Té Russ's Blog, page 6

Sample Sunday: First Look at Noble Redemption

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***Unedited***
Chapter 1
"Hey they, loves! It's your favorite MyScreen travel vlogger, Ivy Noble and we are here in L.A. live streaming for Fashion Week! In a few minutes, you will get to join us in watching the L.A. catwalk debut for on of the hottest new fashion lines. And we'll get to chat with its creator, whom I'm extremely close with. Like, we shared a womb close..."Ivy winked at the camera and continued. "That's right we'll be talking with Isabella Noble about her new line, 'Izzy'. She already debuted the line at Paris's Fashion Week earlier this year and it was a hit. And we're continuing to keep it in the family with our sponsors for the week. CookTV's 'At Home with Ian' star Ian Noble is here cooking up some goodies for the spectators of the fashion show, and the music for the show was produced by Isaiah Noble, my other two womb mates."And finally the hair and make up products for all of the models are being provided by Noble Naturals. This is an exclusive as these makeup products haven't even been released to the public yet. However, when they do, you can expect yours truly to be vlogging about them with some tips and tutorials. The show is set to being in about half an hour, so we'll be back then so you all at home can enjoy it as well..."Once the camera was off, Ivy blew out a breath."How was I?" she asked her cameraman, Duke Covington.Duke put his camera down and shook his head, grinning. "Do you really have to ask, Vee?"She smiled at his personal term of endearment for her as he added, "You were great."Ivy looked around. "It's a really big turnout."Duke nodded. "They're going to love your sister's clothes.""I'm going to go and check on her. Have the camera ready to go live again when I get back.""Will do, Boss."****
"Izzy!"Isabella turned to find a model rushing toward her."The zipper," she said, in a panic stricken voice. "There's a snag in the zipper."Isabella reached into the pocket of the utility apron tied around her waist and grabbed what she needed.After years of working behind the scenes at Claudette Dumond's fashion shows, she was prepared for moments like this. She'd lived with the mantra of anything that could go wrong, probably would so it was best to be prepared for any and everything. Despite her experience, it still hadn't adequately prepared her for how different it would be when she was running the show herself. The Paris show had opened her eyes. It had been a crazy night, but fulfilling in the end.There were plenty of mishaps backstage, and though at times it had been overwhelming, she'd simply reminded herself this was what she'd worked her ass off for.She'd moved to a foreign country, whose language she didn't know for this.She'd given up being able to see her family on a regular basis for this. And then there was Stephen.Isabella shook her head. Stephen was never too far from her mind.She needed to focus on the present, not the past. Things were going at super speed. The show would be starting soon and she needed to handle this current fiasco, before another one fell at her feet.She liked to be hands on with the other seamstresses who worked for her."It's okay," she said, in a soothing tone. She'd always had a mothering quality about her. It was probably because she was the second oldest out of her three siblings. Sure she was only a few minutes older, but she was still older. "Turn around, let's see what we've got."In no time, she had the zipper fixed.She looked at her watch."Ten minutes until showtime," she called out."You sound like you could use a drink."Isabella turned and let out a grateful sigh. Her brother, Ian, stood there with a glass in his hands. She trudged over to him and he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. When he released her, he held the glass out to her."Thank you," she said."My pleasure.""How's it going out there?" she asked."You've got an eager crowd.""Hey..." Ivy and Isaiah made their way through the bustling chaos over to Isabella."How are you?" Ivy asked, running her hands down Isabella's arms."I'm good. I've had to put out a few fires, but that's expected.""We can't stay long," Isaiah said. "I've got to get back to the sound area. The sound check earlier went great though.""And I've got to get back to Duke so we can start the live stream.""I'm so glad you guys are all here for me," Isabella said."Have you seen Mom?" Ivy asked and Isabella nodded."She left a few minutes ago. She wanted to make sure she was in her seat when the show started.""We're gonna get out of here," Isaiah said as he and Ivy pulled her into a group hug."Tell Tessa and Giselle I'll see them after the show," she said, referring to her brothers' wives.She looked at her watch again."Five minutes people!"Forty-five minutes later, Isabella was watching as the models did their final walk down the cat walk. When they were all lined up they turned in her direction. That was her cue. She took the three steps up and walked to the center of the stage and paused, taking in the applause.She looked around at the audience on their feet and then she began her walk. She lifted her hand, waving and smiling to the crowd. When she reached the end of the catwalk, she took the models hands on either side of her and lifted them in the air before doing an exaggerated bow.She then turned and led the way back down the runway, her models following behind her. When she got to the wings of the stage, she descended the stairs and was greeted with another round of applause.Isabella smiled when she saw her entire family there waiting for her. Her sister, mother, brothers and sisters-in-law all cheered for her, pride in their eyes. They all had glasses of champagne, cider for Giselle who was pregnant, ready to toast her second successful show.Irene stepped forward after Ian handed Isabella her glass of champagne."Your father..." Irene cleared her throat and Isabella felt her eyes crest with tears. "You know how he was. But he would have been so proud of you."Issac Noble had passed away over a year ago but the impact of death was still great. Isabella wouldn't have believed his father would have been proud of her accomplishments before his heart attach. But he'd made sure to let them know before passing during what should have been a routing bypass surgery. It was the last thing he'd said to Isabella and her sibling. They'd also discovered just how proud of them he was when Isaiah had discovered a box of memorabilia Issac had collected over the years of their careers while cleaning out his office. Isabella still had the magazines that featured all of the outfits she'd helped create when she'd worked for Claudette Dumond. Her father always griped about how he'd built a legacy for his quadruplets, with Noble Naturals, the natural hair care line he and Irene had started when they were in college; and instead of taking hold of their birthright, they'd gone off and did their own things.It wasn't that none of them were proud of the family business, they'd always just wanted to venture off on their own for awhile. They'd always been 'The Noble Quads', the set of quadruplets who were geniuses and talented at anything they set they minds to. But they had their own passions that they wanted to pursue. When they turned eighteen they decided that they wanted see what they could accomplish on their own, before eventually returning to Sweet Rapids and their rightful places in the company.Isaiah and Ian had already done so. Isaiah had taken over the company and expanding it to now include makeup and body products; and Ian, alongside Giselle who was the head of the production department, had created those new products.What had amazed Isabella the most about her brothers was that while they were deeply invested in Noble Naturals, they still managed to continue their other passions. Isaiah still produced music and took time to direct another film and Ian had his own cooking show that he did from home in Sweet Rapids now, where he'd relocated to permanently.Isabella had decided to follow in their footsteps. She was setting up her fashion house in Sweet Rapids. She was done with Paris. After losing her father, she realized just how much precious time she'd missed out not only with him, but her entire family.Her mother lifted her handkerchief and dabbed the corner of Isabella's eyes and it reminded her of all the times she'd wiped away her tears as a little girl."I wish Daddy could have been here," Isabella said."He is, Izzy," Irene said. "He is."Isaiah held up his glass."To Issac Noble."Isabella couldn't have thought of a better toast. She held up her glass with the rest of the family and they all toasted and repeated, "To Issac Noble."She was finishing off her wine when the reporters swarmed her. She smiled brightly answering their questions about her show."Is it true that the models were wearing makeup from your families upcoming cosmetics line of Noble Naturals?""Yes," Isabella said proudly. "My brother Ian and his lovely wife have done a great job at creating the new products.""Is there a release date yet?""Not yet, we've been revamping the entire company and that includes creating new packaging designs."Which she would be using her knowledge of graphics to contribute to. She'd already come up with several sketches she planned on showing Isaiah once things settled down."We're hoping to get the new products out soon though," she said. "Thank you all for your questions."The high from the evening was staring to wane and exhaustion was beginning to set in.She was set to have a celebratory dinner with her family and then she planned to return to her hotel room, soak in a long hot bubble.In the morning, they were flying back to Sweet Rapids. Which meant, eventually she'd run into him...There was no avoiding him this time, not that she'd tried to before. Not exactly.She just figured he didn't want to see her, so whenever she was in town, she didn't stay long and she definitely didn't go to Noble Naturals, since he worked there.Despite what had happened between them, her father had still loved Stephen. He'd always considered him another son. One could have almost looked at Issac eventually making Stephen the head of marketing favoritism, or even nepotism. But Isabella knew better. Stephen was good at his job. He'd helped Noble Naturals stay ahead of the game when every other hair care line had decided to jump on the 'natural hair bandwagon'. 
She wasn't quite sure yet how she'd handle things when the inevitably crossed paths, and that made her nervous.

