A billionaire’s mission to bring hockey to Seattle clashes with his passion for the woman who holds his heart. Ethan Parker, a billionaire determined to bring professional hockey to Seattle, will stop at nothing to realize his dream. After signing an agreement to purchase another city's team, Ethan plans to make the move to Seattle, but a gag order by the League forces him to keep the sale a secret until the season ends, leaving him no choice but to go undercover as a consultant to study his team during the playoffs. Lauren Schneider, Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Giants hockey team, gets no respect from the team's testosterone-loaded staff. So when Ethan bursts onto the scene, full of charm and genuinely interested in her opinions, she shares the team's weaknesses and discovers a weakness of her own--for Ethan. But when his true identity is revealed, and he starts cleaning house based on her unwitting input, his betrayal cuts deeply on both a professional and personal level. Bound by an employment contract, Lauren reluctantly moves to Seattle to work for the newly christened Seattle Sockeyes and her sexy, infuriating boss. Lauren and Ethan must come to terms with their passions--for the team, for hockey, and for each other. Will their situation build a frozen wall between them, or will their love burn hot enough to melt the ice shielding their hearts? Available now for preorder on: Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/464459 Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/skating-on-thin-ice-jami-davenport/1120060019?ean=2940046081855 Author Bio: USA Today Bestselling Author Jami Davenport is an advocate of happy endings and writes sexy contemporary and sports romances, including her two new indie endeavors: the Game On in Seattle Series and the Madrona Island Series. Jami's new releases consistently rank in the top fifty on the sports romance and sports genre lists on Amazon, and she has hit the Amazon top hundred authors list in both contemporary romance and genre fiction multiple times. Jami lives on a small farm near Puget Sound with her Green Beret-turned-plumber husband, a Newfoundland cross with a tennis ball fetish, a prince disguised as an orange tabby cat, and an opinionated Hanoverian mare. Jami works in IT for her day job and is a former high school business teacher. She's a lifetime Seahawks and Mariners fan and is waiting for the day professional hockey comes to Seattle. An avid boater, Jami has spent countless hours in the San Juan Islands, a common setting in her books. In her opinion, it's the most beautiful place on earth. Subscribe to my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/LpfaL Website Address: http://www.jamidavenport.com Twitter Address: @jamidavenport Facebook Address: http://www.facebook.com/jamidavenport Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jamidavenport/ Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1637218.Jami_Davenport
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Ali Rain Sometimes I think to myself, “How did I get here?” Then the pain hits and I remember…it’s because she’s gone. I now live in a new town, go to a new school, and I’m supposed to be moving on with my new life. Only, I no longer know who I am anymore. Dancing is all I have left and every day I feel completely alone. Silence has become the theme song to my life. She said to find some joy and light, but I don’t know how. Mostly, I feel surrounded in darkness…that is until I meet him.Drew Hale I have only one goal, in 298 days I’m going to drive away from this small beach town and never return. People are always watching me closely, too close, and I’m tired of wearing a mask. I need to be free. Swimming is my ticket out of here and I remind myself daily to fly under the radar, stick to my routine, and under no circumstances let anything distract me. I’m not as perfect as they think, most days I am drowning in guilt. I’m not sure I will ever be able to escape the feelings of shame, worthlessness, and just being unwanted…that is until I meet her.
a Rafflecopter giveaway I was once asked to give a three minute presentation describing who I am and here’s what I came up with… Over ten years ago my husband and I were driving from Chicago to Tampa and somewhere in Kentucky I remember seeing a billboard that was all black with five white words, “I do, therefore I am!” I’m certain that it was a Nike ad, but for me I found this to be completely profound. Take running for example. Most will say that a runner is someone who runs five days a week and runs under a ten minute mile pace. Well, I can tell you that I never run five days a week and on my best days my pace is an eleven minute mile. I have run six half marathons and one full marathon. No matter what anyone says, I am a runner. I do, therefore I am. I’ve taken this same thought and applied it to so many areas of my life: cooking, gardening, quilting, and yes…writing. I may not be culinary trained, but I love to cook and my family and friends loves to eat my food. I cook, therefore I am a chef! My thumb is not black. I love to grow herbs, tomatoes, roses, and lavender. I garden, therefore I am a gardener! Title: Troianne Author: Crystal Miles GauthierRelease Date: August 3, 2014Blog Tour: September 26th-30thHosted By: Author Sandra Love He said all the right things... Then left her alone. Troianne Shelden is your everyday, intelligent student. With a love for history and stunning figure, she's a catch for any guy. But after a night of