It’s all fun and games…until someone’s heart is broken.
They’re not kids anymore, but Milo Caro is certain that
Colton Mathews will only see her as his best friend’s little sister for the
rest of their lives. After all, he made that clear the night before she left
for college. But four years later, her brother is getting married and Colt’s
the best man—and guess who is the best man’s last-minute date?
Milo vows to use the wedding to either claim the smoldering
firefighter’s heart or douse this torch for good. When Max—her best friend from
college, who may be carrying a torch of his own—crashes the party, they devise
a plan to make Colt see what he’s missing. But after Colt catches on, he
decides to cook up his own revenge.
Now it’s personal. Colt and Milo are at war, and between
Max’s questionable acting methods, an unfortunate trip to jail, and a maniacal
fiancée, what could possibly go right?
Prologue
Summer 2009
“I can’t believe you’re really going to college, Milo.”
Colton’s teasing smile flashed right in front of me, rendering me temporarily
blind. Man, he was beautiful. His normally dark-brown hair had shots of gold
from the summer sun. Dimples peeked out from his mega-white smile and I was
pretty confident that I saw a twinkle in his green eyes meant just for me. He’d
been home for two months since graduation and was already off saving the world
one fire at a time. I watched his full lips curve around the mouth of his
Corona. He and my brother Jason had organized a going-away party for me. Apparently
me getting accepted into NYU was a big deal: they’d even gone so far as to get
a Star Wars–themed cake from Dairy Queen and a princess tiara that said
“Pretty” across it. It was always their joke with me. I was a complete and
total tomboy—I loved picking fights and getting muddy—yet still demanded they
treat me like a princess.
With a sigh I leaned back on the picnic blanket and looked
up at the stars. My crown fell to the side of my head, causing my hair to fall
all over my face. The party had been over for a few hours, leaving me, Colt,
and Jason. I should have been happy: after all, who does that for their little
sister? What brother would even care? Furthermore, the fact that it had all
been Colt’s idea, someone who wasn’t even family, was huge. But . . . maybe
that’s the part that left me feeling empty. I might as well be family to
Colton. I was the little sister he’d never had—and secretly, I’d always wanted
to be so much more.
“Aw, you messed up your hair,” Colton teased, lifting the
crown with the tip of his finger and giving me a sexy wink.
“Whatever shall I do?” I huffed.
“I’ll save you.” His voice was just above a whisper. “I’ve
always wanted to save a princess.”
“You did.” My grin was huge. “You saved me a least a hundred
times when we were little—slew the dragon at the top of the stairs and did it
all without getting a scratch.”
“Messy job.” He let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “I don’t
know how I made it to my twenty-first birthday without getting singed.”
“Donald didn’t breathe fire. He was a fireless dragon,
remember?”
“Oh, right.” His eyes twinkled. “How is the old dragon
anyway?”
I shrugged and chewed on my lower lip. “Haven’t been in the
attic since you guys left for school. I’ve been busy.”
“Too busy to play?”
I rolled my eyes. “Too busy graduating to play, yeah.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Fun.” I snorted. “The last time I had fun was when we snuck
into your parents’ pool and—” I clamped my mouth shut before the words could
tumble out on their own. Crap. Crap. Crap.
“Skinny-dipped.” He finished my thought. “Yeah, that was a
blast.”
“Hey, guys!” Jason called as he ran out of the house. “Dad
needs me to grab Mom from work so I’ll be right back! Don’t do anything fun
without me! I mean it!”
The loud roar from his truck drowned out our conversation for
a brief second and then slowly dissipated as the vehicle barreled down the
driveway.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Colton asked.
If his thoughts were along the line of finally getting him
alone, away from my brother? “Absolutely.” I grinned as he grabbed my hand and
helped me off the blanket.
“Come on. Let’s go have fun.”
Curious, I followed Colt as we ran through a few backyards
and finally ended up at his house.
“What are we doing?” I asked in a hushed voice.
“Having fun.” I swear his grin made my heart almost stop.
“Now strip, Milo, we don’t have all night and Jason’s going to be pissed he
isn’t with us.”
