G I V E A W A Y   E N D E D

Synopsis:

Everyone wants something…

But why can’t I figure out what Noah James wants out of our relationship? His sister hates me hell, the whole town fears me, and if he knew what I’m capable of, he’d leave like everyone else.

I’ve terrorized the quaint town of Smugglers Cove, blazing a trail of self-destruction when anyone gets too close. So when Noah buys the cottage next door and finds out about my past, he creates a list of childish activities to complete together.

I try to keep him at arm’s length, but every-time I think I’ve scared him off, he’s back for more. He’s always there when I need him and even when I don’t.

One thing’s for certain, people like me don’t end up with Noah James.

***

Noah:

Samantha Simmons stole my heart the minute I saw her standing near the bar, in an off-white dress, at my little sister’s wedding. Everyone warned me about the infamous villain of Smugglers Cove, but I never thought it’d be impossible to stay away.

When I move in next door, she lets me in on some of her secrets and reveals a side of her few have uncovered. The more she lets me in, the more I want to defend her and prove there’s more to her than a bad reputation.

Each-time I think I’ve earned her trust, all hell breaks loose. She’s scared to let me in but I’ll wait until she sees,

She may be the villain in everyone’s story but I think she deserves a happily ever after.

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EXCERPTS:

Excerpt 1:
“Don’t do that,” I say. “Don’t shut me out.”       

         “Go away,” she warns.

         “No,” I say. “Talk to me, Sammy.” 

         “I can’t!” she yells at me.

         I step toward her, lowering my voice as emotion threatens to crack my voice. “I can’t help if you keep f***ing pushing me away.”

         “Stop it,” she spits the words.

         “I’m not going to leave you,” I say, holding onto her hands before she rips them away. “Nothing you say to me, nothing you do is going to convince me you aren’t worth it.”

         Her chest heaves as tears stream down her cheeks. Her lips are parted, ready to fight back, ready to tell me how wrong I am, how I won’t understand. 

This moment is do or die, leave it all on the table. 

         I take another step toward her, and crush my lips against hers, showing her how I feel before I tell her. 

         “I love you,” I pant against her lips. “I think I’ve loved you since the first day I met you when you wore white to my sister’s f***ing wedding.” I laugh. “I f***ing love you, Sammy girl. Don’t push me away. You can shut the world out. Just leave me in this one with you.”

         She leaves her forehead pressed against mine, our noses breathing in the smell of one another.

“I can’t,” she whimpers, swallowing down the building emotion. “I can’t love you, Noah. I can’t risk losing you.”

Her voice cracks with each word. My ears ring as though a bomb has detonated near us, and I guess, in some metaphorical sense, one has. 

“You lose all the f***ing time when you push everyone away,” I say, my voice cracking under the pressure of each word. “Isn’t it worth trying to stay for once? To work through it rather than shut me out?” 

         “I’ll never be what you need,” she says. “I’ll never be able to give myself to you completely, to trust you fully.”

         “Bulls**t,” I snap.

         “It’s not bulls**t. You made a mistake ever thinking you could change me.” She sighs before hammering the final nail in our coffin. Her eyes locked on mine full of honesty and meaning. “I was your biggest mistake. You’re just too stubborn to acknowledge it.”

Excerpt 2:
I’m about to pipe up and tell them their need to touch one another is repulsive, but before I can, movement catches my eye, and I watch as Sammy stands. She maneuvers through the crowd of people, some trailing her with their eyes, and others grumbling about her as she walks past. Strangers and locals alike strive to disappear out of harm’s way if it means avoiding a conflict with Samantha.

She’s at the bar, beside me, and I lose the will to breathe. 

“Hey, neighbor,” I say. No one can know. The words run through my mind on repeat. 

“Hi.” She smiles over, her brows lifting in Hilary’s direction. “Does anyone work here tonight, or do I have to get the drink myself?” 

Hilary mumbles something beneath her breath but rounds the bar to refill Sammy’s drink.

She sighs beside me, and my arm falls to my side, reflexively itching to reach out to touch the skin I crave when we’re apart. 

I fight my inner demons not to do it, but I can’t help myself. 

My finger strokes the back of her arm, her exposed skin now littered with goosebumps. Her head falls to the right, exposing the dip where her neck meets her collarbone—a place I’m certain I’ll be worshiping later this evening. 

“What’re you doing?” she scolds me under her breath. 

“Being reckless.” I waggle my eyebrows. 

It’s a risk we’re taking standing so close. My hand continues to graze along her forearm before my index finger links in hers. A touch no one would notice. 

Alan grins across the bar top from his usual corner. He winks, and the action startles Sammy to bolt across the pub. She takes off before Hilary can refill her drink, charging toward the restrooms. 

Without taking my eyes off her, I stand to leave the bar, trailing a wild blaze after Sammy. 

“Where’re you going?” Hilary calls out.

“Bathroom,” I grumble back, never taking my eyes off Sammy’s backside.

I can feel Hilary’s eyes on my back, and when I dare a glance over my shoulder, she squints her eyes together in a knowing glare. 

“I shouldn’t be doing this,” I scold myself on a deep exhale before rounding the corner and stepping into the women’s restroom.

The door squeaks, announcing my arrival, and I bend to see if anyone else is in here. That’s when I see her black strappy heels she wore the night of Hilary and Ryan’s wedding. I thumb the smirk off my face as I wait for her to exit.

The stall door swings open in protest, her eyes trailing from my feet up to my face. “Noah?” she asks, her eyes shut with irritation.

Author Bio:

In the 3rd grade, Anna won a notable mention for her holiday story in her small hometown’s daily paper. Since then, no awards have been won but the writing has, fortunately (or not––depends on who you ask) continued. She is now the author of two small-town Alaskan romances with a third set to be released in 2022. Her stories feature tales of friendship, bouts of laughter, and lots of swoon-worthy moments. She shares stories of adventure, love, and loss all the while remaining true to the quirkiness of the loveable small town she grew up in.

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