Showing posts with label Short Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Short Stories. Show all posts

February 16, 2016

Excerpt & Giveaway! Reasonable Doubt, Volume One by Whitney G.




My cock has an appetite. A huge and very particular appetite: Blonde, curvy, and preferably not a fucking liar…(Although, that’s a story for another day.) As a high profile lawyer, I don’t have time to waste on relationships, so I fulfill my needs by anonymously chatting and sleeping with women I meet online. My rules are simple: One dinner. One night. No repeats. This is only casual sex. Nothing more. Nothing less. At least it was , until “Alyssa”… She was supposed to be a 27 year old lawyer, a book hoarder, and completely unattractive. She was supposed to be someone I shared law advice with late at night, someone I could trust with details of my weekly escapades. But then she came into my firm for an interview–a college-intern interview, and everything fucking changed… 




Andrew

New York City is nothing more than a shit-filled wasteland, a dump where failures are forced to drop all their broken dreams and leave them far behind. The flashing lights that shined brightly years ago have lost their luster, and that fresh feeling that once permeated the air—that hopefulness, is long gone. 

Every person I once considered a friend is now an enemy, and the word “trust” has been ripped from my vocabulary. My name and reputation are tarnished thanks to the press, and after reading the headline that The New York Times ran this morning, I’ve decided that tonight will be the last night I ever spend here.

I can’t deal with the cold sweats and nightmares that jerk me out of my sleep anymore, and as hard as I try to pretend like my heart hasn’t been obliterated, I doubt that the agonizing ache in my chest will ever go away. 

To properly say goodbye, I’ve ordered the best entrĂ©es from all my favorite restaurants, watched Death of a Salesman on Broadway, and smoked a Cuban cigar on the Brooklyn Bridge. I’ve also booked the penthouse suite at the Waldorf Astoria, where I’m now leaning back on the bed and threading my fingers through a woman’s hair—groaning as she slides her mouth over my cock. 

Teasingly darting her tongue around my tip, she whispers, “Do you like this?” as she looks up at me. 

I don’t answer. I push her head down and exhale as she presses her lips against my balls, as she covers my cock with her hands and moves them up and down. 

Over the past two hours, I’ve fucked her against the wall, forced her to bend over a chair, and pinned her legs to the mattress while I devoured her pussy. 

It’s been quite fulfilling—fun, but I know this feeling will only last for so long; it never stays. In less than a week, I’ll have to find someone else. 

As she takes me deeper and deeper into her mouth, I tightly tug her hair—tensing as she bobs her head up and down. Pleasure begins to course its way through me, and the muscles in my legs stiffen—forcing me to let go and warn her to pull away. 

She ignores me. 

She grips my knees and sucks faster, letting my cock touch the back of her throat. I give her one last chance to move away, but since her lips remain wrapped around me, she leaves me no choice but to cum in her mouth.

And then she swallows. 

Every. Last. Drop.

Impressive…

Finally pulling away, she licks her lips and leans back against the floor.

“That was my first time swallowing,” she says. “I did that just for you.”

“You shouldn’t have.” I stand and zip my pants. “You should’ve saved it for someone else.”

“Right. Well, um…Do you want to order some dinner? Maybe we could eat it over HBO and go at it again afterwards?”

I raise my eyebrow, confused. 

This is always the most annoying part, the part when the woman who previously agreed to “One dinner. One night. No repeats.” wants to establish some type of imaginary connection. For whatever reason, she feels like there needs to be some type of closure conversation, some bland reassurance that’ll confirm that what just happened was ‘more than sex,’ and we’ll become friends. 

But it was just sex, and I’m not in need of any friends. Not now, not ever. 

“No, thank you.” I walk over to the mirror on the other side of the room. “I have someplace to be.”

“At three in the morning? I mean, if you just want to skip the HBO and go for another round instead, I can…”

I tune out her irritating voice and begin to button my shirt. I’ve never spent the night with a woman I met online, and she isn’t going to be the first. 

