Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Leviathan's Rise Cover Reveal...

Today is the cover reveal for Leviathan’s Rise by B. Brumley! Check it out and grab your copy before the March 1st release!!



Title: Leviathan’s Risie

Author Name: B. Brumley

Genre: Paranormal romance

Release Day: March 1st


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About Leviathan’s Rise:

Lev is a whale shifter with a memory problem.

For the last one hundred sixty years, he has been unable to piece together what happened to his wife and son. Memory repression shouldn’t happen to whale shifters, but the case just won’t crack. When a mysterious woman knocks on his door and unloads a bombshell, Lev discovers that his son may still be alive… and it’s up to Lev to save him.

Woe’s on-going obsession with hunting her husband’s murderer has left her mentally and emotionally exhausted. But when Lev asks for her help, Woe can’t tell him no, and she agrees to take a temporary reprieve from her vendetta.

Together, they catch the first paranormal train out of the Big Apple and find themselves inside a hidden realm fraught with dangers beyond anything either of them has faced.



With lives hanging in the balance, Woe must learn how to let go of her painful past, even as Lev swears to drain the seven seas to recapture his.

*** A clean read free of graphic language and explicit sex. ***

Preorder Your Copy Today!

Amazon | iBooks | Nook | Kobo


About the Author:

DSC_1495 (2) (848x1280)

Bokerah Brumley is a speculative fiction writer making stuff up on a trampoline in West Texas. When she's not playing with the quirky characters in her head, she's addicted to Twitter pitch events, writing contests, and social media, in general. She lives on ten permaculture acres with five home-educated children and one husband. In her imaginary spare time, she also serves as the blue-haired President of the Cisco Writers Club.

She was awarded First Place in the FenCon Short Story Contest, Third Place in the Southern Writers Magazine Short Story Contest, and Fifth Place in the Children's/Young Adult category for the 85th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition. More recently, she was selected as a 2016 Pitch Slam! finalist.



Connect Online:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/bokerah/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bokerah

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bokerah/

Blog: https://superbokerah.com/

Website: http://www.bokerah.com/

December and January Book Hauls...

So since I didn't get that many books in December I decided to blend the two together.  I did order/buy more than I planned to this month but hey who could pass up so many great new books!!!!  I actually had to sort through my books and get another box ready to take to storage.  Can't wait to get a place of my own again in order to display all my old and new beauties (soon I hope)!!!  Anyways, I digress so lets get down to it.

DECEMBER:

First I got TWO subscription boxes. 


First up is the Stars Hollow Monthly.  While this won't be an every month subscription I loved it a lot and once I am in a better place I will be ordering more of these!  In the December box we got a: 

Lorelai scarf, 
an OOO-BER air freshner, 
an ornament 
and a Where You Lead I will Follow necklace.  

I loved that the Luke's Menu tells you what was in the box as well as a few other things.  While there wasn't a lot in the box it was all unique and fun.  I will use it all!


As I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes I had to order the December Lit-Cube box.  In it was:

Sherlock Socks
221B Key Chain
Christmas Ornament
A Packet of Tea (I don't drink tea so I'm not positive about this item)
Lock & Mori (this was a duplicate copy so I gave it away for a giveaway)
Lock & Mori Mind Games (can't wait to read it)


I pre-ordered a signed copy of Too Late by Colleen Hoover which came with a book mark and Boston magnet (from It Ends With Us).  Can't wait to put the magnet up on my own fridge!

JANUARY:


I had gotten an Amazon gift card so I ordered:

Attitude is Everything Coloring Book by Samantha Snyder (I have volumes 1 & 2 of the Doodle Art Gallery Coloring Books and they are among my favorites so I am adding to the collection).

I also got #Hater by Cambria Hebert (I had read book at the end of 2015 or in 2016 and am finally continuing the series)


I had placed an order from Book Outlet on their Boxing Day sale.  You can't tell me that you passed up the sale if you knew about it.  I saved almost $300 during that sale and I don't regret it even if all of them are boxed up for storage!  In that box I got:

The Dark Hunters Volume 1 Manga 
The Agency
Pitch Perfect
Curtsies & Conspiracies 
Incarnate
The Diviners 
Voices of Dragons
Running Out of Night
The Magnolia League
Zodiac
A Midsummer's Nightmare
A Star Touched Queen
Of Posideon
Broken Juliet
The Bane Chronicles


From Bethany House I received The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green.


