Because Lucas Harper wasn’t just any hot surfer boy, he had become a complication…with a capital C.
Meeting him on the very first day Lauren and I had moved into our summer digs had been…unexpected. From the moment I'd first laid eyes on him, I couldn't wait to get him naked.
Fortunately for me, Lucas had been more than willing to oblige.
That's why I was waiting. Not because I had developed—God forbid—feelings for him or anything. Because no way . . . I refused to let myself become one of those girls.
When the keys jiggled in the lock, I adjusted “my girls” to make sure they were displayed to perfect advantage. I did my best to look somewhere between Suzie Homemaker and porn star, emphasis on the porn star. Zane had picked up a double shift at the bar, so I wasn’t in danger of wasting my boobalicious efforts on Lucas’s roommate.
When Lucas came through the door his feet were still caked with sand from the beach.
“I made you dinner,” I announced, leaning across the table to give Lucas a better view of what I had to offer.
As usual, Lucas didn’t disappoint. His gaze didn’t even glance toward the takeout pizza box and the roll of paper towels I’d set out—my version of “cooking.” His eyes went straight to the cleavage peeking out from behind the apron I’d hijacked from a box Lauren had marked “KITCHEN.”
This . . .
This was the expression I’d been waiting for.
Who needed Lauren and her sentimental drivel? I had Lucas. Sweet, hot, uncomplicated Lucas.
I grinned when he attempted to lean his surfboard against the wall, but missed entirely. The board clattered loudly onto the tiled floor. “Great,” he said absently, his eyes going suddenly dark—darker even than the mahogany they already were. They traveled down the apron, and I realized it probably dawned on him I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. “I’m famished.”
Acknowledgments are always a challenge, but there are so many people who deserve to be thanked, so bear with me.
This book has really been a lifetime in the making; it just took some amazing people to convince me to make the leap from kissing scenes in Young Adult books (where all the fun stuff happens off the page) to full-blown romance (where anything goes). First off, I need to give credit where credit is due, to an amazing group of women who jumpstarted this whole crazy adventure at a writing retreat in the desert. There may have been cosmos involved. But the truth is, without these women to cheer me along during this entire journey, I might never have started in the first place. So, thank you, CC-ers!
Thanks to Heidi McLaughlin for not only reading Undressed and sending me your beautiful words of encouragement, but for all your advice and support over the years.
To Sophie Jordan, who kept saying, “Do it!” whenever I’d tell her I was thinking about writing a romance. She has lent me her expertise on the inner workings of the romance world, let me ask her the most insane (and inane) questions, and then turned around and sent me cat gifs. And to Rachel Vincent, who doesn’t seem to mind when she’s stuck on one of those text threads. Thanks to both of you, just for being you! To Lindsay Marsh, who bravely agreed to edit Undressed for me…even before I sent it to my agent! And to Monica James who fixed my gross misuse of commas, contractions, and hyphens—you are a brilliant copyeditor!
To my agent, Laura Rennert, who continues to stand by my side. And to her crack team, who have read, edited, guided, and led me down this new road.
To Shelli (S.R.) Johannes, who is so many things to me—critique partner, sometimes co-author, cover designer, and most importantly . . . a shoulder to lean on. She puts up with my phone calls (sometimes multiple times daily), gives advice (whether I want it or not), and is my marketing guru. To Alistair Wells, for giving me such a beautiful cover. And to Kale, because, well . . . you know why.
To my mom, who will skip over all the mushy stuff in Undressed because she way prefers Stephen King to kissing scenes, but who will read my book anyway because she’s still my mom. Thanks for being that mom! To my kids, who let me be that mom, even when I’m probably smothering them.
But there’s one person it’s impossible to properly thank, because his job is truly thankless. This is for my husband, Josh. He’s the true hero of my story—funny, charming, sweet, handsome, and sexier than I ever could have dreamed for myself. I hope every woman out there finds a Josh of her own. But not my Josh . . . I plan on keeping this one for myself.
YOUNG ADULT NOVELS
The Body Finder Series
The Body Finder
Desires of the Dead
The Last Echo
Dead Silence
The Pledge Trilogy
The Pledge
The Essence
The Offering
The Taking Trilogy
The Taking
The Replaced
The Countdown
SHORT STORIES
Skin Contact (A Body Finder story)
Light It Up (Grim Anthology)
Kimberly Derting has been in love with love since the first grade, when she would make “boyfriends” hold her hand during recess . . . whether they wanted to or not. In high school, she discovered romance novels and she’s been hooked ever since! She is the award-winning author of the Body Finder series, the Pledge trilogy, and the Taking trilogy. Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both The Body Finder and The Pledge were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. These days, she spends entirely too much time ordering stuff off the Internet, binge watching Netflix, and holding hands with a guy who doesn’t have to be forced (her husband).
Visit her website at www.kimberlyderting.com or sign up for her newsletter here to stay up to date on the latest news about releases, appearances, and excerpts. You can also find her online on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.
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