Excerpt Reveal: Beautiful Mistake – Vi Keeland

Posted July 12, 2017 by Cocktails and Books in Blog Tour, InkSlingers PR / 0 Comments

 

 

 

The first time I met Caine West was in a bar.

He noticed me looking his way and mistakenly read my scowling as checking him out.

When he attempted to talk to me, I set him straightโ€”telling him what I thought of his lying, cheating, egomaniacal ass.

You see, the gorgeous jerk had wined and dined my best friend–smooth talking her into his bed, all along failing to mention that he was married.

He deserved every bit of my tongue-lashing and more for what he’d done.

Especially when that lazy smile graced his perfect face in response to my rant.

Only it turned out, the man I’d just told off wasn’t the right guy.

Oops.ย  My mistake.ย 

Embarrassed, I slunk out without an apology.

I was never going to see the handsome stranger again anyway, right?

Thatโ€™s what I thoughtโ€ฆuntil I walked into class the next morning.

Well, hello Professor West, Iโ€™m your new teaching assistant.

Iโ€™ll be working under youโ€ฆfiguratively speaking.

Although the literal interpretation might not be such a bad thingโ€”working under Professor West.

This was going to be interestingโ€ฆ

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An excerpt from Beautiful Mistakeโ€ฆ

The class was completely empty. I wasnโ€™t even sure he knew I was still in my seat. If he did, he was good at ignoring me as he packed up his laptop.

โ€œContrary to the rumors youโ€™ve probably heard, I donโ€™t bite.โ€

I jumped when he spoke. Now that the lecture hall was no longer filled with students, the acoustics of the large space bounced his deep voice all over the walls.

I stood and began my walk of shame down to the front of the classroom. There was no doubt I owed the man an apology, even if he wasnโ€™t a professorโ€”a professor who would be my new boss for at least the next fifteen weeks. I wanted to kick myself in the ass for not apologizing last night before I left the bar. Now it would seem like I was only doing it because of the situation I was in.

Which was true, donโ€™t get me wrong, but I didnโ€™t want it to seem that way.

I took a deep breath. โ€œIโ€™m so sorry about last night.โ€

His face was unreadable. โ€œI figured you might be, right about now.โ€

โ€œI obviously thought you were someone else.โ€

โ€œSo I assumed. You thought I was the asshole. The one with the big dick, was it?โ€

I shut my eyes. For the last ninety minutes, Iโ€™d replayed the entire exchange from last night over and over in my head. I thought Iโ€™d remembered everything I said, but apparently I hadnโ€™t. When I reopened my eyes, Professor West was still watching me. His stare was pretty damn intense.

I started to babble. โ€œMy friend Ava went out with this guy Owen for a month or so. He was full of shit from day one, but she didnโ€™t see it. Actually walked up to her when she was leaving work one night and said, โ€˜Do you mind if I walk you home? My mother always told me to follow my dreams.โ€™ She fell for it, the entire act, from the first day. Then one Saturday, he was supposedly out of town on business, and she was across town running errands for her mother. She took a shortcut through Madison Square Park on her way back from the grocery store and ran into him. He was with his wife and kids.โ€

โ€œAnd you thought I was him, apparently?โ€

I nodded. โ€œShe came in during my shift and started drinking Long Island iced teas. When Owen walked in, she pointed to where he was standing and said he was the one in the blue shirt.โ€

โ€œAnd we were both wearing blue shirts, I take it?โ€

I couldnโ€™t help but smile, thinking of Ava last night. โ€œActually, no. Avaโ€™s not much of a drinker. Turned out she was more sloshed than I thought. Owenโ€™s shirt was brownโ€”not even black that could be mistaken as navy or something.โ€

I saw Professor Westโ€™s lip twitch.

โ€œAnyway, Iโ€™m really sorry. I barely gave you a chance to speak, and then when I realized what had happened, I was so mortified I didnโ€™t even stop to apologize.โ€

โ€œI accept your apology for last night. Even though you shouldnโ€™t be approaching a man in the hallway to tell him off alone, your intentions were admirable.โ€

I should have shut up and been grateful heโ€™d accepted my apology. Should have. โ€œWhy canโ€™t I approach a man in the hallway?โ€

He leveled me with a stare. โ€œBecause youโ€™re five foot nothing in a loud bar, and no one would have heard you if Iโ€™d dragged you into the menโ€™s room and locked the door.โ€

I folded my arms over my chest. โ€œI can take care of myself.โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™t say you couldnโ€™t. I said you shouldnโ€™t put yourself in those situations.โ€

โ€œBut you insinuated that I couldnโ€™t by making that statement.โ€

He zipped his leather bag closed. โ€œMs. Martin, I just accepted your apology for calling me an asshole last night. Would you like me to retract that acceptance?โ€

God, I really was an idiot. Being around this man seemed to turn me into a psychopath. โ€œNo. Iโ€™m sorry. I acted like a jerk, and Iโ€™d like to start over, if thatโ€™s possible.โ€

He nodded. โ€œEverything prior to this morning is forgotten.โ€

โ€œThank you.โ€

โ€œBut this morning is not. I wonโ€™t accept lateness. Donโ€™t let it happen again.โ€

I swallowed. โ€œIt wonโ€™t.โ€

He lifted his worn, brown leather laptop bag over one shoulder. โ€œMeet me here at five tomorrow. Weโ€™ll go over the syllabus and the classes youโ€™ll teach, as well as my grading rubric.โ€

That was smack in the middle of my shift, but Iโ€™d figure something out. โ€œOkay.โ€

โ€œAre you done for the day?โ€

โ€œI am. I actually have to get to work. Iโ€™m covering Avaโ€™s shift because she isnโ€™t feeling too well after last night. We both work at Oโ€™Learyโ€™s.โ€

โ€œYou waitress there?โ€

โ€œWaitress, bartend, occasionally tell off patrons.โ€

That earned me a full smile from Professor West. God, he should do that more often. No, forget that. He definitely shouldnโ€™t.

โ€œIโ€™ll walk out with you.โ€

We walked through the halls together and out to the parking lot. When we arrived at my car, I stopped. โ€œThis is me. Soโ€ฆfive oโ€™clock tomorrow?โ€

Professor West looked at my beat-up old Subaru. โ€œYouโ€™re parked in a spot reserved for the Provost. You got a parking ticket.โ€ He squinted. โ€œActually, it looks like you have two parking tickets. Was your inspection expired or something?โ€

Crap. โ€œUmmโ€ฆno. I keep an extra ticket in the glove compartment and stick it on my windshield when Iโ€™m forced to park illegally.โ€

His brows shot up. โ€œInventive.โ€

โ€œObviously it doesnโ€™t always work.โ€

โ€œObviously.โ€

โ€œThey need more parking. When youโ€™re late, itโ€™s impossible to find a spot.โ€

He studied me. โ€œLateness is a frequent occurrence for you, I take it?โ€

โ€œUnfortunately, it is.โ€

โ€œThen I should clarify something I said earlier.โ€

โ€œOh, no, thatโ€™s not necessary. I wonโ€™t be late for your class.โ€

He took a step closer and leaned in. โ€œIโ€™m glad to hear that, Ms. Martin. But thatโ€™s not what needs clarification.โ€

I swallowed. God, he smells good.

โ€œEarlier I told you I didnโ€™t bite students.โ€ He smiled, and I felt the wickedness from it shoot down to some interesting places. โ€œI donโ€™t. But I make no promises about not biting feisty TAs.โ€

 

 

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Vi Keeland is aย #1ย New York Timesย Bestselling author. With more than 1.5 million books sold, her titles have appeared in over eighty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in sixteen languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

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