Love
Me For Me
Safe
Haven Series Book One
Kate
Laurens
Genre:
New Adult Romance
A
fresh start...
It’s
been three years since Serena King learned to say no—no to the boys
that were a desperate cry for help, no to the extra weight she put on
in self defense, and most of all no to the abuse that has haunted her
since she was fifteen. Now a sophomore in college, all she wants is
to be normal. The last thing she expects is a guy who can make her
want... make her want everything.
A
new guy...
Alex
Blackthorn is a bundle of contradictions, a sexy dark haired badness
who goes slow... deliciously slow. And despite the iron will that has
gotten her through the last few years, Serena finds herself unable to
ignore the heat that sizzles between them whenever they’re
together.
A
dark past...
Serena
never thought she could be involved in a relationship, but Alex makes
her long for things she thought were out of her reach forever. When
he finds out her secret... when he finds out what she did to keep
herself sane... will he still want her, or he will treat her just
like everyone else?
And
Alex has a secret of his own.
Currently only .99 cents!!!
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Excerpt:
“Which
dorm are you in?”
“MacKinnon.”
I had to take two strides for his every one, but I noticed that he
tried to keep his stride level with mine as we turned from the street
onto the campus. “Which one do you live in?”
I
wondered if he would ask me to go back to his dorm with him.
I
wondered if I would say yes.
“I
live off campus.” I hadn’t been expecting that. Not a lot of
students did, because the cost of living in downtown West Haven
wasn’t cheap. “It’s just a couple of blocks away.”
“Oh.”
My eyes widened, though I tried to keep the surprise out of my voice.
I was here on scholarship, and it still barely covered my living
expenses. He was a football player and might have a bigger one. Or
the shelter might pay really well.
It
wasn’t any of my business and I didn’t know him well enough to
ask. I bit my tongue, and stayed silent until we’d crossed campus
to where my dorm stood.
“Thank...
thank you for a fun night.” I smiled up at him shyly. Since I’d
never been on a date, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do right
now, so I just told him the truth. “I liked it. Really.”
He
said nothing, instead staring down at my lips, my smile. Though I
knew that he had snuck past my guard, had made me want things that I
didn’t have any business wanting, I still felt overwhelmed by the
urge to grab him, to pull him close to me and to never let go.
“I’m
glad.” My nails dugs into my palms as the silence between us
stretched out, thick and heavy.
“Well.
Um. Goodnight.” I turned towards the neon lights of the dorm, a
stone settling in the pit of my belly.
“Serena.”
Alex’s voice was raspy, and it was exactly what I had been waiting
for. I looked back over my shoulder, my heart in my throat.
“Yes?”
I whispered.
“I
want to kiss you.” My skin suddenly felt too tight. He stood beside
a battered old car, his hands stuffed into his pockets, the
streetlights casting a buttery glow over his face. He wasn’t
reaching for me, instead waiting for my consent.
He
couldn’t have known how important that was to me.
He
was beautiful. He could have had any girl he wanted, yet he was
asking me if he could kiss me.
“May
I?” His face was solemn. Longing was an ache in my belly as I
nodded, jerkily. And then he closed the distance between us, placed
his hands on my waist the same way he had while we were dancing, and
dipped his head down.
All
the wondering about whether or not he was into me flew from my head
as he slowly pressed his lips to mine. I had thought he would crush
me to him, would devour me with his kiss, but he was slow and in
control.
It
was no less hot. His hands slid around to splay over my lower back as
he tasted my lips with excruciating slowness. My breath caught and I
curled my fingers around his upper arms, right where his tattoos lay
hidden beneath the soft leather.
Even
through the thickness of the jacket I could feel the iron of his
muscles, a hardness that spoke of something beyond football practice.
I moaned softly into his mouth as my fingers danced, exploring up to
his shoulders, his neck.
He
made a sound deep in his throat, before backing me slowly against the
parked car. I felt the chill of the metal seep through my jacket and
my shirt, as he finally closed the last inch of space between us,
pressed his body against mine, and deepened the kiss.
“Oh.”
I parted my lips beneath the warm swipe of his tongue. I’d kissed
with my tongue before, but never like this, never like I was being
savoured.
An
unfamiliar heat surged between my legs, and I felt the tips of my
breasts pucker as they brushed against his chest. He wasn’t doing
any more than kissing me, his hands still roaming the expanse of my
back, but I felt my breath coming faster, harder.
“Is
this okay?” With excruciating slowness he moved his hand from my
back, across the stripes of my ribcage, and over to... oh man.
His
large palm cupped my breast, over my tank but inside of my jacket and
sweater. His thumb strummed over my nipple and I choked out a gasp
against his lips, my hips pressing forward into his own.
“Serena.”
His pelvis arched into me in response for one, long, satisfying
second, and then he pulled back entirely, breaking the kiss, a groan
escaping his lips as he did.
I
could still feel the hardness of his need pressing into my stomach,
the skin there sensitive and overly aware from the touch. There was a
quick flash of self preservation in which I wondered if this was
wise.
It
wasn’t, I knew it wasn’t, but by this point I didn’t care.
My
head swam as I tried to get some sense of my bearings back. I
vibrated with need, wanting his lips on mine again.
He
gave them to me, but in the form of a short, sweet, frustrating kiss.
“Night,
Serena.” His hands moved to my hips, squeezed gently, then pushed
me towards the dorm. Dazed, I did as he urged, walking the short
distance across asphalt to the front door.
I
only snuck one quick glance back over my shoulder, once I’d reached
the glass door that had been smudged by a thousand fingerprints.
He
was still leaning against the battered car, his arms crossed as he
watched me—protectively?
I
shivered. The look on his face was of restrained need... and it said
clearly that he had claimed me as his.
He
waited until I was inside the building, looking back through the
glass door, before he pushed off the dented metal and walked away,
hands stuffed into his pockets. He left me pondering what it felt
like to have someone watching out for my well being.
I
was pretty sure that I liked it.
*********************************
Love
Me If You Dare
Safe
Haven Series Book Two
Kate
Laurens
Genre:
New Adult Romance
Some
things change...
It’s
been three years since Kaylee Sawyer has been home—home to the
alcoholic mother she can’t handle, home to the painful memories of
her sister Ella... and home to the guilt she’s carried for years.
About to enter her final year of college, she is determined to come
to terms with the mess of her past—and to ignore the guy whose
single kiss has been tattooed into her mind forever.
Some
things stay the same...
Dylan
McKay is still golden haired and dangerous, the flame Kaylee was
always afraid to touch for fear of getting burnt. But despite the
damage that’s been done, she finds that she still can’t stay away
from the one person who accepted her the way she was.
Some
things are meant to be.
Kaylee
is no longer the innocent girl she once was. Though tragedy ripped
them apart before, one look from Dylan brings all of the old feelings
rushing back. Torn between her past and her future, she’s not sure
if a person can ever truly go home again.
But
Dylan doesn’t plan to let her go without a fight.
Recommended
for mature readers aged 17+ due to language and sexual content.
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About the author:
Kate
Laurens is a proud Canadian who loves beer, coffee, kickboxing and
books. She writes New Adult Romance and falls a little bit in love
with each hero that she writes.
She's
also on Twitter as @KateLaurens
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