Book Blitz + Giveaway: Five by J.A. Huss

Five by J.A. Huss is almost here!

Five by J.A. Huss
Series: Mister #0.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 19th 2016
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Fifty million books ago I promised you a love story about Five and his Princess.
This is their story.

Five Aston has known Rory Shrike for as long as he can remember. He played with her in the sandbox. He went to every damn horse show just to be supportive. He helped her with her French, walked her home from school, and faked his test scores just to stay with her a little longer and not be sent off to college early.
But eventually he had to move on.
And so did she.
Never has a second chance meant so much to a boy who loves a girl.

A standalone book that is also a spin-off of the Rook & Ronin Series and prequel to the Mister Series. You can read it first, you can read it last. It doesn’t really matter because it’s f*cking Five.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo

Reading Order: Mister series

  
   

#0.5 ~ Five: EbookGoodreads (Sept. 19, 2017)
#1 ~ Mr. Perfect: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Mr. Romantic: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Mr. Corporate: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Mr. Mysterious: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Mr. Match: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Mr. & Mrs.: EbookGoodreads (Oct. 31, 2017)

about the author button

JA Huss is the USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.

You can chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss), Twitter (@jahuss), and her blog, New Adult Addiction (www.jahuss.com).

If you’re interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list (http://eepurl.com/JVhAr) and get those details delivered right to your inbox.

Website • Newsletter • Twitter • Pinterest • Instagram • Amazon Page

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Release Week Blitz + ARC Review, Top 5 Quotes & Giveaway: Arrogant Bastard by Zara Cox

Arrogant Bastard by Zara Cox releases tomorrow! To celebrate, we have Zara Cox’s top 5 favorite quotes from this new release – also be sure to check out my review and a fantastic giveaway below!

Top 5 Quotes in ARROGANT BASTARD

  1. It’s a universally held belief that you can’t help who you fall in love with. There are a fuck-load of books expounding on that theory. I call bullshit.
  2. I could’ve stopped myself from soiling her goodness. From falling ass over feet in love. But I carried on walking. And with each step I took, I knew we were doomed. Because with each step, I glimpsed her potential, absorbed her genius and her beauty and her flaws.
  3. “But this bastard, your bastard, is going out of his mind with the need to taste you again. If fucking you is off the table, I’ll take the next best thing.”
  4. “I belong to her. It’s easier for both of us if we put it that way.”
  5. He discards the glass and steps onto the wide bed. With his gaze still pinned on me, he slowly slides down the headboard into the pile of pillows. “I’m not going to survive this, am I?” he mutters under his breath.

Arrogant Bastard by Zara Cox
Series: Dark Desires #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 12th 2017
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I’m known as the Black Widow because the desires I hide inside are pure poison.
I was a different person once. Faith, a young wife, hoping to become a mother. My life was pleasant. Stable. It was hell. Until Killian Knight opened my eyes to a world of espionage and intrigue. He saw something in me, something I was too afraid to acknowledge. I didn’t want to be excited by the danger. Didn’t want to crave the wicked passion only he could provide. But I did want, so now I run. And I pay.

I never meant to corrupt her, but I’m not sorry.
After all, I’m already damned.

After four years of searching and longing, I’ve finally found her. Faith, the one person in the world I breathe for. She lives beneath my skin as surely as I wear proof of our transgressions inked on my body. And like the forbidden fruit that doomed us from the beginning, our end is inevitable. We lived with no regret. We loved without inhibition. We betrayed those closest to us. We killed for that love. Now…we will burn in hell together.

Buy Links:
Amazon • B&N • BAM • Google Play • iBooks • Kobo

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After being surprised in the best way possible by the last book in the Dark Desires series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next book. Black Sheep had set up the Black Widow’s story so well, I was dying for Arrogant Bastard to release, especially since I knew it would be a second chance romance. I am a huge sucker for that trope, and luckily Zara Cox delivered on the angst and intensity I was expecting to come with Black Widow/Faith and Killian’s second chance romance. There were still some parts that I wasn’t too keen on, but overall, this was a fantastically dark and delicious second chance romance I’d recommend!

I feel like I’ve desired her and lost her through several lifetimes. She wishes she’d never met me in even one of them, I know. But that matters very little now.
It happened. We happened. And this time… I don’t plan to loser her again.

Four years ago, Faith and Killian met, and against all odds fell for each other. Killian introduced her to the world of espionage and, caught up in the rush of love, lust, and adrenaline, they never looked back. That is, until one assignment breaks them, and Faith disappears completely from Killian’s life. Years later, after his unwavering search for the love of his life (it certainly helped that he had the money and brains to find her), Killian has found Faith, who now goes by Black Widow. And now that he’s found her, he’s never letting her go again.

She was everything I’d been waiting for without even knowing it.

I loved Black Widow in Black Sheep, and she’s just as badass as I knew she was in Arrogant Bastard. After learning her history with espionage with Killian, I grew to admire her all the more. Despite leaving Killian, Faith never forgot about the man who, once upon a time, was her everything. But now that’s he’s found her, her newly constructed life in New York slowly crumbles, and she’s not sure she’s tough enough to keep Killian out of her life – again.

“When are you going to get it through your head that I exist just for you?”

