Crave: Part One
Series: Crave Duet #1
Author: E.K. Blair
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 14, 2017
Blurb
Kason and Adaline.
From the moment
they met, they started to fall. Neither of them predicted just how far the drop
would be, though.
Loving Adaline was
all Kason had ever wanted to do. But layer by layer, he started to unravel,
forcing Adaline to face an addiction she never could’ve imagined.
This is what
happens when one person loves beyond the craving and the other craves beyond
the loving.
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Excerpt
Kason runs out of class so fast that I don’t even get a chance to say goodbye. Maybe it’s a good thing. I don’t know how much longer I can put on this charade of the easy breezy self-assured new kid.
“What’s Indian Rocks?” I ask Micah as we’re packing our books.
“Pretty much the only decent place around here to skim.”
“Your words are totally lost on me.”
He drags his hand through his over-grown blond hair and walks with me out of the classroom. “Skimboarding. We’re trying to get our fill before spring break hits and the beaches are filled with kooks for the next few weeks. You should come.”
I have no clue what a kook is, but I nod, feigning understanding because I don’t want to look like a complete moron. “I still have a lot of unpacking to do.”
“Suit yourself, Guppy. But if you change your mind, we’ll be there pretty late.”
“Guppy?”
He laughs. “I could toss you in my pocket and you’d still have room to grow,” he teases of my petite stature. “Gotta run, though. See you later?”
“Maybe. Like I said, still unpacking and all.”
“Micah, come on,” a guy hollers from down the hall, and Micah shoots me a quick, “Later,” before catching up with his friend.
I make my way through the congested halls and watch as everyone clumps off into their groups of friends and heads out to the student parking lot while I walk solo. The humidity hangs heavily in the air, and when I hop into my car, I blast the air conditioner and release a somber huff. Since I’m still learning my way around this town, I plug my address into my car’s navigation, and when the pin drops, I shift into drive.
Palm trees line the streets that take me to my new home, but I feel so far from paradise with the density caged within my chest. When I pull into the circular drive in front of the house my mom and I just moved into, I park and rest my head back against the seat and look through the sunroof.
Deep green palm fronds hang overhead against the bright blue sky. The moment I found out I would be leaving Plano, Texas, for Tampa, Florida, I was excited. I mean, who wouldn’t want to trade landlocked pavement for water and sand? I psyched myself up for the move, but I didn’t consider how lonely I’d be without my friends and family. I’m a million miles away from comfort and familiarity.
Inside the airy, two-story, stucco home, the echo of my shoes against the tile of the foyer is the only sound that greets me. I make my way up the stairs and into my bedroom, which overlooks the pool out back. Tossing my bag onto my bed, I pull my phone out from my pocket to check the time.
3:27 PM
I’m an hour ahead of my friends back home, so I drag myself into my bathroom and unpack a couple of boxes to pass the time until they get out of class. Once my belongings are put in place and organized, I toss the empty boxes over the railing that overlooks the foyer, too lazy to walk them down the stairs.
When I go back to my room, I hear a splashing from outside. Looking out my window, I find the pool guy cleaning out the filter. It’s only after he stands that I recognize him. A voyeur, hidden behind the white plantation shutters that are closed over my windows, I spy on Kason as he walks over to grab the leaf skimmer. I slant the shutters to face upward so he can’t see me as he takes the hem of his white work polo and uses it to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
His long athletic cuts are evident in his arms and also his legs that show beneath his khaki shorts. I wonder if he plays any sports or hits the gym, because he’s more defined and filled out than most of the boys my age. I debate whether to go say hi, but talk myself out of it when I remember how fast he bolted out of class when the final bell rang.
The buzzing of my cell phone pulls me away from the window, and when I see Molly’s name lit up across the screen, I smile and take the call.
“Finally. I’ve been waiting to talk to you.”
“How did it go?” is the first thing she says, and the sound of her voice has a wave of homesickness washing over me.
I flop onto the bed and groan. “Ugh. Okay, I guess. Being the new kid blows, especially since it’s nearly the end of the year. Everyone is already secured in their cliques, and then there’s me … the Texan with a hick accent.”
“We’re not hick,” she defends. “We’re … Southern.”
“Well, whatever you want to call it, it isn’t what these kids are. My blonde hair fits in, but these girls are walking around in shorts that barely cover their tiny butts.”
“Seriously? At school?”