As I adjust my tie, I look down and spot a tattered pink wallet on the dresser. Picking it up, I flip it open and run my fingers across the name that’s printed onto her license: Sarah Tate. 

Even though I’ve only known this woman for a week, she’s always answered to “Samantha.” She’s also told me—repeatedly, that she works as a nurse at Grace Hospital. Judging by the Wal-Mart employee card that’s hiding behind her license, I’m assuming that part isn’t true either. 

I look over my shoulder, where she’s now sprawled across the bed’s silk sheets. Her creamy colored skin is unmarred and smooth; her bow shaped lips are slightly swollen and puffy. 

Her green eyes meet mine and she slowly sits up, spreading her legs further apart, whispering, “You know you want to stay. Stay…”

My cock starts to harden—it’s definitely up for another round, but seeing her real name has ruined any chance of that for me. I can’t stand to be around anyone who’s lied to me, even if she does have double D tits and a mouth from heaven. 

I toss the wallet into her lap. “You told me your name was Samantha.”

“Okay. And?”

“Your name is Sarah.”

“So what?” She shrugs, beckoning me with her hand. “I never give my real name to men I meet on the internet.”

“You just fuck them in five star hotel suites?”

“Why do you suddenly care about my real name?”

“I don’t.” I glance at my watch. “Are you spending the night in this room or do I need to give you cab money to get home?”

“What?”

“Was my question unclear?”

“Wow…Just, wow…” She shakes her head. “How much longer do you think you’ll be able to keep doing this?”

“Keep doing what?”

“Chatting someone up for a week, fucking her, and moving on to the next. How much longer?”

“Until my dick stops working.” I put on my jacket. “Do you need cab fare or are you staying? Check out is at noon.”

“Do you know that men like you—relationship avoiders, are the type that typically fall the hardest?”

“Did they teach you that at Wal-Mart?”

“Just because someone from your past hurt you doesn’t mean that every woman after her will.” She purses her lips. “That’s probably why you are the way you are. Maybe if you tried to actually date someone you’d be a lot happier. You should take her out for dinner and actually listen, see her to her door without expecting an invitation inside, and maybe bypass the whole ‘let’s go fuck’ in the hotel suite thing at the end.”

Where are my keys? I need to go. Now.

“I can see it now…” She can’t seem to shut up. “You’re going to want more than sex one day, and the person you want it from is going to be someone you least expect. Someone who will force you to give in.”

I pull my keys from underneath her crumpled dress and sigh. “Do you need cab money?”

“I have my own car, dick-face.” She rolls her eyes. “Are you really this incapable of having a regular conversation? Would it kill you to talk to me for a few minutes after sex?”

“We have nothing more to discuss.” I put my room key on the nightstand and walk toward the door. “It was very nice meeting you, Samantha, Sarah. Whatever the hell your name is. Have a great night.”

“Screw you!”

“Three times was more than enough. No, thank you.”

“Things are going to catch up to you one day, asshole!” She yells as I step into the hallway. “Karma is one hell of a bitch!”

“I know.” I toss back. “I fucked her two weeks ago…”


A self diagnosed candy addict, travel junkie, and hypochondriac, Whitney Gracia Williams LOVES to write about characters that make you laugh, cry, and want to (in the case of Claire Gracen) reach through your Kindle and slap them.

She is the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of Reasonable Doubt,the Mid Life Love Series, the Jilted Bride Series, the My Last Resolution Series, Wasted Love, and Captain of My Soul.

When she’s not locked inside her room, feverishly typing away on her laptop.



February 10, 2016

Release Day Blitz! Ghosts, The Power of Zero #2 by Jackie Keswick



 Jack Horwood doesn’t do families. Or Christmas. From the time his mother sold him to her pimp to the moment he walked out on the man he loved, Christmas has always been about change and painful choices. This year seems no different. Helping Daniel and Nico recover from their imprisonment and hunting down those responsible puts Jack in a frame of mind he doesn’t want to inflict on anyone. Least of all Gareth and the tentative relationship they’ve started to rebuild.

