She believed she was too broken to stay.

He knew he loved her too much to ever let go.

Shaelyn was determined to set Garrett free after their lives were torn apart.

Garrett was just as determined to keep their marriage intact.

One tragedy shattered Shaelyn’s heart.

Another will break through her walls and remind her that each day is a gift.

On the way down, they spiraled apart.

On the way back, they’ll find that broken hearts still hold hope.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

USA Today Bestselling Author Ella Fox has learned a bunch of stuff along the way but the most important of all those things is that anything is possible when you try. In 2012 she took a big leap of faith and published her first book, Broken Hart. Since then she’s written fifteen more full-length books and several novellas– and every one is a reminder that you can live your dream as long as you work for it.

 

Ella’s favorite things are music, movies, traveling, The Foo Fighters and, of course, reading. This isn’t a surprise considering the fact that her mom is USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Halliday.

 

 

HOSTED BY:

SEDUCING THE BILLIONAIRE’S DAUGHTER by Marquita Valentine
Release Date: May 23rd
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44298037-seducing-the-billionaire-s-daughter

PREORDER NOW AVAILABLE!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2DAIhtH
Apple: https://apple.co/2IJ1ehP
Nook: http://bit.ly/2UT5d1Q
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2W530wQ

Blurb:
Despite the prestige of his last name, Sawyer Taggart clawed his way to the top. As the illegitimate son the Taggarts can no longer ignore, he wants what’s rightfully his–control of the security firm that’s worth billions. But first, he has to take out the competition.

London Montgomery refuses to use her last name to get ahead. As the only girl in the trio of billionaire Montgomery siblings, she’s a prime target for fortune hunters. To keep herself safe and please her family, she stays on the straight and narrow… until she meets Sawyer Taggart. No matter how many roadblocks she throws in his way, the darkly seductive businessman continues to ruthlessly pursue her.

Now London has to decide if she’ll risk it all to be with Sawyer, or choose a man her family approves of… In the meantime, you can read:
Seducing the Billionaire’s Wife
Seducing the Billionaire’s Brother

EXCERPT:
London smiled, fully charmed by him. Honestly, she shouldn’t be because the last thing she needed in her life was another man who thought he knew what was best for her. Which was exactly why she should cut and run.

“I think I’ll go home now. Maybe we can have another fun discussion about opposites attracting another time.”

“You’re attracted to me.” It wasn’t a question.

She blushed, but she refused to let her embarrassment keep her quiet. “You’re good looking, fun to talk to, and you rescued me tonight without demanding anything in return. That’s the ultimate trifecta of qualities a man should have.”

“Any man?”

“Any man who is interested in getting to know me,” she clarified.

His blue on blue eyes flashed. “I’m more than interested in getting to know you.”

About the Author:
Marquita Valentine is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance.

When she’s not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south.

Connect with Marquita:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarquitaValentine/
GoodReads: https://goo.gl/n84vKD
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marquitaval
Website: http://www.marquitavalentine.com
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2k1AUDl
Newsletter: https://goo.gl/3XFh3k
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marquita-valentine

We’re celebrating BRED by Ginger Scott! BRED is a coming-of-age romance inspired by Great Expectations you won’t want to miss!

Bred by Ginger Scott

BRED

A coming-of-age romance inspired by Great Expectations

By Ginger Scott

My life was irrevocably changed the moment I stepped foot inside Elena Alderman’s grand front doors. A lifeless tomb on the edge of Chicago’s South Side, the Alderman home sat in one of the city’s oldest and wealthiest neighborhoods, and Elena Alderman was the queen.

She was also mad.

Not the kind of madness that’s readily apparent. No, her psychopathy was far more surgical—more…insidious. She was surrounded by beautiful things—most notably her grand piano and her adopted son, Henry.

I fell in love with both.

(Copyright Ginger Scott, 2019)“You know this stuff…” he starts, but I interrupt with an emphatic shake of my head. When his fingers splay out over my back I freeze. I follow the path my book takes back to the place it started in front of me as Henry slides it in place, flipping open to the chapter I’m trying to memorize. Knelt down next to me, he leans closer, resting his right arm next to my left one—we are touching.

