Combust Prologue & Playlist Teaser

Unedited/Subject to Change (but hopefully not too much, right?) 

Tentative Release Date: August 19, 2014

Add to Goodreads

Author Note: Combust, the first in the Wellingtons spin-off series, has younger characters than the Explosive series, 22 and seniors in college, but will still be considered a contemporary adult romance.

You already met and fell in love with Knox Wellington. Now it's his little brother, Cohen's, chance to earn a place on your book boyfriend shelf. In case you haven't met him, you can do so here in Incinerate!

If you haven't read Inflame, check it out! There's a teaser at the end for Cohen and Andi! Inflame on Amazon

Prologue

“You are such a fucking tease.”

Story of my life.Literally. That’s me, or what they like to call me. Andi Kane. Tease. Blue Ball Extraordinaire. The Virgin Queen. Yep, virgin. Did I mention that part? As a chronic masturbator from age fifteen,I've had a huge fondness for clitoral stimulation, and never minded using my own fingers to get myself off. In fact, it’s all I wanted. At least that’s what I thought. After one fateful dry humping make out session in the back of Blake Jackson’s Chevy, I was hooked on the act. The way he rubbed his hard erection in between my jean covered thighs had me moaning into his lips in no time.Before I knew it, I was moving at a frantic pace as the tingling between my legs started to increase until I was pushed over the edge, experiencing the first orgasm not from my own hand. I remember thinking to myself,Who needs sex when it already feels this good? and that’s been my motto ever since.

And it’s been one that came back to bite me in the ass, and not in a pleasurable way. What my naïve mind didn’t realize, or well, care about, at the time was that while a little over the clothes grinding might get me off, it certainly doesn’t do it for the guy, and eventually, they’ll get tired of you just using your hand.Don’t get me wrong, once Blake and I got a little more serious, I graduated up to blow jobs, but by senior year, he wanted to go all the way, something I wasn’t quite sure I was ready for. Blake and I weren’t in love. In fact, we had already talked about parting ways since I was going to the University of Tennessee and he was heading to Clemson on a football scholarship. Neither of us wanted to start off college by being in a long distance relationship, and we were smart enough to know this definitely wasn’t going down the marriage path anyway—and knowing there was no future for us made it so much easier for me to always say no. Until he no longer took no for an answer.

I don’t mean that in the way that he forced himself on me. Blake’s not like that, and I’d pepper spray his ass if he was. All I mean is instead of spending the rest of our senior year together, I walked in on him screwing Lisa Templeton at his dad’s New Year’s Eve party. He had the decency to look at little ashamed, but he shrugged and called me a tease, saying he didn’t want to wait any longer. I promptly closed the door, and haven’t spoken Blake Jackson since.

That doesn’t mean the damage wasn’t done. All the sudden I found myself being asked out on dates by guys from all over the county, and my smart ass continued to do what I do best. Tease. I knew what these guys were doing. Blake Jackson, star quarterback, couldn’t even get into my pants, and it became a competition to see who could bag the girl that he couldn’t. I didn’t mind. They could try; they’d all fail.Fingers, mouths, over the clothes rubbing? I was good with all that, but not a single one of those guys was worth losing my virginity to especially when it was just a game to them. Eventually one got bored and the next one moved in.Every single one of them calling me a tease. Which, in my defense, isn’t really true. I’m a tit for tat kinda girl and if I got off, so did he. I never promised sex, never teased they were going to get it, so I felt the moniker was a little unfair. Now when they labeled me The Virgin Queen, that one, I couldn’t really argue with.

“How was your date with Alex?” Reese, my best friend and soon to be roommate, interrupts my thoughts and I turn to look at her, rolling my eyes. “That bad?”

Groaning, I lie back on my bed and cover my eyes with my forearm. “I don’t know why I even bother. I can’t wait to get out of this small ass town and get to UT where not everyone knows why Blake and I broke up. It was my first date with the asshole and he was already trying to stick his hand down my pants in the movie theater before the trailers were even over. I don’t know what they talk about in the locker room, but I’ve never hooked up on the first date. I’m making a pact. No more dates until I’m in Knoxville. And probably not even after I get there. I need a break.”

She sits down on the bed beside me and pats my thigh. “Probably a good idea. Then you won’t have to deal with a bunch of horny assholes all vying to be the first to bang the mayor’s daughter.”

Yep, that’s me. Daughter of Mayor Kane of Bethel, Tennessee: Population 3,276. “Sometimes I think I should just get it over with, but at this point, there’s not a guy in all of Dyer County I’d even consider sleeping with. At least I know it’ll be different at UT and no one will be singing R. Kelly when I walk into a classroom.”

She laughs, then starts signing his famous Bump N Grind until I take my arm away from my eyes to swat her shoulder. “Hey, it’s true. There’s nothin’ wrong with it, but there’s also nothing wrong with taking the next step. You know me. I say go for it. Sex really isn’t that big of a deal. It’s 2010. The likelihood that you’re going to end up living happily ever after with the first guy you sleep with is probably pretty slim. I’m not saying go out and whore around, but just get it over with.Rip off the Band-Aid. Straddle the bull. Ride the cock. Feed the python. Get it over with,” she insists. It’s not the first time we’ve had this conversation,and until I take her advice, it probably won’t be the last.

