The Trouble with Wanting by Jillian Liota
Publication date: July 20th, 2020
Synopsis:
Ruby Roberts is heading to Cedar Point to connect with the father who left her behind. Easy conversation with the handsome man sitting next to her isn't what she's expecting from her cross-country flight, but it's not something she's complaining about, that's for sure.
Boyd Mitchell is flying home for some end-of-summer relaxation and time with his favorite people--his family. A talkative seat-mate that pulls him out of his shell is the last thing he wants, but he can't seem to resist her charm.
When Boyd and Ruby end up in the same lakeside town, their banter and flirtation quickly become a steamy fling that leaves them both breathless. Neither of them are expecting to find a romance that has them both reconsidering everything they used to believe about love.
As their time in Cedar Point comes to an end, the two will have to decide whether they want their connection to turn into a real-world relationship, or whether wanting more is nothing but trouble.
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Excerpt
When I look up at Boyd, I find his eyes on mine, and they're scorching, though laced with something that looks like humor as well.
What's that called?
Humorlust? Like wanderlust but funny? I don't know if that's a thing, but it should be.
We don't say anything else, each of us finishing up our sandwiches and waters before our goodbyes and heading over to where Hank is parked along the side of the road.
He opens my door for me, and I hop in, pausing with my seatbelt when I realize he isn't moving to close the door.
Before I even know what's happening, he's stepped forward and slipped a hand around the back of my neck, pulling me forward so he can plant a kiss on my lips.
It's chaste. Soft. So delicious I wonder if I might be dehydrated from all that time in the sun because damn if I don't feel a little dizzy when he pulls back and looks at me.
I wonder what he sees as I sit here, dirt and sweat covering so much of me, my body emitting that smell that comes along with too much time in the hot sun.
Whatever it is, it must work for him, because he places his lips back against mine for another kiss. And then another and another, first sucking on my top lip and then the bottom.
I can feel his kisses in my toes, along every single inch of skin he's touching with his work-roughened hands, in the warm space between my legs.
When he pulls back and looks at me again, I feel a thrilling little shiver race along my spine as I see how heated his eyes are.
"Let's get you home," he says, finally moving back and closing my door, rounding the front of the driver's side.
The ride back to the guesthouse is a loud mess of silence. All I can hear is the sound of his breaths and the beating of my heart in my ears.
When was the last time I was kissed like that?
Like it was just as much simple as it was spectacular?
Like it was the only thing that mattered?
What's that called?
Humorlust? Like wanderlust but funny? I don't know if that's a thing, but it should be.
We don't say anything else, each of us finishing up our sandwiches and waters before our goodbyes and heading over to where Hank is parked along the side of the road.
He opens my door for me, and I hop in, pausing with my seatbelt when I realize he isn't moving to close the door.
Before I even know what's happening, he's stepped forward and slipped a hand around the back of my neck, pulling me forward so he can plant a kiss on my lips.
It's chaste. Soft. So delicious I wonder if I might be dehydrated from all that time in the sun because damn if I don't feel a little dizzy when he pulls back and looks at me.
I wonder what he sees as I sit here, dirt and sweat covering so much of me, my body emitting that smell that comes along with too much time in the hot sun.
Whatever it is, it must work for him, because he places his lips back against mine for another kiss. And then another and another, first sucking on my top lip and then the bottom.
I can feel his kisses in my toes, along every single inch of skin he's touching with his work-roughened hands, in the warm space between my legs.
When he pulls back and looks at me again, I feel a thrilling little shiver race along my spine as I see how heated his eyes are.
"Let's get you home," he says, finally moving back and closing my door, rounding the front of the driver's side.
The ride back to the guesthouse is a loud mess of silence. All I can hear is the sound of his breaths and the beating of my heart in my ears.
When was the last time I was kissed like that?
Like it was just as much simple as it was spectacular?
Like it was the only thing that mattered?
About the Author:
Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup.
She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019.
She has a master's in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.
She's also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.
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