I feel like I've been waiting to share Ty and Lily's story with you for ages! Maybe because I had it circling around in my crowded brain two years ago when I first started my Well Paired series. And without further ado, I bring you What Makes Us Stronger.
Excerpt from What Makes Us Stronger:
“Okay. Um. Do you need anything? Tools or…?” Lily asked. He’d turned his baseball cap backward and was already crouched on the floor fiddling with the dryer.
“Do you have tools?” A genuine grin spread across his face turning it from handsome to holyfreakingcow.
“Sort of.”
“Sort of?” He cocked a brow, and she had to lean against the doorframe for strength. When he was relaxed like this, with his hat on backward and his boyish grin taking over his face, she forgot about how standoffish he’d been and sunk a little deeper into her Ty fantasies.
Sipping, or rather gulping, the rest of her wine, she came up for air and nodded. “I have a toolbox of sorts.”
“Of sorts.”
“You keep repeating me.”
“I’m just trying to understand what you’re saying.”
Yeah. She didn’t have a clue either. Toolbox. Yes. “I have a hammer and a screwdriver.”
“Anything else?”
“A tape measurer.”
“A tape measurer.”
“You’re repeating me again.”
Oh, that grin. It crinkled little lines around his eyes that she wanted to lick. No. Not lick. That would be inappropriate. Kiss. Maybe just touch. Look. She could look and not touch.
“All I need is a screwdriver and a socket wrench.”
“I have a screw driver.” Needing to get away from the heat of Ty, Lily jogged to her kitchen and scrounged around her junk drawer for it. Smiling in victory, she raced back to the bathroom and held it out for him.
“Is it a Phillips?”
“Who?”
“Or a flathead?”
“It’s a screwdriver.”
Ty chuckled and hopped to his feet. “Let me see.” He took it from her, their hands skimming across each other in the exchange. “It’s a Phillips. But I don’t need it.” He handed it back to her.
“You said—”
“I came prepared.” He winked and pulled out two tools from his back pocket.
“I’m assuming the other is a socket wrench?”
“You’re a fast learner.”
“So what’s the Phillips thing?”
Ty touched the end of her screwdriver and pointed it toward her. “See the X? That’s a Phillips. A flat head is just that. Flat. The next time you see a screw, pay attention to the indent in the top. It will determine which one you need.”
“Why don’t they make all screws the same?”
“Are you sure you really want to know?”
“Why? Is there some secret men are keeping from women?” Lily crossed her arms over her chest, forgetting she had a wet spot until her arm came in contact with it.
“Hardly. But it dates back to the fifteenth century. It’s an interesting story, if you’re into carpentry and how things are made.” Lily scrunched up her nose. “I take that as a no.”
“Maybe some other time. I really need my dryer fixed.”
“I’ll get right on that.” The smile left his lips, and he turned his back to work on the dryer.
“I didn’t mean to sound so… bossy. I just meant… I’d like to hear about it some other time, maybe.”
“The history of screws really isn’t that interesting.”
Now she’d hurt his feelings. Not wanting to sound like she was using him for his repair services, she thought of a way to thank him.
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“No,” he grunted, his hands busy doing… stuff.
“Me either.” She wasn’t one for asking a guy out, especially not Ty who’d paid little attention to her since they’d met and went from seeming interested to annoyed with her in a matter of seconds.
“Okay. Um. Do you need anything? Tools or…?” Lily asked. He’d turned his baseball cap backward and was already crouched on the floor fiddling with the dryer.
“Do you have tools?” A genuine grin spread across his face turning it from handsome to holyfreakingcow.
“Sort of.”
“Sort of?” He cocked a brow, and she had to lean against the doorframe for strength. When he was relaxed like this, with his hat on backward and his boyish grin taking over his face, she forgot about how standoffish he’d been and sunk a little deeper into her Ty fantasies.
Sipping, or rather gulping, the rest of her wine, she came up for air and nodded. “I have a toolbox of sorts.”
“Of sorts.”
“You keep repeating me.”
“I’m just trying to understand what you’re saying.”
Yeah. She didn’t have a clue either. Toolbox. Yes. “I have a hammer and a screwdriver.”
“Anything else?”
“A tape measurer.”
“A tape measurer.”
“You’re repeating me again.”
