“Meant for You” by Samanta Chase is available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | IndieBound beginning April 7, 2015
Excerpt
“This trail is a little bit boring, don’t you think?” Summer asked several hours later as they made their way down a marked path.
“I hadn’t really thought of it that way. There’s so much to see—different kinds of birds and plants… The weather is just fantastic—perfect for hiking.” He reached out and took one of Summer’s hands in his. “And the company is perfect.”
“Aw, aren’t you sweet,” she cooed and pulled him close for a kiss and sighed. “It is a beautiful day and everything is really pretty to look at… I was just hoping to see a little something more.”
“More? Like what?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Deer. Bears. A moose. You know, wildlife.”
Beside her, Ethan chuckled. “Summer, trust me when I say that you do not want to have an up-close encounter with any of those animals.”
“I just was expecting something a little more exciting. The only wildlife I have seen is a squirrel. And he wasn’t even doing anything entertaining.”
“What were you expecting? For it to be juggling or something?” he teased.
“No,” she said with a pout. “Maybe. I don’t know.”
Ethan pulled Summer into his embrace and took a moment to enjoy the feel of her in his arms. “What’s going on?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know… I feel like you’re always off doing these really cool, crazy things and that this seems a little tame for you.” She shrugged. “I’m not big on dangerous stuff, but I wanted us to have our own little adventure. Just the two of us.”
“Sweetheart, we’ve been having our own adventures for days,” he said and placed a kiss on the top of her head. “I don’t need an adventure. I just want to spend time with you.”
Summer looked up at him and smiled. “Really?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. I’m thankful that we have this time, without any prying eyes, just to get to know one another.”
“Ethan, we’ve known each other for years,” she said with a chuckle.
He shook his head. “No. The Summer Montgomery I knew was a girl. When you showed up at the office for the first time? I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”
“Really?” she purred and snuggled closer. “Do tell.”
“You’ve blossomed into this amazingly beautiful woman,” he said and kissed her temple. “I mean, you were always beautiful, but when you walked into my office that day, it was like you’d transformed. Gone was the young girl I always pictured when I thought of you and in her place was…” He pulled back and looked into her face. “You.” He sighed. “I look at you sometimes and it’s like I can’t breathe. And even standing here right now with you in my arms I can’t believe it’s real.”
“I feel that way, too,” she said quietly. “I’d had a crush on you for so long and you never noticed me and…”
“Wait, wait, wait… You had a crush on me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Ethan. You can’t tell me you didn’t know!” she said with a laugh. “Everyone knew! Hell, my brothers used to throw things at me to stop me from staring at you!”
Ethan stopped and thought about that for a moment and then started to laugh. “Seriously? That’s what that was about?”
“What?”
“I remember your brothers always throwing stuff at you…popcorn, socks… I think I remember James throwing a basketball at you once and I thought it was odd.”
“They told me I was being a nuisance.”
Shaking his head, Ethan continued to laugh. “Not to me, because clearly I didn’t even notice.”
“Thanks a lot!” she cried and went to pull away, but Ethan pulled her in close.
“Don’t take it like that,” he said and wrapped his arms around her. “I just meant that I never knew. I always thought you were beautiful and sometimes I had to wonder if your brothers ever caught me staring at you.”
“I don’t know. Did they ever throw anything at your face for no reason?” she asked with a smirk.
“Not that I can remember. But it doesn’t matter. All I know is that you’re here now and I’m seeing you, Summer. Really seeing you.”
Her eyes went wide at his words and the sincerity behind them. “What do you see?”
“I see a woman I want to get to know better. A woman who is sexy and intelligent and just…everything.”
