Everyone
has a past…good or bad, they are always there. They lurk and linger in
the shadows, sometimes reappearing at the most inconvenient times.
Gabby
and Bradley thought that their pasts would remain dormant, that
happiness was theirs for the taking. Still the strongest of
relationships can be rocked by the ugliness from a previous life, even
if it seems to be a world away. The fact remains an ugly past is never
distant. It taints everything it touches, drives permanent rifts between
loved ones, and sometimes can ruin everything. Gabby and Bradley must
find the only way to battle the past. Forgiveness becomes a light
through the darkness, a guide for the lost, and hope for the hopeless.
With forgiveness comes bright, new beginnings.
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Spotify Playlist: http://open.spotify.com/user/1254674712/playlist/5T51MGuceW21r75Zb4yJ9n
Soundbite of JB reading a snippet of the book: https://soundcloud.com/jb-mcgee
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CHAPTER 1
The morning sun is peeking through the closed curtains. I don’t know what it is about sunlight
seeping through the cracks of curtains that drives me crazy, but it does. My legs are tangled with Gabby’s, her back to
my front. My arm is draped over her exposed
stomach. Her soft, wavy chestnut hair is
so beautiful. I inhale the clean scent
as I remember our shower last night.
It’s the little things that I never thought I’d care about, like washing
her hair, that brings me so much pleasure.
The way she moans and moves her head around is cute and sexy all at the
same time. It almost always makes me
laugh.
These mornings when I wake up next to her are so hard for
me. I respect her wish to wait, but it’s
been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. I can’t wait for the day that she’ll be my
wife. For the day I can show her in
every way how much I love her. I can’t
wait to know that I get the honor of waking up next to her every single day for
the rest of my life.
I’m pretty sure she’s still asleep. She’s definitely not a morning person. I can’t help but think about the saying
‘opposites attract’ as I watch her sleep.
It amazes me at how, in so many ways, we are opposites. But in so many other ways, it’s like we were
cut from the same mold. She’d sleep the
entire day if I’d let her. Any other
day, I would, but I can’t wait to spend some time with her.
I was robbed of the little bit of precious time we usually
get to spend together on the weekends by Ian and Veronica. I refuse to not savor every last waking
moment making her laugh, making her smile, and making this nightmare up to her.
A few times when we’ve been in Aiken, we’ve eaten at The New
Moon Cafe. They have the best scones,
and they roast and brew their own coffee.
It’s honestly some of the best I’ve ever had. Gabby bought me a bag for Christmas. So maybe I’m partial to their coffee because
it makes me think of her.
Sweeping her hair to the side, and exposing her neck, I
start planting soft, lingering kisses. I
move my lips to her ear and whisper, “Gabby Girl.”
“Mmm,” she groans.
I nibble on her ear lobe, swirling my tongue around. I use my arm that is draped over her side to
pull her closer and caress her smooth skin.
I know she’s awake now. She loves
it when I do that to her ear. “You
hungry?”
“Em mmm.” She shakes her head.
She’s beyond adorable when she’s sleepy and grumpy. “Hmph, c’mon, I want to go to breakfast with
my fiancée. Not lunch.”
As she rolls over into my arms, my breath catches at how
gorgeous she is. And she’s mine.
“Say it again,” she says, her voice cracking from having
just woken up.
I brush her hair away from her face and kiss her
forehead. I can’t help but stare at her
for a moment longer, gazing into her hazel eyes, connecting with her soul. “Say what?”
“Fiancée.”
I know I must be grinning like a schoolboy. I never knew that would sound so good. “You like hearing that, huh?”
She blinks slowly at me, batting those long eyelashes,
wiggling her body a little closer. She
drapes her leg over mine and smiles. “I
thought I was dreaming. I need to hear
it.”
“Not dreaming, Gabby.”
I reach down and pull her left hand up to my lips. I kiss the ring I placed on her finger
yesterday. She has no idea how badly I
want her right now. Not just because
hearing that word ignited a fire within me, but because we’re naked. She’s killing me. “I love that this is the only thing you’re
wearing right now.”
