Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 46

Brand New World (Jan 20)

Emily wasn’t sure who was more surprised, her or Eddie. He stared at her for a moment, not saying anything. She could see the war going on in his eyes, trying to decide what to do. Finally Emily couldn’t take the silence, “Never mind. It’s late. I should just get to bed anyway.”

“Oh, uh, really?” Eddie stammered, making Emily second guess her words. Maybe she should let him come up.

No, it was silly. Eddie didn’t want her. He was a good friend, not just to Nick, but to her too. She didn’t want to put him in an awkward position. He wasn’t starting to question his feelings for her the way she was for him, his feelings hadn’t changed.

“Yeah,” Emily said, waving her hand dismissively, “I shouldn’t have asked. It puts you in a weird position.”

“How does it put me in a weird position?”

Emily shrugged. “With Nick. You were obviously there with them and you ran out after me. Nick’s probably blowing up your phone already. He’s your best friend.”

Eddie leaned against the cold brick of Emily’s building, looking like he had all the time in the world. “Nick’s fine. I doubt he even noticed I’m gone.” Emily winced at the obvious implication of Eddie’s words. Eddie quickly amended, “I just meant-”

“It’s okay, Eddie. I know what you meant. You don’t have to defend him to me anymore. He’s with her now. He’s supposed to be distracted by her.”

“You seem to be handling this well,” Eddie said skeptically.

Emily shrugged. “I can’t change it. I don’t think I’d want to if I could.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Maybe it’s part of getting over him, you know being pissed off or whatever, but I really think I was fooling myself before. We weren’t right for each other. If we were it wouldn’t have been so hard.”

Eddie looked at Emily making her nervous all over again. “Let’s go up and talk,” he said finally.

Emily heated from the inside out with the tone of his voice. Husky. Deep. Rough. Sexy. “Okay,” Emily finally said, shivering in anticipation of what was going to come next.

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Shapely & Stunning, So Sweet

Mike and Lexi have a passionate relationship. When Lexi breaks up with Mike he isn’t willing to accept that, but Lexi is holding strong. Until Mike shows up and banishes all thoughts of other men.

Excerpt from Shapely & Stunning

“God, Lexi, I don’t know if I can stop.”

“Then don’t,” I told him, looking deep in his eyes. I knew what he was talking about. He hadn’t put on a condom. We’d always been safe. We’d always made sure there was no risk of anything. But I trusted him. I knew we were both okay and I knew I didn’t want to have anything between us.

“Are you sure, Lex? I’m clean. There’s been no one since you. Since our first time.”

I nodded. “Me too, Mike. I’m on the pill and I’m good. Luke just kissed me, we didn’t sleep together.”

Mike looked at me, his eyes showing a hint of disappointment. He closed his eyes and it cleared when his eyes met mine again.

“I’m going to make you forget every second his lips were pressed to yours. I want you to only remember the feel of my lips on you.” He kissed my neck. “My tongue on you.” He licked my ear. “My cock inside you.” He thrust his hips against mine. I moaned and clenched down around him.

His jaw ticked.

“Did he make you feel as good as I do, Lexi? Could you imagine him touching you? Did you want him to?”

“I wanted to forget about you,” I confessed. “I wanted to hurt less.”

Mike rested his forehead to mine. “You’re never going to want to forget me again, baby. You’re only going to want more of me. I’ve been miserable without you. I don’t want to feel that way again. Just you, Lexi. I just wanted you.”

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Brand New World (Jan 17)

Emily was so happy to see Eddie she almost forgot he didn’t feel the same way about her that she did about him. She’d avoided him for weeks to try to get her head on straight. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy to sort out her feelings for him and her feelings for Nick, but in the end she decided she hadn’t been in love with Nick as she’d thought. But she was quickly falling for Eddie.

Then she looked at the table Eddie was standing in front of and saw Nick and, presumably, his new girlfriend. Her heart sunk. Seeing Nick again brought back all the pain from the night they’d broken up. Pain she’d shoved aside over the last few weeks.

Emily’s eyes stung with unshed tears. She’d never really grieved her relationship with Nick. She realized now that her assertion that she was falling for Eddie was premature. She was thrilled to see him, but was it because he was her friend or because she wanted him to be something more.

“Excuse me,” Emily muttered, brushing past all of them. She didn’t know where she was headed, but she knew she needed to get the hell out of there. She’d text her friends later and explain why she stood them up. They would understand.