Live at Five: Part 7

**unedited**


"Ugh..."Olivia looked at her red eyes and tear stained cheeks. She yanked a paper towel from the dispenser and dabbed her cheeks. There wasn't much she could do about her eyes.She hadn't expected to react so strongly when she saw David.She'd been so eager to see him and the roadblocks to get to their meeting had frustrated her to no end. When he'd pulled her into his arms and held her close, memories from days gone by came rushing back to her with such a strong force, it had made her knees weak.And it wasn't just the memories that made her weak.The man was fine!He had muscles he hadn't had as a teenage young man. She felt them in the biceps that had wrapped her around her, his chest and abs that was pressed against her front and his back when she'd splayed her hands across it.And his scent...It was intoxicating. It gave her the urge to climb up his delicious body and do wicked things to him.What a scandal that would have caused for the nightly news...she thought shaking her head as her lip tilted upward.She gave herself one last once over and ran her hands through her hair to fix it a bit. She'd mussed it by running her hands through it when she kept shouting for a cab and no one would stop for her.She pulled out her lip gloss and reapplied it and then felt she was ready to face David again.She left the bathroom, and made her way to the table David was sitting at. When he looked up and saw her coming toward him, he smiled, stood and pulled her chair out for her."Thank you," she said, sliding out of her coat and placing it on the back of her chair before sitting down."They brought your tea," David said, sitting down in his chair.Olivia grabbed the tea and poured it into her honey and stirred it with her spoon."So..." David said as she brought her drink to her lips. "It's Olivia Felder now..."She didn't expect to have to discuss Nelson so soon."Yes," she nodded, clearing her throat. She sat her mug down and sighed. "I met Nelson in college. We were only married for a few years.""But you kept his last name?" David pointed out."By the time we decided to end things I was already on the air with the news. The producers felt that 'Olivia Felder' sounded better than 'Olivia Manson'." "What happened?" David asked quietly.Olivia sighed and looked out the window of the store front."Honestly, we never should have gotten married to begin with.""Why's that?"Olivia looked down into her tea for a long moment."I'm sorry, Liv," she heard him say. "I didn't mean to bring up things that would make you uncom–""I met him freshman year. A year after we moved away..."She didn't outright say it, but she could tell that David had picked up on it...Nelson had been Olivia's 'rebound guy'."I see," he said. "Again, I didn't mean–""Are you married?"David's mouth clamped shut. He smiled when he said, "No. And I've never been."Olivia nodded, not quite ready to explore the feeling of excitement that rushed through her at her words."So you work at the White House?" Olivia asked, decided to change the subject."Yeah," David said. "For about two years now.""That's great," she said."What about you?" David asked. "How'd you end up in D.C.?""I actually went to college out here.""Yeah?""Yeah, Mass Communications.""Of course," David teased and Olivia chuckled."I interned at the news station.""How'd you end up as the face of Live at Five?"Olivia laughed again at the memory. "By complete chance actually. I was on the crew of one of the anchors who did on the scene reports. One day she just up and quit. We were all in a panic and they basically shoved a mic in my hand and pushed me in front of a camera. The rest, as they say, is history.""That's amazing," David said. "You seem to enjoy what you do.""I do," Olivia said.They continued talking, and got lost in their conversation. Eventually, they looked up and realized that all of the other chairs had been put on top of the tables.They were the only two left in the restaurant besides the barista who was tasked to close up for the night."Looks like we'd better get out of here," Olivia said, reluctantly."Yeah," he agreed, standing.He helped her with her coat on and they walked outside."Would you like to go out again soon?" David asked when they were outside of the cafe."I'd love to," Olivia said.After they made arrangements, David held up his hand and a taxi skid to a stop in front of him."I wish I'd been so lucky," she said with a grin."It's all in the wrist," David teased."Right."He opened the door and held it for her while she slid into the back of the cab."I'll see you soon," David said, taking her hand in his after she rolled down the window."Looking forward to it," she said, before the cab driver began to drive off forcing them to let go of each others hands.Olivia turned and looked at the back window and saw David standing near the edge of the sidewalk. She watched him, watching the cab.
When he was no longer in sight, she turned in her seat and smiled knowing this time when they parted they would see each other again.

