Can’t Help Loving You
Eve Kasey
Publication date: March 29th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Ava
What happens when you meet the boy of your dreams in a bookstore?
You pretend you’re not leaving for college in the morning, and instead spend the night falling hard for his blue eyes, dimples, and creative soul – even if Maddox is a poetry hater.
You pretend you don’t get that tattoo in his honor.
You spend the next ten years telling yourself that a corner of your heart isn’t taken by a boy from your past.
When you see those blue eyes again, you pretend you don’t feel seen—awake—for the first time in a decade.
You remind yourself that you said yes to a man you didn’t want to marry, and now you’re stuck.
You tell yourself that this is the life you wanted.
But it isn’t. Not anymore.
Maddox
What happens when you run into the woman you haven’t stopped thinking about for a decade? The wild-haired, free-spirited sunshine girl from your past?
You pretend she’s not at that brewery with her fiancé, your new friend. Leo. The man who can make or break your design career.
You pretend neither of you see that Leo is keeping secrets and close to breaking.
You pretend you don’t know how miserable Ava is with her life, how she only lights up when you’re around.
You tell yourself you don’t ache for the one woman you can’t have.
But you do. You want her as badly as she wants freedom, and the time has come to stop pretending.
EXCERPT
There existed a slim possibility Ava would not have fallen deeper under Maddox’s spell if she hadn’t noticed a sketchbook tucked into the door pocket, along with a tin of colored pencils. She badly wanted to peek inside the notebook, but she resisted. No good could come from seeing his sketches. Or worse, watching him sketch. No, best to pretend he was not a charming leader of young men, with unique style and artistic talent.
Remember, she told herself. He doesn’t like poetry. He’s a monster.
And don’t forget, you leave tomorrow.
But when they pulled up at a beachfront park fifteen minutes later, she knew Maddox wasn’t a monster. He was a damn romantic.
“Go ahead and text your mom now, Ava.” He hopped out of his car with another grin. “Tell her we’re at the beach, and that I even brought a blanket.”
“You brought a blanket?” Ava grabbed the sandwiches and their books and joined him at the back, where he was rummaging through an organized bin of supplies. “Are you a Boy Scout, too?”
“Nope. I just have a very prepared mom. She stocks our cars for every possibility.” He threw a blanket over his arm and shut the hatch, guiding her out of the way with a warm hand on her waist. “Including this one.”
“And what possibility is this one?”
Whatever snarky follow-up comment she had planned died with a gasp when Maddox cupped her cheek without warning. He wasn’t incredibly tall, which put his lips right there. His body was incredibly close, his eyes incredibly vivid and sincere.
“The possibility that a stunning girl would agree to spend the day with me. That she’d give me her smiles and her time and her trust.” Every word brought his mouth closer. Ava’s breaths were shallow. Gasping. “The possibility of me and you, Sunshine.”
Ava clutched his wrist as she tried to steady her breathing. Now would be the time to tell him she was leaving. Now would be the time to back away and get to know him better.
Instead, Ava dropped everything she was holding and kissed him.
Her fingers tunneled into his curls as she slammed her lips to his. She tasted him, sampling Maddox’s brand of possibility. He was delicious.
The deep rumble from his chest set her on fire, or maybe the heat came from the hands gripping the bare skin of her waist under her shirt. His tongue prodded her lips open at the same moment he lifted her up against his lean body. Teeth grazed her lip, sending pleasure slicing through her middle. A lusty noise escaped her.
“Damn, Ava.” Maddox loosened his grip, letting her toes slide back down to the ground. His bright eyes were full of gratitude. “I thought I’d have to listen to hours of poetry, die of boredom once or twice, then drive you to the ferry dock before I got to kiss you. That’s usually how it works.”
Ava frowned. “I don’t like those kinds of rules.” She pushed onto her toes to capture his lips again. His hands flexed on her hips, sliding lower, pulling her closer. Maddox kissed like he was conquering. Like he wanted to leave a mark on the soul. “I wanted to kiss you. Why wait?” She wagged her finger at him. “But don’t think this gets you off the hook for a primer on Pablo Neruda. We’ll make a poetry lover out of you yet, Maddox.”
Chuckling, he leaned down and kissed the corner of her mouth, then lower, and lower still to meet the skin of her neck. Ava sighed in supplication, melting into his arms.
“Oh, Sunshine. I’ll be any kind of lover you want me to be.”
Author Bio:
Eve Kasey started composing stories in childhood, both in her head and with an electric typewriter loaded with pink paper. She writes for a design firm by day and reads independently published romance novels by night.
Eve writes contemporary romance that balances sweetness and steam while aiming to teach readers something new. Her books are where nerdy meets dirty. She believes romance novels can be a platform to portray healthy relationships and attitudes towards sex.
Eve lives in Washington state with her very stylish husband and two children.
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