Title: Never Say Never
Author: Emily Goodwin
Genre: Full length, stand-alone contemporary romance
Release Date: September 28, 2015
My life was full of nevers.
It was never supposed to go this way. I was never supposed to lose Mom so soon. I was never supposed to worry about making ends meet, to worry about losing the farm. I never thought I’d be working a job I hate, with a boss who was more interested in what was under my shirt than in my head. Saving neglected and abused horses had been my whole life. It was my reprieve, my sanity, my last saving grace in a cruel world. I never thought I’d grow to resent it, but I guess there is a first for everything.
Then I met him.
The Hollywood playboy. The entitled, cocky asshole that I can’t get out of my head. I never thought there could be more to him than sex appeal and an infamous reputation of loving and leaving. I never thought I’d fall for him, put my heart on the line, and risk letting him completely destroy me.
But you know what they tell you…never say never.
Bloody hell, I want her. Without taking my mouth off of hers, I reach down and pull up her shirt, exposing her breasts. I trail kisses down her neck and bury my head between her tits.
Her legs wrap around me and she arches her back. She wants this too, and I know it’s more than just physical lust. She needs to feel the connection, to be touched, just as badly as I do. My hands run over the smooth skin of her stomach. I unbutton her jeans and move back up, putting my lips to hers once more.
I slide my hands down, intending on taking off her trousers. I feel the scar tissue beneath my fingers and she flinches.
“Sorry,” I pant. “Does it hurt?”
She turns her head away and closes her eyes. “Yes.”
“I’ll be careful,” I tell her.
“I know.” She doesn’t look at me. “I’m just…”
“Haley?” I grind my erection against her. It’s straining against my trousers so hard it’s starting to hurt. I need to be inside her.
“It’s ugly and gross, and I’m sorry.” I sit up to look, but she pulls me back down, shaking her head. “You don’t want to see it, trust me.”
I press a kiss to her forehead. “Haley,” I pant. “Nothing about you is ugly or gross.” Our eyes lock, faces just inches from each other. “I have scars too.”
“I know,” she whispers, gently running her finger over the jagged line above my eye. “I like your scars.”
“Let me like yours.”
Still looking into my eyes, she moves her head up and down. I rock back and gently move her shirt up. Rough, raised skin stretches tightly along her side. It’s pink and rippled, mapping a web of pain from the curve of her hip up to the side of her breast. A knot forms in my stomach, but it’s not from the sight of her. It’s from knowing that her flesh has been melted, that she has felt so much pain and was left with this as a reminder she has to live with every day.
“It’s hideous, isn’t it?” she asks, unable to look at me. “Like Freddy Kruger.”
“No, not at all like him.” I move down and gently press my lips to her scar. “You’re beautiful, Haley.”
She trembles under me, and I kiss her scar one more time. “I’m glad you think so,” she says, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
I wipe the tears away. “Don’t be sorry.” She closes her eyes and nods, pushing her shirt down and covering the scar on her side. I tip my head and push up her sleeve. The scar on her shoulder isn’t as bad. The skin is flat and shiny, and not as pink. I sweep my finger over it and then press my lips against that scar too.
“I wish you could see you the way I do. You’d see that you are beautiful.”
“Aiden,” she says as tears roll down her face. Then she’s pulling me on her again, and we kiss in a fury of passion. The same tightness plagues me, and I have to turn away to cough again. I bury my face in her breasts, trying to catch my breath. “Are you feeling okay?” she asks.
No, I’m not. But I’m so turned on, so wrapped up in her, it doesn’t matter. “I’m good enough.” She smiles and everything is right in the world again. “I want you,” I confess.
“I want you too,” she says.
I grin and put my lips to her neck, softly sucking on her skin. She lets out a moan. I hold myself up on my elbows and take her hands in mine, pushing them above her head. She squirms underneath me, rubbing herself against my erection.
I trail kisses down her neck, over her soft breasts and onto her stomach. She lifts her hips, and I slip her jeans over her arse and pull them down to her knees. She kicks them off and wraps her legs around me, bringing me in.
