*~*Jared & Tate’s Birthday Celebration – Until You Excerpt, Character Interview & AWESOME Giveaway*~*

 

My name is Tate. He doesn’t call me   that, though. He would never refer to me so informally, if he referred to me at all. No, he’ll barely even speak to me.

But he still won’t leave me alone.

We were best friends once. Then he turned on me and made it his mission to ruin my life. I’ve been humiliated, shut out, and gossiped about all through high school. His pranks and rumors got more sadistic as time wore on, and I made myself sick trying to stay out of his way. I even went to France for a year, just to avoid him.

But I’m done hiding from him now, and there’s no way in hell I’ll allow him to ruin my senior year. He might not have changed, but I have. It’s time to fight back.

*This novel contains adult/mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, violence, and sexual situations.

**This book is the first in a series but can be read as a STAND ALONE. The next books will focus on side characters from this story.

 

 

Have you ever been so angry that hitting things felt good? Or so numb that you actually felt high? The past few years have been like that for me. Traveling between fury and indifference with no stops in between.
Some people hate me for it, while others are scared of me. But none of them can hurt me, because I don’t care about anything or anyone.

Except Tatum.

I love her so much that I hate her. We used to be friends, but I found out that I couldn’t trust her or anyone else.

So I hurt her. I pushed her away.

But I still need her. The sight of her centers me, and I can pool all of my anger into her. Engaging her, challenging her, bullying her…they are my food, my air, and the last part of me that feels anything human.

But she left. She went to France for a year, and came back a different girl.

Now, when I push, she pushes back.

 

Bully ROCKED my face off SO much…so of course I’m super excited about Until You, Jared’s P.O.V.  Want a little sneak peak?  Yes…trust me…you do!  We have one excerpt from the blog tour – Check it Out

And in celebration of Jared and Tate’s Birthday – we have ANOTHER amazing excerpt from Until You.  I need this book now!

Tate Meets Jaxon for the First Time

“Son of a bitch,” I grunted, sitting up in bed.

Arching my leg, I rested my forehead in my hand with my elbow propped up on my knee.

I’m so fucked.

My dick was throbbing so hard it hurt.

I was waking up with constant hard-ons, and it was like I was thirteen all over again.

I was actually waking up in pain with the heat and blood rushing south, and the only thing I wanted was under lock and key next door.

Tate and I hadn’t made love since her dad got back in town, and he was keeping pretty good tabs on her. Who knew when I’d get her alone again?

It was going to be a long fucking year. That was for sure.

There were no plans on what I was going to do about college, but one thing was for certain. Wherever I ended up, I looked forward to visiting Tate and screwing her brains out in privacy, without parents around.

A creak interrupted my thoughts, and my head shot up, out of my hand to see Tate stepping in quietly.

Tate? My heart stopped beating.

She shut the door and leaned back against it.

“Tate?” I stared at her, wide-eyed, as she smirked at me.

Yep.

My girl smirked.

“Please tell me you’re thinking about me.” Her lips were soft and playful as she purred her words.

She was fucking with me.

With her look, fierce and urgent. With her mouth, moist and open. With her voice, smooth and taunting, and I was ready to thank my lucky stars that she was here.

“Are you kidding?” I raised my eyebrows and whipped off the blanket, gesturing to the very hard bulge poking through the jeans I’d fallen asleep in. “Look at this shit. I can’t think straight.”

And I jumped out of bed and rushed her. Our lips melted together, and the sweetness of how her body molded to mine made me regret every other girl I’d touched.

She tasted so good, like hot apples and an angry sky, and it was fucking candy in my mouth.

Tate knew how to move with me. When I leaned in, she arched back. When I pulled back, she read my mind and opened her neck to me.

“Wait,” she gasped. “Your front door was open. I didn’t see your mom when I walked in, but she’s got to be up.”

I shook my head, teasing her. “You started this. And this isn’t your house. There are no rules here.” I smiled and leaned over to my iPod dock and switched on In This Moment’s Adrenalize to drown out our noise.

“Come here,” I whispered, pulling her by the hips into my body.

But she pushed me away.

Disappointment—no, pain and confusion—racked through me.

