Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 36
April 29, 2016
Grant Me The Moon by Caroline Clemmons
Grant Me The MoonCaroline Clemmons
from the Come Love A Cowboy anthology
All Tory Fraser intended was to show her high school history club students a local archeology dig. How could she know the excursion would involve a murder? Or that one of her students would be suspected as the killer? And she had no idea she would meet the man of her dreams.
Grant Grayson has taken over management of Grayson Ranch near Post, Texas to give his grandfather a less arduous schedule. A flash flood washed away an old talus slope on the ranch to reveal a prehistoric cave that is a Clovis site. Being a good citizen, he invited the nearest large university archaeology department to excavate the cave. When a gorgeous blonde high school teacher asks his permission to take her students to the site, how can he deny her? Especially when he is instantly attracted to her as he’s never been to anyone.
Tory and Grant are drawn in to the investigation to clear her student but unintentionally make themselves a target. Now they must evade the killer to celebrate their new found love.
Excerpt from Grant Me The Moon
This evening, she’d traded her business suit for a blue sundress and left her golden hair down, which he liked much better than the bun-like twisty thing she’d worn this afternoon. Instead of the killer heels she’d worn earlier in the day, she wore low-slung white sandals.
The forty-mile drive to Lubbock passed quickly with talk of archaeology and travel to ancient ruins.
As they entered the city, he asked, “Do you have a food preference?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want liver or Brussels sprouts. Anything else is fine.”
A laugh erupted from deep inside him. “I don’t like liver either. How about a steak house with a variety of food?”
“Your call, Grant, because I’m not familiar with what’s available. I’ve been reclusive this year. Except for school functions, I’ve spent evenings and weekends with Grandma.”
He chose a restaurant on 82nd Street and pulled into the parking lot. “Monday evenings are not especially busy, so we shouldn’t have trouble getting seated.”
He guided her inside and they were shown to a table.
After they’d placed their orders, he asked, “Your grandmother, is she all right?”
“Grandpa died last spring. She’s not ill, just frail and deeply in mourning. I was lucky there was an opening in the school.”
“Where did you teach before?”
She offered a wry smile, almost as if embarrassed. “Assistant professor at Texas A&M.” She shrugged and tilted her head. “I realize it appears I took a backwards step, but I was the one who could rearrange my life to move here. Fortunately, I genuinely enjoy teaching high school history.”
“So your grandmother is sad rather than ill. Does she get around well?”
She raised her eyebrows and nodded. “In fact, she can keep up with me. After Grandpa passed away, she was so heartbroken that we were afraid her health was deteriorating. Actually, it was. She wasn’t eating properly and not sleeping well. Or, she was staying up most of the night and sleeping most of the day. With me here, she keeps regular hours and we have breakfast and supper together.”
He reached across the table and laced his fingers with hers. “But not tonight.”
She met his gaze and smiled before she slid her hand to her lap. Disappointment claimed him at the loss of her touch.
“I stopped by the store on my way home and bought her a chicken pot pie in a brand that’s healthy. I only hope she’s doing as I asked and having that and a salad for dinner.”
After they’d eaten, he drove under the speed limit on the way back to Post. Her company fascinated him and he wished he could prolong the evening. When they reached the edge of the Caprock above Post, he pulled over at a wide space on the shoulder and opened the sunroof.
“I love this spot. You can see the lights of our little town below and the stars above.”
She relaxed against the seat and head rest. “The almost full moon tonight obscures many of the stars. This is a beautiful vantage point, though. As if we’re divine and are hanging above the world. I could almost reach out and touch the moon.”
He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers “Should I grab it for you?”
She offered a whimsical smile. “Let’s leave it there so everyone can enjoy the moonlight.”
Buy COME LOVE A COWBOY now from Amazon or download your sampler FREE with Recipes, Blurbs, and Excerpts at http://digioh.com/em/21875/75252/rfwtugbtpk?demail=[email].
Inspiration for Grant Me The Moon by Caroline Clemmons (available as part of the Come Love A Cowboy anthology)For several years, the setting and characters in GRANT ME THE MOON have nagged me to write this story. The idea first occurred on a trip from our home in the DFW Metroplex to visit family in Lubbock. We drive through Post on that trip. I’d written one story set in this area, BE MY GUEST, but my interest in the town continued.
