Title: The Rules of Dating
Authors: Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland
Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 19, 2022
Excited about Penelope Ward & Vi Keelandโs upcoming release, The Rules of Dating?
Check out this SNEAK PEEK!
Crash!
Shit. Billie and I looked at each other. A devilish smirk spread across her faceโฆand then she turned and bolted.
I looked around. The coast seemed clear, so I ran as fast as I could while pushing a heaping cart full of crap. For the last hour and a half, Billie had been picking things out and holding them up to show me. If I agreed, she chucked them over her shoulder for me to catch with the cart. Iโd been zigging and zagging, trying to scoop up all the merchandise she threw as I followed her aroundโboth of us laughing like school kids the entire time. That is, until I missed that last toss and a glass bowl shattered on the floor.
IKEA was a giant maze, and both of us kept running, turning left and then right, until we finally arrived in the warehouse portion of the store, which was right before the checkout line. Billie leaned over with her hands on her knees, huffing and puffing.
โI think weโre in the clear,โ she said.
โPretty sure I wouldโve rather paid for the twelve-dollar bowl than make a run for it. This cart is so full, it almost tipped like ten times.โ
She laughed. โDid we get everything we need?โ
โIโm not sure. But we definitely bought a lot of shit we donโt need. Like I think we could have done without the motorized ice cream cone spinners. The tenant can lick their own ice cream.โ
Billie grinned. โThose are for me and Saylor. They light up, too!โ
I snorted. โCome on, letโs check out before Iโm completely broke.โ
While we loaded everything onto the conveyor belt, I lifted my chin toward the in-store restaurant located just after the cashier stations. โYou still up for meatballs?โ
โUhโฆhello? Itโs the only reason I came.โ
I clutched my hand over my heart. โOww, that hurts. And here I thought you came for the company.โ
After we were all checked out, I wheeled the cart over to a table for two in the corner of the restaurant. โWhy donโt you stay here with the stuff, and Iโll go get us some meatballs.โ
โOkay. But can you get me a drink, too, please? Iโm so thirsty.โ
When I came back, I set two big plates of meatballs on the table.
โDid you forget the drinks?โ Billie asked.
I grinned and lifted a finger. โActually, I didnโt. I brought them.โ My gym bag from earlier had been lying on the bottom shelf underneath the cart since we walked in. Taking it out, I unzipped and started to unpack. โWine, madame?โ I held a bottle of merlot over one arm, showing the label like a maรฎtre dโ.
Billie cracked up. โYou brought wine with you? I thought it was strange when you took your duffle bag into the store. But I figured maybe your wallet was in it and stuff.โ
I shrugged. โWhat choice did I have? You wonโt go out with me, so I have to make the best out of our undate at IKEA.โ I unloaded two plastic wine glasses, white cloth napkins, and a candleholder with a red candle.
Billie picked up the candle and examined it before raising a brow. โA winter village scene?โ
I shrugged. โTheyโre Christmas candles. I only had an hour to get out of the house with a four-year-old. Donโt judge.โ
The looks we got from the people around us as we ate meatballs by candlelight were pretty comical. I was also pretty sure it was against the rules to have an open flame in IKEA, let alone an open bottle of wine, but evidently the people behind the counter hadnโt read the employee rule book to be certain. Either way, the smile on Billieโs face made it all worthwhile. After we were done eating, I blew out the candle and started to pack up.
โYou knowโฆโ Billie shook her head. โI think you just snuck a date into our undate.โ
I shoved the cork back into the top of the wine bottle and zippered it into my duffle. โI did not.โ
She squinted at me. โIโm pretty sure you did. Whatโs the difference between what we just did and a date? We shared a candlelight meal with wine and cloth napkins.โ
I leaned down and whispered in her ear. โThe difference is, you donโt get to come at the end.โ
When I pulled back, Billieโs jaw was hanging open. I freaking loved that she looked so affected. She swallowed. โIs that the way all your dates end?โ
I shook my head back and forth slowly. โNo, but itโs damn straight the way ours would.โ
Copyright ยฉ 2022 Penelope Ward and Vi Keeland
BLURB
It all started when I hosted a little party for a bunch of new friends.
Though โfriendsโ might not be the right word since the invitees were all the women Iโd found out my boyfriend was talking to behind my back. When the guest of honor walked inโaka my now exโthings took a turnโฆ
Unfortunately, a stranger witnessed the whole blowout. I was in a mood that night and ended up giving this gorgeous guy an attitude, too. As if my night could get any worse, before he stormed off, he informed me he was actually my landlord.
Colby Lennon, along with three of his friends, owned the building where my tattoo shop was located. He and I were total opposites. He wore a tie, oozed confidence that came with years of women falling at his feet, and wasnโt afraid to say what he wanted, which latelyโwas me.
I hated that I found myself attracted to him. Especially since I was supposed to be on a self-imposed dating hiatus. Yet the two of us couldnโt seem to stay away from each other. We started hanging out, as friends. I even went as far as making rules for what heโd dubbed our โundates.โ
But eventually, our explosive attraction became too much to bear, and we broke our resolve. I let my guard down and started to really fall for Colby.
Nothing could have prepared me for the ride he took me on. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for where I’d wind up when the ride was over.
All good things must come to an end, right?
Except our ending was one I didn’t see coming.
PENELOPE WARD
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
Vi Keeland is a #1โฏNew York Times, #1โฏWall Street Journal, andโฏUSA TodayโฏBestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. 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.
OTHER BOOKS BY PENELOPE & VI
Free in Kindle Unlimited
ALSO AVAILABLE IN PRINT & AUDIO
Free in Kindle Unlimited
ALSO AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK & AUDIO
Find more books
