BLURB
It’s been years since my mother was in my life.
I healed.
I learned to accept love.
I lived.
That’s all done. She was away, and now she’s back.
I’ve avoided her for a year and a half, but I can’t hide anymore.
Mason has an internship in Fallen Crest, so we’re heading back for the summer.
And when we got there—no one was prepared for what happened.
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EXCERPT
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START THE FALLEN CREST SERIES NOW
Fallen Crest High – 99¢ and now available at all retailers
COMING SOON BY TIJAN
Hate to Love You – Releasing Fall 2017
AUTHOR BIO
Tijan is a New York Times Bestselling author that writes suspenseful and unpredictable novels. Her characters are strong, intense, and gut-wrenchingly real with a little bit of sass on the side. Tijan began writing later in life and once she started, she was hooked. She’s written multi-bestsellers including the Carter Reed Series, the FallenCrest Series, and the Broken and Screwed Series among others. She is currently writing Fallen Crest Seven (untitled) along with so many more from north Minnesota where she lives with a man she couldn’t be without and an English Cocker she adores.
AUTHOR LINKS
FALLEN CREST FAMILY
BOOK TWO
CHAPTER ONE
When I arrived at the party, it was the largest I had ever
seen. The mansion was filled with people. The doors had been left open and the
overflow spilled out to the front lawn. The driveway went around a large fountain,
which a few girls had gotten into. Their shirts were soaked to their skin and
their hair was messily rumpled, giving them the wet sexy look. I knew the guys,
who stood with their drinks at the side, enjoyed the view. More than a few had
that dark promise in their eyes. They wanted sex and they wanted it now. One of
the girls squealed as a guy swept her in the air.
I rolled my eyes and pushed past.
Public parties were always considered the best, but this was
in a whole new league.
When I stepped onto the front steps, a blast of heat came at
me from inside. There were people everywhere. I pushed through the crowd until
I was on a back patio. The backyard stretched out with another pool, a
basketball court, and a tennis court. There was too much to even look at with
all the people, but I could tell the place was phenomenal.
Some girls dashed past me, giggling, while guys chased after
them.
Then someone bumped into me from behind. I heard, “Oh, I’m
sorry,” before I turned around and saw who it was. I found myself staring in
the crystal blue eyes of Adam Quinn, someone whom I had considered a friend
until two months ago.
“Oh.” His voice dropped, and he stood there without saying
anything else. After a moment passed, he glanced to the side and slid his hands
into the front pockets of his jeans.
I smirked. He was dressed appropriately with custom-tailored
jeans and a loose-flowing shirt that was left unbuttoned. A white tank was
underneath. It fitted like a second skin to his abdominal muscles and chest. I
saw that he had been working out more, but whatever. What did I care? He had
dropped our friendship two months ago, and since Adam was the Golden Boy for
our school, Fallen Crest Academy, everybody else had followed suit. No one
talked to me anymore, even his neighbor, the one person I had come to consider
as a real friend.
I asked, though maybe I shouldn’t have, “How’s Becky?”
He flinched.
A small sense of triumph flared through me, but it was so
small, and it was gone instantly.
“Uh,” he looked away before his jaw hardened, and he met my
gaze again. This time he didn’t blink. “She’s good. I think she’s dating
someone from your school.”
“My school?”
“FCP. You know what I mean. Their school, you’re one of them
now, so…your school.”
“I still go to Fallen Crest Academy.”
He clenched his jaw. “I heard something else.”
All senses went on alert. I knew what he was talking about,
but I hadn’t known it was already on the gossip mill. This wasn’t good. “What’d
you hear?”
He shrugged and looked away. There it was. I knew it was
only a matter of time. Adam could never be honest with me for too long.
“What’d you hear?”
“Come on, Sam.”
“Come on, what?” I knew he was going to leave. I sensed it
and grabbed his arm as he started to inch away. “What did you hear?”
“Let go of me.” His eyes hardened as he looked over my
shoulder. “I don’t think I’m supposed to be talking to you.”
“What are you talking about…” But the words left me as an
arm snaked around my waist and pulled me back against a hard chest, a very hard
chest.
