by Mimi Strong
Shayla held up one finger in warning. “Don’t you dare say the f-word about my best friend.”
“But I am fa—”
“Fabulous.” She threw the Rav into gear and lurched out of the parking spot like a madwoman. “Hangover helper? Name your poison.”
I thought for all of a full second. “It’s just fruit.”
“Yes, it’s just fruit.”
She cranked the wheel and whipped us around in a tight U-turn, so we were pointed in the direction of Chloe’s Pie Shack, located at the edge of town just off the highway.
Chloe’s Pie Shack had been Burt’s Burger Barn until a year ago, when Burt’s daughter Chloe took over and tried to class up the joint. The logo features a scrumptious slice of pie with the phrase ‘It’s just fruit’ written in cursive around a plate.
Despite the obvious benefits of having a restaurant specializing in fresh pie made from local Washington blueberries, the people of Beaverdale hadn’t taken the news well at all. They’d already lost the best Chinese food restaurant in town to a fire just months before, and they weren’t giving up their burgers without a fight.
Mayor Stephen Monroe, also known as Uncle Steve to me, passed an ordinance declaring the Burger Barn a heritage site. He decreed it of utmost importance to the value of the Town of Beaverdale that burgers continue to be served from the big, red barn at the entrance to town—burgers or nothing. And the sign for Burt’s Burger Barn, a neon wonder that could be seen for miles, wouldn’t be touched except for the purpose of restoration.
Burt’s daughter Chloe took the news in stride, thanks in no small part to the fourteen percent increase in business that came as a result of all the publicity. She added a second sign for the pies underneath the original one, expanded the barn with an all-glass addition plus a second entrance, and now we have hot burgers and warm pie. Who could ask for more in a town?
I did the sexy mermaid walk most of the way in to work Monday morning. I let my thighs rub merrily together, my knees drawn to each other like fridge magnets, my weight back over my heels so that ants could run parades under my relaxed toes.
Charm?
I checked out my reflection in store windows.
I had capital-B Booty and Charm.
When I walked into Java Jones, Kirsten looked up from the cafe latte she was steaming and asked me if I had a bladder infection or something.
I took a wider stance and said, “Just trying to have more charm. Probably a lost cause.”
“You’re brimming with charm,” came a male voice from behind me. “Leave some for everyone else.”
I whirled around, expecting to see another regular customer.
Dalton Deangelo sat at a round cafe table, a laptop in front of him and a foamy cappuccino next to it.
He grinned, the dimple in his chin deepening. “Wait, what were we talking about? Line?” He looked left and right playfully. “I’m lousy when I go off-script.”
“What are you doing here?”
He pointed his thumb at the window behind him. “Waiting for that bookstore to open.”
I swore under my breath and turned back to the counter to place my order. Maybe if I ignored him, he’d go away. Do not think about him putting his hand in your panties, I told myself.
For the next few minutes as Kirsten made my mocha, I could think of nothing but Dalton’s hand in my panties, his fingers playing me like a harp. And his lips on my neck.
A flushing sensation began in my belly and seeped up to my neck, causing my skin to sweat all the way to the top of my head. I accepted my mocha, put on the lid, and attempted to get out the door without walking strangely. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember how to walk normally. Hopping on one foot would have been more natural than how I stomped out of the coffee shop.
Across the street, my hands shook as I attempted to get my key in the lock. It was like that moment in a horror movie where the idiot girl is trying to get away, but she’s trembling so bad she keeps dropping the keys.
I dropped the keys.
Dalton picked up the keys and handed them to me.
“I’m in town shooting a little indie movie,” he said.
I tried again with the keys, keeping my back to him. “How long?” I tried to sound casual, but it came out sounding like a squeaky gate.
Don’t think about his hand in your panties.
Dropped the keys again.
“Long enough to get bored and look for trouble,” he said.
“I’m sure trouble finds you easily enough on its own.”
He laughed, making me feel just comfortable enough to get the door open.
We stepped inside the shop and I ran to turn off the alarm. In the silence as I flipped on the lights, I could hear him breathe in deeply.
“Can’t beat that smell,” he said. “Heaven is a place on earth, and it’s a bookstore.”
END OF SAMPLE
Want more of Peaches and Dalton? There's plenty more!
You've just read the first chapters of Peaches Monroe Book 1. The entire trilogy is complete and available now! Check the boxed set for the best bargain price, or borrow for FREE using Kindle Unlimited. Click here for the Peaches Monroe Trilogy by Mimi Strong on Amazon.
COPYRIGHT
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This EBOOK COLLECTION contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Author's Note - JJ Knight
You've just finished reading the end of the Blue Shoes three-part trilogy. I hope you enjoyed all the thrills, tears, and laughter along the way! What a wild ride it's been!
The story of Jess Rivera and Dylan Wolf began in the 5-book series, Revenge by JJ Knight. Here are all the books about Jess & Dylan, with links to the Amazon book pages:
Looking for more JJ KNIGHT books?
I hope you'll check out my sexy MMA fighters! Uncaged Love is the 5-book story of Colt McClure and a young female fighter named Jo. The companion series, Fight For Her, features fan-favorite character Parker in his own thrilling 4-book series.
JJ Knight also writes The Vigilantes under the pen name Annie Winters, along with Tony West. "If Bourne dressed like Bond and acted like Grey, you'd have Jax De Luca."
DID YOU KNOW?
The Morris Music books by JJ Knight are co-written with NYT bestselling author Mimi Strong. If you love the humor in the books about Jess and Dylan, plus the fun interaction between Jess and her girlfriends, you're going to love Mimi's other books! (They're also super, super steamy!)
There are plenty of Mimi Strong books to choose from, but her most well-known series is called Peaches Monroe:
For a list of all books and projects,
click here for all JJ Knight books on Amazon.
Thank you for reading!
Love, JJ
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