And there is no way in hell I will fall in love with a monster.

Famous.Last.Words.

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IMPORTANT – Pre-orders from KOBO, Apple, and Nook will release a day early on July 26. Then the ebook will immediately be taken down to Damaged Gods can be enrolled into Kindle Unlimited on July 27. This book WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE ON AMAZON after July 27.

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Author Bio:

JA Huss is the New York Times Bestselling author of 321 and has been on the USA Today Bestseller's list 21 times in the past five years. She writes characters with heart, plots with twists, and perfect endings.

Her new sexy sci-fi romance and paranormal romance pen name is KC Cross and she writes novels and teleplays collaboratively with actor and screenwriter, Johnathan McClain.

Her books have sold millions of copies all over the world, the audio version of her semi-autobiographical book, Eighteen, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award and an Audie Award in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Her audiobook, Mr. Perfect, was nominated for a Voice Arts Award in 2017. Her audiobook, Taking Turns, was nominated for an Audie Award in 2018. Five of her book were optioned for a TV series by MGM television in 2018. And her book, Total Exposure, was nominated for a RITA Award in 2019.

She lives on a ranch in Central Colorado with her family.

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BOOK BLITZ: The Business Engagement by Kasi Blake #GIVEAWAY

The Business Engagement
Kasi Blake
(Boss of Seduction)
Publication date: May 22nd 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

One engagement can save two reputations… if they can keep their hands off each other.

When claustrophobic Anna gets trapped in an elevator with hunky Skylar, the last thing she expects is to exit an engaged woman. But Skylar insists tongues will stop wagging when people realize she is marrying him and not sleeping with her boss.

Skylar’s father (her boss) invites her to spend Thanksgiving weekend with his entire family in Vermont, and he won’t take no for an answer. She has no clue how she will get through four days under the same roof with the sexy, arrogant Skylar. Then she discovers they expect her to share a room with her fiancé. Now what?

With her job on the line, will she also be willing to risk her heart?

This book is a little STEAMY. if you don’t like that, you can skip those scenes and still enjoy the book. It isn’t erotica, so there isn’t much to skim over. But if you enjoy the love scenes, have at it.

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EXCERPT:

Then the trees parted to reveal a covered bridge. It reminded her of a movie she adored, a sweet love story that made her cry every single time she watched it. Skylar’s arm looped around her shoulders, and he pulled her close. She glanced around to see if they were being watched. The house wasn’t even in sight now.

He took her onto the bridge, stopped in the middle, and pointed out the peaceful water below. A problem with their plan surfaced in her mind. Although she didn’t want to intrude on his thoughts, he needed to know about the trouble waiting on the horizon for them.

“Your grandmother knows we’re lying,” she said.

He scoffed. “No, she doesn’t.”

“When she took me up to your room, she mentioned Clare.” Anna stopped talking when he stiffened beside her. His arm dropped from her shoulders. She rushed on. “I didn’t know who she was talking about.”

“You didn’t tell her that, did you?”

“She caught me off guard.”

Skylar placed his hands on the railing and leaned forward, tension bunching the muscles in his upper body. After a moment a short burst of laughter parted his lips. He took a step back and looked at her, smiling. “Grandma Dot is ninety, and everyone humors her even though we know she’s not as crazy as she acts. My parents let her get away with murder. Just ignore her.”

“What if she tells your mom or dad I didn’t know about Clare?”

“I don’t think they’ll be surprised.” He shrugged as his hands slid into the pockets of his faded jeans. “They know I don’t like to talk about… the past. My family has tried to get me to spill my guts a million times. If anything, they’ll just tell me I need to open up to you before the wedding.”

Anna nibbled on her lower lip for a second, knowing she was about to cross into dangerous territory, but unable to stop herself. “If we were engaged for real, I’d want to know about your first wife.”

“What if I don’t feel like sharing?” His eyes narrowed on her face, and he folded his arms. “Then what?”

“I’d try to get you to open up to me.”

“How would you try? What would you do?”

“I’d tell you that I loved you. But if you can’t trust me, I can’t be with you.”

Stunned expression, he shook his head as if to clear it. “You would break up with me just because I don’t want to tell you everything?”

Tears pricked the backs of her eyes as her insecurities came rushing forward. She reminded herself their relationship was fake. It felt real there for a moment as if they were having a real fight, and it actually hurt that he didn’t trust her enough to open up. But none of it was real. “Never mind.”

