It’s summertime in Cottonbloom, where two lovers find themselves at a crossroads just as things start to heat up. . .
Regan Lovell grew up on the wealthy Mississippi side of Cottonbloom—and now, as mayor, she’s determined to save it from the fate of so many small towns. Part of her plan to help the local economy is the Labor Day tomato festival. If only she wasn’t being undermined by Sawyer Fournette, who’s planning a crayfish-themed celebration on the Louisiana side of the river on the very same weekend. The pranks and sabotage are getting out of hand, and she’s had it with him—no matter how much she enjoyed those stolen hours in his truck bed, so many years ago…
Sawyer knows that Regan's never forgiven him for breaking her heart—but despite his reputation as a low-class swamp rat, he’d never hurt the woman who still secretly drives him crazy with desire. Someone in Cottonbloom has it out for her, though, and Sawyer intends to watch her back…and the rest of her too, if she can ever let go of her distrust. But will a common enemy be enough to unite them—and finally fulfill the promises they made one passionate night under the stars?
Release date:
August 2, 2016
Publisher:
St. Martin's Publishing Group
Print pages:
320
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Regan Lovell ran her hands up the shifting muscles of her lover’s back, lost in a state of wonder. The rhythm of his thrusts progressed from slow and steady to wild and erratic. It didn’t take long. He moaned softly in her ear, his hot breath sending shivers through her body.
It was done. She’d lost her virginity to Sawyer Fournette.
While it hadn’t been the out-of-body experience the romance novels she’d read in preparation would have her believe, it had been magical in its own way. She clasped her knees around his hips and wrapped him tight in her arms, his body sagging over hers, his breathing ragged.
Her mother would be horrified she’d given up her virginity at all, much less at eighteen, before she could use it to barter for a doctor or a lawyer at Ole Miss. She expected Regan to get an MRS degree, just as she had done thirty-odd years before.
But what would send her mother into an early grave was who she’d lost her virginity to. Her mother deemed Sawyer a Louisiana swamp rat and considered Regan’s fascination with him a phase. A means to rebel against her parents and their expectations, and that’s all.
What her parents didn’t know, or couldn’t accept, was that Regan had dreams and ambitions and a heart of her own. It wasn’t a phase or a rebellion; it was love.
He stirred against her, his sparse chest hair tickling her breasts. She crossed her ankles around his backside, holding him inside of her. “I love you, Sawyer.”
He pushed up on his elbows. “I love you too, Regan.”
“Forever?”
“And ever.” The humor and love in his voice were honestly more satisfying than the sex had been.
“Even after I eat too much barbeque and get fat and my hair turns gray and I lose my marbles like Nana Rosemary?”
“Even so.” He kissed the tip of her nose, and she smiled at their game.
Other more immediate questions clawed at her chest. Will you love me after we go our separate ways for college? Will you love me even though prettier girls will try to lure you away? Will you wait for me?
He wiggled his hips free and dropped to her side in the bed of his brother’s old pickup truck. She looked down her body, but everything was the same, not that she really expected this final crossover into womanhood to leave a visible mark. She was irrevocably changed but not in a way her mother or her friends could pinpoint.
Now that the sexual haze was clearing, she became acutely aware of her nakedness. Subtle rustling while he disposed of the condom had her biting her lip and reaching for the edge of the threadbare quilt as cover. Was there a bloodstain like she’d read about in books?
Cooling air wafted over her. Through the arms of the pines, twilight cast shadows that shifted with the breeze. The river was close enough to serenade them with bullfrog croaks but far enough to avoid the worst of the bugs.
Citronella candles burned on the tailgate, keeping the mosquitoes away. She closed her eyes. The scent of the candles mixed with the pines and Sawyer to form an intoxicating blend she’d never forget.
Sawyer stripped the corner of the quilt away and blanketed her with his body. His expression was a mystery. He alternated between a too-mature seriousness and a boyish playfulness, leaving her unbalanced.
His everyday life was far removed from the plush elegance of hers across the river in Mississippi. But that’s one reason he drew her. He was different, exciting, and had more depth than all the boys in her school combined.
There was more to him than sports and parties. With him, she wasn’t afraid to talk about things that interested her—not cheerleading and beauty pageants, but world events and politics. He didn’t laugh when she laid out her dreams even though she wasn’t yet out of high school.
He believed in her.
“Did I hurt you?” He brushed her hair back from her forehead.
“A little. You were bigger than I expected.”
His laughter made her smile. It always did. “That was the perfect compliment.”
“Was it? Well, it’s the truth. Not that I have any basis for comparison, but I’m sure yours is the best.” His chest rumbled against hers, the vibrations electrifying her toes and fingertips. “Was I … okay?”
“Ah, baby, you are everything I’ve dreamed about and more.” His lips tickled her ear, but she needed to see his eyes. See the truth or lie. She cupped his cheeks and forced his face up.
Nothing but love shone from his face. The kiss he gave her was sweet and retained a hint of the innocence they’d entrusted to each other that night. She squeezed her eyes to shut off the spigot of tears that threatened. His weight pressed her down into the ridges of the truck bed, not that she planned to complain. She would stay all night under him if she could.
She would love Sawyer Fournette forever.
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