We can get through anything together.
I make my way around the bar and extend my hand to Olivia’s mother. I’ve never met her parents before, but I recognize them from pictures Olivia has shown me on Facebook.
“Elijah Jackson,” I say. “I’m so happy y’all were able to make it. Welcome to Charleston.”
We all shake hands. Mr. Wilson clears his throat and smooths his hands over his freshly pressed khakis. Mrs. Wilson shifts awkwardly in her fashionably understated sundress.
I glance down at my chef’s jacket and apron. My sleeves are rolled up, like always, exposing several tattoos on my forearms. I catch Olivia’s mother eyeing them.
I bite back a smile. Bet that’s something she doesn’t see every day.
“So you’re the Eli we’ve been hearing so much about,” Mrs. Wilson says, eyes flicking to my face.
“I’ve heard a good bit about you, too. Olivia was saying you’ve never been down south before.”
Mr. Wilson clears his throat. “We haven’t.”
“Y’all are in for a treat.” I clap my hands and nod at the bar. “How about a cocktail?”
Mrs. Wilson’s shoulders fall as she lets out a breath. “I’d love one. Please.”
Luke introduces himself while I shake up two more Olivias. He’s charming as hell, and flirts shamelessly with Olivia’s mother. By the time I hand her a cocktail, her face is flushed and her eyes are dancing.
“People sure are friendly down here, aren’t they?” she says before taking a sip. She smacks her lips. “Wow. That is—”
“Strong,” Mr. Wilson says.
“Delicious,” she adds, grinning as she takes another sip.
“Y’all be careful,” Luke warns playfully. “Chef Elijah Jackson is famous for his deadly cocktails.”
“Among other things,” I say with a sly grin.
Other guests begin to filter in. There’s Julia, Olivia’s friend from grad school and my neighbor. She wraps me in a tight hug and plants a kiss on my cheek.
“Thank you,” she says. “For making our girl so happy.”
“Thank you for being such a good friend to her,” I reply. “She loves you.”
“She loves you.”
I smile, giving Julia a squeeze before she steps back. “I’m a lucky bastard, I know.”
She fixes me with a stare. “You hurt her, and I’ll hurt you. Got it?”
“Got it,” I say with a quick nod. “I learned my lesson the first time.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” she says, patting me on the chest. Her glance cuts over my shoulder to the bar. “What’re y’all shakin’ up back there?”
“Bourbon,” I say.
Julia nods. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Louise and her girlfriend Mabel arrive next, followed by Kathryn Score, one of Olivia’s closest writer friends. The entire Charleston Writer’s Club arrives together, smelling like gin. Approximately half the professors at the College of Charleston come in next. Naomi walks in with Sergio. Maria ducks out of the kitchen to say hello.
It’s starting to get loud inside the restaurant. Music is playing. Good smells are coming out of the kitchen. Shakers are going at the bar.
When Olivia finally steps through the door arm in arm with my sister, I think my heart’s going to explode from too much happiness. Her face lights up, and Gracie laughs when Olivia pulls her close, clearly overwhelmed by the turnout.
Her eyes catch on mine. She smiles.
“Hey baby,” she says.
I go to her and take her in my arms. I know the whole room is watching us, but I don’t give a damn. I lean down and plant a big fat juicy kiss on her lips. Our friends erupt in applause and loud, lewd whistles. Olivia laughs against my mouth, looping her arms around my neck. I pull back to see that her eyes are wet.
“Happy tears,” she explains. “You make me so happy, Eli.”
“I love you,” I say, thumbing away a tear. “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
Olivia smiles up at me. My pulse hiccups. Even now, almost a year since we first met, I still get butterflies when she walks into a room. This girl cracked my world wide open. I think I’ll always be in awe that I was lucky enough to find her.
That we were lucky enough to find each other.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” she says, glancing around the room. “It’s spectacular.”