Mason’s chin came to rest on my shoulder and he breathed
out. The air caressed my neck, and I felt the possession in his demeanor. A
tingle raced through me, especially when his hand slid down my waist to rest on
my hip. He pressed me back against him again. I felt every inch of him now and
fought against closing my eyes when my desire started to overtake me.
“I should be going,” Adam mumbled before he turned. But then
he stopped. His face was twisted in an unnamed emotion. “Thanks for inviting
everyone to the party.”
“Not my party.” Mason straightened against my back. His
hands held me firmly in place, but I could feel the coldness from him now.
Adam didn’t squirm; he straightened and never looked away.
He had learned. Then his eyes caught mine for a second before he looked away
again. A shiver went over me. I saw his anger in that second, but he only
replied, “Your best friend’s place. Your party.”
“This is Nate’s party?” I twisted around, but Mason didn’t
let go of me. His hands had a firm grasp on my hips. When he didn’t look down,
his gaze still fixed over my shoulder, I slid a hand around his neck and tilted
him downwards. He met my gaze then and I tried to stop myself from melting. His
green eyes softened and a small grin came over him. When he lifted a hand to
rub against the top of my lip, I closed my eyes. A groan escaped me before I
realized what I was doing. Then I grabbed his hand. “Stop.”
“Stop what?” His amusement was evident.
“This is Nate’s party?” That meant one thing. This was his
place, but did that mean…”Is Nate moving back?”
And then someone threw his arms around us and we were pulled
in for an even tighter hug. “Hello, my peeps!” Logan’s breath smelled of booze
and as he hugged us again. “I love you guys and you know what else I love?”
Mason grimaced, but I still caught the small grin at the
corners of his lips. He deadpanned, “Nate’s pussy?”
Logan threw his head back and let loose a hoot. Then, even
as he died down, he couldn’t wipe the silly grin off his face. And he wasn’t
trying, not even the slightest. “Yeah, maybe.” His eyes turned to me and I was
caught by the intensity in them. An abnormal look of earnestness was in them,
albeit slightly blurred from booze, but it was there. It was the most sincere
expression Logan had allowed me to see in a long while. He reminded me of a
five-year-old little boy in that moment, one with shaggy brown curls and dark
chocolate eyes that made so many girls’ hearts melt. “Did Mason tell you?
Nate’s moving back for the last half of the year. How fucking fantastic is
that?”
Very. Nate was the fourth member in our group, but it hurt.
He hadn’t said a word, but Mason couldn’t stop from grinning at Logan so I
forced myself to put it away. Nate was back. That was all that mattered, and
then realization hit me as I looked around. This enormous place was his.
“This is Nate’s place?”
Yet, even as I asked, I knew it was. Both of them didn’t
answer, silent as I looked around again. There were so many people at the
party. I recognized a few from my school, obviously with Adam there, and I knew
there were students from Fallen Crest Public as well. I saw a few of Mason and
Logan’s friends and figured more from their school were there as well, but two
schools couldn’t have been everyone? Who else was there?
“Dude, tell her.”
Mason admitted with a smirk, “Nate’s got some high placed
friends.”
Just then a well-known actor strolled past us with his arm
around two girls.
My mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe it, but I
should’ve. Nate’s parents were movie directors. When he wasn’t getting in
trouble with Mason and Logan, they tried to keep him with them as often as
possible. Of course he would’ve met more than a few from the Hollywood scene.
But, still, I couldn’t believe it.
I grasped Mason’s hand and squeezed tight. “My mom has a
huge crush on him.”
He wrenched his hand away as he stepped back. Logan held up
both arms. “Hey, whoa. Too much information, girly.”
“What?”
Mason grimaced. “We don’t want to know who your mom jerks
off to.”
“What?” Oh my word. They thought—I sputtered out, “No, I
didn’t mean, I mean, NO!”
Then both started to laugh. Soon their shoulders shook as
more laughter slipped from their clasped lips.
A wave of embarrassment came over me. I was pissed and
mortified. When I lifted a hand to slap Mason’s arm, he caught it instead and
twirled me so I was in his arms again. My back was to his chest and his arms
came around in front of me. He turned so we faced Logan before his hands slid
down to hold my hips still as he started to rub against me.