I swallow. I’m going to fail. I cannot memorize something like the varied historical degrees of differences between a Protestant hell and a Lutheran one while the master of all hotness is sharing a desktop with me. My arm hairs are literally electric, standing up and reaching to plant themselves in his skin. I’ve gone completely primal—my body convinced that I am the gatherer in need of this hunter.

“Look,” he says, leaning in even closer and reaching to flip the pages. I barely register the movement of his thumb under a bold section of words. When his eyes catch mine still stuck on his face, I jump in my seat a little.

“Sorry,” I say, clearing my throat. “I’m just overwhelmed. Maybe a little slow, too, from being in here so long.”

It’s partly true, but I’m also just crushing. Crushing—that’s what Nicki calls it. She rolls her eyes every time she catches me doing it too, then labels it with that word. I crush in the dining area. I crush between classes when Henry pokes my arm with his index finger as we pass in the halls. I crush when I watch him sprint across the lawn every day at three in the afternoon, late for rowing. It’s literally become how I know it’s three o’clock! My body just instinctually glides toward my window at exactly 2:59. Pathetic!

At this point, we should just say that I’m crushed rather than crushing. Crushed and utterly destroyed of all pride.

I am gatherer.
“What you need to do is make up a rhyme. Something that will help you keep all of the key words in your brain so when it comes time to write them down in order, you’ll have them there.”

I draw in my lips and let the acid climb up my throat.

“I don’t even understand that. Ugg, I’m hopeless,” I say, letting my head fall flat against the book. I bounce my forehead there lightly while I eke out a desperate laugh at my own expense.

“You aren’t hopeless.” I feel the warm breath from his chuckle and smell the mint of his gum, and it’s intoxicating enough without his touch, so when the warm hand slides the hair from my cheek I go full hypnosis. His fingers trace my jaw, and my head lifts from the light pressure of his hold. For a moment, I believe in myself just because of the look in his eyes when our stares meet. He’s dead serious—and God, the way he’s looking at me, hair all tousled, smile soft and true, cheeks lifted as if they’re glad to see me.

Like a drunk, I lean closer, my lips parting and ready—my mind imagining everything I’m about to feel—Henry’s mouth on mine, the graze of teeth against my lips, us standing as his arms sweep around my back before his hands rush up my spine into my own messy hair.

None of that happens.

I get an inch away from his mouth, my eyelids fluttering with nerves and uncertainty whether they should close or remain open, and Henry turns a few inches to his left, stiffening and backing away just enough to keep me from making this worse—as if I can make this worse somehow. The rush of heat that coats me isn’t from passion—it’s from humiliation. My eyes remain open just long enough to see the movement in his neck as he clears his throat. His soft smile is replaced with a hard line, drawn under the pity that slants his eyes.

I think I understand hell a little better now. It helps that I’m in it.

“I’m just tired. I…” Why I try to speak, I don’t know.

“It’s fine.” His voice is laced with discomfort. In one blink I erased everything that was easy between us. All because of my damn fantasies.

Fine. That word—so short, so four-lettered. Such a lie. I ruined everything.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 3.5 Stars

I was really excited to read Bred. I loved the idea that it is inspired by Great Expectations. But while I liked the story, I didn’t love the story. It was a really slow start for Lily and Henry, and it took me a while to really get into them as a couple. This isn’t so much a love story as it is a coming-of-age story for Lily.

I just couldn’t get past Elena’s machinations. She was cruel for no reason, and I hated the way she played both Lily ad Henry. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

 

 

 

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, The Hail Mary, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, A Boy Like You, A Girl Like Me, Memphis and Cry Baby.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she’s not writing, the odds are high that she’s somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork ’em, Devils).

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor

Twitter: @TheGingerScott

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott

Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

He likes a challenge…

Heartthrob, an all-new sexy and hilarious standalone from USA Today bestselling author Robin Bielman, is available now!