“Em, wait!” Eddie said, chasing her out the door. She didn’t stop. She knew he’d keep following her and that he would catch up to her before too long. Eddie was a good eight inches taller than her and could close the distance between them easily.

Outside the cool air assaulted her lungs. She paused, letting the coldness seep into her and fill her. She told herself she wasn’t waiting for Eddie, but a small part of her knew she was. She wanted to see him, to talk to him. She needed the comfort she hoped he could provide, even if he only offered it to her as a friend.

“Emily,” Eddie breathed when he pushed out the door and saw her standing there. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Emily nodded. “Yeah. I mean it stings, you know, but I think I knew it was over between us for a while.”

“Really?” Eddie asked incredulously. He clearly wasn’t buying it. “Because on New Year’s Eve you thought he was going to propose.”

Emily laughed at herself for that. She didn’t know what she’d been thinking. Nick wasn’t the kind of guy who was likely to settle down. That was one of the things that attracted her to him at first. Then their relationship became comfortable. Emily didn’t want it to end. In a way she knew she loved Nick, but she never would have been happy with him.

It still hurt to be cast aside.

“I don’t know why I thought that. We’d never talked about getting married. It was just a fantasy I had. A stupid idea that sprouted in my brain and wouldn’t let go.”

Eddie’s face fell as Emily talked and she clamped her mouth shut before anything else fell out.

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Brand New World (Jan 18)

Eddie hated hearing Emily talk about her missed chance with Nick. She was clearly still upset over him, and it killed Eddie to see her hurt.

“Why don’t I walk you home?” he asked knowing Emily didn’t live far from where they were.

Emily smiled sweetly at him, chasing away the chill in the air and nodded. She looped her arm through his and they walked side by side in silence for a few minutes. Her hip brushed his and his arm grazed the side of her breast. His blood heated with every step they took, getting him closer and closer to her apartment, and closer and closer to losing control. Eddie couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t lose control with Emily.

“Were you meeting someone?” Eddie asked quietly. He had to know if she was there on a date.

Emily nodded. “Some friends from work. They’ve been trying to talk me into going out for months. I finally gave in tonight, but obviously it didn’t go well.”

“Will they be worried about you?”

“I’ll text them when I get home. It’ll be okay. They’ll understand what happened.”

Eddie nodded. He was sure they knew all about Nick and their break-up. Why wouldn’t they? Emily had to have been upset over the last few weeks. Eddie didn’t even know who she spent time with when she wasn’t with him or Nick. He’d been too much of a chicken to call her. He knew she would only ever see him as Nick’s best friend and wasn’t sure she wanted the reminder around.

“What have you been up to? I haven’t seen you much lately,” Emily asked, drawing Eddie out of his thoughts.

“Oh, not too much. Working.”

“Which is code for hanging out with Nick. I’m guessing that’s his new girlfriend. Is she nice?”

Eddie shrugged. He didn’t really want to be talking about Monica with Emily, but he understood her need to know why she was replaced. “She seems nice enough. I don’t really know her well.”

Emily looked up at him in confusion. “How is that possible?”

“Tonight was the first time I’ve met her. I really have been working the last few weeks.”

Emily stopped and stared at him. He could tell she was trying to figure something out. Eddie squirmed under her appraisal, not wanting her to see something she found lacking.

Then she shocked the hell out of him when she asked, “Do you want to come up to my apartment with me?”

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Brand New World (Jan 16)

Eddie had no idea what happened with Emily. She rushed out like he’d said something wrong. Maybe she just wasn’t feeling well.

No, Eddie knew better than that. Emily didn’t want to spend any more time with him than necessary. She was still hung up on Nick, and Eddie understood why. They’d been together for a long time. It wasn’t like Emily would forget him overnight.

Eddie pushed thoughts of Emily out of his head. He focused on his work and decided to put his one night with Emily behind him. A few weeks later Eddie met Nick out for a drink so he could meet his new girlfriend.

“Hey, buddy,” Nick said, giving him a man-hug complete with a slap on the back. “This is Monica. My girl.”

Nick grinned at the svelte blonde next to him. She was tiny, like a little pixie. She had a tiny nose, a mouth that looked like it would fit a child better, and was so small Eddie almost wondered if she still was.

“Nice to meet you, Monica,” Eddie said, silently comparing her to Emily. For the life of him he couldn’t see whatever it was that drew Nick to her and had him passing Emily aside. She was plain where Emily was vibrant. Monica was waifish where Emily had curves.