passion with a handsome stranger, introduced to her by their mutual friends, she finds herself pregnant with nowhere to turn for advice. Her parents passed away long ago and, soon after Troianne finds out she's pregnant, her grandmother passes, too. Left with a large inheritance, she looks forward to life with her new baby. Fate takes the wheel when she goes into labor. On her way to the hospital, she passes out from intense pain and wakes up in a very different place... The next thing she knows, she's hearing carriage wheels and voice shouting for help. Lightning illuminates the inside of what was, only moments before, the back of a taxi cab. When the door opens, she's greeted by a handsome man dressed like he stepped out of the past. In shock, she realizes that she's somehow traveled back in time-- ...and she has no idea how to return. http://www.amazon.com/Troianne-Time-Travel-Society-Book-ebook/dp/B00ME04M4Ehttp://www.amazon.co.uk/Troianne-Time-Travel-Society-Book-ebook/dp/B00ME04M4E Crystal Miles Gauthier lives with her husband, Joe, and her two lively cats in the lovely city of Lansing, Michigan. A mother of five children and thirteen grandchildren, Crystal enjoys reading, crocheting, writing, traveling, and is a supporter of saving wolves and sea turtles. My very first book was Angel Unaware by Dale Evans. I usually write sitting with my laptop in my recliner Twitter: @cubbymom0403 Email: [email protected] Pinterest: Crysmisty9133 Instagram: Crysmisty9133 Short Link: www.amzn.to/VwhUw7 . Title: Forever & More (#2 in the Friend Zone Series)Author: Tabetha ThompsonRelease Date: September 29Genre: Contemporary RomanceHosted by Author Liaisons♦Synopsis♦ It’s a time for new beginnings, a time for change, but things don’t always go as planned. How do you pick up the pieces of your heart and move on when you can't find them all? Chloe recovers from her physical injuries, but does that mean she's healed? How much longer can Skye sit back and watch the only woman he loves slowly kill herself? Lines are crossed and souls are shattered, but when you have faith in those you love, nothing is completely lost. Happily ever after's come to those who work for it. It’s not something that is handed out freely. For it to be worth something, you have to earn it.♦About the Author♦ About me? Huh well what can I say. I'm a twenty-nine-year-old stay at home mother of two beautiful girls and I have the opportunity to share my stories with you… My children are amazing. There isn’t a day that goes by that they don’t challenge my husband and I or make us laugh and feel loved. Growing up the way I did, I never wanted kids, but they’re here and I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world for. God has truly blessed my family and me. My husband Bill is the levelheaded one; he’s always so calm and logical, whereas I'm the loud-mouthed spaz that doesn’t know when to shut up. He was my saving grace in a time when I really needed one. I honestly believe he is my gift from God. He’s everything I've ever wanted: smart, kind, loving, PATIENT, (lord knows he needs it living with me) and so very supportive! I'm a firm believer in going through life’s tragedies and blessings so that you can become the person you were meant to be. Writing has always been a hidden passion of mine and I am so thankful that I finally have the opportunity to share my stories with you.♦Social Media Links♦ FaceBook ♦ Twitter ♦ Website ♦ Instagram ♦ Goodreads Purchase More Than Friends (Friend Zone Book 1) Title: Phoenix Rising Author: Elise Faber Release Date: October 7th Publisher: Blue Tulip PublishingFor Daughtry a simple brush of skin is devastating, the most innocent touch floods her mind with images of death. After months of isolating herself from everyone and everything she’d ever known, a chance encounter with a man from her past brings her hope for the first time since the visions began. But that hope comes with a price: the pursuit of vicious enemies who would force her to use her ability to manipulate death for their own gain. In an instant her entire world changes and instead of hiding from her life, Daughtry has to fight for the freedom to live it. But with the fight comes the opportunity to recognize her power’s full potential and maybe, just maybe, a chance to find her true love. Daughtry frowned both at the tone and the words. “But your magic. I’ve seen it. It’s—” “Uncontrollable. Dangerous. Unreliable.” He turned his head away. “I’m a menace in the field. A liability.” She could almost see the quotation marks. That was something he’d heard many times over. A small seed of something grew in her heart. Affection, perhaps more. But she wasn’t ready to admit it, even to herself. Instead, she said the only thing she could think of. “You saved my life. I’d take that kind of liability any day.” She reached over and clasped his hand. “Thank you.” She rose on tiptoe to press a kiss against his cheek. Gratitude that he trusted her enough to share the truth, to expose his vulnerable underbelly, filled her, bolstering the hope in her soul. She stepped back. He, seemingly ill-content with her gesture, swooped down and took her lips. A blaze of heat swelled inside her, threatening to melt her spine. Despite moonlighting as a zookeeper and then a dog trainer, Elise decided that the only mammals she wanted to work with were her dark and sexy heroes and heroines. She inherited her love of reading from her mother and grandmother who dutifully kept stacks of romances where her teenaged fingers could easily