And I Love You

<p><strong style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>ANDI</strong></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Love and I mean real love is the exception. I know most of us never find it. For me life is about surviving keeping my head above the water while I tell lie after lie so people don't realize how bad it really is. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Something changes when his eyes lock on mine. Something in me stirs. He's steady where I wobble. He's quiet where my mind screams. He's a flirt and for the first time I'm finding myself wanting to be one right back. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>But I know better than to get close. I'll only weigh him down.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>MERIT</strong></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>She's warmth like I've never felt. I don't date and I don't do love. Most of the time one night is plenty for me. So why have I been mesmerized from the moment she walked through that door? </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(30 25 21 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>She's everything I won't let myself have because she's everything I'll destroy. She's soft kind and blushes with the innocence of a woman entirely unaware of her perfection. She's everything I need and everything I'll ruin myself to protect.</span></p><p></p><p><em style=color: rgba(65 65 65 1)>This is the first book in the Mako Bay duet. It features a slow-burn character-driven romance focused on emotional growth and healing after trauma. This story deals with dark themes including parental substance abuse child abuse drugging sexual assault (not between the main characters) and death. While difficult experiences are explored the focus remains on healing trust and love.</em></p><p></p><p></p>