Trophy Husband

by Lauren Blakely

  Make me better.

  So I chase him before he leaves the empty classroom, and leaves me all alone. Ava detests aloneness, even though it’s the thing she knows best. He’s nearly off-stage, and I grab his shirt, and he gives me this look – satisfaction and curiosity.

  “I see you’ve changed your mind…”

  My shoulders fall in resignation of Ava’s reality. I will only succeed with him. “I need you, Professor Paolo.”

  “Don’t call me professor.”

  “What should I call you?”

  “You can call me anytime.”

  And then he casually runs a strand of my hair in his fingers and lets it fall. I grab him, bestowing a hard, wet kiss on his lips.

  Patrick’s lips. Paolo’s lips.

  Oh god. He tastes fucking divine. Paolo. Patrick. My teacher. The actor I idolize. They all collide at once – reality, make believe, years of crushing, a moment of pretending. I don’t know if the way I feel right now comes from me or from Ava, but all I know is – without even opening my eyes, without even hearing ‘end scene’ – we have a crazy kind of chemistry that can’t be faked.

  Then I break the kiss and run offstage where I slam into Alexis Carbone, all bleached blond, bosom, and pipes like nobody’s business.

  I don’t stand a chance.

  Coming Next

  Keep your eye out for my first books with Entangled Publishing this fall!

  In September: A sexy Halloween novella starring a scorchingly-hot firefighter who melts hearts and panties...

  In October: THE BREAK-UP ALBUM, a story of a rock star who has to choose between love and music...

  Available for pre-order soon…

  Sneak Peek of The Impact of You

  by Kendall Ryan and Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan

  Dear Readers: I am thrilled to share a sneak peek of two New Adult romances I can’t wait to read! The first is The Impact of You from Kendall Ryan, releasing June 11, and the second is Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan, releasing May 27. (Note: These are unedited and may change in the final version.) Look for these books and check them out in the coming weeks!

  Xoxo

  Lauren

  The Impact of You by Kendall Ryan,

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author

  About the book…

  Needing an escape from her past, Avery chooses a college where no one knows her. Keeping a low profile was the plan, falling for the intense frat boy, Jase wasn’t. Yet she can’t deny how alive she feels when he’s near. Even as common sense implores her to stay away, her body begs her to get closer. Jase, numb from his own family drama, has grown bored with weekends fueled by nameless girls and countless bottles when he meets Avery. Helping her cope with her past is better than dealing with the bullshit his own life’s served up. Determined to drive away the painful secret she’s guarding, he appoints himself her life coach, and challenges her to new experiences. Getting close to her and being the one to make her smile are simply perks of the job. But when Avery’s past boldly saunters in, refusing to be forgotten, can Jase live with the truth about the girl he’s fallen for?

  Excerpt from The Impact of You…

  “Thanks.” I take my coffee and try a sip. Jase is still watching me, a lopsided grin across his lips. “What?”

  He chuckles softly, the deep timber of his voice raking over me, then folds his hands on the table in front of him. “Fine, I’ll do it.”

  “Do what?”

  He smirks. “I see no other choice than to become your tutor.”

  This time I’m the one laughing. “You want to be my human sexuality tutor? That’s original. And not douchey at all.”

  Jase’s determined gaze meets mine. “As tempting as that offer is – and there’s so much I could teach you – no. I meant I could tutor you at…life.”

  “Gee thanks. Why don’t you just admit you think I’m a loser with no life and get on with it.”

  “I didn’t say loser. Lost…probably. Not having as much fun as you should be…definitely.”

  “Rip the Band-Aid off why don’t you.”

  Jase settles back against his seat, sliding his cup of coffee toward him in the process. “Just calling it like I see it, babe.”

  He’s too relaxed, too smug. I want to lash out irrationally and say something to wipe that cocky smile from his face. Instead, I pull in a deep breath and reflect on his observation of me. I’m sitting stick-straight in my seat, my stack of textbooks is neatly lined up in front of me, and each time Jase has seen me – first at the party, then behind the dumpster – I’ve been hiding. I wish I could tell him those were isolated incidents, that I’m not really like that, but sadly I am. I realize with a flash of clarity, Jase is right. And suddenly I want more.

  I lean toward him on my elbows, weighing his offer. “So how would this life-coaching work exactly…I’m not saying I’m interested, but if I was…”

  “We’d need to begin spending more time together for starters.”

  I nod, listening intently. I’m thankful he doesn’t know my heart just kicked into overdrive at his words. “What else?”

  Jase abandons his casual posture, leaning in towards me across the table, his brilliant blue eyes piercing mine with intensity. “I’ll issue you challenges as I see fit. You’d have to trust me.”

  I fold my arms across my chest. “I’m not running through campus naked or dropping acid or anything weird like that.”

  “I wouldn’t ask you to do anything you’re not ready for.” His voice is calm and sure. I can’t believe I’m considering this, but I am.

  “Why would you want to do all this…I’m not a project.”

  “I didn’t say you were. Let’s just say I could use the distraction right now.”

  I know my expression gives me away. I’m beyond confused about what’s happening between us and powerless to stop it.

  He brushes his index finger over the crease in my forehead. “Hey, relax,” his voice is just a whisper. “You’re thinking too hard. I’m not going to pry about your past unless you want me to.”

  I shake my head, my heart thumping wildly.

  Jase’s thumb caresses my cheek before he lets his hand fall away. “You’ll let me know if there’s someone’s ass I should kick, though, right?”

  I would have giggled at this, had it not been for the intensity radiating from Jase. “No. I made my own choices.”

  He’s silent while he studies me –his blue eyes looking for answers. Answers I can’t possibly give him.

