Brooke Blaine
Licked
November 11, 2015
Blurb
As the owner of Licked, an eclectic ice creamery and bar, Ryleigh Phillips doesn't have time for that love stuff. Serving up Nibble My Nuts sundaes and Drunken Sailor boozy shakes are as close to an orgasmic affair as she's had in months thanks to her expanding empire—until the night of her ten-year high school reunion.
When Ryleigh's crush, gorgeous ex-football god Cameron Mathis, comes streaking into her life (literally—streaking), she begins to wonder if she really can have it all.
Wouldn't it just figure that the moment you think life is perfect is when it falls spectacularly apart?
Enter Hunter Morgan, the contractor in charge of Licked's renovations. Devastatingly handsome, and a smartass to boot, he's got his eyes on Ryleigh from the moment he finds her passed out on his couch (yeah, that's a long story). There's just one tiny complication—he happens to be Cameron's best friend.
When the lines between relationships and friendships blur, and it's impossible to choose between two delicious flavors, what's a girl to do? Taste a sample of each? Or go out and get LICKED?
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Excerpt
“And
then?”
I tugged at the edge of my
apron in an attempt to avoid the three pairs of eyes staring bug-eyed at me.
“And then he walked me to my car.”
“And then you…?” Shayne
asked.
“Went home,” I said.
“Wait a minute, can we talk
about the fact that he made you sleep on his couch?” Paige’s eyebrows were
raised up to practically her hairline. “I’m sorry, but in what fucking universe
is that acceptable? Why didn’t you call Quinn to pick you up?”
“He didn’t make me, geez. He
passed out and it was late, and I thought maybe…you know. Morning sex.”
Shayne cocked an eyebrow.
“And did that happen?”
“Well, no. Hunter made me
coffee, and then Cameron woke up and…that’s it.”
“Wait,” Quinn interrupted.
“You slept in an apartment with two guys and both of them had you
sleeping on the couch? Jesus, Ryleigh, it’s against man-code for that to
happen. Did you wear a chastity belt last night or something?”
I groaned, my head falling
into my hands. Of course the girls would give me a hard time. I’d been talking
up tackling Cameron at the reunion for weeks, so my body wasn’t the only one
feeling let down.
Still, I was seriously
regretting inviting them over for a powwow at my shop during our off hours.
“I think I need another shot
of vodka in my Feisty Ho-bag now.” Paige pushed her glass stemware toward me,
and I grabbed a liquor bottle from behind the bar and tipped some into her
glass.
Boozy shakes. They were the
bread and butter of Licked during the brunch and evening hours, and the main
reason for the expansion next door. I glanced at the black tarp hanging over
the doorway that led to the space I’d bought a few months ago and sighed. Construction
was running behind, and it was too late to hire another company if I wanted to
keep the launch date set.
And I had to keep the
date set.
“So are you seeing him
again?” Shayne asked, dunking her cherry through the layers of baklava bits and
whipped cream on top of her Nibble My Nuts shake. “I will totally get involved
if I need to.”
No doubt she’d be
successful. She basically ran one of the top matchmaking companies in the city,
not that you’d know it from her degrading pay scale. Her boss was a fucking
nightmare, but Shayne was convinced she had to pay her dues.
“I don’t need your expert
skills this time, but thank you. He’s got my number, so…we’ll see.”
“You can’t just wait around
for a guy to call,” she said.
“I’m not waiting. I’ve got
all that”—I gestured to the ugly tarp that hid the mess behind it—“to deal
with, so I’m actually quite busy at the moment.”
The three of them gave each
other “the look.” You know, the one that said, We’ve got to help our poor
little friend get laid so she doesn’t end up gorging on the ice cream and boozy
shakes she makes and be relegated to spinsterhood.
“Guys,” I said, placing my
hands on the counter as I stood in front of them. “I’m not on my way to
spinsterhood. I just have priorities.”
“I’m sure you could squeeze
Cameron Mathis in,” Quinn said with a wink. “Get it? Squeeze him in…”
“More like blow off the
dust, grab a key, unlock that shit, and pray there are no bats,” Paige agreed.
Oh for
fuck’s sake. “All
right, no more booze for either of you.”
Review
Trailer / Playlist
About the Author
You could say Brooke Blaine was a
book-a-holic from the time she knew how to read; she used to tell her mother
that curling up with one at 4 a.m. before elementary school was her ‘quiet
time.’ Not much has changed except for the espresso I.V. pump she now carries
around and the size of her onesie pajamas. Flash Point is Brooke’s debut solo
novel, and she is the co-author of the erotic serial, A Desperate Man, with
Ella Frank. The latter has scarred her conservative southern family for life,
bless their hearts. Licked, a romantic comedy, will be released on November
11th, 2015. If you’d like to get in touch with her, she’s easy to find -
just keep an ear out for the Rick Astley ringtone that’s dominated her cell
phone for ten years.
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