I can’t explain why this setting appeals to me as it does. Post is a small town of approximately six thousand people and the county seat of Garza County, Texas at the foot of the Caprock, the start of the Great Plains also known as Llano Estacado. Perhaps the fact that I grew up in nearby Lubbock explains why the area fascinates me.
Post City was founded by cereal magnate Charles William Post as a utopian colonizing venture in 1907. He designed the community as a model town and laid out the streets logically. After he purchased 200,000 acres of ranchland, he established the Double U Company to manage the town’s construction.
The Double U Company built houses and numerous business structures which included the Algerita Hotel, a cotton gin, and a textile plant. They planted trees along every street. In addition, they sold farms and houses to settlers. The town shortened its name to Post when it incorporated in 1914, the year of C. W. Post’s death.
My husband Hero and I love visiting ancient ruins and pre-history dwellings and remains. The Garza site, named after the county, is on private land and not available to the public. I’ve always wanted to see that dig, which is a Clovis site. So, I decided to have a similar fictional site for my story, GRANT ME THE MOON, discovered by the hero, Grant Grayson, on his ranch. High school history teacher and sponsor of the History Explorers’ Club is Victoria “Tory” Fraser. Naturally a good history club sponsor would want her students to visit this recent discovery. Trouble starts with Grant’s innocent statement to the students.
This part of Texas continues to fascinate me for reasons I simply can’t explain. Well, maybe I can. I grew up in Lubbock, so that area is probably engraved on my brain. GRANT ME THE MOON is the second book I’ve set in Post (BE MY GUEST is the first) and I have one book set south of Lubbock, HOME SWEET TEXAS HOME. The future holds more books set in this area. I hope you’ll give COME LOVE A COWBOY a read and that you’ll enjoy GRANT ME THE MOON. Eight stand alone novels by bestselling and award winning authors is a bargain at only 99 cents for a limited time.
Meet Caroline
Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.
Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys time with family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest. Click here to check out her books on her Amazon page.
Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE.
Caroline loves to hear from readers at caroline@carolineclemmons.com.
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April 28, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 28)
Tara walked into Michelle and Aaron’s house in time for dinner. She was feeling good. She’d made peace with what happened with Rick and was finally ready to move on. She still didn’t want her brother butting into her life, but she was starting to appreciate that he’d given her a chance to say goodbye to Rick, even if they’d never actually said goodbye.
Their chemistry was off the charts, but they didn’t belong together. If they did he wouldn’t have walked away.
“It smells awesome in here,” Tara said when she saw Michelle in the kitchen. “You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me.”
Michelle smiled. “Yes, I did. Happy Birthday. Aaron is grilling steaks and I’ve got all the veggies ready to go. We even got your favorite, ice cream cake.”
Tara groaned. “I’m going to gain ten pounds today.”
“It’ll be worth it,” Michelle teased. “Besides, your birthday is a day to celebrate, and we all know calories don’t count when you’re celebrating.”
Tara rolled her eyes and accepted the glass of wine held out to her. It was sweet and crisp on her tongue and she closed her eyes to savor it for just a minute. “I needed that. Thanks for yesterday, by the way. I thought about everything last night and decided you’re right. Rick’s not worth worrying about. I can move on and get my life back together. He left and I’m done crying over him. If he wanted me, he wouldn’t have run.”
Michelle was suddenly very interested in the vegetables she was sautéing. Tara narrowed her eyes at the person she knew as well as she knew herself. “What aren’t you telling me?” Tara demanded.
The silence between them let Tara hear the sounds she hadn’t noticed before. Two voices in the backyard. Male voices. Her brother’s and Rick’s. Then she heard Rick laugh and her stomach dropped through the floor. “What the hell?”
“I’m sorry. This wasn’t supposed to be an ambush, I promise. When I invited you last night I was positive he’d be gone. He didn’t want to leave, Tare. He said he had to stay here and talk to you. He wants you to move on because he doesn’t think he’s good enough for you. He told me he said it was just sex before because he couldn’t admit how much you affected him. It started out as sex, but by the time he touched you he knew he would never feel that way again. So he pushed you away so he wouldn’t hurt you-”
“He did hurt me,” Tara growled around the tears and lump in her throat. “He shattered me.”
Michelle nodded. “He thought it was the best thing for you. He wants you happy. He’ll walk again if you want him to, but Tare, be sure. He’s here to make sure you’ll be happy. If that isn’t love I don’t know what is.”
The problem was, Tara didn’t know either. Until she turned and saw him watching her. And felt it. Unmistakeable. Love.