pilfer them. She lives in Northern California with her three dogs, two energetic (read crazy) boys, and her awesome (see prior comment) husband. Title: Twin Reasoning Series: Pool Boys #1 Author: Dee Avila Release Date: October 6, 2014 Synopsis Sloan Smith built a wall around his broken heart. After his ex-girlfriend crushed him, he threw himself into the only thing that mattered: his future. Sloan’s life consisted of two things: the gym and sleep. The discipline it took to build his physique and push himself further than ever was worth it. Until his twin brother Sebastian presented him with a job, he couldn’t refuse. The money he would make with Divine Services would help him enter as many Body Building competitions as he could and help him reach his goal of being on stage in Vegas, sooner. Katelynn Ashton, the only girl he cared about, couldn’t have chosen a worse time to admit her feelings for him. No matter how Sloan felt about her, he wouldn’t start a relationship with her while he was a Pool Boy. Author Bio Author Links Giveaway CAMRYN CROSS series COVER REVEAL RELEASE DATES: October 20th, November 10th, November 24th Camryn Cross is not human. But she doesnât know what she is. Not yet. The world is falling apart and her only escape is Camp Silverlake where she frequently stayed as a child. But Camrynâs summers werenât filled with crafting and swimming, they were spent learning combat skills and how to protect herself from the outside world. Now she must return to Camp Silverlake to learn the truth, about who she is and sheâll discover the secret hidden within her blood. A secret that could save them all. ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/Camryn1 Camryn Cross is not human. But her best friend Kiley is. Theyâre stuck, they canât leave Silverlake without possibly being killed. Or Kiley could become one of the Sick. She could die. But Silverlake isnât safe for her either. The Cured donât want her there. The sickness could use her to mutate the virus again. She could kill them all. Camryn could be the key to saving them. ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/Camryn2 Camryn Cross is not human. But she will fight to protect those who are. Kiley is her best friend. And now thereâs Finn. Finn with his blue eyes, and his long eyelashes. Finn makes Camrynâs heart stop. She has to decide to not stop for him though. The Sick are coming and if they get inside the walls of Silverlake war will be inevitable. Death is everywhere. ADD TO YOUR GOODREADS TBR PILE: http://bit.ly/Camryn3 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Brina Courtney is a young adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies. She's spent the last few years as an elementary teacher and a high school cheering coach. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very loud, small dogs. You can find her on her website, http://brinacourtney.blogspot.com/ or on Twitter, @brinacourtney. Twitter: https://twitter.com/brinacourtney Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brina-Courtney/e/B0073X9KRQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1402683149&sr=1-1 Ending Unusual (Rylee Everley Series #4) S.M. Knowles Rylee and Brock are finally a couple, but fate may have other plans for them as Chance declares his true feelings for Rylee. Now she is faced with making a decision she never thought she would need to make while trying to save her friends. In the process, Rylee learns some new tricks and skills she never knew she had, but it comes with a price. An invisible gelatin wall, a haunting dream about her father, Adysin’s plans, and Rylee’s feelings play against her in this final installment. As another student disappears, will they be able to find her and finally end the coven? Or will Rylee end up losing everything by trying to save those she loves? Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1vo3ziz Have't started the Rylee Everly Series Yet? With tears and a tight hug, Rylee Everley’s dad left for Afghanistan with the Army Reserve. Since his deployment, her mom has been distant, her sisters are constantly fighting, and Rylee, at only thirteen years old, has to be the glue to keep them together. While her mother stays locked in her room, Rylee has been forced into the role of parent. Now, two years later, a freak accident involving a bus at school promises to restore some normality to her family. In spite of not knowing how their father is, her mother is happy and her sisters don’t seem to fight as much as they used to. Rylee herself is seeing more of her friends and is even trying to sort out her own feelings about Brock Parker. However, something dark threatens to disrupt that normality for personal gain, and that darkness is willing to break every rule to get what it wants. Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1uOF10L About the Author S.M. Knowles was born in Elmira, New York where she was swept away in a whirlwind to the Land of Oz--Independence, Kansas. Her parents were relocating for working opportunities and decided that this would be the perfect place to start new roots. Little did she know that this place would contribute to the inspiration for the first book she wrote in her Rylee Everley Series. While growing up, S.M. would travel the roads around her house while imagining she was somewhere else. Her imagination would take her everywhere, making the long hot summer days seem shorter throughout her fantasies. At the age of twelve, she decided to write her first book. Filled mostly with dialog, she filled up one-hundred pages, front and back. After taking the book downstairs to show her mom, and persuading her to buy her more paper, she excitedly ran back to her room. As she barreled through the door, S.M. tripped over items left on her floor, and her papers came raining down in her room. Discouraged, she stood there in tears, picking up her papers and throwing them in the trash. Her work had no organization, no numbers on her pages, just a child fulfilling a joy that she would put down and not pick up again. When she became older, she joined the military for something different. In that time, she was able to explore many places and even met her husband in Iraq. After coming home, she started her family in Arizona and went back to school, earning a Master's degree in Adult Education and Training. Title: Where We Belong Author: K.L. Grayson Genre: Adult Romance Publish Date: September 23, 2014 Cover Photographer: Tess J Photography Cover Designer: Wicked by Design Organized by Literati Author Services Inc. SynopsisRegret . . . she's a snarky little bitch. I’ve tried several times to regret the events that took place on June 5, 2008, but for the life of me, I can’t. I'd never regret the pain, the suffering, or the heartache because they ultimately led me to the place I am now. And I can’t regret the place I am now. What I still can't figure out is this: how is it possible that the single worst day of my life inadvertently became the very best day? Five years ago my life was irrevocably changed. Seventeen minutes was all it took— to lose my best friend… to lose the love of my life… Seventeen minutes was all it took for the seeds of hope—the seeds of my future—to be planted in the worst possible way. My name is Harley Thompson, and this is my story.ProloguePrologue Harley “Holy shit that burns!”I crinkle my nose up at the fire the tequila leaves behind. “Pussy.” Quinn laughs, handing me a lemon and popping one in her mouth. Flipping her off, I swivel in my seat, watching all of the sweaty bodies fight for attention on the dance floor. Adam Levine’s seductive voice croons through the speakers, and I sway to the beat. My eyes wander over to the pool table, landing on Ty. Reaching up, he runs his fingers through his shaggy, brown hair and laughs at something someone says. His dimples take root, and his smile lights up his face. I tilt my head to the side, a deep sigh rushing from my lips. Ty. We’re friends. Best friends. That’s it. Tyson and I grew up together. Literally. Our mothers have been best friends since the day my family moved in next door to his when I was the ripe age of twelve months. Not only did we learn how to walk together, we went to preschool together, learned how to drive together, we even had our first after school detention together. Tonight, we are celebrating because this morning, we graduated from college together. Me, with a degree in nursing, and Ty with his bachelor’s in biology, Pre-Med. Quinn nudges my shoulder. “You love him. You need to tell him or you’re going to regret it.” She thinks she’s helping, but in all reality she is only making me wish for things that I most certainly should not be wishing for. “Quinn,” I say, raising my glass to the server with a quick nod, letting her know I want another. “It’s complicated.” She shakes her head with a sarcastic laugh. “Only because you’re making it. Why you two are in the friend zone is beyond me.” The server sets down another round of shots. “Shut up and drink. To friends!” Raising my glass I tap it against hers, and down the shot. My head spins, signaling the beginning of a nice buzz. I wasn’t planning on getting drunk tonight, but after the bomb Tyson dropped on me a couple of hours ago, I need this. Tyson is standing in the doorway to my bedroom, his hands tucked deep in his pockets. He looks off to the side. “Harley, we need to talk.” His voice is pained. He hasn’t made a move to come in. I can tell I’m not going to like this. My heart drops into the pit of my stomach. I can feel it in my bones–something is off. “Okaaaay, shoot.” I train my eyes on the suitcase in front me and pull out clothes. He reaches for me, but I turn away and stuff some T-shirts in my drawer. “Moving back home is going to take some getting used to,” I murmur. “A lot can change when you go away to college for four years,” he says, running his hand down the back of his neck. “Yes, it does.” Opening the closet door, I stare into the dark, empty space. “I’m definitely finding a place of my own soon. Right after I find a job.” “Brit and I decided not to stay at Wash U for medical school,” he blurts. “She wants to be closer to her family.” Ty wipes his hands on his jeans and fidgets as he sits on my bed. