Wanting Forever (A Nelson Island Novel) (22 page)

His lips turned upward into a smirk as he read her mind. “Go.”

They stared each other down, neither wanting to be the first to blink or look away. Finally, against his will, Hunter’s eyes blinked closed just before he muttered a curse. Ever laughed out loud.

“I win,” she said. “I still got it.”

“Yeah, Ev,” he whispered, letting go of her neck. “You do.”

God’s unrelenting love for me is what led me to finally embracing what I always was…a writer. Thank you to my Lord and Savior.

Wanting Forever
is my first traditionally published book, and also the first book in which I used the invaluable help of a critique partner. Thank you, Skillet, for all of your astute enlightenments when it came to this story. You loved Aston and Sam like I did, and have been so enthusiastic about this new career of mine. Friends like you don’t come along every day, and I’m so grateful to be able to call you one of my besties.

Melody, you are always my first reader, but I gave you a break this time so you could actually enjoy a finished product. I hope you love it!

None of this would be possible had I not entered a pitch contest on Twitter and thus collided with my incredibly beautiful and hilarious pit bull of an agent, Stacey Donaghy. Thank you for being the feisty go-getter you are, and for believing in what I do! Support like yours is a pure blessing, and I look forward to many years together.

To my fabulous, super-smart editor, Leah Hultenschmidt, Nelson Island is coming into the light because you loved and believed in Sam and Aston! Thank you so much for your support and for making this transition into the publishing world completely painless and totally fun! I hope I do you proud!

All of my friends and family who have asked me questions and shown their unwavering love and support during this process is what has kept me going. I love all of the interest; it makes me feel as if what I’m doing is a real job! You’re irreplaceable.

Thank you to my amazing little family who lives with my crazy every single day. Our two little wild things are my entire world, and my husband is the sun in our galaxy. Without you all, I wouldn’t have a purpose, or a reason to want to make our lives even better with this amazing career. Thank you for being perfect for me.

And to the readers who wander onto the tiny little place that is Nelson Island, thank you for coming, and I hope you stay awhile. There are so many more stories to tell!

Jenna Lacombe needs complete control, whether it’s in the streets…or between the sheets. So when she sets out on a
solo
road trip to visit her family in New Orleans, she’s beyond annoyed that the infuriatingly sexy Jack Oliver wants to hitch a ride with her. Ever since they shared a wild night together last year, he’s been trying to strip away her defenses one by one. He claims he’s just coming along to keep her safe—but what’s
not
safe for her is prolonged exposure to the tattooed hottie.

Jack can’t get Jenna out from under his skin. She makes him feel alive again after his old life nearly destroyed him—and losing her is not an option. Now Jack’s troubles are catching up with him, and he’s forced to return to his hometown in Louisiana. But when his secrets put them both in harm’s way, Jenna will have to figure out how far she’s willing to let love in…and how much she already has.

From the #1
New York Times
best-selling author of the Ella and Micha series comes a powerful story of love, healing, and impossible choices…

Nova Reed used to have dreams—of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she’s getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next…until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside.

Quinton once got a second chance at life—but he doesn’t want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he’s done, what he’s lost. He’s sworn to never allow happiness into his life…but then beautiful, sweet Nova makes him smile. He knows he’s too damaged to get close to her, yet she’s the only one who can make him feel alive again. Quinton will have to decide: Does he deserve to start over? Or should he pay for his past forever?

Love is uncharted territory…

Sometimes in order to find yourself, you need to venture off the map.

Book 2 in the Off the Map series

Talia and Bran broke all the rules and navigated dark and stormy emotional waters to be together, and now that they finally seem to have found their way back to each other, the winds of change threaten to blow their love off course yet again…

Brayelle Bates has always been a force of nature. Even as a child, Bray’s wild and carefree spirit intimidated everyone around her. The only person who’s ever truly understood her is her best friend, Elias Kline. Though every fiber of her being wants to stay with Elias forever, Bray can’t bear the thought of him discovering her agonizing history. She’s done everything she can to keep him at arm’s length, including moving away. But their undying bond was too strong a pull to deny, and Bray couldn’t survive without him. Now she’s back home with Elias, and things have never felt more right—until one night changes everything.

Elias vowed never to be separated from Bray again. So when she decides to flee in a desperate attempt to escape her fate, Elias knows he must go with her. As the two try to make the most of their circumstance, taking up with a reckless group of new friends, Elias soon realizes there’s a darkness driving Bray he can’t ignore. Now in order to save her, he’ll have to convince Bray to accept the consequences of their reality—even if it means losing her.

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