Book Blitz and Giveaway - Unconditional: A Love Story by Shon

Title: Unconditional: A Love Story
Author: Shon
Publication Date: May 10th 2022

Print Length: 289 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance

~

Charli is everything Damian ever wanted.

Captivated from the moment they met, he allowed her to set the tone for their summer fling.

But when the summer was over and he wanted more, he soon found out that maybe his feelings were one-sided.

That was two years ago and he’s still stuck on Charli. He needs to move on.

A lot has changed since they last saw each other, but Damian can’t shake the what-ifs. And the moment they cross paths again he knows his heart still belongs to the elusive woman who stole it the first time he laid eyes on her.

Who’s to say they won’t get it right this time around?

Goodreads * Amazon
—
EXCERPT:

Charli fixed her amused friend with a look, until Devyn’s eyes swelled again signaling the arrival of another would-be suitor.

Not again, Charli thought. The number of men who’d approached their table tonight was ungodly. She almost regretted coming out.

That was until that scent overtook her senses.

Bergamot.

Leather.

Sandalwood.

Damian.

Charli tried to ignore the way her heartbeat travelled from her chest to the pit of her stomach and then a few inches lower.

Being in close proximity with Damian so many days in a row was wreaking havoc on her nervous system.

Devyn’s snicker, followed by “Aw, sh*t,” didn’t go unnoticed no matter how distracted she was.

“Married huh?” Damian teased in lieu of a usual greeting.

“I-” Charli didn’t get to finish her thought. She wasn’t sure what she would have said anyway.

“It’s cool if we join you?” Damian asked, gesturing to someone at his side.

In her lustful haze, Charli hadn’t even realized there was anyone with him. The vaguely familiar man beside him looked none too pleased with this detour, but Charli wrote it off as him having a bad night.

After sharing a silent glance, Charli and Devyn both moved towards the inside of the booth, leaving room for the men to sit down in their now vacant spots near the perimeter.

When Damian sat down beside her, his long legs brushed against hers sending shivers up and down her spine.

Charli grasped her drink and took a large sip. She ignored the teasing gleam in Devyn’s eye as she observed it all.

Damian made quick work of introducing his friend Philip, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere but there.

Charli wondered what his problem was.

Shaking the thought, she introduced Devyn to both men since they’d never officially met. Next, her eyes landed on Damian who was already looking at her. There was something about the golden flecks in his green eyes that made her catch her breath. His gaze was piercing and intimidating. As if he was cracking open her outer shell and penetrating her soul with just a single glance.

Maintaining an outward calm, Charli sipped her drink again, sad that she was near the end of it.

Noticing this right away, Damian easily tracked down a waiter and ordered another round for the table before turning his gaze back to her.

“So did I miss something or did you get married in the two days since I last saw you?” His full lips were flirting with a smile, which made Charli warm all over.

This man was the epitome of fine. With a capital F-I-N-E.

Charli looked to Devyn for an out, but her gregarious friend was already chatting up Sourpatch Phil. But she had to admit, his face looked a lot more pleasant than it had just five minutes ago. Her bestie seemed to have that effect on people.

“Nothing’s changed,” Charli finally answered. “Just trying to turn them down as politely as possible.”

Damian’s laugh was humorless, some of the light leaving his beautiful eyes.

“Right. Politely,” he murmured, seeming to turn the word over his tongue. “Well at least he got polite,” he added just as the waiter returned with their drinks.

Charli bristled at the coolness in his tone but didn’t have time react before Devyn raised her glass and made a toast to friends—new and old.

She clinked her glass against Damian’s and watched the muscle at the base of his jaw working overtime as his unwavering stare fixed her in place.

They’d gone from teasing to tense in a matter of seconds and Charli’s head was spinning from the unexpected swing.

What had he meant by that?

“So, Charlotte.” He always refused to call her by her nickname and she hated how good her given name sounded falling from his lips. “Tell me about your week. Did you land that client you were telling me about?”

Just as quickly as the dark look had covered his face, it was gone. Charli was transfixed at how quickly he could mask his emotions.

He seemed casual as ever as he awaited her answer, his finger lazily tracing the rim of his glass.

The rational part of her brain told her not to fall into this web. It was a set-up, and she would regret it when she was trying to dig herself out. But the trap was too enticing to resist.

Devyn and Philip were still busy chatting on the other side of the booth. Devyn was in sales mode. It turned out that his wife was a frequent patron of her boutique and now he was trying to order her some exclusive items for their upcoming anniversary.

Damian and Charli fell into an easy conversation regarding what Damian had planned for himself now that he was back in Florida full-time.

Charli perked up when he told her about the concept for the financial literacy program.

“I think that’s an incredible idea Damian. It would definitely be an asset to the community.”

This time when his eyes darkened, she read appreciation mingled with desire very clearly before he rewarded her with an easy smile.

If she’d been standing, she knew her knees would be weak. She just knew it and was suddenly grateful for the uncomfortable wooden bench digging into the underside of her thighs.

Damian nodded and licked his lips. “I wanted to talk to you about that actually.”

Charli’s interest piqued even more. “Oh?”

---
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shon is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She used her degree in English Literature for eight years to teach English all around the world. She has recently returned home to the States and now she spends all her time reading or writing down her wildest daydreams.

---
GIVEAWAY:

Win a $10 Amazon gift card and an eBook of Unconditional by Shon!

(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prizes. Xpresso Book Tours and the author assume all responsibility over this giveaway.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by: