Excerpt
RoomHate
Excerpt
Copyright © 2016 by Penelope Ward
My heart felt like it was
pounding out of my chest. Watching this whole thing unfold had made me totally
lose sense of reality. I felt like I’d been experiencing every movement, every
feeling right along with him, except I wasn’t allowed to come. It was as if I’d
seriously lost my mind in the process. That was the only thing that could
possibly explain why my body decided to betray me, letting out an involuntary
sigh….moan? I wasn’t sure and
couldn’t even tell you what it was except to say whatever sound I made caused
Justin to jump back. His head whipped toward me, and his shocked eyes met mine
for a brief second before I ran back down the stairs.
Humiliated.
Mortified.
My heart felt like it was
in my mouth. Escaping out the front door and down to the water, I continued to
run aimlessly on the sand. At one point, about a mile down the beach, it became
necessary to stop and catch my breath, even though I wanted to keep running.
I’d gotten so wrapped up in Justin that I’d forgotten how sick I was this
afternoon. It was all hitting me again as I stumbled over to the shoreline and
vomited into the ocean.
I collapsed into the sand
and must have sat there for over an hour. The sun was starting to go down, and
the tide was coming in. It felt like everything was closing in on me. I knew I
couldn’t avoid going home forever.
What if he told Jade what
I’d done?
That I was watching him.
Oh
God.
He was going to crucify me
for this.
What excuse could I
possibly give him that would explain why I was hiding behind his door, watching
him ejaculate like it was a Fourth of July fireworks performance?
I decided that I needed to
get home before Jade did. Maybe I could convince him not to say anything.
Brushing the sand off my thighs, I made my way back over to the house.
My heart nearly stopped
upon finding Justin standing in the kitchen, drinking out of a half-gallon of
orange juice. I stood silently behind him and watched as he put the container
back.
Justin turned around and
finally noticed me standing there. His hair was wet, making it appear brown
instead of blonde. He must have taken a shower to wash away the awkwardness of
our encounter. Looking painfully handsome in a brown distressed t-shirt that
fit his chest like a glove, he just stared me down.
Here
it comes.
I braced myself for his
humiliating words. My heart was beating out of my chest as he just continued to
look at me blankly without saying anything. He slowly walked toward me, and all
of the muscles in my body tightened. He was going to get in my face and do it.
Shit.
RoomHate releases on February 15th!
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Blurb
From New York Times
Bestselling Author, Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.
Sharing a summer house with a hot-as-hell roommate should be
a dream come true, right?
Not when it’s Justin…the only person I’d ever loved…who now
hates me.
When my grandmother died and left me half of the house on
Aquidneck Island, there was a catch: the other half would go to the boy she
helped raise.
The same boy who turned into the teenager whose heart I
broke years ago.
The same teenager who’s now a man with a hard body and a
hardass personality to match.
I hadn’t seen him in years, and now we’re living together
because neither one of us is willing to give up the house.
The worst part? He didn’t come alone.
I’d soon realize there’s a thin line
between love and hate. I could see through that smug smile. Beneath it all…the
boy is still there. So is our connection.
The problem is…now that I can’t have Justin, I’ve never
wanted him more.
Author's
note – RoomHate is a full-length standalone
novel. Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for
readers under the age of 18.
About the Author:
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street
Journal Bestselling author. She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and
spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a
more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 11-year-old
girl with autism and a 9-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode
Island.
Other books from Penelope Ward
Sins of Sevin
Cocky Bastard
Stepbrother Dearest
Gemini
Jake Undone (Jake #1)
My Skylar
Jake Understood (Jake #2)
Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.
Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.
Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.