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April 27, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 27)
Rick didn’t leave. He’d spent his whole life running, but he knew sticking around mattered this time. He couldn’t run from her. Not again.
“She’s gonna kill you,” Aaron said when they finished their last beer the night before. Rick wasn’t sure if Aaron was talking about his fiancee or his sister, but it didn’t really matter. Rick was done running.
He pushed out of the bed he’d been sleeping in for days. He knew he had to go home soon, wherever that really was. Moving around like he had nowhere had ever really felt like home to him. Except when he was with Tara. But he wasn’t there for that. He was there to help her move on.
No better day to start over than her birthday.
The day he’d destroyed them both.
Rick let his nose guide him to the kitchen where he found Michelle with a coffee cup in her hand and bacon frying. Scrambled eggs were in another pan and the light on the toaster told him there was toast too. And judging by how much, she was planning to share. The only question was if she would share with him.
“Hey,” Rick said in greeting.
Michelle turned to glare at him but didn’t speak. Guess that answered the question of if she’d share.
“I’m sorry,” Rick tried again, knowing those two words were going to be his most spoken ones for the day.
“For what?” Michelle asked, not turning around. “For breaking my best friend’s heart, twice. Or for leaving her panting on the counter wishing you’d just finished what you started?”
Rick choked on the sip of coffee he’d taken and nearly coughed up a lung. When his eyes stopped watering he spared Michelle a glance only to find her smirking at him. “Good to see you’re not invincible. Why’d you kiss her?”
Rick shook his head. “I shouldn’t have. She deserves more than me.”
“But see, that’s the problem, dumb ass. She doesn’t want ‘more than you.’ She wants you.”
“She’s just hung up because I was an ass the last time.”
“Yeah, let’s talk about that. You destroyed her when you left-”
“She told me to go!”
Michelle quirked an eyebrow at him. “And you thought that meant disappear and never come back? You’re even dumber than I thought. She was hurt. She wanted you to hurt too. Then she wanted you to beg for another chance.”
Rick shook his head. “She needs to move on. I’m no good for her.”
“Because it was just sex and you don’t actually care about her,” Michelle countered icily.
Rick sighed. The truth.
“Because I care too much for her. I know what she’s getting into if she’s with me. She deserves more than that.”
“So why don’t you enlighten me on why you’re so bad for her. Because from where I’m standing, it sounds like the two of you ‘care’ a lot for each other. And if that isn’t a damn good reason to be together I don’t know what is.”
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April 26, 2016
Fluffy & Fabulous, Release Day!
Today is a little bitter sweet for me. I’m saying goodbye to the women who’ve been a part of my life for two years. I’ve never ended a series before, and I don’t think I’m ready to end this one. In every book in the Big & Beautiful series I write the epilogue in the point of view of the next character. I did that here too with the idea that I might come back to these wonderful women one day. What do you think about that?
Whether the series continues or not, I know a lot of you couldn’t wait for Charlie’s story. She was the rock for everyone throughout the series. She was the person they all turned to. And she was single. She needed her happily ever after. I’m pretty sure Max was just right to give that to her.
Excerpt from Fluffy & Fabulous
Max’s hand slid to my cheek, gently tilting my head as his tongue teased my lips. I opened for him and he glided into my mouth, still not in a hurry. His kiss was long and slow and sweet. I quickly got lost in him, his kiss drawing me into another world. One where I wasn’t afraid of letting him in, where we could be together, where there weren’t secrets.
The kiss ended too soon for me, but since we were at Bite Me! it had to end. Max pulled back reluctantly and rested his forehead against mine. He kissed my nose and I felt his chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. It was good to know he was as affected as I was by what should have been a simple kiss.
“Tonight. What time do you finish? I’m taking you out. No more excuses.” He offered a humbled half-smile since all the excuses came from him.
“I close at eight. Today is my late day.” Kendall didn’t work weekends so I was there from open to close. It made for a long day and by the end of Saturday I was usually ready to collapse. Even the temptation of Max wasn’t enough to boost my excitement.
“Shit, you’re not going to want to go out, are you? What if I promise you we’ll go somewhere low key and you can dress casual and someone else will wait on you for a change?”
The excitement in his voice and the hopeful look on his face were enough to make me give in. I knew I couldn’t say no to those puppy dog brown eyes and that dimple. Not to mention the man who brought them to life. And who brought me to life.