Quirking my eyebrow up, I gape at her. “You just described sex in three different ways using animals. Excuse me if it doesn’t sound so tempting.”

Reese just waves me off and continues. “All I’m saying is we’re going off to college in two weeks.You’re eighteen years old and you won’t have Daddy looking over your shoulder everywhere you go. These are supposed to be some of the best years of our lives. Just promise me when we get there you’ll have an open mind. Have some fun. Live a little. Plus, I know you like the whole bumping and grinding action, but let me tell you. It has nothing on the real thing.”

She winks at me,and I have to grin. Reese tells me everything, and I’ve heard plenty of details of her extracurricular activities with her long-term boyfriend, Cy, who was a year ahead of us and is already at UT. “Well when you put it that way, who could resist? Trust me, I’m not saving myself for marriage or anything, and maybe you’re right. Maybe I need to just do it.”

Her eyes light up.“Good! Because, Cy’s fraternity is having a party the first weekend, and what better place to meet a hot college guy?”

“Right. Because the type of guy I want to lose my virginity to would be at a frat party. Are you crazy? Those guys are man whores.” I’ve heard the stories from my older brother, and I shake my head, knowing there’s no way that’s happening.

“That’s where you’re wrong. They’re the perfect type. Hot. Experienced. Part of the reason my first time didn’t suck so bad was because Cy knew what he was doing. But you have awhile to think about it. Just remember, keep an open mind.”

The thought of a hot, experienced guy for my first time actually makes perfect sense but not at a frat party where anyone could walk in. Lisa might not have cared about being caught; I’m not letting anyone watch me in the act. “Alright, I’m not making any promises, but I guess I’ll consider it.”

Squealing, she gives my shoulder a squeeze. “This is so exciting! My little Andi’s growing up.It’s about time I finally talked some sense into you.”

I shake my head and think about what she said. Rip the Band-Aid off? Maybe she’s right. It’s not like I’m waiting for my Prince Charming to walk through the door with the key to my chastity belt, and I’m definitely not looking for a boyfriend, either. As I listen to her prattle on about the party, I decide that I might as well go for it. Quick and painless—well as painless as possible. Now all I have to do is find the right, willing guy. On a campus of 20 thousand students, it shouldn’t be too hard. Hot and experienced, just like she said.

Remind me never to listen to Reese again.

Inflame: An In Depth Look

If you're reading this post, I hope you've read Inflame. If you haven't, everything that will be said from here on out will be a spoiler. So here's your alert. Close the web browser, or proceed at your own risk.

When I started Lucy and Kale's story, I had no idea where it was going to end up. I wrote the prologue and Chapter 1, and then delved into the past. To where Lucy and Kale first met. I loved them upon their first meeting. Their chemistry was undeniable, and it became so clear that these two people were meant for each other, even if they didn't know it.

And they found that as time went on. Lucy tried to move on. Kale thought he could forget her. They were both fools. Clearly. Have you ever seen two people more perfect for each other? Okay, maybe you have, but in my universe? Kale Montgomery and Lucy Dawson? That's a one in a million love.

So let me fast forward into the story. Y'all thought Kale was all sunshine and flowers didn't you? So did I. And then his back story snuck up on me. I originally had a very different outcome for Kale and Tara. Tara was never the villain. I still don't think Tara is the villain. I stand by Kale's statement. To him, she is a cunt. It was a long time coming for that tirade. She deserved it. And Kale needed to let it out. At the same time, I agree with Lucy. Tara was young, alone, and scared. What would you do? That's the thing. I cannot answer that question. Lucy can't answer. Kale can't.

That was the scariest part about writing this book. I didn't want anyone to get to the last page and think... Tessa Teevan is a pro lifer. Tessa Teevan is for abortion. It's NOT about that. My beliefs are my own, and they will never be in the pages of my books. I hope most readers will see Kale's reaction as that of a father, and not of a male. If that makes sense.

Kale makes this statement in the book:

What should have been the mother of my child decided, without me, that our child didn’t deserve living. Because I wasn’t there to protect him. And I know all the ‘it’s a woman’s body bullshit,’ but that was my child, too. What should’ve been my firstborn… But because I don’t have a uterus and can’t carry a child, I had no say so in whether or not my child was brought to full term, even though I would’ve gladly taken all parental control after birth. She wanted him before. I didn’t get how she could change her mind all of a sudden, and I just kind of snapped.

Kale is really dear to me in this part of the book, and I felt his pain. Honestly, it wasn't that long ago that I lived his pain. One of my best friends was Kale. He found out that the love of his life was carrying his child, and he was over joyed. He could not wait to start a family. And in the blink of an eye, that family was taken away from him, without his knowledge. He lived through this pain, this agony, and my heart ached for him every single day as he grieved for his lost child. The child he had no say so in what would happen to him, even though he would've done anything for that child. 

This is why I never give my stance on an issue. There is no black and white answer. When Kale talks about the woman's body issue, that's Kale. When Tara so coldly tells Kale that she terminated the pregnancy, that was her way of getting out of it. When I set out to tell Kale's story, there was no agenda. None at all. Tara isn't a monster. Kale was never perfect.

But the happily ever after that Kale, Lucy, and Sprout have? That's worth a million smiles.