I got the next book in the Shadowhunter world by Cassandra Clare at Wal-Mart.  Can't wait to dive into Lady Midnight to learn more about these characters.


So I was at Barnes and Noble the other day.  Not gonna lie I went in because it was the only store I absolutely knew had a bathroom.  I walked out with these three beauties!

The Novice 
Truthwitch
Reign of Shadow (now I can read the second book which I got from Edelweiss)


I also won a copy of Freeks by Amanda Hocking.  I loved the ARC copy of this that I read so was excited to win this copy!


I finished #Hater and immediately ordered the next book in the series on Amazon.  Next month I will be reading #Player by Cambria Hebert!

Blood & Sacrifice...


Title: Blood & Sacrifice
Author: Jessica Gibson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Belinda Boring
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR


Blurb:


The choice had been made. Lives torn to shreds. And she was happy.

Bronwyn had left everything behind for love and never regretted it. She pushed herself to forget the past, and everyone in it. Too bad the past wouldn’t forget about her.

Ronan had won, Bronwyn was his. The remembrance of life without her was something he’d never experience again. He’d vowed to keep her safe with him forever.

Rider storms into their lives again like a hurricane, hell bent on inflicting as much devastation as possible. He brings a whole new set of problems they have to face. He wants Bronwyn back, but is it for love, or to claim what he believes is his?

Lies will be told. Secrets will be revealed. Who will Bronwyn stand with in the end?



Buy Links:
Love & Blood: http://amzn.to/2kKYkxf
Blood & Sacrifice: http://amzn.to/2kKH4rU



Jessica Gibson is a recovering bookaholic, she's down from four books a week to a more reasonable one. It was that love of words and creativity that made her dream about writing her first book. That dream was hidden for years, always put on the back burner, filed away in the "someday" section, until her husband Matt gave her the kick in the pants she needed to actually get off her butt and write.

Jessica and Matt live in Southern California and have a serious addiction to reality tv shows like Pawn Stars, American Restoration, and Bachelor in Paradise. They have one amazing son who runs circles around them both.

Author Links:

Heartbreaker Trailer Reveal...

Today is the release day and trailer reveal for HEARTBREAKER by Stacey Kennedy! Check out the gorgeous trailer and grab your copy today!

 Title: Heartbreaker
Author: Stacey Kennedy
Genre: Contemporary Romance

 About Heartbreaker:

Heartbreaker_filthydirtylove
Handcuffs aren’t just part of their job in this sizzling new standalone novel by USA Today bestselling author, Stacey Kennedy.


Veteran cop, Maddox Hunt, is all about the job. Sure, there are women—lots of women, truth be told—but there’s no one special. Until a one-night stand from his past, rookie Joss O’Neil is assigned to his division. Suddenly, all he can think about is her. The scent of her. The taste of her.

Fresh out of field training, Joss has thrown herself into her job, determined to kick-start her career. And while police work has its thrills, her gorgeous new boss is what really gets her pulse pounding. Too bad he’s nothing but a distraction. Especially since he’s as devastatingly handsome as she remembers, and his sexy smile arrests her heart.

Now that Joss is back in Maddox’s life, he has a plan: satisfy her fantasies and fulfill his every dark desire. Nothing is off limits. Her pleasure is the endgame . . . but even the best-laid plans have a way of falling apart. Despite his best attempts to keep his distance and have things remain only about the pleasure, Maddox soon finds himself breaking the only law he’s set for himself. Don’t fall in love.

AMZ: http://amzn.to/2eL9mQi

B&N: http://bit.ly/2g0ki98

iTunes: http://apple.co/2g31sQb

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

 Exclusive Trailer Reveal:



About the Author:

StaceyKennedy
STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the Dirty Little Secrets and Club Sin series. She writes deeply emotional romances about powerful men and the wild women who tame them. When she’s not writing sensual stories, she spends her time in southwestern Ontario with her real life hero, her husband, their two young children, and her other babies: a mini labradoodle named Jax and a chocolate labrador named Murphy. Stacey is a proud chocolate, television show, Urban Barn, and wine addict. She likes her heroes in her books like she likes her coffee . . . strong and hot!

