BLURB ~
A moment in time, and a mistake that caused two people irretrievable damage.
Eva McDonald comes home from London to visit her dying father. Knowing that she will see her nemesis she tries to prepare for the inevitable meeting. However the sizzling attraction that ignites with Gabe Fitzgerald has her trying to flee once again.
He knows he made a mistake but will she allow him to rectify it?
Circumstances trap her in Gabe’s house and she will do anything to hide her long held secret from him…the real reason she left him eight years ago.
EXCERPT ~
He stood and walked round the table between them and pulled her into his arms, careful of her ankle he breathed in the warmth of her, his nose buried in the soft skin of her neck and he knew he had done the right thing by telling her. It felt so good to finally relinquish some of the weight from his shoulders the tension inside him ceased. He felt at peace for the first time in years without the burden so heavily etched onto his shoulders.
“You have to tell your brothers,” she whispered against his ear.
His head shot up. “No never, I promised Mom.”
“So you are just gonna continue to take the blame for something you didn’t do?” She gripped his arms tightly and he could see the disbelief on her face.
“I thought you would understand.” His eyes narrowed. “It has nothing to do with blame; it was Mom’s dying wish. I could never and won’t ever tell the others…ever.” His voice was emphatic; he wanted Eva to understand this was between the two of them and no one else.
“I told you because I don’t want there to be any more secrets between us.” He lifted her chin with his fingers sighing. The confusion in those beautiful green eyes broke his heart. Her lips quivered and he sucked in a breath.
“I will not say a word…you can trust me; however, I think you’re wrong. I think you should tell the others, but it’s you’re decision and I will respect it.”
He nodded stroking the corner of her mouth with his thumb. His eyes tried to search for her innermost secrets. “Now I have divulged my innermost secret how about you do the same?”
She pushed him and the sudden pallor of her face shocked him. He pulled her back holding her tightly. She whispered against his chest, “I have no secrets.”
He dropped his hands to her waist lifting her so she was forced to make eye contact with him.
“Look at me, Eva, look at me and tell me that.”
“Gabe, for goodness sake put me down.” She gripped his shoulders and her fingernails dug into his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt.
“I know you’re hiding something, in time I hope you will trust me enough to tell me, as I have trusted you.”
“Honestly, there is nothing.”
Her eyes were level with his and he knew, behind that blank expression, she was hiding something. He knew her too well.
He pulled her closer to him, brushing his lips softly across her closed eyelids. If she couldn’t tell him, he didn’t want to see the sadness in her eyes. His own feelings were tumbling around inside him like an emotional roller coaster. He had revealed a secret he had held close to his heart since that horrendous day not telling a living soul. She had him with the soft scented warmth of her body; every time he got close to her his emotions went haywire. It only happened when he was with her.
Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by her closeness the softness of her body pressed against his. He drew in a harsh breath when her lips parted and the tip of her pink tongue moistened her lips, he lost control. His body was wracked by a shudder as he bent down and her mouth opened under his he groaned when she pushed her tongue into his mouth. Her arms slid around his neck clinging to him as he deepened the kiss.
“Gabe, oh, Gabe.” She moaned as his mouth teased hers.
“God almighty.” He pulled away staring down at her. “I want you so bad; I can’t take it anymore.” With his lips against hers once more he murmured, “Feel me.” She pressed into his hard arousal and his world rocked around him.
He heard a voice near them, it penetrated his brain and he froze.
“I’m all for free love but some of us are too old to think about that now, and you would surely be more comfortable if you weren’t on public display.”
Gabe froze, he lifted his head a centimeter away from her soft trembling lips and mirrored her panting breaths and for the second time that day he’d lost control. Eva’s skin took on a glow of a burning furnace, and he could feel her chest heave against his. Turning his head he focused on an elderly woman with a blaze of white hair who sat at the nearby picnic table with an amused expression on her face.
“Put me down.” Her voice wavered in his ear. For a split second he focused on her glazed eyes as if mesmerised and he shook himself as he gently lowered her. Holding her until her feet touched the ground. Hobbling away from him, she picked up her crutches and returned to the truck.
“You know it would pay you to get a room, not as exciting but much more comfortable.” A titter came from the elderly woman who had interrupted them.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered. He chuckled following Eva back to the truck.