Her phone rings. “Ignore it,” she pants, and she lifts her head up to kiss me. She doesn’t have to tell me twice. Her fingers run through my hair again, and I can hardly take it. The phone stops ringing and she reaches for me, fingers hovering over my belt.
Then her phone rings again. “It’s probably Lori,” she tells me as she undoes the buckle. Her hands are so close to my cock. She’s moving slow on purpose, teasing me, and I love and hate her for it at the same time. “She’ll leave a message if it’s important.”
“Okay,” I rush out, holding my hips up. She pulls the belt through the loops and lets it drop to the floor. She takes hold of my zipper and runs her hand over me through the outside of my trousers. Fuck, I need her.
Tantalizing, she moves her hands back up, fingernails running over the skin on my sides. I’m about ready to take off my own fucking trousers. Her hands sweep back down and unbutton my jeans. The zipper comes down on its own, unable to hold back my erection. I yank them off. She sticks her hand inside my boxers, fingers curling around my cock, and I melt at her touch.
Then her phone rings again. Three calls in a row—that’s never a good sign. She freezes, my cock in her hand. My lips are against hers, my tongue in her mouth, and I think about how good it would feel if my dick went in there.
She shakes her head and starts pumping her hand. I want inside of her. I want to connect as one, feeling physically how she makes me feel inside. I don’t want to just fuck her. I want to make love to her.
I’ve never, ever wanted that before.
She tugs my boxers down, and I’m overcome with want. I take my mouth off hers and remove her shirt, staring at her large breasts for a few seconds before moving back down. Both of her hands are on my arse, and she’s pulling me down, pressing me into her, the thin material of her nickers keeping us apart. She’s so warm, and I know she wants me as badly as I want her.
“Do you want to go upstairs?” she pants, sliding her hand around my thighs.
I don’t care where we go, as long as I’m with her. “This is fine,” I say, only because letting her go isn’t something I can do right now. We’re cramped together on the couch and a bed would be better, especially for our first time. Though the passion between us is unlike anything I’ve felt before, and I know no matter where we are, making love to Haley is going to be transcendent.
Her heart is racing against mine. She nods and widens her legs. I slip my hands behind her and unclasp her bra, slowly rolling each strap down until her breasts come free.
“You are so fucking beautiful,” I whisper before I press my mouth to her, flicking my tongue against her erect nipple. She moans again and takes hold of the hem of my shirt. I hold my arms up and she pulls it off, dropping it on the floor next to us. Her eyes sweep over me.
“So are you,” she says, and her eyes land on my cock. It turns me on to see her staring at it with hunger and lust in her eyes. I dive back down, moving to the side just enough to run my hand over her stomach and inside her nickers. My breath catches when I feel her wetness, and my want intensifies. I put my lips on the soft skin inside her neck, kissing her as I stroke my fingers over her core.
At the beginning of Never Say Never there is a horrible accident. Haley is hurt and her mother dies. Haley is now trying to get her life back together. She's strapped financially and still recovering emotionally. She's working a low paying job for the local newspaper.
Aiden is a famous A-list actor. He's seen it all and done it all. But when Haley interviews him for the local paper he's smitten. The two are attracted to each other right away. Aiden won't take no for an answer and he gets Haley to go out with him.
Aiden and Haley are complete opposites, but Emily Goodwin shows us that opposites do attract. They both help each other work through issues and problems and are really good for each other. Aiden's jaded, but he sees the real world with Haley. Haley is hurt and scared, but Aiden sees her through it.
I really liked Never Say Never and look forward to reading more by Emily Goodwin. It was a nice, sweet romance. I give Never Say Never FOUR AND A HALF STARS!
Emily Goodwin is the author of the twice banned dark romance, STAY, as well as over a dozen other titles. Emily writes all types of romance, from love stories set in the zombie apocalypse to contemporary romances taking place on a western horse ranch. Emily lives in Indiana with her husband, children, and many pets, including a German Shepherd named Vader. When she isn't writing, Emily can be found riding her horses, designing and making costumes, and sitting outside with a good book.