Laughing, I took off my shirt and shorts—I’d spent years
swimming with the guys in my sports bra and underwear, though as we got older
it became weird, but only on my end. It felt strange to strip down to nothing,
knowing that my feelings for Colton were very real whereas his were
nonexistent. I mean, it was Colton. Sure, I had a crush on him, but he never, ever
thought of me that way. Ever.
“Last one in’s a rotten—”
I didn’t hear him finish—but I did beat him into the water.
His mom and stepdad’s pool was always my favorite place to swim. It had a
little waterfall in the deep end that you could swim under that always made me
think of fairy tales and the movies. Then again, that could be because every
time I broke through the water it was Colton’s face I saw, and his smile that
drew me. He was my own personal Prince Charming.
Laughing, Colton splashed around, then hauled himself out of
the pool and did a cannonball right by my face. I was glad that it was dark—I
must have been beet-red. Man, the guy was ripped.
“Wanna race?” he asked, out of breath.
“Wanna lose?” I countered.
“Never.”
“Um, it’s an everyday occurrence.” I swam over to the edge.
“Ready, set—”
“—go!” He ran instead of swam and then dove under water.
Bastard! Arms burning, I tried to make it to the other end
of the pool. I usually didn’t open my eyes under water, but this time I did to
see where I was going.
His body was a blur in front of me. All I saw was hard-lined
muscle.
I stopped right in front of him and jumped to the surface.
“You cheated.”
“I like to call it winning.” He beamed triumphantly.
“Cheating.” My teeth ground together as I pushed against his
chest. Laughing, he fell backward, pulling me with him. Our bodies ground
together, heat against heat, skin against skin.
And suddenly sneaking away from Jason wasn’t funny anymore.
Neither of us was laughing.
His hands moved from my waist slowly up my body until they
rested on my face. With a curse he pulled my head toward his. “We should . . .”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
Neither of us pulled away.
His lips brushed mine, just enough to make me strain toward
him—I needed him like I needed air.
“Kids!” His stepdad’s voice rang through the night air. “You
out here making noise?”
Colton pushed me away and I nearly hit my head on the
waterfall rocks.
“Yeah, just . . . hanging out!” Colton called. “I’m with
Jason’s sister.”
I froze. He’d never called me that before. He even said it
in such a final way, as if that was all I would ever be. Period. My heart
didn’t just sink . . . it shuddered, then combusted, as all the hopes I’d
harbored since I was thirteen came to a crushing world-altering halt. My
suspicions were finally confirmed. Out loud. On the day the boy I liked had
thought enough to throw me a party.
The line had been drawn. And I might as well be on the other
side of the universe.
That was the day I lost Colton Mathews—forever.
Review: 4.25 of 5 stars
What happens when Rachel Van Dyken writes a new book? I rush out and read it as soon as possible, obviously! I have been looking forward to getting my hands on this ARC for a while now and it finally arrived on the paperwhite, in the midst of tax season when I couldn't actually read it write away, which is TORTURE! Anyway, once April 15th passed, I was good to jump in head first!
I fell in love with Rachel's writing when I first read The Bet and since it is a romantic comedy as well, I figured this one would be along the same lines. It is the story of Milo and Colton, best friends and playmates their entire childhood. Colton is best friends with Jason, Milo's brother and Milo was always one of the guys, until she decided to grow boobs. It always ruins a good adolescent friendship. :)
Fast-Forward a few years to Milo being a senior at NYU and coming home for her brother's wedding. Everything starts off fine, except for the fact that she is still in love and crushing on Colton. A tiny white lie to cover her feelings snowballs out of control. Enter Max, her adorable, hilarious, overly dramatic best friend to the rescue to pretend he is her boyfriend and help her catch Colton once and for all. Think a young, male, Grandma Nadine.
This book is over the top with antics. Its probably not super realistic and had me laughing out loud at the outrageous scenes that Rachel creates for these characters. Do I think the story is real? Nope and that is why I love to read. It makes me escape reality. Rachel can transport me into a book world faster than just about anyone. Its a typical Rom-Com with disaster after bigger disaster that leads to love. But I love them all the same. If you are looking for a fun escape from the real world that will keep you laughing with a sweet love story-One click this book today!
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at www.rachelvandykenauthor.com
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