And I swear Iโm not just saying that because my
book is set in New Orleans. ;) The Big Easy is a city steeped in mystery,
delicacies, and fantastic music. With its smooth jazz, cobblestone streets, and
seductive ambiance itโs truly the most romantic place Iโve ever visited.
I was raised, and still live, in Arizona
so Iโm particularly fond of this natural Wonder of the World and would highly
recommend it to any couple cruising for a beautiful encounter. The canyon is
nothing short of breathtaking, and if you go at sunset, you might never be the
same again. (P.S. Itโs a perfect place for a first kiss.)
Okay, this little town just north of
Santa Barbara might be a bit touristy, with its Dutch windmills and sweet little
shops everywhere, but itโs an adorable place to go wine tasting. And tasting
wine usually leads to tasting, well, whomever youโre with soโฆyeah. Iโd say itโs
pretty romantic. ;)
In the summertime. During the GoPro Mountain
Games. At sunrise. Best vibe ever and great for those adventurous at heart.
This destination is my personal
favorite because itโs where I first fell in love with my husband. ☺ We were
nineteen years old, sitting in the sand, and eating shave ice from Matsumoto. I
turned to laugh at something he said and suddenly I realized I was hopelessly,
forever, madly in love with the boy beside me. So if you can find a way to road
trip across the Pacific Ocean, Iโd suggest dragging your romantic hero to Sunset
Beach. And maybe get some shave ice. ;)
Opening my car door, I slide into the driverโs seat, turn to put the key in the
ignition andโ
โAhh!โ Jumping back, I thwack my open palm against the gigantic body of pure
muscle seated in the passenger seat. โDammit, Jack! You scared me!โ
โGood morning.โ He grins.
โWhat are you doing in my car?โ I snap, throwing him some serious stink eye.
โIโm going with you to Louisiana.โ He nods to a large duffle bag in the backseat.
I blink. โUh, no youโre not.โ
โUh, yes I am.โ
โLike hell.โ
He crinkles his brow. โIโve never understood that phrase. But okay. Iโll go with
you โlike hell,โ whatever that means.โ
โGet out of my car.โ I point to the door.
โOh, Jenna.โ He clucks his tongue. โThis will be good for both of us. Listen.โ
He casually leans against the passenger window and pierces me with his gray
eyes. โFor reasons beyond my control, I need to go back home. And for reasons
beyond your control, so do you. And since our โhomesโ are right next door to one
another, I figured weโd carpool to Louisiana and you can just drop me off at
Little Vail on your way to New Orleans.โ
He gives me that little-boy smile of his and itโs all I can do not to lean
forward and soak it in. I hate me.
โI donโt see how thatโs good for me,โ I say. โAt all.โ
He shrugs. โYou get some company on the road.โ
I nod with a clenched jaw. โAnd you get a free ride.โ
His smile grows and I instantly realize that was the wrong thing to say.
โPrecisely,โ he says.
I canโt afford to spend any excessive time with Jack. Not just because we fight,
but because of what happened last year. It was one crazy night when we were both
drunk, and we never spoke of it after the fact, but our โfriendshipโ has been
tense ever since.
โWell, I donโt need any company,โ I say, shaking my head.
โSure you do,โ he says easily. โEveryone needs company.โ
โNot me. So get out.โ
He grins. โNo.โ
God I hate him. But not really.
God I hate that I donโt hate him.
I jut my chin and stare him over. โFine. If you wonโt remove yourselfโฆโ Exiting
the car, I stomp around the hood to his door, yank it open, and wrap my hands
around his bicep. Then I start pulling.
He doesnโt budge. Like, he literally doesnโt move an inch as I tug at his
oversized arm and grunt like Iโm trying to move a massive piece of hardwood
furniture and not a human being.
His eyes dance as he watches my struggle. โWhatโs your plan here, Jenna? Haul me
out of the car and leave me in the street?โ
โSounds good to me.โ
โWell, that doesnโt sound friendly at all,โ he says, flicking the lever to
recline to seat a bit so he looks even more relaxed than before.
โI wasnโt trying to be friendly,โ I grit out.
โClearly.โ
I try pulling him out again, to no avail. Heโs giant and solid, and honestly,
just touching him is turning me on.
I drop my hands and glower at him. โYou canโt just tell me that youโre coming
along on my road trip.โ
He cocks his head. โWould you feel better if I asked?โ
โNot especially.โ
โJenna.โ He leans forward and his gaze bores through me, down into the deepest
parts of my being. โWill you please let me join you on your trip to Louisiana?โ
For a moment, Iโm lost in his eyes, debating with myself. I donโt trust myself
around Jack. Not at all. But I did spend half the night tossing in my sleep with
nightmares about traveling alone so maybe having Jack tag along might not be so
bad after all. Maybe.
Pulling back, I straighten my shoulders and relent, like usual when it comes to
Jack.
โFine,โ I huff out as I stomp back to my side of the car in climb in. โBut no
talking,โ I say, hoping I havenโt just made a huge mistake.
He grins and I turn away.
Surely I can manage to keep my panties on around Jack for a few
daysโฆright?