“Apparently, the dress codes aren’t enforced, if there’s a dress code at all,” I remark. “And I need to go on a diet of X-Lax and water.”
Molly bursts out in laughter. “You are certifiably crazy. You don’t need to lose a pound!”
“Not according to Texan standards, but I doubt these people feast on fried pickles and ranch.”
“More like kale salads and soybean smoothies?”
“Totally!” We both giggle, but mine is weighted in sadness. I wish Molly were here with me. No one gets me like she does.
“Hey, can I call you later? We’re all going to Finn’s house before the basketball game tonight.”
“Tell everyone I said hi, okay?”
“Of course,” she says before adding, “I miss you, Ady.”
“I miss you, too.”
I sit on the edge of the bed and sulk my shoulders as I look around my half-unpacked room. These items may have come from my old room back home, but nothing feels the same. My mom and I only moved here a few days ago, but it’s enough time for me to feel the loneliness setting in. With her starting her new job, I know she’ll be working longer hours than what she used to back in Dallas, which make me just that much more lonely.
When I hear the wrought iron gate clank, I move toward the window to find that Kason has left. I look at the pool and think about how, back in Texas, we’d have to wait until the end of May for the pools to open and then only be able to swim for a few months before they closed back up. Here it’s hot enough to take a dip right now, and then I think about what Micah said about Indian Rocks.
In need of a little weight to be lifted off me, I decide a drive-by might help me clear my head. But it won’t be enough. I’ve always been a person who finds security within friends, and unless I put myself out there, I’m going to be miserable. As much as I hate having to be overly extroverted, I know I’m going to have to fake it until I make it.
I kick off my shoes and dig through a few boxes in search of a pair of flip-flops, which will be more suitable for the sand. After I drag the boxes from the entryway and out back to the trash cans, I get into my car and plug my destination into the GPS. When I hit the Gandy Bridge and have water all around me, I open the sunroof, roll down my windows, and breathe in paradise.
At least that’s what it feels like for this girl.
I try not to think about my friends back home as the breeze whips through my long hair, but the mind is a difficult thing to control, so I blast my stereo to try to drown out my thoughts. Before I know it, I’m pulling into the first parking spot I can find at the beach. When I kill the engine, I pep talk myself, similar to the way I did this morning before school.
I step out of the car and shove my cell into the back pocket of my shorts before making my way over the wooden walkway that leads to the sand. Using my hand as a shield against the blazing sun, I look down the beach in both directions, not having a clue as to where Micah might be. Only a few people are scattered about, so I decide to kick off my flip-flops and opt to head left over right.
Water rushes over my feet, carrying away my footprints with every ebb and flow as I wander aimlessly down the shore. I watch the boats in the distance as pelicans dive beak-first into the water. The sound of the gentle waves soothes beyond what I imagine, and I relish in the reprieve as my head clears. Collecting a few random shells, I tuck them into my pocket and then look over my shoulder to see how far I’ve walked. When I turn back, I see a cluster of guys down a ways.
Micah’s sun-bleached hair stands out from the group. With his board tucked under his arm, he watches one of his friends. The guy runs parallel to the water before dropping his board, jumping on, and skimming onto a small wave. He then flips the board beneath his feet and dives into the water.
I’m hesitant to approach but do my best to bury all social apprehensions as I begin to walk over to them. Thank God he spots me.
“Look who decided to come out and play,” he teases with a big smile as he jogs lazily toward me. A few of the other guys look my way.
“I needed to get out of my house for a while.”
“So you came to see me out of boredom?”
“Something like that.”
He punctures the sand with his board, digging it down so that it stands on end before he drops to the ground. I follow suit and sit next to him, squinting against the sun as it starts to hang a little lower in the sky.
“You come out here a lot?”
“Every chance I can.”
“It’s nice,” I murmur softly.
“First time?”
I nod. “I moved here just a few days ago.”
“Where from?”
“Texas. I lived in a suburb of Dallas. But my mom got a job offer that moved us, so here I am.”
“That must suck,” he remarks, and I turn my head to the side to look at him when he adds, “having to move in the middle of the school year.”
“You have no idea.”
“In a way, it could be nice, though. Getting to explore someplace new; meeting different people. I’ve always lived here. I love it, but I’d like to experience other places, ya know?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I guess, but I miss my friends.”
He runs his hand through his hair, slicking it back. “You’ll make new ones, Guppy.”
I shake my head and smile at my new nickname.