She spun around and marched back in the direction of the house, leaving him to follow or not. Part of her wanted to run, but if his family saw, they might start to suspect. Of course, she could always tell them she was mad that he wouldn’t share information about his first wife. He called after her, but she kept going. She should thank him for reminding her that relationships were too complicated, too painful. It was a hard yet necessary lesson to learn. Even though seeing happy couples in love squeezed her heart like a vice, she was better off concentrating on her career.

Author Bio:

Kasi Blake learned that writing was her superpower when she was in the third grade. The teacher asked the students to write a short (one-page) story about a pet monster for Halloween. She heard the other kids all saying they were doing vampires and werewolves, so she chose to write about a pet mummy. Her story made the entire classroom erupt with laughter. That's when she realized words had power. Then when she was in high school she had to write a short story for a class and put it off until the last minute. While talking to friends that morning, she scribbled it out and handed it in. The teacher thought she'd plagiarized it. That's how good he thought it was, but her friends backed her up. Later in college, her writing ability saved her from a bad grade in history. It was a writing-intensive course.

What's your superpower?

If you want to get her Newsletter for news, free stories, and fun, go to her website and find it under the Newsletter Form tab. http://KasiBlake.com

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BLEEDING SOULS SAVED BY LOVE! Axle's Darkness by Linzi Basset #NowLive

Axle's Darkness by Linzi Basset

I’m Axle Santiago, aka Rage, aka President of the Shadow Warriors of the Wicked Warrior MC New York Chapter. I rule with an iron fist and I don’t think twice to swing my chain when the need arises. If it connects and splatters brains on the tar, chances are, the bastard got what he deserved. Things are changing and with it comes new challenges.

Our territory was invaded by MC Demon Riders vying to overthrow our rule. They overstepped boundaries and when their VP had a hand in me being locked up… they declared war.

When I’m released two years later, the time for retribution has come.

Slick and the bitch by his side who betrayed me is going to pay. Lilian Calvert… the one who turned my soul dark two years ago and left it brooding in a dark cave, is going to feel the wrath of Rage. I’m going to take my revenge on her body and use her like she did me. I won’t be asking, and no amount of begging or wishes are going to change my mind.

Lilian and her lover are about to learn that Axle Santiago never makes promises he doesn’t keep. But even well laid out plans backfire. Something I learn during one magic midnight ride with her.

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Bleeding Souls Saved by Love!

BOOK BLITZ: Capturing the Texas Rancher's Heart by Debra Holt #GIVEAWAY

Capturing the Texas Rancher’s Heart
Debra Holt
(The Tremaynes of Texas, #1)
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: June 3rd 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

She thought she’d protected her heart…

After a tumultuous childhood, nurse Jamie Westmoreland craves the comfort of predictability. She loves her quiet life in a small Texas ranching town and finally feels in control until a handsome rancher becomes her newest patient. He challenges her at every turn, but Jamie is too stubborn to admit she enjoys their sparring, and that he makes her heart race. But when his charming little cowboy son starts following her around, her long-neglected heart opens.

Thomas Tremayne, the eldest son of a well-respected local ranching family, is both mom and dad to his young son and has no plans to change. When a ranch injury requires an in-house expert, the nurse who called him out on his attitude is sent to help him heal. She’s even harder to resist on his ranch than she was at the hospital, but Thomas is determined to try—except he’s out-numbered. His son decided he wants a mom, and nurse Jamie is his choice.

Can two stubborn adults let down their guard long enough to let love in again?

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EXCERPT:

She returned his silent gaze. Something passed between them. A mercurial, unseen vibration that was felt and unexplainable. A mournful howling of a coyote in the far distance broke the moment, sending her eyes in a frightened race to search out the unseen predator. Thomas felt every one of her nerve endings jump to attention beside him. He straightened his stance into one of immediate protection from some unforeseen menace.

“Relax. It’s just a coyote calling out. He’s far away and won’t come closer. There’s no danger.”

“There’s always danger…” she responded, but not di- rected at him and spoken just above a whisper. She turned and left him alone on the porch. Had he imagined the words? No, he heard them. Coupled with the look in her eyes that had flashed in a second, it left him questioning again what it was that lay hidden in those eyes. And why in that second had he been moved to want to discover and slay whatever real or imagined dragon that caused her pain? His gaze searched the growing darkness. There were answers out there somewhere. He was determined more than ever to find them.