Then she spoke, “I’ve heard so much about you, Eddie,” she said in a voice that squeaked.

Eddie nearly cringed. She sounded like a munchkin from the Wizard of Oz.

Eddie forced a grin and glanced at his friend. Nick was looking at Monica as though she hung the moon. Eddie knew that look. He’d seen it in the mirror enough after spending time with Emily. His friend was in love. Eddie didn’t get it, but he felt lighter. Maybe he’d have a chance with Emily. Maybe Nick wouldn’t flip out on him if he confessed his feelings for Emily.

Eddie shook his head at the absurdity. It didn’t really matter how Nick felt or how he felt. All that mattered was how Emily felt. And Eddie had no clue how Emily felt.

Nick and Monica snuggled together, telling Eddie how they met, what they’d been up to, basically Monica’s life story. Eddie couldn’t have cared less, but he was trying to be supportive of his friend. Nick really liked Monica so Eddie convinced himself she had some redeeming qualities… somewhere… deep down maybe.

When Monica leaned in to kiss Nick again, Eddie excused himself. He went to the bathroom, wondering why he agreed to meet them out. Sure, he liked Nick, but Nick always made him feel uncomfortable. Eddie had been single for as long as he could remember. He hadn’t always been lonely, but he kept his relationships to a night or two. The only woman he’d wanted to see more than that was the one he wasn’t allowed to see.

Eddie pushed out of the bathroom and headed back to the table, ready to make an excuse about needing to leave. Then he saw her. Heading right toward their table. There was no way she would avoid seeing them. No way Eddie could avoid running into her.

She stopped when he blocked her path. Her beautiful eyes met his and he saw a flash of joy and hope. Then she looked down at who he was with and her face fell, right along with Eddie’s heart.

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Fat & Fine Cover Reveal

If you’ve been keeping up with the Big & Beautiful series you already know Sam. She’s quick witted, funny, and pretty confident. When everything she is gets rattled by an ex, Sam decides she needs to make some changes. One of those changes includes a new gym membership.

Brady owns the gym Sam joins. He’s everything she expected from a gym rat – bulky, stoic, and brooding.

Until he defends her then tells her she’s beautiful.

Sam isn’t sure how to take Brady. She isn’t sure about much of anything anymore.

Here’s a quick excerpt from Fat & Fine

I let Brady kiss me, enjoying the feel of his hard body against mine, the hard ridge of his erection pressing into my hip. For a few minutes I fooled myself into thinking it was all okay. That there wasn’t any reason I shouldn’t be kissing him.

Then reality sunk in.

The hands that were wrapped around his neck slid to his shoulders, and I pushed him back gently. His mouth hung open for a second before he figured out that I wasn’t there anymore. He looked down at me, his eyes hazy with desire. I wanted it to be easy. To just believe his words and everything would be fine, but I knew I couldn’t do that. I trusted too quickly with Cade, and again with Blaine, and it wasn’t going to happen with Brady.

“I can’t do this. I’m sorry,” I told him, crawling off his lap carefully. I had no idea how he would react and if he was going to get violent I needed to be as far away from him as possible.

Brady hung his head and leaned his back against the door, blocking me in. I glanced quickly around his office for another way out. There was a door behind his desk that could have led to anything from a closet to the outside. If he flipped out it was my only chance though.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I shouldn’t have kissed you. You’re right to be afraid of me.”

I laughed gently, hoping I wouldn’t scare him, and wondering why he thought I should be scared.

“It’s okay. I just got carried away.”

“No, Sam, you did nothing wrong. I’m the meathead who dragged you in here like a caveman then attacked you like I had a right to you. I hope you’ll still join the gym, but I promise not to bother you again. Those guys will never come back here, but you won’t have to worry about me either.”

Brady jumped to his feet then pulled the door open. He walked to the other side of the office away from me. He didn’t look at me, but I could see fear and frustration in his eyes. It made me want to know more about him.

He was apologizing to me like he’d done something wrong. I’d encouraged him. I wanted him. So why was he acting like he was the only one who’d started something.

“Brady,” I began softly.

“Sam, don’t. It’s okay. I know I scared you and I don’t blame you. Please, just go.”

I didn’t know what to say to him so I left. I was barely out of the office when I heard the telltale click of the lock. It felt like my heart was breaking in my chest. I wondered when my instincts had gotten so fucked up. Blaine and Cade I trusted without a second thought. Two guys who hurt me for no reason. But Brady… Brady defended me, comforted me, and told me he wanted me, and I couldn’t believe him.

