Erin Nicholas's Blog - Posts Tagged "second-chance-romance"
Semi-Sweet On You
Semi-Sweet On You
This slow burn, second chance romance is coming Sept 15th!!
She broke his heart 10 years ago.
Now he's her new boss.
And he wants her back...
This could all be a very sweet.
Or someone could end up badly burned.
************
“We’re ten years older, Whit. We’ve grown up. I went away and did other stuff. Now we have to find out what this is.”
She took a deep breath, focused on the very boring black and silver lamp on her desk. “It’s nothing, Cam.” She met his eyes. “It can’t be.”
He felt his gut tighten. “I don’t believe you.”
She lifted a shoulder. “We’ll just tell everyone we talked about it, decided to be friendly coworkers, that everything is fine and no one has to worry or wonder about anything.”
He felt the back of his neck tightening with frustration. He really hated this uptight, cool side of her. Clearly she’d been perfecting this persona or whatever the fuck it was over the past ten years because it was pretty damned solid.
“If we try dating again and it doesn’t work out, there is no guarantee that we’ll both be fine and be able to be friends and it will have no effect on the company,” she said.
“And you’re not willing to take a chance?”
She crossed her arms. “No.” She said it with her eyes on his, no hesitation, not even a blink.
“And what if one of us isn’t okay with us not trying it and keeps wanting to and makes everything uncomfortable?” he asked.
“Well, I would hope the maturity we’ve both found over the past ten years would keep that from happening.”
Yeah, that was probably how maturity worked.
He’d definitely done some growing up. He hadn’t punched anyone in the face in years. He punched them in the face metaphorically now. In court. But that didn’t happen as often as he’d like. One thing that came with their company’s increased wealth and power had been a decrease in the number of people willing to tangle with them. He hadn’t had a really good fight in a while.
He wasn’t sure where his contrariness and love of a good fight came from but most people said he got it from his grandmother. The one who had held a grudge against Whitney’s grandmother for half a century. That seemed to add up.
So he wasn’t quite as inclined to think that he was grown up enough to just let this go.
He wanted to date his ex-girlfriend.
His hot, intelligent, creative, buttoned-up, cool and composed ex-girlfriend.
Yeah, that buttoned-up, cool, and composed bit was part of it. That wasn’t the Whitney he remembered. The fact that he couldn’t really rattle her was also absolutely part of it. He’d always been able to rattle her—in really good ways—before.
Maybe he was bored.
Maybe he was immature.
Maybe he was still in love with her.
But which of those this was, was exactly what he wanted to figure out.
This slow burn, second chance romance is coming Sept 15th!!
She broke his heart 10 years ago.
Now he's her new boss.
And he wants her back...
This could all be a very sweet.
Or someone could end up badly burned.
************
“We’re ten years older, Whit. We’ve grown up. I went away and did other stuff. Now we have to find out what this is.”
She took a deep breath, focused on the very boring black and silver lamp on her desk. “It’s nothing, Cam.” She met his eyes. “It can’t be.”
He felt his gut tighten. “I don’t believe you.”
She lifted a shoulder. “We’ll just tell everyone we talked about it, decided to be friendly coworkers, that everything is fine and no one has to worry or wonder about anything.”
He felt the back of his neck tightening with frustration. He really hated this uptight, cool side of her. Clearly she’d been perfecting this persona or whatever the fuck it was over the past ten years because it was pretty damned solid.
“If we try dating again and it doesn’t work out, there is no guarantee that we’ll both be fine and be able to be friends and it will have no effect on the company,” she said.
“And you’re not willing to take a chance?”
She crossed her arms. “No.” She said it with her eyes on his, no hesitation, not even a blink.
“And what if one of us isn’t okay with us not trying it and keeps wanting to and makes everything uncomfortable?” he asked.
“Well, I would hope the maturity we’ve both found over the past ten years would keep that from happening.”
Yeah, that was probably how maturity worked.
He’d definitely done some growing up. He hadn’t punched anyone in the face in years. He punched them in the face metaphorically now. In court. But that didn’t happen as often as he’d like. One thing that came with their company’s increased wealth and power had been a decrease in the number of people willing to tangle with them. He hadn’t had a really good fight in a while.
He wasn’t sure where his contrariness and love of a good fight came from but most people said he got it from his grandmother. The one who had held a grudge against Whitney’s grandmother for half a century. That seemed to add up.
So he wasn’t quite as inclined to think that he was grown up enough to just let this go.
He wanted to date his ex-girlfriend.
His hot, intelligent, creative, buttoned-up, cool and composed ex-girlfriend.
Yeah, that buttoned-up, cool, and composed bit was part of it. That wasn’t the Whitney he remembered. The fact that he couldn’t really rattle her was also absolutely part of it. He’d always been able to rattle her—in really good ways—before.
Maybe he was bored.
Maybe he was immature.
Maybe he was still in love with her.
But which of those this was, was exactly what he wanted to figure out.
“Push me back or pull me closer.”
Just about a week until Semi-Sweet On You!
He leaned in, close enough that she could feel his breath on her lips when he said, “Let me kiss you.”