Stacey’s Website: http://www.staceykennedy.com/

Heartbreaker giveaway

Enter Stacey’s Giveaway:

Monday, January 30, 2017

Long Way Home...

LongWayHome-RDL-Banner

The highly anticipated third book in Katie McGarry’s Thunder Road Series is being released today! LONG WAY HOME is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance being published by Harlequin Teen! Grab your copy of the next book in this emotionally charged series, and don’t miss Violet and Chevy’s story!



LONG WAY HOME Synopsis:

LongWayHome-coverSeventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

Amazon | Kobo | BAM |

 Barnes & Noble | 

iBooks | IndieBound


"An intoxicating and unforgettable story that kept me glued to the page."

Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling author, on Walk the Edge



LONG WAY HME - RDL teaser 2

CHEVY

The instructions of the English homework I didn’t do hangs out from the top of my folder: Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both.

Story of my life.

According to my football coach, I chose wrongly on the two crap paths I had to face last week. I just ran into Coach on the way to English, and he ripped into me for my sorry decision-making skills when it came to me choosing to stand up for the Reign of Terror Motorcycle Club instead of a member of my football team.

I didn’t just get my ass chewed out, his tirade made me late for English with no tardy note. Which is great since my English teacher hates late students like I hate riding  my motorcycle in forty degree weather while it rains.

I round the corner, then peek through the small window on the door of my class. Ms. Whitlock stands in front of her desk in her patented white button-down shirt, gray pencil skirt, and dark-rimmed glasses. From the back row, my best friend Razor meets my eyes and shakes his head. Damn. That means she’s in one of her moods where she’s refusing to let anyone in.

I’m not a tail-tucked-between-my-legs type of guy, but this lady is one of the few who can reduce me to begging. If she doesn’t let me in, then she’ll mark me as absent, the front office will think I skipped, and that means I won’t be able to play at tonight’s football game.

The window rattles when I knock. The entire class turns their heads in my direction, but Ms. Whitlock doesn’t. The muscles in my neck tighten. She is one of the hardest core people I know and my grandfather is the president of a motorcycle club. That says something.

She starts for the white board and I knock on the door again. This time, Ms. Whitlock does look my way and she grants me the type of glare reserved for people who kick puppies. I got it. I’m late. I’m the scum of humanity, so let my ass in so I can play football.

There’s this guy in my club, Pigpen. He’s about the same age as Ms. Whitlock, late twenties, and he’s a walking hard-on for this woman even though she would never give him the time of day. He practically runs into walls when she’s around because he’s too focused on checking her out. I don’t see gorgeous—all I see is seriously pissed off and the person standing between me and playing.

Ms. Whitlock points at the clock over her desk. She’s telling me I can wait. If I’m lucky, she’ll open the door after the quiz that I’ll receive a zero on. If I’m not so lucky, she won’t open the door at all.

Two pathetic paths and I could only travel one. Nowhere in that stupid poem did it mention there was good and bad to both paths and that sometimes it’s best not to choose, but to set up camp at the fork and do nothing at all.

I slam my hand into the nearest locker, almost relishing the sting.

“Feel better?”

A glance across the hallway and I freeze. Doesn’t matter how many times I see her in a day, she still manages to take my breath away.

Add it to your Goodreads Now!


 LONG WAY HME - RDL teaser 1

Don’t Miss the First Two Titles in the Thunder Road Series! Grab your copies today!

NOWHERE BUT HERE

WALK THE EDGE

  

Katie McGarry - author pic
Katie McGarry Bio:

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON,  BREAKING THE RULES, NOWHERE BUT HERE, and WALK THE EDGE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.


Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumbler | Instagram


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27 Hours Cover Reveal...

