He knew what he wanted, and he wanted me.
The One I Want, an all-new emotional, angst-filled new adult stand-alone romance from USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Siobhan Davis is available now!!!
We thought we were forever, but fate had other plansโฆ
I never intended to fall in love.
This girl had goals and guys were an unwelcome distraction.
Until I met Garrick, my sophomore year of college, and he blasted through the walls I kept around my heart, tearing them down.
He knew what he wanted, and he wanted me.
Falling hard and fast, I experienced the rollercoaster highs and lows of first love.
Until life threw us a curveball, and everything flipped overnight.
Stuck in a limbo state, I was falling apart while trying to be strong for my boyfriend.
Then he entered my life. The hot, slightly older guy who looked like a cross between a tatted biker and a billionaire businessman.
Beck understood me, and our situation, in a way no one else could.
As a friend, he held me together and helped to piece back the shredded fragments of my heart.
I didnโt mean to fall in love with himโit just happened.
No one understands, least of all me.
Now my heart is split in two, and I donโt know what to do.
Is my first love my one true love? Or do I belong with the man who brought me to life?
Start reading today!
https://mybook.to/TheOneIWantSD
โCan I get you anything else?โ I ask, my eyes darting to the door. Itโs crazy busy and I need to get back. I also wouldnโt mind putting some distance between the two of us. His presence is magnetic, and it concerns me that Iโve noticed.
Little beads of sweat cling to his brow before he swipes them away with the back of his hand. His disarming smile is firmly in place as he stalks toward me. โJust your company.โ He moves in closer, and his breath tickles my face when he speaks. โWhatโs your name, and do you go to school here too?โ Curiosity lights up his handsome face as his inquisitive gaze probes mine.
โWhy do you want to know?โ I step sideways to create some distance between us.
โIโm just making conversation.โ
Thereโs a weird tension in the air. A crackling charge ripping across the space separating our bodies, and I donโt like feeling some freaky connection between us. โWell, Iโm working, and they need me outside, so I should go.โ
โItโs too quiet in here, and I donโt like hanging around by myself.โ His earnest eyes are shielding nothing, and I know it isnโt a lie or a ruse to trap me into spending time with him. โNot when Iโm pumped full of adrenaline. Normally, my friends would be here, but they all had shit to do tonight.โ His eyes soften. โYouโd be doing me a big favor if you kept me company.โ He flops down on the couch, still maintaining eye contact with me. He pats the space beside him. โI only have a short break, and I promise I wonโt bite.โHe flashes me another ovary-clenching smile. โIโm betting you havenโt taken a break all night. Rest your feet and take a breather.โ
A break does sound nice, and heโs right. I wasnโt able to take my usual ten minutes earlier because it was too busy. Suddenly, my feet feel heavy, and my legs ache like they might go out from under me.
Garrick hops up and grabs two chilled bottles of water from the mini refrigerator as I lower my tired butt onto the couch. Fridays are always nightmarish because I have classes until lunch, then I work my shift at Butterfly Flowers, and run back to the apartment I share off-campus with my friend Ellen to grab something to eat and a quick shower before showing up for my shift at the bar. I usually sleep in late on Saturday morning, too exhausted to get up early.
โYou look like you need this as much as me,โ he says, handing me a water.
โThanks, and I do. Itโs hot out there tonight.โ
โItโs a veritable sauna, โhe agrees. โIf itโs like this every Friday night, I might start showing up in nothing but shorts.โ
โThat would be one way of keeping your fans loyal,โ I tease as I uncap the bottle.
โIโm here for the music, not the girls.โ He flashes me a flirty look, that seems to contradict his statement, before gulping back his drink.
โSaid no rock star ever,โ I deadpan, fighting a grin. โIโm not a rock star nor do I have any desire to be.โ
โHow come? You must know youโre good, and isnโt it what most musicians dream of?โ
He shrugs before draining his second bottle of water and tossing the empty in the trash can. โNot me. Music is a hobby. Itโs a release. A way to indulge my creative side. It will never be anything more.โ
โIt seems a shame to waste such natural talent, but I admire you for knowing what you want and sticking to your resolve.โ
โI still donโt know your name.โ He twists around on the couch. His knee brushes against my jean-clad leg as he leans in closer, giving me his undivided attention.
Itโs unnerving, but I still canโt force myself to get up and leave.
โAnd you didnโt tell me if you go to UO too,โ he adds, looking at me like Iโm the most fascinating person in the world.
โIโm Stevie, and yes, I go to school here. Iโm studying floral management and just about to finish my sophomore year.โ
โSame here.โ
My eyes pop wide. Iโm pretty sure there are no guys in any of my classes. Floral management is not really a guy thing.
He chuckles. โI meant Iโm a sophomore. Iโm majoring in family enterprise.โ
โOh, cool. Does your family have a business?โ
He nods as his tongue darts out wetting his lips. โMy dad is CEO of Allen Lumber and Allen Wineries. Iโll be joining the business when I graduate.โ
His tone is very matter-of-fact, and it doesnโt seem like heโs bragging. Wouldnโt matter if he was. Iโm hard to impress, and I canโt think of any guy who has ever managed to do it. โI know Allen Wineries. The country club I used to work at back home buys their wine. So, youโre from Seattle too?โ
โBorn and bred.โ
โWhat part?โ
โDad lives in North Bend, and Mom lives in Medina. I used to split my time between both homes.โ Air trickles out of his mouth as he drags one hand through his messy dark hair.
Something akin to desire pools low in my belly, but I ignore it.
โWhat about you? Where do you call home?โ he asks.
โRavenna. I live with my mom, and my nana is close by too.โ
โNo dad?โ
โI never knew him.โ Iโm not about to get into it with a guy who is a virtual stranger even if he seems like an okay guy and the conversation is flowing easily.
โThis feels a little like fate.โ His eyes sparkle with excitement.
โWhat does?โ
โUs meeting like this.โ
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. โItโs coincidence. Not fate. And itโs not like there arenโt a ton of people attending Oregon from Seattle.โ
โTrue, but Iโm sticking to my convictions. You call it coincidence. Iโm calling it fate.โ He attempts to dazzle me with that flirty smile again, and it almost works. Angling his body closer, he stares at my mouth like he wants to kiss me.
Learn more about Siobhan Davis and her releases by visiting her website:
https://siobhandavis.com
๐ธReview๐ธ
Stevie has plans for her future and they arenโt about to derailed by anyone included Garrett. She was determined to resist his pursuit of her but piece by piece he broke through her walls and showed her the future they could have together. The only problem was that life threw them a curveball that will change everything.
It is during this difficult time that she meets Beck, and he couldnโt be more different from Garrett. He is there when she needs someone the most to offer comfort and a shoulder she can cry on and over time their friendship become so much more. Now the only question that remains is will her first love be her only love?
Stevie, Garrett and Beck take us on journey that is it at times romantic and at times heartbreaking. You will feel for all three characters, everything they are going through and the difficult choices they all must make knowing that sometimes there isnโt a right choice.
Welcome! My name is Layla Hagen and I am a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author Sawyer Bennett uses real life experience to create relatable stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From contemporary romance, fantasy romance, and both womenโs and general fiction, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
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