“I wanted to do it,” I reply. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I kinda like to cook, and I really like your friends, so…yeah. Figured I’d combine the two and throw a little party.”
Olivia arches a brow. “Little? Eli, there’s, like, thirty people here.”
“Thirty-six to be exact.” I shrug when her eyes go wide. “Don’t blame it on me. You’re the one who’s the social butterfly.”
Her eyes search mine. “Thank you. I mean that.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I say. “I invited your parents.”
Olivia’s eyes stay wide. “You did what?”
“They’re over at the bar.” I grab her hand. “Let’s go say hello.”
She’s talked a lot about how her parents are slowly coming around to the fact that she’s moved halfway across the country to write romance. She’s also talked about wanting to invite them down so she can show them around the city she’s fallen in love with. She’s even floated a few dates with them. I would have never invited them if I knew she wasn’t ready for them to visit. I figured what better time to come than Olivia’s birthday? I know she misses them.
Case in point: she starts crying all over again when her mother wraps her in a hug and keeps her there.
“I don’t know what they put in these drinks,” Mrs. Wilson is saying. “But I love it. Love it, Olivia. I’ve had three already. I love you. And I love this city! And whatever is in this cocktail—I love that too. But I love you the most.”
I cut a glance to Mr. Wilson. He shrugs in agreement, then raises his hand to order another cocktail.
There’s a tug on my sleeve. I turn to see Gracie at my elbow, cocktail in hand, a smile on her lips. My sister has always been a pretty girl, but tonight she is nothing short of radiant. She’s also dressed up to the nines. Nothing unusual for Gracie. But combined with the smile and the glow, it makes me take note.
Which makes me think someone else is taking note. Someone in this room.
“You look beautiful,” I say, giving her a hug.
She’s breathless when she replies. “Thanks.”
I see something sticking out of the collar of her dress. When I look a little closer, I blink in surprise.
“Gracie,” I say, nodding at her neck. “Is that a hickey?”
Her hand claps down on the offending spot. “Maybe it is. So what?”
I put my hands up in mock surrender. “It’s no big deal. I’ve just never seen Nicholas…er, do something like that.”
Grace takes a sip of her drink and looks away. Just like Luke did when I asked him about his love life.
Huh.
“It wasn’t Nicholas.”
“What?” I blink. “Then who did give it to you?”
“Give her what?”
I start at Luke’s sudden appearance. He’s standing across from Gracie, beer in hand, the other tucked into the front pocket of his dark wash jeans.
“None of your damn business,” I say.
“Hey, Luke,” Gracie says. There’s almost something a little…shy about her greeting.
Shy, and knowing.
Luke’s eyes darken when they fall on her face. “Hey, Gracie. You look gorgeous, as always.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself, handsome,” she says, then steps forward to embrace him.
I watch the whole thing happen, frozen to the spot: Gracie going up on her toes. Luke’s arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her against him. Guiding her body into his like he’s done it before. For half a second his nose grazes her neck, right where her hickey is, and he inhales, closing his eyes.
Gracie holds on to him for a beat too long. When she pulls back, she’s got those stars in her eyes again. Luke looks like he wants to tear her clothes off. His face is soft and hard all at once when her hand trails down his side to rest on his hip.
Oh no.
No no no no.
I know this look. The one Gracie and Luke are currently exchanging.
I know it, because it’s the kind of look I’ve only ever given to one girl. My forever girl. Olivia.
The girl I’m hopelessly, helplessly in love with.
Gracie and Luke are in love.
Or at the very least, they’re in lust.
What the fuck? I thought Gracie was happily dating Nicholas. And Luke is dating—well, everyone. I told him to stay away from her.
But before I can figure out what the hell is going on, Kip taps me on the shoulder and tells me it’s time to make a toast. Waiters are handing out flutes of champagne to the guests. I grab one and make my way to stand in front of the kitchen. People crowd around me. Olivia ducks through the throng, her parents right behind her. They stand not far from me.