I loved the second chance romance. I adored the determined hero who never stopped searching for and loving the one woman he knew was meant for him. Seriously, you will swoon over how much Killian loved and cherishes Faith (even if he is arrogant and a bastard at times). I do wish we got to see more of their history though, just to get a sense of how they fell in love from the beginning.

But the main reason I didn’t love this book as much as Black Sheep was that I felt the suspenseful part of the story nearly overtook the romance. I love a good romantic suspense, but I just wasn’t expecting the book to focus so heavily on the action. Although if you love action and suspense, and are in the mood for it, then Arrogant Bastard is definitely for you. The addicting second chance romance will just be the icing on top!

I did enjoy Arrogant Bastard overall and hope that Zara Cox writes more dark romance. Her heroes are alpha, powerful, and irresistible, while her heroines are tough and independent. She writes some sizzling chemistry – the sexual tension is all-consuming and erotic. I’m very much looking forward to what the author has in store for us next!


lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Dark Desires series

   

#1 ~ Beautiful Liar: EbookPaperback • AudibleGoodreads
#2 ~ Black Sheep: My Review • EbookPaperbackAudibleGoodreads
#2.5 ~ Wicked S.O.B.: Ebook • Goodreads
#3 ~ Arrogant Bastard: EbookPaperbackGoodreads (Sept. 12, 2017)

about the author button

Zara Cox has been writing for almost twenty-five years but it wasn’t until nine years ago that she decided to share her love of writing sexy, gritty stories with anyone outside her close family (the over 18s anyway!).

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Pinterest • Goodreads

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Fifteen (15) FREE eBook downloads of ARROGANT BASTARD

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Blog Tour + Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Drumline by Stacy Kestwick

Drumline by Stacy Kestwick
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: September 5th 2017
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Traditions are important. Especially in the South.
College football. Rivalries. Tailgating. Halftime shows.
Some things just don’t change.
Until Reese Holland shows up with her long legs and no-bullsh*t attitude to audition for the prestigious all-male Rodner University snare line.
It doesn’t matter how much hazing she has to endure from Laird Bronson, with his narrowed green eyes and arrogant smirk. She wants that damn spot, and she’s more than good enough to earn it.
She expects there to be tension. Even friction.
But not sparks hot enough to burn the entire campus down.

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Paperback

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Drumline was my first Stacy Kestwick book – I usually don’t read new authors without heavy recommendations from people I trust, but I just couldn’t resist a new adult college romance. It feels like it’s been forever since the last time I read a college romance, so Drumline came at the perfect time. I enjoyed it – it took me by surprise in a good way. If you love anything related to new adult, I highly recommend you give this book a try! It’s sweet, sexy, and just an overall fun read.

Laird Bronson is captain of the snare line, and as its his last year at school, he needs the band to go out with a bang. What he doesn’t expect is for a spitfire of a woman to audition for the previously all-male Rodner University snare line. He’s utterly enthralled by Reese Holland and can’t seem to resist her. She’s tough, gorgeous, ambitious, determined, and gives as good she gets. I fell a little in love with her myself right alongside Laird.

I wanted to know her everything.
I wanted to fucking be her everything.

In spite of the wild attraction she feels for Laird, Reese isn’t about to let her feelings for the band’s captain get in the way of her earning her spot in the snare line. But Laird isn’t like any college boy she knows – he’s as sweet as he is alpha, and incredibly supportive of her ambitions. She tries to keep her distance but can’t help herself to the sexy wonder that is Laird.

I LOVE that this was about the marching band rather than the athletes, etc. because how many books are there about football players? And how many books are there about the drummers of a marching band? Because Drumline is the first I’ve read of them. We need more band geek romances!

I have to say that while I was a big fan of the romance, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the drama in Drumline, especially when it had to do with the antagonist. I could’ve done with less of it, but that’s just me. I’m sure many won’t have the same problem, but this was just the reason why I couldn’t fully love the story like I wanted to.

Drumline is full of sexual tension, sweet romance, and did I mention a snare line!? It was such a unique take on a college romance so I have to give props to the author. I may have to check out her other books now, but I do hope she writes more college romances in the future!


lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Now here’s an excerpt from Drumline! ❤

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He devoured me.

Being eaten alive had never felt so good.

His lips. His hands. His heat. My entire being was overwhelmed by him finally, finally touching me.

The kiss started hard, desperate, the inevitable conclusion to the tension that had been building between us for two weeks. With my eyes closed and my breasts flattened against the wall of his chest, I gave into it, surrendered to the moment. My mouth clung to his as he tilted my head to the side, changing the angle to deepen the contact.

His hands moved over me restlessly, hungrily, skimming down my back on the way to my ass, then back up my sides to frame my face, his fingers leaving a trail of heat behind on every inch of skin he claimed for himself. I pulled at his shirt while he pushed me against the solidness of the door. My heart tripped over itself in its race to keep up. Muffled sounds came from both of us, vibrating in our throats but not escaping our lips because we hadn’t even parted for a breath yet.

Who needed fucking air when Laird Bronson was kissing them? Not me.

His lips were somehow firm and soft at the same time as he slanted them over me again and again. It was like being called up to the major league from the minors. Nothing in my past compared. I shivered from the intensity of it, from the innate authority of his mouth as he consumed me. Like I was made to bend to him, as inevitable as the moon ceding to the sun.

