Publication Date: August 10, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
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At twenty-six, Katie McGregor has hit rock bottom. She's done reckless things a good girl like her never thought she'd do. Like hiring a private investigator to spy on her sleazy boyfriend, walking out on her job without notice, and driving all night back to the one man who'd never left her thoughts.
Jake Johnson. The boy next door. The one whose glance always made her pulse race, whose touch made her knees weak -- and whose words broke her heart.
Three years ago, both reeling from the death of her brother and Jake's best friend, they'd moved apart and retreated into their careers. Now, Jake has it all, and Katie has... nothing but memories.
Katie is thrilled when Jake welcomes her into his home with open arms and the same sexy smile. But is he the same jock who didn't do relationships and treated her like a little sister? And with so much between them, how can they overcome the hurts from the past to ignite a love that perhaps has smoldered all along?
Excerpt:
When
I returned to the house hours later, Jake was sitting forward on the couch, his
head in his hands, and I dropped my bag to the apartment floor.
He
looked up, and the torment I saw in his eyes caused a ball of tears to thicken
the back of my throat.
He
needed me.
I
needed him.
We
needed each other.
Before
I could say anything, he was on his feet, crossing the room in two powerful
strides. “I’m so sorry.” He crushed me hard against his chest, and my whole
body sagged against him.
He
gripped me to him, and I pressed my face to the smooth cotton of his shirt. I
could feel his heartbeat, the warmth of his breath, the deep rumble of his
voice. I needed all of it. Needed confirmation that the only other man I’d ever
loved in my life was still alive.
“I
was supposed to be there,” he whispered.
His
words came like a confession, laced with guilt and pain. Then his strong hands
trailed down my back, and he sunk to his knees in front of me. “It was
supposed to be me.”
My
hands fell to his hair, and he wrapped his arms around my waist. “I couldn’t
get to him, Katie.”
My
chest heaved. “No, Jake…don’t.” I was choking, every word painful. “No…”
“He
told me, but I didn’t listen.” His voice was raw and hollow.
Hot
tears began to fall for the first time. I had no idea what he was talking
about, but I couldn’t stand to hear him blame himself. “It’s not your fault,
Jake. It was nobody’s fault.” My voice was strange and broken. I tried to lift him to
his feet, but he was too heavy, and his shoulders began to shake. I’d known him
for seventeen years, since he was little boy, and never once had I seen him
like this. It terrified me.
I
sank to the floor next to him, pulling him to me with strength I didn’t know I
had. My fingers found his damp hair, and I smoothed it back from his face.
“It’ll be okay, Jake, it’ll be okay.” Even as I said the words, I wasn’t sure I
believed them. How could the world be okay without my brother?
About Taylor Sullivan
Taylor is a contemporary romance author who specializes in stories about normal people. Ones with hopes, dreams, fears, insecurities, and flaws. She loves to read as much as she loves to write, and is thrilled to share her first novel with you.
When Taylor isn’t writing, she can often be found with her nose in a book, her face behind a camera, or spending time with her husband and three young children.
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