Taking a folded piece of paper out of my pocket, I clear my throat. The room gets quiet.
“Thank y’all for coming,” I begin. “Olivia and I consider each and every one of you part of our family, and we appreciate all the support and love y’all have shown us over the past year. As many of you know, I was in a pretty bad place when Olivia came into my life. My restaurant was goin’ under, and I was feeling really lost. Little did I know getting to know her—talking with her, reading her work, becomin’ friends—was the beginning of my happily ever after. Going through the bad stuff was…Jesus, it was really shitty.” This earns a laugh from the crowd.
“But going through it made me a better man. The kind of man that I hope deserves a girl like Olivia.” I look at her. “I made it through the bad stuff because you were waitin’ for me on the other side, sweetheart. I was lost, but you loved me anyway. I was a jackass, but you took me back anyway. Thank you for loving me just as I am. I hope to do half as good a job loving you.”
Olivia comes to give me a hug. People are clapping. A few people are tearing up. So am I.
I unfold the paper. “I wanted to share one of my favorite passages from My Enemy the Earl with y’all. I think it really captures my feelings about love stories and happily ever after. And of course I always love showin’ off my girl’s talent.” I clear my throat. “‘I may be named Gunnar.’ His eyes flicked to meet hers. ‘And I may ride a sinister black horse. But I am not afraid to admit I like a good love story, same as you, Cate.’
She was looking down again, her hair falling around her face.
‘It’s easy to dismiss stories like that,’ Cate replied. ‘Love stories. People say they are silly. That they are fantasies. But I happen to think the fantasies improve reality. Make it more bearable, anyway. It’s nice seeing how the happiest endings arise from the most hopeless places.’
Olivia, I was in a hopeless place when we met. But with you, I found my happy ending. I love you so much. Happy birthday, baby.”
The room erupts in thunderous applause. Olivia is in my arms again, pressing messy kisses to my lips, my chin, my nose.
“Best. Speech. Ever,” she breathes into my ear.
“Was the Gunnar quote too much?” I ask.
“Is me asking you for a quickie in the bathroom right now too much?” she replies, pulling back to give me a sly little grin.
I wrap an arm around her waist and start to tug her across the restaurant. “Hell no. Let’s go.”
* * *
I hope you enjoyed reading Eli and Olivia’s story as much as I loved writing it! In fact, I loved it so much that I wrote a BONUS EPILOGUE that may or may not contain a proposal (!!!!). If you’d like to find out how Eli pops the question, you can get the bonus epilogue for FREE by signing up for my newsletter.
Thank you very much for reading SOUTHERN CHARMER. SOUTHERN PLAYER, book #2 of the Charleston Heat series, will release in early 2019. This will be Luke and Gracie’s story. Think forbidden romance + sexual bucket list + naughty shenanigans in Luke’s beach bungalow. I’m getting all hot and bothered just typing this!
Be the first to read exclusive excerpts from SOUTHERN PLAYER by joining The City Girls, my reader group on Facebook. I always share my work there first!
In the meantime, be sure to check out ROYAL RUIN, the first book in my Flings with Kings series. Like all my books, it’s available for free in Kindle Unlimited. You’ll get my signature heat and heroes with hot accents—only the accents are British this time instead of southern. Keep reading for a SUPER steamy excerpt from that book!
I also included a Charleston travel guide in the following pages with all my favorite spots to eat, drink, and be merry in the Holy City. Enjoy!
There are few things I enjoy more than interacting with readers. Drop me a line at [email protected], or follow my (not so) glamorous life of a romance author on Instagram @JessicaPAuthor.
Jessica’s Charleston Travel Guide
If you finished Eli and Olivia’s story, then I’m sure you picked up on two things: one, that I absolutely love Charleston; and two, that I absolutely love to eat. I live about three hours by car from the Holy City, and my husband Ben and I try to sneak down there as much as we can. I thought I’d share our favorite places to eat, drink, and be merry in the Charleston area. Enjoy!
