It was the damn butterfly effect of seductive smiles.
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up, and goosebumps rose on my skin. My body’s reaction had nothing to do with the overhead fan I was standing beneath and everything to do with the tall drink of water that had been my childhood, teenage, and adult crush.
That voice, those eyes, those lips—they’d all haunted my dreams, both day and night, since before I’d started wearing a training bra.
Wait. Maybe that’s what was happening now. I was dreaming. That was the only reason that that voice, those eyes, and those lips would be here in Wishing Well, much less in the Spoon.
Closing my eyes, I ordered myself to wake up, snap out of it. When I forced my lids open again, I was met with the same soul-crushing, panty-melting stare of the very specimen I’d been trying to distract myself from with ketchup and salt and pepper moments ago, the only man who had ever sent my body into overdrive—Jefferson James Briggs. He was my best friend Harmony’s older brother and a pitcher for the Long Beach Waves. The boy who I’d shared my first kiss with when he’d crashed a game of spin the bottle. The boy who’d stepped in to take me to prom after Chester, my high school boyfriend, had dumped me the day before the dance. The boy who’d almost popped my cherry that same night and then disappeared from my life. Except…he was no longer a boy.
Okay, if I wasn’t dreaming, maybe this was a mirage? It was really hot in there, so that was a possibility. Had my senses decided to play cruel tricks on me?
I was only vaguely aware of Tami Lynn scooting around me to the register and booming, “Well, well, well. Look what the cat drug in. Hey, JJ. I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays.”
Okay. Not a mirage. Not a dream. Not a delusion. This was real. A real-life nightmare.
“Hey there, Miss Turner. How’s Emmitt doin’?”
“He’s lazier than a pet coon,” Tami Lynn sighed dramatically, “but despite myself, I still love that man somethin’ fierce.”
The rumble of the hands-down-no-contest sexiest chuckle in the world came from deep inside JJ’s chest, and my stomach did so many flips and flops that you’da thought it was a politician during an election year.
Grinning from ear to ear, JJ shook his head before running his hand through his thick, chestnut-brown hair. “Well then, that Emmitt is one lucky S.O.B.”
That laugh. That voice. Those eyes. Those lips. That hair.
A shiver rippled through me from head to toe as I stepped back against the counter and wrapped my fingers around the edge. It was all I could do not to swoon.
“Believe you me, I tell him that every day,” Tami Lynn joked, but I was pretty sure she actually did remind Emmitt of exactly that.
“Order’s up!” Stan yelled as he dinged the out-of-date buzzer on the see-through window.
“Quit your hollerin’. I’m right here.” Tami Lynn’s shoulder brushed mine as she grabbed the plates and headed down the counter. “Good seein’ ya’, JJ. Take a seat anywhere ya’ like. Destiny will take care of you.”
JJ’s half smile turned into a smirk as he lowered his chin and directed his gaze straight at me. Placing his large hands on the counter, he leaned slightly towards me, which made his eyes appear even larger and more drown-able as they stared into mine. A clean, fresh musk scent I hadn’t smelled in years drifted through the air, and I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply.
“Is that right? Will you take care of me, Pip?” JJ’s question was dripping with so much cockiness that I was surprised he wasn’t choking on it.
His words cut through my momentary lust paralysis and snapped me out of my swoon haze like a slap across the face. My shoulders straightened as clarity—which had escaped me just moments before—washed over me like a baptismal reality check.
Hell must have frozen over and pigs must have been flying, because JJ Briggs was home. In Wishing Well. And he was even hotter than he had been the last time I’d seen him in person four years ago—the night he’d humiliated me and crushed my heart into tiny pieces of dust. And I refused to waste even one more second of my life dwelling on either of those facts.
“No,” I barked as I turned around, grabbed the first thing I saw—which was my handy-dandy coffee pot—and hightailed it down the counter, not looking back, not even once.
Available Here
A Note From Melanie and Shawna
Hello party people!
Melanie and I (yep, there are two of us, and…wait for it…we’re sisters dun, dun, dun!) just wanted to say HI! We LOVE getting to know our readers so make sure to connect with us on our Facebook page and join us in our reader group: Club HEA with Melanie Shawn where we hang out, talk about our love of not only books (obvi) and life, fitness (or lack thereof, lol), kiddos, friendships, love, food, the daily grind, wine and other adult beverages, and encourage the sharing of memes, polls, basically anything and everything that puts smiles on people’s faces.