I lifted on my tiptoes to get closer, one of my hands snaking up to tangle in his dark hair. The strands were barely long enough at the top to grip, and when I gave them a tug, he rolled his hips against me, showing me just how much he liked it. I moaned and felt an answering wetness gather at the juncture of my thighs.

Dear sweet rosy-cheeked baby Jesus and all the saints in heaven.

His mouth needed to come with a warning label. Danger. Highly flammable.

But it was too late. I’d had a taste and I liked the burn.

about the author button

USA TODAY Bestseller Stacy Kestwick is a Southern girl who firmly believes mornings should be outlawed. Her perfect day would include puppies, carbohydrates, and lounging on a hammock with a good book. No adulting, cleaning, or bacon allowed.

Where to Find Stacy:

Website • FacebookTwitter • Instagram

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Drumline Prize Pack: Signed copy of Drumline, “I Have Some Nonfictional Feelings About Some Fictional Characters” tote bag, Stacy Kestwick water bottle, and lots of swag!

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Launch Day Blitz + Excerpt & Giveaway: Untold by Shannon Richards

Untold by Shannon Richards
Series: Country Roads #7 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: September 5th 2017
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SOMETIMES LOVE HAS A PLAN OF ITS OWN . . .

Brie Davis came to Mirabelle, Florida, for one thing: the funeral of her birth mother-a woman she never had a chance to know. Now Brie must sort through her mother’s life to get the answers she was denied. She plans to leave as soon as she can . . . except the sexy veterinarian makes Brie’s pulse beat faster than she’s willing to admit.

Finn Shepherd knows Brie’s only in town for a short while, but he can’t stay away. Instead he finds himself looking for more reasons to keep her close. Finn’s already had his fair share of heartbreak, yet Brie makes him want to take that risk again. Now all Finn has to do is convince her to take a chance on him . . . before she disappears from his life forever.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo • Google Play

Now here’s an excerpt from Country Roads! ❤

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“Are you leaving soon?”

“In a bit. I want to see the end of the game.”

“Really now?” He leaned in close to her again. And for what was probably the fiftieth time that night she could smell the clean masculine scent that clung to him. Soap and maybe a little aftershave combined with him. He smelled incredible.

So. Damn. Good.

“Yeah, I’m a Stampede fan now. I’m in it to win it.” She couldn’t stop herself from leaning in a bit closer herself.

“Commitment, I like it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” His smile grew and his eyes got more intense, the blue getting deeper. “It’s not the only thing I like either.”

“What else do you like?” Her voice dropped low as she spoke. Oh God, the more time she spent with him, the more he affected her. The closer he got to her, the more he affected her. The more he looked at her, the more he affected her.

He just affected her.

“About you? The list keeps growing, and growing. Give me twenty minutes and I’d be happy to tell you about it. In great detail.”

Her stomach flipped and the air in her lungs caught. This time her inability to breath had nothing to do with suffocating pressure. “What happens in twenty minutes?” She somehow managed to ask.

“The game is over.” He turned just a little bit so he could incline his head toward the TV, not taking his eyes off of her while he did it.

“You don’t need to stay here? Until closing?”

“Nope, just came in to help with the rush during the game. I’m free after that.”

“Right,” she nodded slowly, her stomach doing a summersault. “And if I said yes? What happens then?”

He moved back so that he was standing directly in front of her again, leaning in close. The nearness of him combined with the way he was looking at her and the topic of conversation—that she was 99.9% sure was one about them having sex—was making her pulse race. And that wasn’t the only thing he was doing to her. It was taking everything in her not to squirm in her seat. She somehow managed to subtly press her thighs together. It was all she could do to combat the swelling ache.

Reading Order: Country Roads series

   
 

#1 ~ Undone: EbookPaperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Undeniable: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Unstoppable: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#4 ~ Unforgettable: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#4.5 ~ Undressed: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#5 ~ Unsung: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#6 ~ Uncontrollable: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#7 ~ Untold: EbookPaperbackGoodreads

about the author button

Shannon Richard grew up in the Florida Panhandle as the baby sister of two overly protective but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a BA in English Literature and still lives in Tallahassee where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She’s still waiting for her Southern, scruffy, Mr. Darcy, and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she’s a pretty big fan of the whimsy.

Website • Instagram • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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Blog Tour + Excerpt & Giveaway: Oh, Henry by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Oh, Henry by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Series: OHellNo #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: August 25th 2017
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SHE’S GOT ME BY THE FOOTBALLS…

My name is Henry Walton, and though I’ve been called many things throughout my life–tree trunk, moose, walrus–I am now six foot five, solid muscle, and the hottest defensive end in the NFL college draft. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for: fame, women, and glory.

Just one problem: I’m suddenly in a bad slump. And it started the moment I got dumped by Elle, the nerdy goddess with thick glasses, a smokin’ hot body, and a genius IQ.

So what gives? We only dated for a few weeks, and it’s not like I’ve missed her. (Much.) Regardless, all the facts point to one conclusion. Elle is my lucky nerd-charm.

Call me superstitious, but I have to get her back before I lose everything. Even if she’s the last girl I should want and she now hates my guts.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & NobleiTunes • Kobo

Now here’s an excerpt from Oh, Henry! ❤

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PROLOGUE

HENRY

Austin, Texas. Alpha Phi Frat House.

