I clicked on the playlist that I’d made for tonight, a mix of eighties and nineties music. As soon as it started playing, Jules let out a squeal.
“I thought this was supposed to be a romantic date, not a torture sesh.”
“It’s mood music.” Not really, but I had to get a rise out of her somehow.
She’d been doing really great lately— loved her athletic training classes and had a blast with her practicum with the football team. She was on speaking terms with her mom and dad. A phone call every few weeks. She was much happier now that they’d finally wised up and stopped guilt-tripping her.
“Just as long as you don’t sing, we’ll be good.” She poked me in the side as I set down the next plate.
“You don’t like my singing?”
A pained look crossed her face. “You’re horrible.”
“That’s it, no Oreo truffles for you.”
She reached for the plate, but I snatched it up before she could reach it and held it over my head.
She pushed back from the table and shot up from the chair, trying to get the plate. “You’re really going to punish me by denying me dessert?” Even on her tippy toes and her arms fully extended, she couldn’t reach the truffles. My pint-sized sugar fiend.
“I’ll save the punishment for later,” I whispered in her ear.
She shuddered against me, her arms wrapping around my waist. “Is that a sleeve of Oreos in your pants or are you just happy to see me?”
I set the plate down on the table and pulled her closer. “Come and find out.”
She shook her head and smiled. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
We never made it to the third course, but who needed Oreos when I had Peach?
Did you love this Embrace? Check out more of our new adult titles here!
And for exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming books, excerpts, contests, chats with our authors and editors, and more…
Be sure to like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Acknowledgments
My head is still spinning from how fast this book turned from a draft to a polished book. I always get nervous writing my acknowledgements because I feel like I’m going to leave someone out. So let me say this: thank you to everyone who has given encouraging words, feedback on my book, bought my book, or just given a smile that brightened my day.
Okay, phew, I feel better. On that note, here are some people I am forever grateful for:
My fabulous agent, Courtney Miller-Callihan. Thank you for always being in my corner and giving me great writing advice and peace of mind when I need it the most.
The amazing team at Entangled—Candy Havens, my brilliant editor. Thank you for pushing me to write a better book and believing in Jules and Ryan. Britt Marczak, cover artist extraordinaire and answerer of a million and one questions. Your covers are truly beautiful and better than anything I could ever imagine. Thank you for always being just an email away. Debbie Suzuki, promo queen. Thank you for showing me ways to market better and tips to increase readership! Also big shout out to Nicole Steinhaus for initial feedback, the CE, and everyone else at Entangled who helped Jules and Ryan have their HEA.
Lia Riley and A.J. Pine, my writing compadres. Thank you for always being there for me. Ryan and Jules would not be here today if it weren’t for you two. Thank you for believing in me. You’re both groovy and if I could put an Austin Powers meme in here, I would. I don’t think I would have made it without out g chats, texts, Facebook messages, etc. For that, I am eternally grateful.
My good friends, Jessica Gunn and Rene Gilley, Natalie Blitt, Megan Erickson, Lex Martin, and Jules Barnard. I love our group messages and mutual support. You are all so talented and kind, and I am a better person for knowing you. Thank you for always being there for me.
My writing friends, Amy Trueblood, Brighton Walsh, Esher Hogan, Lisa Houghton, Lisa Burstein, the 14 NA group, and my friends on Twitter—thank you for always making me smile and sending lots of support in the form of virtual chocolate and hot guy pics.
To all the readers in Our So Called Group. Thank you for your support and feedback. Special shout out to the ladies who helped come up with naughty office supply jokes. I think you’ll see I used quite a few of them in the book.
My special blogger friends, Sil from Hopeless Book Lovers, Danielle from Ramblings From This Chick, Tina from Typical Distractions, Three Chicks, Maf from Maf’s Crazy Book Life, Christine from I Heart Big Books (who makes the most incredible swag EVER), Alexis from Three Girls and a Book Obsession, Jessica Anhalt from Desire Divas, Alicia Wyland, and all other bloggers who have given the time to read and review. Thank you all for being so supportive! It means so much to me.
My readers, thank you for picking up this book and giving it a chance. I am grateful for you.
