Release Tour & Exclusive Excerpt: How to Forgive by Susan Hawke
LOVESTRONG, Book 6
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Damn. They were looking fine in those white skinny jeans and a short pink top that barely skimmed the top of the waistband. And again with that ass. Lawd have mercy. It was all I could do to keep myself from drooling. Walking up behind them, I mentally crossed my fingers before tapping Grayson on the shoulder. “Excuse me, but I’ve been standing here racking my brain trying to think of the perfect line for a meet cute, but you really do look awfully familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?” They turned at the sound of my voice and I was relieved when I got a grin in return for my line. “Cute. Good morning, Wolf. I have to say, it’s weirdly nice to run into you here without last night’s cum on your shirt.” “Ba-dum-swish.” I played air drums with my hands before running a palm over my clean shirt. “Would you believe me if I said I haven’t been with anyone since a certain cutie snuck out while I was sleeping?” A single eyebrow lifted as Grayson studied me for a moment. “Um, no? I mean, not unless you call everyone cutie and we all sneak out once you start snoring.” “Snoring? I do not snore, thank you very much.” I lifted my chin with a haughty sniff. “Um. Hate to break it to you, but yeah, you totally do.” Grayson hesitated then ran their fingers through their shoulder-length hair. “All joking aside, were you being serious just then?” “About not being with anyone? Totally. The guys think I’m trying to become a monk or something.” Now that I had their attention, I let myself be completely vulnerable. Heart racing, I lowered my voice to keep our conversation private. “I just… I felt a connection with you and I don’t think I’m looking for cheap and dirty anymore.” Grayson blinked a few times, looking almost skittish as their fingers twitched together and they glanced around as if looking for a lifeline. “Wolf. I appreciate that and all but… I’m not looking for a relationship. That’s kinda why I like cheap and dirty.” Nodding to show I was listening, I paused a beat before reacting with a cocky grin. “Listen, cutie. You do know I was laying it on thick with the whole future spouse and grandkids schtick, right? Trust me, I’m not proposing. I’m just saying it would be nice to get to know you better.” They considered that as we moved along in the line. Still mentally crossing my fingers, I was hoping and praying to hear something good when they finally looked back at me. “You say you want to get to know me better? What would that entail, exactly?” I resisted the urge to do a fist pump and somehow managed to keep talking like a rational adult. Or as rational as I got, anyway. “What would it entail? Huh. I don’t know, maybe share a meal or something? I’d say we could catch a movie, but that sounds so much like a date and I’m guessing neither one of us does that kind of thing. I definitely wouldn’t mind getting a repeat. I mean, I’m not lying when I say I can’t get enough of that ass.” Grayson seemed distracted as they licked their lips and stared absently into the pastry case. My heart was racing so fast that I was nearly lightheaded when those clear gray eyes met mine again. “Okay. I guess I’m not done exploring all this yet either.” They held their hands out between us and vaguely motioned in the direction of my happy place. Since I’d nearly swallowed my tongue at the hand gestures, they started talking again when I remained silent. “Yeah. I think I’m in. If you can keep it casual, I could be down for that.” The “Hallelujah Chorus” was blasting at full volume in my head, but I played it cool. “Yeah?” “Yeah.” Now that they’d made up their mind, Grayson was acting flirty. They moved in a little closer, playing with their hair while they licked their lips again. Now that things were going my way, I didn’t have to fake my cocky wink and confident smile. “Cool. Just text me when you want to hook up or have dinner or whatever.” Grayson looked startled, their eyes blinking rapidly as they took a half step backward. “It’s up to me? The when, where, and what?” I pulled out my phone and studied it regretfully, pretending I’d gotten a text. “Shit. Looks like I gotta run. But yeah. The ball has always been in your court, cutie. Text me sometime, we’ll see what’s up.” With a final wink, I stepped out of line and made myself leave without even getting a cup of coffee as a reward for my efforts. Walking toward my bike, I was feeling pretty damn good. My phone buzzed with a real text and my eyebrows shot up when I saw that it was Grayson. “Turns out I’m free tonight. Here’s my address. Come by at seven for dinner and whatever.”
About the Author
As an avid reader and big romance fan myself, I love sharing the stories of the different people who live in my imagination. My stories are filled with humor, a few tears, and the underlying message to not give up hope, even in the darkest of times, because life can change on a dime when you least expect it. This theme comes from a lifetime of lessons learned on my own hard journey through the pains of poverty, the loss of more loved ones than I’d care to count, and the struggles of living through chronic illnesses. Life can be hard, but it can also be good! Through it all I’ve found that love, laughter, and family can make all the difference, and that’s what I try to bring to every tale I tell.
I’m a happily married mom with one snarky teenage boy, and three grown “kids of my heart.” I’m more widely known for my mpreg writings as Susi Hawke; this new name is a departure from that. Whether written by Susan or Susi, the books are filled with that all-important love, laughter, and family I mentioned; the only difference is that this name has no male pregnancy. I look forward to sharing my stories with you, and to bringing more romance and laughter into this world that needs it so very badly.
Connect with Susan:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorsusanhawke FB: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSusanHawke Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/susan-hawke Newsletter: http://bit.ly/SusanHawkeNewsletter Audio: http://bit.ly/SusanHawkeAudio Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TheHawkesNest Website: http://www.susihawke.com