Title: Spark
Author: Erin Noelle
Genre: Mature New Adult
Release Date: April 20
I’m failing.
My younger brother is getting worse, and my job – my duty – is to help him at all costs. We’ve tried everything modern medicine has to offer and nothing works.
Nothing.
Deciding to turn to unconventional treatments, we end up at Fire-on-the-Mountain, a holistic resort deep in the Rockies.
In our search for medical marijuana, I find beautiful, free-spirited Hudson Shavell – a girl who may not only hold the key to heal my brother, but to fix me as well. Even though I can’t afford distractions right now, she’s all I can think about. All that I want.
It’s funny how everything can change with one little SPARK.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crrSC_daE_s]
Just as I’m wrapping up my morning duties, a light tapping startles me. Whirling around, I see two silhouettes standing outside, with the muted light from the dawn breaking behind them. I scurry across the cement ground and open the tinted plexiglass door, shocked to see Crew and Caleb, both bundled up like they’re prepared for a blizzard.
“Mornin’, hippie girl. Cool hair,” Caleb greets me cheerfully. “Can we come inside? I’m freezing my balls off out here.”
“Of course, you little wussy. We wouldn’t want that to happen.” I giggle, moving back out of the doorway to let them in.
Crew doesn’t say anything at first, but as he steps inside and our eyes meet, his lips quirk up in an endearing, sleepy smile. Holy shit, that’s sexy. I wonder if that’s what he looks like right when he wakes up in the mornings. Does he sleep in pajama pants, or just his underwear? Boxers or boxer-briefs?
“Hudson? Did you hear me?” Caleb’s voice rips me from my daydream… …my daydream that was quickly leading into indecent territory.
I pivot around to face him, but not before catching the flicker of acknowledgment in Crew’s smirking eyes, which is nearly as mortifying as my parents talking about their sex life at dinner last night. “What’s up, buddy?” Mentally berating myself, I shuffle over to the broccoli plants, where Caleb is standing and shaking his head.
“Not you too?” he groans, pinching his brow at me. “You’ve already got the look.”
Shifting my gaze back and forth between the two of them, I ask, confused, “Me too? What look?”
He sighs dramatically and throws his hands up in the air. “The same Crew-is-so-dreamy-I’ll-do-anything-for-him look that every girl between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five gets when they’re around him.” My face tenses as I try to not have that look. “Can’t you all see I’m his spitting image? A slightly younger, untainted version, I might add.”
“Shut up, Caleb.” Crew playfully shoves him as he joins us, allowing his arm to brush up against mine. “Don’t listen to this little punk. He’s just messing with you.”
I laugh to cover up the twinge of disappointment I feel, though I’m not sure why Caleb’s words sting like they do. Crew is the kind of gorgeous that is usually reserved for boy band members—part messy, part dreamy, all sexy. It’s not that I’m surprised girls fall all over him; I just don’t like being lumped in the same category, like I’m just another brainless chick, falling for his pretty face. I bite my lip, wanting to scream at him that I’m different, but knowing I’m not.
“What are you guys doing up so early?” I question, swallowing down my frustration and fighting to keep my face neutral. “Where’s your mom?”
“I woke up with a seizure and couldn’t fall back asleep. Plus, I think my body’s still on Texas time,” Caleb replies while he continues to mosey around, investigating everything. “Mom’s showering and getting dressed. She’s supposed to meet us at breakfast.”
His mention of the seizure immediately brings things back into perspective for me. I’ve got no right to be disheartened about anything; my primary concern with the Elliott family is to do what I can to help Caleb heal. The kiss needs to be pushed to the back of my mind.
“How often do you have them?”
“Every morning, when I wake up, and then a couple of other times during the week—usually when I’m stressed or exhausted.” He sounds so matter-of-fact, like seizures are an expected part of someone’s normal daily routine. It breaks my heart. Bending down to sniff the rosemary and thyme, he changes the subject. “This stuff smells good. You cook with it a lot?”
I nod once, not wanting to talk about herbs, but to find out more on his condition. “Yeah, occasionally. What’s it like? The seizures, I mean.”
“Honestly, I don’t remember them when they’re over. From the looks on the faces of everyone around me, I guess it’s pretty fucking bad, but I don’t know,” he replies with a shrug. “The headaches are what kill me. It feels like my head is gonna explode from the pressure.”
“Did you try out any of the stuff I brought yesterday?”
“No, we didn’t,” Crew rumbles from behind me, sending a tingle up my spine, but I refuse to turn around. I don’t want to get the look again. “We thought it’d be best if you were with him the first time. None of us have ever used one of those vaporizers before, and we didn’t want to fuck it up and waste what you gave us.”
“It’s not rocket science,” I assert. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”
He moves closer, his chest resting against my shoulder blade, his warm breath drifting across the back of my neck. “I thought you were gonna help us.”
Guilt slices thr.ough my gut as I recognize how selfish my last comment was. This isn’t about you, Hudson, I remind myself. “I am and I will,” I reassure them both, glancing down at my watch briefly. “I have to go set up for breakfast now, but I don’t have classes today, so I’m free after that. Whenever works best for you guys, I’ll be there.”
“Mom’s gotta run some errands after breakfast, so after you get finished would be great. Caleb and I’ll just be chillin’ around here for a while.”
“’Kay, sounds good.” I smile over at the younger Elliott brother, who’s now inspecting the poblano pepper plants. “You ever had Chiles Relleno before?”
Twisting his mouth, he looks up into the sky, as if he’s trying to remember if he has or not. “If you have to think that long about it, they must not have been very good,” I joke. “Why don’t you pick a few and I’ll make them for your breakfast? If you don’t like them, I’ll whip you up an omelet instead.”