“I’ll be here at eight-thirty. Unless there’s something I can do to help you clean up?”
“Why would you want to clean up?”
“I’d do anything for you, Charlotte. I’ll be here just before eight and you can put me to work while you relax or change or shower or whatever you need to do to get ready to go. And if you want to go to dinner in what you’re wearing right now… I have no problem with that but I probably won’t be able to take my hands and lips off you when you smell like cupcakes. Then again, it won’t matter.”
I blushed, imagining Max’s hands and lips on me all night long. He caught the look on my face and his eyes darkened, the pulse in his neck fluttering. He licked his lips and took a deep breath.
“Okay, I’m getting out of here before I lock that door and drag you upstairs. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
I smiled and followed him to the door. He stopped right under the mistletoe and winked at me before leaning in to kiss me again. A rough, demanding kiss swept me off my feet and made my knees weak. He circled my waist with his arms and held me up as he ravaged my mouth, promising an amazing night.
He stepped back, letting go of me way too soon. “You’re like a drug for me. Something that makes me feel like I can do anything. I couldn’t quit you even if I wanted to.” He paused and looked down into my eyes. “Eight o’clock.”
You can read it now! Yay! Order from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, or Smashwords!
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April 25, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 25)
Tara wiped the tears from her eyes and sucked it the fuck up. She didn’t know what she was thinking. He wasn’t going to fall in love with her. He never did and he certainly wasn’t about to start now.
When Michelle arrived she didn’t knock. She never did. Tara didn’t know if she had the energy to make it to the door anyway. She’d worn herself out since Rick walked out.
“What happened?” Michelle asked without preamble.
Tara sighed heavily. “He kissed me.”
“You said that on the phone. There’s more to it than that.”
“Yeah,” Tara answered. She told her best friend exactly what happened with Rick. When Tara finished she waited for Michelle’s reaction.
“And he just left.”
Tara nodded.
“Why?”
“Have I ever been able to explain him? I don’t have a clue. He just said he was sorry and bolted for the door.”
“Well, I’m going to kick his ass when I get home. I don’t know what he was thinking. Tomorrow is your birthday He can’t do this to you right before your birthday.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Tara said with a shake of her head. “Tomorrow is just another day. It’s not special for me.”
“It is special, Tare. It’s your birthday.”
“You know I don’t celebrate it, Michelle. I haven’t in years.”
“Since he left, I know. I wish you could move on.”
“Then tell my brother to butt out. I was moving on before he brought Rick back into my life.”
Michelle pegged her with a look that said she knew exactly how big of a load of crap that was. Tara held it together for about seven seconds before they both burst out laughing.
“Well, after today I’ll make sure Rick and Aaron both keep their noses out of your life. Aaron won’t do this again, I’ll make sure of it. As for Rick… he’ll be lucky if he’s not limping back to whatever rock he crawled out from under.”
“That’s why I love you.”
“I know. So, tomorrow you’re coming over for dinner. You can avoid celebrating, but I’m going to celebrate for you. Come for dinner. We’ll drink wine and eat something delicious and trash talk stupid men. We’ll camp out in the guest room and make Aaron sleep alone.”
Tara laughed with her best friend, so grateful she had Michelle in her life. She nodded her agreement and decided she was ready to celebrate. Tomorrow would be a day to start over.
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April 24, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 24)
What the fuck was wrong with him? He had no right to kiss her. But he didn’t just kiss her. Son of a bitch. He’d nearly taken her right there on the counter in her kitchen. If she hadn’t spoken he probably would have.
Rick slowly extracted himself from her grasp. Her nipple fell from his mouth after he forced himself not to swirl his tongue around her one last time. Her other breast slipped out of his hand after he resisted the urge to brush his thumb over her nipple again. Her warm thighs separated from his painful erection when he convinced his body to move away from her.
He couldn’t look at her. If he did he knew he’d see her flushed skin, her pert nipples, her perfect upper half. Shit. He looked. She’d changed as she became a woman instead of the girl he’d known before. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Her subtle curves became more pronounced, making her that much more attractive to him. He wanted to dive back in to where he left off.
But he couldn’t. Sleeping with her would only hurt them both. He didn’t care about himself. If he did he would throw her over his shoulder and drag her to her bedroom and keep her there through her birthday. He would be the one with the present the next day if he did that. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to walk away again if he spent a night with her.
Which was why he had to walk away immediately.
