I rolled my eyes. “I’m not glass. I won’t break.”
“Yeah, whatever. I’m gonna be a dad. I can’t…I’m gonna be a dad,” he repeated before smashing his lips to mine, making sure not to squeeze me this time.
“Earth to Della. Mommy’s being really silly, isn’t she?” Justin snapped his fingers once in my face, Lily quietly giggling at his feet where she had both arms wrapped around his legs.
“Sorry, just thinking about something.” By the way Justin’s eyes flared, I could tell what he thought was running through my head. The idea wouldn’t have sounded bad to me, especially when I was thinking about my pregnancy. Justin treated me as if I were a piece of glass at first, but not for long. I think sex when I was pregnant had actually been the best I ever had. I guess I could blame it on hormones, but it was most likely just Justin. Things could get pretty tricky with a big belly in the way, but he never let that stop him. I shook my head once again, clearing those thoughts because we really needed to get going. “Okay, are you ready for our princess time?” I asked, looking down at Lily who was dancing around impatiently, and she clapped her hands together.
“Yes!”
We said our goodbyes to Leann, who declined the invitation to come along with us to see all of the princesses skate around on ice, saying this was just a special family thing. It was nice to do things with just the three of us sometimes. After the short drive to the arena, Justin buying out almost the entire souvenir shop set up there, and finding our seats, we were ready to see some princesses. Well, Lily was. I guess I was excited, too. Even Justin seemed to be thrilled about it. Yeah, not really. I tried to contain my laughter as I looked over at him, Lily sitting on his lap, his arm wrapped around the back of my shoulders, but I couldn’t help it.
“Shut up,” he demanded, glaring at me, but then his eyes softened and he kissed the top of Lily’s head, before leaning over to do the same to mine.
“I’m sorry, I can’t help myself.” I touched the jeweled princess crown that was sitting atop of the black beanie covering his head. Lily ordered that he needed to buy one for himself, and whatever that little girl wanted, he did. He never once tried to argue with her. I had a feeling her teenage years were going to kill us. I turned my head, pushing my mouth against his ear. “Do you think you can wear that later? And only that?” I added, before pulling away and starting to laugh again.
“Not in your dreams, princess.”
I shook my head, focusing on the show that was starting, but it couldn’t keep my attention long. I looked at Justin and Lily, not believing that we had gotten to this point, and I flashed back to the first time we had met. Yup, I never once expected that tattooed up, bad boy, man-whore to be sitting here next to me like this. Hell, I never even expected myself to be sitting here like this, either. Good thing I had decided to go out that night.
“Whoa, if you wanted me that badly you didn’t need to throw yourself at me, sweetheart. I’d be pretty willing.”
I looked up, meaning to tell off the arrogant asshole that thought I would actually throw myself at someone, but all words ceased to exist when I looked up into a pair of startling gray eyes. He pulled me closer when I failed to say anything and pushed me lightly against the wall so our bodies were flush with each other’s.
I caught the glint of a lip ring as he turned to stare down at me with an intense gaze that set my body on fire. He wasn’t the normal type of guy I went for. His arm was covered in an array of colorful tattoos, and he had multiple piercings. Who knew how many more there were under the tight gray V-neck and black shorts he wore? For some reason, I really wanted to find out.
“You don’t look familiar. What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Della,” I managed to whisper. Why in the hell was I so nervous around this guy? I had no reason to be, he was the one who should be worshipping at my feet. Right?
“Della.” My name rolled off of his tongue before he ran a thumb over my cheek and dropped his hand down to his side. “I like it. The name’s Justin and I think you and I were meant to be. Want to get out of here?” Whatever fog had been cluttering my mind suddenly cleared and I shook my head, pushing at his chest as I stood up taller, even though he still had to look down as he towered over me.
“Seriously? That was about the lamest pick up line I’ve ever heard. No thank you, Justin.” I turned to walk away, but he jumped in front of me and held up a finger.
