Published by Self-published Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Book Title: Sinners + Saints
Author: Chelsea Ballinger
Genre: New Adult
Release Date: July 1, 2015
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
“Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” – Oscar Wilde
Juliet
From the first moment I saw him, I knew he was it for me… even if he didn’t. The most beautiful boy I have ever seen has become my obsession and yet I am perfectly fine with it. I was born with a warm heart… but a strong one at that.
Scarlett
They call me a bitch; they say I’m cruel, vindictive, and evil beyond repair… and they’re right. Frankly, I don’t find anything wrong with that. I believe people should be more like me. Life is so much easier when you shut off all the emotions that cause you to care. I am simply a woman who gets what she wants and what I want is for everyone to know their place.
Hugo
Most people feel sorry for my father. Jonathan Mandrake. Wife and son are dead. Remaining sons might as well be dead. One is autistic and the other is the devil. If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m not the twin with autism. That’s my brother, August. We are a mirror image of each other but due to bad luck, we are complete opposites. My father is a prick—don’t let the smile fool you. My brother is one of the few people I tolerate and like. The only person who’s ever really understood me is Scarlett. The closest thing I have to a parent is Ms. Eleanor, my temporary guardian. When wealthy parents don’t want to leave their children home alone to embarrass the family name, they send them to her, not caring that her head is full of nothing but butterflies, rainbows, Bloody Mary’s, and young Latin men. Aside from my brother, I also live here with Jordana Abbott, the only girl I haven’t slept with because she’s a lesbian; Poppy Montgomery, who loves pink and pills; and Cody Nichols, a virgin—poor bastard. But now we have added a new resident. I call her the English Rose. She’s beautiful, British… and very annoying. Scarlett wants me to break her, but something tells me there is no breaking this girl. So I won’t bother. Unfortunately, along with being unbreakable, Juliet Spears is also persistent when it comes to things she should not delve into… which is me.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I know his voice already. I smile to myself, but quickly I have to mask it before turning around to face him. Hugo steps outside through the gold curtains. He still has on his glasses. The white shirt that shows his lean and slightly muscular body and he doesn’t have any shoes or socks on. Nice feet for a man. Only one other man I know has nice feet—my dad.
“Yes, it is.” He stands next to me as I lean on the stone balcony, looking down. He leans over too with his arms crossed and his biceps flexed, revealing how muscular he really is.
“So,” he begins to speak after a pause. “Ready to run for the hills yet?”
“No,” I say adamantly. “I’m beginning to love my decision to stay here already.”
“Really?”
“Yes. So far, everyone is nice and quite funny.” “Yes, this house is pure comedy.”
“You’re quite hilarious too, ya know.”
“Not really.” I laugh a little.
“Yes, you are.”
“Well, you’re certainly attracted to me.” I arch my brow and stand straight, my body facing him completely. He follows my movement.
“You really are full of yourself.”
“Only confident.”
“Well Hugo, yes, you are very handsome… but your personality can be harmful to it.”
“That’s a first.”
“And you are not my type.”
“There really isn’t a type when it comes to sex.”
At this point, nothing Hugo Mandrake can say would leave me speechless, so bring it.
“Bold move, Mandrake,” I slyly grin.
“Are you a virgin?”
I laugh because I just can’t help it. “Um, well what do you think?”
“Lesbian?”
“Again… What. Do. You. Think?”
He sighs and even through the sunglasses, I feel him evaluating me. “Well, you’re not a virgin nor a lesbian.” He pauses before continuing. “You lost your virginity probably a year or two ago from your boyfriend of six months.”
Actually, it was my boyfriend of three months and it was two years ago.
“The sex was horrible at first, but it didn’t matter because he made it special, candle lit and all that other bullshit, because he loved you.” When he says love, he uses air quotes. “Then it got better, but it never met your expectations towards what all your friends described it as. You probably did most of the pleasuring during foreplay and so you’re a genius with that. He probably tried but was never able to hit the spot. No communication. You broke up with him as soon as you got the guts to tell daddy you didn’t want to date the son of his best friend anymore.”
“Do you always insult people?”
“Am I wrong?”
I narrow myeyes, smirking. “Some of it is right.” I lean in closer to him. A good move, but a mistake on my part as my body begins to radiate from the possibility of him touching me. “I am very good at what I do and also what you will learn from me is that there is never any miscommunication in my affairs, meaning I taught him how to hit my spot and he hit it very well… and he was just a good guy who I couldn’t fall for so I did us both a favor. He’s in with a girl who is good to him and I tend to enjoy the perks of casual sex.”
He licks his lip, biting back a smile. He’s probably never smiled fully. “I have a gift at reading people,” He states. “It’s usually at least ninety percent right.”
“Maybe you should be a therapist.”
“I’m not capable of being patient on a consistent level.”
“You’re insensitive too.”
“Does that really matter?” He steps closer to me. He is only an inch from me. “It is the summer. A season to be free and do things you never thought you would do.”
“Uh, Hugo,” I laugh, taking a step back, shaking my head. “I am the worst kind of girl you could sleep with.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, I’m the girl who sees through all your shit. I’m the one that will actually care for you. Change your life. Make you feel first anger because, well, my mum says that I do that a lot to her and you’re a little more of a tightwad… then one day, you will realize how cool and awesome I really am… then you’ll fall for me.”
“I don’t fall,” he says adamantly.
“I’ve heard… but no one is born with hate. They’re usually taught.”
“You are very sure of yourself also.”
“Yes, I am. I’m psychic, remember?” I smirk. “I plan to have lots of fun this summer… but you and I have a long way to go before I even consider taking you as a lover.”
He still remains calm. He is going to be a hard one to crack.
“Now I may be curious, but I’m not desperate. I don’t have time to deal with someone who wants nothing but to make me into one of his broken toys.” I smile and his lips slightly part. “So, if you want to fuck me… don’t fuck with me.”
His eyes must be dazzling. I may be wrong, but something just tells me he’s getting off on this conversation.
“Goodnight Hugo.”
I walk away with courage and a fierceness I haven’t felt in a while and am slightly rejuvenated. This is going to be fun.
London Grammar –Metal & Dust
Frank Ocean –Super Rich Kids
Frank Ocean –Lost
Phantogram –Black Out Days
Hozier –Work Song
Hozier –Take Me Church
2Pac –Hit ‘Em Up
The Civil Wars –Devil’s Backbone
Taylor Swift –Wildest Dreams
Taylor Swift –Style
Beyonce –Jealous
Beyonce –Haunted
The Weeknd –Wicked Games
Skylar Grey –I Know You
Prelow –Mistakes Like This
Nicki Minaj –Night is Still Young
Nicki Minaj –Buy a Heart (Feat. Meek Mill)
Kevin Garrett –Coloring
Halsey –Hold Me Down
Kanye West –Wolves (Feat. Vic Mensa & Sia)
Vic Mensa –U Mad
Florence and the Machine –Long & Lost
Florence and the Machine –Various Storms & Saints
Laura Welsh –Ghosts
Chelsea Ballinger has been creating stories in her mind since she was old enough to know how to walk, talk, and dream. She graduated from Kentucky State University with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and a Minor in Human Services. She loves films, music, books, and good people. Now Chelsea focuses on living her life in Chicago with her family and continuing her passion for writing great stories that readers can fall in love with.
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