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Ty shifts toward me, reaching for my hand. This time, I don’t pull away. “Please look at me, Harley. I want you to understand what I’m saying.” I blow out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and stare at my suitcase for a few more seconds before I look up. “Doesn’t Brit’s family live in New York?” “They do.” He nods. “As soon as she told me she wanted to be near them, we applied to the medical school at Columbia, and we’ve both been accepted. We, um, we leave next week.” “What?” I gasp, jumping up, my eyes nearly popping out of my head. “You can’t be serious.” My voice rises with each word. “Just like that?” I shake my head, refusing to accept this. “You’re just going to up and leave?” I shove a drawer closed harder than I intend, causing the mirror to shake violently. “One week? That’s it?” Tears gather in my eyes and I look away, blinking rapidly to keep them at bay. I will not cry. I will not cry. “I’m sorry, Harley,” Tyson’s voice cracks. “I didn’t know how to tell you.” He sighs heavily, dropping his head. “I didn’t want to tell you.” His hands shake in his lap, and some of my anger dissipates. The magnetic pull we’ve always had draws me closer to him. My fingers itch to dive into his hair and pull him against me. To comfort him. To comfort me. Something . . . anything to slow down whatever storm he’s battling . . . but I don’t. “Wow,” I whisper, sitting on the bed next to him. “I’m not really sure what to say.” I look up, and our eyes meet in the mirror. “Is this what you want? I mean, she isn’t pressuring you to do this. Right?” He shakes his head slowly. “No, she isn’t.” I reach over and grab his hand, entwining my fingers with his, and he squeezes his eyes shut with the contact. “She’s my future, Harley,” he says, looking up. “This is my future. Please tell me you understand.” He clutches my hand, a silent plea for me to accept the path he’s chosen. Don’t go. Stay. Don’t do this. “Of course,” I whisper, my heart breaking at the lie. Unable to hold back the tears, I let them fall silently down my cheeks. My mind yells at me to say or do something to make him stay. “Earth to Harley,” Quinn says, nudging me out of the emotional wrecking ball that was my morning. I glance over at the pool table again. Tyson’s arm hangs loosely around Brit’s neck. Her arms are wrapped tightly around his body.Me. That should be me. I watch as he wraps her perfectly straight blonde hair around his hand and tugs hers beautifully sculpted face up to his. He leans down, placing a gentle kiss on her pouty lips and when she smiles, I swear, I’m blinded by her sparkling blue eyes. I, on the other hand, was cursed with an unruly brown rat’s nest on top of my head and a pair of mossy green eyes with a tiny button nose. Side by side, we are the princess and the frog. I may be exaggerating a bit. I’m cute, or so I’ve been told, but Brit is every man’s dream. She can have any guy she wants, but she wants Tyson–my Tyson. I sigh as he pulls her in closer. And he wants her, too. I hate her. My relationship with Brit is rocky at best. She’s frequently upset with the amount of time that Ty and I spend together. Despite our reassurances that we’re just friends, she doesn’t buy it. On more than one occasion, she has tried to convince him that I was harboring secret feelings for him. She went as far as to accuse me of using our friendship as an excuse to spend extra time with him. Tyson never believed her, but she was right. I do have feelings for Ty. I’ve loved that boy since I was nine years old. The minute he punched Jimmy Tallen in the nose for calling me ugly, my heart belonged to him. Telling him about my feelings never seemed like an option. He never seemed to be into me, and I wasn’t willing to risk losing our friendship. So I sat back, watching quietly as he dated girl after girl. I nursed his broken hearts and encouraged him to get back on the dating wagon, as any good friend would do. Then Brit literally stumbled into our lives, and everything changed. I didn’t like it at all. Tyson used to know everything about me. He knew all of my secrets, lies, and insecurities. But that isn’t the case anymore. He doesn’t know my biggest secret. He doesn’t know that I’m in love with him. Something happened when he told me he was moving. I’m not sure what it was, but a puzzle piece was put into place and everything became crystal clear. I had to tell him. He can’t leave without knowing the truth. I’ve always been able to predict how Tyson will react to things, but I honestly have no idea how he is going to respond to this. “One more shot,” I say, raising my glass to Quinn. Her lips curl in a devious smile. “Someone is getting brave.” “I need all the liquid courage I can get.” We tap and chug. “It’s about damn time.” She has been trying to get me to confess my undying love to Ty for the past four years. My head spins when I move to stand, but it’s not because I’m drunk. Confrontations have never been my strong suit. Not that I’m going to confront Ty in a bad way, but still. On unsteady legs, I make my way across the bar. Ty is playing pool with Levi and Cooper, his college roommates. This is the perfect time to approach him since Brit is standing at an adjacent table talking to some of her friends. I would prefer her to not be present for this conversation. Levi greets my intrusion with a hug. “Hello, gorgeous.” His hand roams down the small of my back, and I smack it away playfully. Poking his chest, I give him a firm look. “No ass grabbing tonight,” I scold. I lean against the back wall as Cooper sweeps the table and that’s my cue. Wasting no time, I kick off the wall and approach Ty. “Hey, got a sec?” He cocks his head to the side, giving me a lopsided grin that makes my insides melt and my knees wobble. “Anything for you, you know that.” Taking a deep cleansing breath, I calm my nerves. “Can we step outside? Maybe somewhere a little more quiet?” Tyson purses his lips, tilting his head to the side, but he doesn’t protest. Instead, he places his hand at the small of my back and steers me toward the side door. “I think there are some tables outside in the back,” he says quietly. I nod once and continue for the exit. Tyson opens the door and a warm rush of hot air greets us. I look around, not finding any tables. Ty guides me to