She gave him a shaky smile. “It’s yours, you flicked it into the grass the first day we met behind the school. I picked it up and kept it.” She bit her bottom lip. “I’ve had it all these years. I know most girls are sensible and keep cards or pressed flowers, but I don’t know, I kept this.”
Shocked, he blinked at her and sputtered on his next words. “You’ve been carrying around a used cigarette for all these years?”
“Yes, I have.” She brushed her hair from her cheek. “Even though I quit smoking years ago, sometimes when I missed you I’d put it to my lips or hold it between my fingers just to remember how you looked at me through the haze of smoke.”
He choked out a strangled laugh. “That’s disgusting.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself.”
He met her gaze. “What does this mean?”
She sucked in her breath. “It means even though I know I can live without you, I don’t want to. It means I want to fight for our happiness. If you’ll have me.”
He put the box down on the table, walked over to her, and kissed her. The second his mouth touched hers it was like fire. He pulled back before he got lost in her and didn’t say all the things that needed to be said. He wrapped his hands around her neck and brushed his thumb over the line of her jaw. “I was ready to come get you.”
Her eyes brightened, turning a brilliant blue. “You were?”
“Yes.” He brushed his mouth over hers. “I don’t want to live without you, either. Even if I have to move to New York. I can’t give you up again.”
She clutched his arm and tears spilled over her cheeks. “I wasn’t wrong to leave. I needed to go. To find out who I was.”
“I know.” He held her close. “We’ll make it work.”
She shook her head. “You don’t understand.”
“Explain it to me then.”
She blinked, rose to her tiptoes, and pressed close. “Back then I needed to leave. Now I need to come home. To Revival. To you.”
He kissed her hard before raising his head and saying against her lips, “Thank fucking God.”
“I love you, Griff.”
“I love you, Darcy.” He pulled back and searched her expression. “Are you sure? Because I want you to be happy.”
“I’m sure.” She sucked in a breath. “I knew as soon as I looked at you at that party, wearing that stupid tie, that I was lost. And I don’t want to recover.”
It was crazy, and too quick, and he didn’t care, he needed to ask. “I understand the smart, sensible thing here is to learn who we are and what our relationships will look like as adults, but fuck that. I let you go once and I can’t do it again. I’ve never been sensible or rational when it comes to you.”
She fluttered her lashes. “What are you saying?”
He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Are you ready to be first lady of Revival?”
She laughed. “God help them, I think I am.”
He kissed her, and everything between them turned frantic and desperate. Seeking hands, questing mouths, fierce teeth. He stripped her of her jacket and without breaking contact he backed them up to the stairs.
Suddenly she pulled away. “What about my sex blog?”
“What about it?” Griffin asked, taking off her shirt.
“What will we tell people?”
He stripped her of her bra. “That I’m the luckiest man on the planet.”
She laughed. “Seriously?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“Okay.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Take me.”
He whispered into her ear, “Welcome home, Darce.”
She squeezed him tight and licked a path up his neck. “Welcome home.”
Loved SHE’S MY KIND OF GIRL?
Check out the rest of the
Something New series
available now from Zebra Books:
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
THE NAME OF THE GAME
AS GOOD AS NEW
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Dawson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from DePaul University with a degree in psychology. She met her husband at the public library while they were studying. To this day she still maintains she was NOT checking him out. Now, over twenty years later, they’re married and living in a suburb right outside of Chicago with two awesome kids and a crazy dog.
Despite going through a lite-FM, poem-writing phase in high school, Jennifer never grew up wanting to be a writer (she had more practical aspirations of being an international superspy). Then one day, suffering from boredom and disgruntled with a book she’d been reading, she decided to put pen to paper. The rest, as they say, is history.
These days Jennifer can be found sitting behind her computer, writing her next novel, chasing after her kids, keeping an ever-watchful eye on her ever-growing to-do list, and NOT checking out her husband.
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
Gorgeous runaway brides . . .
When Maddie Donovan runs out on her high school sweetheart moments before walking down the aisle, she ends up at a bar in the small town of Revival, Illinois, with only the wedding dress on her back, fifty dollars to her name, and her “good girl” reputation in tatters.
Not ready to return to Chicago and face the music, she accepts hot bartender Mitch Riley’s offer to stay at his place. But sharing such close quarters is driving Maddie insane with desire.
Always drink for free . . .
Mitch thinks he’s seen it all—until Maddie strides into his bar in full wedding attire and downs three shots of whiskey. Though the gorgeous knockout seems tough as nails, he also senses her vulnerability. With a troubled past of his own, Mitch has no interest in ties of any kind—yet he can’t help falling for Maddie.
Now he’s got to find a way to convince her to give love a second chance.
THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
For two stubborn people . . .
Corporate mogul Shane Donovan sees the ultra-cool, collected Cecilia Riley as an ice queen—even if he can’t deny that, on the surface, she’s a work of perfection his body can’t ignore. Forced to spend two weeks in the same house for his sister’s upcoming wedding, Shane senses that deep down Cecilia mirrors his need. And he’s determined to draw her into a sexy game that will melt away her reserve . . .
Losing is not an option . . .
Career-driven Cecilia Riley has just enough free time in her schedule to head out of town for her brother’s wedding. But her agenda is thrown for a loop by the presence of Shane. Though his overconfident attitude leaves a lot to be desired, his insanely hot body has kept Cecilia up nights. Unsure what game Shane is playing, Cecilia takes the bait, bent on resisting him at all costs.
But as Shane and Cecilia discover, temptation follows no rules . . .
THE NAME OF THE GAME
Some people follow the rules . . .
A professor of forensic anthropology, James Donovan is the reasonable sibling among the passionate, impulsive Donovans. But there’s nothing reasonable about his reaction to baker Gracie Roberts. She’s all wild curls and mouth-watering curves, as deliciously tempting as the sugary treats she’s famous for—and twice as irritating.
But before long, James decides that getting a taste of her is one indulgence he can’t pass up . . .
Some people play to win . . .
Independent, smart, and sexy, Gracie’s year-long dry spell has her itching for a man. Responsible, health-obsessed James? Not in a million years! She needs a guy who knows how to let loose! But when James sets out to show her just how satisfying a disciplined man can be when pleasure is at stake, she learns just how sweet—and spicy—he really is.
Have James and Gracie found the recipe for love?
AS GOOD AS NEW
He was the high school hottie.
She was the teacher’s pet.
But in private, none of that mattered . . .
At the tender age of six, Penelope Watkins fell for her best friend’s brother, Evan Donovan, future hunk.
By the time they were teenagers, they were having heat-to-hearts . . . and hot and heavy top secret make-out sessions. All that changed when Evan’s father suddenly died. Abruptly, Penelope lost him to grief—and to his true love: football. But now an injury had ended Evan’s NFL career. The notorious bad boy was in a depression no one could penetrate, except maybe the one woman who still knew him best—and still wanted him most . . .
Penelope is the last person Evan wants to witness the wreck he’s become. So when she shows up at his door he’s less than welcoming—even though the sight of her brings back the same old rush of desire. As a teenager, the emotions overwhelmed him. Now, when he wanted to be overwhelmed, Penelope wasn’t playing. She was telling the golden boy it was time to man up. It may have taken a concussion for Evan to realize it, but that’s exactly what he wants to do—starting with her . . .
She's My Kind of Girl Page 10
