Commencement Blog Tour ~ An Excerpt

I am so thrilled to be today’s stop on Entangled’s tour for COMMENCEMENT by Paige Cuccaro and to be able to share an awesome excerpt and a few details about the author and book.

COMMENCEMENT is a recent discovery, but one I moved to the top of my list of reads after having checked out the excerpt I received for the tour. And as it is a novella – one that sounds totally fun and flirty – it should be a super quick read, so I’ll have no problem sneaking it onto my reading pile this week.

The excerpt offers the perfect tease and introduction to the author’s new series. But I’ll let you judge that for yourself. Well, after you check out a bit more about the book and author, that is….

Title: Commencement (Hellsbane #0.5)
Author: Paige Cuccaro
Pages: 87
Imprint:  Flirt (Entangled Publishing)
Pub. Date: September 27, 2012

 

~~~

As promised….

Justin knotted his arms across his chest and grunted. “Right. Shoulda been more specific.”

“Excuse me?” The hairs on the back of my neck tingled. I tried to read him, but without tapping my gift, I was flying blind. I knew if I opened myself to his feelings, though, I risked another emotional bitch-slap.

No, thank you.

“Nuthin’,” he said, snagging his backpack from the floor next to his bed. “I gotta roll.”

“What? Wait. I mean, a second ago you wanted to… Where are you going?” I sounded panicked.

Maybe because I was.

If Mihir was right, Justin was playing with some pretty serious otherworldly power. As insane as that sounded, it had to be worse than playing with fire, and Justin couldn’t even light a match without burning his fingers. If there was even the slightest chance any of this was real, I had to try and help him.

Justin was a sweet guy, athletic, sexy, great in bed, but in the quick-thinking, smart-enough-to-outwita- supernatural-heavy-hitter category, he’d pull all Fs. With or without a computer virus’s help.

Not that I was any better.

“I just remembered I gotta hand in my term paper to Richardson. It’s already late.” He slung his backpack over one shoulder and held the strap with his right hand. His butt-ugly ring stared at me. “Oh. Speaking of which, maybe it’d be better if you didn’t sleep over tonight. Got that exam in Richardson’s Logic class tomorrow and it’s gonna kick my ass if I don’t do some serious crammin’. Sorry, honey.”

“Wha…? I thought… I mean, yeah, of course. Your grades are more important, but…I could come over after you’re done studying.”

I’d gotten used to spending the night wrapped in his arms. Besides, whatever was happening with him was crazy, and kind of scary, but that’s what it meant to be in love. Right? Standing by the person even when he’s freakin’ you the hell out. Being there when he needs you most—protecting him however you can. As bizzaro as Justin was behaving, I had to suck it up and stay close if he needed me. Right?

He stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I doubt I’ll even make it to bed. You’d be in there alone anyway.”

“But you need to sleep.” I sounded slightly more desperate than I liked, but what better time to slip the ring off him than in his sleep?

“Aww…I’ll manage.” His smile turned indulgent. “It’s killin’ me, too. You think I want to spend the night studying? Hell, I wish I didn’t even have to take the stupid exam.”

A sudden flare of light sparked at his shoulder and the smell of sulfur tinged the air like smoke. My gaze shifted to Justin’s right hand. I hadn’t seen it, but I was sure the flash had come from the ring.

“Did you see that?”

“What— No. Didn’t see anything.” He stiffened, his eyes wide like a boy who’d been caught peeking at Christmas presents. “See ya around, Emma.”

He leaned in and pecked my cheek—my cheek?— then turned to leave. I didn’t know squat about enslaved spirits or whatever, but I did know something was off-kilter. And a woman’s instincts were all I needed to sense it. Something weird may be going on, but seriously? What college-age guy passes on the chance for sex?

“Justin, wait.”

He turned at the door as I snagged my backpack.

“C’mon, Em, don’t beg.”

Oh, he had to be dreaming. I don’t beg.

~~~

So? What do you think? Emma sounds kinda awesome, right? I love an MC who is not afraid to admit that she’s better in bed than in school and does not resort to begging. I cannot wait to learn more about her over the course of the series!

Anyway, I’m not the only stop on tour. There may just be a few other places to haunt….