* * *
To be the first to know about upcoming releases, teasers and giveaways Join My Newsletter .
* * *
You can also find me here:
https://cristincooperauthor.blogspot.com
Follow Me On BookBub
Or Email Me Here: [email protected]
I love to hear from readers.
Books In Series
Until Here-Until novella Book 2
After getting their hearts broken, will this couple give love a second chance.
After a failed marriage Melanie Campbell quit a career she loved, friends she shared with her husband and her social life. She spent three years burying herself in her job avoiding living her life until one evening her boss told her to take a month off or she’s fired.
Ready to find love again, Preston Reed was going home after spending the past two years working through the pain of a broken heart.
What started as a chance meeting at a hotel bar began to feel like fate. Their connection was instant and nothing either expected.
But with only thirty days will Melanie leave with another broken heart or will Preston convince her to stay?
* * *
Until Us- Until series book 3
In one day, her life changes forever. He will always be the man she can lean on. Will these friends find true love in each other?
* * *
In the last year, Katie Larson's life changed dramatically. She left home for college, met the father she had never known and fell in love with Mr. Wonderful.
What she didn’t know was that the hardest year of her life was just ahead. After terrible accident she’s forced to discover the inner strength she didn't know she had and will find out Mr. Wonderful wasn’t Mr. Right.
Tyler Marshall had a close loving family, good friends and a job he loved. As much as he wanted to find love, he was content with his life. That was until she needed him.
Will Katie let go of what she lost and give her heart to the man that would love nothing more than to make them an us?
* * *
Until You- Until series novella book 2.5
He assumes the beautiful blonde is just like his ex. She’s tired of being judged for the way she looks. Will they ever be able to move past their first impressions to find love in each other?
Jason, a single dad, spent his days running his coffee shop and doing his best to dislike a beautiful blonde he couldn’t seem to avoid.
But at night, once his son was asleep, he became Belakor, an online gamer. His only concern was keeping up with his strongest competition, his friend Nysterie.
Alexis spent her days attending college, modeling to pay for it and avoiding the grumpy coffee shop owner. It would've helped if she hadn’t found him so attractive.
At night, once she finished her homework, she became Nysterie in an online game. A place where it mattered less what you looked like and more how quickly you could take down a boss.
What happens when the lines between real life and the fantasy world aren’t as clear as they thought? Will they let go of old hurts to finally see each other for who they are?
Until Here
Preview
Prologue
Preston
* * *
Kneeling down on bended knee, Preston gazed into tear-filled eyes. The weight of the ring in his hand grew heavier as the woman he loved shook her head no. The hope he held in his chest began to splinter as the realization hit him. The tears she was shedding were not happy tears.
He swallowed the lump in his throat hoping — praying this was all a misunderstanding. He and Bridget had been dating for two years. When she said no to moving in together last year, he agreed it might have been too soon but now…getting married felt like the right thing to do. They couldn’t date forever and Bridget’s daughter, Katie, deserved to have a father. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted a wife or to be a father until Bridget and Katie came into his life. Now it was all he thought about.
Seeing the pain in her eyes cut him as deeply as her rejection. When a sob escaped her lips, he stood. “Bridget? What’s wrong?” he asked as he cradled her face in his hands.
She blinked back tears but they were coming so quickly they had left dark streaks down her cheeks. “I can’t. I’m sorry.” She pushed past him rushing down the hall picking up the trail of clothes they had dropped on their way to his bedroom earlier in the evening.
His mind raced to catch up as he followed her. Not an hour ago they were saying ‘I love you’ and now she was scrambling to get dressed as if the ring in his hand was a bomb that was about to detonate.
He wanted to hold her still until she explained why she wouldn’t marry him. “What are you doing?” he asked. Just as she slipped into her skirt, he pulled her to him. “Please talk to me,” he begged. His eyes stung and his heart raced. “What’s going on? I’m confused.”
She scrambled away from him. “I can’t do this.” Her hand shook as she pointed back and forth between them. He was desperate to keep her from leaving until they worked this out. She wouldn’t — couldn’t just end it like this.
Needing to calm her down, he forced a smile and softened his voice. “Of course, you can. We’ve been doing this for two years.” From the very beginning, he knew he had an uphill battle. It took months to get her to go on one date with him and another few months before she invited him over to spend time with her and Katie. It had taken even longer before she would show outward affection when they weren’t alone. From the very beginning she resisted every step of their relationship and just like every other step, he would be patient and wait for her to be ready.
She didn’t break a smile. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. At that moment, he needed to hold her to keep her from leaving and taking his dream of a family with her. “Bridget, talk to me. You’re scaring me.”