She rolls her eyes and nudges me. “You’re not going to say it again for
me? What if I beg?” She bats those lashes
and gives me this sexy pouty look. It
only makes my situation worse.
I had every intention of saying it again, and I still
do. I just couldn’t resist saying that I
prefer her with my ring on her finger and nothing else. But more than anything, I love what that ring
symbolizes. I close my eyes and huskily
whisper, “Gabby, you have my mind, my body, my soul, and you are my heart. You are my fiancée, and I love you more than
anything on this earth.”
As I say those words, it’s like my heart is exploding with
elation. It’s such a foreign, but
welcome feeling. I peer into her eyes,
hoping she’ll feel the connection that I do.
That she’ll know how much I mean what I’m saying. They aren’t just words. “I didn’t even know that this was even
possible for me. If it’s a dream...” I
shake my head. “Then, I don’t wanna ever
wake up.”
She stretches her neck up and swiftly consumes me. A warmth comes over me as I cup her face,
cradling her head, deepening our kiss.
Breakfast will have to wait.
I briefly think back to last night, about how playful we
were with each other. This morning is
different. It is so much deeper than
anything we’ve ever shared. I can’t
believe how connected I feel to her because I didn’t believe that I could be
any more in tune with her than I already had been. Especially since we’ve not even made love
yet.
“Bradley.”
I freeze as Gabby says my name. I have never lost control, never crossed the
line when it comes to us being intimate with one another. She’s never had to stop us. I’ve always been the one to put the brakes
on. But this time, the tip of my
erection nearly slid into a place I know I’m not yet allowed or welcomed. I fall over onto the mattress beside
her. I cross my arms over my face and
close my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
And I am. I am so
disappointed with myself. I don’t want
her to feel like I can’t wait. Hell,
I’ve waited this long. What’s another
couple of months? I need to ask her
about a date later. I hope she’s not
changed her mind on a quick wedding.
I glance over at her when I feel her move. I’m relieved that she’s turned over and has
propped herself up on her elbow. She
starts to trace my sternum with her finger, up and down.
“Hey. It’s okay. It was just as much me as you. Part of me thinks my mom wouldn’t care. But the other part of me just can’t do it.” A
tear trickles down her face.
No, don’t cry.
I swipe the tear away as she continues. “I just can’t break the only promise I have
left to her,” she confesses.
And in true incredible Gabby form, she’s consoling me when
it should be the other way around. I
stare at the ceiling because I’m too ashamed of nearly losing it to face
her. “You shouldn’t have to apologize. I respect it.
I’m upset with myself.” I barely turn my head and glance at her. “Gabby, I love you, and I want you so
bad. I was just so caught up in this
moment. It’s just a little longer. I promise I can wait.”
“I know, me too.” Her
wandering finger skims past my navel, following the small trail of hair. “We can still do other things,” she suggests.
And I can’t believe I’m about to do this. “I’m not going to lie. I yearn to connect to you in every way I
can.” I grab her hand before she gets
any farther down my stomach. “I just
want to hold you. Would that be okay?”
“You want to hold me?” She raises her eyebrows, amused. Yes, I know it’s probably something she never
thought she’d hear come from my mouth, either.
I can’t help but grin. “Don’t act so shocked. Less than twenty-four hours ago I wasn’t sure
I’d ever get to do that again. Yes. That’s what I want.”
I hold my arm up, and she snuggles into my body. This does feel a little awkward, but I need
it. I need to be close to her without
being sexual. I don’t trust myself right
now, but I want her close to me.
Gabby is thumbing her fingers through the hair on my chest
when she says, “I like to snuggle with you.” Her nose is touching the skin on
my side. She inhales as she continues.
“You smell so good.”
It’s a statement but the intonation of the way she said it
makes me think she’s almost asking what it is.
I peek down at her equally as confused because I’m wearing what she gave
to me. “It’s that Light Blue cologne you
got me for Christmas.”
She kisses my chest.
“I didn’t recognize it. It smells
much better on you than that little card in the store.”