Here’s the deal: I’m the best center fielder in the major leagues. I’m also the guy who cost his team the championship game and acted very unsportsmanlike. So, when the team hires a social media manager to repair the damage to my reputation, I don’t argue. But then I meet Chloe Conrad, and I suddenly understand what people mean when they say they have an instant connection to someone. Which means I’m in serious trouble. Chloe’s a smart, sexy distraction I can’t afford, but one date can’t hurt, right? Only she turns me down. And just like that, it’s game on.

She’s sworn off love…

Finn Auprince is the hottest player in the major leagues. Look up “It Factor” in the dictionary and there’s his handsome face. He’s also my biggest client and I don’t care how easy it is to talk to him or how fun it is to manage his social media accounts, I will not give in to his charms. Then one drunken night, I tell him about my curse: all my previous boyfriends have found their soul mates while dating me. One more heartbreak, and I’ll never recover. But Finn doesn’t believe in curses—he believes in me. Professionally and personally. He sets out to prove the universe isn’t against me, and that his one true love isn’t waiting around the next corner.

The problem is…can we play the game of love and both come out on top?

Download your copy today!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2u5ZNRz

AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2tYDQn7

Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/Heartthrob

Nook: http://bit.ly/2ST678S

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2SVkxW9

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2VPvytT

Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2BRULMH

Excerpt:

“Smooth,”I say with a shake of my head. He no doubt compliments every woman he meets. “But overused.” I put out my palm. “Hand over your phone. I’ll take the picture.”

He looks like he’s ready to yank the sling off his arm and throw it across the parking lot, but instead he gives in to my request. I put the card down on the hood of my car and snap the photo. After checking to make sure it’s a clear shot, I say, “Would you mind letting me know the cost of fixing your car before we go through insurance companies? I may pay out of pocket.”I hate the idea of depleting my savings account, but it might be the better option in the long run.

“Sure.” His fingers brush mine when I give him his phone back, and a surge of heat charges up my arm. Our eyes lock. Hold. “I should also get your digits then—” he glances down at the photo “—Chloe Conrad.”

His saying my name shouldn’t make me weak in the knees, but it does. We’re no longer strangers, not that he’ll remember me or give me any thought beyond fixing his car.

I snag the phone back and type in my number. Then I call myself. My phone rings from the car. “Now I’ve got your number, too.” I never answer my phone if I don’t know who’s calling.

“Would you like a name to go along with it?”

“That’s okay.” I hand back the phone.

His blue eyes dance. “You already know it.”

“Why would I know it? Are you famous or something?” I turn to go before he can see the truth on my face. “I’ll wait to hear from you and uh, sorry about hitting you. I don’t think I said that.”

“No worries.”

I wish. Life isn’t exactly going to plan at the moment. At least my next job assignment should be easy. My boss said it was a perfect fit and I’d get the details on Monday.

“Oh, and Chloe?”

I pause before sliding into my car and look at Finn.

“Nice try.” He tips his head toward my front bumper and winks. Actually winks! Normally I find winking cheesy, but not when Finn does it. His wink is like a calling card for let’s get naked and run our hands and mouths all over each other.

Then it hits me. My license plate frame. It says Baseball…The Perfect Game. Shit. Can’t a girl catch a single break?

“See you around, Webster.”

No, he won’t. Not if I can help it.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

Heartthrob was all kinds of swoony, flirty, fun! I fell in love with Finn and Chloe from the moment of their meet-cute, when she hit him with her car.

Poor Chloe is convinced she’s romantically cursed. Every guy she meets falls in love with The One while dating her. While dating her! So when she’s paired up to manage baseball star Finn’s social media accounts and starts falling for the sexy injured player, she tries her hardest to protect her heart. But the more time she spends with Finn, the more she falls for him.

Meanwhile, Finn has his own battle. Baseball is his life, and while Chloe is a distraction during the off-season, he is determined to heal from his injury and be back at the top of his game. But life has other plans for both of them, and this is a swoony and heartfelt story as they figure out the ups and downs of their relationship and what it means to them to be together.