There was something seriously wrong with me.

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Brand New World (Jan 14)

Emily wanted to die. Goodness, could anything be more embarrassing than her stomach growling like it held a lion. Especially when she was having a moment with Eddie. She was having a moment, wasn’t she?

But it was Eddie. No matter what she thought it was Eddie and he wasn’t into her.

“You must be starving,” Eddie said, breaking into her thoughts. He turned away from her, his attention going back to the stove. Emily smelled eggs, something she thought would turn her weak stomach, but somehow didn’t. She followed him, her stomach leading the way. Eddie reached down two plates then filled them with eggs, a couple of slices of toast, and strips of bacon.

Emily’s stomach rumbled loudly again.

Eddie laughed. “Okay, okay, I get it. I’m feeding you. Sit,” Eddie commanded, gesturing toward the table with one of the plates. Emily did as Eddie said, walking close behind him. She got a whiff of his scent, the same scent she’d spent the night surrounded in. The same scent that sent her heart pounding inexplicably.

For Eddie.

Emily shook her head, clearing thoughts of Eddie. She couldn’t go there. Eddie was her friend, Nick’s best friend, and he wouldn’t ever be interested in her.

What was she talking about? Nick broke up with her less than 24 hours earlier. She wasn’t ready for something new. It was too soon. She needed to grieve. To heal. To get over Nick.

With endless thoughts bouncing around in her head, Emily focused on her breakfast. The eggs and toast soothed her stomach and the bacon satisfied her more than it should. Eddie slid a cup of coffee in front of her, a splash of cream and two spoonfuls of sugar, just like she liked it.

Did that mean something? How did Eddie know how she liked her coffee? Nick didn’t even know how she took her coffee.

But Eddie did.

“Thank you for taking care of me,” Emily said softly. “For last night and for breakfast.”

Eddie nodded, shoveling food in. Emily watched him for a minute before realizing he was eating quickly so he could get rid of her. The sting of a second rejection hurt worse than Emily expected. She swallowed the lump in her throat then set out to swallow the rest of her breakfast.

When she finished she rinsed her plate and stuck it in the dishwasher. Anxious to get out of there and wallow in her misery alone, Emily hurriedly thanked Eddie then rushed out the door.

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Brand New World (Jan 13)

Eddie watched as the shutters closed on Emily’s eyes. She was locking herself away, not that he blamed her. Eddie knew first hand what an ass Nick was. He’d been watching for years, wondering when Emily was going to figure out that she deserved better than Nick.

But she never figured it out. She just kept loving him.

And Eddie kept loving her.

He didn’t want to. God how he’d tried to stop. But every time she looked at him he fell deeper and deeper for her. Right then he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her until his was the only name she remembered. Not Nick’s. Not even her own.

Eddie didn’t have the guts though. He knew she was still hurting and he wasn’t a complete ass.

It didn’t stop him from wanting her though.

“I’m sorry I ruined your night,” Emily said, barely above a whisper. She ducked her chin and avoided his eyes. It ripped his heart to shreds that he couldn’t tell her that spending the night with her was the best night of his life. Dancing with her, kissing her, hearing her say she wanted him… Eddie couldn’t remember a more perfect night in his entire life.

Of course it ended differently than he’d hoped for, but he knew it was for the best. If Emily had woken up naked with him in bed beside her, she’d never have forgiven him. She’d probably never have forgiven herself either. Eddie knew he did what was best, but he had to find some way to make sure Emily knew his night hadn’t been ruined.

“I had a good night,” he began cautiously. “Almost perfect.”

Emily eyed him curiously then glanced around the apartment. Her eyes fell on the couch where Eddie had spent the night and a slow grin crossed her face. “Oh, I get it. Someone was here, but she went home early. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be cramping your style like that.”

“What? No!” Eddie exclaimed. “No one was here. I had a good time because I was with you. I enjoy spending time with you, Emily. That’s all.”

“Oh,” Emily said, blushing.

Their eyes locked for a moment, making Eddie’s stomach flop like he was the one who’d consumed half the liquor at the party. Emily slowly licked her lips, drawing his eyes there. Eddie clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to talk himself out of reaching for her. The look in her eyes made him wonder if she’d go to him if he tried.

Sober. She was sober. And she was still looking at him like he was her hero. Just like she’d looked at him when she was drunk.

Then her stomach growled.