“Sorry, Henry, but I don’t owe you an explanation. It’s over, and that’s all there is to it.” Elle’s big brown eyes show zero emotion, so I put on my game face. I’ve never been chucked like this. Never. Because I’m fucking Henry Walton, one of four heirs to the Walton oil fortune, famously handsome, and the most anticipated NFL college draft pick since that asshole who got signed with the Steelers.

Elle’s giant brain must be broken.

Standing in the doorway of our two-story, Southern-charmer of a frat house, I step outside in my Pirates PJs bottoms onto the porch. I carefully close the door so the guys inside, who are fellow Pirates, don’t overhear. They’d never let this go. Football players live to fuck with each other.

“You—you’re rejecting me?” I point to my bare chest, snarling down at her little round face. Sure, she’s got a genius IQ and is the likeliest person to build a tele-transporter or some geeky Star Trek shit like that, but I’m what the ladies call a bona fide catch. Six-five, two hundred and eighty pounds of pure muscle pleasure, orgasm philanthropist, future football Hall of Famer, and—fucking bonus point—I’m an all-around fun guy. Elle can’t deny it. My ability to turn her frowns into smiles is irrefutable. It’s the reason she bought that raffle ticket, the prize being a date with me, during our fraternity fundraiser. It’s the reason she said she wanted me to show her a good time after she won. Which I did. Several “good times” in one night and about fifty more “Oh, Henrys!” since then.

So why is she dumping me? Not that we were official. But, dammit all to hell, I like her. I really fucking like her. Normally, I don’t go nerd, but Elle suckered me with her cute little gap-toothed smile and spunky personality. Okay, and she’s a blonde, which I like, and she has nice jugs.

I swallow down a tangled mess in my throat. “Fine. Plenty of fish in the sea. I’m cool with that.”

“Errr…you don’t look cool. Do you need to sit?”

“Just a hangover,” I lie. “Big party last night.” Actually, I can’t remember what I did. I can’t think straight.

Elle touches my arm, pity written all over her face. “Henry, we were never really going to work out. Even you had to know that.”

I slowly remove her hand. “Never gave it much thought.” Too busy living the dream and all that.

She shoves her petite hands into her pink overalls. “Well, I need more than a hot guy with big muscles. I need…” She blows out a long breath. “I need a man. One who will be there when things get difficult. One who’s had to deal with the real world. You only know screwing and football, and I respect that. I might even be jealous. But there is no universe in which your interests and mine could coalesce into a symbiotic relationship outside the bedroom.”

“Who says you even symbiotified me there?” No. That’s not a real word. And we both know I could fuck Elle all day long and never get tired of her. There’s this little squeaking thing that she does right before she’s about to come. Adorable.

Wait. No. Fuck that. It’s annoying. Just like her shrill laugh, obsession with spy novels, and stupid nerd jokes about black holes—“Two protons walk into a black hole, blah, blah, stupid science punch line, blah, blah.”

Good riddance.

But as I think those words, something deep inside sets off like a grenade. Boom. I’m pissed. I just can’t fuckin’ believe that she’s kicking my awesome ass to the curb and won’t even tell me why. Not the real truth anyway. Because even a guy like me with only above average intelligence can see that Elle’s little line about needing “a man” is bullshit. Men just don’t come any manlier than me.

Elle laughs, followed by a little squeak. My eyes zero in on that gap between her teeth. How had I thought that was hot? She looks nothing like a young Madonna.

Yeah, she looks more like Urkel. Only pale as shit with blonde pigtails and tape in the middle of her glasses. I’m the one who actually broke them, though. I sat on them after we screwed. She kind of got mad, and I offered to replace them ten times, but she just shrugged it off. “No biggie. What’s a nerd without a little tape? I’ll fix ’em later,” she said.

Elle finishes honking out a final laugh. I can’t believe I’m into her.

Was into her.

“Symbiotified. Oh, Henry. I’m going to miss your humor.” She grabs my arm and gives it a squeeze. “It was nice knowing you.”

I jerk my head. “Been nice knowing you, too. Good luck with your…math ’n shit.”

Fuck. That sounded lame.

Elle crinkles her nose. “Yeah. I’ll cross my fingers and hope those big scary numbers finally make sense.” She turns away and heads toward campus, shaking her tight little ass in her overalls.

Jesus, what was I even doing with her? I can get tens—ten cheerleaders, ten models, or ten of the hottest women at any party.

I snarl at the back of her head and clench my fists. “Stupid geek!”

Without slowing her pace or turning around, she throws up a middle finger. “Dumb jock!”

I can’t help but laugh. She may look like a helpless, lost little nerd begging for social ridicule, but I’ve yet to meet anyone with bigger balls. Male or female.

Stop it, Henry. It’s over. I gush out a breath of frustration. Fuck her. I don’t need anything but football.

CHAPTER ONE

Four weeks later.

“Walton! Get your sorry ass over here!” the coach yells, cutting our play short and eliciting a mixture of groans and “eat me, Waltons!” from my fellow Pirates.

I don’t know why I’m in my worst slump ever. I really don’t. Play says go right, I go left. When I’m supposed to block left, I put my head up my ass. It’s like my brain is scrambled or something.

“Fulking herl,” I mumble, spitting out my mouthpiece and releasing my chin strap. This is the seventh play I’ve fucked up this practice, and it wanes in comparison to the chunky-style cluster I created during our last game versus San Diego. And the game before that with LA. And the game before that with Notre Dame—we lost that one. The other games were close calls. Too close.