These characters were a delight. This book is all sorts of sweet and sexy, funny and flirty, and has an adorable puppy to boot! Robin Bielman has a great new series on her hands with the American Royalty series! I can’t wait to see what she has in store for the other Auprince brothers! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About Robin Bielman

Robin Bielman is the USA Today bestselling author of over fifteen novels. When not attached to her laptop, she loves to read, go to the beach, frequent coffee shops, and spend time with her husband and two sons.

Her fondness for swoon-worthy heroes who flirt and stumble upon the girl they can’t live without jumpstarts most of her story ideas. She writes with a steady stream of caffeine nearby and the best dog on the planet, Harry, by her side. She also dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. She dreams of traveling to faraway places and loves to connect with readers. Keep in touch at all of her social media spots!

Connect with Robin

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2HoeJSN

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2CggPAS

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2NUXRnI

BookBub: http://bit.ly/2XPxMez

GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2HmiJ6i

Stay up to date with Robin by joining her mailing list:

https://robinbielman.com

The Man I Can’t Have (The Ward Duet #1) by Shanora Williams
Release Date: May 9th
Photographer: Wong Sim
Model: Mitchell Wick
Cover Design by Cover It Designs

Add to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42922796-t-m-i-c-h

AVAILABLE NOW!!
FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2LqXsMv
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2Lp0WPi
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2DPjvpH
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2JiGsVZ

Blurb:
It started as a simple search for a landscape designer…

I wanted a beautiful backyard for my new home and my neighbors suggested I look into Ward Landscaping & Design.

The owner had no pictures of himself on his website, just a portfolio of nice outdoor sitting areas, pools, and vibrant gardens that I’d always dreamed of having.

Of course I hired him.

I expected to meet an average guy, but Mr. Marcel Ward is far from your average man. He’s handsome, and well-built, and his smile—though a rare trait—is truly infectious.
He’s every woman’s dream—a handsome, older man who doesn’t mind getting down and dirty to create something beautiful all because of his passion for it.

Unfortunately that lucky woman can’t be me.
Although Mr. Ward tests my limits, quickens my breath, and makes my heart skip a beat when he’s around, I’ve promised to devote myself to my husband.

So why am I falling for a man I know I can’t have?

What can you expect?

– An Alpha Hero (who is a bit of an asshole 😉 )
– Super Steamy Scenes
– An Adorable Beagle Puppy
– SOOO MUCH ANGST

Excerpt:
“Let me know if you need anything, Marcel.”

“Sure will, Gabby.”

I grab the door handle, but not without noticing the smirk on his face.

When I close the doors, I can’t help sneaking a peek as I put my tea back in the fridge. Mr. Ward—Marcel—is standing with a shovel in hand. He stabs it into the ground, leaving it standing upright, and then he crosses one arm over the other, reaches down for the hem of his shirt, and pulls it up, right over his head.

With the sun beaming directly on him, of course he stands out. His tan skin is unmarked minus one long scar right below his right rib. He’s sculpted but not bulky, almost like he does just as much cardio as lifting to get his lean, toned appearance. His abs lead down to a sharp vee that disappears beneath his belt buckle and jeans. A few hairs jump out from beneath the buckle as he grabs the handle of the shovel.

As he snatches the shovel out, he pauses midway. My eyes travel up to find his, and it’s then I realize I’ve been staring. He narrows his eyes a bit, but a smug smile lightly tugs at the corners of his lips.

“Oh, shit!”

I back away, bumping into the nearest counter edge. When I hear one of the men yell something, I look again, glad Marcel has moved away from the windows of the doors to tend to the person. I hurry back upstairs, and this time I don’t look back, even though a small part of me is dying to see those abs one more time.

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars

This book is intense! It’s a slow burn, and all kinds of forbidden. If there was ever a guilty pleasure, it’s The Man I Can’t Have. It will captivate you, leave you breathless, and wanting more. It’s a wonderfully written friends-to-lovers story. It had me so enthralled, that I didn’t even mind the cheating. I’m generally not a fan, but I was so taken by Gabby and Marcel’s story.