But Gareth, for whom Christmas is all about new beginnings, won’t let Jack take the easy way out. He makes him face his ghosts instead. Even when said ghosts invade their bedroom. When Daniel’s parents are found, Jack is determined to settle the matter without involving Daniel at all. But fate decrees otherwise, and it’s Gareth who helps him finally understand that the strongest bonds are those forged together. Once he gets that, Jack can step up and make a decision designed to lay his ghosts to rest—for good. 





You don’t greet your new boss dressed like an underage rent boy. But when Jack Horwood—ace hacker and ex-MI6 operative—opens the door to Gareth Flynn, he's too busy to worry over details like that. And anyway, his potential new boss is his former Commanding Officer – the same guy Jack has had a crush on since he was seventeen. So he should understand, right?

When he applied for the job in Nancarrow Mining's corporate security division, Jack had hoped for peaceful days repelling cyber attacks. Maybe a bit of corporate espionage on the side. His plans didn't include rescuing abused children, hunting pimps, or dealing with his overly protective and hot-as-hell boss, Gareth Flynn. Walking away is not an option. Jack never takes the easy way out. More than that, meeting Gareth raises old ghosts that Jack needs to put to rest. Rescuing kids. Taking risks. Saving the day. Jack can do all that – but deciding what to do about his attraction to Gareth isn’t the sort of cloak-and-dagger game Jack plays well. Yet Gareth, strong and smart and always on hand when needed, might be Jack’s salvation. 



Jackie Keswick was born behind the Iron Curtain with itchy feet, a bent for rocks and a recurrent dream of stepping off a bus in the middle of nowhere to go home. She’s worked in a hospital and as the only girl with 52 men on an oil rig, spent a winter in Moscow and a summer in Iceland and finally settled in the country of her dreams with her dream team: a husband, a cat, a tandem, a hammer and a laptop. Jackie loves stories about unexpected reunions and second chances, and men who don’t follow the rules when those rules are stupid. She has a thing for green eyes and tight cyclist’s butts and is a great believer in making up soundtracks for everything, including her characters and the cat. And she still hasn’t found the place where the bus stops. 



February 1, 2016

Excerpt & Giveaway! Benoit's Surprise Christmas by Catherine Lievens




Belgium expat Benoit Girault has only worked in the administrative department of Toys for All in Milwaukee for a few short months, but it’s long enough for him to miss everyone back home and to fall for coworker Jake Manning—not that Jake ever notices him. Or so Benoit thinks.

Jake notices Benoit all right, but he doesn’t want to risk mixing business with pleasure, not when it could create problems in the office. So when Jake’s friend and boss, Randall, tells him to team up with Benoit to organize a Saint Nicholas party, he’s less than thrilled. But as they work together and Jake nurses Benoit through an illness, he realizes some people might be worth risking it all for.



YOU WANT me to do what?”

Jake’s boss smiled at him as if he were asking nothing much—the bastard. Randall knew exactly what he was doing, just like he knew Jake would react like he did. He hated parties, and everyone in the office knew it.

“Organize a party for the new clients.”

“Janet usually organizes the parties.”

“She’s busy with another contract. The Belgian clients are yours, Jake. It seems obvious to me that you should be the one in charge of this.”

“But I don’t know anything about the saint you’re talking about.”

“You have enough time to learn something about him and about the Belgian traditions that go with it.”

“You can’t do this to me, Randall. Please. I’m already busy with this new contract. I don’t have time to organize a party.”

“The clients were delighted when I told them there would be a party.”

Jake gaped at his boss. “You told them?”

“Of course. When Mr. Leblanc said he was bringing his wife and son along, I just knew we had to do something for the kid.”

“Someone could take him to the zoo,” Jake muttered.

“Jake, we’re a toy company. Why would we take a kid to the zoo?”

“It’s not like we actually have the toys in this office. That’s what the stores are for.”

Randall set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He obviously wasn’t going to be swayed by Jake’s protests. But what about pleading? “Randall, I just don’t have the time to do everything on my own, especially if you want a kiddie party.”

“That’s why Benoit is going to help you.”


