Jerk of My Dreams(& a giveaway!!) #33

Jerk. Asshole. Douchenozzle. Admit it- you hate to love the jerks. That alpha male character who is so arrogant and rude but sexy as hell. That foul mouthed douche bag of a man who rocks your traitorous heart. We've all read them and we've all liked them to some extent. In real life you wouldn't touch the man with a ten foot pole. But in the fictional world? Nothing can stand in the way! Everyone would be lying to themselves if they didn't admit that the meaner the man, the further we run... Towards them! *sigh*

That's what this weekly meme is about- those jerky delicious men! Each Friday this meme will go up, and you can share your jerk anyway you want: review, interview, lines and quotes, giveaway of a book. However you want! Any time you comment on someones post, leave your link so that person can comment back.

K.A. Linde has stopped by my favorite day of the week on the blog- Jerk Friday! K.A. is a lover of jerks herself, so it's only fitting she's here today. Not only has she offered a paperback arc, but a teaser to OFF THE RECORD as well!

Liz Dougherty has no idea a single question is about to change her life.

Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference. Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liz the wrong way. When Liz’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.

But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions. Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter. And Liz isn’t sure sneaking around is enough for her—especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.

Sleek, sexy, and smart, Off the Record ventures into a high-stakes campaign and an even higher-stakes affair to answer the question: When politics and love collide, can there ever be a winner?

OFF THE RECORD Teaser! 

“You don’t want to see me?” 

He apparently seemed amused at the thought. He knew she wanted to see him. 

“I do,” she corrected. She couldn’t lie about that. “But I don’t know why you had to bring me here at seven o’clock in the morning to tell me that. Why didn’t you just come to my place yesterday?” “Because I can’t see you when you want to see me,” Brady told her, pushing his diner coffee away and meeting her eyes. Hers were already narrowed. 

“But you can see me when you want to?” 

“Yes.” He didn’t even try to hide behind his charming words. 

“Why? I don’t get it.” 

“I want to see you, but in the position I’m . . . we’re in, it’s not possible,” he told her. 

“What, because you’re running for office?” She knew she sounded incredulous, but it made sense. He wouldn’t want to risk anything . . . especially not on a woman, no matter his big talk. 

“And you’re a reporter . . . a college reporter,” he reminded her. 

“And I wrote that article,” she said filling in the blanks. 

“You did,” Brady confirmed. “While I don’t mind you pointing out my faults, the campaign and my opponents will see it as me giving up the nomination.” 

“Why are you here then?” she asked, her anger mounting once more. 

“Because I still want you. Weeks later, I still want you. And you want me too.” 

Liz’s stomach dropped and all the anger she had been holding dissipated. He wanted her. She knew he did, but hearing it like that was intoxicating. She didn’t want to give him up. She was having a fucking hard time even concentrating on anything else. 

“So, you want me, but you can’t see me?” 

“I can’t see you on your terms,” he corrected. 

“What does that even mean?” Liz asked, raising her voice. 

 "Look, I want us to continue what we’re doing, but in private. I don’t want to jeopardize my career . . . or your career,” he added quickly. 

Liz breathed in and out deeply, realizing finally what he was saying. “You want a fuck buddy,” she stated as bluntly as possible. If he was going to be all out in the open, she wanted plain words. She wanted to know what he was offering . . . what kind of deal she was willing to take. He sighed as if she was misinterpreting, but she was sure she wasn’t. 

“That’s not what I had in mind,” he said. 

“No? That’s what it sounds like. So, what kind of situation is this?” she asked, her anger resurfacing. She didn’t even know where it came from, because it wasn’t as if she didn’t want to sleep with him, and it wasn’t as if she didn’t want to keep it a secret. Some innate trigger in her brain was firing and she was listening. 

“Do you get to sleep with other people? Are you going to be dating someone who fits you better in the spotlight? Should I find someone else to date in the meantime?” 

“Liz,” he snapped, cutting off whatever she was going to say next. “I’m not here to argue the point. I’m not here to discuss terms. I want you, and I want you anytime I can have you. That happens to be a much more limited time frame. If you aren’t interested, then good luck with your paper.” 

He pulled out his wallet, threw two twenties on the table, and stood. 

I'm thinking I should've read my ARC when I appeared on my kindle last year. After this teaser, looks like I'll be starting it very soon!

K.A. Linde is giving away one paperback arc of OFF THE RECORD. In order to be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment with your email address. The email address is a must in order to contact the winner.You'll get bonus entries if you share this post and tag K.A. Linde. :) A winner will be chosen tomorrow from Random.org. Happy Reading!