Eighteen-year-old Devin McKay is a complete and total emotional wreck. Fresh out of high school and on her own for the first time in her life, she’s reeling from rejection of a relationship gone very, very bad. Emotionally battered and tormented by the pull of her narcissistic first love, she wants to make a clean break in a small mountain town where he is everywhere... with his new girlfriend.
Ronin Andrews is still battling his own cataclysmic ghosts. He recoils from anything heartfelt, choosing instead to work hard and live wild. Outside of his job, parties and causal hooks-ups are his life until Devin walks in. With her short skirt and her sad green eyes, he can’t help but want her… badly. His protective streak wants to provide her with a haven, to shelter and sustain her.
Through a flash of torrid intensity, they struggle to be friends... just friends. She relies on him to nourish her shattered soul and shield her heart from the clawing, gnawing loss that has consumed her. Before long, the attraction proves too tenacious, and the passion between them becomes undeniable. But will the shadows of the past prove too much to overcome?
Ronin Andrews is still battling his own cataclysmic ghosts. He recoils from anything heartfelt, choosing instead to work hard and live wild. Outside of his job, parties and causal hooks-ups are his life until Devin walks in. With her short skirt and her sad green eyes, he can’t help but want her… badly. His protective streak wants to provide her with a haven, to shelter and sustain her.
Through a flash of torrid intensity, they struggle to be friends... just friends. She relies on him to nourish her shattered soul and shield her heart from the clawing, gnawing loss that has consumed her. Before long, the attraction proves too tenacious, and the passion between them becomes undeniable. But will the shadows of the past prove too much to overcome?
From Chapter 7
“Well, now I need you to kiss me. Make out with me. Otherwise she’ll know I was full of shit and start hittin’ on me again.”
“You want me to slut it up with you so you don’t look like an asshole to some little ho-bag you’re trying not to nail? You know, Ronin, you could just tell her you’re not interested.”
“I like my way better,” he grinned. “Besides, you could use a true tongue-mashing make out session. I get the feeling it’s been a while and you’re starting to get crabby,” Ronin teased with a smirk. He dropped to a knee and gave her a pleading look, grabbing her right hand and kissing her fingers. “C’mon, baby, please…” A humorous glint in his eyes reflected the bright moonlight.
“Fuck, Ronin…” Devin rubbed her forehead with an exasperated motion. “Fine. But you owe me!”
“Oh, baby, I’ll make sure you like it.” And he stood with a devious smile, giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. “Now hop on my back. I’ll give you a piggyback ride back to the fire.”
“You’re insane, you know that, right?” she muttered in his ear as she climbed on his back. Making their way back to the fire, Devin slipped into character, letting out a twitterpated giggle as they approached the others.
“Soooo, everything, um, okay now, Devin?” Joe asked with a grin while Devin slid down from Ronin’s back. Ronin quickly pulled her to his side, eliciting another exaggerated giggle. Devin gazed up at him with a besotted expression and then snuggled against his broad chest, nuzzling the softly worn chambray of his shirt.
“Mmmm, never better.”
Ronin cupped her jaw, bringing her lips to his, kissing her softly, then deepening the kiss. She softly moaned into his mouth.
At some point, somewhere in the midst of that kiss, Devin’s mind began to fog. She could taste a bitter hint of beer on his lips, and somehow she began to forget that this was an act. Her hands mapped out his shoulders and back, discovering every ridge of muscle from his triceps to his waist. Ronin reached his hands down, cupping the curves of her backside as he picked her up. Her legs encircled his hips and her arms clutched him closer as he continued to kiss her. Ronin turned on his heel, taking a few steps back out into the darkness of the trees around them.
A voice drifted over from the fire. “What the…?”
Devin didn’t even know who said it. She didn’t care. All her focus was on the burning want Ronin was evoking in her as he pressed her back up against a pine. The rough bark sharply poked its way through her light jacket, digging into her skin, and the odd pain pushed her to increase the force of her kiss as she clawed at his back. His grip on her ass tightened, and Ronin groaned down her throat.
