Release Date: July 21st, 2015
Ever had one of those days? Alina Lyons is having one. Everything keeps falling apart and going wrong. Just when she thinks it couldn't get worse, it does. After a case of mistaken identity and a broken heart, she finds herself questioning the things she thought she knew. She wonders who she can turn to or trust anymore.
An unlikely bond with her former best friend's ex, Ryan Wilcox, sends her life in a new direction. He offers her a place to stay while she gets her life back on track. His friendship is exactly what she's been missing—what she's been needing. Alina's never felt this alive. As time goes by, the dynamic of their relationship becomes more than either of them expected. A few innocent kisses could lead them in a new direction, but are they prepared for what's on the other side?
Only one way to find out.
“That's what always happens, though!”
I close my eyes for a couple seconds, then whisper, “But what if I fall in love and he's not there to catch me?”
“You try again. And again. And again. Until he does.”
“Trust me Alina, he will.”
“How do you know?”
EXCERPT
As we sit here quietly, the only sound we hear is the squeak of the swing as it rocks back and forth. I'm about to tell him we should go back inside when he asks, “Why don't you cry?”
His question shouldn’t surprise me, because it’s one thing people often wonder. I shrug. “No point in bothering. My life always spins back around where it was. A guy comes in, somehow sweeps me off my feet to the point where I have zero rational thought, he crushes me, I dust myself off, and move on to the next one.”
He stops the swing, turning to me. “Wait, you think that's normal?”
“It is for me. Circle of life.”
His forehead wrinkles. “What the hell, Alina? Don't you have any self worth?”
“Why do you think I stopped caring? Because if I did I would hurt. I'm protecting myself.”
“You're cutting yourself off, that's what you're doing.”
My head flinches back. “Huh?”
“Don't you get it?” He reaches for my hand, holding it between both of his. “You're distancing yourself from opening up to love because you have grown to expect something bad to happen.”
“That's what always happens, though!”
“Not every story ends the same. Some of them have a twist. Some things in life are unexpected. Some things like love.”
I close my eyes for a couple seconds, then whisper, “But what if I fall in love and he's not there to catch me?”
“You try again. And again. And again. Until he does.”
“What if he doesn't?”
“Trust me Alina, he will.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he's a fool if he doesn't.”
********
An hour and a half later, our set is over. Even though I love performing, the anxiety from being onstage can really drain me. I always breathe a sigh of relief the second I get back on level ground. Once I get a beer in me, I'll feel even more relaxed.
I head over to the bar expecting to see Alina sitting in the same spot she's occupied the whole night, but she's not there. I frown, but signal a bartender and ask him to bring me a beer. I scan the room, hoping she's nearby.
As soon as I have my hands on the beer, I'm about to stand to go back to Phil and Brent when a couple of girls block me. “Hi there,” I say with a smile.
The girl on the right says, “You were amazing up there.”
“Yeah, you guys have a wonderful sound,” the other one chimes in.
“Well, thank you.”
“Can we buy you a drink?” the first girl asks, giving me the hopeful head tilt.
Before I can respond, Alina shows up at my side holding a drink. “Hey sweetness,” she says, leaning in to press a kiss to my lips. I don't even miss a beat. Parting my lips just enough to make it look like a real kiss, I cup her cheek with my free hand. She pulls back with a contented smile. “You wanna grab a booth?”
“Of course,” I respond as I stand up. “Excuse me, ladies. My girl and I have something to celebrate tonight.”
The girls glance at each other, then watch with blank expressions as I lead Alina with a hand on the small of her back over to the last empty booth. I whisper into her ear, “Nice save. It's a burden to be the only straight man in the band.”
She lets out a snort as she slides into the booth. “Oh please. It's such a burden when girls are falling at your feet.”
“It is when you're not interested in any of them.” And the one you want is only pretending to be your girlfriend.
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Lilly Avalon is the author of the RESIST series as well as other erotic romances. She's somewhere in the midst of her twenties and lives mostly in the stories in her head. When she's not enveloped in the worlds she creates, she's out in the real world making stories happen. That or reading other romances. It's a toss-up.
8 comments:
I liked both the excerpt, and the beautiful book cover.
Great excerpt and such a pretty cover!
Well that was an interesting excerpt, grins. I'll be putting this on my list to read... definitely want to find out what happens next :)
Sounds like a lovely romance!
Look forward to reading your books. Keep up the great work.
Romantic cover and great excerpt. Thanks so much for sharing!
Great synopsis and excerpt. Thanks.
great excerpt!
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