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** ** **READERS SAY:** ** ** **"...by far one of the best books I have read...after Beautiful Disaster..." ** *How far would you go to save someone you loved?* ** ** My name's Sophie and I'm nineteen-years-old. I planned on college, keggers, and cute frat guys--not MS. I told a few people, but they started treating me differently, so now I keep it secret. I probably have many more years to live with this disease, *but my grandmother does not.* So I traveled thousands of miles to L.A. to look for healing: stem cell studies, acupuncture, shamanic vision quests. Some therapies were dangerous, but I'd try anything. I'd risk it all because I was fighting for our lives--*and I didn't have the luxury of dating, let alone falling in love. * My first night in L.A. I landed in the middle of a campus bar fight. The most beautiful man I'd ever met, Alejandro, a complete stranger, rescued me. He took me to the ER, drove me to my new home, and even washed my beer-drenched hair. On my second day I got lost in a dicey part of town and was attacked by gang-bangers. I escaped--*this time. * So I hired Alejandro to drive me to my appointments; be my bodyguard. He made me laugh again. He sheltered me. My heart started cracking open... *I wish I had told him my secret. When I discovered--he hadn't yet told me his...* * * **A Story of Hope. A Story of Love. A Story of Redemption.** * * ** **A 2014 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Romance QUARTERFINALIST. ** ### Review **Readers and Reviewers say:** "...by far one of the best books I have read...after **Beautiful Disaster..."** **ABNA Expert Reviewer** Alejandro and Sophie. Great characters. We are only getting bits and pieces, but the puzzle is slowly coming together, well actually just a little. Which is perfect for the reader! Makes you want more. Great job! I loved it! I have never heard of anything like this and I really really loved it. Please, get this book to the public! They will adore it! ### From the Inside Flap CHAPTER FOURTEEN ** ** But kneel he did on the floor of Westwood Grill in front of all these perfect people who were stared at us, practically drooling. In front of his fellow Drivers, the girls who'd rescued me today and the Grill's patrons including Nicole, the beautiful girl he'd slept with. "Will you, Sophie?" Alejandro asked loudly. "What are you doing?" I hissed. He leaned into my ear and whispered. "You're supposed to play along with this. Remember?" "Okay," I whispered back. "But you're a dork." "I know." He whispered, then leaned away from me and smiled at our audience. "Will you, Sophie Marie Priebe, take me, Alejandro Maxwell Levine to be your lawfully, whole-heartedly, completely smitten-with-you..." He winked at me. The entire crowd hushed. You could hear a freaking pin drop. *Oh, no. He was not doing this.* "...Driver?" Alejandro asked. "Um...." I said. "Will you take me, as your Driver, to transport and guard you through good times and bad? Through tough neighborhoods that have bangers, as well as good, kind-hearted people that give you peaches?" A smile tugged on my lips, but I shoved it back. "Yes," I said. "Will you take me, Sophie, in good traffic and shitty traffic? Good surf and no surf? To protect you from people that are trying to kill you as well as those that flirt with you too much?" He turned, pointed at Tyler and scowled at him. Who burst out laughing and shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying." "Will you take me, Sophie to be your lawfully vetted Driver?" "Yes, Alejandro." I could no longer hide my smile. "Here here!" Nathan held up his margarita glass toward us in a toast. "I declare Alex and Sophie are now united in driver-passenger bliss. Alex may kiss the bride." "I'm not a bride!" Nathan smacked his forehead with his palm. "Oops, sorry." "Bonita," Alejandro said. "Eyes down here." I looked back down at him on one knee on the floor. He stared up at me with something in his eyes I hadn't seen before. His look was intense. It almost scared me. "I'm claiming my kiss," he said. My eyes widened. He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Sweetly. He kissed the exact place where the med techs had inserted the IV that shuttled the anesthesia and other drugs into my body. He pulled me closer to him. His fingers traced a line from my hand up my forearm and stopped at the inside of my elbow that was bruised from all the blood draws. He kissed my black bruises. The green ones. Lingered on the yellow one. Something was happening to my chest. I started breathing a little heavy. Another piece