  “You were young, too trusting, fell for the wrong guy…”

  I clear my throat. “Something like that.”

  He reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “Hey, it’s okay.”

  I manage a nod, arranging my mouth in a smile. If he knew the truth, he wouldn’t be sitting here, being so kind to me. My heart is thudding against my ribcage. “This tutoring thing…When do we start?”

  He glances at his naked wrist. “Now would be nice.”

  I roll my eyes to avoid chuckling at him. “Fine. What’s my first assignment?”

  * * *

  Unbreak Me by Lexi Ryan,

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

  About the book…

  “If you’re broken, I’ll fix you…”

  I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I was worth fixing. A year later and he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not to… “If you shatter, I’ll find you…” But now there’s Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and forgiving him for his. With my past weighing down on me, do I want the man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?

  Excerpt from
Unbreak Me….

  Technically, I am trespassing. Technically, trespassing is not part of the New Me plan. But it hardly feels like trespassing to use the neighbor’s gorgeous, well-maintained pool when a) I’ve been doing it since I was sixteen, and b) the rich dude who owns the place is never around. I like to think I’m doing him a favor. He must spend a crap ton of money to maintain this place, but he doesn’t get any use out of it because he’s always away at his house in Vale or wherever. It would be wasteful for me not to use it just because of some technicality.

  I hoist myself over the gate and feel greedy anticipation at the sight and sound of the water. Surrounded by lush landscaping and featuring a cascade of water that circulates from hot tub to pool, the space is more water feature than swimming hole. I don’t know Rich Dude, but he has excellent taste, and this little oasis is one of my favorite places on Earth.

  I could have headed home after the reception, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep tonight. I told my mom I wanted to stay over, and I waited until everyone was in bed before grabbing a robe and trekking across a couple acres of lush grass for a moonlight swim.

  I’m no stranger to insomnia, but it’s been worse since I returned home. In the silence of the night, there’s too much room for my thoughts and they expand until they fill every corner of my mind. While I was away, I could be anyone I wanted to be, but in New Hope, everywhere I turn, someone’s labeling me. When I was young, I was just one of the Thompson girls, but now the labels aren’t so innocuous. Black sheep. College dropout.

  Slut.

  I drop the terry cloth robe from my shoulders and dive into the water completely nude. Most pools would be intolerably cold in Indiana before June, but the water circulating from the hot tub keeps the water comfortable from spring to fall. Even if it was cold, I’d still be here. Exercise is the only thing that calms my mind. Tonight, I’ll swim laps to escape the demons.

  Until last year, small town life was the only life I’d ever known, so I should be used to it, but you can be cut open a hundred times, and the slice of the blade still hurts.

  I just never expected Will to be the one holding the knife.

  Does he love her? Would he marry my sister out of spite?

  Did he tell Krystal the truth about our canceled vows?

  I turn and pull my limbs through the water, asking myself the question I’ve been avoiding for weeks. Can I live here and watch Will and Krystal build a life together?

  I count out twenty-five laps. The rhythm of my breathing calms me. The water rushing over my skin salves my wounds. Finally, I rest forearms on the edge of the pool and gulp in air, focusing only on my breath and the water dripping from my face.

  “Training for the Olympics?”

  I snap my head up in surprise. In the soft glow of the moon, I can make out the bad boy from the reception. He stands in swim trunks three yards from me, a towel draped around his neck. I was right about the tats. He has some sort of starburst on his left peck, another circling his thick biceps.

  “Sneak up on many girls?”

  “Only the special ones.” He drops the towel on a chair and dives into the water.

  When he surfaces, my heart kicks up a beat. He’s close. I could almost touch him if I reached out.

  But even as my eyes tour his broad chest and sculpted shoulders, I back away. “What are you doing here?”

  His eyebrow quirks. “I live here.”

  I snort. “No you don’t.” Then, when his expression remains stoic. “Shit. Really? You’re Rich Dude?”

  “Rich who?” He looks puzzled. And annoyed.

  Giggles bubble up and slip past my lips. I’ve always pictured the owner of this property to be some white-haired old man with a cane and a monocle. Asher is so far off the mark, I can’t help my laughter. “Shit. I’m sorry. I just…” I laugh more, and it feels damn good. My muscles are spent from my swim, my mind is calm, and laughing feels like a long-denied decadent treat.

  “You haven’t come to swim in a long time,” he says softly.

  That cuts my laughter short. “You watch me?” I want to feel violated by the idea. But the thought of this man watching me swim nude in his pool zips potent arousal through my veins.

  Asher shakes his head, studying me. “My groundskeeper told me a young girl used to sneak in about once a week. I assume that was you?”

  “Yeah,” I say softly.

  “Why’d you stop?”

  “I left town for awhile.”

  “Looking for something?”

  I shake my head. “Running away.”

  He nods, as if my answer is perfectly reasonable, and I get the sense that he doesn’t just accept it, he understands it. His gaze settles on my mouth. When his eyes drop to the water and my bare breasts, his breath catches, and I feel that rush that comes from being desired, that false sense of worth I’m willing to be fooled by tonight. Suddenly, I want him to kiss me. Touch me. More.

  I want to wash my loneliness away with the weight of a man’s body on mine, to erase unwelcome memories with his mouth.

  This man’s body. This man’s mouth.

  “Sorry I had to disappear earlier.” His voice is low, husky as watches me.

  “I’d let you make it up to me,” I murmur, closing the distance between us. I hesitate, but his gaze—hot, hungry, all over me—is all the invitation I need.

  Contact

  I love hearing from readers! You can find me on Twitter at LaurenBlakely3, or Facebook at LaurenBlakelyBooks, or online at LaurenBlakely.com. You can also email me at laurenblakelybooks@gmail.com.