Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1) (30 page)
Read Licked (L.A. Liaisons Book 1) Online
Authors: Brooke Blaine
“I missed you,” I said, my voice muffled against his neck.
His arms tightened around me. “You won’t have to miss me again. I promise.”
He held me as the sounds of Ella washed over us, and gently, ever so gently, we began to sway with the music.
“I didn’t realize you were a dancer,” I said, leaning back to look at him. He reached up and wiped the rest of the tears from my face.
“Hopefully I’ll have more good surprises up my sleeve for you to find.”
A smile spread across my face. “I do love good surprises.”
His lips found mine, soft at first, but growing in intensity, taking my breath away. I loved the way his tongue moved against mine, perfectly in sync. Loved the taste of him and the way he held the back of my neck so firm, like I was his most cherished possession.
As the song ended and the next one started, he pulled away.
“Ryleigh,” he said, his voice serious. “There’s something I didn’t get the chance to tell you before.”
My stomach dropped as I waited for the ball to drop.
He cupped my face, his thumb stroking my cheek. “I really, really love…”
My heart jumped.
Love?
I held my breath as I waited for his next words.
“Your hair,” he said.
My…
I pulled out of his grasp. “What?”
“This bow,” he said, fingering the stiff loops on top of my head. “I can’t stop staring at it.”
My jaw dropped. “You really love my
bow
? That’s what you really love?”
“Well, it’s a great bow,” he said, and then a huge grin took over his face when he caught my expression, unable to hold back his laughter anymore.
“You know, maybe I
do
have some Jackass Specials left. Let me go check.” But as I brushed by him, he grabbed my arm, pulling me to his body. His arms went around me again, holding me close, my back to his stomach.
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
“Anything.”
I turned to face him. “Why were you moving back to Chicago?”
“Moving back? I was just going to help my dad with a job for a week.”
“What?”
“You thought I was moving back?”
“Well, yeah,” I said. When he started laughing, I pushed against his chest. “That’s not funny. I panicked. I heard LAX and Chicago, and my brain just went there. But do you mean to tell me I just chased you across town, risked jail time, and had my friends flashing everyone when you were only leaving for one measly week?”
He whistled. “I’m gonna have to do something big to make it up to you.”
“Promises, promises.”
“I think the first thing will be making sure your TV special airs, since I’m the reason you skipped out on it.”
“Wait. How’d you know I ran out?”
“I got an earful from Cameron on the way over here.”
I threw my hands up. “
Now
you answer the phone.”
He smiled, a sexy-as-hell smile that had me reaching up to kiss it off his face.
“Ryleigh?” he said against my lips.
“Yes?”
He drew his head back to look me in the eye. “I love you. I love your originality. I love the way you fight for what you want. I love the way you never back down from who you are. I love the insane ice cream names that come out of your warped mind and the fact that you make them so fucking good people become addicted. Like me.” His smile then could’ve melted glaciers. “And all those things I don’t know about you yet—I love those too.”
Smiling through my happy tears, I said, “That’s a lot of love, mister.”
“You don’t deserve anything less.” He brought my face to his, and as the sweet taste of his breath hit my lips, he said, “And Ry?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m keeping you.”
Hooker
Book Two of the L.A. Liaisons Series
Coming February 2016
Thank you for reading
Licked
. I hope you enjoyed it!
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Ella - There is no way this book would be in existence without you. Not only do you keep me sane (okay, as sane as possible for me lol), and serve as the best critique partner evahhhh, but you seriously outdid yourself with the gorgeous formatting and the amazing book trailer for Licked. To say you’re talented beyond what is fair would be an understatement, and your generosity knows no bounds. I lucked the hell out when you found me, and if there’s one thing GR did right, it was pairing the two of us together. Thank you, thank you, thank you for every little thing you do for me… I couldn’t possibly tell you that enough. Even without all the work stuff it’s more than enough just to have you in my corner. Love you times infinity. Nope. More than that. Oh, and another thing—I’m sorry for the ice cream diet I put us both on for months during the course of writing this book. I promise I’ll calm it down for book two and buy us gym memberships. Maybe.
