New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter returns with an irresistible Original Heartbreakers story about a woman whoâs never felt desired and the man who wants her more than air to breathe...
Bullied in high school, Dorothea Mathisâs past is full of memories sheâd rather forget. But thereâs one she canât seem to shakeâher long-standing crush on former army ranger Daniel Porter. Now that the sexy bad boy has started using her inn as his personal playground, she should kick him out...but his every heated glance makes her want to join him instead.
Daniel returned to Strawberry Valley, Oklahoma, to care for his ailing father and burn off a little steam with no strings attached. Though he craves curvy Dorothea night and day, heâs as marred by his past as she is by hers. The more he desires her, the more he fears losing her.
But every sizzling encounter leaves him desperate for more, and soon Daniel must make a choice: take a chance on love or walk away forever.
Praise for New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter
âShowalter...rocks me every time!â
âSylvia Day, #1 New York Times bestselling author
âShowalter writes fun, sexy characters you fall in love with!â
âLori Foster, New York Times bestselling author
âSassy, smart characters and an expertly woven, unconventional plot, The Closer You Come showcases Gena Showalter in all her shining talent.â
âKristan Higgins, New York Times bestselling author
âShowalter makes romance sizzle on every page!â
âJill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author
âEmotional, heart-tugging, kept me turning the pages!â
âCarly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author
âWith compelling stories and memorable characters, Gena Showalter never fails to dazzle.â
âJeaniene Frost, New York Times bestselling author
âThe Showalter name on a book means guaranteed entertainment.â
âRT Book Reviews
âThe versatile Showalter...once again shows that she can blend humor and poignancy while keeping readers entertained from start to finish.â
âBooklist on Catch a Mate
âGena Showalter is a romantic genius.â
âSan Francisco Book Review
PROLOGUE
SOME PEOPLE EXCELLED at high school. Other people...didnât.
Dorothea Mathis sucked so hard she made everyone else in the âdidnâtâ category look like rock stars.
Fighting the urge to vomit, she entered the hallowed hallways of Strawberry Valley High, home of the mighty Stallions. Today marked the first day of her sophomore year.
Iâll do better this go-round. No matter what. She would be strong and brave and stand up to Harlow Glass, the school bully; she wouldnât run away. She would talk to other students at lunch, and she would make new friends; she wouldnât hide in the band room. Somehow, she would convince everyone to use her given name rather than the nickname her family had cursed her withâDottie.
Or Spotty Dottie. Or Dot dot dot, followed by laughing and pointing at the freckles on her face. Or her personal favorite, Dottie the wannabe hottie.
Today she forged a new path. I can do this!
Oh, crap! What if I canât do this?
Insults sheâd heard adults whisper behind their hands claimed center stage in her mind.
Bless her heart. Her face would turn milk into sour cream.
Poor girl. She could make a freight train take a dirt road.
Heavenâs above. Sheâs probably got to sneak up on a glass of water just to get a drink.
What did looks matter? So she was technically considered obese. So her eyes were too big for her face, and her teeth were crooked. Well, her teeth used to be crooked. The braces were definitely helping. So she had a mass of frizzy corkscrew curls and looked like the human version of a Dalmatian. So the heck what. She was a good person with a good heart. Nothing else mattered.
I can do this, she repeated.
Squeals of happiness rang out as kids reconnected with friends. Dorothea smiled and waved at everyone, whatever their clique, but hardly anyone acknowledged her. No biggie. Right? Improvement took time. RIGHT?
She forced herself to trudge on, head high. If only her besties were here. Lyndie Scott and Ryanne Wade. They would build her confidence.
Youâre beautiful.
Youâre so freaking smart.
You have the best sense of humor around.
A few months ago, Lyndieâs dad married Ryanneâs mom. They were a real family now, sisters on paper as well as heart. This year, the lucky girls were being homeschooled. Ryanneâs mom enjoyed having her only daughter nearby, and Lyndie was so quiet and reserved she functioned better in a contained environment.