GARRET
Allie Everhart
Publication date: September 19th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Publication date: September 19th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
This full-length novel is Garret’s point of view from CHOOSING YOU (The Jade Series #1).
My life is nothing but rules. Rules for how I act. How I dress. Who I date. Who my friends are. I hate the rules and yet I keep following them. Until I met Jade. Being with her is forbidden. She’s not one of us. She’s not allowed in my world. But I don’t care. She’s different and I like her and I want her. And the fact that she wants nothing to do with me makes me want her even more.
But my father won’t allow it. Neither will the people around me. Being with Jade means making deals, blackmail, bribes–whatever it takes to keep my relationship with her a secret.
Jade has no idea what my life is like. She doesn't know the rules. She doesn't know about my family and what they’re involved in. And although I can’t tell her all my secrets, there’s one rule she must know: Never ask questions. It’s a rule that I live by. Because in my world, knowing the answers can get you killed.
My life is nothing but rules. Rules for how I act. How I dress. Who I date. Who my friends are. I hate the rules and yet I keep following them. Until I met Jade. Being with her is forbidden. She’s not one of us. She’s not allowed in my world. But I don’t care. She’s different and I like her and I want her. And the fact that she wants nothing to do with me makes me want her even more.
But my father won’t allow it. Neither will the people around me. Being with Jade means making deals, blackmail, bribes–whatever it takes to keep my relationship with her a secret.
Jade has no idea what my life is like. She doesn't know the rules. She doesn't know about my family and what they’re involved in. And although I can’t tell her all my secrets, there’s one rule she must know: Never ask questions. It’s a rule that I live by. Because in my world, knowing the answers can get you killed.
Excerpt
“Have a good run?” I walk over to her.
“It was all right. I don’t usually run on a track.”
“You should've come with me. I ran a couple miles around campus.”
She shakes her head. “That’s not far enough. I usually run 8 or 9
miles.”
I sit down next to her, so close we’re almost touching. I want to see
if she’ll move away. She doesn't, but she looks at me like I’m crazy for
sitting this close.
“Eight or 9 miles? You must be a serious runner. I’m a swimmer. I only
run to improve my cardio for the pool. I do a couple miles at a normal pace and
then I do sprints on the track.”
She points to it. “Go ahead. It’s all yours.”
“Why don’t you do them with me?” I say, challenging her. “Let’s race.”
If she agrees to my challenge, I might just love this girl. The girls I've dated in the past would never race me. None of them were athletic and
they’d never even consider doing something that might mess up their hair and
make-up.
But Jade’s not wearing make-up and her hair’s already a mess. A sexy
mess; long brown waves pulled back into a ponytail, wet around her hairline, a
few strands hanging loose around her face.
“I’m a distance runner, not a sprinter,” she says. “But a distance
runner can beat a swimmer any day. This should be easy.” She stands up and
starts stretching her legs.
She actually agreed to race me? But wait. Did she just insult me?
Nobody insults me. This might be the first time this has ever happened.
“You think you can beat me, huh?” I do some stretches even though I’m
already warmed up from my run. “So what’s with the insults? You don’t like
swimmers?”
She shrugs. “Swimmers are okay. I just don’t think they have to work
that hard. I mean, the water makes you basically weightless. It’s easy to go
fast when you don’t have to drag your body weight around. You don’t get that
benefit with running.”
Did she seriously just insult me again? And now she’s picking on
swimming? My favorite sport? The thing I love most in the world? What the hell?
I don’t even know what to say to that, so I ask her to clarify.
“Are you shitting me? Did you just say swimmers don’t work hard?”
“Yeah, why?” I see a slight smile cross her face. She’s trying to get
to me. She knows exactly what she’s doing. Pushing my competitive edge to the
limit. And it’s totally turning me on.
“Game on, Iowa girl. Get your ass in position.”
I set myself up in lane one of the track.
She saunters over to lane two, yawning like I’m boring her. She
stretches her arms behind her back. “Do you need a head start?”
“Damn, you’re annoying.” I smile, but it’s true. This girl’s annoying,
but in a good way. In a way that challenges me and keeps me guessing. “We do
one lap around. Ready? Three, two, one. Go!”