Title: 27 Hours (The Nightside Saga. #1)
Author: Tristina Wright
Release Date: October 3, 2017



Book Description: 
Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish.
But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them.
Nyx Llorca keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with Dahlia, her best friend. Braeden Tennant wants two things: to get out from his mother's shadow, and to unlearn Epsilon's darkest secret.
They’ll both have to commit treason to find the truth.
During one twenty-seven-hour night, if they can’t stop the war between the colonies and the monsters from becoming a war of extinction, the things they wish for will never come true, and the things they fear will be all that’s left.



Author Bio:
Tristina Wright is a blue-haired bisexual with anxiety and opinions. She’s also possibly a mermaid, but no one can get confirmation. She fell in love with science fiction and fantasy at a young age and frequently got caught writing in class instead of paying attention. She enjoys worlds with monsters and kissing and monsters kissing. She married a nerd who can build computers and make the sun shine with his smile. Most days, she can be found drinking coffee from her favorite chipped mug and making up more stories for her wombfruit, who keep life exciting and unpredictable.
Still trying to figure out the mermaid thing.

Snapchat: @tristinawright

Whenever I'm With You Review...




A missing boy.
A road trip into the Alaskan wilderness.
A week that will change everything...


After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He's quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.

Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi's frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can't lose him to it.

