Verna Loves Books: *Release* Sexperiment by Karma Kingsley

Sexperiment by Karma Kingsley
https://www.karmakingsley.net/sexperimentlanding?fbclid=IwAR13drXQL38c9_jCxSNwcURlOPLDF-BEGvzItZaqM1Ph_OOUA9TgfmkblRU

Blurb:

Amerie is exactly what people think accountants should be: straight-laced, boring and good at math. If it wasn't for her crushing debt, she'd be an utter cliché.

After a brutal breakup with her longtime boyfriend, she decides to shake things up. In the spirit of new adventures, she allows her best friend to talk her into taking part in a beta test of Sexperience’s new dating service, pairing participants based on sexual compatibility.

The experiment is only supposed to help Amerie get out of her comfort zone, but when she finds out who she’s paired with, things become infinitely more complicated.

Excerpt:

Jordan propped her bare feet onto my dashboard with a sigh as she sank deeper into the passenger seat.

I groaned, reaching over to swat at her legs. I hated feet, and more importantly, I despised the idea of them bare and dusting all over the surfaces of my car. “Get your feet down, Jordi. You know I hate that shit.”

She knew me better than anyone on the planet, knew exactly how much time I spent keeping my car in impeccable shape, and yet, there she was, foot in the window not giving a damn about how close she was to being the victim in a homicide case.

“Get over it, A. I’m bored and exhausted, and you asked me to come. I’m showing you support. The least you can do is not be a pain in the ass when I try to stretch out.”

I pressed my lips into a straight line. Yep, she was going to make me kill her. “One, we’ve been here for like five seconds. Two, I drove the whole way, so why you’re exhausted is beyond me. And three…well, three is my fault. You’re right. I should have come alone.”

I loved her, but she had a knack for being unbelievably self-involved. My stomach was in knots; my relationship was hanging on by a thread; my finances were a disaster—a devastating irony. The accountant with a mountain of debt on her back. I was one of God’s crueler jokes—and all my best friend in the world could do was complain and rub her dirty feet on my car.

My face must have given away my anger because Jordan let out a loud sigh as she slid her feet back onto the floor. “Alright, Alright. Feet down. I’m here, and I’m the supportive bestie of your wet dreams. We’re going to get through this. I promise. Everything’s going to work out.”

I rolled my eyes. “Well, that was some graphic phrasing.”

“No, seriously.” She reached out for my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

Suddenly, I remembered all of the reasons I had for not killing her. I gave her a grateful nod as I squeezed back. She was the one person in the world who always had my back, maybe in her own annoying way, but I could undoubtedly lean on her.

My phone chimed, and I reached for it, pulling it from the cup holder to check the message.

“He’s here,” I told her. “The plane just landed.”

My heart picked up speed, pounding in my chest, and suddenly I was breathing way too hard.

“Hey, look at me, baby girl.” I listened, turning to meet Jordan’s bright brown eyes as they focused in on me. Her dark bangs covered her eyebrows, but the scrunch of her nose told me they were pulled in sincerity. “It’s going to be fine,” she said, placing a gentle hand to my cheek.

I nodded but still couldn’t slow down my breathing. “Okay, okay. Mhmm.”

My stomach somersaulted as I thought about every unreturned phone call I’d made, every text that went unanswered. A slow panic crawled up my spine as I realized the only thing I’d talked about with my long-term boyfriend in the last five weeks was his flight itinerary.

“He’s here to break up with me. I know it. I feel it. I shouldn’t even be here.”

Jordan leaned across the seat and placed both her hands to the sides of my face. “Listen to me. We’re going to go into that airport and meet your boyfriend. He’s going to see you in that fucking delicious dress, and whatever’s been up his ass for the last few weeks is going to melt away. You two are the most boring people I know. You’re destined to be together.”

My eyes squinted as I tried to determine if this was a pep talk or an insult. “Uh, okay.”

“Seriously, the most boring people I’ve ever met.”

I pulled out of her grasp, giving her a playful push. “Alright, got it. Message received. I’m boring, and I need to go get my boring man.”

“There’s my girl,” Jordan shouted, climbing out of the car.

Rolling my eyes, I pushed open my door and stepped out into the damp heat. Atlanta summer was showing no mercy.

By the time we traveled the length of the parking structure and reached a set of airport doors, Jordan and I both were drenched in sweat. So much for Yelvin seeing me and going wild. My “delicious” dress clung to me, and not in a sexy way, more in a way that made me look like I desperately needed a shower.

The humidity had also very graciously left its mark on my hair. My freshly done Brazilian blowout had become a monumental waste of money I didn’t have as my hair slowly reverted to its natural state. I kicked myself for not investing in faux-locs. Nobody wore their natural hair anymore, and now I knew why. I solemnly swear to get a sew-in at the first opportunity, I promised myself.

Jordan grabbed my hand and pulled me through the airport to the nearest bathroom. She must have sensed my diminishing confidence because without a word she pulled me to a mirror. Placing her bag on the sink, she rifled through it, pulling out a flower-shaped tin of soft honey powder. Without prompting, she brushed some along my cheeks, forehead and down the bridge of my nose while simultaneously yanking paper towels out of the holder over the sinks. She was like a Sephora superhero, contouring my face and blotting the sweat out of my hair.

By the time I turned back to the mirror, I looked completely put together. The curling strands of my hair appeared almost purposeful, and my skin looked photoshoot ready.

“You’re amazing,” I whispered, turning my head to the side to see a different angle of the magic she’d worked.

Shrugging, Jordan fluttered long, dark eyelashes. “I know.”

I sucked in a breath when my phone chimed again. “He said he’s at baggage claim four,” I said, checking the message.

“Well, let’s get going,” Jordan encouraged, swiping items back into her purse.

I nodded, but I was still feeling nervous about the stability of my relationship. After four years together, I’d thought we could handle the distance, but the longer he was gone, the more I felt like I’d misjudged our strength. I felt so far away from him, even though he was just around the corner, four baggage claim stations away.

I swallowed as we passed station one. What if he didn’t love me anymore?

I took a deep breath as the sign for baggage claim two flashed, and we breezed past it. What if he’d found someone else?

My heart pounded past claim three, and then I saw him. My breath caugh,t and the world around me seemed to still. There he was: my tall, strong, gorgeous man standing next to a tiny red suitcase.

His eyes flashed when he found me, and his lips spread, showing off a bright, white, mesmerizing smile as he moved toward us.

Holy shit, I thought, taking him in as he headed right for me. He was just as perfect as I remembered: his hair cut low and even, showing off the wonderful angles of his face. He always kept just the tiniest line of dark facial hair to outline the sharp perfection of his jaw.

He wrapped his arms around me, and my entire body turned to jelly. “Hey, baby. I missed you,” he said softly into my ear before placing a kiss on my cheek.

“I missed you, too,” I whispered, all of my worries melting away in his arms. What the hell had I been so worried about? We were made for each other.