Heat Up the Fall: New Adult Boxed Set (6 Book Bundle)
Page 131
The postman knocked on the door, sticking his head in. “You guys gonna get a mailbox out here?”
Hawk strode up to the front and took an armful of mail from him. “Yeah, today or tomorrow. I swear.”
He shuffled through the mail, tossing the junk into a loose pile on the floor, a habit which always infuriated me, but it had been impossible to break him of. He kept one white envelope in his hand though.
He opened it slowly, and then a big grin crept across his face.
“What is it?” I asked, setting down the roller and walking over.
“Hold on,” he said. “You got a pen?”
“In my pocket, I think.” I stuck my hip out toward him, and he fished in there to find a black ballpoint. As soon as he started writing on the front of the envelope, I knew what it would say. I started bouncing.
He held it out to me. “Go on. Read it.”
I grabbed it, smudging the front with purple paint in the process. I tore out the note and screamed as soon as I got two lines in.
“You got into the business school!” I screeched. “With a scholarship!”
He laughed. “Okay, okay. All of Sansom can hear you.” But the smile on his face was the proudest I’d ever seen.
I examined the letter more closely. My mouth dropped open. “Hawk, did you see this? The amount of this scholarship? What the hell kind of essay did you write?”
He leaned in. “Why — what did I get?”
“Full tuition and an extension of funding to the MBA program if you get in!” I shrieked. Then I jumped up into a hug, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck and kissing him as hard as I could.
He laughed. “Whoa, Jo. You’re gonna knock me over.”
“Fat chance,” I mumbled, diving in for another kiss. “I know you can handle me.”
“Barely,” he said, craning his neck up to kiss me long and slow. “Hey, you know what this means?” he asked in that low, husky tone.
“You’re gonna take me up to bed right now?” I asked, suddenly struck by how sexy this pose was.
“Nope. It means it’s your move.”
My heart jumped, then dropped into my stomach. “Well. That’s not a problem at all. Because I’ve been waiting for just such an occasion to tell you that…well…” I bit my bottom lip. “I’m in love with you. I love you.” Hawk just stared back at me for one, two, three excruciating seconds. “And now I’m going to go die of embarrassment.”
I tried to hop down from Hawk’s grasp, but he held on tight.
“No, no. You stay right here.” Then he looked deep into my eyes. His breath was soft on my face, and I could feel it coming. I wanted to savor that feeling forever.
He took a breath. “I haven’t told anyone I loved them since…well, ever. I loved my dad and…well, I’m still getting over that. I love Olivia, and she basically makes my life a living hell.”
I smiled, humoring him, but inside, I was a mess. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t speak. I could barely frickin’ think.
“But if anything in this whole world is true, Joey,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, “it’s that I love you.”
I grinned and kissed him again and again and again, not caring about anyone else in the bar or how hot it was or how much purple paint I’d get on his clothes.
We were Joey and Hawk, kissing in the middle of Joey and Hawk’s.
We were both going places, we were both happy, we loved each other, and life was pretty damn good.
Acknowledgements
I couldn’t have made this book happen all by my lonesome, as fabulous as I am. First and biggest thanks, as usual, go to my friend and partner in crime, the inimitable Paisley Grant. Once again, she provided a voice of reason and a shoulder to cry on from first word to final edit. Love you, Pais.
To my other first-round readers, Amanda Olivieri and Cait Greer, buckets of hugs and kisses for putting up with my ridiculousness. Your eagle eyes made Joey and Hawk’s story make sense, and shine, too.
To my target audience readers, Alexa and Rachel, thanks for assuring me that Nate was great, but Hawk surpassed him in certain areas of hotness. I’m sure he heard you from the pages and gave that smug look you all love so much.
My copy editor Becca Weston was incredible as always, and caught some mistakes might have been entertaining, but in all the wrong ways. Thanks, you gorgeous thing.
KP Simmon, my publicist - everyone knows you’re the best in the business. I’m honored to have you on my team.
I’m proud to be in writerly cahoots with the likes of Lyla Payne, Sophia Bleu, Melanie Harlow, Laurelin Paige, and Colina Brennan - you’re the best buds a New Adult Authoress could ask for, and you inspire me to be better at everything I write, but especially the most important scenes.
I’m especially grateful to Emma Hart, who reached out to ask if she could read early and bestowed such a stunning blurb on this little book. You make my world go ‘round, even from across the Pond. Love you bunches.
To the Boy, who endured endless evenings of the Bachelorette and my fingers flying across the keyboard writing romance involving guys who were not him, thank you very much. You can complain all you want but, I know you love it when I write these books, for your own reasons.
Last but certainly not least, thank you my gorgeous readers. Every word, smile, and cheer from you makes the late nights and hand-wringing of getting my stories on the page worth it a million-fold. I love you all tons.
About the Author
Alessandra Thomas is a New Adult writer who swears she was in her twenties yesterday. Since that’s sadly untrue, she spends her time looking back on her college years fondly, and writing sexy stories about guys and girls falling in love and really living life for the first time. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a spoonful of ice cream in one hand and the newest New Adult release in the other.
She is also the author of Picture Perfect, the first book in the Picturing Perfect series.
Contents
CATCHING LIAM
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Acknowledgements
About the author
ADDICTED TO YOU
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
ONLY BETWEEN US
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Acknowledgements:
BY REFERRAL ONLY
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
REDESIGNED
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author