Genre: Adult Fiction (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: September 2017
Publisher: Self
At age twelve, Ashlee Nichols fell in love with her brother’s best friend, Beau Jacobsen. Everyone thought she was cute and that her crush was simply that…a crush. But her young heart had known he was the one, and she had planned on marrying him as soon as she was old enough. Unfortunately, when she confessed her feelings to Beau, he’d laughed, patted her on the head and told her he was flattered. Sure, Beau had been twenty-two at the time, but she knew she wouldn’t always be a little girl. Just when she turned eighteen and was finally old enough to date him, Beau joined the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan. Now, six years later, Beau is back in Mitchel Creek, Georgia for a few weeks. He’s hotter than ever…and still ten years older, something he can’t seem to get past. He still sees Ashlee as a glorified little sister…or does he?
Using a skill Beau had picked up in the Army, he silently approached Ashlee. He wasn’t sure how happy she’d be to see him, so he’d come bearing gifts. The apple pie was still warm, melting the scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. He spotted her lying in the hammock with her ankles crossed. Smiling at the sight of her red Chuck Taylors, he tried not to stare at the length of leg showing. The hem of her dress had ridden up mid-thigh, revealing smooth, tan skin.
He squinted at the screen of her phone and saw she was playing a game, not reading about the hot Navy SEAL. He still couldn’t believe how fast his blood had turned cold when he’d thought she was going out with one of the cocky special ops guys. He knew right then and there that he was in trouble. His thoughts might have been protective, but they were also possessive—as in he didn’t want Ashlee going out with any guy. Period.
Although he still grappled with the age difference, he knew it wasn’t a showstopper. The showstopper was how to tell his best friend he was into his little sister. He had no idea how Chase would react. Beau figured before he even said anything to his buddy, he should at least explore his new-found attraction to Ashlee. He would go cautiously. For all he knew, her crush might never amount to anything more than that. She’d liked him for so long, she may not know how to act any differently around him.
He was close enough that he could see she was definitely not reading. When he called her on it, she squealed and rolled to one side of the hammock. Before she toppled to the ground, he quickly advanced and righted the hammock. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Somehow I don’t believe you.” Her light blue eyes flashed with irritation, making him smile. She was so cute when she was mad. “I thought I told y’all not to bother me unless it was an emergency.”
“I know, but I brought you a peace offering.” He held out the bowl toward her. “It’s still warm.”
She leaned in to look and nearly tipped the hammock over. Beau caught it again. “Maybe you should sit up.”
“Maybe I don’t want dessert.”
One corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “You forget how well I know you.”
“Used to know me, Beau.” She swung her feet around so she sat in the hammock vertically. “People change. I’ve changed.”
“True.” He sat down beside her, the weight of his body making her press up against his side. The attraction was still there, spiking his pulse rate. He tried not to freak out and had to force himself to stay right there beside her. “So, you’re okay if I eat this then?”
She snatched the bowl out of his hands. “Not so fast. I may have changed, but I still love dessert.”
“You’re welcome,” he said when she dug in for a taste.
She swallowed and licked the corner of her mouth where a dot of ice cream had landed. “I was going to say thank you…eventually.”
The speck of ice cream still remained and, without thinking it through, Beau reached out and swiped his thumb across her mouth. “You missed it,” he said gruffly when she stilled and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Is it gone?” she asked in a voice just barely above a whisper.
His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he forgot all about checking for lingering ice cream. Her lips were pink and perfectly shaped with the bottom lip slightly fuller than the top. The urge to cover her mouth with his for just one little taste was overwhelming. It was also seriously freaking him out.
He couldn’t kiss her before asking her out. He’d been raised to treat a girl with respect. Besides, Chase had gone in with Addie to help get their daughter into bed, but he could come back at any moment. They were going to shoot a few hoops before Beau went home.
Shifting his focus from her mouth to her face, his mouth went dry. No wonder she was good at playing the role of any one of the beautiful fairy-tale princesses. The combination of her heart-shaped face with her light blue eyes and all that gorgeous, long blonde hair falling around her shoulders left him breathless.
This was too fast and too much for him to handle. “Yeah, it’s gone,” he said, jumping to his feet.
“Where’s a pool when you need it, right?” Ashlee said dryly.
He couldn’t help laughing. He’d forgotten how funny she could be, and the humor dispelled the crazy tension between them. “That was pretty good, Ashlee.”
“Much better than my date-with-my-book-boyfriend joke, wouldn’t you say?”
“Definitely.” He narrowed his gaze. “By the way, what is it with women thinking Navy SEALs are so hot? I’ve known a few of them, and they aren’t very good boyfriend material. They’re always gone on training missions or on a real mission. Plus, they’re so secretive.”
“Should I get the opportunity to date a hot Navy SEAL,” she said with a wink, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She took another bite of the pie, and Beau decided it was wise not to check for any residual ice cream left on her mouth. He usually had incredible self-control, but being around her was sorely testing him.
“So, do you ever read any books about…I don’t know…Army guys?”
“Nope,” she said with a smirk. “I guess they’re not hot enough to make the cut.”