Catherine Lievens has always loved books. She’s not sure how she managed to marry a man who doesn’t read, but she deals with it and buys enough books for both of them. Just ask him—he frequently wonders if the books on her shelves mate with each other to produce new ones. She never told him it’s only her buying more books.

After brushing up her English to graduate in English language and translation, she decided to put it to good use and write the characters she always dreamt of. She likes writing about creatures people say don’t exist, like shifters and harpies, because her life’s too boring to write about what she knows, and she always wanted to be a cat anyway.


December 19, 2015

Book Promo! The Promise of Surrender, The MacKenzie Family #13.5 by Liliana Hart

The Promise of Surrender - R&E Tour banner


Mia Russo spent ten years working undercover, entrenched in the dregs of society before handing in her shield. Opening her own pawn shop is a piece of cake in comparison. All she needs is the bad attitude she developed on the streets and the shotgun under her counter to keep law and order. Until the day Zeke McBride walks into her shop.

Zeke knows Mia has every right not to trust him. He was the one who chose the next op instead of her. And all he can hope is that somewhere under the snarl and cynicism is a woman who can forgive. Because whether she trusts him or not, they’re going to have to work together to bring down the gang that’s decided Mia is their next target. 

The door opened and boots scraped across the hardwood floor. Something in the atmosphere changed—an electric current that was all too familiar. It heated her from the inside out, but chills pebbled across her skin. Her nipples spiked right along with her temper. It had always been that way.

Zeke McBride looked better than she remembered—though he was harder and had more of an edge. He’d always kept his dark hair shaved close to the scalp, but she could see the threads of silver sneaking in, especially around the temples. He’d always had facial hair for as long as she’d known him, but he’d let it grow to full scruff, and there was plenty of silver in that too. The age looked good on him. 

His eyes were a dark forest green with flecks of gold, and he had impossibly long lashes for a man. She’d always been jealous. Those eyes never missed anything. One of his eyebrows had a scar running through it. That was new since she’d seen him last. 

Zeke had always been big—several inches over six feet and muscled like a bodybuilder. The sleeves of his black shirt fit tight around his tattooed biceps and he wore jeans and a pair of steel-toed black boots. He was one-hundred percent badass, and if she still wasn’t so mad at him she’d have pounced and claimed what was hers. 

He’d always loved the undercover life. In his mind it was the ultimate battle of good versus evil. It was a way to feed the adrenaline rush, play within the shades of gray, and ultimately put away the bad guys. 

Memories assaulted her—love and fear and chaos and danger and arguments—lots of arguments—and she was suddenly back in the place she’d been seven years before. Hurt and scared and not willing to sacrifice anything more than she already had. And he hadn’t been willing to sacrifice anything at all. Or it least it had seemed that way to her. But she’d been unbending—they both had—so she’d walked away. 

“Well, f*ck,” she said. 

“It’s good to see you too, Mia.”
~*~
 



Liliana Hart is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author in both the mystery and romance genres. After starting her first novel her freshman year of college, she immediately became addicted to writing and knew she’d found what she was meant to do with her life. She has no idea why she majored in music.

Liliana is an avid reader and a believer in all things romance. Her books are filled with witty dialogue, steamy sex, and the all-important happily-ever-afters her romantic soul craves. Since self-publishing in June of 2011, she’s sold more than 1.2 million ebooks all over the world.


December 18, 2015

Release Day Blitz!! A Serious Thing, Will & Patrick 1.5 by Annabelle Jacobs


Patrick has a plan, and he’ll go to great lengths to see it through.

After three weeks apart due to work and school commitments, he and Will are finally getting to spend some time together. Patrick is staying with Will over the Christmas holidays, and he intends to tell him how he feels on Christmas Day. It’s going to be perfect.

But of course, Patrick’s plans don’t always go smoothly….



~*~
Will took his time in the shower, letting the hot water ease his tired muscles from the three-hour drive, and he was only just done toweling off when the doorbell rang.

“For fuck’s sake.”

Who the hell could that be?