Things are not always as they appear!

And this story will end on a massive cliffhanger that is throwing-the-kindle worthy!

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About the Author:
Shanora Williams is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who loves writing about flawed heroes and resilient heroines. She is a believer that love outweighs all, but doesn’t have a problem making her characters fight for their happily ever after.She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and is the mother of two amazing boys, has a fiercely devoted and supportive husband, and is a sister to eleven.

When she isn’t writing, she’s spending time with her family, binge reading, or running marathons on Netflix while scarfing down chocolate chip cookies.

Connect w/Shanora:
Website: https://shanorawilliams.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanorawilliamsauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/shanora-williams
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6476392.Shanora_Williams
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Clyjvz
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/shanorawilliams
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reallyshanora
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ShanorasSweethearts/
Newsletter Signup: https://shanorawilliams.com/mailing-list/

Today we have the blog tour of IN OTHER WORDS by Jennifer Woodhull! Check it out and grab your copy now!

Title: IN OTHER WORDS

Author: Jennifer Woodhull

Genre: Romantic Comedy

About IN OTHER WORDS:

Dexter

We became close friends in college. When Sinclair returns home to Dallas after two years in New York, I introduce her to my best friend Cole. The good-looking playboy ballplayer is the perfect kind of guy for the woman I’m sure would never be interested in me…even if seeing them together breaks my heart.

Sinclair.

He was the nerdy PhD candidate. I was the cheerleader. We made unlikely friends. Moving back home after two years away, he looks hotter than ever. When I start dating his ballplayer best friend, things get complicated. He doesn’t see me as girlfriend material…but I can’t get him, or my feelings for him, out of my head.

Get Your Copy Today:

Amazon | iBooks | Google Play  | Barnes & Noble  | Kobo

Sunny Shelly’s Review: 4 Stars

In Other Words is an enjoyable secret crush/best friend’s romance inspired by Cyrano de Bergerac.

Dex and Clair have been best friends for years, and secretly in love with one another. She liked him log before nerdy Dex became a hot nerd. But neither of them ever acted on their feelings, and they have no idea the other feels the same way. Just when Clair is about to tell him how she really feels, Dex introduces her to his buddy and business partner, Cole. The pro baller sweeps Clair off her feet and it looks like she’s gotten her happily ever after with someone else.

Except she hasn’t. Clair never feels for Cole what she feels for Dex, as charming as he is and despite that he’s the perfect boyfriend. As it turns out, Cole has had some help in wooing Clair, with Dex literally whispering in his ear.

Everything changes between them when Dex finally tells Clair how he feels, just so he can move on. She can’t believe that he feels the same, and it prompts a breakup with Cole. But that’s not even the worst of it, because learning how Dex betrayed her may derail their relationship before it gets started.

These were likable characters, a cute storyline and a wonderful HEA foe the real couple. I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.

About the Author:

Jennifer Woodhull is an author of romance with lots of wit, plenty of heat, and lots of heart. She is known for writing immersive settings that take readers to a wide variety of locales around the world. Her heroines are funny, strong make bad decisions, and get in their own way sometimes before finding their path to happiness. Her heroes are driven, funny, sweet, and sometimes complicated. Jennifer lives in Tennessee with her real life book boyfriend and their yellow lab who can be more persuasive than any roguish villain when he’s after a snack. A lover of travel, Jennifer has been known to plot novels and write pages of dialogue on her phone from planes, trains, and automobiles (though not while driving, because safety first).

Jennifer’s works include her debut Promise Series, the breakout hit The Dating Alternative, and the funny, sexy summer release, Sour.

Connect with Jennifer:

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

Enter Jennifer’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We’re celebrating BRED by Ginger Scott! BRED is a coming-of-age romance inspired by Great Expectations you won’t want to miss!

Bred by Ginger Scott

BRED

A coming-of-age romance inspired by Great Expectations

By Ginger Scott

My life was irrevocably changed the moment I stepped foot inside Elena Alderman’s grand front doors. A lifeless tomb on the edge of Chicago’s South Side, the Alderman home sat in one of the city’s oldest and wealthiest neighborhoods, and Elena Alderman was the queen.