It took every ounce of Beau’s discipline not to drag Ashlee to her feet, pin her against a tree and prove to her he had what it took to make the cut. “So, I guess that means you’d never go out with anyone from the Army?”
A stunned expression wiped the smile from her face. “Is an Army guy asking me out?”
Oh boy, he’d really gotten himself into a tight spot. He felt like he was tiptoeing through a minefield. One wrong move and he was dead and so were the people around him.
He squinted at the screen of her phone and saw she was playing a game, not reading about the hot Navy SEAL. He still couldn’t believe how fast his blood had turned cold when he’d thought she was going out with one of the cocky special ops guys. He knew right then and there that he was in trouble. His thoughts might have been protective, but they were also possessive—as in he didn’t want Ashlee going out with any guy. Period.
Although he still grappled with the age difference, he knew it wasn’t a showstopper. The showstopper was how to tell his best friend he was into his little sister. He had no idea how Chase would react. Beau figured before he even said anything to his buddy, he should at least explore his new-found attraction to Ashlee. He would go cautiously. For all he knew, her crush might never amount to anything more than that. She’d liked him for so long, she may not know how to act any differently around him.
He was close enough that he could see she was definitely not reading. When he called her on it, she squealed and rolled to one side of the hammock. Before she toppled to the ground, he quickly advanced and righted the hammock. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Somehow I don’t believe you.” Her light blue eyes flashed with irritation, making him smile. She was so cute when she was mad. “I thought I told y’all not to bother me unless it was an emergency.”
“I know, but I brought you a peace offering.” He held out the bowl toward her. “It’s still warm.”
She leaned in to look and nearly tipped the hammock over. Beau caught it again. “Maybe you should sit up.”
“Maybe I don’t want dessert.”
One corner of his mouth lifted into a smile. “You forget how well I know you.”
“Used to know me, Beau.” She swung her feet around so she sat in the hammock vertically. “People change. I’ve changed.”
“True.” He sat down beside her, the weight of his body making her press up against his side. The attraction was still there, spiking his pulse rate. He tried not to freak out and had to force himself to stay right there beside her. “So, you’re okay if I eat this then?”
She snatched the bowl out of his hands. “Not so fast. I may have changed, but I still love dessert.”
“You’re welcome,” he said when she dug in for a taste.
She swallowed and licked the corner of her mouth where a dot of ice cream had landed. “I was going to say thank you…eventually.”
The speck of ice cream still remained and, without thinking it through, Beau reached out and swiped his thumb across her mouth. “You missed it,” he said gruffly when she stilled and looked at him with wide eyes.
“Is it gone?” she asked in a voice just barely above a whisper.
His eyes dropped to her mouth, and he forgot all about checking for lingering ice cream. Her lips were pink and perfectly shaped with the bottom lip slightly fuller than the top. The urge to cover her mouth with his for just one little taste was overwhelming. It was also seriously freaking him out.
He couldn’t kiss her before asking her out. He’d been raised to treat a girl with respect. Besides, Chase had gone in with Addie to help get their daughter into bed, but he could come back at any moment. They were going to shoot a few hoops before Beau went home.
Shifting his focus from her mouth to her face, his mouth went dry. No wonder she was good at playing the role of any one of the beautiful fairy-tale princesses. The combination of her heart-shaped face with her light blue eyes and all that gorgeous, long blonde hair falling around her shoulders left him breathless.
This was too fast and too much for him to handle. “Yeah, it’s gone,” he said, jumping to his feet.
“Where’s a pool when you need it, right?” Ashlee said dryly.
He couldn’t help laughing. He’d forgotten how funny she could be, and the humor dispelled the crazy tension between them. “That was pretty good, Ashlee.”
“Much better than my date-with-my-book-boyfriend joke, wouldn’t you say?”
“Definitely.” He narrowed his gaze. “By the way, what is it with women thinking Navy SEALs are so hot? I’ve known a few of them, and they aren’t very good boyfriend material. They’re always gone on training missions or on a real mission. Plus, they’re so secretive.”
“Should I get the opportunity to date a hot Navy SEAL,” she said with a wink, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
She took another bite of the pie, and Beau decided it was wise not to check for any residual ice cream left on her mouth. He usually had incredible self-control, but being around her was sorely testing him.
“So, do you ever read any books about…I don’t know…Army guys?”
“Nope,” she said with a smirk. “I guess they’re not hot enough to make the cut.”
It took every ounce of Beau’s discipline not to drag Ashlee to her feet, pin her against a tree and prove to her he had what it took to make the cut. “So, I guess that means you’d never go out with anyone from the Army?”
A stunned expression wiped the smile from her face. “Is an Army guy asking me out?”
Oh boy, he’d really gotten himself into a tight spot. He felt like he was tiptoeing through a minefield. One wrong move and he was dead and so were the people around him.
To learn more about Cindy Roland Anderson and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads & Facebook.
Giveaway Details
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway
Ends 3/3/18
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
No comments :
Post a Comment
Thank your for stopping by. Please comment! I'd love to hear from you!