To the Admins of The Naughty Umbrella: Jen, Donna, & Stacy – What a fab trio you hookers are! Thank you for always having my back, for the daily laughs, the necessary venting, and just for being a huge part of my life. I always appreciate your eyes on my stories before they go out into the world, so spank you for that as well. I love your faces offfffffff.
Thank you to Judy, Renee K, & Bianca for making this book squeaky clean! Freakin’ eagle eyes, all of you! I’m super grateful to work with you and have your support and friendship. Muah!
Massive love to my cover designer, Hang Le. Woman! You did a phenomenal job designing Licked, and I know I’ve told you that a million times already. You always “get” what I’m going for, and I’m so thankful I can let go of a bit of control (Who, me? Controlling? Pshh.) knowing my covers are safe in your hands. Thank you and tackle hugs!
Most people dread edits, but I actually look forward to mine. That’s crazy, right? A huge thank you to my endlessly entertaining editor, Arran McNicol, who makes my shit...err, not shit anymore.
To Chas and Rockstar PR & Literary Agency who handled the cover reveal and blog tour/promo for Licked—I can’t thank you enough for taking that huge weight off my shoulders. I appreciate you going above and beyond for me, and I’m so happy to have worked with you on my little bookie book.
Special thanks to Kari March Designs for the sweeeeet teasers! Love them so much. And Heather gets a big thank you for sending me your way too!
Once again, I must thank
and
apologize to my neglected family and friends. I miss birthdays, get togethers, weddings, and all kinds of super fun stuff, but I’m so grateful you understand why and know it won’t be forever. Thank you for that. Crystal, Mom, Meme, Ann, and way too many to name. You know I love you, right? Bahamas vacation coming. Really.
Licked is based in Los Angeles because that city opened its arms and gave me a helluva welcome when I moved across country all by my lonesome several years ago. I’m grateful I could call it home for a while, and I wanted a way to show my deep affection for such a beautiful, diverse city. Not only that, I wanted this series to reflect how amazing female friendships can be, and that when you’re far from loved ones, you really do make your friends your family. I’m grateful for the bonds I made with several outstanding women while I was there, so Sabrina, Jemma, Eliza, Erin, Julie D, & Kelli—I miss you every day, but no matter where we are, we’re never really that far. Hell, that goes for ALL of my friends. Love you bitches.
Speaking of fab women…I can’t forget my Brella’s! To everyone who makes up our amazing little group, The Naughty Umbrella—thank you for providing such a fun, positive, supportive safe haven for Ella and me to share ourselves and also have the opportunity to get to know each and every one of you. I hope I get to meet every damn one of you in the near future. Prepare yourselves for some craaaaaazy bear hugs!
Great big mega huge thank you’s to the bloggers who’ve written reviews and helped spread the word about my novels. You make it possible for my books to be seen, and I don’t take your support lightly.
To YOU (yes, YOU, kickass reader!) for picking up Licked when you probably have hundreds of other novels on your reading devices that are just waiting to be read. There’s no way to tell you how much I appreciate you, but if you shoot me an email or find me on social media, I’d like to try.
xoxox
~Brooke
If you’d like to get to know Brooke better, you can find her getting up to all kinds of mischief at:
About Brooke
You could say Brooke Blaine was a book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries around and the size of her onesie pajamas.
She is the author of Flash Point, a romantic suspense standalone, as well as the co-author of the erotic series, A Desperate Man, with Ella Frank. The latter has scarred her conservative southern family for life, bless their hearts. Licked is the first novel in her new romantic comedy series, L.A. Liaisons.
If you’d like to get in touch with Brooke, she’s easy to find - just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell phone for ten years.
Brooke’s Links
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