My family—Thank you for always being supportive. I love you all.
Justin and little man, I love you both so much. Thank you for being 110% supportive. I would have never pursued my dream of being a writer if it wasn’t for you.
About the Author
Jennifer Blackwood is an English teacher and New Adult author. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s binging on Veronica Mars episodes and white cheddar popcorn.
Want to know when Jennifer Blackwood’s next book releases? Sign up for her newsletter.
www.jenniferblackwood.com
Sign up for our Steals & Deals newsletter and be the first to hear about 99¢ releases from Jennifer Blackwood and other fantastic Entangled authors!
Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!
Discover the Drexler University series…
Unethical
After the medical world was shaken by scandal, with Payton Daniels’s family at the center, Payton left everything behind and hid within the anonymity of college. But Payton’s ex, Blake Hiller, hasn’t forgiven her for leaving, and now he’s in her medical ethics class. Forced together again, their passion for each other reignites, but when Payton is asked to testify in her father’s high-profile trial, she must choose between risking her acceptance into medical school to help her father, and losing the only guy she’s ever loved.
Discover more New Adult titles from Entangled…
Unfixable
by Tessa Bailey
Willa Peet isn’t interested in love. She’s been there, done that, and has the shattered heart to prove it. Ready to shake the breakup, she heads to Dublin, Ireland. But there’s a problem. A dark-haired, blue-eyed problem with a bad attitude that rivals her own. And he’s not doling out friendly Irish welcomes. Shane Claymore is only in Dublin long enough to sell the Claymore Inn and get things in order for his mother and younger sister. Meeting a sarcastic American girl makes him question everything, but will their pasts destroy any hope of a future together?
The Possibility of Us
by Lisa Burstein
Cassie doesn’t want to go to the funeral. She has enough to handle with her own hollow existence. But she knows she should pay her respects to her old camp counselor…as long as her ex, Ben, won’t be there. Except Ben is there. Still gorgeous, still angry, and still able to penetrate her defenses with one intense stare. Cassie can’t truly open up to Ben when she knows confessing her secrets will leave her raw, defenseless. And the possibility of forever might not be enough to gamble on all the impossibilities of now.
Pretty Smart Girls: Lace Up
by Shae Ross
Ryan Rose and her friends are finalists in a high-profile entrepreneurial competition. All they need to do is trounce the competition: rich frat boys from their archrival university. As each side tries to game the other, something else seems to be getting in the way—attraction. Now Ryan and Jett must keep their teams from getting distracted by the opposite sex...and each other. All is not fair in love and war when i
t comes to winning this game.
The Summer of Jake
by Rachel Bailey
Life is just dandy for aspiring fashion designer Annalise Farley…until her best friend’s older brother, the guy who broke her heart at sixteen without realizing it, saunters back into her life needing her help. Helping Jake Maxwell land his next girlfriend is the last thing Annalise wants to do, but Jake’s makes her an offer she can’t refuse. Is that the sound of her life cracking at the seams? It’s hard to tell with Jake smiling at her like she’s the only thing that makes him happy…
If Only
by A.J. Pine
It’s been two years since twenty-year-old Jordan had a boyfriend. Now she’s off to spend her junior year in Aberdeen, Scotland, the perfect place to stop waiting for Mr. Right and just enjoy Mr. Right Now. Noah’s perfect. After being trapped together outside the train’s loo, he kisses her like she’s never been kissed before. But Aberdeen is supposed to be about fun rather than waiting for life to happen, and Noah makes Jordan reconsider what love is and how far she’s willing to go for the right guy.
Eyes Turned Skyward
by Rebecca Yarros
Since her sister’s death, Paisley, who shares her sister’s heart condition, is treated like glass by her parents. But nothing will stop her from completing her Bucket List—even if it kills her. And it almost does, until Jagger pulls her from the ocean and sets her soul on fire. Jagger is wickedly hot, reckless, and perfect for a girl living life to the fullest. Except Paisley is the commanding general’s daughter and her boyfriend is Jagger’s biggest rival. One wrong move, and they could crash and burn...
Foolproof Page 20