“Really?” His face illuminates with delight. “I’ve never picked my breakfast before. This is kinda cool.”
“Yeah, and later today, I’ll show you around the other greenhouse, where we grow the pot, so you can see it in all of the different stages.” Peering over my shoulder at Crew, I lift my eyebrows in a questioning manner. “If that’s okay?”
He flashes a captivating grin and nods. “Absolutely. As long as I can come too.”
“I’ll think about it,” I flirt back, unable to resist his enticing charm, but quickly turn away to help Caleb choose his peppers.
****
A little before eleven, I hang my apron up, flip the light off in the kitchen, and close the door behind me, finally finished cleaning up after the breakfast rush. I ended up preparing no less than ten dishes of Chiles Rellenos, because as the other guests began to filter in and saw what Caleb and Crew had on their plates, they wanted it too. It was so well received from everyone Doug even suggested we make it a permanent item on the menu, which thrilled me. I may have a bit of a pleaser mentality, but I like knowing I pull my weight around here.
Also during breakfast, Mel confirmed with Mary that she knew about me giving the boys a smoking lesson this afternoon—which she did—and then invited them all over for dinner tonight so they can talk to her about moving and the paperwork she needs to start on. So, basically, I’ll be spending most of the day with Crew, and I can’t decide if that’s a good thing or not.
I don’t want to be one of those girls who goes all goo-goo around him, but when he stares at me with those mesmerizing green eyes…when he says things about me belonging to him…when he kisses me unexpectedly…shit, when he just exists, I can’t help it. I am thoroughly intrigued by all things Crew Elliott, no matter how hard I try not to be.
“What have I gotten myself into?” I mumble to myself as I run into my house for a quick freshen-up.
After I wash my face to remove the greasy feeling, brush my teeth, and apply a new coat of chapstick, I bound out of the house and across the property to cabin number eight, pretending I’m not in the least bit nervous. But before I make it up to the top step, the door flies opens and Crew barrels out, directly toward me.
Like déjà vu from the night before, his lips crash down on mine without any warning, capturing me in a staggering kiss that forces me to grab hold of his arms to keep from losing my balance. My mouth opens for him instinctively, our tongues stroking one another’s with wild abandon, his sure and demanding, mine shy and welcoming, and I stop thinking about anything other than how amazing this moment feels. I never want him to stop doing this.
His hands tangle in my hair and I slant my face, deepening the kiss. Nudging me with his hips, he backs me against the porch frame, pinning me, his thick thigh pushing my legs apart until he’s pressed up against my throbbing core. I moan into his mouth as he drains me of my sanity, unable to resist the urge to rock against him, feeling his length start to harden against me. He draws my lower lip between his teeth, sucking and nibbling like it’s the best thing he’s ever tasted, and I hold on tighter, my fingers flexing against his muscled shoulders.
Caleb clears his throat loudly at the doorway, causing us to swiftly break apart and whip around to face him, like kids caught with our hands in the cookie jar. “Y’all can finish making out later. Right now, you’re supposed to be getting me high,” he protests with his arms crossed over his chest.
At first, I’m afraid he’s really annoyed with us, but when I lift my mortified eyes to meet his, he winks playfully, somewhat relieving my guilt-ridden conscience. I exhale my pent-up breath and glance at Crew, whose gaze is still fixed on me. Unfazed by his brother’s interruption, he leans down and skims his soft lips across my cheek, landing them next to my ear.
“Sorry, not sorry. I’ve been waiting all fucking morning to do that,” he whispers, then grabs my hand to lead me inside, “and we’re definitely finishing this later.”
5 stars of beauty, touching every single emotion in the eloquent way only Noelle can.
~ S.E. Hall, NYT Bestselling Author
Noelle really shows her breadth as a writer in Spark––funny, sexy, sad, witty and poignant––all in exactly the right places. Set among the grandeur of the Colorado mountains and caught in the middle of legalized marijuana, ski bunnies and hipsters, Spark is not only a story about young love, but conviction, strength, and the meaning of family. A five-star, do-not-miss, full-of-feels new adult read!
~Rachel Blaufeld, Author of the Electric Tunnel series and Redemption Lane
Erin Noelle has a way of drawing you into a story and you just don't want to leave. You can smell the air, touch the characters and become one with her words. Granted, Erin has a way of making your chest clench, find it necessary to scream and grab a tissue.
~Joanne Schwehm, Author
Bottom line is ... Erin Noelle hit this one out of the park. She gives you EXACTLY what you want when you want it, like she was in my brain, piecing together the perfect new adult novel. Like she was like "I wonder how Ashley would feel about this" and then WHAM she gives it to me ... you will love, you will cry, you will be broken, you will be empathetic, you will be ANGRY AS FAAAK, and you will be put back together in a way that only Erin can ...
FIVE EPIC STARS UP IN SMOKE!!!!!!!!!!!
~Ashley Suzanne, Author
Just finished reading an ARC of Spark by Erin Noelle!!! Wow!! This book kept me up all night reading. I'm telling you now that Spark is a definite must read that will have your emotions running wild and falling in love with Crew, Hudson and everyone else that you'll meet. Thank you, Erin!! ☆☆☆☆☆
~Victoria Ashley, Bestselling Author of Thrust
Erin Noelle is a Texas native, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters. While earning her degree in History at the University of Houston, she rediscovered her love for reading that was first instilled by her grandmother when she was a young child. A lover of happily-ever-afters, both historical and current, Erin is an avid reader of all romance novels. In 2013, she published the Book Boyfriend Series, which included books Metamorphosis, Ambrosia, Euphoria, and Timeless, and recently published When the Sun Goes Down, a contemporary romance novel. Her books have been a part of the USA Today Bestselling list and the Amazon and Barnes & Noble overall Top 100.
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