Live at Five: Part 6

**unedited**
David sat at a table in a coffee shop, his hands gripping the mug of coffee the waitress had brought out to him. He turns his wrist up and looked at the time on his watch again.Olivia was thirty minutes late.What if something had happened to her?What if she changed her mind and decided she didn't want to see him after all?What if–The bell over the front door chimed, causing all of his erratic thoughts to stop.And his heart did as well.In rushed Olivia, with a look he recognized immediately. Frustration. Her hair was tousled from the wind and, if she still had the habit, her constantly running her hands through it.She looked around the coffee house, searching for him.David stood so that she could see him and when her eyes landed on him, her face morphed into relief. Which included a smile that he discovered he'd missed more than he realized. She weaved her wave through the tables filled with other customers and when she was a few feet away she began chattering at warp speed."I'm so sorry I'm late," she began. "My boss decided he wanted to do an evening production meeting. And then I couldn't catch a cab to save my li–"He cut her off when he reached out and pulled her into his arms hugging her tight. From the gasp that slipped from her lips, he knew he'd caught her off guard. He hadn't meant to be so forward, but seeing her there, standing in front of him made him feeling like a teenager again. Back when she was his girl. He just wanted to wrap his arms around her, like he would have done back then; and so he did.He realized that he needed to release her, that this could be inappropriate and just when he prepared himself to back away and apologize, she wrapped his arms around his waist and returned his embrace just as tightly.He smiled into her hair when he heard her sigh against his chest.That was the sigh she use to release when all he had to do was hold her and no matter what was bothering her he seemed to make all her troubles float away with a simple, yet strong hug.He finally pulled away and looked down at her."Hi," he said."Hi," she whispered in a breathless tone. When he saw her eyes begin to water, and her lip tremble, he reached up and palmed her cheek, swiping a tear that fell down her cheek."What's wrong, Livvie?"She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head."I just...I just can't believe that you're here. I never thought I'd see you again, and you're here. Living in the same city as me. How long have you been here? When did you move here? What are you doing?"David chuckled as the string of questions flew from her mouth. To the world she may have been Olivia Felder, hot shot news reporter for the DC Live at Five segment, who was always put together. But right now in front of him was Livvie Manson, the girl he'd fallen in love with ten years ago."Why don't we sit down and we can get all caught up with each other's lives?" he suggested, pulling out the other chair for her.Olivia held up a finger."If you don't mind, I'm gonna go run and freshen up first. I know I must look a mess.""You look gorgeous, Livvie," David said.And he meant it. She'd always been beautiful and seeing her on TV he'd known she grown up to become a stunning woman. But those cameras didn't do her any justice. And seeing her from head to toe, with no desk hiding her body...Her incredibly curvaceous body.Yes, she was truly gorgeous.Olivia smiled a shy smile as she began to back away."Give me a few minutes and I'll be right back.""Can I order you something?""A green tea please."David nodded and headed to the order counter. After he placed the order for Olivia, he went back to his seat to wait for her. He couldn't wait to get caught up with her and see what her life had been like.And what had happened between her and her husband.

