Cover Reveal & Excerpt
The Deal
(Off-Campus #1)
by
Elle Kennedy
 |
| Release Date: February 24, 2015 |
~ Synopsis ~
She’s about to make a deal with
the college bad boy…
Hannah Wells has finally found
someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area
of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex
and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step
out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the
annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend
date.
…and it’s going to be oh so good
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted
is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is
threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette
make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s
all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their
lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to
cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot
like him.
~ Links to Pre-Order ~
~ Excerpt ~
The second I walk into the room, six-foot-two and two hundred pounds of
Garrett
Graham block my path.
“Wellsy,” he says cheerfully. “You’re the last person I expected to see here tonight.”
As usual, his presence causes my guard to snap into place. “Yeah? Why’s that?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t think frat parties were your scene.”
“Well, you don’t know me, remember? Maybe I’m partying it up on Greek Row every
night.”
“Liar. I would’ve seen you here before.”
He crosses his arms over his chest, a pose that causes his biceps to flex. I glimpse the
bottom of a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve, but I can’t tell what it is, only that it’s black and
looks intricate. Flames maybe?
“So, about this tutoring thing… I thought we should take a moment to set up a schedule.”
Aggravation shoots up my spine. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Never.”
“Then you need to start, because I’m not tutoring you.” I’m distracted now. Justin has
reentered the room, his long, lithe body moving through the crowd as he makes his way to the
pool table. He’s halfway there when a pretty brunette intercepts him. To my dismay, he stops to
talk to her.
“Come on, Wellsy, help a guy out,” Garrett begs.
Justin laughs at something the girl says. Same way he was laughing with me a minute
ago. And when she touches his arm and leans in close, he doesn’t back away.
“Look, if you don’t want to commit to the whole semester, at least help me pass this
midterm. I’ll owe you one.”
I’m no longer paying Garrett even a lick of attention. Justin leans in to whisper in the
girl’s ear. She giggles, her cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink, and my heart plummets to the pit of
my stomach.
I was so sure we’d been, I don’t know, connecting, but now he’s flirting with someone
else?
“You’re not even listening to me,” Garrett accuses. “Who are you looking at, anyway?”
I tear my eyes off Justin and the brunette, but not fast enough.
Garrett grins when he notices where my gaze was. “Which one?” he demands.
“Which one what?”
He cocks his head at Justin, then shifts it five feet to the right, where I notice Jimmy
talking to one of his frat brothers. “Paulson or Kohl—which one do you want to bone?”
“Bone?” He has my attention again. “Ugh. Who says stuff like that?”
“Fine, should I rephrase? Which one do you want to fuck or screw or drill or make love
to, if that’s your thing.”
I set my jaw. This guy is such an asshole.
When I don’t answer, he answers for me. “Kohl,” he decides. “I saw you dancing with
Paulson earlier and you definitely weren’t making googly eyes at him.”
I don’t confirm or deny it. Instead I take a step away. “Have a good night, Garrett.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it ain’t gonna happen, Wellsy. You’re not his type.”
Anger and embarrassment flood my belly. Wow. Had he really just said that?
“Thanks for the tip,” I say coolly. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”
He tries reaching for my arm but I bulldoze past him and leave him in my proverbial dust.
I do a quick search of the room for Allie, halting in my tracks when I spot her making out with
Sean on the couch. I don’t want to interrupt them, so I spin on my heel and head toward the front
door instead.
My fingers are shaky as I text Allie to let her know I’m taking off. Garrett’s blunt
assertion—you’re not his type—echoes in my mind like a depressing mantra.
Truth is, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. So what if Justin spoke to me in the hallway?
Obviously it meant nothing, because in the next breath he turned around and flirted with
someone else. It’s time for me to face reality. It’s not going to happen with me and Justin, no
matter how badly I want it to.
It was stupid of me to come here tonight.
“Elle Kennedy engages your senses from the very first sentence! Both deliciously steamy and heart-achingly tender, the Deal is an absolute winner!”