Oh, that grin. It crinkled little lines around his eyes that she wanted to lick. No. Not lick. That would be inappropriate. Kiss. Maybe just touch. Look. She could look and not touch.
“All I need is a screwdriver and a socket wrench.”
“I have a screw driver.” Needing to get away from the heat of Ty, Lily jogged to her kitchen and scrounged around her junk drawer for it. Smiling in victory, she raced back to the bathroom and held it out for him.
“Is it a Phillips?”
“Who?”
“Or a flathead?”
“It’s a screwdriver.”
Ty chuckled and hopped to his feet. “Let me see.” He took it from her, their hands skimming across each other in the exchange. “It’s a Phillips. But I don’t need it.” He handed it back to her.
“You said—”
“I came prepared.” He winked and pulled out two tools from his back pocket.
“I’m assuming the other is a socket wrench?”
“You’re a fast learner.”
“So what’s the Phillips thing?”
Ty touched the end of her screwdriver and pointed it toward her. “See the X? That’s a Phillips. A flat head is just that. Flat. The next time you see a screw, pay attention to the indent in the top. It will determine which one you need.”
“Why don’t they make all screws the same?”
“Are you sure you really want to know?”
“Why? Is there some secret men are keeping from women?” Lily crossed her arms over her chest, forgetting she had a wet spot until her arm came in contact with it.
“Hardly. But it dates back to the fifteenth century. It’s an interesting story, if you’re into carpentry and how things are made.” Lily scrunched up her nose. “I take that as a no.”
“Maybe some other time. I really need my dryer fixed.”
“I’ll get right on that.” The smile left his lips, and he turned his back to work on the dryer.
“I didn’t mean to sound so… bossy. I just meant… I’d like to hear about it some other time, maybe.”
“The history of screws really isn’t that interesting.”
Now she’d hurt his feelings. Not wanting to sound like she was using him for his repair services, she thought of a way to thank him.
“Have you had dinner yet?”
“No,” he grunted, his hands busy doing… stuff.
“Me either.” She wasn’t one for asking a guy out, especially not Ty who’d paid little attention to her since they’d met and went from seeming interested to annoyed with her in a matter of seconds.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41464029-what-makes-us-stronger
Blurb:
Lily Novak’s life in Crystal Cove, Maine is just about perfect. She has a great group of friends, runs a successful day spa, and has managed to build her new life without anyone asking about her mysterious past. There’s nothing more she could want…except maybe to catch the eye of the gorgeous and introverted carpenter, who also happens t o be her friend’s brother.
Ty Parker knew fear in the Army, but nothing like the panic of seeing smoke billow from Lily’s building. When a dryer fire brings him face to face with the heart-stopping Lily Novak—and her lacy black thong—he can’t deny the chemistry sparking between them.
As their feelings deepen, Lily’s evasiveness reignites the self-doubt Ty has been battling for years. Lily knows her secrets are putting her relationship with Ty at risk, but telling him the truth puts both their lives in danger. She’s just not sure she’s strong enough to sacrifice her heart to keep the man she loves safe from the secrets of her past.
In the Series:
At First Blush
Where There’s Hope
Enticing Journeys is giving away copies of At First Blush. Click to enter:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/81aa78941920
Blurb:
Lily Novak’s life in Crystal Cove, Maine is just about perfect. She has a great group of friends, runs a successful day spa, and has managed to build her new life without anyone asking about her mysterious past. There’s nothing more she could want…except maybe to catch the eye of the gorgeous and introverted carpenter, who also happens t o be her friend’s brother.
Ty Parker knew fear in the Army, but nothing like the panic of seeing smoke billow from Lily’s building. When a dryer fire brings him face to face with the heart-stopping Lily Novak—and her lacy black thong—he can’t deny the chemistry sparking between them.
As their feelings deepen, Lily’s evasiveness reignites the self-doubt Ty has been battling for years. Lily knows her secrets are putting her relationship with Ty at risk, but telling him the truth puts both their lives in danger. She’s just not sure she’s strong enough to sacrifice her heart to keep the man she loves safe from the secrets of her past.
In the Series:
At First Blush
Where There’s Hope
Enticing Journeys is giving away copies of At First Blush. Click to enter:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/81aa78941920
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