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About Under the Stars by Melissa Chambers
Title: Under the Stars
Author: Melissa Chambers
Series: Destiny Dunes #6
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Why is he making it so hard to hate him?
Chapman
There are few things I enjoy more than messing with Taylor Palmer. She’s such a priss with her tight, corporate skirts and her high heels. Someone’s got to bring her down to Earth.
She glares at me and parades her dates into my bar like she thinks it’ll bother me. She’s on the hunt for a husband, but she’s doing it all wrong. She’s never going to be into one of these nerds. She really wants a man like me, but I’m not on the market.
I can help her find a guy she can stomach. And if she decides to break her celibacy streak with me in the meantime, good for her…and me. But she better not get attached. She also needs to quit making me feel things I don’t understand.
Taylor
I’ll never forgive John Chapman for what he did to my best friend. I don’t care that she’s forgiven him, is close friends with him now, and even seems to be pushing me toward him. It’s because he and I are the last two single people in our friend group. All will be right in the world if he and I just connect. Forget it.
He fancies himself some kind of dating coach. He says he can find me the right guy. He certainly couldn’t do worse than I’ve been doing. I guess it won’t hurt to let him help.
The only problem is he won’t quit making his own moves on me, and they are working, impressively. I can’t fall for him. He’s made that crystal clear. But as we grow closer, I have to wonder if I’m chipping away at his cement walls, just a little bit.
Welcome to Destiny Dunes, where the only thing hotter than the Florida sun is the romance between this resort’s employees. Each book in this steamy series focuses on your favorite romance tropes. Once you enter the gates of Destiny Dunes, you’ll never want to leave!
Excerpt from Under the Stars
© 2022
Melissa Chambers
“Are you watching this at all, or are you just eating my ice cream?” Chapman asks.
“I thought it was my ice cream.”
We both stick our spoons in at the same time and they clatter together. “Back off,” he says, tapping my spoon with his.
“I was in here first,” I say.
He gets a spoonful. “Fine, take it,” he says, putting it in my mouth. It happens so fast that I accept it without argument. He stares at me, and I can feel the moment moving into something more intimate. I search for a delay tactic while I figure out where I want this to go with him tonight.
I put my palm to my forehead. “Oh no, brain freeze,” I say through my mouthful of ice cream.
“Amateur,” he says, getting a bite. He watches me, and then wraps his arm around my head, covering my forehead with his giant hand. “I’ll warm you up.”
I slide my gaze over to him, unable to control my draw to him, and he gives me that mischievous look. I can feel him coming in for a kiss. His lips meet mine, and I’m about to sink in, when my senses slap me across my face. I pull away. “What are you doing?”
“I’m healing you from your brain freeze.”
“With your lips?”
“My kiss doesn’t make you hot?”
If he only knew. “I thought we weren’t allowed to kiss again.”
“We’ve already broken the seal. We can kiss all we want.”
“You’re not afraid I’ll try to slide a ring on your finger while you’re not looking?”
“We’ll be fine as long as you make sure you’re not falling for me.”
“What makes you think your kisses are so electric that I’m going to fall all over myself to be with you?”
“It might not even necessarily be just me. Let’s face it, you’re a modest girl. I doubt you sleep around very much. I doubt you even kiss guys often.”
I glare at him.
“Am I wrong?”
I don’t answer. I’m not giving him the satisfaction.
“All these guys you’ve been going on these dates with, have you been kissing them good night?”
I remain silent.
He raises his eyebrows. “Taylor, come on. You have the worst poker face I’ve ever seen.”
“Why are you so interested in this?”
“Because I think you don’t kiss guys often. And I don’t want you to get the wrong idea that since we’ve kissed a couple of times now, that means we’re some kind of thing. Because we’re not anything.”
I take the ice cream and stand up. “You have made that so clear, especially when you kissed me just now. Crystal clear.” I walk to the kitchen and shove the carton in the freezer.
He follows me in there. “I thought it might be a good idea for you to get a little practice in.”
“You arrogant asshole. I’ve kissed plenty of guys.”
“Who’s the last one you kissed before me? Easton?”
I give him a rueful smile. “It eats you up that he and I lived together, doesn’t it?”
“I’m not buying that you weren’t with him.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not selling anything.”
He takes a step toward me, and I take one backward, finding my butt against the counter and my heart pounding.
“Admit you’re lying,” he says.
“Admit you’re jealous.”
“Why would I be jealous?”
“You really want me to answer that?”
“I’m setting you up with other guys. If I were jealous, I wouldn’t be doing that.”
“Why are you doing that, by the way?”
“I’m scratching your back and you’re scratching mine.”
I shake my head at him.
“We could help each other out in other ways,” he says.
“Oh yeah?”
He runs his knuckle up my arm, sending a shimmer through my chest. “We could satisfy a certain need for each another.”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?” he says, focused on my mouth.
“Trying to get me in bed.” “Should I stop?”
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About Melissa Chambers
Melissa Chambers writes contemporary novels for young, new, and actual adults. A Nashville native, she spends her days working in the music industry and her nights tapping away at her keyboard. While she’s slightly obsessed with alt rock, she leaves the guitar playing to her husband and kid. She never misses a chance to play a tennis match, listen to an audiobook, or eat a bowl of ice cream. (Rocky road, please!) She has served as president for the Music City Romance Writers and is the author of the Love Along Hwy 30A series, the Before Forever series (YA), and Courting Carlyn (YA).
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