Title: The Vow
Author: Natalie Wrye
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 10, 2018
Seven years ago, I gave my vow to a man. Except it wasn't a wedding... Because Brett Jackson was the epitome of anti-marriage--a dirty-talking tattoo artist with a penchant for booze, bimbos and blue-eyed women. I was none of those. Guess that's why he walks into my new apartment with my not-so-nice roommate on his arm...as her new boyfriend. But this is not seven years ago. I'm over him; I really am. So why does it bother me so much when he catches me naked in my new place? Why does his searing stare at my body stay with me? Why am I wishing for a repeat and wanting to break the most important vow I've ever made? A vow that will break both me and Brett...and turn the Manhattan life I've built for myself upside down.
Breathless, my body shaking, I pull back just as our kiss begins to deepen, my lips tender to the touch as I lick them. I look up at the brown-haired Adonis holding me close, inhaling as deep as I can. I let go of a shaky breath.
“What are you doing?”
Brett blinks. “What you won’t. What I shouldn’t.” He kisses me chastely, pulling back. “What we need.” He grins. “I couldn’t hold back any longer.”
“You make us sound like dogs on a leash.”
He snorts on a soft laugh, his stare scanning over my lips. “If anyone’s a dog here, it’s me. But I can’t deny you, Elsie.” He gaze goes back up to mine. “I can’t deny this. I know we made a promise. To never cross this line again. But there’s a reason we’re both here in New York. There’s a reason for right now. To be honest… I don’t know what the hell it really is.” His aqua eyes glow. “But I know I want to explore it.” His voice lowers. “Explore you… If you let me, Elsie. All of this—everything—is up to you.”
But I can’t think, let alone move or talk while our bodies are so close. He smells like the rain. Clean and crisp. A fresh, lightly smoky scent, the skin that is pressed against me as is almost as intoxicating as the stare—the one that intensely searches mine, excavating answers, digging deep enough to find only fucking desire, I’m sure. I’m so turned on I can’t speak. My voice is little more than a sigh. I bite my bottom lip, trying to control my tongue.
I fail.
“We can’t throw caution to the wind, Brett. We have Kayla to think about. And even if we didn’t, we have history, too much past. We’ve practically watched each other grow up. Stayed in the same houses.” I scoff out loud, a blush hitting my cheeks that I can feel burn. “For God’s sake, you’ve seen everything. You’ve seen me at my worst.”
He chuckles, a seductive low sound. “My sexy sweet Elsie. You don’t get it, do you? In my eyes… you have no worst.”