That had been a month ago. Since then, I’d spent most of my nights at Gray’s apartment. At first, I’d had no interest in returning to my house, scared of another maniac breaking in. Even though Gray and Quake had reassured me the man wouldn’t bother me again, I’d still been wary. I also wanted to be with Gray. My place was with him, and he made that very clear night after night, and sometimes during the day, too.
Reed beat his opponent in the second round with an arm bar. It had happened too fast for me to see, but I had to admit, my focus had been on Gray. He'd shouted to Reed from outside the cage, his attention razor sharp on every move his fighter made. I loved that intensity about him, especially when it was focused on me.
When he’d gone into the cage as Reed’s arm was lifted in triumph, Gray turned and looked for me in the crowd. He grinned and gave me a wink. This was his moment, his time to shine, and he’d stopped and thought about me, to turn and share it with me. Chris nudged me, and Simon rolled his eyes, but I couldn’t help the grin that escaped. It couldn’t get any better than this.
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Ready for more? Get Reed’s story next in Rough and Ready!
When a rough-edged bad boy takes on a straight-laced college professor, can they both win the fight of their life?
Reed Johnson grew up on the streets rough and ready with his fists to survive. These days, all his fighting now is done in the ring. With The Outlaw as his coach, he's way more than a cowboy. That was enough for him, until he meets his new neighbor.
Harper Reed's running from a dangerous past, but no matter how hard she tries, it follows. This time, she's not alone. She runs right into the arms of Reed. She's his now. His to protect. His to save. To do so, he'll have to return to the life he's left behind. But the brainy PhD is worth the fight and with her, he'll be ready for anything. Even something he never thought he deserved. Love.
Read Rough and Ready now!
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About Vanessa Vale
Vanessa Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of sexy romance novels, including her popular Bridgewater historical series and hot contemporary romances. With over one million books sold, Vanessa writes about unapologetic bad boys who don't just fall in love, they fall hard. Her books are available worldwide in multiple languages in e-book, print, audio and even as an online game. When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of raising two boys and figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure cooker. While she's not as skilled at social media as her kids, she loves to interact with readers.
Chasing Hannah
By Melissa Ellen
Prologue
HANNAH
Ten months earlier…
In the middle of what had to be the tiniest airport in the country, I stood staring at the phone in my hand, willing it to do something. Anything. Ring. Vibrate. Notify me of a new text. Shit, or even an email.
He has email, right? Surely. Everyone had email these days, even if it was just to collect spam. And though we didn’t exchange email addresses—no one does that with someone they just met and hooked up with—he could get my email from Lottie. I mean, that’d be kind of a weird and formal way to reach out to me, but I’d take it at this point.
My thumb hovered over his name in my list of contacts. I guess I could always call him, let him know I didn’t mean it. In reality, I couldn’t really blame him for what happened. I needed to just tell him the truth. I wanted to, desperately, and I would’ve, had he stuck around and not ran out on me the way he did.
Gah. He ran out on me! Like I was nothing. Like he couldn’t get away fast enough. Granted, most guys probably would have after the events that transpired this morning, but still. I thought we’d connected on a deeper level.
God, all this thinking was killing my already pounding head. Hangovers sucked, especially when accompanied by a little bit of a broken heart.
“Ma’am, your boarding pass and driver’s license, please?” The hefty airport security guard sitting behind the podium with a bored expression on his face reached his hand out toward me.
“Oh, yes. Sorry,” I apologized, digging through my carry-on as I took the last few steps to him. “Here they are!” I beamed, handing them over to him just as my phone chimed with a text.
Keeping them, I abruptly pulled back my hand, and the man gave me a funny look. I ignored him, unlocking my phone with nervous excitement, hoping the text was from Billy. Maybe he didn’t think I was bat-shit crazy after all.
I frowned when it wasn’t, my heart cracking a little more. My brows pinched with further confusion when I saw who it was from and what it said.
Lottie: Don’t leave without me. I’m coming.
Shocked by Lottie’s message, I continued to stare at the screen. The impatient security guard cleared his throat.
“Sorry,” I said, stepping aside and out of line. “I’ll be right back.”
He gave me a suspicious look as I turned and headed for the check-in counter. Whatever had happened between Billy and me would just have to wait. I had a sinking feeling Lottie needed me more than she ever had.
Always trying to stay positive and keep my head up, I decided this was for the best. After what happened and the way he responded, it would be humiliating to talk to or ever have to face Billy Miller again. For that matter, I was now pretty set on never talking to anyone about it or ever returning to this small town.
Besides, what was I really expecting? For him to chase after me because of one amazing night together? There was no lying to myself and saying I wasn’t a bit of a romantic, but even I knew that stuff only ever happened in the movies.
Chapter 1
HANNAH