Serial Novel: Falling in Public, Ch. 1
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Falling in Public
Chapter 1
Holly barely dodged another hit from the huge purple leather bag swinging around on the arm of it's oblivious owner. The crowd waiting in line at The AfterGlow had grown more restless as the night wore on, and now in the dim light and cool, insect-laden air a stampede of sorts seemed inevitable. She'd heard it was the hot place to be, and her agent had offered to call in a favor to get her through the door, but Holly had decided to wait in line with the "normal" people just for the experience. All night limos and expensive sports cars had been pulling up, various stars and popular people stepping out and waving to the line as they walked straight throught the front door. Occasionally they'd stop and pick someone out of the waiting throng to accompany them, inciting applause and the occasional squeal of jealously from the remaining hopefuls.
Three giggling girls jostled her from behind, the big purple bag pushing her out toward the velvet ropes. She watched another expensive sportscar arrive and smiled, thinking of the scene in her new book where the heroine would meet her hero in a line like this one, and he'd whisk her inside to his private table, capturing her heart just before he ravished her body...
"Excuse me. Miss?"
Holly blinked, drawn out of her daydream to find a rather imposing broad-shouldered guy in a black suit staring at her from the other side of the rope. "Me?"
He nodded. "Mr. Winston would like to invite you to join him inside." He held up the rope expectantly as she looked past him to see Sean Winston, one of the hottest young movie actors of the year watching her with a confident grin on his baby face. He knew she wouldn't say no. All the girls around her were screaming and yelling and shoving her under the rope, but she shook her head. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Her heroine would never settle for someone nearly ten years younger just because he was a star. At least not someone who clearly acted as young as he looked.
Holly looked up at the bodyguard, who seemed confused. "Tell Mr. Winston I'm sorry, but I'll have to pass." She glanced to her left and motioned to a younger, very excited blond in a scrap of fabric that almost passed for a dress. "I bet she'd be happy to...um...accompany him inside."
The crowd fell nearly silent as the bodyguard slowly lowered the rope and turned back to his boss. The star's lips pulled together tightly, and he stalked up to the rope, reaching under to grab Holly's wrist in an iron grip.
"Come on," he said, tugging her forward as the rope was lifted again. "I want you with me tonight."
Holly tried to free herself, yanking hard against him and digging her high-heeled boots into the ragged red carpet. "I said no! Let me go!" She pulled hard as flashbulbs went off all around and the crowd yelled insulting remarks. Those she caught surprised her. Apparently Sean Winston wasn't the only one who thought she was crazy for turning him down.
"Let her go, Winston. She's with me."
Holly fell backwards as Winston released her without warning. Caught by the crowd before she hit the ground, they propelled her forward again like a slingshot, under the rope and into a solid, wiry mass of muscle, leather and chains.
"Ow," she said as a metal something-or-other connected with the outer edge of one eye. Strong arms steadied her, and the same smooth, calm voice she'd heard before whispered in her ear.
"You can do whatever you want when we get inside, just play along, okay?"
She nodded, finally regaining her balance enough to look at her would-be rescuer. Her jaw dropped open, and she found herself utterly speechless as she looked up into the face of Eddie Pierce, one of her favorite rock stars of all time. He grinned, clearly amused by her reaction.
"I take it that's a yes?" Enjoy this installment? Try Desert Heat, available now at:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Diesel | All Romance
**Please note - comments take a few moments to appear. Refresh the page to view new comments.
Falling in Public
Chapter 1
Holly barely dodged another hit from the huge purple leather bag swinging around on the arm of it's oblivious owner. The crowd waiting in line at The AfterGlow had grown more restless as the night wore on, and now in the dim light and cool, insect-laden air a stampede of sorts seemed inevitable. She'd heard it was the hot place to be, and her agent had offered to call in a favor to get her through the door, but Holly had decided to wait in line with the "normal" people just for the experience. All night limos and expensive sports cars had been pulling up, various stars and popular people stepping out and waving to the line as they walked straight throught the front door. Occasionally they'd stop and pick someone out of the waiting throng to accompany them, inciting applause and the occasional squeal of jealously from the remaining hopefuls.
Three giggling girls jostled her from behind, the big purple bag pushing her out toward the velvet ropes. She watched another expensive sportscar arrive and smiled, thinking of the scene in her new book where the heroine would meet her hero in a line like this one, and he'd whisk her inside to his private table, capturing her heart just before he ravished her body...
"Excuse me. Miss?"
Holly blinked, drawn out of her daydream to find a rather imposing broad-shouldered guy in a black suit staring at her from the other side of the rope. "Me?"
He nodded. "Mr. Winston would like to invite you to join him inside." He held up the rope expectantly as she looked past him to see Sean Winston, one of the hottest young movie actors of the year watching her with a confident grin on his baby face. He knew she wouldn't say no. All the girls around her were screaming and yelling and shoving her under the rope, but she shook her head. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Her heroine would never settle for someone nearly ten years younger just because he was a star. At least not someone who clearly acted as young as he looked.
Holly looked up at the bodyguard, who seemed confused. "Tell Mr. Winston I'm sorry, but I'll have to pass." She glanced to her left and motioned to a younger, very excited blond in a scrap of fabric that almost passed for a dress. "I bet she'd be happy to...um...accompany him inside."
The crowd fell nearly silent as the bodyguard slowly lowered the rope and turned back to his boss. The star's lips pulled together tightly, and he stalked up to the rope, reaching under to grab Holly's wrist in an iron grip.
"Come on," he said, tugging her forward as the rope was lifted again. "I want you with me tonight."
Holly tried to free herself, yanking hard against him and digging her high-heeled boots into the ragged red carpet. "I said no! Let me go!" She pulled hard as flashbulbs went off all around and the crowd yelled insulting remarks. Those she caught surprised her. Apparently Sean Winston wasn't the only one who thought she was crazy for turning him down.
"Let her go, Winston. She's with me."
Holly fell backwards as Winston released her without warning. Caught by the crowd before she hit the ground, they propelled her forward again like a slingshot, under the rope and into a solid, wiry mass of muscle, leather and chains.
"Ow," she said as a metal something-or-other connected with the outer edge of one eye. Strong arms steadied her, and the same smooth, calm voice she'd heard before whispered in her ear.
"You can do whatever you want when we get inside, just play along, okay?"
She nodded, finally regaining her balance enough to look at her would-be rescuer. Her jaw dropped open, and she found herself utterly speechless as she looked up into the face of Eddie Pierce, one of her favorite rock stars of all time. He grinned, clearly amused by her reaction.
"I take it that's a yes?" Enjoy this installment? Try Desert Heat, available now at:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Diesel | All Romance
**Please note - comments take a few moments to appear. Refresh the page to view new comments.
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