Author Bio:

Born and raised in the Lone Star state of Texas, Debra grew up among horses, cowboys, wide open spaces, and real Texas Rangers. Pride in her state and ancestry knows no bounds and it is these heroes and heroines she loves to write about the most. She also draws upon a variety of life experiences including working with abused children, caring for baby animals at a major zoo, and planning high-end weddings (ah, romance!).Debra's real pride and joys, however, are her son, an aspiring film actor, and a daughter with aspirations to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (more story ideas!) When she isn't busy writing about tall Texans and feisty heroines, she can be found cheering on her Texas Tech Red Raiders, or heading off on another cruise adventure. She read her first romance...Janet Dailey's Fiesta San Antonio, over thirty years ago and became hooked on the genre. Writing contemporary western romances, is both her passion and dream come true, and she hopes her books will bring smiles...and sighs... to all who believe in happily-ever-afters.Debra invites you to visit her website at www.debraholtbooks.com. She loves to hear from other aspiring authors or readers via email at debraholtbooks@gmail.com.

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BOOK BLITZ: Endless by Kaylene Winter #GIVEAWAY

Endless
Kaylene Winter
(Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance Series, #1)
Publication date: May 18th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

She ripped out my heart…

My only dream is to escape my abusive childhood.Leading Less Than Zero to the top of the charts is my ticket out.Until Zoey Pearson gives me a new dream.And passion beyond anything I thought possible.Nothing prepared me for it to end. Abruptly. Definitively.My songs of heartbreak have made LTZ the biggest band in the universe.But nothing I do can make me forget her…

I let him go so he could follow his dreams…

My love of music led me to Ty.He’s a gorgeous, sweet rocker who was made just for me.The man he trusts most asked me to let him go.So I did and I’m having a hard time living with my decision.Now he’s the hottest rock star in the worldBecause of chart-topping songs that eviscerate me.Ty’s changed, he’s immersed in a life of excess and debauchery.I don’t recognize the man I can’t stop loving…

When fate throws us together eight years later, fireworks are explosive.But our hearts are still fragile.

Will Ty forgive Zoey for shattering his heart?Or will his past bad deeds come back to destroy her?

ENDLESS is a steamy, complicated, angsty, rollercoaster, delicious second chance romance… a coming of age journey spanning nearly a decade.

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EXCERPT:

I burrowed into my delicious rocker’s side, breathing in his manly scent, a mix of leather and grapefruit body wash. I reached up to carefully brush a long, chocolate-brown wave from Tyson’s full lips while he slept deeply. His long, silky hair cascaded over the pillow; his square jaw was covered with the beginnings of a beard because he hadn’t shaved in a few days. It made my sweet rocker look slightly dangerous. Gazing at the three small scars nearly hidden in his thick, dark eyebrows, I still couldn’t fathom how tough his childhood was and how anyone could hurt such a beautiful soul.

My breath hitched. I tried to memorize everything about him, to soak in every detail of my gorgeous man. I knew I was about to hurt him, and it destroyed me. When I traced my finger over a smattering of his rough stubble, he sighed in his sleep and pulled me in even closer. I held him tightly too, resting my head on his lithe but defined chest and gripped his hip, careful not to rouse him. I wished I could gaze into the pools of his deep-blue eyes one more time.

If only I didn’t have to leave him.

I was moving to Bellingham to embark upon my new normal, living with a roommate in a dorm and working toward my college degree in social services. Ty’s band departed for their first tour in a few hours, traveling cross-country in a small van for six months. Letting him sleep was important. It would be grueling enough spending long hours in such cramped quarters without the added weight of heartbreak. The least I could do was let him get some rest now.

So I laid for as long as I could against my love and listened to his heartbeat. My mind was a hamster wheel. Second-guessing. Third-guessing. Then—resolved. I had been asked by possibly the most influential person in his life to do something for Ty. For his future. As much as I didn’t want to, leaving him now was the right thing for me to do. But it didn’t make it any less devastating.

When my tears wet his chest, I knew it was time to go or I’d wake him. My heart seized in agony at the thought of never seeing him again. I wasn’t sure how I’d survive. Yet, I knew that I had to set him completely free, without any ties to me, so he could embrace his shot at fame.

Maybe someday Ty would understand why I left him.

