You always hurt the ones you love. Even if you’re trying to
protect them, or maybe because you try to protect them. But no matter what, you’re
stronger when you do things together, stand together.
Jay and Em’s story continues in Now or Never. It’s a
heart-wrenching, gut wrenching emotional roller coaster. Jay and Em don’t seem
to be able to catch a break. No matter what they do, life keeps throwing things
at them. They fight, they try, they can’t get ahead. Then Jay’s past and Em’s
past catch up to them. It threatens everything.
This is definitely not your typical romance. Jay and Em have
issues and problems most people could never imagine in a million years. They’re
fighting so hard. As I was reading this story I wanted to hit Jay so many
times. He’s a typical male in that he wants to protect Em. But his problems are
not typical. His methods were not typical. He just ended up hurting Em over and
over.
Em, bless her heart, tried. She kept loving Jay. She tried
to get him to listen, but he just pushed her away and fed into her fears. I was
so proud when she finally took a stand and made Jay realize what they had to
do. It was amazing.
Hopefully Jay and Em will have their HEA now. But you never
know as life has a way of keeping you on your toes and throwing curve balls.
Jamie Canosa is a full time author of
YA literature, which she absolutely loves. When she’s not writing or spending
time with her family, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. She
currently resides in Ravena, NY with her wonderful husband and three crazy kids
. . . plus the dog, the bird and the rabbit.
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Excerpt:
Slowly, he lowered them both back down to the mattress with Em still tucked close. When Jay’s lips brushed over her forehead, Em shut her eyes. She loved nothing more than the feel of his lips . . . except maybe the taste. Luckily, he wasn’t done yet.
Equally as desperate to avoid returning to the horrors that awaited them both on just the other side of consciousness, Jay covered her hair and face with tiny, feather light kisses until she could hardly catch her breath. When his tongue finally tangled with hers, heat raced through Em’s veins like some kind of igniter fluid. She couldn’t have stopped the gasp that escaped her lips if she tried, and when she felt Jay smile against her mouth, she was glad she hadn’t.
His talented lips continued their trail downward, along her neck, and Em tipped her chin up to give him better access as Jay’s fingers toyed with the hem of her shirt. He lifted it up an inch and stopped, waiting on her go-ahead before taking things any further, as always. When she arched her back and began tugging at the shirt herself, Jay took the hint and finished the job.
They’d been this far before—more than once—but it still made Em’s pulse race. Mostly with excitement and anticipation, but there was always that ever present fear lingering in the back of her mind, a small nagging presence that kept things from ever going any further. For months, Jay had been infinitely patient with her, never pushing, never even asking, but could she really expect him to wait around for her forever?
The coarse scruff on his jaw rubbed against the delicate skin just below her ear, setting her body on fire. Christ, she loved when he did that. His delicious scent surrounded her. She bathed in the smell of him, the touch, the taste. A small moan escaped her lips before she even knew it was coming. He just felt so . . . good.
Propped up on one elbow, Jay trailed his mouth back down her torso, along the curve of her neck, down her collar bone, over the swell of her breast, and continued downward. Teeth scraped her sensitive flesh, causing waves of heat to wash over her. When he reached her bellybutton, his warm, wet tongue dipped inside.
Panting, Em fisted one hand in the sheets and the other in Jay’s hair. So good. So good. He groaned against her lower belly and she felt the tingles all the way to her toes. As Jay made his way, slowly, up her body again, Em’s eager hands slid over his toned shoulders and down his back, gliding right over the numerous puckered scars she hardly even noticed anymore. To her they were beautiful. He was beautiful, everything about him, including his past. Even if parts of it were unbearably ugly, it had made him who he was—the man she loved.
His muscles rippled under her caress and his breath quickened. Tiny puffs of air fanned her face as his chest slid over hers and she could feel his heart pounding an almost violent rhythm against her own. So distracted by the way she affected him, Em didn’t notice his hands moving until they hooked behind her knees, dragging her legs up and around his waist.
Jay’s full weight pressed her down deep into the mattress. Holding her. Pinning her. Trapping her. Sweat broke out across Em’s skin and her heart started racing for an entirely different reason. Lost in his affections, Jay didn’t notice when her breaths turned to gasps.
He gently nibbled on her shoulder as he lowered his hips to hers. Hardness and heat pressed against her through their pajama bottoms and Em fought for control of herself. This was Jay. Not him. It was Jay. She could do this for him.
Em held perfectly still as his hands slipped down her sides. She stopped breathing entirely as they trailed across her hips. But, when his fingers tangled in the drawstring to her pants, she couldn’t stop the quiet whimper from escaping.
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