Exclusive cover reveal: 'Just A Little Crush' by Renita Pizzitola

Today HEA gets to share the very first look at the cover of the upcoming New Adult romance Just a Little Crush by Renita Pizzitola, along with an excerpt. Just a Little Crush comes out Oct. 21. Enjoy! (To see a larger version of the cover, click on the blue arrow in the lower right corner of the image.)

First, here's the blurb about Just a Little Crush:

Good girls stay away from Ryder Briggs … or, at least, they try to. In Renita Pizzitola's emotional novel of heartache and seduction, one college freshman just can't get enough.

Brinley Dawson doesn't drink, she studies—and despite the accusations of her alcoholic mother, she's still a virgin. But if Brinley's life is so put together, why is she freaking out to be going to college with the gorgeous, green-eyed jerk she kissed on a stupid dare in high school? Ryder Briggs can have any girl he wants ... and the rumors say that he does. So why, after publicly humiliating Brinley four years ago, is he suddenly acting like he's interested?

Ryder never forgot about Brinley. In fact, those perfect seven minutes permanently raised the bar for what a kiss could be. The truth is, Ryder doesn't dare get too close to anyone. He knows how that worked out for his parents. But when his roommate takes a shot at Brinley, Ryder can't contain his jealousy. Now he must do the hardest thing he's ever done: forget about sex and convince Brinley his feelings are real.

Brinley isn't sure whether she believes Ryder, but for the first time, her body isn't playing by the rules. Will Brinley's little crush prove to be a huge mistake ... or has she found the one guy worth trusting with her heart?

Here's an excerpt from chapter three of Just a Little Crush (courtesy of publisher Flirt):

A knock at the door woke me. I groaned and rolled over. What time was it? The knock repeated. I glanced at Fallon's bed. My roommate was gone. Her bed left unmade and her room key on her nightstand. Dammit. She'd locked herself out again.

One day I wouldn't be here to let her back in. I kicked off the covers and stumbled to the door.

"Seriously, Fallon." I swung the door open. "Can you never remem—"

Ryder's gaze dropped in a slow appraisal of my body. His silver lip ring momentarily vanished as he sucked it into his mouth. He looked back up and smirked. "Morning."

I slammed the door in his face. I stared down at my black boy shorts and cami. I was practically naked in front of Ryder Briggs. Damn.

I grabbed my pajama pants and danced into them. Losing my balance, I stumbled into my night stand. "Ow."

"Everything okay in there?" Humor filled his tone.

"Um, yeah. What are you doing here?" I yelled through the closed door. I slipped on my hoodie and zipped it closed.

"I have your phone."

I threw the door open. "You do?"

He glanced at my outfit and frowned. "Yeah." He held it out.

"Thanks. I thought I'd lost it for good. Where did you find it?"

Something like anger or annoyance flashed in his eyes. "Outside."

"Thanks."

"Hey." Fallon appeared behind Ryder. She wore tiny white shorts and a dark green Sutton University tank top. Her blond hair was still damp from the shower.

He moved so she could slide by.

My hands balled into fists as she leered at him and he gave her a once over. She grinned over her shoulder then bent down to pick up her makeup bag, making certain her ass stayed in the air.

Ryder raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

I was ready to get him far away from my slutty roommate. "Well, thanks again."

"No problem. Quick question, do you always answer the door dressed like that?"

Fallon snorted. "Yeah. She lives in those sweats."

My face heated.

Ryder watched my reaction, then pushed off the door frame he'd leaned against. He glanced at Fallon. "Little mystery never hurt." Then he locked his eyes on mine and his mouth quirked up. "But a sneak peek goes a long way. See you around, Brinley." He took off down the hall.

"What was that about?" Fallon leaned against the door watching him walk away.

I shrugged. "He found my phone."

"I'm going to f*** that boy."