“Hey, man, it’s okay. Everyone has a bad streak,” says Hunter. He’s the new starting quarterback, so not as big of a dude as me, but a damned good player especially for a freshman. The topper? He’s a damned good friend too—something I never expected to gain out of this shit storm more unaffectionately referred to as the sinking SS Henry.

But I’m not a quitter.

Never have been.

Never will be.

I’ll do anything to turn my ship around, even leaving the coveted Alpha Phi frat house a few weeks ago. With my head in such a bad place, I decided I might be due for a change. That and the parties every night were getting on my last iron-pumping, protein-shake-fueled nerve.

“Walton! You deaf or something?” the coach yells, still standing on the sidelines, waiting to chew me out.

I look over at Hunter, whose face is all soured up, like he’s cringing on my behalf. He knows, just like I do, that the coach doesn’t want me here anymore because I’ve been playing like a moron. Of course, he needs me too much, and luckily, my agent says no one else is worried. The offer to sign with the Texans after graduation is still on the table.

“Uh-oh, Pretty Boy Liam’s in trouble,” one of the guys sings teasingly.

I fucking hate it when they call me that. I do not look like Liam Hemsworth. I am definitely Chris. But bigger.

“Shut it, asshole,” I tell the guy and remove my helmet. I jog over to Coach Newton—a short bald dude with shit-brown eyes. “Hey, Coach, I know that wasn’t great, but I’m working on it—”

“You’re out, Walton.”

My gut fills with cement. “Out? You can’t make me sit out. I need to practice, not jerk off on the bench.”

“No, jackass. You’re out for the season. Take a seat.” He points his finger in my face. “And don’t start, Walton. I warned you, so you’ve only brought this on yourself.”

I am literally speechless. This is my fourth season playing for the Pirates, and my stats have put this team on the map. The publicity alone has attracted new players with solid pro potential, like Hunter, and Coach Newton is now hailed as the best college coach in the country. Everyone is living the dream, thanks to me. Okay, and it doesn’t hurt that my family donates a few million each year to the school. We have the best equipment, best facilities, best everything.

I cross my arms over my chest and snarl down at Coach Newton. I may be a college student, but I’m no child. I know the score. I know my value. “You bench me and you’re the one who’s going to look like a jackass. Everyone’s going to put this on you—your inability to manage one of your star players. Then there’s the fact that the university chairs won’t be happy. The Waltons are key donors.”

Coach Newton’s sunburnt nostrils flare, and his right eye twitches. “That a threat, Walton?”

“No, sir, just a fact. A fact like any other. Including how I could’ve switched schools and taken my money with me. A fact like I’ve been playing flawless defense for almost four seasons and nothing will get more guys signed and bring in more money for the school than me.” I point to my chest. “Me getting drafted for ten mil a year.” It’s a three-year contract, so that adds up to a nice sum, but I’m not in it for the money. I love the game and have since I was old enough to walk.

“Look, Walton,” Coach hisses quietly, “no one is going to deny what you’ve brought to the table, but I’m not putting the championship at risk because you suddenly decided to act like a chimpanzee rolling around in his own shit.”

Dick. My playing isn’t that bad. I’m more like an untamed stallion. Who’s forgotten how to run. “I thought chimps wore diapers,” I say.

“Shut up, Walton!” He points a stubby finger in my face. “I don’t know what’s gotten in your head, and I don’t care. I’ve given you a month to turn it around, but you keep playing like a little cunt, which means we’ll lose the season. All of us.”

Fuck. I run a hand over the top of my sweaty hair. I can’t really argue with his logic. If I keep screwing up, our team won’t go to the play-offs, and that’ll make us all look bad.

I kick at the muddy grass. “Yeah, well. That’s not what I want.”

“That’s a good boy.” Newton goes to his tiptoes and taps the top of my head. “Knew you’d see it my way. Now take a seat.” Coach turns and walks away.

Good boy? And did he just pat me on the head like a dog?

“But I’m still playing!” I belt out.

The coach stops in his tracks and slowly turns to face me.

“Hey, don’t look at me.” I throw him a snide grin. “You’re the one who says ‘quitter’ is just another word for giant pussy.” I smile and point to my crotch. “And I’m not seein’ pussy down there, Coach.”

Just one big dick. Which I’ve had to be in order to get where I am. Because despite growing up in a privileged family, I’ve had to fight tooth and nail every step of the way.

I put on my helmet and walk past him, giving him a slap on the ass. “Thanks for the pep talk, Dana. Just what I needed.”

Dana is his first name. We think Coach hates it because it’s a chick’s name, too.

My teammates eye me in silence as I take my place on the field, head down, fingers pushed into the mud.

“You okay?” Hunter asks, coming up to my side.

“Never better. Let’s play.”

Hunter stands there for a moment too long, like he wants to say something, but then leaves.

Good choice.

The guys line up, some playing offense and facing us.

I can do this. I can make this play. I have to believe that. I have to push out the noise in my head that keeps me from being here and nowhere else.

Focus, Henry. Focus. I can’t keep letting everyone down. Not when their dreams are on the line, too. Most of us have worked since we were ten to get here—the last stop on the way to pro. And there is no sweeter glory than doing what you love for a living, even if it’s just for a few short years. It’s what we’ve all been killing ourselves for: The chance to say “I did it. I made it.”

