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In the past few days I\u2019ve sent my lat\u00adest novel\u00adla Tes\u00adsa\u2019s Pride to a hand\u00adful of epub\u00adlish\u00aders. I\u2019ve already had one rejec\u00adtion and one con\u00adtract offer, so we\u2019ll see where it goes from there. I post\u00aded a blurb ear\u00adli\u00ader, but I thought I\u2019d post an excerpt for you, see what you think!<\/p>\n
Tessa\u2019s heart seized. When it resumed beat\u00ading, it pound\u00aded in her ears. \u201cYou\u2019re stay\u00ading here?\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook out a pair of silky-look\u00ading box\u00aders, then fold\u00aded them care\u00adful\u00adly. Tes\u00adsa knew he\u2019d done that to flus\u00adter her, and it took super\u00adhu\u00adman strength to keep from star\u00ading at them.<\/p>\n
He seemed to rec\u00adog\u00adnize her avoid\u00adance, because he ges\u00adtured with the under\u00adwear as he spoke. \u201cYou don\u2019t expect me to stay in a hotel, do you? When the big house that has belonged to my fam\u00adi\u00adly for gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions sits all but empty?\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes.<\/em><\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>Well, no\u2026but I didn\u2019t\u2026I guess I didn\u2019t real\u00adize you\u2019d planned on stay\u00ading in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
For fold\u00ading them so care\u00adful\u00adly, he tossed the under\u00adwear into the draw\u00ader with\u00adout a thought before walk\u00ading toward her. No, he didn\u2019t walk, he prowled; like a hun\u00adgry lion. \u201cYou\u2019re afraid, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Yes.<\/em><\/p>\n
She swal\u00adlowed. \u201cAfraid?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>To stay alone in the house with me.\u201d He moved into her space, and it took all of her willpow\u00ader to remain where she was. Although part of her want\u00aded to back away, a big\u00adger part want\u00aded to step into the heat he always seemed to wear like an invis\u00adi\u00adble cloak.<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>I\u2019m not afraid.\u201d Her voice wasn\u2019t as strong as she want\u00aded it to be. She swal\u00adlowed again.<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>You don\u2019t sound sure.\u201d His dark brows low\u00adered, and he stud\u00adied her mouth. \u201cI think you\u2019re scared.\u201d His breath washed over her face with each word he spoke, and Tes\u00adsa clenched her hands to keep from reach\u00ading out for him. \u201cI think you\u2019re afraid I\u2019ll kiss you like I did that day in the mead\u00adow. You remem\u00adber that kiss, don\u2019t you Tessa?\u201d<\/p>\n
Oh God, yes she remem\u00adbered that kiss. She remem\u00adbered that kiss often. Dai\u00adly. Night\u00adly. Hourly. It was years ago, the day before he\u2019d left BER<\/span> for good. He\u2019d sur\u00adprised her dur\u00ading a solo horse\u00adback ride into the woods on a rare day off. When she\u2019d come to the clear\u00ading, she saw Josh, sit\u00adting tall and proud atop his favorite horse. To this day she didn\u2019t know if he was wait\u00ading for her, or if she had just hap\u00adpened upon him there. They\u2019d spent that after\u00adnoon talk\u00ading, laugh\u00ading, and wad\u00ading in the cool creek, their jeans rolled up to their knees. She\u2019d acci\u00adden\u00adtal\u00adly splashed him, which made him return the favor. In the end they were both drenched, and they had to lie in the sun to dry out their clothes.<\/p>\n
Con\u00adver\u00adsa\u00adtion was easy, and when he rolled on his side to hov\u00ader over her, it was the most nat\u00adur\u00adal move to slide into his arms.<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>I remem\u00adber it too, Tes\u00adsa.\u201d Her name com\u00ading off his lips felt almost like a caress.<\/p>\n
Her lids slid closed as she soaked in his words, lost in reminiscence.<\/p>\n
\u201c<\/span>I\u2019ve pulled the mem\u00ado\u00adry of that after\u00adnoon out more times than I can count. I\u2019ll nev\u00ader for\u00adget the way you looked with your Stet\u00adson tilt\u00aded over your brow. Your bare legs, so smooth\u2026and your mouth\u2026God, your mouth.\u201d He stepped clos\u00ader, until their clothes brushed, and she did feel the heat that she remem\u00adbered. It sur\u00adround\u00aded her as sure\u00adly as if he\u2019d reached out with his arms.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Josh is a man who knows what he wants, and isn\u2019t afraid to reach out and get it. I love the Alpha\u2026<\/p>\n
Okay, more info as it comes along. Have a great week!<\/p>\n\n