She takes off down the track and damn, she’s fast. I’m doing an
all-out sprint and have a much longer stride and I can’t even come close to
catching up. By the time I make it around the track one time, she’s already
halfway around it for the second time.
“Stop! We’re done!” I yell it at her and she stops and runs back. I’m
bent over with my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath, sweat dripping
off my face. “Okay, I admit it. You’re fast.”
“Fast? That was my normal pace.”
I’m assuming she’s kidding but she’s not that out of breath so maybe
she’s serious.
I straighten up and wipe the sweat off my forehead. “Remind me never
to do that again.” I walk over and get my water bottle. “You should sign up for
cross country or track. You’re really fast.”
She meets me at the edge of the track. “Nah. I ran cross country in
high school. Now I just run when I’m stressed.”
“What are you stressed about? School?”
“No. I didn’t mean that I only run when I’m stressed. I run for all
kinds of reasons. Like today I ran because it’s nice outside and I’m bored.”
“You want some?” I offer her my water bottle because the girl’s been
running for God knows how long in this scorching hot heat and has no water. She
hesitates, like she doesn’t want to put her mouth where mine just was, but then
snatches the bottle from me and takes a drink. “If you’re bored, let’s do
something. I’ll show you around and we can grab lunch somewhere.”
“I can’t. I have stuff to do. I need to unpack and make my bed.”
Make her bed? That’s her excuse for why she can’t go out? How long
could it take to make a bed?
As she takes another drink of water I check out her body again. Lean,
with good muscle definition, but she still has feminine curves. Fucking hot. I
try not to stare.
She hands me my water bottle and I take a drink, more than happy to
put my mouth where hers just was. But no water comes out. Not even a drop. “You
drank the whole thing! What did you do that for? I’m dying here.”
“You didn't say how much I could have. You should really be clearer
next time.”
I can’t figure this girl out. She seems to have no interest in
impressing me, which is something I’m not used to. Last night I had two girls
who didn't even know my name offering me a threesome. And now I have Jade
drinking all my water and not even caring that she’s standing here dripping
sweat with no makeup on and messy hair. And she insulted me. Twice.
“Fine. Give it here.” She holds her hand out. “I’ll go fill it up for
you.”
“Forget it. I’m heading back now anyway. I can’t do any more sprints
after that.” I walk away, then turn back. “Aren't you coming?”
Two can play at this game. She thinks she can get rid of me with her
insults? And beating me on the track? And drinking all my water? Not a chance.
When I want something, I go after it. And I've decided I want Jade.
I like this girl. She’s tough. Competitive. Doesn't give a shit what
people think. And there’s something about her that gets to me in a way no other
girl has. I don’t know what it is, but it’s nagging at my insides, tugging at
my chest, getting in my head.
“You go ahead,” she says. “I’ll stay here and stretch.”
“We’re having lunch.” I say it like she has no choice in the matter.
“Come on. Let’s go.”
I walk up the hill toward the dorm and when I look back, Jade’s following me. I turn back and smile. Score one for Garret.
I walk up the hill toward the dorm and when I look back, Jade’s following me. I turn back and smile. Score one for Garret.
CHOOSING YOU
Allie Everhart
(The Jade Series #1)
Publication date: September 23rd 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
When Jade is given a scholarship to an elite private college in Connecticut, she sees it as a chance to finally escape her painful past and get a fresh start. She’s determined to succeed and that means keeping her focus on school and not guys. But that plan falls apart her first day on campus when Garret, a wealthy prep school boy with swimmer abs and a perfect smile, offers to help her move in.
Jade tries to push him away but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.
As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.
Jade tries to push him away but she can’t deny her attraction to him and Garret won’t let her. Things quickly heat up between them, but then come to a sudden halt when reality hits and Jade realizes that a relationship with Garret may never be possible. He comes from a world of wealth where there are rules, including rules about who he can date. And not following those rules has consequences.
As the two of them try to overcome the obstacles working to keep them apart, Jade is confronted with another challenge. On her 19th birthday, she receives a letter that her now deceased mother wrote years ago. In it are revelations that explain her traumatic childhood but also make her question the past she’s been running from.
Excerpt
Garret puts his phone away. “Can I come in? I’m kind of a target out
here in the hall.”
“A target for what?” I ask, moving aside to let him in.
“Girls fondling me.” A smirk crosses his face as he waits for my
reaction.