She was also mad.

Not the kind of madness that’s readily apparent. No, her psychopathy was far more surgical—more…insidious. She was surrounded by beautiful things—most notably her grand piano and her adopted son, Henry.

I fell in love with both.

(Copyright Ginger Scott, 2019)“You know this stuff…” he starts, but I interrupt with an emphatic shake of my head. When his fingers splay out over my back I freeze. I follow the path my book takes back to the place it started in front of me as Henry slides it in place, flipping open to the chapter I’m trying to memorize. Knelt down next to me, he leans closer, resting his right arm next to my left one—we are touching.

I swallow. I’m going to fail. I cannot memorize something like the varied historical degrees of differences between a Protestant hell and a Lutheran one while the master of all hotness is sharing a desktop with me. My arm hairs are literally electric, standing up and reaching to plant themselves in his skin. I’ve gone completely primal—my body convinced that I am the gatherer in need of this hunter.

“Look,” he says, leaning in even closer and reaching to flip the pages. I barely register the movement of his thumb under a bold section of words. When his eyes catch mine still stuck on his face, I jump in my seat a little.

“Sorry,” I say, clearing my throat. “I’m just overwhelmed. Maybe a little slow, too, from being in here so long.”

It’s partly true, but I’m also just crushing. Crushing—that’s what Nicki calls it. She rolls her eyes every time she catches me doing it too, then labels it with that word. I crush in the dining area. I crush between classes when Henry pokes my arm with his index finger as we pass in the halls. I crush when I watch him sprint across the lawn every day at three in the afternoon, late for rowing. It’s literally become how I know it’s three o’clock! My body just instinctually glides toward my window at exactly 2:59. Pathetic!

At this point, we should just say that I’m crushed rather than crushing. Crushed and utterly destroyed of all pride.

I am gatherer.
“What you need to do is make up a rhyme. Something that will help you keep all of the key words in your brain so when it comes time to write them down in order, you’ll have them there.”

I draw in my lips and let the acid climb up my throat.

“I don’t even understand that. Ugg, I’m hopeless,” I say, letting my head fall flat against the book. I bounce my forehead there lightly while I eke out a desperate laugh at my own expense.

“You aren’t hopeless.” I feel the warm breath from his chuckle and smell the mint of his gum, and it’s intoxicating enough without his touch, so when the warm hand slides the hair from my cheek I go full hypnosis. His fingers trace my jaw, and my head lifts from the light pressure of his hold. For a moment, I believe in myself just because of the look in his eyes when our stares meet. He’s dead serious—and God, the way he’s looking at me, hair all tousled, smile soft and true, cheeks lifted as if they’re glad to see me.

Like a drunk, I lean closer, my lips parting and ready—my mind imagining everything I’m about to feel—Henry’s mouth on mine, the graze of teeth against my lips, us standing as his arms sweep around my back before his hands rush up my spine into my own messy hair.

None of that happens.

I get an inch away from his mouth, my eyelids fluttering with nerves and uncertainty whether they should close or remain open, and Henry turns a few inches to his left, stiffening and backing away just enough to keep me from making this worse—as if I can make this worse somehow. The rush of heat that coats me isn’t from passion—it’s from humiliation. My eyes remain open just long enough to see the movement in his neck as he clears his throat. His soft smile is replaced with a hard line, drawn under the pity that slants his eyes.

I think I understand hell a little better now. It helps that I’m in it.

“I’m just tired. I…” Why I try to speak, I don’t know.

“It’s fine.” His voice is laced with discomfort. In one blink I erased everything that was easy between us. All because of my damn fantasies.

Fine. That word—so short, so four-lettered. Such a lie. I ruined everything.

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, The Hail Mary, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, A Boy Like You, A Girl Like Me, Memphis and Cry Baby.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she’s not writing, the odds are high that she’s somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork ’em, Devils).

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor

Twitter: @TheGingerScott

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott

Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com