“Micah!”
I look over my shoulder and find Kason standing on a wooden bridge that leads out to one of the many small parking lots that weave between beach rentals.
“Be right back.” Micah jumps to his feet and jogs over to him.
Kason wears the same white work polo and khakis as he did when he was at my house a few hours ago, and I can’t deny that I find him extremely attractive. His eyes catch mine, but when I raise my hand in subtle acknowledgement, he turns and walks out of my view with Micah following behind. His shift in demeanor from this morning when we bumped into each other has me conflicted, and I think back through what little interaction we had today, wondering if I said anything that offended him. Nothing comes to mind, but I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve done something wrong.
“Sorry about that,” Micah says when he returns a few minutes later.
“What was that about?”
“He was dropping something off.”
I pause for a moment and then decide to mention my unease. “I think I might have irritated him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t really know,” I tell him as I push my toes into the sand. “He was really friendly when I met him this morning, but—”
“Just ignore him. He sometimes gets into these … funks. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a solid guy and all, he just …”
“What?”
Micah hesitates to go on, and as curious as I am about Kason, I feel a twinge of guilt for trying to be intrusive. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t pry.”
“People make a lot of assumptions about him. As popular as the kid is, he’s pretty closed off. He keeps his circle of friends small.”
“Have you two known each other long?”
“Since freshman year when he transferred in from his neighborhood.”
“He doesn’t live in our area?”
“Dude, you coming or what?” a guy shouts from the water.
“They go to our school?” I ask, eyeing the guys who are now looking our way.
He points over to the tall lean one. “Trent does. And those two,” he says pointing to the one who just caught a wave and another who’s standing on the shore, “they graduated last year from Shorecrest Prep And that guy over there, Brandon, he’s a senior at a school in St. Pete.”
“I’m sure I won’t remember any of that.” I laugh under my breath before standing and wiping the sand off my shorts.
“Who’s the bunny?” one of them questions as he walks over to us.
“Ady, this punk here is Brogan,” Micah says and then turns to his buddy. “And she’s no bunny. She’s new in town.”
Brogan ticks his head up and reaches out to me. “What’s up, Ady?”
We shake hands as beads of water drip down his dark tan chest, which is inked with a few tattoos.
“I was about to leave.”
“So soon? We just met.” He exaggerates his flirtation with a charming smile, and it causes my lips to lift as well.
“Ignore him. He’s attracted to anything that’s breathing.”
Before Brogan can say anything, I turn to Micah. “Thanks for hanging out.”
“Any time,” he responds. “You have your cell on you?”
I pull my phone from my pocket and he takes it from my hand, adding his number to my contacts.
“Shoot me a text later, and I’ll add your number to my phone, too.”
I linger for beat as he grabs his board and heads into the water before making my way back down the shore to my car, but it isn’t Micah that creeps into my thoughts while I walk—it’s Kason.
Review
Crave is about a coupe that embark on a journey full of highs and lows and a love that is deep and intense. Watching Kason and Adaline go from friends to lover is thrilling, but they have a complex relationship that readers can relate to. And the situations that occur that threaten Kason and Addy's relationship is heart wrenching and will take your breath away.
I wasn't really sure what to expect from reading the blurb, but what is contact with these pages is without a doubt... stunning. I was glued to each word wanting to see what twist and turns would happen next. Kason and Addy's love is powerful and the depth E.K put into this story is remarkable.
I drawn into this story and can't wait to see what will happen in the next part of this epic love story.
I highly recommend you pick up this book, strap in, and enjoy the roller coaster ride that is contained in these pages. It will keep the reader captivated from the sensational start until the gripping cliffhanger.
Coming Soon
Crave: Part Two releases October 16
Author Bio
E.K. Blair,
takes her readers on an emotional roller coaster with her dynamic and intense
writing style. Noted for her ability to create fleshed-out characters that will
evoke a realm of reactions, you can be assured that her stories will linger
with you far beyond the last word.
A former first grade
teacher with an imagination that runs wild. Daydreaming and zoning out is
how she was often found in high school. Blair tends to drift towards everything
dark and moody. Give her a character and she will take pleasure in breaking
them down, digging into their core to find what lies underneath.
Aside from writing,
E.K. Blair finds pleasure in music, drinking her Starbucks in peace, and
spending time with her friends. She’s a thinker, an artist, a wife, a mom, and
everything in between.
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