My jaw dropped. Like hell she was. She'd already pulled that crap with my biology lab partner last semester. While I was busy making flash cards, the two of them disappeared for a good twenty minutes then returned looking flushed, disheveled and way too relaxed for two people at risk of flunking the midterm. Needless to say, that was the last time I attempted to study with her, and, thankfully, it was the only class we'd ever had together. That situation had been frustrating, but if she had sex with Ryder… No way could I handle that.

"What?" She asked innocently. "You heard him. He enjoyed his sneak peek." She laughed and walked back in our room. "You should take note. Guys like this." She motioned to her body.

Wait, that was the sneak peek? I was such an idiot.

****

That evening, I studied in my room. Fallon was out, as usual, and Mason had a date with some girl from his English Lit class. I couldn't decide if he actually liked her, or just wanted her help with his Chaucer paper.

My phone chimed with a text.

Mom: Get bread on your way home.

Texts from Mom were rare; phone calls even rarer. But when she'd been drinking, I never knew what to expect. Considering it was seven on a Saturday night, it was safe to assume she was plastered, but this sort of text only confirmed it.

I chose my words with care, knowing how easy it was to set her off when she was like this.

Me: Sorry, I can't because I'm away at school.

My phone rang and I took a deep breath before answering.

"Well, I know you're at school, that's why I said on your way home." Her tone implied I was the one who sounded like an idiot.

"Mom, I'm away at college. Remember? I won't be home tonight."

"College," she mumbled. "Where are you really? What are you hiding from me?" Her words were laced with suspicion. "You're with him, aren't you?"

My shoulders sank. Out of all her drunken rants, I hated this one the most. The one where she couldn't let go of the past, and accused me of things I hadn't done.

There was a bang, like something had been dropped. Mom cursed to herself then I made out Grandma's voice in the background.

"It's Brinley." Mom paused. "No, I just asked her to get us some bread."

Grandma spoke again but I couldn't make out what she'd said.

"Why? Brinley's already out. She's just being difficult," Mom said. "She's refusing to come home, acting like a—" She was yelling now. "No. I won't calm down. She's lying to me," Mom screamed. "Why are you defending her? She's a no-good—"

Muffled sounds buried Mom's words then Grandma came on. "Hi, sweetie. I'm sorry we disturbed you. I'm sure you're busy so we will let you get back to enjoying your Saturday night." Grandma's tone was chipper though I could sense her remorse for what I'd heard. She'd always tried to protect me from Mom's outbursts, and I'd appreciated her attempts. But she had no idea how many times she hadn't been there to intervene. It was better that way.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" This little reminder of what life at home was like had me worried about Grandma. Dealing with Mom was an overwhelming job. "I can come visit tomorrow if you'd like, or you know, if you need a break you could come meet me for lunch or something."

"Don't you worry. I'm just fine. You have school to think about and I've been so busy with work lately, I'm just going to enjoy a quiet weekend at home."

For Grandma's sake, I hoped Mom passed out soon and slept it off most of tomorrow.

Mom yelled something in the background and Grandma cleared her throat. "How about I call you back another day and we can catch up a bit?"

"Sure, Grandma. If you need anything, call me, okay?"

"Of course, honey. We love you. Take care. Bye."

"Love you too. Bye." I stared at my phone trying not to think about what Grandma would have to deal with. I hadn't left home to escape the drinking and unpleasant after effects—I was surrounded by plenty of reminders here. I'd left Mom and her vodka infatuation behind because I thought life would be easier for Grandma if I wasn't there reminding Mom of everything she'd lost. But maybe I was wrong.

My stomach rolled with worry over Grandma, but she'd been handling Mom for years and knew what she was doing. Of course, I feared it would eventually just take its toll on her. I shook my head clear and stared at my calculus book. I'd found focusing on school to be the most effective way to handle the stress. I couldn't change what was happening in the present, but as long as I remained driven, one day, I'd have complete control of my future.

Find out more at www.renitapizzitola.com.