I feel the soft grass and cool mud beneath my fingertips, and the air fills with a ferocious calm as everyone prepares for the play. I feel the energy spike all around me while my thoughts melt away. Here on the field, there are no tests to cram for, no wars, no angry girlfriends or psycho parents. The only thing that matters is this field where we become one. One team. One goal. One team. One goal…

Suddenly, I’m there. In the zone. And the rush feels like nirvana—a moment of peace and silence so fragile yet so vivid and alive that my entire body electrifies, like I’m touching God or plugged into some supernatural energy.

Playing opposite us, I hear Hunter call the hike, and the moment of serenity shatters like a plate-glass window that’s met with a brick. Grunts and snarls fill the air as I charge at my teammate, Jon, who’s playing tight end and trying to create an opening for the running back so Hunter can pass. There is no doubt in my mind I can block Jon. I’m faster and stronger. No one gets around me. Not ever. That’s what I tell myself, anyway.

I plow into Jon, who goes flying back, landing with a thud on his ass. I keep going, rushing toward an opening right through the guards. Hunter is about to make his throw, and I barrel into his chest, knocking him clean into next Sunday.

“Fucker!” Hunter barks from underneath me.

I chuckle and roll off him.

“Jesus, Henry. You nearly took my head off,” he says.

“It’s a beautiful thing.” I hop to my feet and offer Hunter a hand.

His blue eyes are crisp with anger as I yank him up, but the moment he’s on his feet, his expression turns into a glib smirk.

“Looks like someone’s here to see you,” he says, looking over my shoulder.

I turn, and there she is, sitting on the bleachers. I could spot her thick-framed hipster glasses and honey blonde hair from a mile away.

Elle. Oh, man. Why’s she here?

“Christ,” Hunter chuckles his words. “What is she wearing?”

Her T-shirt has a huge picture of a grey-and-white cat with its head tilted to one side.

“Yeah, that’s Mr. Nucleus.” I clear my throat. “He was hit by a car last year.”

“She’s wearing a picture of her dead cat?”

I nod. It’s one of Elle’s many eccentricities. She seems unable to accept that Mr. Nucleus is gone, like she’s not good at dealing with death or something. I once tried asking her about it, but she’d simply replied by telling me that death is just one more mystery of the universe she hopes to solve. “You can’t solve death, Elle. It’s not a math problem,” I had told her, but she’d just shrugged and changed subjects.

Anyway, I think it’s kind of sweet, the way she loves her cat and doesn’t want to forget him. Still, “If you think the cat shirt is interesting, you should see her unicorn T-shirt collection. It’s magical,” I say dryly because it’s not. It’s fucking horrible. All glittery ’n shit.

The coach blows the whistle to return us to formation, and I hustle. That had been a perfect play, and I don’t want to waste time getting back into my groove. My mind has suddenly snapped into place and everything feels right. I don’t even mind that Elle is here.

