Beautifully READ: Change of Heart by Jennifer L. Allen

Title: Change of Heart

Author: Jennifer L. Allen

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: November 6, 2015

Casey Evans and Decker Abrams have been best friends since they became neighbors at the age of six. After high school, Casey abruptly leaves their hometown of Charleston, South Carolina for the west coast, leaving Decker wondering where she went and why she left.

Three years later the two are reunited, both harboring some old resentment towards the other. Not to mention, Casey has been hiding a pretty big secret from Decker all those years. Not willing to risk losing Casey again, Decker follows her back to California in an attempt to save their friendship.

Will Casey and Decker work out their issues and be best friends again? Or will they finally become something more?

Amazon ☞ http://goo.gl/SabPOE

“Have you kissed anyone, Casey?” Decker asked after we spread out the blanket and sat down cross-legged at the end of the dock.

I laughed. “No, Deck. Guys don’t want to kiss me.”

“That’s not true,” he said.

“Then how come I’m seventeen and I’ve never been kissed?”

He looked down at his hands, fidgeting in his lap.

“Decker?” I asked sternly. What did he do?

“I may have threatened a few of the guys on the team.”

“What?! Why? How?” I couldn’t believe he did that. No wonder guys never talked to me, let alone kissed me. I knew I was plain and all, but still. There’s someone for everyone, right? All those guys that talked to me and he chased away…

“None of those guys are good enough for you.”

“Shouldn’t that be for me to decide?” I cross my arms over my chest, downright pissed off now.

How dare he?

“I’m sorry, Case.”

“Hmmf.” I stared off into the water, ignoring him.

Decker sighed. “You know what? I’m not sorry. I don’t want you kissing other guys and that’s that.”

My eyes snapped back to his. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he said, looking down at his hands again.

“Yeah, I heard you. That’s a bunch of crap, Decker. You can’t just run interference all my life.” If I wasn’t sitting, I would have stomped my feet.

“Wanna bet?”

I rolled my eyes. Arguing with him was useless. He was the most stubborn person I knew, next to myself of course.

“Whatever, Decker.”

He sighed again. “I want to be your first kiss,” he whispered, so quietly I barely heard him.

“What did you just say?”

He looked up at me. “I said I want to be your first kiss.”

“What? Why? Decker?” I didn’t know what to say. Where was this coming from? Decker wants to kiss me? Why?

“Because when I think back to my first kiss, I want it to be a happy memory. And Casey, all my memories with you are happy ones.”

I felt tears well up in my eyes. Well, if that wasn’t the sweetest thing Decker Abrams had ever said to me. And I’d be his first kiss, too? Gorgeous Decker Abrams has never kissed a girl?

He groaned at the tears. “Don’t cry, Case.”

“Happy tears, Deck. Happy tears,” I smiled at him.

He grinned that boyish grin I loved so much that always got him out of trouble…with me and every other female in his life.

“So you’ve really never kissed a girl before?” I still found that hard to believe, but Decker had never lied to me before.

He shook his head. “No. I wanted it to be special, you know?”

I nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

“So can I?” he asked, scooting closer to me on the blanket.

“Can you what?” He moved even closer.

“Kiss you?” I could feel his breath on my face, he was so close.

“Please,” I whispered, closing my eyes.

His lips brushed mine and I felt tingles all over my body. His lips were so soft, yet so firm. Suddenly his tongue was pressed against the seam of my lips. It was such a strange sensation. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do, but I wanted to taste him, too.

I opened my mouth and our tongues danced against one another. Touching and twisting, each sampling what the other had to offer. He finally put his arms around me and pulled me close to him. The kiss was amazing and seemingly never-ending, despite the awkward position we were twisted into. He eventually ended it with three short pecks on my lips.

As he pulled away we both opened our eyes. He smiled, so did I.

“Wow,” I said.

“Wow,” he agreed.

“Can we do that again?” I asked.

“Definitely,” he wasted no time, leaning in again.

Decker and I made out under the stars for hours that night. Never letting the other get too far away.

It was the start of something beautiful.

But it was also the beginning of the end.

Jennifer lives in South Carolina with her husband and their four fur-kids. She is in grad school, pursuing a Masters in Psychology for Clinical Counseling. When she is not at work or taking classes, she is either reading or writing. Books have always been a passion. She also enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to new places, and music. She released her debut novel, Our Moon, in June 2015.