Today we're featuring Constructing Us by C.J. Lake! Get a peak and don't forget to enter the giveaway below!
Title: Constructing Us
Author: C.J. Lake
Age: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release date: July 19, 2014
*Story contains explicit/steamy scenes that are intended for mature readers.
When Andy takes over the lease on her friend Ethan's apartment, he warns her about his roommate, Tragan. According to Ethan, Tragan Barrett is self-centered and inconsiderate, caring more about hanging out with his friends and hitting the local casino than straightening the living room or keeping up with his laundry. Andy isn't too concerned, though, because she isn't moving in to make a friend.
Intended as a short-term living arrangement, the apartment is close to the hospital where Andy is participating in a drug study for a rare disorder she was diagnosed with when she was twenty. Now, fresh out of college, she is trying to figure out her life--and also how to live with the uncertainty of her condition. Figuring she'll go one way and he'll go another, Andy is surprised to learn that Tragan is not exactly the way Ethan painted him. In fact, there's a whole other side to the darkly sexy construction worker...especially when it comes to Andy.
Can an unlikely friendship turn into something much more?
My #1 signature song for Tragan & Andy was “Burn” by Ellie
Goulding. I always thought
of them when I heard that song and listened to it a lot while I was working on
the book. There were
several other songs that also made me think of their love/passion, especially
“Ho Hey” by The Lumineers, “Anywhere But Here” by SafetySuit, “Animal” by Neon
Trees, and “Paralyzer” by Finger Eleven.
After his parents left, Tragan found Andy at the kitchen
sink. She was pulling her hair up into a messy knot at the back of
her head, which exposed more of her neck. He stepped closer, leaned
on the counter beside the sink. “Well, the good news is that my
parents had an awesome time. They absolutely love you.”
“Oh, good…” Andy said, reaching for the dishwashing soap.
“The bad news is that for the rest of her days my mother will now
be saying: ‘Why can’t you meet a girl like Andy’?
She gave a laugh at that. “Technically you did meet me,” she pointed out.
“You know what I mean,” Tragan said. “Seriously, I can
see it now. ‘Tragan, that stripper you brought home for
Thanksgiving? Why can’t she be more like Andy?’”
Andy shot him a look. “Stripper? Really?”
He shrugged. “You never know,” he said, grinning.
“Personally, I think you should set your sights a little higher,”
Andy remarked, tilting her head at him--then corrected herself. “I
shouldn’t say that, because I don’t actually know… Tragan, are you seeing
anyone now?”
He shook his head. “Nope, no,” he said, straightening
up a little. “I’m keeping my options open,” he added for some
unknown reason. He felt like an idiot as soon as he’d said it.
“That’s good,” she said generically and set more plates into the
sink. As she swished them with soapy water, Tragan found himself
thinking about what his mom had said at the door.
“So are you always this great to people’s parents?” he
fished. “Or…”
“Or what?”
When she blinked at him, waiting, he lightened his tone, made it
more joking. “Or is there just somethingspecial about Mari and Jack Barrett?”
Her gaze returned to the dishes in the sink as she proclaimed,
“They’re very easy to talk to, for real. I don’t know why you were
worried.”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“Sure,” she said, teasing him. “You know, you’re lucky
your parents are still together. When my dad moved to Switzerland,
it was supposed to be a year or so. We didn’t know he’d end up
staying forever.”
When her voice trailed off, Tragan probed, “Do you ever see him?”
Andy nodded. “Oh, sure, on Skype. Emma and I
visited him in Zurich about two years ago, and he came to the
hospital in Chicago when I was sick. Plus, we talk on the
phone and email a lot.”
“That’s cool.”
“Yeah, he’s a good dad. But it’s still not the same as
having my mom and him still together, like yours.”
Selfishly, Tragan was impatient to switch topics. He
loved his parents to death but he didn’t want to talk about them right
now. And he didn’t want to talk about Andy’s parents, either. “Hey--are
you and Brad serious?” he blurted.
Andy appeared startled by the shift in subject. At
first she hesitated, without replying. But Tragan held her gaze
anyway, determined to learn the answer.
Finally, she shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, maybe, sure,
could be,” she floundered, breaking their eye contact to reach for a
towel. Rubbing it over a wet plate, she babbled on, “He’s a great
guy and, you know, I’ve known him for a couple years now, um…plus, we’re still
young, it’s not like we have to make any decisions right now…but…my mother
likes him and…enh.”
“Enh?” Tragan repeated
skeptically. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“No, no,” she backpedaled, “I mean…Brad’s great.”
“Right, you said that.”
“And he’s very smart--extremely smart.”
“I’m sure he is,” Tragan agreed (since the guy was a doctor, after all).
“Above all, though, Brad’s aware of my whole situation and is
understanding about it.” Half-heartedly, Tragan gave a nod, although
he really didn’t want to validate that. Andy seemed healthy to him,
and besides that, he didn’t want to act like she had such a bad
situation. “Who knows, we’ll see.” She let the dishtowel
drop on the counter. “Wow, I’ve been rambling. You know
what? I’m just gonna finish up these dishes tomorrow. I’m
tired,” she insisted a little too abruptly.
“Okay.” He had to assume that his seemingly simple
question had hit a nerve. As she headed to her room, Tragan called
after her. “Listen--you really helped me out tonight. If
there’s ever anything I can do for you, just let me know okay? So we
can call it even.”
There was a momentary pause. “You know what? There
is something,” Andy told him as she walked back to him.
Tragan’s heart rate kicked up, having the sudden notion that Andy
might slide her hands up his chest and press her supple, sexy body into
his. If she did, he would unleash such heat on her, he couldn’t
guarantee they’d even make it to the bedroom before they were both going at it
like animals.
“You know how you tend to pile your dirty, sweaty clothes on the
floor--in a, sort of, inconvenient heap that’s blocking the dryer?” Andy
said. “Which is charming, by the way.”
Inwardly, Tragan sighed, disappointed. So much for hot,
relentless sex in the kitchen. “Yes…?”
“I was thinking that maybe you could use a hamper instead?”
Tragan’s eyes dropped down for a second, before returning to
hers. “So that’s all you want from me? My disgusting
laundry out of your way.”
“Well, I wouldn’t call it ‘disgusting.’”
“Fine, I’ll get a hamper.”
“Specifically I was hoping you could use one with a lid--like I
have? I’ll pick you up one.”
“Andy, I think I can buy my own hamper,” Tragan said, trying not
to sound churlish.
“If you’re sure. I have no problem treating you; it
could be, like, an early Arbor Day present.”
So she wanted to be a smartass. “Hamper with a lid,” he
bit out, glaring at her--and fighting a grin. “Got it. Anything
else?”
“No, that’s it. For now.” She gave him a sweet little wave that exuded
sarcasm. “’Night, roomie!”
Watching her go, he blew out a breath of laughter, in spite of
himself. He shook his head as he heard her bedroom door close. Now
that he was alone in the kitchen, there seemed only one logical thing for him
to do. In fact, he wasn’t clear on anything else at that moment
except for this.
He stepped up to the sink and did the rest of the dishes.
C.J. Lake is a storyteller who is passionate about art, surfing, and skiing/snowboarding. Residing near the coast of Massachusetts, C.J. is working on a new book that will feature Tragan Barrett's friend, Matt Winter. Readers can get in touch via email (writercjlake@gmail.com), or follow C.J. on Twitter @brightbluesurf.
