They say friends make the best lovers…
Waiting For You
Priestly Family Series Book 5
by Sharon C. Cooper
Genre: Contemporary Second Chance Romance
They say friends make the best lovers…
After a bitter divorce, Jackson Norwood never thought heād fall in love again.
Especially not with his best friend, Essence Priestly. His attraction to her is
the most powerful thing he’s felt in a long time, and he doesn’t just want her
as a lover. He wants her to be his wife. Yet sheās determined to keep their
relationship strictly platonic.
Jackson means everything to Essence and her son, and sheās torn between her
love for him and the fear of ruining their years of friendship. But after an
impulsive, passionate weekend together, she canāt deny their chemistry is off
the charts. Jackson woke up the part of her she thought died years ago, and
Essence is tempted to let him have what he wantsāher.
But drama from his ex-wife is enough to challenge the strongest connection.
Will Essence and Jacksonās reinvented relationship buckle under the pressure?
Or will their bond grow stronger and lead them to their happily-ever-after?
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āNyla asked if Iād be willing to
share a room with you. I told her it was fine and assumed the two of you had
already talked about it. She even had my overnight bag delivered there.ā
āIām going to kill my sisters. All
of them,ā Essence said through gritted teeth, attitude dangling from each word
before she turned narrowed eyes on him. āYou know what theyāre trying to do,
donāt you? You have to know.ā
It took everything within Jackson
not to smile because she was adorable when she was mad. Which he didnāt witness
often. āI have no idea what youāre talking about,ā he lied, earning him a
deeper glare.
Okay, maybe he knew now, but not at
first. He hadnāt thought much of it when Nyla told him of the change because it
wasnāt unusual for him and Essence to share a room. But now that he knew her
sisters might be trying to push them together, Jackson was totally onboard with
their scheming. They all knew how much he adored Essence and how close they
were, but they also knew Essence was afraid to move out of the friend zone. It
would be just like them to butt in.
He and Essence exited the elevator,
and Jackson followed a few steps behind her as she practically stomped down the
hallway to their room. She mightāve been pissed, and he probably should be
thinking about how he was going to get her to lighten up, but damn her ass
looked good in that dress. Watching her shapely hips sway back and forth
rhythmically made his body stir in response. Hell, if he could get her to calm
down, maybe they could have some fun tonight. It was a new year. A perfect time
to start a new chapter in their story. And a little rendezvous in a luxury
hotel would only add to the fun.
As if she could hear his thoughts,
Essence glanced over her shoulder at him without missing a step. If eyes could
shoot invisible daggers, she was definitely shooting them at him, and he felt
them square in the chest.
So much for living out a few
fantasies tonight. Clearly, the hotel room would be for sleeping only.
Normally, Essence was sweet, kind,
and would do anything for anyone. She also had a good sense of humor and took
her familyās antics in stride. She didnāt usually trip over stuff like this,
especially since she and he often shared a hotel room. The two of them, and
sometimes Tray, vacationed together more often than not. Staying in the same
room was a norm. So, it was out of character to see her this pissed.
Essence already had her keycard out
when she stopped in front of their hotel room door. Seconds later, she stormed
inside the room. She didnāt seem to care if he followed her in or not.
Jackson sighed, catching the door
before it slammed in his face. This was going to be a long night. He didnāt
want to argue, and Essence had every right to be madājust not at him. She was
probably looking forward to relaxing in a beautiful hotel room after a long
day. Hell, a couple of long weeks, and here he was crashing any solitude she
thought sheād get.
Or maybe she was mad because she
had planned to invite that punk ass Romero to the room after the reception.
That thought had Jackson wanting to
question her about the guy. Had their relationship moved up from just casual
dating? Instead of asking, he kept his mouth shut. She was angry at her
sisters, and he didnāt need her to take it out on him. He didnāt have siblings,
but heād been around hers enough to know they all drove each other nuts
sometimes.
āOh, and if you think weāre
sleeping in the same bed, think again,ā Essence snapped, tossing his duffel
bag, which had been on the edge of the king size bed, to the sofa.
Jackson yawned, then slid out of
his tuxedo jacket and laid it across the arm of the sofa. Next went the bowtie.
āEssence, I donāt know whatās going on with you, but I do know one thing. Iām
not sleeping on the sofa.ā
Copyright Ā© 2026 Sharon.
C. Cooper
USA Today
bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a
happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes
contemporary romance, romantic suspense, as well as romantic comedy. She enjoys
rainy days, carpet picnics, and family game night. Her stories have won
numerous awards, including The Rochelle Alers Best Series award for her
Atlantaās Finest Series (2022) and The Beverly Jenkins Author of the Year award
(2021). When she isnāt writing, Sharon loves hanging out with her amazing
husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To
read more about Sharon and her novels, or to sign up to be notified of her
latest releases, visit www.sharoncooper.net