Oh damn. She wanted that. She wanted it so much. She was weak.
“I—” she started.
“The tea is getting cold!” Didi bellowed from the kitchen.
Whitney and Cam stilled. Then she felt him sigh. But he didn’t pull back. “You going to let me do this or not?”
He was already practically kissing her. When his lips moved as he spoke, they brushed hers ever so lightly. His body heat surrounded her. She swore she could feel his heartbeat pounding. Or maybe that was hers.
She found it funny that they were standing so close, almost kissing, talking about kissing, but not really doing anything. It still felt incredibly intimate. They were very much in each other’s personal space. They both clearly wanted this. She certainly wasn’t pushing him away or stepping back. But the only actual connection was his hand on her face. And their mingling breaths.
Clearly he was going to insist that she make this decision. He wasn’t going to just sweep her up and kiss the hell out of her before she could protest and then let the chemistry take over.
That also seemed intimate. Him coming as close as he could but then wanting actual acquiescence from her. Verbal acknowledgment that she was agreeing.
“Whit,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Push me back or pull me closer.”
She slid her hands up to his chest, not sure until the last moment if she was going to fist his shirt and pull him in or push him away.
Cam, however, didn’t look surprised when she pushed.
He let go and stepped back though. He didn’t seem angry or even frustrated. It seemed that he’d been expecting her reaction actually.
“Okay,” he finally said.
She wet her lips. “Thanks,” she said, hoarsely. And she meant it. She appreciated that he was giving her these choices. Kind of.
It would be a lot easier to just climb him like a tree and give in to everything zipping between them if he’d just back her up against the wall, seal his mouth over hers, and start running his big hands over her body. Then she could pretend she was just caught up in the moment and enjoy the hell out of it without actually admitting she wanted any of that.
Which he knew.
She could see it.
He knew that she wanted him, but that she didn’t want to admit it.
So, of course, he was going to make her confess before he did anything more.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m very stubborn,” he said.
Whitney gave him a nod. “I remember.”
“And something you should know about me and the past ten years,” he said, holding her gaze steadily, “I’ve also gotten very used to winning. “
That actually made her heart trip and her inner muscles clench.
See, she should really feel trepidation at that implied promise from him. But she didn’t.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, trying desperately not to act excited about the idea of him trying again and again to get close to her.
He looked at her for a long moment and a thought flickered through her mind—he knows.
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Semi-Sweet On You
He leaned in, close enough that she could feel his breath on her lips when he said, “Let me kiss you.”
Oh damn. She wanted that. She wanted it so much. She was weak.
“I—” she started.
“The tea is getting cold!” Didi bellowed from the kitchen.
Whitney and Cam stilled. Then she felt him sigh. But he didn’t pull back. “You going to let me do this or not?”
He was already practically kissing her. When his lips moved as he spoke, they brushed hers ever so lightly. His body heat surrounded her. She swore she could feel his heartbeat pounding. Or maybe that was hers.
She found it funny that they were standing so close, almost kissing, talking about kissing, but not really doing anything. It still felt incredibly intimate. They were very much in each other’s personal space. They both clearly wanted this. She certainly wasn’t pushing him away or stepping back. But the only actual connection was his hand on her face. And their mingling breaths.
Clearly he was going to insist that she make this decision. He wasn’t going to just sweep her up and kiss the hell out of her before she could protest and then let the chemistry take over.
That also seemed intimate. Him coming as close as he could but then wanting actual acquiescence from her. Verbal acknowledgment that she was agreeing.
“Whit,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Push me back or pull me closer.”
She slid her hands up to his chest, not sure until the last moment if she was going to fist his shirt and pull him in or push him away.
Cam, however, didn’t look surprised when she pushed.
He let go and stepped back though. He didn’t seem angry or even frustrated. It seemed that he’d been expecting her reaction actually.
“Okay,” he finally said.
She wet her lips. “Thanks,” she said, hoarsely. And she meant it. She appreciated that he was giving her these choices. Kind of.
It would be a lot easier to just climb him like a tree and give in to everything zipping between them if he’d just back her up against the wall, seal his mouth over hers, and start running his big hands over her body. Then she could pretend she was just caught up in the moment and enjoy the hell out of it without actually admitting she wanted any of that.
Which he knew.
She could see it.
He knew that she wanted him, but that she didn’t want to admit it.
So, of course, he was going to make her confess before he did anything more.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m very stubborn,” he said.
Whitney gave him a nod. “I remember.”
“And something you should know about me and the past ten years,” he said, holding her gaze steadily, “I’ve also gotten very used to winning. “
That actually made her heart trip and her inner muscles clench.
See, she should really feel trepidation at that implied promise from him. But she didn’t.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, trying desperately not to act excited about the idea of him trying again and again to get close to her.
He looked at her for a long moment and a thought flickered through her mind—he knows.