Lifting off his lap, he not only felt the physical distance but the emotional distance between them increase feeding his already growing worry. This couldn’t be the end. He reached for her hand, but she moved out of reach. “I can’t move in and I can’t marry you.”
He stared at her hoping she would give him something that would make sense of this mess. How could one of the best nights of his life turn into the worst? “Then what have we been doing for the past two years?” he asked feeling increasingly frustrated. This was the next step. He wasn’t moving too fast. She was just scared but he would show her that they were ready for this.
“Dating. Getting to know one another.” The way she avoided looking into his eyes, he realized she was lying. Maybe even to herself. There was no way she didn’t see this coming.
“We’ve done that. Did I give you the impression I was interested in dating forever? I told you early on that I want it all. Marriage, family — all of it.” Why was she with me if she didn’t want this too?
“I know you did, and I wanted it too,” she stated.
If she wanted it… “You don’t anymore?” His eyebrows turned in and he shook his head trying to grasp what she said.
“I do,” she said softly.
He let out a deep breath. She was just scared, he reasoned, but as they stared at one another realization dawned on him. “But not with me,” he muttered under his breath.
She shook her head no.
That was when it dawned on him. It was Billy she wanted to marry. He thought about the way she looked at her boss, Billy. They had a Sunday morning ritual of coffee and donuts that Preston was never invited to. He thought about the number of times they would stop talking when he entered the room and how she seemed to always gravitate toward him whenever he was around. “Because you want it with Billy.” He knew her and Billy loved each other as friends, at least, that’s what she said when he questioned her about their relationship. She assured him there weren’t romantic feelings between them. He had believed her.
“It’s me. I love you, but I’m not re
ady to get married.” The way she avoided looking him in the eye, he knew she was lying again. Would she have said yes if it was Billy asking? “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He followed her to the front door and tried to concentrate on just breathing.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
The pressure on his chest was almost unbearable. He couldn’t let her leave. Not like this. Not after two years of chasing her.
Before she could step outside, he reached for her and pulled her into his arms. “Please say yes,” he pleaded one last time. Without saying a word, she kissed his cheek and pulled away. He gripped the doorframe to brace himself.
How could she do this? How could she leave when she told me she loved me?
When he could no longer see her taillights, he closed the door and drew in a deep breath. He went to the spare bedroom and stared into the room that represented everything he wanted. As he placed the ring on the dresser, he pleaded with God to make her change her mind and then closed the door on the life he had imagined with Bridget.
Chapter One
May 2nd
Preston
* * *
Preston plopped down on the edge of the hotel bed with a tired sigh. After missing his flight, he decided to get a room near the airport instead of going back to his dad’s condo where he had been living for the past several months. Lying back, he slipped off his shoes. Lost in thought, he stared at the blank ceiling.
He was ready. In fact, he was more than ready to go home and face his life.
After he and Bridget had broken up, he put all his energy into work. He reasoned he needed to prove to his dad and uncle that he was deserving of the title of partner. But, in truth, he was running away. He spent all of his time living and breathing contracts. Each day he worked late into the night until he could barely keep his eyes open and only had enough energy to fall into bed or on occasion onto the couch in his office.
A few months after his breakup he had called his uncle in Illinois to discuss transferring out of Arizona. He already had his law license in both states and would be able to start working right away. His uncle happily agreed and wished him luck in telling his father.
After a lengthy discussion over drinks, his father agreed it would be a good idea but made it clear it would only be temporary. Since then, Preston had been back to his hometown of Flagstaff only ten days out of the past fifteen months.
He thought back to those months and even though his parents weren’t happy having him so far away, he needed that time to recover and get his head on straight. It worked. His head was clear and his focus sharp on what he wanted from his life.
He no longer held on to the dream of marrying Bridget and being the father to her daughter. In fact, he recognized he had been more in love with the idea of them than he was in them as a couple. He was able to see his and Bridget’s relationship in a whole new light and realized he not only wanted — but he deserved — so much more than what she had been able to give him.
He was no longer willing to drag someone through a relationship. He wanted a partner, someone who would take those steps forward with him. He wanted someone to openly love him as deeply and richly as he loved her. To achieve his dream of a wife and kids, he needed to go home and create a life outside of his job.
Sitting up, he picked up his phone and called his father. “Dad?”
“Hey, how did everything go today?” his father asked, assuming he wanted to discuss work.
“Great. They are set to begin building in two weeks.”
“Perfect timing. The Marshall/Hammond group…”
Before his father could finish his sentence, he said, “Dad, I’m ready to come home.” He had already informed his uncle that once he finished his latest contract, he was transferring back to Arizona but he had wanted to surprise his parents. It was the reason he had planned to leave tonight, but his meeting went over and he missed his flight by only minutes.