So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.

~~~~****~~~~****~~~~

REVIEW!!!!

I enjoyed this book.  It was a cute and adventurous kind of book.
 
Gabi is hiding from the life her mother has thrust upon their family.  Kai refuses to admit the truth that his father is dead.  When Kai goes in search of the truth Gabi and his twin brother head out to track him down before the big storm hits.  Along the way everybody gets to know each other better, danger ensues and truths come out.  Will these teens survive their journey?  Will they turn back and go home without learning the truth about Kai and Hunters father?  Is he dead like everybody thinks or still alive like only Kai thinks?
 
I love the characters.  I enjoyed the adventurous side of this story as well as the romantic side of it.  The writing style was fun and effortless.  The flow was perfect.  The pacing of the book was a slight struggle for me.  It started out really slow and didn’t catch my attention right away but I’m glad I didn’t give up on it because about 35% in it started to get better and better.  But the plot omg so good!  I love the general idea and the fact that I never knew what would happen next.
 
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody looking for a good YA romantic adventure book.  While it could us a little work on the pace it was really good!
 

4 stars!

The Evolution of Ivy: Poison...


Title: The Evolution of Ivy: Poison
Author: Lauren Campbell
Genre: Contemporary Romance with Psychological element
Cover Designer: Murphy Rae from Indie Solutions
Editor: Madison Seidler
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

They won't recognize the new me.

But they know the old me well—the me she harmed, and the me he loved.

She thinks she has him. But I'm going to take him back.

He thinks she's the one. But I'm going to show him he's wrong.

I thought it was over. But now I have a chance.











Bringing the mug to my lips, the last drop of lukewarm coffee slides down my throat as the waitress zips by. I sigh, my hand halting in midair before coming to rest on the table again. I can't do much of anything without coffee. Can hardly remember my old name without the heavenly liquid, much less my new one. If I'm going to craft any sort of decent plan to get Brooks back, I'll need a refill.

Despite her Facebook telling me she frequents this place, Eliza is still MIA. Perhaps she isn't eating. Maybe she'll starve to death. But Lord knows I've eaten plenty for the both of us. I'm unwilling to get fat waiting on her, but the smells of freshly cracked eggs and crisping bacon prevent me from simply having a coffee. The breakfast aromas must drift far from the building, because all the self-important losers of Brookhaven keep packing the place like sardines. I'll give it until the end of the week before coming up with another plan. Which would suck, because—

Holy. Shit.

There she is. A crown of blonde shifting nervously from foot to foot at the front door. Two douchebags engage her, because she's pretty—okay, beautiful … whatever. Raised brows and sly smiles adorn their faces. She rolls her eyes. Raises a hand to flaunt the rock that should be on my finger instead. Stubborn, they keep trying. She steps to the counter, shakes her head at the staff, then shrugs in exasperation. A whoosh of hair as she spins around, heading for the door.

Every day until the wedding is precious. I can't let her go. Without thinking it through, I bolt from the table. My feet are quick as I beeline for her, and then fingertips finally connect with her shoulder. “Hey!”

She spins, blue eyes staring at my own. Unable to speak, I stare back. I'm afraid, terrified she will recognize me, even though she couldn't. It's impossible. I don't even resemble Ivy."



Lauren Campbell lives in Atlanta, GA, with her family, and is author of The Evolution of Ivy: Poison.

She was raised in Columbia, SC, with her three sisters who annoy her greatly.

An avid reader since early childhood, Lauren discovered her love for writing several years into owning a successful newborn photography business. After reaching out to author Colleen Hoover in 2013 for advice, Lauren painstakingly pieced together a heap of garbage loosely based on her personal life that she decided to trash. After one year of being on hiatus, Lauren subsequently came up with the idea for Poison after being inspired by a photo on the internet. She wrote Poison in three weeks. It is not a heap of garbage, has no personal ties, and is filled with characters Lauren cares more for than some of the real people in her life. But don't tell anyone that.

Lauren's social life is pretty boring, but she loves reading, coffee & hot tea, and living in her pajamas. She's a glutton for punishment, and regrettably signs up for things like Room Mom in her children's classes, leaving her up all night doing things like baking dozens of cookies between swear words. Her favorite food is avocado. If she could, she'd find a way to put it on everything.

Lauren is done writing in third person now.

Author Links:

The Truth About Lennon Cover Reveal...

Today we have the gorgeous cover reveal for The Truth About Lennon by K.L. Grayson! Check out this gorgeous cover and be sure to preorder your copy today!

lennon_amazon

Title: The Truth About Lennon

Author: K.L. Grayson

Release Date: February 21st

Genre: Contemporary Romance


About The Truth About Lennon:

Lennon Barrick-St. James is making headlines as New York City's hottest new socialite. Only she isn't new at all. One well-intentioned night gone wrong has landed the daughter of the vice presidential candidate Christopher St. James on the front pages of every newspaper and magazine in the country.