Logan cringed. “Oh please, guys. I live with you.”
Mason bent forward so his lips were next to my ear. I felt
them curve into a grin. His breath tickled my skin. “Feel free to go away now,
brother.”
“Correction.” Logan flashed us a dark look. “I have to live
with you. I need to rectify that soon.” Then he saluted us both with two
fingers in the air as he turned and walked away. He hadn’t gone more than a few
steps before his stroll turned into a saunter. His hands slid into his front
pockets, his shoulders leaned forward a bit, and a different vibe came over
him. It wasn’t a surprise when a group of girls clambered over to him. With his
shoulders hunched forward, it gave him a vulnerable appeal that was almost
irresistible to girls when it was mixed with an already dangerous reputation.
Mason chuckled against my ear. Then he caught it with his
teeth and bit down gently.
Tingles raced through me and I lifted to my toes as his
teeth scraped against the bottom of my earlobe. He drew it out, gently and
lovingly. Sensually. A burst of heat flared between my legs. The same throb
started deep. As his hips moved forward, I felt him behind me and closed my
eyes from the pleasure. The throbbing was almost too much now. The same desire
I always felt for him started to take over. I felt my control slipping.
“Mason,” I gasped as I arched my back against him. My arm
lifted to behind his neck. When I held him in place, his lips started to nibble
downwards and I was barely conscious of being turned in his arms. My breasts
were pushed against his chest and he lifted one of my legs so he could fit
further between them. I arched against him. I gasped for breath, but his mouth
covered mine instantly.
He took control.
He commanded his entrance, and I was helpless against him.
His tongue slipped inside my mouth. Mine brushed against his. A growl emanated
from him. It sent a rush of power through me that was intoxicating. I wanted
more and my tongue met his again, this time to brush slowly against his. Then I
pulled away, but not before I flicked the tip of my tongue against his top lip.
As my eyelids lifted, heavy and saturated from lust, I saw the answering
yearning in his. Then his eyes flashed in determination, and I knew it wouldn’t
be long before Mason would be in me, deep and hard.
An elated shiver ran through me. I wanted nothing more than
that.
“I know the two of you are horny rabbits and in love and all
that, but I don’t think you want to make an amateur sex tape right here.”
We broke apart, panting, and took in the grinning sight of
Nate’s face. He gestured to where a group had congregated. I saw more than a
few cameras in the air with fingers to the record buttons.
“Hi, Nate,” I croaked out. A heated rush of embarrassment
flooded me. I couldn’t believe I had almost lost control or that Mason had as
well. He set the tone most of the times. I trusted him, but a tingle of
addictive power went through me as I remembered the sound of his own groan. I
held him as captivated as he held me.
Mason cursed under his breath but swept us around so his
back was to the group and I was shielded from the audience.
“Hi, Sam.”
I flinched at how cheery Nate sounded. Mason’s hand swept
down before he held my face to his shoulder. I felt his tension as his voice
reverberated through his chest. “Thanks, man.”
“Any time.” His tone was amused. Then I felt Nate’s lips on
my forehead. He whispered before he darted off, “It’s good to see you too, Sam.
Take care of my boy.”
Mason groaned as he brushed my hair from my face and looked
down into my eyes. I tilted backwards and saw the warmth in his gaze. My heart
skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe it. We’d been official for two months, but
it never got old. He never got old. He never tired of me. I wasn’t sure what I
would do if that happened, if any of those nightmares occurred.
All I knew, as Mason continued to hold me to his chest, was
that I couldn’t lose him. Who the hell was I trying to kid? I couldn’t lose any
of them, Mason, Logan, or even Nate. They were the only friends I had in my
life now.
I felt panic start to rise, but I forced it down. I had to.
I couldn’t lose it, not in his arms. Never in his arms.
THE GAMBLE by Kristen Ashley (June 20, 2017; Forever Trade Paperback; $9.99)
Life isn't meant to be perfect. It's meant to be lived . . .
When you lose everything, anything is possible.
All you need is a little luck.
Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.
