Saturday Snippet

The theme today is friends. This is a component in every book I write. I love creating these relationships and dealing with the connections we make as we go through life. The book that popped into my head when I saw this week's topic was IMPULSIVE. This is one of my Hawaii-based romances. The cover should give you a little warmth inspiration during the cold winter months. Check it out…

"You look like shit." Seth Freeman delivered his assessment with a huge smile as he plopped in the small black chair across from Eric. The same seat designed more to keep visitors off guard and squirming than comfortable.

The hard wood didn't bother Seth. His relaxed, never-ruffled style allowed him to be at ease in any situation. Thanks to years of friendship, Seth was not one to give into Eric's intimidation, which was exactly why Eric pushed to have Seth named as Chief of the Career Criminal Division the year before. Their styles complemented each other, and the guy was a damn fine lawyer.

But right now, Eric seriously thought about having Seth arrested. No idea what the charge would be, but he'd think of something. Anything to stop the conversation Eric guessed was coming.



"The one is for you," Seth said as he slid the cup across the top of the practical metal desk before easing back into his open-legged sprawl.

To keep from getting sucked into a personal conversation, Eric grabbed a file and flipped it open, pretending to read. "Thanks. I have some work to do but can meet you for lunch at the usual-"

"Your foul mood have anything to do with your weekend activities? Or should I say lack of them?" Seth asked the question as he sipped his coffee.

Eric stopped rambling but refused to glance up and acknowledge the humor in Seth's tone. "No."

"Interesting."

Eric could think of a hundred words to describe the last two days. Interesting didn't come close to summing it up. Fast, sexy and dumb were more on point.

"Not really," he said.

"Hmmm."

Eric ignored the first three hums but gave in to the fourth one and looked up. It was either that or deal with Seth's staring and odd noises for the next hour. "What?"

A shrug. A frown. Seth went through his entire "no big deal" repertoire of gestures before actually spitting out a word. "Some guys would have trouble dealing with their ex-girlfriend's wedding when they're not, you know, the actual groom. Most would refrain from attending said festivities. Might even make sure to be out of town when the deal went down."

"Do you have a point other than being dramatic?"

"Since you insisted on going to the shindig…" Seth broke off, shaking his head in what could only be described as pained disappointment. "Ah, hell. I bet you even brought a gift. Didn't you, you dumb bastard?"

"If this is a closing argument, you should actually, you know," Eric cleared his throat. "End."

"I assume the wedding and seeing Deana looking all beautiful as she walked to another man is the source of all the frowning and grumbling. Can't blame you. She is one fine woman." Seth whistled. "Always has been. I'm sure her wedding day was no exception."

Deana's big white dress blowing in the March sunshine and her face lit with enough happiness to power all of the island of Oahu. Yeah, that was an image Eric didn't need or want swimming around in his head. He'd fought it off all weekend.

"Are you done?"

"You have the entire office on edge," Seth added as if he hadn't yet made his annoying point. He hitched his thumb over his shoulder. "I think I saw a grown prosecutor cry out there."

There it was. Eric had noticed the sympathetic smiles and sideways glances at the wedding, watched as the attorneys in the office scurried away from him as he walked down the hallway that morning. Despite his practiced appearance of calm, he'd somehow gone from being in charge to being the object of pity and more than a little fear. The last part didn't bother him. The former did.

As the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney he wielded a lot of power over assignments and work performance assessments. Not a bad thing for people to be careful around him, but being the subject of courthouse gossip destroyed his authority.

He had one woman to thank for the bleed between his personal and professional lives – Deana Armstrong, now Deana Armstrong Windsor. She dumped him for doing the right thing and then married a guy she barely knew. Eric still cared for Deana. Hell, he even liked her new husband Josh Windsor.

But Eric hated their wedding – the rows of white chairs set-up on the lawn, the cloudless day, the stunning sweep of a view from Diamond Head at one angle and Waikiki at the other. The idea of it, the press surrounding it and having to attend it all ticked him off. If he could he'd wipe out the image of Deana smiling as she strolled across the grass and stopped under a trellis filled with purple flowers and framing the ocean beyond, he'd do it.

Maybe one day. Clearly not today since everyone appeared compelled to remind him.

"Deana is married. We're friends," he said in his best "we're done with this topic" voice. He glanced down at the papers in front of him but only saw a black blur of ink.

Seth being Seth, he ignored the hint. "That's very civilized of you."

"Right." Eric nodded because he didn't know what else to do. "No reason we can't all be adult about the situation."

"Very mature, as usual."

"Exactly."

The silence lasted for exactly three beats before Seth piped in again. "So, did you give the groom tips on how to keep the bride satisfied in the bedroom…or is that not your specialty area?"

Eric dropped the file against his desk with a smack. The loud whap didn't wipe out the burning need inside him to hit someone. "You have work to do and an office you can do it in, or do you actually want something?"

"A reaction."

____________

Remember to check out the other authors' snippets:

Megan Hart — Read in bed!

Eliza Gayle

Rhian Cahill

Anne Rainey

Jody Wallace

Lissa Matthews

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Alison Kent

Delilah Devlin

Leah Braemel

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Zoë Archer

Lacey Savage