Title: The Keeper

About The Keeper:

Soccer goalie Rachel Jameson is in her final year at Glendale College on academic and athletic scholarships. It’s quite the achievement for a young woman who grew up in a home filled with drunken abuse, who barely made it out of high school alive.

But she’s smart, dedicated, and has her eyes set on that cap and gown next spring. Nothing’s going to get in the way of a hard-fought battle for the freedom and independence she’s so desperately craved.

Until she meets Mack.

He stumbles into her world with a flirty smile and warm eyes – a man that pushes Rachel out of her comfort zone and into his arms. Their chemistry is swift and undeniable, and soon after meeting the two recognize the depth of their connection.

But an unfortunate circumstance forces the two to abandon their romance before it has truly begun. Rachel’s carefully planned life begins to shake like an unstable house of cards, and when she risks losing Mack completely, she has to decide what’s more important.

Her future.

Or theirs.

Excerpt

My heart is pounding. So fast, so hard. I’ve never revealed that much about myself so quickly, so early. But I know it’s worth it. Mack seems worth it.

Please be worth it.

Just as his mouth opens like he’s going to say something, Anna lets out a wail and starts squirming frantically. Mack drags his eyes away from me and sets Anna down, where she promptly flings herself to the ground in tears.

“I think she’s tired,” he says, glancing at his watch. “I should probably get her home so she can lay down.”

“Okay, yeah,” I say, looking away from him and rolling my bike towards his truck.

Mack unlocks the door, then buckles a squirmy Anna into a car seat that is already set up in the back. After cracking the window, he shuts the door and picks up my bike, lifting it into the bed. When he’s done strapping down both of the bikes, he hops down next to me.

“I had a really great time today.” He reaches forward to take my hand, but instead of linking our fingers, he just holds my hand and rubs lazy circles against the inside of my wrist, under the bracelets. My stomach is jumping all over the place. He’s looking at his hand on mine when I hear him say, “I really want to kiss you,” then his eyes lift and stop at my lips, and my stomach launches itself into my throat, “but I have Anna in the car, and I don’t think it’s a good idea right now.” I can do nothing but nod as he continues to rub circles. “But I’m gonna hug you goodbye, because just holding your hand today has been the most amazing torture I’ve ever felt, and I’m not ready to let go of that yet.”

If I thought my heart was beating fast earlier, I had no clue. I can feel it racing a million miles an hour as he leans forward and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me snug into his solid chest. My arms instinctively loop around his neck, our cheeks pressed together. We just stand there for a minute. An hour, maybe. I have no idea. But I know that no kiss in my life has felt as good as being wrapped in his arms. Damn, he smells good.

His head drops as he pushes his face into my neck, and I hear him inhale.

“You feel it too, right?” he whispers, his hands on my lower back playing with the edge of my shirt. His thumb sneaks under the fabric and strokes lightly against my skin. “Please tell me I’m not crazy and that you feel this connection too.”

My eyes squeeze shut as I try to temper the flood of emotions rushing through me. “Don’t worry,” I reply. “I think we’re both crazy.”

He presses his face into the crook of my neck one more time before releasing me and taking a step back. He looks at me for a moment, his eyes soft.

“I’ll talk to you soon,” he says. And then he’s hopping into his truck and driving down the street.

The minute he turns the corner, I lay flat on the ground on the sidewalk, letting the cold cement cool my flushed body.

Maybe Charlie was right about firsts, because if this is how I react to a hug from Mack, I can’t imagine what my response would be if I were to have sex with him. And in that moment, I know that whatever happens between us is going to absolutely wreck me.

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Title: Keep Away

About Keep Away:

Nursing student Charlie Davenport has never gotten over her freshman year fling with her best friend’s older brother. Sure, she’s enjoyed her time at Glendale College – maybe a little too much. But for some reason, he’s always been in the back of her mind.

But even though she’s sure their flame would still burn hot four years later, she doesn’t appreciate his sudden and relentless presence in her life. Because he’s suddenly ready to pick things back up, she should drop everything? She doesn’t think so.

That man is one mistake she can’t make again.

***

Professional soccer player Jeremy Jameson has hit a serious road bump in life. Miraculously, his poor decisions have opened the door to rekindling things with his sister’s best friend, Charlie – the only woman that has ever made him consider a relationship.

He doesn’t believe he’ll ever be worthy of her, but he can’t let her slip through his fingers again. And as he realizes its time to make some much needed changes in his life, he recruits Charlie to help. Hopefully along the way, he can convince her to give him another chance.

Jeremy knows Charlie thinks it’s a mistake to start things up again, but he also knows that’s just not true.

The real mistake was letting her go.

***This book is a novella follow up to The Keeper. While it can function as a stand-alone, it is highly encouraged to read The Keeper, as some major plot points and spoilers are referenced.

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About Jillian Liota

Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup. 

She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019

She has a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.

She’s also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.

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