To Do
Charleston is a really great walking town. Some sights to check out on foot:
King Street: Nice shopping, and you’ll pass the College of Charleston’s campus along the way. On the second Sunday of every month, the city closes the street to cars and hosts a pretty big pedestrian festival. Worth checking out!
East Bay Street/The Battery: Get great views of the water. You’ll pass the famous Rainbow Row along the way.
South of Broad Neighborhood: This is where Eli lives. One of my all time favorite Charleston activities is wandering around the quiet streets, ogling the mansions and their gardens.
Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market: Held in Marion Square. Great food and people watching!
To Eat
I know I’m kind of biased, but I happen to think Charleston serves up some of the best food on the planet. Here are our current favorite eating spots:
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit: Get there early (pro tip: they have an online ordering app) and treat yourself to a decadent breakfast of delicious coffee and homemade biscuit sandwiches. My favorite is the egg and pimento cheese biscuit. YUM.
High Cotton: Their weekend brunch game is A++.
Cru Café: Make a reservation for lunch at this Charleston staple. The best sandwiches and salads in town, hands down.
Xiao Bao Biscuit: Funky lunch and dinner spot with funky, Asian inspired food. Dogs welcome at outdoor tables.
Rodney Scott BBQ: It’s a bit of a drive, but worth it for the pulled pork sandwich and sides.
The Darling Oyster: For your oyster and seafood fix.
Chez Nous: Tiny, romantic, tremendously delicious Italian-French-Spanish spot. Ben and I had the perfect date night here. We sat at the bar, an ocean-scented breeze floating through the open windows, and stuffed ourselves silly. Can’t wait to do it again.
To Drink
Charleston’s got an amazing craft cocktail scene. Any of the restaurants above will have a stellar wine and/or cocktail list as well. These are my favorite watering holes:
The Bar At Husk: Arrive when it opens. Grab a spot upstairs or out back on the patio, and enjoy some of the best cocktails and apps in town.
The Cocktail Club: Perfect for pre-or-post-dinner drinks. Their cocktail menu is second to none.
The Blind Tiger: I based The Spotted Wolf on this bar. A casual, fun Charleston staple.
The Gin Joint: Tiny, tiny place that shakes up insanely delicious drinks. Get there early if you can!
If you have any questions, or need a specific recommendation, don’t hes
itate to email me at [email protected]. I love any excuse to chat about Charleston!
ROYAL RUIN Excerpt
Excerpt from ROYAL RUIN, a super sexy second chance romance!
ROYAL RUIN
Kit
London
I swirled the bourbon in my glass before bringing it to my lips. It burned as it made its way down my throat. I waited for the knot in my stomach to loosen, but it didn’t.
Maybe Emily would blow me off. Then I wouldn’t have to do this thing I absolutely did not want to do. Although if Emily turned me down, I’d just have to find someone else—someone who was probably a hell of a lot less interesting and intelligent—to be my fake fiancée. The family needed this distraction.
And the family always came first.
Which was why I couldn’t be with a girl like Emily permanently. My grandmother had told me about the results of the background check we’d run on her. Apparently Emily was divorced. A King of England had never married a divorcee before. It just wasn’t done. The divorce thing didn’t bother me personally. So what if Emily had a past? We all did. But sticklers for tradition, like my Uncle Carlton, would be appalled.
Emily was also clearly obsessed with her job. I’d checked out her portfolio and website. I’d also gone through her proposal for the School for the Arts several times. She was insanely talented and incredibly dedicated; every detail was accounted for. Only someone who was truly passionate about her work would put so much time and energy into a proposal.
But my future wife couldn’t have a career. Being my consort was a full time job. The work we did was important. It was part of our mission to modernize the monarchy so we could continue to thrive. Adapt it to the wishes and mores of the people. I was going to need help with that work from my consort.
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