Holding On by Allie Everhart
Publication date: August 28th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Now I’m living in my own personal hell, reliving that night, my busted-up leg a constant reminder of what I’m trying to forget. Everyone in this damn town is holding their breath to see if I’ll play again, as if that even matters anymore. My future in the pros? The money? The media attention? I don’t give a shit about any of it anymore.
All I want is to be left alone so I’m pissed when my mom goes and hires some damn cleaning lady for the house I’ve been renting. I’m expecting some old lady and that’s who I get until one day she doesn’t show up. Instead I get a girl with a beautiful face, soulful eyes, and a body I can’t stop looking at.
Her name is Becca and she’s hot as hell but the girl asks a lot of damn questions. Questions I don’t want to answer. But when she’s gone, I miss her like you wouldn’t believe. Sometimes I’ll make the house extra messy just so she’ll stay longer. It’s pathetic, I know, but this is what I’ve become.
I’m Ethan Baxter. And I’m barely holding on.
Becca
“Raincoat or umbrella?” Ethan asks.
“I don’t get the question.”
“When it rains, would you rather have a raincoat or an umbrella? Assuming you could only have one.”
“Raincoat,” I say, not even needing to think about it. “I like the feel of rain on my face. But being in soaking wet clothes isn’t fun. And even with an umbrella, your clothes still end up getting wet. So raincoat. Definitely. Which would you pick? Raincoat or umbrella?”
“Neither. I don’t mind if I get soaked in the rain, as long as I’m not wearing jeans. Wet jeans suck.”
“Totally. So you’re saying if you were wearing jeans, you’d pick the raincoat.”
“Correct. Okay, next question. Chocolate or fruity? Which type of cereal do you prefer?”
“Hmm. Depends on my mood. In the morning I tend to like fruity but if I’m having it later in the day, I like chocolate. How about you?”
“Fruity. Any time of day.” He takes a drink of his pop, then says, “Lights on or off?”
I feel my face heating up, but I smile and pretend his bold question doesn’t bother me. “That’s kind of personal, don’t you think?”
“Why is it personal? I was talking about what you like when you’re watching TV. Do you like it dark or would you rather have the lights on? What’d you think I meant?”
He’s such a liar. He definitely meant sex not TV, but I play along. “Lights on, but not too many. And not too bright.”
“Same here. Next question. Rough or gentle?” He says it with a straight face.
This time I don’t question what he means and just answer, “A mix of both.”
“That doesn’t really work. Most cars are either one or the other.”
“We’re talking about cars?”
He nods. “Specifically, what kind of ride you like. A rough ride, like a truck.” He says ‘rough’ in a sexy tone, his eyes on mine. “Or a smooth, gentle ride, like a luxury sedan.” Again, he says it flirtatiously.
I’m suddenly feeling very warm, imagining what it would be like to have sex with him. Would it be rough? Gentle? What would his body feel like? Those hard muscles. Those large hands.
“You sticking with your answer?” he asks.
I wake from my fantasy. “Um, yeah. A mix of both.”
He smiles, knowing his words got to me.
“Is it my turn?” I ask.
“Go ahead.”
“Top or bottom?”
As expected, my question doesn’t faze him. He’s very confident. I think it takes a lot to embarrass him.
“Are we talking bunkbeds?” he asks.
Damn, he’s good. A quick thinker.
“Yeah, bunkbeds,” I say. “Do you like the top or bottom bunk?”
“Both. Preferably, I like to try both in the course of a night.”
I swallow, my mind once again imagining the two of us together. We need to get off this naughty line of questioning before this night turns into more than just two friends hanging out. Not that I wouldn’t like more than that, but I shouldn’t go there. He’s my boss. And he’s Ethan Baxter, who admitted he’s not looking for a committed relationship. Then again, neither am I so maybe a quick fling wouldn’t be so bad.
Allie Everhart started writing romance three years ago with Choosing You, the first book in the bestselling Jade Series. Since then, she’s published eighteen books. Allie writes romance because she loves watching a relationship develop between her characters, from those first flirty encounters to the point they realize they’re in love. Allie's always been a romantic, as evidenced by her early years as a wedding singer, her obsession with dating shows, and the fact that she still watches reruns of The Love Boat.
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