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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

crossing the line - Making Bad Choices by Rita Stradling

16+ "The story quickly pulls you in and you soon become captivated by both the characters and the storyline. The development of Cassie and Cutlers relationship is slow, sensual and has a beauty to it that you don't often find in YA romances."- Rabid Reader, Goodreads

Description:

Published: January 10th, 2017 

Culter Fuller came back into my life on the day my mother died, as if losing my mother wasn’t bad enough.

We hated each other since childhood. Well, I hated him. He had a very different story.

When I moved to my dad’s house to finish my last semester of high school, we went from bitter enemies to. . . something else. He was suddenly everywhere, occupying my space, determined to pull me into his life, filling me with thoughts I knew were wrong.

I knew that soon we would cross a line that should never be crossed.

I knew crossing that line could have very serious consequences; because Culter Fuller wasn’t just any irresistible boy, Culter Fuller was my stepbrother.

But, I was always very bad at making the right choices.

The M.L.M.C. Playlist 

1) The Temptations - My Girl 
2) The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses 
3) Bright Eyes - The First Day of My Life 
4) Modern English - I Melt with You 
5) Elton John - Your Song 
6) The Lumineers – Ho Hey 
7) Stand Inside Your Love - Smashing Pumpkins 
8) Sweet Child O’ Mine - Guns n’ Roses 
9) Mumford & Sons – I Will Wait 
10) Coldplay – A Sky Full of Stars 
11) BØRNS - Electric Love 
12) Jason Mraz – I’m Yours 
13) Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel 
14) Joshua Radin - I'd Rather Be with You 
15) Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed

EXCERPT




Twenty minutes after Josh and my dad left, Culter walked in through my door. He said nothing, just crawled onto my bed, grabbed me and rolled me on top of him.
My knees went to either side of his hips, but I laid the rest of my weight on his chest. “Good morning,” I said as my hair fell down like a curtain around us.
Hands going behind his head, he grinned wide. “I missed you.”
The tip of my nose brushed over his. “Weirdly, I missed you too . . . weird because I was with you or near you all day and night.”
His hands gripped my legs. “I like that. And, you can fall asleep like this; I’ll be fine lying right here until you wake up.”
“Weirdo.” I leaned in, whispering over his lips, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” I pressed my lips into his. I loved being above him, because I could press into him and kiss him as hard and as deeply as I wanted. My hands ran up under his shirt, up the perfect ridges of his abs, until I decided that I didn’t have enough access.
Leaning away, I whispered, “Take it off.”
His brows rose, eyes melting with a mixture of humor and desire. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he pulled it over his head, and then smiled at me. His head turned and he looked quickly away toward the door to my room. “What was that?”
“What?” I asked, looking.
And then I heard it, someone was in the house, footsteps clunking down my hall toward my room. “Culter?” my dad’s voice called from outside my door. Then from further down the hall, he yelled, “Culter?”
Fuck!
My hand covered Culter’s mouth and we lay very still, staring at my door. The line on the knob of my door pointed straight across. Fuck, again! That meant unlocked!
A light knock sounded on my door. “Cassie, are you still awake?”
Culter’s hands squeezed on my legs.
Across the room, my knob turned.
“Dad! I’m changing! Don’t come in!”
The knob stopped turning. “Oh, sorry, honey. Have you seen Culter?” he asked, his voice muffled right outside my door.
Culter’s hand came up and gently pulled my hand from his lips. Arching up, he whispered right into my ear. “Say I went out.”
“He already left, Dad!” I yelled.
“His truck is here,” my dad said back.
“Spencer picked him up!”
“Oh. That’s different.” He paused, and then said, “Do you know where Josh’s backpack is? I think it has his tablet in it, and we need it for the drive.”
“Um, in his room?” I grimaced.
“No, I think it might still be in Culter’s truck. Damn, I’ll try to call him.”
“Fuck,” Culter whispered, quickly he moved his hip up, his hand digging into his back pocket. “Fuck. I can’t get it.”
I climbed off him, letting him get at his back pocket. He grabbed out his phone, flicking the silence switch on. Half a second later his phone lit up with ‘Frank’ written across his screen. We both watched until the screen went dark, and then looked over to the door.
“He’s not answering. Do you know if he took his keys with him?”
Culter shook his head.
“He left them,” I said.
“No, I brought the keys with me,” Culter whispered, too late.
I covered my lips and shut my eyes tight.
“Cassie, I’m sorry to ask this, but would you go get them for me? I know Culter doesn’t want me in his room.”
I paused. “Oh, okay, Dad. One second.”
Turning to Culter, I held my hands out.
He leaned in. “Let’s just tell him,” he whispered into my ear.
Leaning back, I shook my head, furiously.
Looking to the ceiling, then back to my gaze, he pointed to my closet and nodded. As quietly as possible, we both stood. Culter walked and I tiptoed over to my closet.
As I shut him inside, he whispered, “My keys are in my top drawer.”
“Everything okay?”
I spun. “Fine! I’m all dressed now.” Turning to head to my door, I spotted Culter’s red shirt lying across my bedspread out of the corner of my eye. “Crap,” I whispered, running over, I stuffed it under my blanket.

The door opened, and my dad stood revealed in the doorway.

About the author:
Rita Stradling is the author of The Deception Dance series, the Dakota Kekoa series and The Fourteen Day Soul Detox Novella Serial. She has a BA in Art History and a particular love for modern and medieval art. 

Rita lives with her husband and son in Northern California.

She has an insatiable novel addiction and mostly reads young adult and adult: romance, paranormal, urban fantasy and high fantasy.

Author's US/CAN Giveaway :

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Rita is a new author to me and I'm looking forward to reading Making Bad Choices.

Jan Lee said...

I'd love to read this book. I've sure made some bad choices in my life, lol :)

Anonymous said...

Some great songs on that playlist!