If it was one of his mates, they’d have to go away and come back tomorrow, because no way did he want guests in his house when Patrick got there. Which would be in—he checked his phone—roughly an hour. He grabbed a dry towel from the rail and wrapped it around his waist, cursing under his breath at the chill as he marched downstairs.

A familiar figure stood on the other side of the front door. His features weren’t visible through the opaque glass, but Will would recognize him anywhere. He unlocked the door and yanked it open, only to be met with a gust of cold air.

“Fuck, that’s cold!”Patrick snapped his head up from where he’d been staring down at his phone, and a huge smile spread across his face at the sight of Will. “Well, hello to you too.” He quickly stepped forward and bundled Will back inside, closing the door behind him. “This is like old times,” he said, bracketing Will up against the wall.

~*~



Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats.
An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

December 13, 2015

Excerpt & Teasers! Teased, Dark Protectors #7.5 by Rebecca Zanetti



The Hunter For almost a century, the Realm’s most deadly assassin, Chalton Reese, has left war and death in the past, turning instead to strategy, reason, and technology. His fingers, still stained with blood, now protect with a keyboard instead of a weapon. Until the vampire king sends him on one more mission; to hunt down a human female with the knowledge to destroy the Realm. A woman with eyes like emeralds, a brain to match his own, and a passion that might destroy them both—if the enemy on their heels doesn’t do so first. The Hunted Olivia Roberts has foregone relationships with wimpy metro-sexuals in favor of pursuing a good story, bound and determined to uncover the truth, any truth. When her instincts start humming about missing proprietary information, she has no idea her search for a story will lead her to a ripped, sexy, and dangerous male beyond any human man. Setting aside the unbelievable fact that he’s a vampire and she’s his prey, she discovers that trusting him is the only chance they have to survive the danger stalking them both. 



    

~*~

“Are you empathic?” he murmured.

She jerked. “No. I don’t think so.”

Interesting. “But you can tell a falsehood?” He’d never heard of an enhanced female being able to do so, but it could be an offshoot of empathic abilities, so it did make some sense.

“I just have good instincts.”

Ah, the lies humans told themselves to avoid anything they couldn’t rationalize with logic. He stepped right into her space.

“What are you doing?” she gasped, her chest rising.

He slid curly dark hair off her shoulder. “I’m facing a bit of a dilemma.”

Her head lifted, although her gaze only reached his lips and stayed there. “How so?” Her voice lowered to a breathiness that licked along his cock.

“I need a shower to wipe off the blood and grime, so my choices are to bind you or have you join me.” It was crazy, but he’d give his left arm for her to join him in the shower.

She half-coughed and half-laughed. “Are you hitting on me?”

His hand curled around her nape. “Yes.”

Her gaze lifted to his, and her pupils widened. “That’s insane,” she whispered.

“I know.” Hell, the woman was right. “But here’s the deal. My brothers won’t return for several hours, and then we’ll have to move again. I want you, and you want me, so let’s take the edge off so we can think.” His mind hadn’t been clear since he’d first sighted her two days ago, and he needed clarity. One good night, and he could get her out of his system. “What do you say?”

“I say you’re crazy.” She stepped back against the window. “If all I wanted was an orgasm to take the edge off, I sure as heck don’t need you for that.”

Humor bubbled up, and he full-on laughed. The woman was one of a kind. “Well then.” His hands slowly went to unbuckle his belt, and he drew the heavy leather through the loopholes, quite enjoying the way her breath caught and her eyes widened. “Plan B it is, then.”

~*~





New York Times Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over twenty-five dark paranormals, romantic suspense, and contemporary romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the USA Today, NY Times, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooksbestseller lists. She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out. Her current series are: The Scorpius Syndrome, The Dark Protectors, The Realm Enforcers, The Maverick Montana Cowboys, and the Sin Brothers series.



     

December 12, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Snow and Mistletoe by Alexa Riley



Noelle's voice has captivated Alex, and she's become his greatest obsession. Since he hired her to read audiobooks, listening to her is the only thing that makes his lonely world bearable. Thank God she's never seen him. His scars would only scare her away. 

