Us Again excerpt

Two weeks until the release of Us Again, and I thought you might want to read an excerpt? It’s a different one than will be used in the release blitz (starting on October 6), so be sure to check out all the blogs that have so graciously signed up to participate if you need to read a little more before you decide if you want to buy it or not.

What am I saying? Of course, you will want to buy it! I love Alex and Sammy, they might be my favorite couple yet 😉😁

Available for pre-order now:

JMS Books (20% off) | Amazon

Excerpt

“Alexander?” Sammy’s hoarse whisper pulls me out of my walk down memory lane, and I lift my head and look at him.

“I’m here.”

His eyes are little more than narrow slits, and he squeezes them shut and opens them again slowly, as though he’s making sure I’m not a hallucination. He turns his hand and laces his fingers with mine, making my breath stutter to a halt.

“What are you doing here?”

“David called me.”

“David called you.” It’s not a question, more like an unsurprised statement. “Why?”

I sweep my thumb over the back of his hand. “Because you’re in the hospital.” I keep my voice low.

His eyes flutter closed, and a sigh escapes him. “That’s not a reason.”

“Seems legit to me.”

Gently, he releases his grip on me and wiggles his hand free, hiding it under the blanket. “I told you to leave and never come back.”

My hand flies to my chest and I rub over my heart. Fuck. “I remember.”

He twists his upper body away from me and reaches for a glass of water on the bedside table. I hurry around the bed, so I can give it to him.

“Thank you,” he mumbles and gulps down the contents in one go before giving it back.

“More?”

“No.”

I sit in the chair previously occupied by his brother and move it closer, but don’t touch him. I want to. Oh, fuck, do I want to, but my gut tells me I need to give him time. To let him come to me. My gut is usually right when it comes to Sammy; I just hope that today isn’t the first time it will fail me.

“What are you doing here? I yelled at you. Screamed terrible things. Why would you even care about me enough to visit me in the middle of the night?”

My hands twitch and I shove them under my thighs. “I needed to make sure you’re okay.”

He sighs. “That makes sense. It’s who you are. Care Bear with the huge heart.”

The sound of his old nickname for me makes my eyes and throat burn. I try to swallow it down and close my eyes, but the image of him snuggling against my chest, his fingers playing with my fur as he presses kisses to my skin, whispering, “You’re so cuddly, Care Bear,” pops up on my retinas, and I force myself to look at him or I’ll definitely start bawling.

“Now that you know I’m okay, you can go. Thanks for checking up on me.” His chin wobbles, but he doesn’t look away, trying so hard to convey confidence and assurance, and he’s so fucking brave I fear my heart will explode.

“You want me to go?”

He throws his arm over his eyes. “Yes,” he says in a barely audible voice.

“If that’s what you really want, I’ll go.” The words taste like vomit in my mouth, and I want to rush to the sink and rinse it with water. “But you have to look at me and say it. No hiding. Straight-shooting.”

Everything stops. Time. My heartbeat. Rational thought.

This is it. What the fuck do I do if he tells me to go?

Slowly he lowers his arm. His lips quiver and moisture leaks from his eyes, but he does it.

He says the words. “I need you to leave, please.”