He could hear the sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. Choked up, his father managed to say, “I’m glad to hear it, son…I’m glad to hear it.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. “Yeah.” He nodded his head releasing a deep breath.
A calming silence hung between them.
It was time.
His father cleared his throat. “Well, your mother will be pleased. She’s missed you.”
Preston grinned knowing his father was the big softy of the two. “I miss her, too,” he said. “I have an early morning flight out of here so I should be home in the afternoon.”
“Dinner at our house,” his dad insisted.
“Can’t wait.”
A knock sounded on his hotel door and two male voices echoed in the hall. He had a pretty good idea who it was and tried not to groan. “Hey, Dad, I have to go. But I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I love you, son.”
“Love you too, Dad.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, he hung up the phone and went to the door to look out the peephole. He was tempted to not answer but against his better judgment he opened the door to Seth and Gary, the brothers who had hired him to write up purchasing and zoning contracts for their new property.
Before he could say hello they walked in as if they owned the place. “We’re getting dinner then hitting a few clubs for your last night here. Get dressed.” Seth demanded as he sat on the bed, flipped on the TV and turned it to some sports channel.
There went his quiet night of room service and a movie. Then it hit him that most of his nights had been quiet and included take-out. “It really is time to go home,” he mumbled to himself.
Gary nudged him. “You heard him and we’re taking you to some upscale places so you have to wear a suit.”
Multiple places?
He held back a groan. The last thing he wanted to do was get back into a suit and hang out in a crowded club, but when Gary leaned against the door with his arms folded and brow lifted, he relented.
Suck it up, Preston. It won’t kill you to be social.
A half hour later, he stood in the bathroom freshly showered and dressed trying to come up with an excuse to bail out early. For the past several weeks he had used work as an excuse to decline their invitations, what he wouldn’t give for a work emergency. It wasn’t that they weren’t good guys, they were, but Seth and Gary had a lot of money to blow and they liked to party. It just wasn’t his thing. He preferred a quiet atmosphere and good conversation.
He pasted on a smile and reminded himself that it was his last night in Chicago. He might as well try to enjoy it.
Until Us
Preview
Prologue
August 2014
Katie
* * *
Katie yawned into the back of her hand and leaned back on the bench seat between her new roommate Alexis and her roommate’s older brother Eric. The only sound came from Eric’s old pickup rumbling as it shook its way over the empty Portland streets.
Today had been the longest day of her life, and yet, when she looked over at Eric, she wasn’t sure if she were ready for it to end.
“If you’re tired, you can lean against my shoulder,” he offered, quickly glancing at her with a small smile. She returned it with a blush as the butterflies in her stomach took flight.
They were returning home after having a late night dinner with his and Alexis’s friends. The party started out as a welcome for Katie, which turned into an intimate evening between her and Eric. They’d sat at one end of a long table, unintentionally ignoring everyone else, while they spent hours getting to know one another.
From the moment she met him there was a connection. He was good-looking for sure, in a sexy lumberjack sort of way, but it was more than that. He had a friendly smile and an easy laugh. He chuckled along with his friends when they teased him about his scruffy beard and hermit lifestyle. He was unapologetic about who he was, and nothing was sexier than that.
She was tempted to
accept the offer of his shoulder, and not just because her eyes were growing heavy. She wanted nothing more than to be close to him, but the little voice inside her head was loud. You just met him, and he’ll only be here a few weeks.
Instead of scooting closer, she leaned her head against the back window and closed her eyes.
When she first met the brother and sister, Alexis had mentioned Eric was just visiting, and Katie hadn’t thought much of it until a few hours later. It had been nearing midnight when they shared a plate of waffles, and she listened to him talk about his job as a biologist in Alaska. His face lit up, and he spoke with his whole body.
Disappointment lodged in the pit of her stomach when she realized nothing could come from whatever was happening between them. But she also wasn’t about to let it stop her from spending as much time with him as she could before he returned to his life.
Her eyes grew heavy and her head lolled to the side until she felt a hard surface. The smell of old vinyl and engine oil along with the vibrations of the old pickup reminded her of long drives with her Billy. Wondering when she would get a chance to do that again her chest tightened.
The past twenty-four hours had passed in a haze of goodbyes, hugs, tears, airplanes, cabs, and hellos. It was hard to believe it was just last night she was partying with her girlfriends excited about her future and now… It wasn’t until the cab driver dropped her off in front of her new home in Portland, Oregon that the tears came back around. She hadn’t thought about how much she would miss everyone.
Standing on the curb looking up at the condo Katie would share with her new roommate, she realized the small apartment she had shared with her mother in Flagstaff, Arizona would only be a place she would visit.
Until Now Page 27