“Wha—,” I started to ask but sucked in my breath when she started peeling off her clothes.

Fuuuuck.

Her little, white tank top?

Gone.

Her pajama shorts and panties?

Off in a single movement.

And when she came up to me, I was high on adrenaline again.

I glided my fingers up her sides and then down over her beautiful breasts. Her skin was silky and firm, like an angle’s wings.

I didn’t even have time to reach for my nightstand drawer before she pushed me down on the bed and straddled me.

“Tate, a condom,” I gasped out, unable to think anymore.

Holy fucking shit.

My whole body shook with the need, ache, and blood pumping through my cock. I needed to be inside of her.

“Pants,” she ordered, and when she leaned over to grab a condom, I knew what she meant.

After about three seconds, the rubber was on, and I thrust up and inside of her.

We stilled for a minute, and I felt the cool sweat on my neck as I soaked her in.

Jesus Christ.

Tight, wet, and hot.

Her lips crashed down on mine, and I dove into her mouth, moving my tongue against hers as we gasped and came back for more.

“Jared,” she whispered between kisses. “More…I always want more.”

Her hips started moving back and forth, up and down my cock, making a sweet tightness race down my arms and legs.

Her heavenly skin felt like cream, and I grabbed her ass in my hands, jerking her down on me as the room filled with wet heat.

God… she loved me.

I still couldn’t believe it, but she did.

“What do you want more of? Say it,” I breathed against her lips, desperate and fucking lost in my need for her skin, her smell, her fire…

“I want more of you.” She closed her eyes, and dropped her head back as her body rocked into mine. “Every morning, every night, I think about you.”

Her head came back down, and her fingers fisted in my hair. “I want to feel you all day, Jared.”

Yeah, it was going to be a long fucking year.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I whipped us around, so she lay on the bottom, and I fucked the love of my life hard enough, so that she would feel me.

All. Damn. Day.

“Ahhh,” she moaned, her desperate eyes meeting mine.

“I love you, Tatum Brandt.” I put my hand over her mouth, and pounded into her harder. “Now, come.”

I fucking hated rushing. But I knew my mom was already up, and our talking and moaning would draw attention. Even with the music.

“Jesus Christ, baby. You feel good.” I dropped my mouth to her breast and sucked her nipple into my mouth.

I knew my back was drenched with sweat already, and I almost smiled when I tasted her salty skin. She felt this as much as I did, and we were crazy for each other.

Her thighs tensed around me, her nails dug into my back, and I felt her pulsate from the inside as she held her breath.

She was coming, and I looked up to see her eyes flutter close. After a few moments she let out a little whimper and exhaled against my hand.

I always knew when Tate came. She had a thing about holding her breath.

The pressure inside of me was at its breaking point.

I leaned over her, looked down into her exhausted and happy face, and dived into her a few more times before letting it all go.

Cool fire spread through my veins, and all of the air left my body as I collapsed on top of her.

“Jared, I need a clean shir—oh.”

My head snapped up, and Tate squealed, pulling my body down as much over hers as she could manage.

“What the fuck?!” I was naked as hell, and Jax just stood there, wide-eyed with his lips formed in a circle. “Get the hell out!” I yelled.

After a pause, he broke out in a grin and snorted. “Hey, you must be Tate. I’m Jaxon.” And the fucker held out his hand for her to shake.

Thankfully, Tate was under me, but my ass was hanging out for the world to see. The dickhead had left the door open.

“Um….hi, Jaxon. Nice to meet you.” Tate peeked out and offered her hand bashfully.

They shook, and the stupid prick stood there smiling.

“Get the fuck out,” I whispered, my eyes burning with murder.

“Jared, why are you yelling?” My mother poked her head in, and Tate shrunk up into a ball underneath me again.

            Oh, what the fuck?!

“Jared!” My mother’s shocked gasp, when she noticed the extra arms and legs, caused me to clench my teeth.

Jax had descended into a fit of laughter by this point, and his face was turning red.

How could such a good start to a day turn so badly so quickly?

 

OMG…for the record…I ♥ being in Jared’s head.