“Ronin,” she whispered as he raised his head, lightly kissing her once, then twice. He looked at her wet, swollen lips for a moment as they caught a glint of moonlight. He kissed her hard again, then voraciously mouthed his way down her throat, tasting and nipping the sensitive skin just behind her ear. From what seemed like a great distance, muffled through her haze of passion, Devin heard voices.
“Whatever, let’s go,” one of the skanks was muttering to the other. “I just lost my fuckin’ ride for the night.” Car doors slammed, and the little hoochie SUV jerked its way down the road.
Ronin raised his head, looking at her with triumph. Devin clasped his cheeks and pulled his lips back to hers. When they were a scant hair away, Devin murmured, “Oh no, buddy, I’m not really done with you yet.”
“Is that so?” he smiled against her lips.
“Nope, I need you to kiss me some more,” she whispered.
“The Barbie twins are leaving, honey. No need for the charade any longer,” Ronin mumbled against her lips, but, belying his words, his lips tasted hers yet again as he kissed her deeply.
Their tongues tangled and thrashed, and she tried to absorb him with her body, pulling him closer and closer. A moan erupted from deep within her throat, and her hands clasped the sides of his head as she nipped at his lip with her teeth. Ronin’s body increased its pressure on her, pressing her harder yet into the tree. His lips left hers gasping as he began to lick and kiss and suck his way to the lobe of her ear.
“You sure you want to do this, honey?” Ronin mumbled.
About the Author:
Sibylla Matilde grew up in the mountain valleys of Southwest Montana, and grew up exploring the alfalfa fields on the back of a horse. She attended a two-room schoolhouse 1st through 6th grade where she had same teacher the whole time. Beginning at about age 12, Sibylla discovered historical romance, feeding off of work of Jude Devereaux, Lisa Kleypas, and Karen Robards. She loves a book that can make the reader run the gamut of emotions, from the sweet glow of new love to gut-wrenching heartache. She always has stories floating around in her head, living in some fantasyland until she writes them down to free them. She is a true romantic, a bit of a Pollyanna, and a deeply emotional soul.
Music is her emotional trigger. Growing up with a Wagnarian-opera-loving mother, Sibylla grew up with music that digs deep into her soul and pulls out emotion. The soundtrack to her life includes different genres and generations. She looooooooves Thirty Seconds to Mars (rather obsessively, actually) with a little Kings of Leon to mix things up, and pimps them out regularly to all her friends through Spotify. She also enjoys watching Met Opera HD broadcasts at her local movie theater, and hopes (listening Met?) to someday see Diana Damrau reprise her role as Mozart’s Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte – The Magic Flute.
Sibylla lives with her husband, Mike, a man who she firmly believes saved her from her self-destructive, hot mess self. He makes her laugh every day, even when things seem to be falling apart around them, and has proved to her that love really can heal a shattered soul. In 18 years, they have never had a fight, but argue regularly with their two teenage kids who have, unfortunately, inherited their father’s quick wit (unfortunate as it is a quick wit that Sibylla, herself, definitely does not possess – there is a reason she is a writer and not a stand-up comedian), and live a quiet life with their two weird little rescued Chiweenies. Wait… teenagers and little yap-dogs? Okay, maybe not so quiet.
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7226522.Sibylla_Matilde
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SibyllaMatilde
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/LETObsessed/boards/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SibyllaMatilde
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Well let's start with Devin- Her love for Jake is just beyond ridiculous seriously he was awful and she seems to turn a blind eye to his indiscretions & his treatment of her-it's nauseating. Ronin oh Ronin he is one hot hunk of man meat and he seems to set his sights on Devin the first time she sets foot in his house. Now he has baggage and knows exactly what Devin is going through. He is too understanding if you ask me. Things finally click in place and it's a wonderful ride for Devin & Ronin but then the stars aline and they are both handed what they've always wanted. The last few chapters are heart breaking- they are from Devin's POV so we have no idea what is going on with Ronin.
Fabulous Ending! Epilogue rocked.
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