Spotlight: The Trouble With Wanting by Jillian Liota
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Genre: Contemporary Romance
Ruby Roberts is heading to Cedar Point to connect with the father who left her behind. Easy conversation with the handsome man sitting next to her isn’t what she’s expecting from her cross-country flight, but it’s not something she’s complaining about, that’s for sure.
Boyd Mitchell is flying home for some end-of-summer relaxation and time with his favorite people – his family. A talkative seat-mate that pulls him out of his shell is the last thing he wants, but he can’t seem to resist her charm.
When Boyd and Ruby end up in the same lakeside town, their banter and flirtation quickly become a steamy fling that leaves them both breathless. Neither of them are expecting to find a romance that has them both reconsidering everything they used to believe about love.
As their time in Cedar Point comes to an end, the two will have to decide whether they want their connection to turn into a real-world relationship, or whether wanting more is nothing but trouble.
Excerpt
“What’s got that dreamy expression on your face?”
My eyes flit to Boyd’s where he’s standing above me, and I tilt my head back as he leans down to kiss my forehead.
“Just talking about how you were my miracle baby,” Patty answers. “The first little love of my life.”
Boyd rolls his eyes but leans over to kiss his mother’s cheek.
“You’re gonna need to lay off the miracle baby stuff around the others,” he says, flicking his hand in the direction of his siblings. “Otherwise they’ll know who your true favorite is.”
Patty lets out a cackle I bet all the neighbors can hear, the sound echoing across the lake.
“You know what I always say,” she responds. “You are my favorite—my favorite firstborn.”
Our conversation drifts to join in with the others, and I make sure to get in another s’more before all the supplies are gone. Eventually, Patty slaps her legs and excuses herself to go to bed. She and Mark hold hands as they head in, leaving me, Boyd, Bishop, and Bellamy to watch their parents.
“I love that their romance hasn’t died,” I say. “It’s not every day you see a couple like them still holding hands and flirting with each other.”
“Don’t remind me,” Bishop groans, his youthful irritation at seeing his parents be lovey-dovey clear in his tone.
“It’s sweet.” Bellamy emphasizes her opinion by slapping her brother across the chest. “Don’t shit on it. Most kids would kill to have parents like we do.”
Her eyes flit to mine for a second but quickly return to the chocolate and graham cracker sandwich she’s been nibbling on.
“Sweet, sure—it’s sweet as a fucking peach pie until you hear your parents having sex through the walls at night, or you walk in on them groping each other in the kitchen where anyone can see them,” Bishop says.
He makes a gagging noise as the rest of us burst into laughter.
“It’s funny until it happens to you,” he adds, pointing a finger at each of us. “And mark my words, you’re going to be coming to me with an apology someday.”
Boyd’s laugh dies off as he yanks me closer, tugging me to sit on his legs, my own dangling off the side of his chair as he tucks me in against his chest.
It’s a snuggly position, and as much as I want to keep my attention on the conversation, it isn’t long before my eyes start to droop.
I listen to the twins argue about something that has to do with groceries and a disappearing bag of Cheetos, but the thread of their conversation begins to get muddled as I sink deeper against Boyd.
“You still awake?” he asks, his voice low, the sound of it rumbling in my ear.
“Mmmmm,” I moan, pressing my face into him, enjoying the heat from the fire on one side and the warmth of Boyd’s body on the other.
“That’s not an answer.”
“Barely,” I mumble, wishing I could just snuggle into his chest and fall asleep.
I know he should take me back to my little house and my own bed right now, know he should say good night and give me a kiss and then leave.
It’s the smart thing to do.
But I don’t want to be smart.
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About Jillian Liota:
Jillian Liota is a new author writing contemporary romance and new adult fiction. She lives in Kailua, Hawaii with her amazing husband, 2 cats, and 3-legged pup.
She is the author of the new adult romance novel The Keeper, which focuses on a female college soccer goalie, as well as the follow up novella, Keep Away. Her newest release, Like You Mean It, is in the contemporary romance genre and has a more mature voice, as it follows a pregnant mother finding love in a new town. The next novel in the Like You Series, Like You Want It, will be published in Spring 2019
She has a master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs, and she is passionate about all things improvement, development and organization.
She’s also a big fan of taking walks with her husband and dog Maia, reading romance (obviously), watching a handful of horrible reality TV shows, and exploring the island she calls home. Check out her Contact page for more information on how to connect.
Connect with Jillian: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