Sample Sunday: Get Ready for Take Off

*Unedited*


Vicki let out a breath of release as she walked on to the airport. She was afraid that she was going to miss her flight after oversleeping. All night her dreams had been filled with Dex McAllister.Although they'd only spent a few minutes in each others' presence, she'd found herself utterly intrigued by him. She recalled stories Drew had told of his tech-genius older brother, so finally meeting him in person was beyond anything she could imagine.She'd seen him, as the best man at Drew's wedding, making his way around that day, ensuring everything was perfect. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak to him that day.But yesterday...Her fingers still tingled at the memory of his hand wrapped around hers. His grip had been firm, and she'd been surprised to find his hands slightly calloused. She hadn't expected someone who spent most of his time at a laptop to have such rough hands.That meant he did more than just type keys all day.Vicki always did like a man who could put his hands to good use.She could just imagine Dex's hands on her skin...caressing her cheek, sliding around her neck, down to her breasts as he gave them a good squeeze..."Ma'am..."Vicki blinked and found herself looking at the smiling gate agent, smiling at her with her hand out."Your boarding ticket, ma'am.""Oh," Vicki said, shaking her head. "Sorry about that?"The gate agent's smile widened even more. "Not a problem," she inspected the ticket and then handed it back to Vicki. "You're all set Miss Grey. Enjoy your flight.""Thank you."Vicki walked down the long corridor toward the airplane, amazed by the way thoughts of Dex quickly spiraled into something down right naughty.That was part of the reason she'd overslept. He'd invaded her dreams most of the night.She had to admit, she'd been disappointed that their conversation had been cut short. It had been a long time since Vicki had met a man where the attraction between them was instant. She'd wanted to continue getting to know him.Most of Drew's family ran a chain of popular hotels and resorts, The Lillian. They were all over the world but the headquarters was in New York and most of Drew's family lived there. Drew had implemented the security on the hotels with top of the line software that Dex had created. She'd seen some of Dex's work firsthand, including the security system he'd created for Drew's house in Texas, and was throughly impressed.She remembered Drew mentioning that when Dex wasn't traveling, he lived in New York.Maybe she could figure out an excuse to ask Drew for Dex's contact info. With them opening a McAllister Security brand in New York, they'd need some kind of set-up...Vicki's eyes grew wide and she looked up at the seat number and then down at her boarding ticket.She looked down again, shocked to see the man who'd been occupying her thoughts, sitting in the window seat, typing away on his laptop."Dex?" she finally said.His long fingers paused over the keys and his eyes lifted to look at her."Vicki," he said, his lips curving into a mischievous grin. "What a small world.""Hmmm," she said, studying first him and then his computer. She was about to lift her suitcase in the overhead compartment, when Dex quickly closed his laptop and swiftly moved to help her."Let me put that up for you," he offered.She stepped aside and watched as he lifted the case with one hand and placed it in the compartment.Yep, definitely good with his hands..."Why do I get the feeling that you've had a hand in making it 'a small world'?" she asked as they settled into their seats.He placed a hand over his hand, appearing affronted. "Miss Grey, I know you're not implying that I..." He looked around before he leaned closer to her and lowered his voice. "That I would tamper with the airline's system to get a flight and seat of my preference.""That is exactly what I'm implying, Mr. McAllister.""You don't believe in fate?" he asked."I believe we make our fate. And I believe you used your..." She glanced at his computer. "...skills, in order to procure a seat on my flight. I'm not sure whether or not I should be flattered or reaching for my knife.""How in the world did you get one past security?" Dex asked.Vicki reached into her pocket and pulled out what looked like a lipstick tube. She opened it just enough to reveal a hint of the blade built in, before closing it and putting it back into her pocket.Dex nodded his head. "Very impressive.""Thank you," she said, smiling.She was almost always armed with something that she could defend herself with.She watched as Dex reached into his pocket. He pulled out a coin, flipped it with his thumb and after he caught it, he held it up in her face. She grinned when he discreetly pulled on the coin and it split open, revealing a blade."Nice," she said."Looks like we're birds of a feather," he said with a wink."Looks that way.""So," Dex said, as he place the coin back into his pocket. "I'm assuming since you put that away, you're going in the direction of flattered?""Considering I've been a fan of your computer abilities from a distance for some time now...yes, I'll go with flattered," she said. "Now that you have me where you want me, what do you intend to do?"That grin that caused her stomach to flip flop returned. She was completely aware of the innuendo in her words and she was eager for his response."Excuse me, I think you're in my seat."Vicki turned to see an older woman standing over them, glaring at Dex. She watched as he pulled his boarding ticket out and pretended to be confused."I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, sounding genuinely contrite. "There must be some mistake, this is my seat. See..."He held his ticket up, which showed the seat number. The older woman huffed and held up her ticket as well. Sure enough, it had the same seat number."Is there a problem?" a stewardess asked.The woman pointed at Dex. "He's in my seat."The stewardess smiled. "May I see your boarding ticket, sir?""Of course," he said, smiling at her as he handed her the ticket.She looked at Dex's and then the other woman's ticket. She looked up at the two of them apologetically. "I'm sorry, sometimes there's a glitch in the system and seats get double booked. Ma'am, it won't be a problem to find you another seat.""But that's the seat I want. It's the seat I was assigned."Dex stood and the women had to tilt their heads up to look at him."I would be more than happy to find another seat," he said and then looked down at Vicki. "But only if my wife is able to come with me. You see we are headed to our honeymoon and we couldn't stand being away from each other."The stewardess sighed and the older woman began to stutter. Vicki bit her lip to keep from giggling."I...I suppose I could sit elsewhere," she acquiesced."Thank you. You are too kind."The stewardess continued down the aisle helping the woman find a new seat. Vicki finally turned and shook her head."You didn't think to change her seat?""Of course I did, but there was no telling whether or not she'd already printed her ticket," he said, settling back into his seat. "Sometimes what makes a perfect plan is the imperfections.""Interesting philosophy."Dex shrugged and stared at her for a moment. "Before we were interrupted you asked me what I intended to do now that I had you where I wanted you."Her pulse kicked up a notch at the look in his eyes."Well?" she asked."I intend to ask you out," Dex said.Vicki smiled at his words. "I'd like that."At that moment, the plane began to coast toward the runway for take off. Vicki had a feeling she was about to be in for the ride of her life.
And not just on the airplane. 

