Release Blitz: The First Taste by Jessica Hawkins
Title: The First Taste
Series: Slip of the Tongue #2
Author: Jessica Hawkins
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 4, 2016
Andrew Beckwith has already devoted his
life to one girl—and as far as he’s concerned, she’s all he
needs. The rough-around-the-edges bad boy left his reckless ways
behind six years ago when his daughter Bell was born. To the female
population’s dismay, he’s unapologetically single. When Bell’s
mother walked out on them years ago, he vowed never to let another
woman close enough to hurt them again.
Amelia Van Ecken
isn’t just another woman. She’s an independent, smart, and savvy
businesswoman who doesn’t have time for sex, much less love. In the
midst of a drawn-out, bitter divorce, all she wants is to bury
herself in work. But when sharp-tongued Amelia and stubborn Andrew
cross paths, sparks fly—and burn. Two things are obvious in an
instant: they want each other, and they’re from different worlds.
It’s the perfect formula for an off-the-charts one-night stand.
After all, it’s not as if opposites ever attract.
“What’re your plans tonight?”
She
scoffs. “It’s Friday night. What aren’t my plans? I have drinks
with friends in an hour, then a late dinner, and who knows after
that.”
“Cancel them.”
She gapes at
me. “Cancel my plans? Why would I?”
“Come out with
me. Sadie says there’s a place around here with great pizza.”
She
laughs, tilting her head and exposing the smooth column of her
throat. “First, I don’t eat carbs, so there’s no way you’re
getting me to do anything with the promise of pizza. Second, I just
told you—I don’t date.”
“And neither do
I.”
“Then why are you asking me out?” she
asks.
“Because despite what you may think, I am a
gentleman, and it’s only good manners to buy you dinner
first.”
“First?” she asks, wrinkling her nose.
“What’s second?”
We stare at each other. I let her
figure it out on her own. It’s rare to meet a woman like me,
someone who truly has no interest in finding a partner. I’ve heard
that claim from enough girls to know when they’re bullshitting me,
and unless Amelia is a Grade-A con artist, she definitely isn’t
looking to get serious.
When she understands, the
wrinkles on her forehead ease, and she parts her lips. I answer with
a knowing smile. Suggesting sex within half an hour of meeting
someone might normally get me slapped, but I get the feeling Amelia
appreciates a more direct approach.
“I don’t date,”
I say, “but I’m still a man with eyes.”
She makes
no secret of looking me up and down. “You’re not my type either,”
she warns. “I like men who carry a briefcase and see a barber
regularly.”
I run my hand through my black hair, which
I know is too long. “How’s that working out for you?”
She
narrows her eyes. “Fine. Perfect.”
“I have some
tattoos too,” I say. “And ride a motorcycle. Since that’s
normally how I get most girls, I suppose those are turn-offs for
you.”
“They are,” she says immediately,
straightening her shoulders. “I’ve never understood the appeal of
a bad boy.”
“Then tonight, we’re a match made in
heaven, aren’t we? It shouldn’t be hard for either of us to say
goodbye afterward.”
She bats her eyelashes a few
times, not because she’s flirting but because she’s thinking.
Considering. Which means it’s basically a done deal. I’ve never
gotten this far with a girl only to have her walk away. “Why even
bother with dinner?” she asks.
I take a moment to
study her, her shoulder-length, perfectly coifed blonde hair. Her
defined red lips that look like a heart when pursed, which is often.
Yeah, based on the fact that I’m noticing details—something I try
not to do anymore—I know I’m feeling her tonight. Most guys would
jump at the opportunity to skip the small talk, but that doesn’t
really appeal to me. I like women, always have. Just because Shana
fucked me in the head doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate them.
Doesn’t mean I don’t want to spend time around them—just so
long’s it’s surface stuff.
I don’t want to scare
her off by suggesting I might want to have a conversation with her,
so I just shrug. “Because I’m starving.”
“I’m
not hungry.”
“Indulge me then. I need my
energy.”
“For what?” she asks.
I arch
an eyebrow at her. I’ll definitely need my energy for a night with
her.
She reads my expression and her cheeks
redden. “Oh.”
Also Available
Jessica Hawkins grew up between the
purple mountains and under the endless sun of Palm Springs,
California. She studied international business at Arizona State
University and has also lived in Costa Rica and New York City. To
her, the most intriguing fiction is forbidden, and that's what you'll
find in her stories. Currently, she resides wherever her head lands,
which is often the unexpected (but warm) keyboard of her trusty
MacBook.
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