 

OMG!  How did I get here?  Why do I do these things to myself?  And GOD I really need to stop staring at Jared…that’s creepy…but he’s so beautiful.  Okay, focus!  I was lucky enough to get Jared and Tate to agree to answer a couple questions for me at their birthday party, let’s not ruin it and get thrown out before I even get the chance to say hi.  Or drool.  Or hump his leg.  Damn it!  I’m SO going to get kicked out of here for being the ‘dirty crazy leg humping woman,’ aren’t I?  Breathe In, Breathe Out….

I’ve only been here for 30 minutes and aside from my slight staring problem and a few weird looks from others (who have noticed said staring problem), I think I can make a clean get away as soon as I get my answers.  I don’t care if it’s his birthday, I’m putting Jared Trent in the hot seat!  I can see the couple of honor headed in my direction, smiles on their faces – yeah, let’s see if those are still there after they’re done talking to me!  I give them both hugs, lingering a little on Jared (Tate’s right…he does smell really good!).

Lisa:       “Thank you both so much for answering a couple questions for me.”

Tate:      “Not a problem at all.”

Her smile is deliciously infectious and completely puts me at ease.  I can do this!

Lisa:       “Well, I won’t keep you from your celebration for too long.  I’ll get the hardest question over first – Jared…your laundry list of bullying is…long.  Out of all them, what do you think was the worst thing you did to Tate over those three years?”

Jared:    “I don’t know if it was the worst, but it was the one that stuck with me.  It was the beginning of our Freshman year. I had made lots of friend. Tate had a few. But my “behavior” had started taking off and jokes about her were already circulating. One day, she was leaving school, walking across the parking lot, and one of my friends commented on how pretty she was. I acted like he was crazy. I called her a dog and barked a couple of times. Yeah, I was fourteen. Not the height of maturity.  She didn’t hear me, because it was just for my friends, but she did hear when others joined in a started barking at her across the lot. It got louder and louder. When Tate realized that fifteen people were humiliating her at once, I knew that look on her face. It was before she’d hardened. It was despair and fear. She was alone, and  everyone laughed when she started running home. I didn’t mean for it to be public like that and, for years, I used the excuse that how others carried on what I started wasn’t my fault…but it was.  That night I saw her crying in her room.”

Lisa:       “What is the one thing if you could take it back and not do it, you would.”

Jared:    “I wish I could take back the time in the tree, when I told her I didn’t care whether she lived or died. It was beyond cruel and untrue.”

Ouch…yeah that was pretty harsh, but you can see the remorse in his face.  Tate wraps her arms around his waist and he leans down to give her a kiss.

Lisa:       “Okay Tate, your turn.  You might be the sweetest, nicest, kindest, most forgiving person on the face of the planet…but you are still a girl – so truth time.  I’m sure you had plenty of opportunities where you could have retaliated against Jared – why didn’t you?  (And please don’t say because you were going to be the bigger person!)” 😛

Tate:      “For many reasons. First, I was afraid of getting into trouble. Studying abroad helped build my courage. I took more chances when I got home. I also, for a long time, wanted to reconcile with him. I hid the anger more than I hid the hurt. Yeah, but I got over that, obviously!”

Lisa:       “Yeah, I was glad you got over that, I was totally Team Tate! Lol  But I can understand wanting to reconcile, he was your best friend! 🙁   Alright, so…without feeling any remorse, if you could have done anything to him, without fear of retaliation or being caught…what would you have done?  (I know you’re creative Tate…come on 🙂  )”

Tate:      “Honestly, it never interested me to see Jared hurt. I would never have done anything to get him arrested or thrown out of school. Or even humiliated. Plotting and scheming is childish, and that’s not me.   BUT…I did toss around the idea of trying to toy with him. His window provides a perfect view into my room, and I let myself fantasize about undressing with the curtains open or other stuff to get him to look at me differently. I never did, though. I’ve got too much pride.”

Lisa:       “Good answer.  Now I’ve got questions for both of you – what’s your favorite memory?”

Jared:    “Seeing Tate for the first time.”

Swoon!

Tate:      “Baseball game with my parents when my mom was still alive.”

Lisa:       “Biggest Regret?”

Jared:    “Hurting Tate.”

