Excerpt from Wake by Anna Hope, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"Wait." He catches her wrist. "Don't go," he says. "At least, not before you've told me your name." His face has changed again. The smile has gone.

"It's Hettie," she says. Because whatever game they were playing is clearly over and, all told, she's not the sort of girl to lie.

"Hettie," he repeats, tightening his grip. Then he leans in close.

"Don't worry," he says, "I won't give you away. I know how much these things matter. I want to blow things up, too."

Then he lets her go, and turns and walks, without stopping, without looking back, through the crush of people, across the floor, up the stairs, and out of the club.

The room wheels, a queasy kaleidoscope around her. And here is Gus, crossing the floor toward her, sagging now, all jubilation spent. "Who was that, then? Someone you know?" She shakes her head. But she can feel him still, this Ed, this man she doesn't know, a Chinese burn scalding her wrist.

"You looked as though you knew him," says Gus. He sounds aggrieved.

Hettie is furious suddenly. With poor, bald Gus. His awkward dancing and that half- cringing look on his face. And then, seeing that he sees this, she is sorry for him. "Perhaps I knew him," she says quietly. "Perhaps I met him before."

He seems a little appeased. When she doesn't say any more, he nods. "Lemonade?" he says, holding out her drink.

Excerpted from Wake by Anna Hope. Copyright © 2014 by Anna Hope. Excerpted by permission of Random House. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.