* * * *
Eva struggled to get back into the truck and was breathing heavily by the time she set her foot on the stool. She was totally embarrassed at once again having lost control, in full view of everyone. She brought her hands up covering her burning face. Mortified at the way she had let him do as he wanted; she hadn’t even tried to stop him.
The man totally confused her, not just with his touch, the way his lips felt on hers. Every time he touched her, her stomach contracted, thighs clenched and the moist pressure throbbed between her legs.
Now he had revealed a secret her heart filled with sadness for him. He had carried it with him for so long and his brothers had no idea—no one did.
When Gabe got in, she turned toward him. He leaned his arms on the steering wheel and laughed.
“I’m glad you find it all so funny,” she chided. “I don’t enjoy being a tourist attraction.” Her face heated up even more and she turned her head to stare out of the window before turning back to him, the intensity of her embarrassment subsided a little when she caught the look on his face.
He turned to her with raised eyebrows, his smile somewhat mischievous.
“You just didn’t get a sex lesson from an old lady with white hair.”
“What do you mean?” She had no idea what he was getting at.
“Well she suggested sex was exciting outside but more comfortable inside,” he said with a chuckle.
“Oh my God, that’s it. Don’t ever bring me back here again.” They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
He reached over touching her lips, parting them with his thumb and she held her breath for a second. “You know it totally scrambles my mind when you kiss me,” he whispered softly.
“You have to tell your brothers,” she whispered against his ear.
His head shot up. “No never, I promised Mom.”
“So you are just gonna continue to take the blame for something you didn’t do?” She gripped his arms tightly and he could see the disbelief on her face.
“I thought you would understand.” His eyes narrowed. “It has nothing to do with blame; it was Mom’s dying wish. I could never and won’t ever tell the others…ever.” His voice was emphatic; he wanted Eva to understand this was between the two of them and no one else.
“I told you because I don’t want there to be any more secrets between us.” He lifted her chin with his fingers sighing. The confusion in those beautiful green eyes broke his heart. Her lips quivered and he sucked in a breath.
“I will not say a word…you can trust me; however, I think you’re wrong. I think you should tell the others, but it’s you’re decision and I will respect it.”
He nodded stroking the corner of her mouth with his thumb. His eyes tried to search for her innermost secrets. “Now I have divulged my innermost secret how about you do the same?”
She pushed him and the sudden pallor of her face shocked him. He pulled her back holding her tightly. She whispered against his chest, “I have no secrets.”
He dropped his hands to her waist lifting her so she was forced to make eye contact with him.
“Look at me, Eva, look at me and tell me that.”
“Gabe, for goodness sake put me down.” She gripped his shoulders and her fingernails dug into his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt.
“I know you’re hiding something, in time I hope you will trust me enough to tell me, as I have trusted you.”
“Honestly, there is nothing.”
Her eyes were level with his and he knew, behind that blank expression, she was hiding something. He knew her too well.
He pulled her closer to him, brushing his lips softly across her closed eyelids. If she couldn’t tell him, he didn’t want to see the sadness in her eyes. His own feelings were tumbling around inside him like an emotional roller coaster. He had revealed a secret he had held close to his heart since that horrendous day not telling a living soul. She had him with the soft scented warmth of her body; every time he got close to her his emotions went haywire. It only happened when he was with her.
Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by her closeness the softness of her body pressed against his. He drew in a harsh breath when her lips parted and the tip of her pink tongue moistened her lips, he lost control. His body was wracked by a shudder as he bent down and her mouth opened under his he groaned when she pushed her tongue into his mouth. Her arms slid around his neck clinging to him as he deepened the kiss.
“Gabe, oh, Gabe.” She moaned as his mouth teased hers.
“God almighty.” He pulled away staring down at her. “I want you so bad; I can’t take it anymore.” With his lips against hers once more he murmured, “Feel me.” She pressed into his hard arousal and his world rocked around him.
He heard a voice near them, it penetrated his brain and he froze.
“I’m all for free love but some of us are too old to think about that now, and you would surely be more comfortable if you weren’t on public display.”
Gabe froze, he lifted his head a centimeter away from her soft trembling lips and mirrored her panting breaths and for the second time that day he’d lost control. Eva’s skin took on a glow of a burning furnace, and he could feel her chest heave against his. Turning his head he focused on an elderly woman with a blaze of white hair who sat at the nearby picnic table with an amused expression on her face.
