About Safe Haven

A fresh start…

It’s been three years since Serena King learned to say no–no to the boys that were a desperate cry for help, no to the extra weight she put on in self defense, and most of all no to the abuse that has haunted her since she was fifteen. Now a sophomore in college, all she wants is to be normal. The last thing she expects is a guy who can make her want, well, everything.

A new guy…

Alex Blackthorn is a bundle of contradictions, a sexy dark haired badass who goes slow… deliciously slow. And despite the iron will that has gotten her through the last few years, Serena finds herself unable to ignore the heat that sizzles between them whenever they’re together.

A dark past…

Serena never thought she could be involved in a relationship, but Alex makes her long for things she thought were out of her reach forever. When he finds out her secret… when he finds out what she did to keep herself sane… will he still want her, or he will treat her just like everyone else?

And Alex has secrets of his own.

**This book was previously released as Love Me For Me by Lauren Hawkeye/ Kate Laurens. It has been rewritten and features new scenes.**

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Excerpt

“I’m Alex.” He didn’t let go of my fingers, and I was acutely aware of the heat pulsing from his into mine.

“Um. Hi.” I wanted to smack myself. I was so socially inept. Kaylee had gotten all the charm in our dorm room.

“You don’t want to drink that. Trust me.” He took the cup from my hand and set it on a nearby table. He had to lean in close for me to hear him, and when he did I smelled shaving foam, soap, and the faintest hint of cologne.

"Maybe I wanted it." The flash of irritation I felt was burned away in a blast of heat when his eyes strayed to my breasts, outlined in the fitted tank top. He did it so quickly that I almost missed it... and rather than being offended I felt myself responding, licking my suddenly dry lips.

The feeling I'd had when we'd studied at Daily Grind... I was right. He was attracted to me.

There was no question that I felt the same way.

"That's almost pure booze. You drink that entire cup and you won't even remember your own name." His stare was so intense that my mouth went dry. I ran my tongue over my lips to moisten it, and his eyes followed the gesture.

"It doesn't taste like booze. It tastes like sugar." The artificial sweetness still coated my tongue.

"It's vodka with an insane amount of juice crystals. It's mixed with the specific purpose of getting girls drunk." He raised an eyebrow at me. "You didn't think it was that strong, did you? This frat has it down to a science."

"Oh." I should have been more concerned about the fact that I'd been sips away from losing control, but when he looked at me like that, I couldn't think. “Um... are you part of this frat?”

“No.” He snorted with derision, then shook his head. “All they do is party.”

“You’re at a party.” I arched an eyebrow, taking a careful sip of my drink. In return he cast me one of those devastating smiles.

“Only because I thought you might be here.”

Oh my God. My stomach did a slow roll, sending adrenaline coursing through my body.

“Dance?" Startled by the request, I looked quickly over at Kaylee. She was giving me a very unsubtle thumbs up, and with only that to bolster my courage, I nodded before I could over-think it.

Lacing his fingers through mine, he led me through the crush of people dancing to a song that seemed to be an ode to the plastic cups that everyone was drinking from.

He smiled at me when we found a space and he turned to face me. He kept his hold on my hand, but his other came to rest gently on the indentation of my waist. I had to swallow my gasp at the light press on my skin.

I'd been touched plenty, but never like this.

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About Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers!

You can connect with Lauren via: Website | Facebook | Twitter