of my heart was cracking open. I prayed no one in the crowd would notice my reaction, no one would see I was losing my cool. "Alejandro--I don't know..." "Alejandro Maxwell Levine," Cheyenne stomped toward us. "So help me God if you're messing with my girl I will kill you. After I kill you, I will drag your corpse from this Grill and shove it next to the dumpster. Where LADWP trash collectors will pick you up and you will disappear forever. Do you understand me?" Alejandro's lips left my arm as he swiveled his head and gazed up at her. "This is what I like about you, Cheyenne. You are loyal and fierce and kind. By all means. If I mess with your girl? Throw me out of here, for good. Lock the door, lose the key and never let me back inside." He turned his gaze back to me and smiled. "But I promise you, I am not messing with your girl. Because, I am crazy about your girl." Cheers erupted from the semi-tipsy college crowd. Cheyenne's frown morphed into a small smile. She gestured with two fingers next to her eyes, and then aimed those fingers at Alex. "I'm watching you." She walked away. Alejandro stood up, all six-feet-two inches of him and leaned down toward me. "I won our bet. I claim my prize. Which is a kiss," he said. And that's when he finally kissed me. Sweetly. Slowly. Surely.* * *On the top of my head. * A few folks applauded, but more then a few groaned. "Pathetic," Tyler said. "You change your mind, Sophie, and decide you want another Driver, or a better kisser, do consider me." He winked. "Shut up, Tyler," Nathan said. Alejandro leaned down and whispered into my ear, "And now, Bonita, I'm driving you home." * * * This time Alejandro's Jeep's engine didn't rumble at the curb. This time the Jeep was parked and he walked me to my door. "Thanks for everything. Again." I stuck my keys in the door. My hand trembled just a little. Hopefully he wouldn't see that. I heard Napoleon's meows coming from inside my place. "The new kitten calls. Need to give Napoleon food and attention. You were right about calming the crowd down. You seem to be right about almost everything." He put his hand on top of my hand that was on the doorknob. "I should probably come inside and help you with stuff." "You helped me a lot already. With the exception of my family and my best friend, you've helped me more than almost anyone else I know." "Go out with me, for real," he said. "Not a yoga class or a walk on fire event, or a palm reading." *I really wanted to say, yes. But, this would take us to a different place. * "We are so perfect right now," I said. "I don't want to screw up our relationship. I don't want--" He pulled me toward him and kissed me. One hand cradled the back of my head. He ran his fingers through my hair with his other hand. His lips were full and insistent. His tongue slipped inside my mouth like it was meant to be there. Tempting me. Claiming me. He tasted sweet. And suddenly I felt like I was falling all over again. I leaned back against my front door as his lips moved from my mouth, trailing kisses down my face, down my neck. "Sophie," he breathed in my name. Then kissed me hard on the lips, his tongue exploring my mouth. One strong arm wrapped around my waist as he lifted me up a few inches off the ground, pulled me toward him, my T-shirt scrunching up toward my breasts, my bared abdominal skin pressed tight against his thin T-shirt. "Life is short, Sophie Marie Priebe. We are not perfect people. We don't know how much time we will have together." *He had no idea how scary prophetic he was being.* "But I will guarantee you this. We have something far more special than the majority of people. Consider this to be your official invitation--" His warm breath and the pressure of his full lips brought a flush to my skin. His hand traced down my neck toward the top of my T-shirt. He pulled the neckline back as he kissed my shoulder. Shivers raced up and down my arms. "This is me. Officially asking you, Sophie, to, please, go out with me." He tucked strands of my hair behind my ear. Kissed my ear. Kissed my hair. Kissed my shoulder. "Yes, Alejandro. Yes, I will go out with you." I tried to find my footing. Which was a little hard to do when he was still holding me six inches above the ground. Gidget barked and I heard a kitchen window slam shut, muffling her yips. "Voyeurs," I said to Alejandro as his lips brushed mine. He frowned. And slowly let me slide down his body. His gorgeous face. His dimpled chin. I closed my eyes because I just wanted to feel him: His muscular, solid chest. His tight abs. His hardness. When my feet hit the ground, he backed away from me.