The Book You’ve Been Waiting For...Reflections...

I started writing Love After War sometime in April or May of 2013 (I facebook stalked myself on my other page to get an approximate date). I don't remember when I finished (Not as much luck with the facebook stalking on that end, but I also quit trying), let's shoot and say I finished around August or so *shrugs*...regardless of when I finished writing it, it didn't get published until 2015, nearly two years later.

And that is when you all got your first glimpse at Vicki Grey. Her 'onscreen time' was short, but it was major (no spoilers here! Go read the book).

She popped up again in Love's Taken Over. Totally unexpected, but I was glad to bring her back for the small cameo and of course it made readers clamour for her story even more.

Back when I wrote my post on Noble Surrender, I talked about how much anxiety I had over writing Vicki's story. I've only dabbled in the romantic suspense genre before and I always knew that this story would be a bit (okay, a lot) heavier with that element.

Victoria Grey's story has been a highly anticipated one for over a year now. But it's taken me a couple of years to build up the...gumption to finally dive in and write the story.

Well I finally dove in with both feet and yesterday I wrote 'The End' on Vicki Grey and Dex McAllister's story.



For those who are not yet aware, this story is a crossover of sorts. It's both a McAllister Family story as well as a first, or introductory, novel to a new series, McAllister Security (I already have my next couple for that series lined up, you will meet them in Reckless Love). So it's kinda book 7/book 1.

Anyway, I've gotten great feedback from my betas and I'm truly happy with the story. I think part of the reason that I struggled in the beginning was because I had ideas from years ago that I wanted to incorporate in the story. But with going through several evolutions in my writing since I first wrote Love After War, those ideas were no longer panning out (And to be frank, I don't think this story would have been nearly as good (if I do say so myself) as )it is now, had I not gone through the aforementioned series of evolutions).

So I had to start from scratch.

I had a very difficult time letting of those original ideas and starting fresh.

Once I stopped being stubborn, I got to work.

And I hope I have done you all proud and made this story worth the wait.

Next up, I'm going back to Sweet Rapids with Isabella (Izzy) Noble.

Love you guys,

Té

Book Spotlight: Beach Thing by D.L. White

Today I have the honor having author D.L. White visit today to spotlight her latest release, Beach Thing!

About the Book: 



When Ameenah Porter moves to the beach town of Black Diamond Isles to fulfill her dream of opening a smoothie shop, she encounters a man who is tall, dark and extremely handsome with a wicked taste for orange flavored beverages. She doesn’t need the distraction of a new man but Wade, who’s staying in the giant sized home at the end of her block, is irresistible. 

Wade Marshall was supposed to spend the summer on Black Diamond Isles getting away from the rush of Brooklyn, ridding himself of the distractions that had been impacting his work so he can do what he does best-- make beats.  But the day he meets Ameenah, he becomes consumed by an entirely different and more attractive distraction--his bold, beautiful, sexy neighbor with the “glorious hips” and a penchant for ice cream. 
Ameenah's days at Tikis & Cream, her beachside smoothie shop, are spent cooling off her customers with her gourmet smoothie blends. Her nights on the shores of quaint Black Diamond Bay are enchanting and romantic and soon Wade and Ameenah find themselves in the middle of a Beach Thing, a fun, meaingless fling that will end when the summer is over. Or will it? 
Wade is returning to Brooklyn at the end of the summer. Ameenah lives on Black Diamond. Neither want this Beach Thing to end... so is this fling really a fling or is it the beginning of something real... and will they realize it in time?If you're not yet ready to say goodbye to summer, join me for a trip to Black Diamond.
Excerpt: 

I heard music blaring from inside the house, so I wasn’t sure if Wade could even hear the doorbell, but I kept trying it. He’d been coming by the shop every few days. I’d try to talk him into something new; he’d still choose the Frozen Sunshine, but promise that he’d try something new soon. I quickly learned that orange was his favorite flavor.
Which led to me standing at his front door with a plastic container of orange cranberry muffins, leaning on the doorbell like my life depended on it. I’d almost given up when I heard the music cut out. I pressed the doorbell button again, this time hearing it chime throughout the house.

I stepped back and waited for the footsteps that eventually came and for the door to swing open. The surprise on Wade’s face as he opened the door made me giggle. That I knew of, he didn’t know anyone else on Black Diamond— who else would be at his door?

“I’ve been standing out here so long, these muffins are probably cold.”

He eyed the container and stepped aside to let me into the house. “Sorry, I couldn’t hear, with the music going. What’s up?”