Maybe someday he’d forgive me.

Author Bio:

When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990's, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.

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B@@K REVEAL: Heartbeat Girl by Michelle Gross

Heartbeat Girl: A vampire rock band romance
Michelle Gross
Publication date: December 5th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Desperate times call for daring measures.

At least that’s what I tell myself for packing up and hitting the road with America’s newest and most popular rock band, The Oppressors. The lanky tattooed men are suspicious. Before I stepped on the bus with them, they’ve always made me nervous.

Something’s not adding up, though. There are strange events I’m noticing around them.

The hazy, vacant stare of the woman in their dressing room.And the blood on her shirt.The beat less sound of Liam’s heart when I lay my head on his chest.

I don’t think it’s safe to be close with the band, and most certainly not fall in love with one. So why do they make me feel like I’m a part of them? Their close-knitted trio.

What happens when I figure out what I’m dying to know?

This is a dual POV steamy vampire romance standalone that centers around bonds of love and friendship. 18+ dark, explicit sexual scenes, and lots of blood.

Paranormal romance-18+++

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Author Bio:

Michelle is from a small town in Eastern Kentucky where possums try to blend in with the cats on the porch and bears are likely to chase your pets—this is very true, it happened with her sister’s dog. Despite the extra needed protection for your pets, she loves the mountains she calls home. She has a man and twin girls who are the light of her life and the reason she’s slightly crazy.As a kid, she was that cousin, that friend, that sister and daughter, the talker who could spin a tale and make-believe into any little thing so it was no surprise when she found love in reading, and figured all these characters inside her head needed an outlet. They wanted to be heard, so she wrote.The voices keep growing faster than she gets the time to write.The stories are never going to end. That’s perfectly okay, though. We never want to stop an adventure.She writes and loves many different genres so sign up to her mailing list to keep updated on her releases!

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BOOK BLITZ: When Heroes Fall by Giana Darling #GIVEAWAY

When Heroes Fall
Giana Darling
(Anti-Heroes in Love, #1)
Publication date: May 28th 2021
Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance

I am the villain of my own story…
Jilted by my fiance.A disappointment to my family.Haunted by my childhood traumas.I felt so much all my life that I resolved to feeling nothing at all.

Until I met my match.

As the most infamous mafioso of the 21st century, Dante Salvatore was madly passionate, unequivocally bad, and entirely too dangerous to know. He was everything I abhorred, yet I found myself representing him in the biggest criminal trial of the decade.

I was so focused on winning and achieving the success I deserved that I didn’t notice the gorgeous black-eyed man’s effect on me until it was too late. My icy heart had been held too close to his flame and now I wouldn’t let Dante go down without fighting with everything I had in me.

Even if the cost of a new life with him meant the loss of my old life and everything I thought I held dear.

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Author Bio:

Giana Darling is an USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Top 40 Amazon Best Selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man's bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her Golden Retriever puppy, Romeo.

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BOOK BLITZ: Opposites Attract by Jacqueline Lee #GIVEAWAY

Opposites Attract
Jacqueline Lee
Publication date: May 27th 2021
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Megan is nerdier than all of the characters on The Big Bang Theory combined. But it’s a fabulous form of revenge that the same traits she was tormented for in high school have helped her land her dream job as a science journalist in New York and her dream apartment with fellow nerd, Josh, who is potentially her dream guy. The only problem is Josh’s brother, Brandon, is constantly around blocking any attempts to create a romantic atmosphere. Megan nurses an oversized grudge against jocks due to a past traumatic experience. The fact that Brandon’s a professional football player whose new favorite sport is mocking her only increases her fantasies of feeding him to a giant carnivorous plant.

Brandon’s life might look perfect, but he’s got a massive hang-up about his intelligence, a hang-up which is aggravated by all the verbal sparring with Josh’s new roommate. Even worse, it appears Science Barbie is falling for his deeply closeted brother. Why does he care so much about preventing the impending disaster? But the more time he spends with Megan, the more he realizes the sparks between them have the potential to ignite into something amazing.

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EXCERPT:

Living with Josh is as great as I expected. We move from roommates to friends seamlessly over the next fortnight, and inside me there’s a little spark of hope that the next progression might happen just as naturally.

Unfortunately Josh shows no sign of being interested in me romantically. And trust me, I’ve been searching for signs more actively than UFO enthusiasts search the night sky. Because there is no way I’m going to put myself out there and risk all the potential awkwardness unless I’m absolutely certain my feelings are reciprocated.

