“We should catch up.”
The kids shared a meaningful look at those foreboding words. Beth mumbled around a mouthful of marshmallows, “Daddy, can we go and play?”
“Sure. Don’t go past that tree, okay?” He pointed to a nearby beech, close enough that he’d have them in his line of sight, well-lit by a streetlight.
“Okay!” They ran off together, sticky hands clasped, cheeks stuffed full of marshmallows like hamsters with grain.
Leaving him and Hannah on their knees, Nate suddenly realised, staring at each other like lemmings.
“Catch up?” she repeated faintly, with the sort of tone he might use to say “Eat mould?”
“Uh… yeah.” He ran a hand through his hair. Christ, he needed a haircut. He stood, and she followed suit, which made him realise how short she still was. Or maybe she just seemed that way because he was tall. Whatever. He should’ve stayed on his knees. He felt like some kind of ominous, oversized thing, looming over her in the half-light.
She cocked her head slightly as she looked at him, like a bird considering an unsuspecting worm. The shadows shifting over the smooth planes of her face were giving him ideas. He hadn’t shot anyone professionally in years, but all of a sudden, he could see a thousand images in his mind’s eye. Something about her…
“I don’t think we have much to catch up on,” she said.
Nate forced himself to focus on the conversation, since he was the one who’d started it. “We don’t?”
“No. I know everything there is to know about you.”
One-click UNTOUCHABLE now!
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Love,
Talia x
Author’s Note
A little while ago, I saw a GIF of a very handsome man. And the moment—the second—I saw it, I also saw Ruth Kabbah.
She was sitting in her living room with a cup of tea, and the handsome man was there too, and she wanted to kiss him but would also rather die than make the attempt. I liked her a lot, so I wrote the book.
It was a lot of fun to write a main character with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, as someone with ASD myself. I hope that my neuroatypical readers find in Ruth the sort of representation we rarely get: an autistic character with a personality and a life, rather than an animated stereotype. An autistic character who isn’t an alien or a changeling or even a theoretical physicist.
In the words of that one meme, it’s what [we] deserve!
This book is the first of three set in the town of Ravenswood. The next book will be about Hannah, and the final book will be about Rae. Who’s Rae? You’ll find out in book 2! But enough of me trying to be mysterious.
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or has experienced, intimate partner violence, I recommend the U.K. charity Women’s Aid. They are helpful, trustworthy and genuine.
You can visit their website at https://www.womensaid.org.uk or use their free, 24 hour helpline: 0808 2000 247.
(I often recommend charities and resources in my author’s note—but never for countries other than my own, because I only promote charities I ‘know’.)
As always, thank you so much for reading this book. It really does mean a lot to me.
Love and biscuits,
Talia xx
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Also by Talia Hibbert
GET A LIFE, CHLOE BROWN
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DAMAGED GOODS
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WANNA BET?
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MATING THE HUNTRESS
A monstrous werewolf finds his mate. What a pity she’s determined to kill him.
MERRY INKMAS
Can this tattooed beast charm his geeky beauty by Christmas Eve?
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Nobody denies the boss. Until her.
UNDONE BY THE EX-CON
To protect her brother, she’ll seduce the man she despises.
SWEET ON THE GREEK
This sports star’s never lost a game. Time to win his woman’s heart.
About the Author
Talia Hibbert is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.
She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online. Her interests include makeup, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm.
Talia loves hearing from readers. Follow her social media to connect, or email her directly at [email protected].