“Wait, that didn’t come out right. I don’t know what the fuck is wrong me, normally I’m a whole lot smoother at this.”
“So normally you pick up girls a lot easier? Good for you.” I crossed my arms over my chest and let out a loud sigh when he still didn’t move.
“C’mon, Della. Let me buy you a drink at least, I’m really not that bad of a guy. Give me a chance?” His eyebrows knitted together as he waited for my response, and I was just about to tell him where he could stick that drink when I caught sight of the table where Nash and Mariah were looking awfully cuddly. Apparently, they had made up. It made my stomach coil just at the thought of having to sit there and watch the two of them together.
“Fine, follow me.” Surprisingly, he did and by the time we got back to the table with the drink he had promised me, Callie, Drew, and Zoey were also back, looking slightly uncomfortable by Mariah’s presence.
Callie’s eyes widened as Justin situated himself next to me, and she kept looking back and forth between the two of us in utter confusion. I introduced Justin to everyone, and he stood up to shake their hands before sitting back down next to me and leaning in, brushing his lips against my ear. “Can you say awkward? Want to dance?”
I stood up right away, wanting to get away from the glare of Nash and Mariah’s icy smile. Sure, Justin seemed like an arrogant asshole, but tonight, he was my lifesaver. Justin led me to the center of the dance floor, and I couldn’t help but notice all of the death glares I was getting from almost every single girl around me.
We were already just inches from each other, but he put his hands on my hips to pull me even closer against his hard, muscular body, moving the both of us to the music. I had never in my life danced with a guy like this. Chris had always just kind of stood there and enjoyed the show while I grinded against him. Justin on the other hand, moved every time I did.
I let out a gasp when he twirled me around and pulled my back tightly against his chest. My body tingled everywhere at the sudden contact. At first, I was hesitant to be dancing with this guy I had just met, but his hands all over me gave me the confidence to move right along with him.
I slid my body up and down his to the music, and he played right along, pulling me even closer and grinding against me. I felt his hands lock onto both of my wrists, and he moved them to wrap around his neck as his hands explored the sides of my body through the clingy material of my dress. My body hummed at the warmness of his hands, and I moaned when his lips brushed against my neck. I actually moaned.
I abruptly pulled away and turned toward him, pushing into his chest. “What in the hell was that for? I did not give you permission to touch me like that.”
“Really?” he replied with a smirk, sucking that stupid lip ring into his mouth. “Because you really seemed to be enjoying it. And I was too,” he added.
I shook my head sharply, rolling my eyes before turning on my heel. “Whatever, just leave me the fuck alone. I really don’t need to be another notch on your bedpost.”
I grinned, remembering that night. Thankfully that wasn’t the last time I saw Justin. We had come such a long way. I was ashamed to even think about how I acted when I was younger. Even though he had looked like a handful of trouble and that should’ve sent me running in the opposite direction, Justin saved me.
And I guess in a weird way, my mom did, too. When she sent me to North Carolina, I thought she was being a major bitch, shipping me off as if I were a child. But in the end, she had sent me toward Justin. If I wouldn’t have moved back to North Carolina, who knows if I would
be sitting here now with Justin and Lily, getting ready to marry to the guy of my dreams.
Justin switched Lily to his other knee as she clapped wildly for all of the princesses that were gliding across the ice, waving to everyone in the crowd. He whispered in my ear, “I love you,” before kissing my forehead and switching his attention back to our daughter that was a perfect mix of us.
Her hair was a perfectly matched shade to mine, but those eyes were all her daddy’s and she could get me to do just about anything when she turned them in my direction, just like Justin. Her personality was hard to pin down. Sometimes, she reminded me of Justin when she was hamming it up and she most definitely didn’t take anything seriously. And then, on the other hand, she tended to turn her nose up at certain things, which made her more like me, according to Justin. I couldn’t wait to have a million more kids like her. Okay, well maybe like two…or three. I guess we could add at least one more to our total in about seven more months, but for now, that would just be my little secret.