“Put me down.” Her voice wavered in his ear. For a split second he focused on her glazed eyes as if mesmerised and he shook himself as he gently lowered her. Holding her until her feet touched the ground. Hobbling away from him, she picked up her crutches and returned to the truck.
“You know it would pay you to get a room, not as exciting but much more comfortable.” A titter came from the elderly woman who had interrupted them.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered. He chuckled following Eva back to the truck.
* * * *
Eva struggled to get back into the truck and was breathing heavily by the time she set her foot on the stool. She was totally embarrassed at once again having lost control, in full view of everyone. She brought her hands up covering her burning face. Mortified at the way she had let him do as he wanted; she hadn’t even tried to stop him.
The man totally confused her, not just with his touch, the way his lips felt on hers. Every time he touched her, her stomach contracted, thighs clenched and the moist pressure throbbed between her legs.
Now he had revealed a secret her heart filled with sadness for him. He had carried it with him for so long and his brothers had no idea—no one did.
When Gabe got in, she turned toward him. He leaned his arms on the steering wheel and laughed.
“I’m glad you find it all so funny,” she chided. “I don’t enjoy being a tourist attraction.” Her face heated up even more and she turned her head to stare out of the window before turning back to him, the intensity of her embarrassment subsided a little when she caught the look on his face.
He turned to her with raised eyebrows, his smile somewhat mischievous.
“You just didn’t get a sex lesson from an old lady with white hair.”
“What do you mean?” She had no idea what he was getting at.
“Well she suggested sex was exciting outside but more comfortable inside,” he said with a chuckle.
“Oh my God, that’s it. Don’t ever bring me back here again.” They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
He reached over touching her lips, parting them with his thumb and she held her breath for a second. “You know it totally scrambles my mind when you kiss me,” he whispered softly.
BIO ~
As a young child I loved to write. I always carried a notebook and pen around with me and wrote about everything. It was a dream to become a published author. However sometimes in life our dreams get pushed to one side as mine did. So, dare I say at the young age of fifty I think it is time for me to see if those dreams are everything I hoped they would be…and hey it’s never too late to go and grab that dream!
I have been through many major changes in my working life ranging from a Diana nurse, running my own skin care business, helping with the family run bus company and even hairdressing but my heart as always belonged to putting words on paper and making them come to life.
Recently I managed to get in contact with my best friend from Scotland who I hadn’t seen for over forty years. She lives in America and every year without fail I make the trip over to North Carolina and visit with her and her gorgeous family. This is where I have gained a lot of inspiration for many of my stories. I am lucky that my mum and two sisters live close by and I can say that we are all best friends. I lost my dad four years ago and if it wasn’t for the story I wrote after his death where I came second in a competition I probably wouldn’t have started writing with a view to publication.
I am living my lifelong dream of becoming an author something which I never imagined happening. If I had to give any advice to an un-published author it would be ‘Never give up the dream’ because I never did…
I have been through many major changes in my working life ranging from a Diana nurse, running my own skin care business, helping with the family run bus company and even hairdressing but my heart as always belonged to putting words on paper and making them come to life.
Recently I managed to get in contact with my best friend from Scotland who I hadn’t seen for over forty years. She lives in America and every year without fail I make the trip over to North Carolina and visit with her and her gorgeous family. This is where I have gained a lot of inspiration for many of my stories. I am lucky that my mum and two sisters live close by and I can say that we are all best friends. I lost my dad four years ago and if it wasn’t for the story I wrote after his death where I came second in a competition I probably wouldn’t have started writing with a view to publication.
I am living my lifelong dream of becoming an author something which I never imagined happening. If I had to give any advice to an un-published author it would be ‘Never give up the dream’ because I never did…
Hi, Dilys! Good morning! Nice to have you here. We seem to have a lot in common. Forty was the big turning point for me. After reflecting on it, I realized that being a writer isn't something the world encourages. It's not a job with a steady income but one that many of us feel we HAVE to do when all is said and done. It was the best decision I ever made. I enjoyed your excerpt!
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds lovely, Dilys...now I want to know the secret! :-). Good luck with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in, Joanna! I want to know what's making her sad, too. And what did he tell her?
Delete