One Saturday night we’re heading out the door together when Brandon arrives. I swear Brandon spends more time at our apartment than he does at his own. Josh seems to enjoy his company, so I’ve bitten back my complaints.

“We were just going to grab some frozen yogurt. You want to come?” Josh asks him.

Brandon flinches. “Probably not a good idea.”

I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. It’s not just that I want to spend time alone with Josh. Somehow, when Brandon’s around there’s always this weird tension buzzing between him and me, and not just when we’re trading insults. It’s like antimatter—one of those phenomena science can’t find an explanation for.

Josh ducks back into his room and emerges holding a red baseball cap and dark sunglasses. “Here.” He thrusts them at Brandon, who puts them on.

I raise an eyebrow. “Is there a reason why you’re dressing Brandon up like that even though it’s mid-January, forty degrees, and dark outside?”

“We’ve got to cover up Brandon’s beauty or the girls start mobbing him,” Josh says.

I roll my eyes. I have to concede, Brandon is male-model gorgeous. However it’s egotistical of him to assume that females can’t control themselves around him.

“Yeah, I understand. I struggle with the urge to mob Brandon daily.” My words are deep-fried in sarcasm.

“And yet you find the strength to resist,” Brandon says.

“It’s my superpower,” I reply.

We head into the elevator, also known as taking your life into your own hands. I swear the metallic groaning and creaking gets worse every time.

Brandon stands next to the door, and as I lean past to press the button I catch a hint of his cologne. He smells like a fresh mix of lemon and cedarwood, two of my favorite scents. I have to restrain myself from shuffling closer to him. After just mocking the idea of mobbing him, planting my nose on his skin might be slightly hypocritical.

We make it to Frozen Palace and I volunteer to queue up while Brandon finds a booth near the back and Josh heads to the bathroom.

I’m studying Frozen Palace’s poster that’s inviting me to suggest my own new flavor of yogurt, when a guy sidles up behind me.

“Excuse me, is that Brandon Seaton you just came in with?”

I turn to look at the guy. He’s the pure definition of a jock, in letterman jacket and jeans. His two friends standing beside him are dressed identically.

“Um…yeah.” My shoulders have hunched up automatically. I force myself to unclench.

“Oh, my God, I thought so.”

“Do you know him from somewhere?” I ask.

He gives me a weird look. “Yeah, I know him from football.”

“Oh, do you guys play on the same team?”

The guy’s look morphs into astonishment, and he starts to chuckle. “Yeah, sure we play on the same team. I’m the starting receiver, didn’t you know?”

He and his friends crack up laughing. Heat tracks up my cheeks. Jocks. I frigging hate them. Especially when I’m the butt of a joke I don’t understand.

And I really don’t understand what’s going on now, because as I collect our orders and weave my way back to the table it’s like I’ve stumbled into one of the sixth dimension’s alternative universes. I can hear Brandon’s name echoing around, like the walls are whispering it. I put the tray on the table with a thump.

Brandon looks at my face and frowns. He’s taken off his sunglasses but his cap remains in place. “What’s up?”

I don’t want to admit I’m hallucinating his name. I’m about to tell him I ran into his friend, when suddenly the friend turns up at our table.

“Sorry to disturb, but can I grab an autograph?” He thrusts a pen and napkin at Brandon.

My forehead wrinkles in confusion as Brandon puts on a smile. I know Brandon well enough to know it’s a fake smile. But he obediently picks up the pen and signs the napkin.

“Your friend wanted to know if we play on the same team,” the guy chortles.

Brandon glances at me. I give him a flat glare back.

“Yeah, she’s not really into football,” he says.

Sidling back in my seat while he talks to the idiot guy, I shield my phone from scrutiny while I google Brandon. What I read makes me swallow hard. Twice.

Right, so apparently there are some negatives about determinedly remaining ignorant about everything in the football universe.

Like not knowing your roommate’s brother is the FREAKING STARTING QUARTERBACK FOR THE NEW YORK GOLIATHS.

Author Bio:

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Jacqueline Lee is an award-winning romance author who writes stories with heart and humor. She loves writing characters who have fun with each other while building a deeper connection. Formerly a high school biology teacher, Jackie is living her own version of happily-ever-after with her husband and three children in New Zealand.

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