“Not too much. I just whipped these up for the shop.” I gestured toward the container. “I thought I would bring you a few. They’re orange cranberry.”

The slow, sexy smile that spread across his face did things to my body, made it tingle in a way it hadn’t in awhile. I’d been so head down for the past few years, working two, sometimes three jobs to save enough to move to Black Diamond and open Tikis & Cream. I’d cut out dating and most forms of socializing. I only saw Paige when she dropped into the bar where I served drinks. I could catch my family at the weekly, non-negotiable Sunday dinner. Otherwise, unless I worked a shift with one of them, I rarely saw them.

Wade took the container and nodded his head for me to follow. I looked around while trailing him to the kitchen, my eyes wide at how the other half lived— Italian tile, dark marble, huge rooms with sweeping views. I thought I had a nice view of the beach from my little house, but the windows alone blew me away.

“So… Gage just lets you live in his house?”

“Yeah,” he answered, pulling the lid off of the container and plucking a mini-muffin from inside. He grinned, then sniffed it, then popped the whole thing into his mouth. “Uhmm… mmmm...these are good,” he mumbled around a mouthful of muffin.

“Hey, don’t choke. I’m not doing the Heimlich on you.”

He chuckled, then reached for two more muffins. “These won’t last the night. Guarantee. They’re really good.”
“Thank you,” I said, feeling proud.

“Let me show you around. Gage and his wife don’t really use the house as much as they thought they would. Her family has a spot down in Jamaica and she’s used to going there. Happy wife, happy life is Gage’s motto, so…”

He led me out of the kitchen, through a spacious dining room with a long cherry wood table and stately chairs covered in white fabric. We passed a formal sitting room and living room, ending up in what I supposed was the family room. It was much more casual and laid back— still upscale, but the room at least looked like it had been used.

“The house is here, sitting empty. I needed some time away from the city. Here I am.”

He walked toward the patio doors and pushed them open, revealing a large wooden deck that put mine to shame. The sunset in the distance, only slightly obscured by clouds, gave us a gorgeous light show across the Bay.

He gestured toward a seat at the patio table, which had an colorful umbrella shading it, its panels flapping in the light breeze. “Can I get you something to drink? I can’t make that orange thing, but I could grab you some water, juice or soda. Or I have some blood orange San Pellegrino, actually.”

“I’m flattered that you would share your own orange concoction with me. I’ll have one of those.”

He left and returned with the container of muffins he’d left in the kitchen and two bottles of San Pellegrino. I took one and twisted it open, then gulped down a delicious swallow, tart and rich with orange flavor.

“Ooh, these are good. I might have to think of a reason to order them.”

“You could create a drink with it. That would be amazing.” He uncapped his bottle and practically poured half of it down his throat, then reached for another muffin. “These are all for me, right? Because I plan on eating all of them.”

“Yes, Wade,” I answered, laughing. “I was messing around in the kitchen, trying to create some things I could carry in the shop. I was thinking about your love for all things orange and remembered I had my grandmother’s recipes. I decided to make a few dozen, try them out over the next few days.”

“Well,” he said, popping another one into his mouth. “These will be a hit.”

“I’m so glad you like them.” I paused, letting an awkward, too-flirtatious moment pass. “Uh...I heard music when I walked up. I hope I’m not cutting into your work time.”

“Nah,” he said, waving me off. “Don’t worry about that. I’m always working, but you’re never an interruption.”
I blushed. Just a little. Obviously two were playing this flirting game. “Noted.”

“Especially if you’re going to bring me treats.”

He popped another muffin into his mouth and rubbed the palms of his hands together. “So, you said you just moved out here, but you know so much about the island. Is Black Diamond that small? You already made your rounds?”

“Oh, no. I used to come down here when I was a kid. My grandparents scrimped and saved to be able to buy a little place to retire to. They’re long gone, but I inherited the house when my grandmother died.”

He turned his head to give a respectful gaze to the little red wooden house with the much smaller wooden deck. “That’s nice. Real nice. Your folks are proud of you, I’m sure.”

I almost laughed, but caught myself. “My folks think I’m out of my mind and making a huge mistake. We’ll see, though. What about you? Have you already… made your rounds?”

He chuckled, weaving his fingers together. “I haven’t done much since I’ve been down here but work. I probably need to take you up on that tour you offered.”

“Probably,” I said, nodding.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?”

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beach-Thing-DL-White-ebook/dp/B01LX845U6

Lulu (paperback): http://www.lulu.com/shop/dl-white/beach-thing/paperback/product-22868426.html

About the Author:

As the daughter of a serviceman, I am formerly from all over the place, however I have lived in the grandest city in the south, Atlanta, since early 2003. I'm a Northwest girl at heart but I think I've finally got this southern thing down... the tea is sweet and the fish come with grits!

By day I am an Executive Administrative Assistant at a world renowned beverage company, working for one of our top five customers. By night, when I'm not writing books, I'm devouring them. I blog my reviews and thoughts on writing at www.TheSweetEscape.net.

I love coffee and Sunday Brunch, especially on a patio, but my true obsession is water-- lakes, rivers, oceans, waterfalls! And sand... dig your toes in, soft!  On the weekend, you'll probably find me near water and if I'm lucky, on an ocean beach. 

For as long as I can remember, I would much rather be in my room reading and writing than doing anything else, but I began seriously pursuing a writing career in 2011. My debut, a women's fiction novel about three lifelong best friends in Atlanta, was published in 2015 and was well-received. Beach Thing is my fifth novel, with many more to come!

