Second Chance Boyfriend (30 page)

To EVERY reader who took a chance on OWG, who bought the book from a complete unknown author and liked it enough to want to read SCB. Writers are nothing without our readers so thank you.

The support I received from soooo many readers and reviewers on Goodreads was tremendous and meant so much to me. When you guys take the time to put together the reviews with the gifs and funny comments (and the marshmallow reviews! So amazing), I love them. So stinkin’ much I can hardly stand it. Oh, and Amy Jennings – OMG you really jumpstarted the buzz for OWG there so THANK YOU. And thank you for allowing me to join the Triple M’ers. To the Triple M ladies (and gent), I love all you dirty birdies! ;)

To the early reviewers who took me up on my offer of a free book: Christy at Tyhada Reads, Becky at Reality Bites (Becky you are one of my biggest advocates *tackle hugs*), Anna at Anna Reads Romance, Lyra at Defiantly Deviant, Momo at Books Over Boys, Carole at Life Over Fiction, Nereyda at Mostly YA Book Obsessed, Debbie at the Talk Supe blog and Christine at Shh Moms Reading, thank you from the bottom of my heart. To Christine especially for taking the time to organize my blog tour. You don’t know how much that meant to me. I am floored by everyone’s support.

A big shout out to all the book bloggers who reviewed and/or had me on your site – thank you so much. I wish I could list everyone but it would probably end up half the length of the book—just know I appreciate you all. To Becca the Bibliophile for creating the OWG cover reveal book trailer – I feel like I didn’t say enough how much I loved it. Cos I really, really did.

To Lauren Blakely for being such a great friend—we have way too much in common and that’s sorta scary. To Katy Evans for being the best critique partner a girl could ever, ever have. I’d be nothing without you. To Nyrae Dawn for the almost daily email exchanges—we’ve known each other a long time and I appreciate your support. To all the wonderfully talented self published authors I’ve met—you guys rock and you put out such amazing books. I’m honored to be a part of such a wonderful and supportive community. To Kati R. for helping me so much with all sorts of stuff and for the squee-ing feedback in regards to this book. I heart you and need you so don’t ever leave me.

A big thank you to Kelly at Inkslinger PR—I know this is going to be a great matchup and I’m looking forward to working with you.

I might get weepy writing this but I just…I can’t get over the support I’ve received for this book. That Drew + Fable touched so many people, that I made you laugh and cry and shake your fist and want to throw your e-reader/tablet/phone when you read OWG...I can’t explain how awesome this entire journey has been with you all. I hope like freaking crazy that you’re satisfied with the story I told in SCB. That you believe Adele got what was coming to her (though I sorta felt sorry for her near the end—did anyone else? Or was that just me?). That you really believe Drew + Fable can be happy together.

Because I totally believe these two can be happy together. She gets him. And he gets her. Together they might be a bit of a fucked up mess (who said that? I think it was Fable) but sometimes, in the mess, you can find something amazing. And I believe that’s what happened for them.

It’s so crazy because they feel real to me. Like I have no control over them and they completely took over when I worked on their books. I was merely the instrument who told their story. And even though this book is finished and in my heart, their story is finished, Drew is still whispering in my head. And so is Fable. It’s hard to let them go…and I don’t know if I ever want to let them go.

So thank you. Thank you for reading my little story about a broken boy and a broken girl who only became whole when they found each other.

Dear Readers,

I’m so excited to share with you a sneak peek at USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely’s upcoming novel TROPHY HUSBAND (Note: This is an unedited version and may change in the final book), which is scheduled to release in May. This is such a deliciously sexy excerpt, I know you’ll be anxiously awaiting the release of TROPHY HUSBAND as much as I am!

Hugs,

Monica

The stars twinkle and the night air is warm as we leave Tiki Bar and walk slowly up Fillmore. At the top of the hill, I see my friend’s maroon Prius that I’m tasked with driving home tonight. I point to it.

“These are my wheels.” I click on the key to unlock the car. Then I reach for the door handle. But it doesn’t open. I try again. Same thing happens. “Damn. What is up with these hybrids?”

“They have to calibrate to your heart rate.”

“Then how the heck am I supposed to drive it home?”

“I know a trick,” Chris says.

“You do?”

“Want to give me the keys and I’ll show you?” he asks, holding open his palm for me.

But before I can pull away, he closes his fingers over mine, gripping my hand in his. That’s all it takes. Within seconds I am in his arms, and we are wrapped up in each other. His lips are sweeping mine, and I press my hands against his chest, and oh my. He does have the most fantastic outlines in his body. He is toned everywhere, strong everywhere, and I am dying to get my hands up his shirt, and feel his bare chest and his belly. But if I did, I might just jump him right here because I am one year and running without this. Without kissing, without touching, without feeling this kind of heat.

He twines his fingers through my hair, and the way he holds me, both tender and full of want at the same time, makes me start to believe in possibilities. Start to believe that you can try again, and it’ll be worth it. His lips are so soft, so unbearably soft, and I can’t stop kissing and tasting him. He has the faintest taste of Diet Coke on his lips, and it’s crazy to say this, but it almost makes me feel closer to him. Or maybe I feel closer because he’s leaning into me, his body is aligned with mine, and there’s no space between us, and I don’t want any space between us. I want to feel him against me, his long, strong body tangled up in mine, even though we’re fully clothed, making out on the street.

He breaks the kiss. “I wanted to kiss you all night.”

“You did?”

He nods. “Totally.”

“Me too,” I whisper, as he bends his head and kisses my neck, planting a trail of sweet and sexy kisses down to my throat, and it’s almost sensory overload the way he ignites me. Forget tingles, forget goosebumps. That’s kid stuff compared to this. My body is a comet with Chris. I am a shooting star with the way he kisses me. I don’t even know if I have bones in my body anymore. I don’t know how I’m standing. I could melt under the sweet heat of his lips that are now tracing a line down my chest to the very top of my breasts, as he tugs gently at my shirt, giving himself room to leave one more brush of his lips, before he stops.

He looks at me, and the expression on his face is one of pride and lust. He knows he’s turned me inside out and all the way on.

“That was so unfair of me,” he says with a wicked grin. “Getting a headstart like that on all the other candidates.”

How can there be any other guys after a kiss like that? It’s a kiss to end all kisses, it’s a sip of lemonade in a hammock on a warm summer day. It’s a slow dance on hardwood floors while a fan goes round overhead, curtains blowing gently in the open window.

If he feels half as much for me as I do for him, then I want to sail away with him in the moonlight, and that scares the hell out of me. I have to extract myself before I let this go any further. I don’t mean the contact. I mean the way my aching, broken heart is reaching for Chris.

If you enjoyed
Second Chance Boyfriend
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One Week Girlfriend
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Temporary.

That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least.

But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is…

Me.

I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him.

Forever.