Secrets Kept by Allie Everhart 💕 Book Blitz & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Romantic Suspense)

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After finding her boyfriend cheating, Kate decides she’s had it with men. So the next night at her catering job she pretends not to be interested when Gavin, a hot guy with a great smile who attends the very exclusive Moorhurst College, asks her out. Unable to resist his charm, she agrees to have dinner with him.

On their first date, Kate’s convinced Gavin’s too good to be true. Funny, sweet, smart, and easy to talk to, he’s nothing like the losers she’s dated in the past. But maybe her luck has changed. Maybe Gavin’s the guy she’s been waiting for.

As their relationship grows, Gavin proves he really is the guy Kate’s always wanted but didn’t think existed. She’s even thinking about a future with him. But those plans come to an abrupt halt when Kate sees something she shouldn’t. Something dark and disturbing. Something that could get her killed if she ever told anyone.

Kate’s desperate to tell Gavin her secret but can’t. Even if she did, he’d never believe her. Still, she can’t keep something this big from Gavin, especially when he’s involved in it. Will she risk her life and tell him the truth? Or risk their relationship and keep this secret from the man she loves?

“Take my hands,” Gavin says as I cling to the edge of the boat.
I grab his hands and he pulls me back in. How he managed to not fall in himself, I don’t know.
“You okay?” he asks.
“Yeah.” I laugh. “I’m fine. Just soaking wet. I shouldn’t have moved like that. You warned me about the boat tipping.”
“I should’ve caught you. I tried, but it happened so fast.”
I’m still laughing. For some reason I’m finding this funny, maybe because I always laugh when I watch those videos online of people falling out of boats, and now I’ve done it myself.
Gavin’s smiling at me.
“What?” I ask. “Do I have lake junk in my hair?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’m just amazed you’re not mad.”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Because you fell in a lake off a boat I made you go on.”
“It wasn’t your fault. I moved too fast and rocked the boat.”
“Most girls would be pissed. But instead, you’re laughing.”
“Because it’s funny.” I laugh. “Actually it’s hilarious. We’re making out, all hot and heavy and then—”
He interrupts me with a kiss, then says, “You’re fuckin' awesome, you know that?”
“Um, okay. Although I don’t know what’s so awesome about falling in a lake.”
“The awesome part is how you reacted. You didn’t scream at me. Throw a tantrum. Demand I buy you a new outfit, which I will by the way. Whatever you want.”
“I don’t need a new outfit. I’ll just wash this. It’ll be fine.”
“Okay, you need to stop.” He slides the wet hair off my face. “You keep going, I might just fall in love with you.”
I roll my eyes. “Because I can wash my clothes? That’s a little extreme.”
“Then can I say you’re the coolest girl I’ve ever met?”
I smile. “You can say that.”
He kisses me. “So before you went overboard, what exactly were you planning to do?”
“Have my way with you.” I bite my lip.
“What happened to waiting?”
“Why wait? What if there’s no tomorrow?”
“Shit, that’s deep,” he says all serious, but he’s grinning. “Never had anyone use philosophical reasoning to justify sex.” His lips brush over mine. “But I like it. You’re very wise, Ms. Norris.”
“Except when it comes to knowing how to keep myself in a boat.”
A gust of wind blows over my wet skin and I shiver.
“We need to get you dried off.” Gavin lets me go and grabs the oar. He sinks it into the water and starts furiously rowing back to shore.
“Gavin, I’m fine. You don’t have to go so fast.”
“You’re freezing. You need to get in dry clothes.”
When we reach the dock, he helps me from the boat and we go in the cabin. Gavin starts searching for a towel but the only thing he can find is a roll of paper towels.
He hands them to me. “Sorry. Looks like this is all we have.”
“That’ll work.” I tear off a few sheets and start wiping down my legs. Then I turn away from Gavin and take off my wet clothes.
“I’ll go wait outside,” I hear him say from behind me. I hear the door squeak open.
“Wait. Don’t leave. I don’t want to be alone in here.”
“Why not?”
“In case something starts crawling on me. Spiders. A snake. A raccoon.”
He laughs. “If a raccoon were in here, we’d know.” He turns around and freezes when he sees me. I’m only wearing panties, nothing else. I should probably cover up but I like him looking at me like this. Looking like he wants me but is trying so hard to resist.
I pretend not to notice and continue drying off.
“You’re really testing my willpower here, Kate,” he says, his eyes taking me in.
“You seem to be doing okay,” I tease.
“Not really,” he says, glancing down at his crotch, his jeans straining to contain him.
I smile. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying we need to get out of here before something happens. My first time with you isn’t going to be in some shitty cabin that smells like rotting fish.”
Laughing, I grab more paper towels. “Good point.”
“Here.” He reaches up and yanks his t-shirt off and brings it to me. “Put this on.”
My eyes get stuck on his chest. Just like I thought, he’s all lean muscle. When I touched him I could feel it. I just couldn’t see it. And now that I can, I pause a moment to take it in.
“Kate?”
“Yeah.” I take the shirt from him and slide it on. It’s soft, and warm from his body, covered with the light scent of his cologne. “Thanks. That’s much better.”
He grins. “I liked you the other way, but this will keep you warm.”

Allie Everhart writes romance and romantic suspense and is the author of the popular Jade Series, Kensington Series, Wheeler Brothers, and several standalone titles. She’s also a freelance health writer and has worked on several New York Times bestselling books. Allie's always been a romantic, as evidenced by her early years as a wedding singer, her obsession with dating shows, and the fact that she still watches reruns of The Love Boat. When she’s not writing, she’s outside running, which is when she gets her best book ideas.