PREORDER now!
https://bit.ly/Semi-Sweet-On-You-Amazon
https://bit.ly/Semi-Sweet-On-You-Apple
https://bit.ly/Semi-Sweet-On-You-nook
https://bit.ly/Semi-Sweet-On-You-Kobo
https://bit.ly/Semi-Sweet-On-You-GP
https://bit.ly/Semi-Sweet-Paperback
Semi-Sweet On You
“I sincerely doubt I’d ever use the word ‘weird’ in regard to your ass.”
Semi-Sweet On You
Sept 15th
Erin Nicholas
“I think my butt looks really weird in this. Can you come look?” Whitney called from inside the powder room in her office.
Piper was out at her desk in the reception area of the Hot Cakes executive suites and this dress was hers. Whitney did not think she was pulling it off. At all. The other woman wore the pinup-style dresses and looked like a million bucks. But Piper had the curves for it. And the attitude. She was confident, sassy, and sexy.
Whitney knew she didn’t have the curves, and she was pretty sure she didn’t have even half the attitude.
She wasn’t ready for a dress like this.
“Seriously, I don’t have the curves for this,” she called. Piper might be on the phone, but Whitney really needed a second opinion.
“I sincerely doubt I’d ever use the word ‘weird’ in regard to your ass.”
Whitney swung around with a gasp. That was not Piper’s voice.
“But I’m very happy to take a look.”
Whitney sucked in a breath. Dammit. That was Cam.
Camden McCaffery.
One of the partners who owned Hot Cakes.
One of her new bosses.
Her ex.
Oh, and the guy who she was still sort of in love with.
Fuck.
She took another breath and then peeked around the edge of the door.
Cam was leaning against the doorjamb of her office door. Looking hot in a custom-tailored charcoal suit, the light blue shirt underneath unbuttoned at his throat. And cocky. As always. And amused.
“I thought Piper was out there,” Whitney said. Which was obvious. But what the hell else was she supposed to say?
“That’s who I came up to find too,” Cam said, stepping into Whitney’s office. “But she’s gone.”
“Gone?” Whitney asked. Piper knew she was in here trying on dresses.
Cam shrugged one big shoulder. “I guess.”
Whitney swallowed, her eyes on that shoulder. He was so… yeah, big. Wide. Solid. He’d always been muscular, but now he was… big. He had definitely changed over the years. Grown. Filled out. Gone from cute to oh-my-God hot.
Which was really unfortunate for a girl who was trying to her damnedest to be over him.
She’d seen him here and there. It seemed every time he was home to visit they ran into each other. Sometimes literally. Like the time she’d come around the big display of marshmallows at the end of aisle three at the grocery store and run directly into his chest. She’d jumped back, trying to avoid him touching her, and fallen right into that big stack of marshmallows. The entire store had come rushing to see what had happened.
And that wasn’t even the most embarrassing time.
“So come on,” he said, motioning her forward with his hand. “Let’s see.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “See what?”
“Your ass.” His lips curled on one end. “Isn’t that what you’re worried about?”
“I can wait for Piper.”
“Why?” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “I’m quite qualified to judge how a woman’s ass looks. In dresses. In jeans. In shorts.” He paused. “Out of all of those things.”
He was an ass. She couldn’t forget that. Of course, when he was an ass, it was on purpose. Especially when he was an ass to her. He was stubborn, had a quick temper, a deeply ingrained sense of justice and loyalty, and a pretty black and white view of how things should go, but he had never been an ass to her. He’d been downright sweet and protective and romantic and… sexy.
Until she’d broken his heart ten years ago.
So, yeah, she might deserve it a little. She knew that.
They’d been in love. He’d wanted her to go to college with him. When she’d said no, he’d wanted to stay in Appleby with her. So she’d broken up with him. No way could she have kept him here. But it had broken his heart.
And it certainly made working for him now a challenge. Hell, it made seeing him on Main Street a challenge.
But she had to breathe deeply, smile, let it roll off, and act professionally.
Good thing she’d been practicing all of those things for the past ten years working with her grandfather, father, and brother.
She was a fucking pro at letting male egos and snide remarks roll off.
It was why she drank wine. And kickboxed. And did yoga. More the kickboxing, but still.
“Come on, Whit. Let me see.”
Fine. What she’d learned about the men she’d been working with for the past ten years—yes, all her relatives—was that not letting them know they were getting to her was the most important thing.
She stepped out of the powder room, running her hands over her hips, smoothing the dress.
Cam’s eyes widened as she came into full view.
Yeah, take that.
Hey, she didn’t say the stuff out loud but that didn’t mean she didn’t think it. She schooled her features and just watched him taking her in.
His gaze tracked over her. Slowly. Twice.
Her whole damned body was tingling by the time he was done.
But she wasn’t going to let on that his biceps and tattoos and cocky smile got to her. And she was not going to react to him reacting to her.
Because he was. He really was.
His jaw was tight, he was standing straighter, and he looked as if he was putting every ounce of willpower into just standing there and not coming toward her.
It was probably really only about a minute, but it felt like she’d been standing there under his hot gaze for a week.
Finally he shifted his weight in a clear attempt to look more casual and lifted his gaze to hers.
“You’re gonna have to turn around if I’m gonna make a judgment about your ass.”
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