Forced by her father to stay out of the limelight, Lennon flees to the quiet town of Haven, Texas, where she vows to lie low and avoid men. Well, except for the sexy biker she just ran off the road--she definitely won't be avoiding him.

Noah Cunningham

Already has a girl in his life, and he sure as hell doesn't need another. Especially the beautiful and sinfully sweet angel that just descended upon the quiet little town he calls home.

The only problem is that the more time he spends with Lennon, the more he wants to be with her. And that's just not going to work for Noah. He's already been burned once and he's not so sure he's ready to go down that road again.

Noah has spent the last five years putting his life back together after secrets and lies ripped it apart. So what will happen when he learns the Truth about Lennon.

Preorder Today:

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2jr7GsQ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kG64fQ

iTunes: http://apple.co/2jJq1T3

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2kffwdf


lennon-full

Exclusive Excerpt:

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, I’m looking for Noah Cunningham. He was brought in by ambulance a little while ago.”

The woman looks me over and she smiles, but it isn’t as friendly as it should be. “Are you family?”

“Um…” I shake my head. “No.” Her smile fades, and I quickly improvise because I know that look. If I’m not family, she won’t let me back there to see him. “Not yet, at least,” I say, mustering up as much conviction as I can. “I’m his fiancée.”

Oh shit. I can’t believe I just said that.

Too late now.

That makes her frown. “Noah doesn’t have a fiancée.”

“How do you know?”

Narrowing her eyes, the woman stands behind her desk. “I grew up with Noah. Our brothers are friends. I think I’d know if he was dating, let alone engaged,” she says—a bit too defensively, if you ask me.

Does this woman have a thing for Noah? A hint of jealousy sparks in my veins, surprising me.

“I assure you he does,” I say with just as much bite, because as it turns out, I have a thing for him too.

The bitch crosses her arms over her chest. “Where’s your ring?”

“I didn’t put it on this morning. What are you, the engagement police?” Not the cleverest thing to say, I know, but it’s the best I could come up with.

Lips pressed firmly together, the woman glares. If looks could kill I’d be dead, buried, and forgotten about. I glance at the woman’s name tag before meeting her death stare head on.

“Now I get it,” I say, snapping my fingers as though I should’ve recognized her sooner. “You’re Penny.”

Penny’s scowl turns into more of a frown.

“Noah told me all about you.”

As expected, this perks her up. “He did?” She quickly realizes her mistake. “I mean, of course he did.”

“There you are, Lennon!”

I turn to see Mikey, the guy from the ambulance, walking toward us. If the look on his face is any indication, he caught some—if not all—of my little white lie.

Leaning against the desk, he smiles warmly at the woman. “How are ya, Penny?”

It’s amazing how her demeanor changes in the presence of a man. “Hey, Mikey. I’m good. Just been workin’ a lot, ya know?”

Mikey nods, and Penny glances at me somewhat timidly. “This woman is trying to tell me she’s engaged to Noah.”

“Wait…” Mikey waves a finger between me and Penny. “You mean you didn’t know about Lennon? Brad didn’t tell you?”

Penny shakes her head and opens her mouth to respond, but Mikey cuts her off with a fake disappointed sigh.

“I guess I’m not really surprised,” he says. “He hasn’t been around much lately, what with his new job and all. How’s that going for him, anyway?”

“Good,” she says, looking back toward me, clearly wanting to redirect the conversation.

“Good.” Mikey nods. “That’s good. Well,” he says, clapping a hand on the desk, “I’ll take Lennon down to Noah’s room before I go, if it’s all right with you.”

Plopping down in her seat, Penny huffs. “Fine.”

With a hand pressed to my back, Mikey guides me down the hall.

“Thank you,” I whisper when I’m certain we’re out of earshot.

“Are you kidding me? Noah should be thanking you. He’s been turning down Penny since the third grade, and now maybe she’ll get off of his back for good.”

“Well, then…” I puff out my chest. “I’m glad I was able to help. But I’ll be honest; I thought for sure I lied to the wrong person. I was really worried there for a second.”

“This is a small town, Lennon. The kind where everybody knows everybody, everybody thinks they know everything, and you can’t piss without it ending up in the paper or on Facebook. It’ll do you good to remember that.”

“Does that mean—”

“Yup.” He nods before I even finish. “Penny has probably already posted about it, tweeted it, Snapchatted it, and found a way to put it up on Instagram.”

“Great.” I stare at the hospital door. “Now Noah’s really going to hate me, and we don’t even know each other.”

“Nah. Noah’s pretty laid back.”

I look up at him, cocking a brow.

“Okay, he’s uptight, but he’ll see the humor in it,” he says, opening the door before quietly adding, “I think.”

A man in a long, white coat is standing in the room, waving his hands as he talks to Noah, who is stretched out on the bed, his jeans and T-shirt now replaced by a green hospital gown. Noah’s eyes widen when he notices me walking into the room behind Mikey.

“What is she doing here?” he says, cutting off the doctor.

“She’s your fiancée; where else would she be?”