“Let’s play, boys,” I say, and get into position.

~~~

ELLE

It’s Friday, the last day of classes before Thanksgiving break, and I’m not exactly sure why I’ve come to see Henry practice, considering that I told him we were through. Maybe part of me longs for a little stress relief, the reason I began seeing him initially. I had never had casual sex before him, but nothing in my life has plotted normal this past year, and now I’m nervous about going home for an entire week. The two-hour drive isn’t far, so I go home all the time to see my poor mother, who has a brain tumor and is in the process of evolving away from this world. At least, that’s the way I like to think of it. When it’s our time, we transform, but we never truly die.

Matter can’t die.

Of course, if my heart believed all that, I wouldn’t have to remind myself fifteen times a day that death is part of life or that my mother can’t leave this world seeing me a mess. Her final happiness is why I started college at the age of nineteen after swearing I’d never go. She’s why I’ve stuck with it and pretend things are normal. Pretending is also how I handle seeing her for a day or two before running back to campus, where I erect my mental fortress and make it all go away.

Thanksgiving week, though… Ugh. My aunt and uncle from California will be there, as will my cousin. My older sister, Lana, who lives nearby, and my father will be there, too, of course. But I know this upcoming week, likely our last Thanksgiving with her, is going to feel more like a funeral, not a holiday. Because my family’s not like me. They’re not able to bury their emotions in a sea of logic. I’ll have to sit there and listen to the sadness in their voices and see the tears. Then I’ll have to watch my mother trying to stay strong for them when I know on the inside, nothing hurts her more than watching the people she loves suffer.

How am I going to get through this?

Crap. It’s no wonder I find myself longing for Henry. Mr. Fun. He’s also the hottest guy I’ve ever met. Tall and strong like a great oak, vivid green eyes, dirty blond hair, and a panty dropper of a smile. My roomie, Tassie, says he looks like a seriously built, young Brad Pitt. I just say the man is fine. Sigh…

I watch Henry’s towering hulk of a frame mow down two guys on the field; one of them is Hunter. Hunter is tall and lean with dark hair and blue eyes. He’s cute, hotheaded, and has a serious heart-on for Tassie, who is currently not speaking to him. It’s a mess, really. Anyone can see that Hunter and Tass are madly in love and have been since they were little. They grew up next door to each other and somehow ended up at the same college.

Anyway, Tass has become a good friend, which is why I feel bad for having lied to her. She has no clue I kept seeing Henry after she had her fallout with Hunter and their frat did the unthinkable. But there hasn’t been a good time to tell her until recently—she’s been too upset.

Well, maybe it’s time to clear the air. And since I’m here, I can warn Henry. Yes, a great excuse for being here since I can’t tell Henry the real reason. I kinda miss him.

I lean back and watch the cheerleading squad—all Gamma Nu sorority sisters—doing flips on the side of the field. I suddenly wonder which one of these incredibly beautiful women with perfect thighs, boobs, and legs is keeping Henry’s bed warm at night. He’s an animal in the sack, completely insatiable, and words cannot describe how much I miss the stress relief he brought to my life. No, he has no clue about my mom, and I have no intention of ever telling him. I need him and everything related to school to remain isolated from that part of my life.

Practice wraps up with the blow of the coach’s whistle, and the sweaty, tired-looking team makes their way to the locker room. Everyone except Henry, who’s high-fiving a few ladies as he heads toward me and the bleachers.

My heart rate increases, and little flutters erupt inside my knotted stomach. I don’t know what I want to say to him. Somehow, I doubt I’ll muster the courage to spit out, “I needed to see your smiling face.” Besides, it wouldn’t be fair. He’ll think it means something more than it does when I already know he’s not the guy for me.

I get up and take the stairs to meet up with Henry on the side of the grassy field.

“Hey,” I say with false bravado.

He pops off his helmet and those stunning green eyes of his sparkle in the sunlight. He’s so full of life. I love that about him.

“Hey, Elle.” His voice is deep, like a growling bear, and exactly what you’d expect from a guy who’s six-five and over twice my size.

A flash of memories explodes inside my mind of Henry groaning in my ear, telling me how beautiful I am, and of him laughing with that gruff-sounding voice as he pins me down and tickles my neck with his stubbly chin. Henry loved making me laugh.

Suddenly, I realize that moments have passed and we’re just standing there staring at each other’s lips.

I shake it off and clear my throat. “I, uh, just came by to say hi. How’s it going?”

He flashes one of those dimply, scruffy-jaw smiles that make my panties instantly steam up. “Surprisingly well, actually.” He makes a little shrug with his wide shoulders, the padding underneath his black jersey making him look even bigger than he already is.

“I’m happy to hear that,” I lie, secretly wanting him to be miserable without me.

Stupid. You don’t want that. Get your head out of your rear orifice, Elle.

He nods and stares like he’s waiting.

“Oh. Yeah, I, uh…just wanted you to know that I’m going to come clean with Tass.”

“About what?” he asks.

“About you and me. I mean, I know it’s over, but I never told her the truth, and I think I should now that she seems to be turning the corner.”

“What corner?” he asks.

“Hunter. She’s finally starting to get over him—I think—and I really don’t like keeping secrets from her.”

The atmosphere abruptly shifts between us, and his eyes harden on me, like he expected me to give him another reason for my visit.

Oh, crap. I’ve made a huge selfish mistake by coming here. Whatever happened between us, we’re still not over it. Yet nothing’s changed. I’m wrong for him. He’s wrong for me.

“Fine by me,” he says. His tone is sharp and accusatory. “I never told you to lie to her—that was all you. I just went along to make you happy. Clearly, that’s not possible.”

The jab isn’t missed, but I need to steer clear of the “us” topic and get the hell out of here. Fast.

“And I thank you for helping me protect her. She would’ve felt betrayed if she’d known I kept seeing you after Hunter slept with her for a bet.”

It’s true, and the infamous bet is also a good reminder of why Henry is so, so, soooo wrong for me. As part of rush week, there’d been a stupid frat game involving stealing things from other Greeks, hazing, drinking, and nailing virgins. The pledges with the highest scores became the newest members of the Alpha Phi fraternity, which is the big football frat that Henry, and now Hunter, belong to. Lame.

Henry shakes his head and drags his strong hand over the top of his sweaty blond mop. He’s the only man in the world whose perspiration comes out smelling like spring water infused with mint or something herbal. He always smells good.