the right and toward the back of the building where we spot some picnic tables, while I give myself a silent pep talk. You can do it. What’s the worse that could happen? Don’t forget to breathe. We come to a stop by a table and I grab Ty’s arm, preventing him from sitting. “I think you’re going to want to stand for this.” I know him all too well and I’m sure that within the next two minutes he’ll be pacing like a bull. “Okay. You’re starting to make me nervous, Harley. Is everything okay?” He runs his hands through his hair, giving it that I-just-had-wild-monkey-sex look, and then he shoves them both into his pockets. I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. It’s now or never. “I love you.” Smiling sweetly, he replies, “I love you, too.” I shake my head, pinning him with my stare, trying to convey just how much my feelings have morphed from friendship into something more. “No. I love you, love you, Ty.” At first he just looks at me, and I’m not completely sure he understands what I’m saying. But then I see it. Acceptance, relief, and fear flash quickly through his eyes before they settle on me. Written all over his face is the one thing that makes this all worth it: love. Pure love. My body sags with relief. This was the right move. My small bubble of hope is quickly popped as Tyson’s expression changes. His face turns cold. His eyebrows narrow. He shakes his head slowly. He looks over at me and then stares at the ground, clenching his fists. When his eyes land back on mine, the love that I saw a second ago is gone. But it was there. I saw the adoration in his eyes. “Don’t leave. Please don’t leave,” I beg. My voice is panicky. Desperation takes over. I cling to his arms, trying to get him to look at me, but he shrugs me away. “Stay. Please stay. Stay here with me. I love you.” My words rush out, tumbling over each other. I just can’t stop them. “I know you’re my best friend, but I love you. I’m in love with you. I want to be with you, Ty. Give me a chance…give us a chance.” I reach slowly for his hand, needing to make some sort of contact, but he pushes me away. With his fingers tightly laced together, he places his hands on his head and paces in circles. “I know I’m asking a lot,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “I should have told you a long time ago, but I didn’t, and I can’t change that now.” Tyson keep walking in circles, clenching and unclenching his fists. I take a hesitant step toward him. “I know that this is incredibly selfish of me. I know I’m asking you to give up everything but—” “I can’t believe this is happening,” he interrupts. I don’t respond because I’m not given the chance. “How long, Harley? How long have you felt like this?” “Years.” “Years?” he asks incredulously, his eyebrows arched. I nod my head, swallowing hard, suppressing the tears threatening to fall. His head drops down. His voice is quiet but full of curiosity. “Why now, Harley? Why not a year ago, a month ago, or hell, a week ago? Why now?” “Because I was scared. You’re too important to me, Ty. ” My voice cracks when I say his name and a fat tear streaks down my cheek. “I didn’t want to risk our friendship. I didn’t want to lose everything we have if you didn’t feel the same way.” I squeeze my eyes shut and hang my head in regret. I should have told him sooner, but I’ve come this far and I’m sure as hell not giving up now. Wiping away the wetness under my eyes, I step in Ty’s path, preventing further pacing. “Would it have mattered? If I would have told you a year ago, a month ago, or a week ago . . . would it have mattered?” His eyes are downcast, and his lips are tilted in a frown. My chest tightens. My hand twitches, wanting to touch him, but I don’t. “Yes,” he whispers, looking up at me. “It would have mattered.” “Then it matters now!” I snap. “If it would have mattered then, then it matters now. We can do this, Ty. You just have to take the chance. Please take the chance. Please,” I beg. His emotions shift once again as anger and resentment visibly overtake the sadness. Reaching for his head, Ty grips his hair tightly and a deep growl rips from his throat. “Damn it, Harley.” His voice is low and hard. My eyes widen in shock at the menacing glare he shoots at me. “What the fuck do you want me to say to that? You’re doing this because I told you I’m leaving. Do you realize what you’re asking? You’re asking me to uproot my entire life. Do you know the work it took to transfer medical schools? And what about Brit?” His mouth parts and a look of horror overcomes his features. “Brit,” he mumbles to himself. “Fuuuuuck. Brit was right.” He begins to mumble. I’m not sure if he is talking to himself or to me, but his words are like a punch to the gut. “Brit told me you had feelings for me. I didn’t listen. I defended you. I mean . . . I had hoped you did, but I didn’t know. I told her she was wrong and that she was just jealous.” He looks up at me, eyes wide with shock. “But she was right. My god! All those times I left her to spend time with you . . .” His words drop off but quickly resume. “I told her there was no way you felt that way about me because you’re my best friend.” He stops pacing and turns to face me, but his eyes are trained on the ground. Silence consumes us. Tension fills the air. “Ty, say something please,” I whisper. “Please tell me what you’re thinking. You’re my best friend, and I know you feel like I’m just throwing this at—” “But you are,” he interrupts loudly. “You are just throwing this at me, Harley!” I grip my hands tightly