Not the Placeholder: A BBW New Adult Serial Romance (Not the Hot Chick series Book 4) (5 page)
Read Not the Placeholder: A BBW New Adult Serial Romance (Not the Hot Chick series Book 4) Online
Authors: N. Raines
Tears burned Layla's eyes. They were tears of sympathy, and tears of happiness that he'd finally stood up for himself. It couldn't have been easy. And what about Paige? She wasn't a bad person, after all.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her no."
And what a step for him. "She must have been disappointed."
"Yeah. But funny thing, not as much as I thought."
"I'm proud of you," she said.
He shrugged off her praise. "She's got this Ted guy now. He's her husband. It's his place to look out for her, not mine. I can't be her rock anymore." He paused, his gaze piercing her. "I want to be yours."
Hope fizzed in her chest like soda pop.
Wait
, she told herself, tamping down her urge to throw herself across the table at him. They had to get a few things clear.
"So what are you saying? Are you asking me to be your girl? Because I won't settle for anything less." She wasn't the same insecure girl she'd been when they first hooked up. She deserved Cam's love and commitment. From now on, it was first place or no place.
The tension melted from his face as he stood and came around the table to her. He pulled her to her feet and tugged her close. "Yeah. That's exactly what I'm saying. I want to be your boyfriend, your man, your lover. All of the above. I want to see where this thing is gonna take us. I want to take this ride with you."
"Yeah." She fisted her hand in his shirt. "Let's take this ride together." Now she knew where she stood with him. She wasn't the stand-in or the friend with benefits or the placeholder. She was Cam's girl. More than that, she was Layla, a woman who knew what she wanted. And she wanted Cam.
****
Cam claimed her mouth, telling her with his kiss more than he could say in words. When her breasts nestled against his chest, he tightened his arms around her. His cock stirred, but he was in no rush to turn this moment into something sexual. No, now he wanted to savor holding Layla, knowing she was his.
His.
A wave of relief filled his chest, making him dizzy. It had been a close call. Though they'd clicked the very first time they met, he'd had one stupid reason after another why they shouldn't be together. What a dumb ass.
Thank God he'd come to his senses before he lost her. She'd been smarter than him, knew him better than he knew himself. Cared about him, even when he'd had his head up his ass. She'd had his back, every time.
And from now on, he'd have hers. All the way.
Connect with N. Raines
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N. Raines (who also writes as Nona Raines) is a former librarian who lives in upstate New York with her many pets. She's currently working on her next novel between walking the dog and shooing the cats off the laptop. In addition to her self-published titles, her erotic and contemporary romances are published with The Wild Rose Press and Loose Id. Her transgender romance
His Kind of Woman
was nominated for the 2014 DABWAHA sponsored by the
Dear Author
and
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books
review blogs. Her most recent work is
the transgender romance
Her Kind of Man
and the New Adult romance
No Promises.
Kindle Titles by N. Raines
Not the Hot Chick: The Complete Digital Boxed Set (Books 1 - 4)
No Promises
(a contemporary New Adult romance)
Writing as Nona Raines:
One Good Man
(
M/F erotic romance)
Take This Man
(
M/F erotic romance)
Her Perfect Man
(
M/F erotic romance)
Irresistible Impulse
(F/F erotic short story)
Uncollared
(
M/F BDSM romance novella)
His Kind of Woman
(a transgender romance)
Read to Me
(
M/F erotic romance novella)
Don't Let Go
(
M/F contemporary romance novella)
Christmas Candie
, Part of the
Nicely Naughty 2
Christmas menage anthology
Write to Me
(M/F contemporary romance novella)
Her Kind of Man
(transgender romance, a follow up to
His Kind of Woman
)
Dedication
Once again, thanks to my awesome critique partner Denise. And many thanks to Sabrina, for her invaluable insights as a beta reader. Thanks as well to Chris for being my "technical advisor" on things Buffalonian. Any mistakes are strictly my own.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright 2016 by Nona Raines.
Edited by K. DeGroot.
Cover art by Diana Carlile.
ISBN: 978-0-9906161-6-0 (ebook)
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
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