Alex has starred in every fantasy Noelle's had since she first heard his voice over the phone, and reading erotica samples to him only fuels her desire. Listening to him on the other end of the phone is the best part of her day, and she's willing to do anything to please him. 

On Christmas Eve a storm comes through, sending Noelle in search of her reclusive boss. Once she's at his cabin with no place to go, there's only one way to keep warm. 

Warning: This is the sweetest, cheesiest, most Christmassy book ever! It's filled with late-night confessions, dirty deeds, and a lifetime of love. If you love this time of year, I've got some cheer for you!




~*~
“I…uh…” I say, trying to break the silence between us for the second time today. I’m totally getting fired. Hell, I kinda knew that when I popped on my audiobook and my voice wasn’t even on it. As much as I want to ask, I don’t feel like poking the bear he seems to have turned into.

I knew he was the silent broody type, but I didn’t think he bit. Now I’m not so sure. He could rip my heart to shreds with a few harsh words. Maybe this is why I spend so much time with my head in the clouds and my nose in books, dreaming in my own little world. This real-life romance shit is hard and scary.

“Follow me. I’ll show you where you can put your stuff,” he says without looking at me as he heads towards a hallway. It’s as if he wants to shove me into a room as quickly as possible. He won’t even look at me, and a lump starts to form in my throat. Forget it. I can’t do this.

“Maybe I should just…” I turn to grab the door handle, but I remember I don’t have my shoes on so I can’t make as quick of an escape as I’d like. Before I can turn to grab my shoes, big arms shoot out on either side of me, landing on the door. His warm body presses into mine.

“Don’t go.” His words are soft this time, and they tickle my ear. He doesn’t move, and I can’t seem to form any words with him pressed up against me like this. “Just let me show you to your room. You can take a warm bath if you like.”

“Okay.” The fight leaves my body at his deep, sensual voice. My answer comes out breathy, and it takes every muscle in my body to stop myself from leaning into him. I want to rub against him like a cat in heat. I’ve never done anything wanton in my life, but Alex makes me do a lot of things I’ve never done before. Like drive three hours in a snowstorm, pretending it was all about saving my job, when really I’m being a low-key stalker.

Maybe I can just say I’m cold or something if I rub against him. Oh my God, I’m totally trying to cop a feel! My cheeks burn with embarrassment at my own thoughts, but Alex still makes no move to release me. I can’t move until he drops the big arms that are caging me. God, how I wish I was facing the other way and staring into his dark blue eyes. I was so sure they would be brown when I pictured him, but my thoughts didn’t do those eyes justice.

“Don’t try to leave again.” The firmness in his voice is one I know all too well. I am about to tell him I’ll do whatever I want, but feeling him pressed against me banishes any thoughts I have of leaving this cabin. “It’s dark, the snow is falling thick, and the coyotes will be out.”

With that caution, the warmth of his body leaves mine, and I miss it instantly. Sadly, I think I could have stood like that all night and been utterly content. I turn, following him down the long hallway. The cabin is cute. It’s hard to make out much with so few lights on, but all the walls and floors are wooden. It’s rustic and homely and utterly perfect. The place looks like it was plucked right out of some catalogue. It would be the perfect place to spend Christmas.

The thought reminds me that it’s Christmas Eve. I haven’t heard anyone else, but I feel bad, not only for intruding but for possibly putting someone out of a bedroom. “Are we alone?” I’m prying for information, but I’m wondering if a girlfriend or someone like that is going to pop up.

“I’m always alone.” That makes me happy until the words really sink it.

He takes me upstairs, and we pass one door before we stop outside another. He turns the knob and pushes the door open. He half-turns to me, but the light is off, and I still can’t really make out his face. I can tell he has a strong jaw and nose, but seeing so little only makes me long to see more.

“Get some rest. I’m sure it was a long drive.” With that, he turns and heads down the stairs, his big body disappearing into the shadows of the cabin.