in front of me, wringing my fingers together in pure desperation. My heart slams in my chest. I know he feels the same way. He loves me. I saw it in his eyes. I just have to convince him that this is right. I wait patiently for him to continue, but when his hard gaze lands on me, my hope vanishes into thin air. My heart plummets to the ground. His lips are set in a firm line, and his eyebrows are dipped low in disappointment. “I’m with Brit,” he states firmly. “And I’m not going to hurt her; I can’t.” He shakes his head. “She hasn’t done anything to deserve that…to deserve this,” he says, waving his hand between the two of us. The pacing continues, back and forth in front of me until he finally removes his hands from his hair and places them on his hips. He turns to face me. There is a finality in his eyes that causes my resolve to crumble. I throw a hand up to my mouth, but I can’t stop the sob that slips out. “Harley . . .” He trails off; his eyes are searching mine, for what, I’m not sure. “Harley, I can’t do this. I’m sorry, but I just can’t.” He pauses again, taking a second to sit down on the table. Placing his elbows on his knees, he bends forward and lowers his head. His voice is so soft that I almost don’t hear his final words. “We need to step back and take a break. From our friendship, Harley . . . We need to take a step back from our friendship.” I cry, and my body trembles. “No.” My hands shake, and my mind works furiously to find a way to fix this. “No,” I repeat desperately. “We don’t need to take a step back. We need to move forward.” I crouch down in front of Ty and grip his fisted hands in mine. “Please give me a chance. I know you’re scared, but I promise, you won’t regret it; you won’t regret me.” My eyes flicker across his face, pleading with him to take this leap. He exhales loudly and raises his face. “I can’t believe you’re doing this to me. To Brit. Now. When I’m supposed to be moving to New York in a week. A fucking week, Harley!” Standing abruptly, his eyes lock onto something over my left shoulder, but I can’t tear my eyes away from him to find out what it is. “I can’t do this. I won’t do it.” His voice is laced with decisiveness and a cold shiver of realization trembles through me. “I’m leaving next week for New York. With Brit. It’s best for my relationship with her if you and I don’t talk . . . at least not until I can sort through all of this in my head.” His words hit me like a knife to the chest. He can’t mean that. He’s just shocked. “We can’t be friends?” I hiccup, gripping my chest where I’m sure there’s a gaping whole from his words. “Please don’t do this. Please, Ty! I’m sorry.” I grab his arm, forcing him to face me. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me, forget I said anything. I can’t lose you, I won’t lose you.” My tears fall freely. I’ve stopped wiping them away; there’s just no point. I startle when I hear someone behind me clear their throat. I turn slowly and find myself face-to-face with Brit. I’m not sure how long she’s been standing there, but based on the look on her face, I’d say she pretty much knows what’s going on. Ty moves to walk around me, and I quickly grab his wrist. “Please Ty,” I whisper. Gently removing my hand, he reaches for Brit, entwining his fingers with hers. Without a glance back, they walk in the door. Slumping down onto the picnic table, I close my eyes, praying that this was all a bad dream and I just have to wake up. Realistically, I know it’s not, but there is always that small window of time right after something horrible happens that you feel like if you hope and pray hard enough you can actually rewind time and undo the damage. I grip my hair tightly at the scalp and watch as my tears cascade off of my face and hit the table below. I’m not sure how long I sit but eventually I get up and pace the alley behind the bar, trying to wrap my head around everything that just happened. What on earth have I done? He can’t seriously end our friendship. He can’t really walk away. There is way too much history for him to do that. Right? A gravelly slurred voice interrupts my thoughts. “Harley? That you?” The hair on the back of my neck stands up and I squint through my tears, trying to see who the drunken voice belongs to. Relief washes over me at the familiar face. I try to respond, but a deep sob comes out instead. He moves to my side quickly. “You’re crying,” he says, putting a comforting hand to my back. “Please don’t cry.” I normally wouldn’t get this close to someone who isn’t Tyson or Quinn, but right now I need the familiarity. I need the comfort that he offers, and in a desperate move, I wrap my arms around his middle, bury my face in his chest, and cry like I’ve never done before. The stench of smoke deeply rooted in his shirt fills my nostrils and the stale odor of liquor makes me sick as he whispers calming words in my ear. I should be worried. I’ve heard that he’s gotten into some heavier drugs recently, but I know I’m safe. We stand there for several minutes, neither of us saying a word. His body sways slightly to the left. I grip him tightly to steady his balance and raise my face to his. “Are you okay?” His red-rimmed , glossy eyes lock onto mine, but he doesn’t respond. I watch his expression change. A shiver runs up my spine as goose bumps take over my body. “Are you okay?” I repeat, trying to keep the fear out of my voice. Loosening my grip, I attempt to step back, but his arms tighten around me. “You always smelled so good,” he slurs, eyes roaming my face. His hand slides up my back and to my neck. He wraps his fingers around my hair and tugs, forcing my head to snap back. Leaning into me, he runs his nose up the side of my neck and my stomach churns. “I would have given you anything. But I wasn’t good enough for you, was I?” I don’t respond and he yanks my hair again, causing my back to arch. “Was I?” he seethes. I’ve never been in a situation where I feel legitimately uncomfortable in the presence of another human being, but right here . . . in this second . . . I am terrified. Adrenalin courses through my body. My heart slams violently in my chest and my muscles tense as terror washes through me. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut. A sharp pain rips through my scalp. My face smacks the ground, and a metallic taste fills my mouth. Please God. Please let me survive this. Buy LinksAbout the AuthorK.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palm of six dirty little hands, and when the days is over and those six little hands have been washed and tucked into bed . . . and the stars align, you can find K.L. typing away furiously on her computer. K.L. has a love for alpha males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings . . . and not particularly in that order.Connect with K.L.Facebook | Goodreads | TwitterGiveawayTwo Signed Books and One Twenty Dollar Gift Card Title: Surrender Author: Jennifer Burrows Genre: Romantic thrillers/Suspense ADD TO GOODREADS: Katherine Anderson was living a dream life. She came from an influential family, had a successful career as a food critic, and was about to marry the man of her dreams. Her life suddenly takes a change for the worse when she finds her fiancé in the arms of another woman. Her dream wedding now cancelled, she tries to find herself in Italy, on a trip she was supposed to be taking as the just married Mrs. Michael Gibbons. Massimo "Tony" Bertalucci has had his life destroyed by a cartel known to be trafficking black market olive oil out of Italy and around the world. While the cartel thought the entire Bertalucci family was dead and buried, Tony remains very much alive and determined to find a way to get his life back. When Tony and Katherine’s worlds collide, she is Tony’s only hope of escaping Italy alive. What Katherine doesn’t realize is that this charming, unassuming Italian man is using her to save his own life. Will she be able to get back to the states safely, or will she be subjected to the same fate as Tony's family? Will Tony find a way to stop running? Or will he have to surrender his life to the cartel? I was born and raised in Southern California. I received my Master’s Degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills. I have worked in nursing for over fifteen years. I have worked in multiple areas of nursing. However, my passion is for emergency medicine. Oh the stories I can tell. My passion wasn’t always nursing. When I started college, I wanted to be a writer. However, I had a teacher that made me less then happy about writing and I chose to go into nursing. Since then, I have always had stories in my head that I wanted to put on paper but never found the time. I married my wonderful husband whom I met while working in the intensive care unit. We have three active and amazing boys that consistently keep me on my toes. We spend a lot of time watching the boys baseball games, snowboarding in Mammoth, and watching the oldest son play high school football. I happen to be the photographer for his team and I spend a lot of time on the field! So with all of the activities in my life, where do I find the time to write? Needless to say, I am an insomniac. When I am not up in the middle of the night reading, I get up about five in the morning and start writing. Most days, this gives me an hour and a half to write as much as I can. During the summer months, I am blessed with a lighter schedule and more time to put my thoughts to paper. ****FOLLOW THE AUTHOR**** |
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August 2016
CategoriesAmber's bookshelf: read
by M. Clarke
One amazing book. What can I say? Emotions were up and down throughout the book. This is one I would highly recommend. I loved the book.
At first I felt uncomfortable with the book only because these types of things always make me feel that way, but once I got further into I just loved it. I couldn't put it down. I honestly finished it in one day that is how I couldn't pu...
I was surprised at the ages of the characters, but it didn't stop me from enjoying a great book. I felt actually with the characters, like I could feel what they were going through, their emotions and things. It was very entertaining as ...
This book was amazing. It pulled me in right from the beginning and held me. My emotions throughout reading ran wild. I can't wait for more by Kathryn Crane.
I was hooked from the beginning. I couldn't put it down. I loved it.
Angela Fattig does it again. Another wonderful read. I couldn't put it down from beginning to end. I loved it.
When I was reading I thought something was missing. I haven't figured it out. It could be that I haven't read the others in the series, but I don't think that was it. Other than that it was a great read and I recommend it for anyone look...
by J.D. Rivera
Right from the beginning to the very end I didn't want to put it down. I know I say this about a lot of books, but this one is one that I never wanted to put down. This is a must read on my list!
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