Kissing Madeline (Dearest #3) (41 page)

Turning to Clem and Gavin, I ask, “Do you have names yet? It’s still early so there’s still plenty of time if you don’t.”

Clementine grins. “We were thinking Paisley and Ryder.”

If I could jump up and down, I would, but my boy might kick me in the kidneys and I’d hate to pee in front of my friends, so I opt for another hug.

When our friends have left, my mischievous husband wraps his arms around me. Giving him a stern look, I ask, “What happened to waiting until after Mason arrived to have the shower?” With Daren’s season being so hectic, we thought we needed to minimize our stress.

He kisses my nose. “This one is just for our close friends. The one my parents are throwing is still on the calendar in a few weeks. I just thought you needed to see how special you are and how much you mean to me.”

My eyes well with tears. “Stop. You’re going to make you cry.”

“I don’t care. Let the tears fall. As long as you know that you’re the best damn thing that’s ever happened to me.”

At that, big wet droplets slide down my cheeks. “Love you, Clutch. So much.”

He leans down, and when his lips touch mine, he whispers, “Love you too, sweet thing. Thanks for being in my life.”

I close my eyes as we kiss, knowing that this is just the beginning of our life together. And right now, I feel like one of the girls in Sheri’s books, so lucky to have my very own happily ever after.

TO MY READERS

Thank you for reading
Kissing Madeline
. I would love to hear what you thought of my novel and hope you’ll consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads. If you haven't read the first two books in the series, keep flipping to check out excerpts.

ORDER OF BOOKS:

Dearest Clementine
, #1

Finding Dandelion
, #2

Kissing Madeline
, #3

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DEAREST CLEMENTINE

Have you read Clementine's story yet? It’s available now on Amazon if you haven’t.

Twenty-year-old Clementine Avery doesn’t mind being called bitchy and closed off. It’s safe, and after being burned by her high school sweetheart and stalked by a professor her freshman year of college, safe sounds pretty damn good.

Her number one rule for survival? No dating. That is until she accidentally signs up for a romance writing class and needs material for her latest assignment. Sexy RA Gavin Murphy is more than happy to play the part of book boyfriend to help Clem find some inspiration, even if that means making out...in the name of research, of course.

As Gavin and Clem grow closer, they get entangled in the mystery surrounding a missing Boston University student, and Clem unwittingly becomes a possible target. Gavin tries to show Clem she can handle falling in love again, but she knows she has to be careful because her heart’s at stake…and maybe even her life.

DEAREST CLEMENTINE is a standalone new adult romance with two companion novels. The
Dearest
series is recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content.

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Excerpt of
Dearest Clementine

Chapter One

My pen traces mindless circles in the margins of my journal as I stare out the window of the dusty common room.

This is what I’ve needed to find my footing
, I think as I fight the nerves taking root in my stomach.

Down the hallway, the sound of squeaky wheels is punctuated by a groan and a thump as luggage hits the floor.

“Wait, what will happen if there’s a fire? We’re on the eighteenth floor,” one girl says, her vowels long and polite. A Southerner.

A deep male voice reassures her. “I know it’s a hike down those stairs, but don’t use the elevators. The last thing you want is to get stuck between floors. I’ll check each room to make sure you’ve evacuated.”

I can’t make out the rest of the conversation until two girls shuffle by the lounge.

“Holy shit. Our RA is hot!” a girl in a sundress tells her friend as she lugs an overstuffed duffle bag. “I wonder if he has a girlfriend.”

“He’s a senior or a grad student, dork. He’s not going to be interested in
you
,” the other one says, her accent softening her words.

Hitting on the resident assistant, the upperclassman paid to keep an eye on all of the kids in the dorms, was never my thing. My RA freshman year, Tao, was five two and into Jesus. Not my scene. 

I can’t imagine who would want to be an RA. Tao was always rushing some poor slob to the hospital with random broken bits. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he found my friend Sarah passed out, piss-drunk, with a broken ankle. How she managed to vomit on all four walls of her dorm room before she went down is beyond me.

Tapping my pen, I shift in my seat.

I’ve spent the last three months trying to get in the zone, grappling with ideas, but I only ended up with a journal full of manic-looking drawings.

This has to fucking work.

I breathe deeply, the smell of stale Cheetos assaulting my nose.

If I can get into a writing routine again, I can do this. I’ve done it before.

I keep telling myself the same crap, hoping something clicks. All summer, I’ve tried to be positive, and trust me, that’s no easy feat.

My knee starts to jiggle, and just as I’m about to go into full-out crisis mode, a voice startles me.

“Darlin’, now
you
don’t look like a freshman.”

Turning slightly, I see him in my peripheral vision, leaning in the doorway. The RA.

“That’s because I’m not,” I say flatly.

“So what are you doing in Warren Towers? I mean, why would you willingly hang out here? I get paid to be here. What’s your excuse?”

He’s joking. I get it. But I’m not in the mood.

“Just looking for some white noise,” I say, returning to my journal. I feel his eyes on me, and my face starts to heat. “Look, I’m not some creeper if that’s what you’re getting at. I just need a little inspiration.”