Life was about to get even more perfect.
FIRST OF ALL, I want to thank the readers. Whether you’re a new reader or have read all of my books, you are the most important part of this whole thing. You’ll never truly understand how much you mean to us Indie writers.
When I first started writing over a year ago, I had no clue what I was doing. An editor? A formatter? A book cover designer? The many facets of self-publishing were foreign to me. So, I’d like to think that my books have gotten better, while I’ve grown as an author and found all of these wonderful resources along the way.
I want to thank my husband who was the first person to encourage me and didn’t tell me I was crazy when I decided that I wanted to start writing books. In each of my stories, there’s always something in the male character that resembles my husband. Most of the time it’s his cocky attitude that I claim gets on my nerves, but is really one of the things that I love most about him.
Then there are my three little munchkins: Cole, Easton, and Bailey. I don’t know if I should really be thanking them since they tend to make working a little bit harder, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
And the rest of my family and friends. They have all been so supportive of this process, when, really, I was so nervous to tell them about it in the first place. What if my books were horrible? What if no one liked them? After a while, I realized that it didn’t matter. As long as I had my family behind me, then I would be just fine.
Lastly, I want to thank everyone who helped me throughout the process of putting Twisted Bliss together. Beta readers are one of the most wonderful tools out there, and I have no idea how I got by without them before. So, I have nothing but gratitude for my team: Julie Deaton, Tina Bell, Nicole Huffman, and Karen Derasmo.
Also, a big thanks goes out to my editor, Lea Burn. I’m really amazed at how a few words added here and a few switched around there, make everything sound so much better. She is probably one of the most detail-oriented people I have ever worked with and that is one of the most important qualities to have in this business.
While working on Twisted Bliss, I was lucky enough to hook up with Nicole Huffman over at Author Groupie’s. She has helped me out tremendously with organizing things, teasers, giveaways, sales—the list really goes on and on. I don’t know how I’ve survived this long without her.
And of course, I can’t forget Stephanie over at Steph’s Cover Design. I used her services for two of my covers now and I have loved the results. I feel like I can’t write before I have a cover, so she has made writing an easier process for me.
Again, thanks for reading, and don’t forget to leave a review. Reviews help authors tremendously, and spreading the word is really what this indie world is all about.
WARNING: These are NOT your Mama's romance novels!
C.A. Williams is the author of The Journey Series, Full Count, Imperfect Perfection Series, and The Crush; all of the New Adult Genre. When she's not busy typing away at a new book, she's also trying to juggle three little ones. Living the dream!
OTHER BOOKS BY C.A. WILLIAMS
The Journey Series:
Chasing Leah, Book #1
Limitless, Book #2
One Simple Step, Book # 3
Imperfect Perfection Series:
Chaotic, Book #1
Twisted Bliss, Book #2
Stand-alone books:
Full Count
The Crush
Coming Soon
Midnight Ballerina—Summer 2014—Sneak peek included at the end of this book!
Make sure to like my Facebook page to receive updates for upcoming releases!
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by
C.A. Williams
COMING SUMMER 2014
Copyright © 2014 by CA Williams
*Content subject to change*
“YOU’RE FIRED.”
“What?” My hand froze midway as I reached for an apron, my mouth falling open at what my boss just said. He had to be kidding. I swallowed thickly, letting out a weak laugh as my hands finally landed on an apron. “Ri-ght, Charlie. You’re such a jokester.” I playfully nudged his shoulder, stepping around him to get to the time clock. Charlie really wasn’t the joking kind, but I guess there was a first time for everything.
