The Bet by J. L. Beck & C. Hallman
Series: North Woods University #1
Publication date: May 24th, 2019
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
"He was my best friend..." I say more to myself than her.
"Yeah, so was I but you seem to have forgotten that part of your life."
the bet was simple.
You draw a name from the hat.
That's the girl you have to seduce.
The girl you have to make fall head over heels in love with you.
It wasn't hard for me to do, in fact, it was something I did all the time. I was known for breaking hearts. Sex was just that, sex. And it didn't take me very long to get a woman on her back.
And then I drew her name: Jules Peterson.
My former best friend. My first kiss. My first love. She shattered my heart into a million pieces three years ago. She left me right when I needed her most.
And as fate would have it, she had entered my life once again, at almost the perfect time.
She was a transfer, fresh meat, and she had just put a target on her back. It was my turn to make her pay. It was my turn to break her heart.
Holding onto that hate, that anger, that f*cking heartbreak. It does something to you. It breaks you, and it broke me, it tainted me, just like I would do to Jules.
She used to be my everything, but now she was nothing but The Bet.
**The Bet is book one in the North Woods University series. It is a full length, standalone, novel. It contains adult themes, and content not suitable for all readers. It is NOT a young adult novel.**
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My heart is racing, and my breathing is shallow now that we're face to face. He's still angry, nothing but hate and sadness reflecting in his eyes. It's then looking at him, seeing those emotions swirl that I realize I'm not mad at him. I don't hate him for doing this.
I couldn't, not even if I wanted to. Instead, I feel something entirely different... I feel remorse. I feel sorry that this is what he has turned into, sorry that there is no love in his life, that he's lost the light, the kindness he once had.
Feeling a need to bring back that man, I grasp onto his shirt, grabbing a handful of the fabric, pulling him even closer while lifting up my head from the mattress. I don't think. I simply press my lips to his and kiss him. His lips are warm, and I inhale his scent, diving headfirst into the emotions he's pulling deep from inside me.
My mouth fuses to his, a hunger clawing at my belly. The sweet innocent kisses we shared before when we were kids is nothing to this kiss. This kiss holds a need, a possessiveness I want to grab onto.
Remington deepens the kiss and for a moment, I forget about how hurt we are, how angry we've been over losing each other. For a moment, we're the same people we used to be using the strength of our kiss to say things neither of us ever could.
But the moment passes just as quickly as it started and within seconds, he's pulling away, his lips swollen, his chest heaving. I catch a flicker of confusion that mirrors my own in his eyes before he jumps off the bed, immediately turning his back to me. I can hear him fastening his pants back up. I'm shocked, my thoughts disheveled, but one thing sticks out in my mind. I don't want what we just shared to end already.
"What are you doing?" I ask, my voice weak. I don't want him to go, I don't want him to run away from me, not after I've caught a glimpse of the boy I once knew. I stare at his broad shoulders, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt, his body full of tension.
"Don't go!" I order, but he's already out the door, slamming it closed shut behind him, leaving me sitting on the bed naked from the waist down with nothing but the memory of his lips on mine. What did we just do? When I feel like my legs are steady enough to hold my weight, I slide off the bed and pick up my discarded clothes. Just as I'm pulling my panties up, the door flies open again.
Cally stands in the doorway her mouth gaping open, betrayal and hurt in her now cold gaze. "You knew I liked him! How could you do this to me? I thought you were my friend."
"It's not like that, Cally." And it's not. She wouldn't understand that though. No one would. No one knows of the past we share.
I couldn't, not even if I wanted to. Instead, I feel something entirely different... I feel remorse. I feel sorry that this is what he has turned into, sorry that there is no love in his life, that he's lost the light, the kindness he once had.
Feeling a need to bring back that man, I grasp onto his shirt, grabbing a handful of the fabric, pulling him even closer while lifting up my head from the mattress. I don't think. I simply press my lips to his and kiss him. His lips are warm, and I inhale his scent, diving headfirst into the emotions he's pulling deep from inside me.
My mouth fuses to his, a hunger clawing at my belly. The sweet innocent kisses we shared before when we were kids is nothing to this kiss. This kiss holds a need, a possessiveness I want to grab onto.
Remington deepens the kiss and for a moment, I forget about how hurt we are, how angry we've been over losing each other. For a moment, we're the same people we used to be using the strength of our kiss to say things neither of us ever could.
But the moment passes just as quickly as it started and within seconds, he's pulling away, his lips swollen, his chest heaving. I catch a flicker of confusion that mirrors my own in his eyes before he jumps off the bed, immediately turning his back to me. I can hear him fastening his pants back up. I'm shocked, my thoughts disheveled, but one thing sticks out in my mind. I don't want what we just shared to end already.
"What are you doing?" I ask, my voice weak. I don't want him to go, I don't want him to run away from me, not after I've caught a glimpse of the boy I once knew. I stare at his broad shoulders, his muscles rippling beneath his shirt, his body full of tension.
"Don't go!" I order, but he's already out the door, slamming it closed shut behind him, leaving me sitting on the bed naked from the waist down with nothing but the memory of his lips on mine. What did we just do? When I feel like my legs are steady enough to hold my weight, I slide off the bed and pick up my discarded clothes. Just as I'm pulling my panties up, the door flies open again.
Cally stands in the doorway her mouth gaping open, betrayal and hurt in her now cold gaze. "You knew I liked him! How could you do this to me? I thought you were my friend."
"It's not like that, Cally." And it's not. She wouldn't understand that though. No one would. No one knows of the past we share.
About the Authors:
J.L. Beck & C. Hallman are two ladies with a love for coffee, books, and the bad boys who live inside them.
They're a dynamic duo who love writing all genres of romance, from erotica, to suspense. To date they've written ten books together and don't plan to stop any time soon.
When they aren't writing you can find them making jokes, discussing their next book, arguing over cover photos, and of course drinking more coffee.
They're humble, and truly blessed to have found such amazing readers.
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