I jot down random words, hoping something can pull me out of my writing coma: suitcases, hot RAs, condoms, diet Coke, donuts.

Trying to ignore the intensity of his stare, I gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows.

I’ve always loved this view. Boston is alive with color, rich with the burnt sienna of brownstones that bake in the August sun. Walls of ivy ripple in the breeze off the Charles River, making me wish I could go for a run.

Nostalgia tugs at me as I think about how much has happened since I lived here freshman year. I got the idea for my book in this very seat three years ago. And I’m hoping like hell I can do it again.

A quick glance at the clock feels like a punch to the gut. At this rate, I’m never going to figure out my next book if I can’t get in the zone. And I
have
to get in the zone. No one will pay my bills if I don’t, and Boston University doesn’t exactly have a soft spot for poor little rich girls. Because on paper, I’m silver-spoon-up-my-bum wealthy, the daughter of two Fortune 500 assholes. Unfortunately, my parents never got the memo they’re supposed to give a shit about my life.

Who knows what I did to piss them off? It’s immaterial at this point. The bottom line is I need money.
Pronto
.

I have one thing on my side. On a good day, if the stars align and the fates agree, I can write my ass off. Which helped at the end of my freshman year when I received the letter from the bursar’s office noting that I owed a cool twenty grand.

It’s ironic that my novel, which highlighted one of the most humiliating moments of my life, helped pay that bill.

I haven’t been able to write anything on par with
Say It Isn’t So,
my one and only book, the lucky ticket that bailed me out of debt. But I guess I haven’t had to. What started off as maudlin ramblings in my diary that I shaped into a narrative somehow jumped up the charts and became an indie bestseller.

The RA clears his throat, pulling me from my thoughts. “And you thought you’d find inspiration here, a freshman dorm?”

I don’t have to look up to know he’s grinning.

How the hell do you hear someone smile?
my inner voice quips.

He chuckles. “Are you having any luck? Finding inspiration?”

Finally, my eyes sweep up, and my stomach instantly lurches. He’s tall with dark, shaggy hair that flops in his face. Intense green eyes stare back.
The girls were right. He
is
good-looking.
He smiles a dazzling, megawatt grin, and my chest clenches at the thought that he probably has lickable abs.

Oh, for the love of God, Clem, get a grip.

I bite my lower lip until it stings, and my eyes dart back to my journal.

“No,” I say, wishing I had more time to write. “No luck with inspiration.”

My jaw clenches as my pen returns to drawing circles. Ignoring the hammering of my heart that I hope has everything to do with my looming tuition bill and nothing to do with Henry Cavill’s doppelgänger, I flip through the pages in front of me, desperate to find something that will help me get my shit together.

He shifts in the doorway.

“I’m Gavin, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say half-heartedly. My body, on autopilot, starts to pack my stuff even though it’s too early.

Shit. Fuck-it-all-to-hell shit!
You can’t go. You don’t have anything figured out yet!

“And… you… would… be?”

“Leaving.” My inner voice sighs at me.
Always such a bitch, Clem.

“Yeah, that’s not what I meant.” He sounds amused.

I swing my messenger bag over my shoulder.

“I know what you meant,” I say, glancing up as he blocks my exit.

He’s taller than I thought… and built…

The fact that my heart beats even faster the second I smell his citrusy cologne pisses me off. I pride myself on being a modern girl, one who doesn’t need a man, especially if all he’ll do is break my heart. So the idea that this guy and his little smirk give me kamikaze butterflies aggravates me more.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I wait for him to move out of the way, my eyes traveling along his bulging bicep, which strains against his t-shirt.

Stop. Checking. Him. Out.

I shake my head at myself as I scoot around him and head for the elevator. I press the button and wait all of three seconds before I punch it again.

“You know, you’re on the eighteenth floor. This could take a while,” he says behind me. “I’m guessing you probably have more than enough time to tell me your name.” He chuckles again, apparently undeterred by my fuck-off vibe.

This doesn’t mean anything. Just because you didn’t get an idea today doesn’t mean anything.

Nerves jumble my stomach, and I half consider taking the stairs when the elevator doors slide open and relief floods my chest.
I don’t know why I have to get away from here right now, but I do.

I get in and turn around. Obnoxiously sexy RA guy is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his broad chest, watching me. Our eyes meet, and he raises his eyebrows.

As the doors start to close, I feel a twinge of guilt.

Ugh. Fine.

“Clem. My name is Clementine.”

The doors close, but not before I catch him grin.

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FINDING DANDELION

Have you read Jax's story yet? It's available now on Amazon if you haven't.

When soccer all-star Jax Avery collides with Dani Hart on his twenty-first birthday, their connection is instantaneous and explosive.  For the first time in years, Jax isn’t interested in his usual hit-it and quit-it approach.

But Dani knows better. Allowing herself a night to be carefree and feel the intensity of their attraction won’t change anything when it comes to dealing with a player. So when Jax doesn’t recognize Dani the next time he sees her, it shouldn’t be a total shock. The fact that he’s her new roommate's brother? That’s a shock.