“I’m sorry, Tare. I… fuck I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”
Rick turned and walked out the door without looking back. He let the door close behind him and stalked to Aaron’s car. His friend hung up his phone when Rick slammed the car door shut. “Everything okay?” Aaron asked.
“Just get me away from here. I told you I couldn’t do anything to help. I need to leave before I hurt her even more.”
Aaron started the car and turned toward home. They rode in silence back to Aaron and Michelle’s house. As soon as they pulled into the driveway, Michelle burst through the door. Aaron met her outside the car with Rick trailing behind, accepting the glare she threw at him. He deserved it.
“Don’t let him leave. He deserves to have his ass kicked. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll do it when I get home. But right now, I need to go peel your sister off the ledge this dumb ass led her to.”
Michelle kissed Aaron then sped off in her car. Rick knew it wouldn’t take long for Aaron to say, “What the fuck did you do?”
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April 23, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 23)
Tara couldn’t breathe. The second his lips touched hers she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. Sparks flew between them, as they did the last time. She was afraid to move, to respond, for fear he’d realize what he was doing and back away.
Then his arms locked around her and he let her feel his whole body. Tara couldn’t hold back any longer. She had to participate, even if it risked making him run.
Tara slid her hands up his chest, memorizing the feel of his muscles dancing beneath her fingertips. When they wound around his neck, she shivered at the feel of the stubbled hair just above the collar of his shirt. The soft strands of his hair brushed the tops of her fingers, teasing her into running her hands through.
Rick growled when her fingers dove into his hair. He tugged her closer and hardened against her stomach. His tongue forced her lips to part, which they would have done willingly. She tasted the coffee on his breath but smelled whatever soap he used on his skin.
Dear god, the man could kiss.
Tara wanted to direct him back to her bedroom. She craved nothing more than to lay him out on her bed and relive the best night of her life.
But she didn’t. She just kissed him. Because she hadn’t been kissed like that since he left. She hadn’t been kissed like she was the best thing on the menu, something to be savored… ever. And she was going to enjoy it. Holy shit, was she going to enjoy it.
Her body ached for him. Heat prickled her skin. Desire pooled low in her gut. She wasn’t sure how long she could resist him, and it had nothing to do with how long it’d been since she’d had a man in her bed.
Even though it’d been a while.
Rick groaned when she rubbed herself against him and tightened the grip he had on her hips. He walked them back to the counter and lifted her up onto it. His lips left hers to trail down her neck, stopping at the barrier of her tank top. His hands rose, drawing her shirt up, and tossed it behind him when he freed it from her body. His lips closed over her nipple and she moaned and clutched his head to her.
Rick feasted on her, licking, teasing, nibbling her nipples until her panties soaked through and she needed him to finish the job. “I need you, Rick,” she moaned, trying to rub herself against him and failing.
Then he froze. Her nipple was locked in his mouth, the other breast supported by his hand. His erection throbbed against her leg. But he didn’t move.
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April 22, 2016
Bet Your Sweet Aces by Mary Corrales
Bet Your Sweet AcesMary Corrales
Evernight Publishing
Heat Level 3
109 Pages
Women are more than what they show to the outside world, but sometimes it takes a real man to find the heart behind the sexy.
Eve Sorrel is owner of the Double Tumble Hotel and Casino. She’s got a reputation as a temptress whose wicked mouth makes men long for a taste of her. Scandal erupts and she finds herself the object of scrutiny from investment lawyer, Brad Templeton.
Brad Templeton is determined to see Eve run out of business. With a background in investigation and law, he doesn’t see her as a match until he meets her. Unable to resist her salacious allure, he finds himself shielding her from the Senator’s wife who suspects Eve of being the Senator’s mistress.
Eve’s naughty ways may have just landed her the perfect man, if she can convince him to fight for her. What’s a woman to do when her heart is on the line, except stack the deck in her favor!
Excerpt from Bet Your Sweet Aces
He caught up to her in a few long strides. “I intend to put you out of business.”
“Not very sporting,” she mused. “What have I done to you? Better yet, what would you like me to do?”
He blinked, opening then closing his mouth like a stunned fish, before frowning at her and catching her arm. “I’m not playing with you.”
His hand was firm but not bruising. He knew his own strength, apparently, and she found that intriguing. “I look forward to the time when you do,” she said. If he thought to intimidate her, she intended to show him the error of his ways. She might be a sexy woman but that didn’t mean she didn’t possess an arsenal of dangerous weapons, the most lethal being her cunning mind.