Tate:      “Telling Jared he was a useless piece of shit.”

Lisa:       “Favorite Flaw?”

Jared:    “On myself? My eyes. Even when I smile, I still look pissed.”

I’m okay with that…I could stare into those brown orbs all day. 🙂

Tate:      “I bite my nails.”

Lisa:       “Biggest Pet Peeve?”

Tate:      “People who want to talk while we’re eating.”

Jared:    “People who talk.”

Why do I love it when he’s an ass hole?!?

Lisa:       “Almost done, I promise – now we get to have some fun!  Rapid fire – give me the first word or answer that comes to mind – Birthday?”

Jared:    “Light.”

Tate:      “Spankings.”

She gives Jared a devious little smile and he squeezes her close, bending down to whisper something in her ear, making her bite her lip.  Nice Tate…I like your thinking!

Lisa:       “Madoc?”

Jared:    “Best.”

Tate:      “Brother.”

Lisa:       “Racing?”

Both of their faces light up – you can see the passion in their eyes.

Both:      “Love it!”

Lisa:       “Dad?”

Jared:    “Hers is better than mine.”

Tate:      “I agree.”

Lisa:       “Future?”

They both turn to look at each other and say without even pausing.

Jared:    “Tate.”

Tate:      “Jared.”

Aww…

Lisa:       “Favorite Song?

Jared:    “Too many to name.”

Tate:      “Remedy.”

Lisa:       “Jared?”

Tate:      “Want.”

Lisa:       “Tate?”

Jared:    “Need”

Swoon…again

Lisa:       “Love?”

Jared:    “Kiss.”

Tate:      “Jared.”

Lisa:       “Thank you both so much for letting me steal some of your time, I won’t keep you any longer.”

They both hug me good-bye (I tried honestly not to linger this time…I really don’t think I was very successful) and they walk off hand in hand to greet the rest of their guests.  Sigh…I love them!

Bully by Penelope Douglas

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

5 “Yesterday lasts forever.” Kisses

Sadness. Anger. Betrayal. Frustration. Lust. Happiness. Joy. Love. Do I sound like a crazy person yet? I’m not just listing these feelings cause I feel like it – I’m listing them because this book painstakingly ejected them from my soul while I read. After all that, I should be emotionally drained…but I’m not! I’m infused! I absolutely loved this book! GAH! Prepare for another babble filled rant of insanity from yours truly about a book that hypnotized, captivated and enraptured me. Apologies in advance.

Tatum Brandt…Tate…or at least that’s what everyone else calls her. Except for him. He’s always the exception. The one that lives to make her cringe, make her fearful of anything and everything, make her miserable. She’s a good girl, a pretty girl…she’s smart, does well in school, runs cross country, likes rock music – she’s unique! That’s one of the many things I liked about her…she’s not a girly girl, she’s not your typical teenager, but in all honesty…there’s nothing to dislike about Tate. But…of course, he can find any number of ways to make her miserable and for no reason at all…leave it to the one person who knows her the best to hurt her the worst. So, after being away for a year abroad, she comes back home to turn over a new leaf, start fresh, put the past behind her because nothing – not even the bully that has tormented her for years, is going to ruin her senior year.

“Everything still hurts, but I know none of it is my fault. There are a lot of words that I could use to describe you, but the only one that includes sad, angry, miserable, and pitiful is “coward.” In a year, I’ll be gone, and you’ll be nothing but some washout whose height of existence was in high school.” My eyes were still on Jared, and my voice got strong again. The ache in my face from trying to hold back tears eased. “You were my tempest, my thunder cloud, my tree in the downpour. I loved all those things, and I loved you. But now? You’re a fucking drought. I thought that all the assholes drove German cars, but it turns out that pricks in Mustangs can still leave scars.”

Jared Trent…oh how this boy toyed with my emotions. I wanted to hate him. Especially for the way he treated Tate, and especially because I didn’t know the reason. But once I knew the reason, all that possible hatred was gone – poof! Vanished into thin air because this poor, broken, sad boy doesn’t deserve anything but pure love in his life. He’s so the classic example of the strong silent type…and every time you get a glimpse inside, hear his emotions, his past, there’s just no hope. You cannot help but melt into a puddle at his feet and scream ‘TAKE ME NOW!’ Hmm…maybe it’s just me.