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Shapely & Stunning Release Day

I’m trying something new this week! MFRW Book Hooks let you meet new authors and find some great reads. Thanks for checking in today and enjoy a peak at my newest release, Shapely & Stunning, out now!

This excerpt is for 18+ please. If you are not over 18, please hop on over to a different blog!

I wasn’t sure I was going to make it to this day! Shapely & Stunning teased me from the very beginning. When I first decided to write the Big & Beautiful series I decided to write each book as it came to me. Shapely & Stunning was the last one I wrote! I couldn’t get the story, even though I knew Mike and Lexi were friends with benefits who worked together.

Once the story finally came together it absolutely flowed out of me. I wrote it quickly and loved the story. Mike has a passion for Lexi that he couldn’t put aside, but Lexi had a lot of past hurts that she just couldn’t get past. When the two of them finally got their stuff together there were fireworks, in a good way!

Shapely & Stunning is available everywhere today so pick up your copy!

Excerpt from Shapely & Stunning

Mike glanced back again then closed the door and flipped the lock. He stalked over to me, my pulse speeding up with each determined step of his. When he reached me he didn’t pause or hesitate, he just wrapped his arm around my back and drew me close to him, sealing his lips to mine, all in one fluid movement.

His lips held mine for a moment, a soft, gentle kiss that did nothing but get me going. When I felt the soft pressure of his tongue against my lips I opened for him without a thought. He kept me locked against his side, his other hand coming up to cup my cheek. I sighed with pure contentment and slid my tongue against his a bit more aggressively. I was ready for a release already, needing to feel him.

My hands ran up his chest, pausing to circle his nipples before continuing up to his shoulders. They ran over the muscles bunched there then headed up to his neck. I threaded my fingers through his short hair and knocked his hard hat off as I kept moving up. My fingers tunneled through his hair, making it stand on end. I loved the look of him disheveled and full of lust so I pulled back to see it.

I smirked at the heavy lidded look he gave me and he quirked an eyebrow at me. “It appears, Ms. Mack, that you believe you’ve gotten the best of me.”

“I do love it when I can mess up your perfect exterior.”

He nuzzled against my neck, sucking open mouthed kisses on my skin. My held fell back to give him better access and he smiled against my throat. “I can’t wait to mess up your perfect interior, Ms. Mack.”

Available now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo!

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Brand New World (Jan 11)

Emily knew she was missing something. A lot of somethings if her foggy brain was any indication. She couldn’t remember how she got to Eddie’s place, how she ended up naked except for his t-shirt, or anything that happened after Nick told her he’d met someone else.

Emily had been stupid enough to think Nick was going to propose to her. They’d been together a year, but off and on for longer than she could count. She figured he was finally ready to settle down. Especially after the text he sent her earlier in the day saying he wanted to meet her at the party and had something important to tell her.

He’d said he loved her, so she knew that wasn’t it. She was such a fool, believing he’d been telling the truth.

Annoyed with herself, Emily angrily got dressed. She pulled on the panties she’d painstakingly picked out at the store just for Nick, the matching bra that cost more than she’d ever spent on a single garment. She’d been so sure of their future this time, but Nick disappointed her again.

She should be sad, heartbroken, but she wasn’t. She was hurt, yeah, but mostly her pride. At that moment, all Emily really wanted was to move on. To stop feeling like shit for being with Nick. To feel like herself again.

Once dressed, Emily went out to Eddie’s kitchen. She’d been to his place enough that she was comfortable there, but she’d never been in his room. Leaving the bedroom she felt her world tilt back to normal, like being in his room had shifted her to a brand new world, but being in the kitchen she was back in the real world.

“Thanks for taking care of me,” Emily muttered, feeling ashamed that Eddie had to deal with her antics.

He was silent and when Emily finally looked up his eyes were serious and intent on her, staring at her as though he were upset. Shit, Emily thought, she’d ruined his night. Eddie probably wanted to take someone else home, someone who wasn’t drunk as a skunk and puking her guts out. Someone he could get naked and ring in the New Year right with.

“I’ll always take care of you, Em,” he said, his jaw ticking with his words.

The huskiness of his voice, still rough from the morning, along with the words he spoke sent a chill up her spine. If she believed him, she would wonder if there was more behind those green eyes than she’d ever seen before. But Emily knew better. Eddie was Nick’s best friend. He probably just got her out of there so Nick didn’t have to deal with her. Eddie was always doing whatever Nick asked, especially when it came to Emily.

She wished someone wanted to take care of her for her, not because they were obligated.

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