Graham block my path.
“Wellsy,” he says cheerfully. “You’re the last person I expected to see here tonight.”
As usual, his presence causes my guard to snap into place. “Yeah? Why’s that?”
He shrugs. “I didn’t think frat parties were your scene.”
“Well, you don’t know me, remember? Maybe I’m partying it up on Greek Row every
night.”
“Liar. I would’ve seen you here before.”
He crosses his arms over his chest, a pose that causes his biceps to flex. I glimpse the
bottom of a tattoo peeking out from his sleeve, but I can’t tell what it is, only that it’s black and
looks intricate. Flames maybe?
“So, about this tutoring thing… I thought we should take a moment to set up a schedule.”
Aggravation shoots up my spine. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Never.”
“Then you need to start, because I’m not tutoring you.” I’m distracted now. Justin has
reentered the room, his long, lithe body moving through the crowd as he makes his way to the
pool table. He’s halfway there when a pretty brunette intercepts him. To my dismay, he stops to
talk to her.
“Come on, Wellsy, help a guy out,” Garrett begs.
Justin laughs at something the girl says. Same way he was laughing with me a minute
ago. And when she touches his arm and leans in close, he doesn’t back away.
“Look, if you don’t want to commit to the whole semester, at least help me pass this
midterm. I’ll owe you one.”
I’m no longer paying Garrett even a lick of attention. Justin leans in to whisper in the
girl’s ear. She giggles, her cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink, and my heart plummets to the pit of
my stomach.
I was so sure we’d been, I don’t know, connecting, but now he’s flirting with someone
else?
“You’re not even listening to me,” Garrett accuses. “Who are you looking at, anyway?”
I tear my eyes off Justin and the brunette, but not fast enough.
Garrett grins when he notices where my gaze was. “Which one?” he demands.
“Which one what?”
He cocks his head at Justin, then shifts it five feet to the right, where I notice Jimmy
talking to one of his frat brothers. “Paulson or Kohl—which one do you want to bone?”
“Bone?” He has my attention again. “Ugh. Who says stuff like that?”
“Fine, should I rephrase? Which one do you want to fuck or screw or drill or make love
to, if that’s your thing.”
I set my jaw. This guy is such an asshole.
When I don’t answer, he answers for me. “Kohl,” he decides. “I saw you dancing with
Paulson earlier and you definitely weren’t making googly eyes at him.”
I don’t confirm or deny it. Instead I take a step away. “Have a good night, Garrett.”
“I hate to break it to you, but it ain’t gonna happen, Wellsy. You’re not his type.”
Anger and embarrassment flood my belly. Wow. Had he really just said that?
“Thanks for the tip,” I say coolly. “Now if you’ll excuse me...”
He tries reaching for my arm but I bulldoze past him and leave him in my proverbial dust.
I do a quick search of the room for Allie, halting in my tracks when I spot her making out with
Sean on the couch. I don’t want to interrupt them, so I spin on my heel and head toward the front
door instead.
My fingers are shaky as I text Allie to let her know I’m taking off. Garrett’s blunt
assertion—you’re not his type—echoes in my mind like a depressing mantra.
Truth is, it’s exactly what I needed to hear. So what if Justin spoke to me in the hallway?
Obviously it meant nothing, because in the next breath he turned around and flirted with
someone else. It’s time for me to face reality. It’s not going to happen with me and Justin, no
matter how badly I want it to.
It was stupid of me to come here tonight.
“Elle Kennedy engages your senses from the very first sentence! Both deliciously steamy and heart-achingly tender, the Deal is an absolute winner!”
~ NYT Best Selling author Katy Evans
“Elle has masterfully captured the
feelings, the romance and the unbridled sexiness of the New Adult genre with
this book! You will swoon for Garrett!”
~ Alice
Clayton, NYT Best Selling author of WALLBANGER
~ Connect with Elle ~
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