Live at Five: Part 5

**unedited**


"Liv, another great segment."Olivia smiled at Rita, the stage manager and Olivia's best friend, as one of the crew members helped her get out of her mic. Once she was free, she turned fully to Rita."Thanks," she said."Hey, a bunch of us are going out for drinks after work, want to join us?""I think I'm just going to head home after I read through these emails," Olivia said."You've got to get out!" Rita whined. "You've been out here a year and you don't do anything but work and go home.""What's wrong with that?" Olivia asked as she reached her office, sat down behind her desk and booted up her computer."You're not living," Rita said.Olivia rolled her eyes and put two fingers to the pulse on her wrist. "I feel a heartbeat. So obviously I'm alive.""I said you're not living," Rita clarified. "That's much different. You're merely existing. You're the most boring twenty-something year old I know. You're the face of Live at Five! You should be out there using it to your advantage."Olivia shook her head as Rita plopped down into the seat across from her."I'm not here to wild out, Rita. I'm simply here to do a job."Rita groaned and stomped her feet on the ground."Okay, 'grandma'. But next week is your birthday, and we are going out. And we're going to find you someone to give you your birthday licks."Olivia stopped browsing her social media page and looked up at Rita, who had a shameless grin on her face."Seriously, Rita? I've told you a million times, a man is not on my agenda these days.""I'm not saying find a man fall in love with again. I'm saying find a man to fall into bed with.""You know that's not my sty–"Her breath stalled in her lungs as an alert popped up.David Perry sent you a friend request."It can't be," she whispered."What can't be?" Rita asked, popping up from her seat."David," she said quietly."David?" Rita repeated. "The 'David' you told me you were all in love with as a teenager before you moved to California. That David?"Olivia nodded. "He sent me a friend's request.""Accept it!""And then what?" Olivia asked. It had been so long. She'd gone through so much. And men weren't in her life's plan right now. She'd had her heart broken one too many times. First losing him, although that was through no fault of his own. And then her failed marriage."And then you talk," Rita said. "Reconnect. It's been...how long?""Ten years," Olivia said quietly.Rita pushed Olivia's chair out of the way and grabbed the mouse."Let's check him out," she said. "See how he looks now."Before Olivia could stop Rita, she was clicking on the profile page. They both looked confused when they saw how empty it was."There's nothing here..." Olivia said. "It can't be real," Rita said. "Everyone has a page these days."A message box popped up and Olivia gasped when as she read the message.David P.: Olivia?"What do I do?" Olivia asked Rita."Send a reply."Olivia blew out a shaky breath and began to type.Olivia F.: Is this really David Felder?"Good," Rita said over her shoulder. David P.: Yes, it really is me. I just got this page. At my cousin's insistence.Olivia F.: How can I be sure this is you? Olivia could feel Rita clutching the back of her chair. Her friend seemed just as anxious as she was. It took so long for him to answer, she began to feel like maybe he wasn't who he claimed to be. But finally the messenger pinged.David P.: The summer we were together, I saved up enough money to buy an old Chevy. It was in the back of that same Chevy, that we drove down to the lake, where we lost our virg–"Whoa!" Rita shouted and then began to laugh.Olivia hopped out of her seat, grabbed a still laughing Rita by the arms, turned her and then shoved her out of her office before slamming the door and locking it.She looked down and realized her hands were now trembling.She walked back to her desk, sat down and placed her fingers on the keyboard.Olivia F.: Okay...it is you...David P.: Yeah...hey Livvie...Olivia felt a tear, slide down her cheek as she typed...
Olivia F.: Hey David...

Live at Five: Part 4

*unedited*

"From the look on your face, I'm guessing you know the sexy news lady?"David sat down on the couch next to Eddie, his run long forgotten about."Yeah," he said, grabbing the remote. He rewound the TV so he could see her again. She'd grown up to be a stunning woman."How do you know her?" he heard his cousin ask."We, uh, we were kind of thing back in high school, until she moved across the country."He still had dreams about standing in the middle of the street, watching her car drive away."She must have been special."David shook his head. "Special doesn't even begin to describe it.""You should reach out to her."David looked at Eddie."I can't do that," he said, shaking his head."Why not?' Eddie asked in disbelief."Because it's been a decade. What the hell am I supposed to say to her?""Uhhh, most people start with a hi. Then maybe 'how's life been'?"David thought about it for a moment and then rejected that idea as well."It wouldn't be appropriate.""Why not?" Eddie asked."Felder," David said. "Her last name is different. She obviously got married."Eddie took the remote and fast forwarded a few minutes and then paused."She's not wearing a ring," he pointed out."There could be plenty of legitimate reasons why she's not wearing a ring.""You can still reach out just to say hello. There's nothing wrong with that, David," Eddie said."Even if I do decide to see how she's doing, how am I supposed to get in contact with her?"Eddie shook his head and picked up his phone. "Sometimes I swear you were born in the stone ages," he murmured as his hands flew across the keys. He turned his phone so he could show David the popular social media site.David shook his head. "I don't have an account.""And you're like the only man in the world who doesn't," Eddie said, as he went back to work on his phone. "But she does, and guess what...""What?" David sighed.
"Her relationship status says single."