We hope you enjoyed Leo and Jasmine’s book. This was the final book in the Crossroads series (sniff, sniff). It’s been a long journey! We’ve been happy and honored to bring so many happily-ever-afters! We’ll miss the Sloan brothers, Sloan cousins, The Bodyguards, and the peeps on the Riverwalk but thankfully they’re always here to come back and visit.
For those of you readers that have been our ride-or-dies since My First – Jason & Katie, we want to say THANK YOU for all your support!!! And for those new to the series, we want to say WELCOME we’re so happy that you’ve jumped on the Crossroads HEA train! (toot, toot, chugga, chugga, chugga, toot, toot)
Wanna know what songs we listened to while writing Just One Touch? If the answer is YES, then you’re in luck! Here is Leo & Jasmine’s HEA Playlist:
Someone You Loved – Lewis Capaldi
Jealous – Nick Jonas
Want to Want Me – Jason DeRulo
Big, Big Plans – Chris Lane
Slow Hands – Niall Horan
Good For You – Selena Gomez
To Make You Feel My Love – Garth Brooks
Die A Happy Man – Thomas Rhett
Have You Ever – Mariah Carey
Stay – Rihanna
Lover – Taylor Swift
Why You Wanna – Jana Kramer
Oh, also to keep up with all our new releases, sales, and general book (and life) shenanigans make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
And as always we wish you love, laughter, and happily ever after!
Shawna & Melanie
Other Titles by Melanie Shawn
THE CROSSROADS SERIES
My First – Book 1
My Last – Book 2
My Only – Book 3
My Everything – Book 4
Tempting Love – Book 5
Crazy Love – Book 6
Actually Love – Book 7
Fairytale Love – Book 8
My Love – Novella 8.5
All He Wants – Book 9
All He Needs – Book 10
All He Feels – Book 11
All He Desires – Book 12
Just One Night – Book 13
Just One Kiss – Book 14
Just One Look – Book 15
Just One Touch – Book 16
THE HOPE FALLS SERIES
Sweet Reunion – #1
Sweet Harmonies – #2
Sweet Victory – #3
Home Sweet Home – #4
One Sweet Day – Novella #4.5
Snow Angel – #5
Snow Days – #6
Snowed In – #7
Let It Snow – #8
Perfect Kiss – #9
Secret Kiss – #10
Magic Kiss – #11
Lucky Kiss – #12
Christmas Wish – Holiday Novella #12.5
Fire and Love – #13
Fire and Foreplay – #14
Fire and Romance – #15
Fire and Temptation – #16
WISHING WELL, TEXAS SERIES
Tea
sing Destiny – Book 1
Convincing Cara – Book 2
Discovering Harmony – Book 3
Taming Travis – Book 4
Claiming Colton – Book 5
Trusting Bryson – Book 6
Seducing Sawyer – Book 7
Unwrapping Jade – Book 8
STEAMY WEEKENDS SERIES
Charming Cupid
Seducing Cinderella
Resisting Romeo
VALENTINE BAY SERIES
Protecting My Heart – Book 1
Rescuing His Heart – Book 2
Rocking Her Heart – Book 3
Playing By Heart – Book 4
Unbreak My Heart – Book 5
WHISPER LAKE SERIES
Whisper of Love – Book 1
Whisper of Surrender – Book 2
Whisper of Attraction – Book 3
Whisper of Temptation – Book 4
About the Author
Melanie Shawn is the writing team of sister duo Melanie and Shawna. Originally from Northern California, they both migrated south and now call So Cal their home.
Growing up, Melanie constantly had her head in a book and was always working on short stories, manuscripts, plays and poetry. After graduating magna cum laude from Pepperdine University, she went on to teach grades second through eighth for five years. She now spends her days writing and taking care of her furry baby, a Lhasa Apso named Hercules. In her free time, her favorite activity is to curl up on the couch with that stubborn, funny mutt and binge-watch cable TV shows on DVD (preferably of at least eight seasons in length – a girl’s gotta have her standards!).
Shawna always loved romance in any form – movie, song or literary. If it was a love story with a happy ending, Shawna was all about it! She proudly acknowledges that she is a romanceaholic. Her days are jam-packed with writing, being a wife, mom aka referee of two teens, and indulging in her second passion (dance!) as a Zumba instructor. In the little free time she has, she joins Melanie in marathon-watching DVDs of their favorite TV programs.
They have joined forces to create a world where True Love and Happily Ever After always has a Sexy Twist!
You can keep up with all the latest Melanie Shawn news, including new releases and contests, at:
melanieshawn.com
and
facebook.com/melanieshawnbooks
Just One Touch - Leo & Jasmine (Crossroads Book 16) Page 28