I thought we were just cuddling. She needs to stop with all this affection or
I’m going to have to go take a cold shower.
I can’t help but laugh at her statement.
I smooth her hair as I kiss her head.
“I’m glad to hear I smell better than an inanimate object.”
“Oh much better.” She giggles. “Hey.
I need to talk to you about this transfer thing.”
“That was a total change of subject.” What is it with girls and their ability to
randomly switch topics of conversation? “What
about it?”
“I put in the request that Monday after you asked me. But I had already signed up for classes at
Columbia before Christmas break.”
“Right.”
“I went ahead and started my semester because I had no idea
how long it would take for the transfer to process.”
“Okay.” I’m
worried. Where is she going with this?
“It didn’t take as long as I thought. I found out that I had been transferred last
week, but Brenau’s semester has just started.”
I furrow my brows, totally perplexed. “Does this mean you’re no longer enrolled in
school at all?”
“No, I was able to talk to my professors at Brenau. They told me I could go ahead and start their
classes, even though I couldn’t physically be present for the first few
sessions on the condition I get a tutor to help me get caught up on what I
miss.”
I raise my head and look down at her. I’m still not sure where she is headed with
this. I had not thought after she said
yes yesterday I could get any higher on cloud nine than I already am. But if she’s telling me what I think she’s
is, then I’m about to go to cloud 900.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yeah. I was going to
tell you Friday...I need to stay with you this week so I can start.”
Gabby glances up to me, she looks unsure, but she continues
before I can form words. “If I don’t,
I’m going to miss the entire semester.
My world was upside down after...”
She closes her eyes. “I don’t
want to talk about them. Anyway, do you
still want me to move in with you because I need a place to live now?”
Seriously, does she not know how freakin’ excited I am. I just asked her to marry me. Why would she be unsure about any of
this? Why wouldn’t I want her to live with
me? My head is swirling trying to adjust
to this information.
All I have been able to think about since I woke up is how I
don’t want to leave her tonight. How
this long distance thing is killing me way more than I ever let on. It seems like a small price to pay for her,
but I’m greedy with need. Everytime she
leaves me is pure torture. How can she
not know I’ve been counting down the days to living together, whether or not
we’re married first? I really can’t wait
to have her under the same roof, in the same city, and wake up to her like I
just did every day for the rest of my life.
I pull her chin up, and bring her mouth to mine, kissing
her. I hold on to it a little
longer. Even letting her kisses go is
hard. “Let’s get breakfast at New Moon,
then let’s go to our home. That is
unless you need to get something from your apartment first?”
She’s beaming with excitement as she shakes her head. “No, not for this week. Do you think we can move me to Atlanta next
weekend?”
“Gabby, I’d move you today if you wanted me to. If you need a week, then fine. Just tell me what you want to do, and I’ll
help you.”
She exhales before replying, “I like the idea of moving
today, but I’m so tired. I just want to
be lazy for the rest of the day. I have
a big day tomorrow.”
I’m relieved. I
offered and I’d so move her, but I am emotionally and physically spent
myself. “Okay. Let’s go get breakfast then. I’m starving.”
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Buy Links:
Smashwords: https://www.
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Bio:
J.B.
McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduating
from South Aiken High School, she toured Europe as a member of the 1999
International Bands of America Tour, playing the clarinet. While
attending Converse College, an all-girls school in Spartanburg,
South Carolina, she visited Charleston often. It quickly became one of
her favorite vacation spots. She met her husband, Chad, during Christmas
break her freshman year, and they married in 2001 and she moved back to
her home town.
In 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah. J.B. finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children's literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.
In 2007, she welcomed their second child, Jonah, and she became a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. In 2009, the found out their two children and J.B. have Mitochondrial Disease. In 2011, a diagnosis also was given to Chad. Please take a moment and learn more about Mitochondrial Disease. Awareness is key to this disease that has no cure or treatments.
J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia, to be closer to their children's medical team. After a passion for reading had been re-ignited, J.B. decided to finally give writing a shot. Broken (This Series), is her first book and first series.
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The Giveaway:
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