Live at Five: Part 3

*unedited*

10 years later
David tossed his keys on the coffee table and undid his tie."How was work?"He turned to his cousin, Eddie, who was sitting on the couch."Work was fine. How was the search for work?""I had an interview today," Eddie said with pride.David smiled and reached his hand out to Eddie. Eddie slapped hands with David."That's great, man."Eddie was David's younger cousin who'd recently graduated college. David had offered to let Eddie stay with him since they were both in DC. David remembered the struggle after college."Yeah, it was promising too. My recruiter told me that the guy who interviewed me told him that I was one of the best prospects.""Looks like you'll be getting to put that degree to use sooner than you thought," David said."Which means I'll be out of your hair sooner," Eddie said."Don't even trip on that. I meant what I said, you're welcome here as long as you need.""Having your fresh out of college cousin ain't cramping your style with the ladies?" Eddie joked."Having my broke and destitute cousin live with me makes me look like a saint with the ladies," David retorted.Eddie tossed his head back and laughed. "Oh it's like that, huh?""It really isn't," David admitted."I've noticed. In the six months I've been here, have you gone on any dates?""I'm busy, you know, working at the White House and all.""And? A man's got needs? How do you survive?""By jogging," David said, turning to head for his bedroom. "Which I'm losing daylight for, every second I keep talking to your punk ass.""Have you checked the weather?" Eddie called out as David shut his door."Not yet, I'll check on my phone," David responded back. He quickly changed into his workout gear and headed back out."You actually watch the news on tv?" David asked in a mocking tone. "What are you, sixty?"Eddie scoffed as he tossed a handful of popcorn in his mouth as if he were watching a movie."I don't watch the news for the news.""Shocking," David said in a dry tone."I watch it for the sexy ass news reporter."David shook his head and headed for the door, looking down at his phone."You need to get out, maybe meet a real woman.""Dude, just look at her."David looked over his shoulder as his hand hit the door knob. His phone slid from his hand when he saw the woman on the television. He turned and slowly walked back to the TV."David, you okay, man? You look like you've just seen a ghost."David finally stopped in front of the TV, unable to take his eyes off of the face he hadn't seen in a decade. It felt like she was smiling right at him. "I'm Olivia Felder for Live at Five. We'll see you tomorrow."The news went off and she was gone.
"Livvie..." he whispered.

Live at Five: Part 2

**unedited**

Olivia pushed her hair out of her face and looked up at David's window. She'd messed up earlier, going off on him the way he did. Dinner with her family that night had been tense, to say the least.Once her parents had gone to bed, she snuck out of the house and headed down the street to David's house.She needed to apologize. She couldn't leave things as she had when she'd run off earlier.She took a deep breath as her hands wrapped around the trellis on the side of his house and began to climb up. This would probably be one of the last times she'd do this, she thought to herself as a tear slid down her cheek. She wiped swiped it was with her forearm and kept climbing.She reached the lower roof and made her way to his window. She looked in and saw David lying on the bed. He was awake, staring at the ceiling with his arms propped behind his head.She gently tapped on the window, not wanting to be too loud. She waited as he turned and looked at her.He turned and looked at the ceiling again and for a moment, she thought he wasn't going to acknowledge. But she watched as he sat up and swung his feet over the side of the bed and hit the floor. He stood, padded across the room, and lifted the window.He leaned forward, staring at her, but didn't say anything."I'm sor–"She didn't get to finish her sentence as he mouth covered hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her into the room. He kissed her for a few more seconds before pulling away.He rested his forehead against hers, chest heaving."Don't think for one second that this shit doesn't hurt me as much as it hurts you," he croaked."I know," Olivia said quickly, reaching up to palm his cheek. "I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier."David nodded and then led her over to the bed. He climbed in and she followed, relishing in the warmth of his arms around her.They sat in silence for a long time, staring out of the window."Livvie," David finally said. "You know I love you...right?""Yes," Olivia said. "I love you too."Eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms.They spent every moment they could over the next two weeks, but eventually the inevitable time came for them to say goodbye."I can't do it," Olivia said, shaking her head. "I can't say goodbye to you."They were standing in her backyard, underneath the tree he'd carved their initials in."Here," he said, holding up a camera. "One last picture. Smile."He wrapped his arm around her, held up the camera and Olivia did her best to smile. But she felt hollow.After David took the picture, he turned to her, looking as heartbroken as she felt."Livvie!" Her mother was calling. "We've got to get on the road."Olivia sighed and looked over her shoulder and then back up at David.He leaned down and kissed her and she could feel the goodbye in his kiss."Livvie!" her mother shouted again."You have to go," David said, against her lips.Olivia held him tightly and kissed him again. David grabbed her hands and peeled them from behind his neck and took a step back."I love you, Livvie," he said as he backed away."I love you too," she said, trembling as he continued to move further away from her. Finally, he turned sprinted toward the fence, before jumping over it.Tears streamed down her face as she turned.Her mother came out the back door and when she saw Olivia, she pressed her hand to her heart."Oh honey," she said, rushing to Olivia. "I know this is hard for you. It's hard for us all."She wrapped an arm around Olivia and guided her toward the car.Once they were in the car, her father drove off. They drove past David's house and she gasped when she saw David standing on the sidewalk. He waved and she waved back. Once they past the house, she looked out of the back window and saw David in the street watching her.
And she watched him until he faded away with the distance the car put between them.