Thursday, November 15, 2018

You're The One I Don't Want Release Blitz


Today we are

 revealing some teasers for an upcoming standalone title from Carrie Aarons. YOU'RE THE ONE I DON'T WANT releases November 15th, and you will not want to miss this second-chance romance. Be sure to add the book to your TBR pile now and follow Carrie for exclusive updates about the book.




Sign up for

 Carrie's Newsletter for details about the book

Join

 Carrie's Street Team

You're the One I Don't Want by Carrie Aarons


Releasing November 15


Add the book to Goodreads



Book Blurb:


Love is weakness.

Which is why Annabelle Mills vowed a long time ago to never let it destruct her. A former pageant queen with a bite equally as lethal as her bark, shes interning at her dream job on the set of the highest-rated home design show on television. Everything in Annabelles life, though it may be cold and isolated, is going exactly as she always planned.

Until her ex-high school sweetheart moves to town. The same boy that she cheated on, once upon a time, essentially breaking both of their hearts. But no one knows the full story, and being vulnerable enough to open up about it is not on Annabelles checklist.

Hate is fuel.

The kind that courses through Boone Grahams veins and allows him to shut out everyone around him. As the hottest rookie on Austins professional baseball team, he should be spending his days hitting homeruns and signing jerseys. Except hes seen dreams ripped right out from under those closest to him, leaving them with nothing.

Without a college degree, hell never take the risk of pursuing his real dream. But when he runs into the girl who took a mallet to his heart and stopped it beating, attending the same university might just be the biggest challenge hes faced yet.

As the semester unfolds, the line between love and hate is blurred. And with the amount of baggage stacked between them, together is the last thing they want to be.

Thats the thing about hearts, though. They develop plans all on their own.





EXCERPT:

 

Boone


I only have an hour in between my workout and the film session that the hitting coaches want us to attend.


My entire schedule since moving to Austin has been busy as hell and completely out of whack. Between getting my class schedule figured out, sprinting across campus to get to the buildings, dealing with my moving company, figuring out where to park my car in front of my building, practicing with the Triple-A affiliate team I was drafted to and everything in between Im fucking wiped.


Ive been scouted for the major leagues since my sophomore year of high school, so I thought Id been semi-prepared for what was to come, but my mind feels like it has been put in a blender for the last two weeks. I had so not been prepared. It was as if I was hobbling around in the dark in my new reality, trying to grasp at things before they moved on me.


I needed to get it the fuck together. I am a professional now and having a career as a professional baseball player would only get harder from here.


From the few times Id visited Austin for tournaments or the odd family trip, I remember wed gone to Big Cheeses Grill. They boasted the best burgers in town, and it was close enough to campus that the place was always packed with students and professors alike.


I open the door to the restaurant while glancing at my iWatch to check the calories versus fat burned during my workout.


And I slam right into a body.


I bounce back, shocked at the person who just rammed into me. I fumble to hold on to them, to keep our gravity from sending both of us flying. I fail, and the body falls backward, the door slamming into my back. I absorb that blow and keep upright, thank God, or I would have been sprawled flat on top of whoever just plowed into me.


Seriously?! Watch where youre going!An angry, high-pitched tone fills my ears.


My head is down, trying to collect its scrambled thoughts, as I reach for whoever I just knocked to the ground. Im so sorry, I didnt realize you were coming out—”


The air and words leave me as I pull her up. Her hand is still in mine as we stand face-to-face, my surprise mirrored back at me. Those lips, the lashes, the eyes a rich, deep, soul-searching brown. The freckles across the bridge of her nose that make her look more innocent than she actually is.


A current of tension radiates back and forth between our interlocked hands, and I can smell the glass of wine she must have just drunk on her breath. Its sweet with a bite of alcohol, and my mouth waters for a drink. I havent thirsted for alcohol in five years, yet in one chance meeting, Annabelle has me reaching for a bottle. Shes poison to me, makes me want to do crazy things. I drop her hand as the thought crosses my mind, as if shes burned me.


You should really watch where youre going. Or did you knock me down on purpose?Annabelle sniffs.


I scoff, Right, I often go around pushing women to the ground on purpose. I see the cold hard ice hasnt melted off your personality, Annabelle.