“Monroe.” His tone was flat so I turned to look at him. He lightly rubbed at the spot that I had bumped into and I barely managed to contain an eye roll. Like I had actually hurt him or something. “I’m not joking.” He sniffed slightly, grabbing at the apron that in my hand, and I pulled back on it at the same time. This quickly turned into a little game of tug of war, until he finally decided that he was done playing, letting go with a loud sigh. “Listen.” He scratched at the gray beard on his chin and I squirmed in place, not knowing how to brace myself for what he was about to say.
I did not get fired from things. Ever. There had to be some sort of mistake. Maybe he had gotten hit on the head and was really meaning to talk to Kelsey, the one who I was constantly cleaning up behind. I mean, was it really so hard to take sandwich orders and not screw them up. It wasn’t rocket science.
“You’re a great employee.” The best I wanted to add, but I didn’t really think he would care. I could tell his mind was made up.
“But?” Now that I knew it was really coming, I might as well help the poor guy along. That was me: Monroe Hartley, helper to everyone, even when I was getting fired. I really needed to stop doing that.
“But it’s just hard to work around your school schedule. I need someone with flexibility, and there are a lot of people out there that actually need jobs. People that have all the time in the world.” He looked at me sheepishly before pushing the wire-rimmed glasses back up onto his nose, and they slid back down almost instantly.
I stewed over his words, tapping my foot in place as they started to sink in. “So, let me get this straight? It’s not because I’m a bad worker, which I know I’m not, it’s because you have to work around my schedule? And because you don’t think I need this job?” My voice was rising as the reality started to sink in and it was laced with just a hint of panic. It started slowly but now it was hitting me full force.
Yes, this stupid sandwich shop was the bane of my existence, but at the same time, it paid the bills. One of the main reasons I worked as many shifts as possible in between classes. I even missed one every now and then if someone called to ask me to cover their shift. “Do you think I don’t have bills to pay? How do you think I pay for the shitty apartment I live in? How do you think I pay for gas?” He stepped backwards as I jabbed a finger in his direction, emphasizing each of my points. He gave a nervous smile to a customer that had come in who pretended to look at the lunch menu, but was clearly entertained by the scene he had
walked in on. “And books? And electric? I pay for everything myself.” His lips pressed into a tight line, but the way his hands were set on his hips, I could tell my sob story really wasn’t working.
“I’m sorry, Monroe.” He shook his head and I huffed loudly, wanting to find something to say that would change his mind but I couldn’t think of a single thing. “I’ll put your final check in the mail, that way you don’t have to….” He trailed off as I pierced him with one final glare.
“Fine, whatever.” I scooped up my purse, throwing the apron that I was still clutching in his face. Take that, Charlie. “By the way,” I called over my shoulder in the direction of the customer who was still waiting at the counter. “Nothing here is organic, the bread isn’t freshly baked—far from it—and I would totally avoid the mayo. Charlie there still lives with his mom and he seems to spend a large amount of time locked away in his office, if you know what I mean.” Okay, so, that last part I added on just to be a bitch, but Charlie deserved it. The customer snorted loudly and I heard Charlie shout something after me just as I opened the door, but I really didn’t care what he had to say now. Now, I needed to figure out what I was going to do.
I ignored the scenery around me as I drove back toward campus. My apartment complex sat just near the edge of the school, so it wasn’t too pricey but still within walking distance of pretty much everything. I had been in Georgia now for two years, and the beauty of the campus still distracted me—normally. It was a whole lot different from my hometown back in Michigan.
This time of year they could even be seeing snow, in fact, I think my mom mentioned something about a few flurries just a couple of days ago. Thinking about my mom made my body tense up once again. What was I going to do now that I didn’t have a job? I had been lucky when I first arrived on campus as a freshman, not knowing anyone or anything about the area, but still finding a job right away at the Honey Ham Sandwich Shop. It was close to campus, paid okay, and had no problem working around my school schedule—at least that’s what I thought. I knew jobs were hard to find, I had a few friends that had been searching for a while now, and no luck. I could honestly say that I had never found myself in this type of situation before.
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