“Please tell me you’re kidding. Because if you’re not, then I need to
start upping the insults again to bring you back down to earth.”
He’s trying hard to keep a straight face. “You saw Ava just now. Girls
just can’t help themselves. What can I say?”
I shake my head and start rummaging through my drawer for a shirt. “I
can help myself. I’m completely immune to whatever you think you’ve got going
on over there.”
“Yeah, I know,” he mumbles. “You need some help?”
“Why? You think I can’t dress myself?”
He stands next to me, staring down at the open drawer. “Everything in
here is black.”
“Yeah.” I close the drawer and open the one beneath it. “And
everything in here is white.”
“Where are your other shirts?”
“That’s it. Well, I have a few in the closet.”
He walks over to look. “You only wear black or white?”
“Uh, yeah. Are you just getting that? You’ve seen me how many times
and you’ve never noticed that?”
“Huh. I guess not.”
“It’s just easier that way. Black and white go with everything.” I
take a black t-shirt from the drawer.
“You should wear purple sometime.”
I almost choke laughing. “Purple? Are you joking?”
“What’s wrong with purple?”
“I’ve never worn anything purple in my life. I’ve never even
considered it. It’s one of those weird colors that old ladies wear.”
“Lots of people wear purple. And with your green eyes, you would look
great in purple.”
“I hate my green eyes. The last thing I want to do is draw attention
to them.”
He comes closer and lifts my chin up with his hand. “How could you
hate your eyes? They’re the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Why do you
think I’m always staring at them?”
“Yeah, that’s hilarious.” I push him back. “Now get out of here so I
can change. Wait in the hall. I’ll be like two seconds.”
“Jade, you know I’m not safe out there.” He says it as if he’s really
in danger. “Did you see all those girls running around in towels and robes?”
I roll my eyes. “I swear. The insults are coming, my friend. So tell
your ego to get ready.”
He stands there.
“You’re really not leaving? Fine. Then turn around.”
I change into my jeans and black shirt. “Okay, I’m done.”
He inspects me. “Yeah. You definitely need some color. The black and
white thing is getting old.”
“Well, I’m not planning on buying new clothes so you’ll have to get
over it.” I search through my desk drawer for money. “How much are movie
tickets? I haven’t been to a movie in years, so I have no clue. Six bucks?
Seven?”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go.”
“Garret, you’re not paying.”
“You just saved me from being man-handled by Ava.
That’s at least worth the price of a movie ticket. Maybe even some popcorn,
too.”
The Jade Series
The Jade Series is a New Adult Romance that follows the relationship of Jade and Garret in their first year of college. In Choosing You, (Jade 1), Jade and Garret meet on Jade’s first night at Moorhurst College and despite their strong attraction to each other, they’re not allowed to date because of the strict rules that control Garret’s life. In Knowing You, (Jade 2), Garret breaks the family rules and begins dating Jade. Their relationship grows deeper but issues from Jade’s past complicate matters. Loving You (Jade 3) shows Jade and Garret growing closer as a couple but also hints at the trouble that lies ahead in Promising You (Jade 4), in which a new challenge emerges for Garret that could interfere with the future he wants with Jade. Originally, book 4 was the end of the series, but fans wanted more of Jade and Garret, so Allie published Forever You, which kicks off a new storyline for this couple that will continue in Finding Us (releasing Oct. 3).
Books in THE JADE SERIES
Choosing You (Jade #1)
Knowing You (Jade #2)
Loving You (Jade #3)
Promising You (Jade #4)
Note: Promising You was originally planned as the end of the series so you could choose to finish the series with this book.
Forever You (Jade #5)
For Jade Series fans who want more Jade and Garret, this book kicks off a new twist to the storyline that will continue in forthcoming books.
Finding Us (Jade #6) - releasing October 3
Buy Links for KNOWING YOU
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes
Buy Links for LOVING YOU
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes
Buy Links for PROMISING YOU
Buy Links for FOREVER YOU
AUTHOR BIO
Allie Everhart writes books about dating, love, and romance. She’s also a freelance health writer for magazines and websites. She loves to read as much as she loves to write. And when she’s not reading or writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.
Author Links
--$10 Amazon gift card (INTL)
I love the excerpt! Sounds like an awesome read!
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