Read an excerpt from For the Love of Ash by Taylor Lavati
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Synopsis
Maggie Larken is a reformed party girl. After her parent’s death, she’s left to raise Asher, her nine-year-old brother.
Luke Wilson has done everything his parents have ever asked of him. A new teacher, Luke constantly questions where his life is headed.
When Luke and Maggie meet, neither is in the market for a relationship. But sometimes life has other plans. Both navigate new waters as they try to decide where their priorities should lie, while also seizing what they want.
In this heartbreakingly real tale of love, Maggie and Luke discover what being a family truly means.
*This book is a standalone and NOT part of a series. This book contains mature content.
Excerpt
First thing I saw was his shirt riding up over his hips, revealing his perfectly toned skin. I leaned forward and craned my neck down, trying to catch a glimpse of his abs, when a low rumble emitted from his mouth, making me whip fully around. My face lit up on fire.
“You like what you see, Sunshine?” His voice took me off guard. The low rumble sounded like he had just woken up from a night of heavy sleeping. It was sexy and daring and dark.
“Not really,” I said, trying to mask my instant attraction to him. His eyes captured me when I looked up at him. They were deep gray, almost like a storm cloud rolling with the wind. His light brownish-blond hair complimented his tanned skin, making his appearance even more appealing.
At the tip of his hoodie, black lines curved along his collar bone, hinting at a larger tattoo somewhere beneath his shirt. I tried to focus elsewhere, but this guy was fucking perfection. His thick bottom lip, his nose that was a little crooked at the bridge. He had a fucking dimple!
“Luke,” he said. He smirked, showing off his dimple as if daring me to lick it. Strangely enough, he had on khaki pants, tailored so well they looked professional. The khaki and hoodie combo was bizarre, and the difference in top and bottom was not lost on me.
“Excuse me?” I asked back, remembering that he spoke, the fog dissipating, replaced with confusion.
“My name is Luke.” His voice was light, not condescending or rude like I would’ve thought it to be. I frowned, glared, and then turned around in my seat without uttering a single word. He was being nice?
A year ago, I would have jumped on this guy, dragged him to my bed and fucked him. I would have used my master manipulation skills to woo him, buttering him up so he could butter me up. But a lot had changed in a year. I found myself taking mental notes on how to make sure Asher didn’t end up like him. I was so out of my league; I didn’t even know where to begin with raising him so he didn’t turn out of be a player or use women.
I pulled out a pen from my black and red bag and started to doodle on my piece of paper. I stared at the front of the room and tried to pay attention to our teacher, but the more I stewed in my seat, the more I felt his hot searing gaze on me.
“What are you drawing, Sunny?” Luke breathed right into my ear, causing goose bumps to trickle down my back. I caught the scent of his breath, and it was minty fresh, evergreen if my senses were on point. Mental note: Don’t let Ash breathe down girls’ necks and flirt relentlessly. Ash would not become an aggressive male that toyed with girls who were clearly not interested. I’d have to make sure his breath is stinky at all points of his teenage years.
“Stop calling me that,” I bit out, wishing this professor would notice the nagging behind me. But his back was to us students, and he didn’t even hear. Although I doubt he could anyway. He was ancient.
“Then tell me your name.”
“I’d prefer you not call me at all.” I smiled to myself. I still had a little kick to me. It was good to know, since I thought I had lost all my spunk.
“Whatever you say, Sunny.” Mental note: Never let Asher give a female a nickname. It was way too sexy and flattering but wrong, nonetheless.
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About Taylor Lavati
Taylor Lavati is a twenty-something year old author residing in Connecticut with her husband and dog. She writes both Young Adult and New Adult with ranging genres from fantasy to dark romance and all the niches in between. If she's not behind a computer screen or scribbling in her notebook, she's playing video games, going on hikes, or spending time with her family.
Romance with a bit of CHAOS.