He frowned at her but otherwise ignored her comeback. “Why don’t we go somewhere to talk?”
“Ah, so you do want to be alone with me after all.” Eve hoped to get a smirk out of him, but his mouth remained a stubborn thin line. She gazed into his gorgeous blue eyes and felt frustration well up within her as they stared at one another. His silence irritated her on a level she rarely experienced with men. Maybe he’d be more amenable in private.
Buy Now from Evernight Publishing, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, Bookstrand, or iBooks!
Meet Mary
Mary Corrales is a multi-published erotica/erotic romance author who loves mixing genres. Her stories are salaciously hot as she brings together lovers whose hearts are worth the fight. She writes in contemporary suspense, paranormal, fantasy and futuristic. She loves to hear from readers and can be contacted via her website: http://www.authormaryc.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MaryCorrales_A1
Romance Author Lifestyle blog: http://www.RomanceAuthorLifestyle.blogspot.com
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April 21, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 21)
Rick felt like himself for the first time in years when he pulled Tara against his chest. Something clicked back into place even as his heart ached for her. Aaron was right. He’d said Tara wasn’t really living. Rick knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but he could help her heal. Help her move on.
“I’m sorry, Tara,” he whispered into her hair, breathing in the scent of her. She’d changed since he’d last held her. There were more curves than he remembered, a slightly different scent to her as well, but she was still his Tara.
No, not mine. I gave up that right.
Rick wanted to claim her as his again. To tell her how stupid he’d been to tell her it’d only been sex between them. He wanted to tell her it started that way but was so much more by the time he walked away from her.
He couldn’t choke out the words.
“It’s fine,” Tara said, pulling out of his arms. He immediately missed having her pressed against him, feeling her warmth, still in her pajamas and rumpled from sleep. “You’re just as bad off as I am. We’re quite a pair, you know?”
Rick couldn’t answer. He wanted them to be a pair together, not apart. He wanted them to have what they could have had if he hadn’t messed it up.
Rick watched as Tara walked back to her kitchen and fixed herself a cup of coffee. She added a splash of cream and two spoonfuls of sugar then stirred before taking a sip. Her eyes slipped closed and she hummed her approval. Unconsciously Rick stepped closer until he could smell the bite of the coffee and the underlying sweetness of the sugar.
And her.
“Smells good,” he said, his voice huskier than he’d ever heard it. “Can I have some?”
Tara nodded and stepped to the side, but Rick grabbed her hand. He took the cup from her fingers and held her eyes as he lifted her mug to his lips. He tasted her mouth on the rim of the mug and grew hard. He knew he couldn’t resist her any longer. It was why he stayed away as long as he did. He was weak. He’d only been in her place for a few minutes and he was already about to lose it.
Probably lose her too.
But he had to. He had to just one more time. Then he could walk away with new memories and let her go forever.
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April 20, 2016
Just Another Day (Apr 20)
Tara sucked in a sharp breath at Rick’s admission. It tore at her heart to imagine him not having love in his life. She’d convinced herself he was out there living it up, sharing his bed with as many women as possible and falling in love over and over again. To hear he didn’t think he would ever be happy hurt.
“Why don’t you think you’ll find happiness?” she asked unintentionally.
Rick pinned her with a look that froze the breath in her chest. Without looking away, Rick answered, “I walked away from my chance at happiness a long time ago. I know I won’t get another one.”
Tara wanted to believe he meant her. She saw it in his eyes. That intensity. That raw need.
That look she’d only dreamt of for the last few years.
“You’ll get another chance.”
Rick’s eyes darkened and slipped to her lips. Tara unconsciously licked them and Rick took a step toward her. She watched as he clenched his fists and stepped back again, shaking his head. “Don’t say things you can’t guarantee, Tara. This is about you. Your happiness.”
“My chance at happiness walked away the same time yours did.”
Rick held her gaze then shook his head. “Don’t say that, Tare. I want to see you happy.”
Tara gave him a watery smile. “I haven’t figured out how to be happy since you left. I know Aaron saw it. So did Michelle. That’s why you’re here. I’m not happy. I go through the motions, but I don’t know how to be happy.”
Tara knew the moment Rick gave up his resolve. He crossed to her in three large steps and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and breathed deep for the first time in years. She was exactly where she was supposed to be.
She only needed to convince him not to run.
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