‘Once my gaze met his, it was impossible to look away. His eyes were like the cover of a book— giving you hints but not the whole story. And I wanted to know the story. If I searched his eyes long and hard enough, maybe what I craved would seep out.’

Tate and Jared clearly have a very complicated relationship. They have a lot of history, which is another thing that really gets me. They grew up together, were neighbors, he got her thru some really hard times, it’s hard not to cling to a past like that. You can’t fake memories and those threads that bind you to another person, be it a friend, a lover or a family member. And I loved the little flashbacks we got, those happy memories where you saw tiny pieces of them when they were growing up…their friendship and how it used to be before everything got ugly and feelings got hurt. That’s another reason why it was easy to see past what Jared did was because you knew that deep down, this wasn’t who he really was and there had to be a reason why he was acting the way he was. It just torture getting to that point!

‘His body inched closer, but I didn’t care. I wanted to hear more. “You were never clingy or a nuisance, Tate. The day you moved in next door I thought you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I fucking love you.”’

I think part of the reason why this book and the emotions hit so deep with me was because it’s very relatable. We were all teenagers once, feelings those insecurities, those desires to just be liked, to have friends and feel cool. I know I experienced similar things to Tate, not to that extreme mind you but my heart broke for her because I knew what it felt like to have your dreams crushed, your heart broken, your desires smashed to smithereens and above all to feel so hopeless in the situation when you’ve done nothing wrong but still feel the punishment. I wanted to hold, hug and protect Tate because no one deserves that…least of all her. Not only that…but at some point we’ve all been bullied in one way or another and when it’s done by someone you considered a best friend….I mean that’s pretty freaking low. How can that not make you cry and break your heart.

‘He put a hand to my face and guided my eyes to his. “We never lost that. As much as I tried, I could never erase you from my heart. That’s why I was such an asshole and kept guys away from you. You were always mine.”
“Are you mine?” I asked as I wiped my tears.
He kissed the corners of my mouth softly, and I felt heat rise up my neck. “Always have been,” he whispered against my mouth.’

At the same time, once you learn the reasons behind Jared’s behavior and actions…is it justifiable? No. What he did was still fucked up, wrong and uncalled for. But…my heart did break for him too. These aren’t adults, their teenagers filled with pent up emotions, hormones and when you’re stuck in a situation you can’t fix or control, you do dumb things. The fact that he could sit back and recognize his mistake, apologize for it and make amends…that’s what makes him a decent guy. And you saw him trying to make up for his past and what he did, trying to mend things with Tate, to earn her forgiveness and trust, which only made me fall more in love with him! Gah, I’m such a sucker!

“You made me mean. And now I pummel poor, defenseless girls… and guys.” I tried to make my voice sound accusing and innocent.
Jared gripped me tighter. “If you beat metal long enough, it turns to steel.”
I buried my nose in his hair, kissing the ridge of his ear and joked. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, you big bully.”

Bully got me…it was sometimes difficult to remember they are seniors in high school…especially with Tate because she acts very mature for her age. I did love the ending…and the good news keeps coming cause this little gemstone is…drum roll please…a series! And what does Lisa love more than anything in this world? Series Books! Squee! I cannot wait to dive head first into Jared’s brain in Until You – and FYI, that title is fucking GENIUS and I love it more than words can ever express. Aaaaand that’s not all! Rival…Madoc’s story – Jared’s equally hot bff and he’s hilarious…love him. O…M…G….I just can’t wait. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Penelope Douglas is a writer and teacher in Las Vegas. Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she is the oldest of five children. Penelope attended the University of Northern Iowa, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, because her father told her to “just get the degree!” She then earned a Masters of Science in Education at Loyola University in New Orleans, because she hated Public Administration. One night, she got tipsy and told the bouncer at the bar where she worked that his son was hot, and three years later they were married. To the son, not the bouncer. They have spawn, but just one. A daughter named Aydan. Penelope loves sweets, the show Sons of Anarchy, and she shops at Target almost daily.