I go into the room he told me to take and flip on the nearby lamp. I ignore everything but the bed as I toss my bag onto it and let myself fall into its softness.I’m always alone.

~*~

I'm Alexa Riley! Mom, wife, and business woman by day and smut writer by night. I specialize in the Dirty Date Night reading. I wrote my first book, Owning Her Innocence, because well, I just couldn't find any daddy books to my liking. So I sat down and just started writing, bringing the fantasies I find myself often dancing to in the dark of night to life, one page at a time.

Alexa Riley is my alter ego. I can't let the other soccer moms know what I'm up to or the guys at work for that matter. Little do they know that they've got nothing on my dirty talk.

I'm here to give you a quick fix of filthy dirty smut. Got a few hours to kill? Then I'm what you're looking for.



December 11, 2015

Excerpt & Giveaway! Remembering Home by J.M. Adele




How do you forget your first love? 

The girl that haunts your dreams.

The one that no other woman could ever live up to.

The one you left behind...

It takes a tragedy to wake Aiden Thomas from his stupor, prompting him to return to his home town. Nothing could've prepared him for what he finds when he gets there. His life, as he knows it, is about to change. It was time to stop hiding behind his lens.

Angel Murphy had her heart ripped away when she was a teenager. She survived the toughest times of her life, with the help of her family. Fifteen years later, after another cruel blow, she is again scrambling to adjust. Angel doesn't know how much more she can take, when the man she never thought she’d see again returns.

Can she trust him to stay this time, especially when he discovers the secrets he left behind?

*Recommended for readers 18+ due to mature content.*



~*~
Aiden’s face was a picture of desire, his lids heavy, beautiful lips parted. The muscles of his chest heaved with each breath. He stood still. One hand grasped the towel and the other hung limply at his side. 

At that moment, she waivered. She didn’t come for this. If he left tomorrow without the chance of return, she’d always wonder what it would be like to be with this man. What they could have together. After an awful few weeks, she needed something life affirming. Something to make her feel alive and connected with someone she loved. Sitting here seeing Aiden, the man, and realizing her feelings had never faded, she just wanted to be reckless. To have just one night with him before everything changed. Before he leaves again. She promised herself she would be truthful with him in the morning, but for now, she needed him. Only him.

Her gaze raked up his body to his eyes. Angel unfurled her arms and stood. 

“Don’t say a word.” Her voice quivered from lust and fear. Fear that he might not want her as she wanted him. 

He didn’t speak, only stalked towards her, reaching to cup her face in his hands. His eyes searing as he lowered his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and reached her hands up to grasp his wrists. The feathery brush of his lips against hers sent divine tingles shooting through her body. It was always like this when they kissed. He set her heart alight, and branded her as his with every stroke of his touch. 

His hands moved to the nape of her neck and travelled down her shoulders and arms. She grabbed onto his waist, knocking the towel loose. His kiss became bruising. He reached down grabbing her thighs, urging her to wrap them around him so he could carry her to the sofa. She was way ahead of him, jumping at the suggestion. 

Their tongues were tasting, licking, remembering each other, while her hands learned the matured contours of his back and shoulders.

He knelt down on the mattress and dropped forward, bracing himself on one hand. The springs squeaked as Angel bounced, dropping her legs from his body. She looked down his exceptional body to see his erection jutting out proudly. He was magnificent. She wanted him now. Skin on skin.Angel wrenched off her top and started fumbling with the button of her jeans. Aiden’s hands covered hers “Let me,” he growled. She flopped back on the pillow and grabbed onto the edge of the mattress above her head, lifting her hips when he slid her jeans down.

~*~




J.M. Adele is the author of the contemporary romance novella, Remembering Home, and paranormal romance, Sensing You—coming soon. She lives in Queensland, Australia with her husband, three boisterous boys and two geriatric Labradors.
Working as a nurse in a former life allowed her to meet all sorts of wonderful people and gain many different perspectives on life. Her love of, and addiction to stories prompted characters of her own to take up residence in her daydreams. When they became more insistent, she finally took pencil to paper.