And a woman she is. So much more grown up than I remembered her. Shed always been beautiful but gone was the gangliness of teenage years. This is a woman who stands in front of me, curves abound and an unseen knowledge of the world to match. I couldnt help but get that jab in there.


And I see youre just as focused on yourself as ever. You never did care what anyone else was doing, did you, Boone?She folds her arms over her chest and my eyes stray to her boobs in a sizzle of heat between us.


Were like a bunch of children fighting like cats and dogs out in the street. How can she still pull out every insecure and immature trait within me? My brain is moving seconds slower than it usually does, and I know Im standing here staring too long. Even though I hate Annabelle Mills, I cant help but memorize every detail about her for the first time Ive seen her in about five years.


Move.Annabelle pushes past me, not using any manners, and starts to stalk down the sidewalk.


Talk about rude. Shed always been aggressive, harsh, and just a little bit more high-maintenance than any of the other girls. Its what had drawn me to her. And then seeing those glimpses of vulnerability, thats what had made me stay. It was addicting feeling like you were the only one who got to see the nice side of the mean girl.


I should walk into the restaurant. I should pick up my to-go order and drive back to my apartment where Ill eat a quick lunch and change and go to the practice facility.


But a flash of Annabelle in the bar the other night dances through my head. And her callous words just now piss me off even more.


She always did have the perfect way of getting under my skin and driving me wild. When Im around her, I forget who I am. I turn into some raging bull, with a fuse shorter than the bombs Itchy and Scratchy use on each other.


The stupidest thing I could do right now? Stomp after her, yelling, in the middle of a crowded downtown street.


So thats exactly what I do.


You really havent changed a bit!Oh, fuck. What am I doing?


Annabelle rolls around, her eyes sparking with rage. Nope, still the same cold, heartless bitch you dumped.


Yeah, like I said, I can see that.Lord, my mama would be so disappointed in me agreeing with a woman that she was a bitch.


Well, no one said you had to be around it. Youre the one who moved to my city. Youre welcome to leave.She waves around like I should just get out of here.


I fist my hands in my hair. Christ, shes so aggravating. No can do, Im getting paid to be here.


She rolls her eyes. Like Im not? Have you watched TV lately? Or did you take one too many fly balls to the head? I know there werent a lot of brain cells in there to start.


Fuck her. Now its time to really piss her off, get under her skin like shes under mine. Oh, you mean that show you play house on or whatever? Theyll get bored of you when the next eye-candy pageant queen comes along.


I swear Annabelle could spit nails at me if she willed it right now. Youre an asshole, Boone Graham. Youve only ever cared about yourself and where you want to be. It was silly of me to think youd ever think of someone but yourself.


I drop the anvil. Says the girl who cheated on me. Who lost her virginity to another guy.


People around us are starting to stare, to really look at the two people arguing openly on the street. Its not a good idea for me to stick around any longer; people know who I am on a national level and being seen fighting with a girl, who someone will inevitably social media stalk and find out is my ex, is not good publicity.


Except I cant stop staring into Annabelles eyes. They are furious, yes, but there is something more there. Ive really hurt her. Im shocked, to be honest. I didnt think I could remotely hurt this girl, who self-identifies as a cold, heartless bitch.


But there it is. The raw flash, miss-it-if-you-blink second of real pain that flickers through those mocha pools. I open my mouth to say something, to take it back, maybe apologize, but she speaks first.


You have no idea.


Her tone pulls at my heartstrings, its low and somber. And then she melts into the crowd, giving no explanation of what I have no idea about.


-------------------------


AUTHOR INFORMATION:


Author of romance novels such as Red Card and Privileged, Carrie Aarons writes books that are just as swoon-worthy as they are sarcastic. A former journalist, she prefers the stories she dreams up, and the yoga pant dress code, much better.

When she isn't writing, Carrie is busy binging reality TV, having a love/hate relationship with cardio, and trying not to burn dinner. She lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband, daughter and dog.



FIND CARRIE AARONS:


Sign up for Carrie's Newsletter

Join Carrie's
 Street Team


InkSlinger Blogger Final




No comments:

Post a Comment