by Julia Kent
“Eventually. It's a longshot, but–”
I bark laugh, because who answers yes to that question?
Parker. Parker does, that's who.
“You are totally perfect for the presidency, Parker. But if that's your goal, you need to dump me.” I clear my throat.
“Dump you?”
“I am a liability.”
“You are anything but a liability.”
“A first lady with naked pictures of her all over the internet?”
“Wouldn't be the first time.”
I frown. He's not wrong.
“My boobs would be resurrected and blasted everywhere.”
“Zombie boobs!” He laughs, then stares at my rack and leans forward, lips brushing against my hair. “Jesus tits, though...”
“If you want to be president, you can't be caught in public saying things like 'Jesus tits.'”
“Then shut me up before I get myself in more trouble.” He touches my holy breast and gives me a kissy face. I kiss him to stop the stupid. It's like throwing yourself on a land mine to save a group of little kids.
Only instead of dying, I get laid.
I break the kiss. “Plus, my name. You know. Persephone was Hades' wife. She ruled the underworld with him.”
“Again, not that different from modern American politics.”
I can't help but laugh. “You really are jaded for being one of the youngest members of Congress. Aren't you supposed to be full of idealism and bright-eyed naiveté?”
“I was an assistant DA for a few years, Perky. That got drummed out of me fast.”
The television changes from some cooking show to a Breaking News banner, a woman standing on a lawn in front of a very familiar building.
“An incoming report from Anderhill, Massachusetts, shows a knife attack at a preschool on Stately Road.”
I scream at the screen, all the blood draining from my face, pooling in my feet, which turn to ice. “That's Fiona's school!”
Raul comes out of the storeroom to find out what’s going on, stopping short when he sees the news footage.
“...The Grounded Child, one of the most popular preschools on the North Shore, where more than twenty children were directly in harm's way. Parents are flooding into the school parking lot behind a police perimeter...”
Parker stands, protective instincts kicking in. “How far is it from here?”
“About a mile.” I can't stop looking at the screen.
He takes my hand. “Let's go.”
“...the attacker was subdued and is now in custody,” the newscaster is saying. “According to parents who witnessed the attack on the live-streaming feed available for monitoring their children, the school's head teacher, Fiona Gaskill, single-handedly dropkicked the attacker, moved the knife out of his reach, then–uh…” She presses her finger against her earpiece. “...Ms. Gaskill stepped on his neck and restrained him until police arrived.”
Raul gasps, and Parker lets out a low whistle of approval.
“We have an eyewitness, one of the assistant teachers, Michelle Riotta, who confirms that Ms. Gaskill personally disarmed the assailant. Video of the incident is coming in right now, from one of the parents who captured it with her cellphone. The Grounded Child features closed-circuit webcams that parents can watch on a remote system that...”
“We have to go to her!” I shout. Parker is already sprinting for the door.
And then the screen shows Fiona–my bestie–with the sole of her foot on the guy's neck, her face tipped to the sky, wavy hair like seaweed flowing with the tide. Her long skirt ripples like the ocean, the outline of thick, strong thigh muscles under the gauzy fabric an Amazonian delight.
Then, fist thrust high in the air in victory, like a goddess, she opens her mouth–
And roars.
A note for readers
THANK YOU for reading Perky!
As always, world of mouth makes ALL the difference in the world when it comes to a book’s success.
If you liked Perky, spread the word! Even in our tech-heavy world, world of mouth is still the best way for a book to get out and grow in readership.
And in case you’re wondering: YES, Feisty is next. <3
Acknowledgments
A huge thank you to Blair Babylon for her help with the Game of Thrones reference. :)
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Many thanks, as always, to my husband “Clark” for his technical assistance (and support).
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Elisa Reed made this book so much better with her painstaking editing, while Hang Le’s cover is just plain old amazing.
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There is an old saying (okay, maybe it’s just an internet meme…) that writers are machines that take coffee and turn it into words. That’s me, except I’ve cut back from 8 cups a day to 4 during the writing of this book.
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Pretty sure my next book will involve an identity crisis. :P
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 19 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French and German, with more titles releasing in the future.
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From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men’s room toilet (and he isn’t a billionaire in a rom com).
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She lives in New England with her husband and children in a household where everyone but Julia lacks the gene to change empty toilet paper rolls.
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Join her newsletter at http://www.jkentauthor.com
Also by Julia Kent
Shopping for a Billionaire: The Collection (Parts 1-5 in one bundle, 500 pages!)
Shopping for a Billionaire 1
Shopping for a Billionaire 2
Shopping for a Billionaire 3
Shopping for a Billionaire 4
Christmas Shopping for a Billionaire
Shopping for a Billionaire’s Fiancée
Shopping for a CEO
Shopping for a Billionaire’s Wife
Shopping for a CEO’s Fiancée
Shopping for an Heir
Shopping for a Billionaire’s Honeymoon
Shopping for a CEO’s Wife
Shopping for a Billionaire’s Baby
Shopping for a CEO’s Honeymoon
Shopping for a Baby’s First Christmas
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Little Miss Perfect
Fluffy
Perky
Feisty (coming soon)
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Her Billionaires
It’s Complicated
Completely Complicated
It’s Always Complicated
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Random Acts of Crazy
Random Acts of Trust
Random Acts of Fantasy
Random Acts of Hope
Randomly Ever After: Sam and Amy
Random Acts of Love
Random on Tour: Los Angeles
Merry Random Christmas
Random on Tour: Las Vegas
* * *
Maliciously Obedient
Suspiciously Obedient
Deliciously Obedient
* * *
Our Options Have Changed (with Elisa Reed)
Thank You For Holding (with Elisa Reed)
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