“You had a ring made to match my charm necklace?”

He nodded. “I was going to show it to you the day you left me...I wanted us to open our boxes together.”

“Hmmm.” I ran the loofah against his chest. “What do the “M” and the “L” stand for?”

“I never said anything about that to you before?”

“No...” I shook my head.

“Well, guess.”

“My love?”

“No.” He kissed my shoulder.

“Mid-life?”

“No.”

“Mid-life love?”

“Mid-life love?” He raised his eyebrow. “You think I would honestly give you something that stood for that?”

“No, but...” I shrugged. I couldn’t think of anything else. “Tell me what it means then...”

He sighed and took the loofah away from me. He pulled me against his chest and kissed my hair, running his fingertips against my lips. “My last.”

The End

Wasted Love Excerpt

***subject to change before publication***

“Don’t get married at eighteen, Autumn...You’ll regret it...”—My mother, six years ago.

Chapter 1

Autumn

I don’t love my husband—not anymore, anyway. Our flame burnt out a long time ago, and no matter how many times I try to convince myself that it’ll come back, that one day I’ll feel those magic sparks between us again, nothing happens.

I married him when I was eighteen years old—when I was young, dumb, and thought I knew everything. I was so wrapped up in the whole “But mom, I love him!” and “He’s the only person I can discuss my deep, dark past with!” that I didn’t realize what I was doing. (By the way, having strict parents who enforce a midnight curfew hardly equates to having a “deep, dark past.”)

I don’t even think I’m attracted to my husband anymore.

As of matter of fact, he’s on top of me right now, straddling me—thrusting in and out of me, and the only thing I can think about is whether or not I turned off our coffeemaker.

I think I hit the switch...Did I hit the switch?

“You like that baby?” he asks, bringing his lips close to mine. “You like the way this feels?”

“Oh yeahhh.” I moan.

Wait. Didn’t I say “Oh yeahhhh” ten seconds ago? Damnit... “Oh, baby.” Say “Oh, baby” next...

“Autumnnn.”

“Ohhh babyyy...” I run my hands across his back, thinking that I really didn’t turn off that coffeemaker.

He speeds up his thrusts, gripping my breasts like he’s attempting to yank them off my body. He’s groaning ferociously now, making some type of disturbing animal sound. (It’s a cross between a wounded bear and a dying tiger.)

“Fuckkkk, Autumnnnn.” He pants. “Can you feel me baby? I’m about to—”

“Yessss.” I freeze my eyeballs to their sockets. “I’m almost there...” And with that, I moan even louder—sucking in breaths, shaking my legs, faking yet another orgasm.

I should start keeping count...

He collapses on top of me, his chest pressed against my breasts, and then he whispers, “I love you, Autumn.”

I say it back because I always say it back, because that coffee maker is bothering the hell out of me and I need an excuse to get up.

“That was amazing.” I rub his back with my palms. “Let me go make breakfast. You want waffles?”

“Sure, sweetie.” He lifts his head up and kisses me one more time. Then he rolls over, allowing me to get out of bed.

I wrap myself in a robe and head into the kitchen. As soon as I hit the lights, I look over at the counter.

I didn’t turn it off...I knew it!

I pull out a box of waffle mix and a package of bacon. Usually, Kyle offers to make breakfast after sex, but I need a moment alone to think today.

I need a fucking break.

***

Dear Reader,

I would let you read more of “Wasted Love” right now, but...You. Are. Not. Ready!

I’ll release it to you as fast as I can.

Love,

Whit’

***

Acknowledgments:

Okay, where do I even start with this one? Let me first say that this book would’ve never been possible without the most AMAZING beta readers in the world!

Tamisha Joiner, THANK YOU so much for encouraging me to change this from a novella to a full length novel! (I looked back at the first few drafts and cringed...Jonathan Statham was so NOT sexy then lol) Most importantly, thank you for encouraging me to take my time and put out the best book possible for my amazing readers. I don’t know how I would’ve done any of this without you—the back and forth calls, the text messages, my incessant ramblings about nothing at all. This book is as much mine as it is yours—THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! (Now that we don’t have fifty million email threads going on about “MLL,” it’s time to focus all of the attention on your upcoming wedding! :-)... Can’t wait!)

Tiffany Downs, you’re WONDERFUL.  Point blank. Period.  I can’t count how many times we had to restart that epic “Mid Life Love First Six” thread. And OMG, I just realized that you were reading A LOT of this between planning the last details of your wedding and becoming a newlywed! (That is definitely love...) I can’t say THANK YOU enough for putting up with me and my rants, and being the great balance between me and Miss ‘I-get-too-involved-with-the-characters’ Tamisha. LOL. Your suggestions, critiques (even the overly “mushy” ones), and willingness to listen to me say the same thing over and over again really helped me :-) (Now, go find me a Jonathan Statham in real life...)

Nadira Williams, I want you to know that I have the following texts saved in my phone: “Seriously though, I need that fucking book in my life!” and “It’s so good! Don’t be worried!” I can’t thank you enough for reading it through and through, demanding more chapters, and making the necessary corrections for me. You know, I would take this opportunity to restart the debate about who is smarter between the two of us, but I won’t...LOL. I appreciate you encouraging me to stay strong when I needed it, and to stop focusing on what other people were doing. “Gosh, I’m so fucking excited for this book!”—You literally just texted me that a few seconds ago... THANK YOU!!!

Alonna Grigsby, your editing comments made me laugh out loud and I’ve saved them all to my laptop: “I woke up in a new Bugatti.” “Wait...This man might be crazy...”  “Oh...This man IS crazy!!!” “Wait a minute...They’re not getting married?!” Thank you for reading this once you were done with grad classes and helping me make certain parts more realistic. Does this book count as one of our summer reading books? I really think it should! :-)

Antoine Neal, thanks for reading this “GIRL PORN, GIRL PORN” (as you would say) and helping me out with the characters’ conversations in the beginning...You were right... “Hot mess” would not have worked and Jonathan’s hair does not have the ability to change colors between scenes lol THANK YOU :-)

Jennifer Williams, you’re still the best sister in the world and always will be. I thank you for believing in everything I write. [“They didn’t ‘believesss’ in the book!” :-)]

Jay Williams and William Ray Edwards II—Thank you for respecting “my zone” and interrupting it on some nights with random dances and YouTube videos.

To my parents....I hope you only bought this book and aren’t reading it because that would be AWKWARD—I mean, I’m fine with you reading the Jilted Bride Series, but this? Put it down!

To my friends that I admire from afar: Aster Teclay, Ashley Warren, Tanisha Hill, Sherbrina Shepherd, Christina Royster, Courtney Johnson, Angelica Harris, Vince Cunningham, and Karleic Ellison.