We all turn toward the snide voice. Penny. Go figure, she must’ve followed us. She flits around the room. Doing what? No clue. Probably just being nosy.

“Fiancée?” Noah looks from Penny to Mikey and narrows his eyes when they land on me.

I’m going to go straight to hell.

“It’s okay,” I soothe, sitting on the bed next to him. Smiling down, I brush his hair off of his forehead. It’s soft, and I let my fingers linger longer than necessary as I imagine what it would be like to belong to this man—to be able to touch him whenever I wanted, run my fingers through his shaggy hair, kiss him. The thoughts in my mind have no business being there, but I can’t help but wish for every single one.

Feeling the weight of silence, I clear my throat. “I told her.” I glance at Penny, who is frowning. “And she’s not going to say anything, are you, Penny? Because we haven’t officially announced it yet.”

Her eyes widen, guilt splattered across her face. “Uh...”

“I’m so lost,” Noah mumbles, running a hand over his ruggedly handsome face. “Maybe I did hit my head, doc.”

“I’m sorry, I missed your name.” The young doctor sticks out his hand, which I quickly accept.

“Lennon.”

He smiles. “It’s nice to meet you, Lennon. My name is Dr. Ward, and I took care of your fiancé when he came in. In fact,” he says, looking at Noah, “I was just telling him what will need to be done once he gets home.”

“Yes.” I turn toward the doctor, giving him my full attention like any dutiful fiancée would. “Please, fill me in.”

“You don’t have to fill her in,” Noah says, trying to nudge me off the bed. “She’s not—”

“Shush.” Pressing a finger against his mouth, I frown. So does Noah. “He absolutely will fill me in. Who else is going to take care of you?”

He swats my hand away. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Dr. Ward interjects.

“Fine.” Noah rolls his eyes. “I’ll have my mother come help me.”

“She’s on vacation,” Mikey offers, holding his hands up in surrender when Noah shoots him a nasty glare.

“Noah, this is good. You’ll need some assistance for a few days, someone to help you get around the house so you can stay off your ankle,” Dr. Ward says.

“I’m good, doc, really.”

He nudges me again, but I just wrap his hand in mine and kiss his knuckles adoringly. Noah furrows his brow and presses his lips together. His gaze on me is so powerful, I swear the man can hold a conversation with just his eyes.

What the fuck are you up to?

I squint at him, letting him know I’ve got the wheel right now. Play along or I’ll run you off the road again.

Noah blows out a long, frustrated breath, and I know I’ve won him over.

“Anyway.” The doctor clears his throat. “Noah sprained his ankle during the accident. Nothing is broken, but he did a number on it. He also has a laceration on his leg that we cleaned up. It didn’t need stitches, but I’d like for him to keep an eye on it, because we don’t want it to get infected. I’ll have Penny print out the instructions and give them to you.”

I nod, and when Dr. Ward isn’t looking, Penny rolls her eyes.

“I would like it if you could stay off your foot for a couple of days,” he says to Noah. “Your ankle needs rest and ice.”

“Rest and Ice. Got it.” I turn to Noah. “I’ll just plan on staying with you for the next couple of days.”

“He’s your fiancée,” Penny exclaims. “Don’t you live with him?”

“No.” I might not be southern, but I do my best to tack on some southern belle charm. I press a hand to my chest, feigning disbelief. “Daddy would not approve of that. No shackin’ up until we’re married. Right, sweetie?”

“Shackin’ up?” Noah says.

“Whatever.” Penny walks out, followed by the doctor, and Mikey claps his hands together.

“Well, folks, I’ve gotta get going.” He walks toward me and squeezes my shoulder. “Lennon, I’ll swing by Noah’s tonight and make sure you two don’t need anything.”

“Wait. What?” Noah pulls his hand from mine and scowls up at Mikey. “She’s not really coming home with me.”

“Yes, she is.” Mikey looks to me for confirmation, and I nod. “How else would you get home? You don’t have your bike, and your parents are out of town.”

“You,” Noah says. “You can take me home.”

“Sorry, man. Can’t. Gotta finish my shift. Plus, there’s no way in hell I’m taking care of your ass.”

“But you’re a fucking paramedic.”

Mikey shrugs. “So? I do that shit all day long. I don’t want to do it when I’m off. Plus, Lennon here has already volunteered to take care of your gimp ass.”

“This is a fucking joke.” Noah clenches his hands against the sheet. “She caused all of this,” he says, waving toward his ankle. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even be here.”

“And that’s exactly why I want you to let me help,” I plead. “I feel horrible. I promise I’ll take really good care of you, and I won’t get in your way at all. And I won’t really move in for the next few days; I’ll just come by and make sure you don’t need anything, maybe cook dinner for you.”

This isn’t exactly how I’d planned to spend my first few days in Heaven, but I like the idea of taking care of someone. Particularly this someone.

“You don’t even know me,” he argues.

I stick my hand out to shake his, and all he does is scowl. Mikey shoves an elbow into his arm and finally, reluctantly, Noah shakes my hand.

Mikey smiles. “Noah, meet Lennon, your fiancée.”

“Fuck.” Noah groans, dropping his head back on the pillow, and Mikey shoots me a wink.


About K.L. Grayson:

Kirby


K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO.  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 palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer.  She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.






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