“You’re wrong,” he says. “Hunter didn’t fuck Tass for a bet. He’s into her. Period. And we both know that.”

“Yeah, well, he might be into her, but he still participated in the bet, and you can’t argue that it looks bad.” Henry has three sisters—two older and one younger—so I know he gets what I’m saying.

“It did look bad,” he admits, “which is why a bunch of us left the frat, despite knowing we’d piss off half the team.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

“Why?” I ask, hardly able to believe it.

“I can’t speak for the other guys, but I’m twenty-two and a senior. Doing the same old shit from freshman year just didn’t make sense anymore.”

Wow. My stomach does this little cramping thing that causes a chain reaction, ending in my rapidly beating heart. Henry’s leaving the Alphas takes our romantic equation one step closer to a positive integer. Sadly, however, the facts that football is his life, he doesn’t possess a sympathetic bone in his body, and he’s more narcissistic than an only child who’s a runway model keep our equation in the negative five thousands with regards to chances of succeeding as a couple. Still, Henry’s leaving the Alphas is huge.

“When did this happen?” I ask.

“A few weeks ago. Hunter, me, and two other guys got an apartment.”

“Hunter, too?” I can’t wait to tell Tassie since I’m sure she was the catalyst and she’s never truly going to be happy until she and Hunter make up.

“Hey, who can resist living with me? Plus, my family owns the building, so rent is cheap.”

“Plus you get more privacy for your orgies.”

“Exactly,” he says. “We’re having one tonight. Just us dudes and fifty women. Want to be number fifty-one?”

I make a gag sound.

“Elle, that was a joke. We haven’t even had one party.”

“Yeah, right.” I let out pffft! That’s like saying he’s joined a circus but doesn’t plan to put on a red nose or make balloon animals. Or ride in a tiny car. Or make children laugh. Or scream, depending on their feelings about clowns.

Don’t go there, Elle. Let go of your colorful past.

Henry crosses his big, big arms over his big, big chest. “I’m serious. We’re a no-party, study-only bachelor pad. Why’s that so hard to believe?”

“Because you live for that bullcrap.”

His nostrils flare a little, and his normally plump lips go flat.

“Fine. Whatever.” I hold up two palms in surrender. “I didn’t come here to talk about that, and if it’s true, then I’m happy for you. I think it’ll be good for you academically speaking, because God knows you could use some improvement.”

“Elle,” his light brown brows pull together, “there’s nothing wrong with my academics.”

I laugh. “You have a three point three GPA, Henry.”

Wait. That came out sounding really bitchy, didn’t it?

“Wow.” He shakes his head. “That was bitchy.”

Okay. Mea culpa. Still, how dare he call me that!

I feel my claws extend. “I can’t help it if I find your lack of ambition to be comical,” I say calmly. “Besides, I’m sure you’re used to bitches—since you date the cream of the crop.” I glance over at the cheerleaders, three of whom are watching us and snickering. I know they think I’m just fan-girling over him or trying to trade math tutoring for sex. They wouldn’t ever believe that a guy like him would voluntarily be with a super-nerd like me.

Actually, come to think of it, maybe I don’t believe it either. Just like I don’t believe he could ever make me happy. There. You see, Elle. You made the right choice dumping him.

“That wasn’t nice. Since when did you get so bitter?”

“Must be the company,” I reply.

He shakes his head and throws in a tsk-tsk for good measure. “I don’t know what I ever saw in you.”

His words instantly sting, which shocks me because I’m not new to insults. For example, my nickname in high school was “shark bait.” Yes, from the movie Nemo. I skipped a bunch of grades, which made me very small compared to my much older peer group. For demonstration purposes, I’ll disclose that I literally wore a training bra at my high school graduation. And it was too big. I really needed an over-the-shoulder pebble holder.

Well, that was then and this is now. I’m almost twenty and all filled out. And I don’t need Henry’s approval.

I lift my chin and meet Henry’s angry green eyes. “Well, I know exactly what I saw in you.” I reach for the bulge between his powerful thighs. He’s wearing an athletic supporter, so his footballs look even bigger than they are. But make no mistake, his sporting goods section is as big as a girl like me—who’s five two and weighs one hundred and twenty pounds—can tackle.

I give his man gear a little squeeze, and his whole body freezes up, like he’s sure I’m going to rip off his manhood.

“The truth is, Henry, I stopped seeing you because your goal post isn’t stiff enough to keep me entertained.”

Unexpectedly, Henry cups my left breast. “I know exactly how you feel. There’s just not enough there to hold my interest. Guess I’ll have to find a girl with adult-sized pom-poms to inspire me.” The right side of his mouth curls into a cocky smile.

“Ugh!” I pull my hand from his package and slap his paw from my boob. “You’re a pig.”

“Yep.”

“Well, I hope your little—” I glance at his bulge “—sense of humor keeps you warm at night when your brain is dead from all those concussions in two years.”

“Don’t you worry, sweetheart,” he says, letting his Texan twang break loose and looking over his shoulder at a group of pom-pom-toting girls drooling over him, “stayin’ warm ain’t my problem.” He turns and struts his rock-hard ass toward the locker room, like he owns the fucking world.

My innards sizzle with anger. “Dumb jock.”

He lifts his middle finger without bothering to face me. “See ya, gorgeous.”

He didn’t call me a stupid nerd, but his tone said it all.

As I watch him disappear into the locker room, I can’t help feeling like the tiny part of me he’d brought back to life—the part that loved to laugh and play—has just died a sad, twitchy little death. If there’s anyone in the world I wanted to connect with more, it was him. But this reaffirms my earlier assumption. We don’t work and never will. I need a serious guy who’s my equal.

Henry is a man-child. So hmph! Good riddance. Again.

Reading Order: OHellNo series

 

#1 ~ Smart Tass: EbookPaperbackGoodreads
#2 ~ Oh, Henry: EbookPaperbackGoodreads

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Mimi Jean Pamfiloff is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Paranormal and Contemporary Romance. Both traditionally and independently published, Mimi has sold over 800,000 books since publishing her 1st title in 2012, and she plans to spontaneously combust once she hits the one-million mark. Although she obtained her international MBA and worked for over 15 years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance-closet and follow your dreams.

When not screaming at her works in progress, Mimi spends time with her two pirates in training, her loco-for-the-chili-pepper hubby, and rat terriers, Mini & DJ Princess Snowflake, in Arizona.

She continues to hope that her books will inspire a leather pants comeback (for men) and that she might make you laugh when you need it most.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Newsletter • Youtube

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