“I do.” Her smile is sad and hopeful. “Ever since I watched one of the social workers at school help this kid that was getting bullied. The look on his face knowing there was someone out there fighting for him always stuck with me. I want to help people. Imagine being that one person, that one ray of hope that gives someone the strength to keep going. Think of all of those kids who don’t have the support I was lucky to have growing up? I can’t give it to them, but I can show them how to give it to themselves. I know it sounds altruistic. I just always felt like it was important. Is that silly?”
I once woke up in the middle of a hurricane. My arm was in a sling that Dylan’s grandma made out of old shoestrings and my face hurt like hell. Dad kicked my ass for dislocating my shoulder jumping out of Mr. Greer’s almond tree. The weather outside was making me shake. It was scary. No one cared that I was scared but Dylan, but Dylan couldn’t come out to play because he was in trouble for jumping with me. The old creaky house shook and the windows rattled. I just wanted it to stop. I crawled under the table in the kitchen, kneeling on top of old cigarette butts and beer stains and I prayed for it to stop. Over and over again, whispering it until my lips chapped. And just like that it did. I opened my eyes and looked out of the kitchen window. The sun was peeking through the clouds. The clouds were still gray, but I could see it. The most beautiful colors shone down. Orange, pink, yellow, and gold; it was shining right on my house. I got up and pressed my little face to the dirty window in awe. I knew right then and there that I would probably never see anything that beautiful ever again.
Until Harley.
I don’t deserve to sit across from her. To share a bottle of wine with her. To see her smile nervously after saying something like that to me.
“It isn’t silly,” I promise her, my voice gruff. “It’s, you’re, it’s … Do it. I really hope you do it. I wish I had someone like you around when I was kid.”
She has no idea how much I want her good right now. She smiles as if we’re talking about grocery shopping. Not like she just took my favorite memory and shattered it.
“What did you want to be?” she wonders just as the waiter sets down two brightly colored salads.
“Did you want to order?” he asks.
“I want the spaghetti with marinara and chicken parmesan,” Harley says, licking her lips excitedly.
I want to eat off her plate. When it’s my turn I fumble with my menu. Since when do I fumble? “The clams. I’ll take the clams.”
“Excellent choice,” he congratulates before he leaves. I get the feeling he isn’t talking about the food, in which case I agree.
I watch her slice the tomato with her fork, pair it with a bite of fresh mozzarella and a basil leaf, and then dunk it into her balsamic dressing. “Mmm,” she moans, closing her eyes in bliss. “This is so good.”
Why did Dylan leave her with me? Me!
“Did you hear me? What did you want to be when you were a kid?”
Safe. “Thor.”
She cracks up. “That’s either really cute, or really indicative.”
“Indicative of what?” I take a bite. I want to taste what she tastes.
She points her fork at me and waves it around. “All of this.”
“Oh. You mean all of this sexy panty ripping fantastic-ness?” I smile crookedly. We both know we both think that.
DESTROY ME by Shana Vanterpool, Book 1 in the Crystal Gulf Series
PUBLISHER: Swoon Romance
Publication: March 8, 2016
Ages: New Adult/18+
Category: Contemporary Military Romance
Bach lives
his life with honesty and without restraints, happy to be known as a sexy
as all hell, unapologetic asshole.
When he
drinks, he drinks hard.
When he wants
a woman, he makes sure she knows it.
When he opens
his mouth, it’s either to piss someone off or to turn someone on.
You can normally find him with one hand on a bottle and one hand on a woman,
trying to forget his past.
Harley Evans
is ta twenty-one-year-old year old college student. She's a good girl who fell
hard for Dylan, who’d promised her forever. But Dylan, Bach’s best buddy, lied.
He enlisted
in the Army, crushing Harley with equal parts anger and sadness. She’d already
lost her father to that choice. Heartbroken, she falls back into depression.
Stuck in
Crystal Gulf all summer with little to do, Harley needs a distraction. Enter
Bach, sexy as f*#ck distraction, ready and willing.
Dylan’s not
all bad though. Before he left, he asked Bach to watch out for Harley, knowing
she’d never go for a guy like Bach. She’s too good for him. Too good for
anyone.
But Dylan was
wrong. He never should have left them together. Bach is there to pick up the
pieces Dylan left behind. Soon pieces aren't enough. He wants more, needs more
Harley.
DESTROY ME is
dark, sexy, heartbreaking, and intoxicating.
What readers have said about Shana Vanterpool’s books:
"I give it "5 SEXY ROOMMATE
STARS" !!!! Recommended to all the readers who loves crazy, steamy drama.
It had me hooked, till the very last page." - Mybooklatte.com
"God, this book was a mess. A wonderful, delicious mess of angst and drama
and sexual tension! The build-up of sexual tension between these two was
absolute torture and when their resistance faltered it led from one explosive
moment to the next." - Popkittybookreviews.com
"A hot sexy steamy tale from room mates to lovers in this toxic up and
down spiral of two broken people coming together and slowly fixing up the
broken parts of the other, this captured me from the get go and kept me
entertained throughout." - Kitty Kats Crazy About Books
"What a great debut novel! Shana Vanterpool has created a thrilling tale
of love and forgiveness. They were a sizzling couple! If you want something
sexy, dramatic and fun, then do not miss this new author." - Lina's
Reviews A Book Blog
Buy the book
Author Bio
When I walk into a
book store I feel at home. When I smell the pages of a brand new book things
make sense. When I read I am who I always wanted to be. I read to escape and I
write so others can as well. My family, my actress dog Bella, coffee, and a
steamy love story are a few of my most precious things. My Sweet Demise is my
debut new-adult contemporary romance novel. Keep up to date with future
releases by following on Twitter: @shanavauthor
Giveaway
Win a $10 Amazon gift
card and eBook copy of “Destroy Me”.
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