Publication date: September 10th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance
MEMORY
Casualties.
That’s how I refer to the guys who’ve had the bad fortune to fall for me. They only see long legs that they wish were wrapped around them, a cat-like smile, and the reckless abandon to take on any wild dare. It’s all a game to me. Show me a bridge, and I’ll leap over the side. Give me a car, and I’ll race it. Give me a heart, and I’ll break it. I always win. I even showed Death who was boss a long time ago.
Or so I thought.
Now, time is running out, and I’m losing fast…and big. I met someone. Jace Beaumont. He’s smart, and good, and I dream about spending days exploring the summit of his perfect lips. But, I’m a grenade. I know I should leave him be. I can’t.
JACE
Study, class, work, repeat. That’s all I have time for. At twenty-five years old, I have a bit more mileage on me than the average college freshman. But, that’s what happens when you spend your youth drinking, partying, and bagging girls like it’s a full-time job. Now, I have goals. There’s just one kink in my plans. Her name is Memory. She’s every guy’s dream girl. She’s intoxicating. She’s trouble. I want to stay away. I can’t.
Jace’s
words stuck to the inside of my skull all throughout the next day.
Even after my friends all met up at my house, bound for Cooper’s
Gorge for an exhilarating day of zip-lining and picnicking, the words
remained. I’d want to be surrounded by my loved ones for every
second of every day. Until.
Who
was Jace Beaumont, anyway? Mr. Miagi? Buddha? An angel? Why was he
filled with so much…profoundness? Why did he say things that struck
my heart in such a way that I couldn’t stop thinking about them?
About him?
And
why in the absolute hell had he not kissed me yet? Last night on the
porch? The air was on fire around us. I guess there was something to
be said about a guy who had that much control, yeah?
I’d
made my mind up to ask him. Tomorrow. About the kiss.
“Mem,
you’re up!” Crisco hollered. “Get your head outta your ass,
girl, and come on!”
“Quit,
now,” Claire chided. She stood next to Sugar, helmet in place and
looking way too big for her head, ready to zip. “She can’t help
it,” she grinned. “She’s got Jace-itis!”
“Don’t
hate, Peeshwank!” I yelled as I walked up to the platform. The
guide was pretty damn cute, I must say. In a lanky, nerdy kind of
way. He had long hair that flipped over his ears like he’d fallen
straight out of the seventies. I looked at him and shook my head.
“They are so jealous!”
He
grinned. “Let’s get your harness on, darlin’,” he said, and
proceeded to secure me in slightly intimate ways.
“I
bet you say that to all the gals, yeah?” I teased.
Everyone
laughed.
He
eyed me. “Nice shirt.”
“Hey,”
I went on as I gave my beloved T-shirt a quick glance. “Jaws
was the first and greatest summer blockbuster. Of all time.”
He
finished securing my harness and held his hands up in mock defense.
He grinned. “Nothin’ but respect. Ready?”
I
lifted my cell phone from my pocket. “Yep.”
“Ten
bucks says you drop it,” the guy said.
“You’re
on, skipper,” I answered, just before he laughed and gave me a
push.
With
friends on either side of the gorge yelling and cheering me on, I
shot out on the line, legs clad in a pair of comfy holy jeans,
stretched in front of me, my fave pair of worn Converses leading the
way and my weight in the harness. It felt like I was flying! My
stomach dropped, my lips tingled, and I yelled one of my favorite
exhilarating movie quotes at the top of my lungs: “I’m the king
of the world!” Then I quickly took a selfie—no idea what it
looked like—and hung on for the ride.
“Woo-hoo!
Yeah!” I yelled, and my lungs burned and the cold air stung my
cheeks and I laughed all the way until Bentley grabbed my harness on
the other side.
“You
are one crazy fool,” he said, grinning and steadying me.
“Takes
one to know one,” I said back, shucking out of my harness.
We
watched the rest of our friends fly the gorge, and I took pics of
each one just as they grew close to the platform. Claire came after
me and her face was priceless. Mouth wide open, eyes even wider,
screaming the most high-pitched scream I’d ever heard. I’d
planned on making a giant collage for each one in our group, compiled
of our zany adventures, and after four years I had quite a
collection.
Bentley
helped me out of my harness and as soon as I was free I pulled up the
selfie I took—eyes crossed, huge grin with all of my teeth
showing—and sent it to Jace. Wish you were here, I texted.
He texted me right back. So do I. Your eyes are gonna stick like
that one day, btw
“I’m
gonna be sick,” Bentley said, leaning over my shoulder and reading
my text. His shadow fell over me, his ears casting a silhouette on my
phone. He elbowed me. “Something’s different.” He cocked his
head. “You really like this guy?”
I
smiled. “I don’t know just yet,” I answered, and looked out
over the gorge as Sugar came flying across. “But I think I do,
yeah.”
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(this
giveaway is set and managed by author, not Xpresso Book Tours)
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