Common Grounds TEASER
If you don’t like spoilers, you might want to flag this one for later.
Cross-posted on Substack.
Hannah Bird posted a teaser in her newsletter, and I thought, What a great idea? I should do that. But then, I couldn’t decide what teaser to post, so I put it to Instagram. Waffles and coffee were neck-and-neck for a while there. But in the end, coffee pulled through as the clear winner. I tried to pick a teaser that wasn’t too spoiler-y (which wasn’t terribly hard because there’s coffee EVERYWHERE in this book), but this is at just before the mid-point, so, you know, if you like to be totally surprised, CLICK AWAY NOW.
But first…
What would Allie’s Coffee Break with a coffee teaser about a coffee shop book be without a little coffee talk? Our seniors finished their high school careers this week, and as a teacher of seniors, I treated myself to a little Dunkin mid-week. I got a cold brew with 2 pumps of mocha and one of unsweetened raspberry. Why? I don’t know. I wanted to try something different.
Y’all… it was GOOD! I tried to recreate it at home with my sweetened raspberry and mocha, and it was not good. So I think the key is the unsweetened raspberry. But I really enjoyed the one from Dunkin! If you give it a try, let me know.
THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING! If you don’t like spoilers, STOP HERE!
From Chapter 14 – Trevor’s Point of View
Emery clearly sees the expression on his face and turns slowly to follow his gaze. For a second, I could swear her eyes light up, but it disappears as quickly as it started. She leans back in her chair and folds her arms. “What are you doing here?” Her voice isn’t cold, exactly, but it’s not warm either. It’s mostly curious.
I’m so engrossed in her at this point that I can’t even speak. Luckily, Mike the wingman steps in.
“We thought you all might be burning the midnight oil, so we brought muffins.”
“And a latte,” I add uselessly.
At that, a few more heads pop up above the cubicle walls. Emery turns back to leave her glasses on her desk, then comes over to me. My feet are planted to the floor, and I’m grinning like an idiot. She stands close enough for me to smell her cucumber scent from her hair. I want to bottle it up.
Shit. I’m a goner.
“That was really decent of you,” she says, her dark eyes meeting mine. She’s so tall, we’re basically at eye-level, which is super sexy.
“Well, I’m a decent guy.” I give her what I’m sure is a doofy, lopsided grin. I’m trying—and failing miserably—to play it cool.
She studies my face, her eyes bouncing back and forth between mine for a moment. Then, she smirks and raises an eyebrow.
It’s not a smile, but I’ll take it.
I hand her one of the cups I’m holding. “This one’s for you,” I say tenderly.
I might be dreaming, but her smirk actually widens. She doesn’t break eye contact as she lifts the lid and smells the contents. Her edges loosen as her eyelids flutter closed.
“Hazelnut,” she breathes, her lips parting as she takes a sip. Her cheeks flush ever so slightly.
She’s so gorgeous; I can’t help myself. I lean in closer, my voice low. “I know what you like.”
Her eyes fly open. I’m worried I’ve made her angry, but there’s a sparkle in them that wasn’t there before. It’s almost mischievous. She licks her lips, and I have to force myself not to stare at them.
I’m beyond infatuated with this woman. And I’m in deep trouble.
Like what you read? Pre-order now!
Whoo-ee! So much going on over here right now.
As of the writing of this newsletter, I still have some Oopsies copies of Common Grounds available. These are shipping out right away! Some people might have theirs already! So if you don’t mind a couple of typos, and you want it now, grab one before they’re gone.
And, while you’re there, check out the new Coffee is a Vibe, Not a Beverage beanies and t-shirts that are available! Treat yo’ self!
Just about TWO WEEKS LEFT until Common Grounds, y’all. I cannot freaking wait. There will be a huge giveaway for people who download their Kindle copy and post a pic, so get ready for that! More info coming soon.
I’m going to Romance Con in September (which is not news), but I sort of soft-launched a con-exclusive special edition of The Write Place on my website. It’s available for pre-order, but it’s only for Romance Con attendees. (Sorry! If there’s enough interest, though, I’ll consider making it more widely available. So tell me what you think!) I haven’t seen the proof yet (hence the soft launch), and you better believe I’m going to be screaming from the rooftops when I get it because Lorissa is a genius.
That’s all for now! I hope you enjoyed the teaser, and don’t forget to pre-order Common Grounds soon!