Excerpt for Almost Paradise

Hey!

These past two weeks have been incredibly busy for me. I've had family in town and so while I've had a lot of fun, this is the first day I've really been able to sit and write. All or Nothing is being worked on today. I plan to have it done this week hopefully.

But instead of talking about Ben, Eli and Micah, today I wanted to share the excerpt for Almost Paradise. It's available one week from today on June 16th so go check it out. You can go here to find it from Silver Publishing.

Enjoy the excerpt and I hope you like my book next week!

Excerpt:


Liam clipped the thin leashes to Lucy and Ethel's collars with quick, precise movements. They were a tapestry of wrinkles and drool, with small black eyes and long, gangly legs they hadn't quite gotten the hang of yet in their eight short months of life. He loved his Neapolitan Mastiffs greatly and appreciated them all the more for being a gift from an ally he had helped earlier that year. The man's generosity had not been a surprise, but the two shiny silver puppies delivered to his doorstep had been.

The small parking lot was nearly empty as they jumped out of the back of his large SUV and landed solidly on the ground. Lucy, the younger of the sisters by four whole minutes and months of maturity, tried gnawing on her leash for a moment before a look from Liam stopped her instantly. He allowed some puppy-like behaviors from them at home but he expected far more from them out in public. And at nearly one hundred pounds each, that was as much for the benefit of society as it was for his peace of mind.

The thin leather leashes were an annoyance in his hand as he entered the small upscale boutique. He disliked them greatly and only used them as a show for the humans to ease their worries. In reality, his dogs, and most others he had met obeyed him because he was dominant and expected nothing less from them.

The boutique was awash with rich sheer drapes in the dramatic colors of plum, indigo and emerald. His boss's twin, Evangeline, had been a longtime customer and he'd been picking up her purchases ever since. Once a month she would call the owner, a lovely redhead named Miranda, and they would talk endlessly about what was new and what was trendy in the world of fashion that they both loved. Before the girls had arrived, Liam would walk in like any other of Miranda's customers. He'd brought them in when others were there shopping when they'd been just a few months old as well. But as his dogs had grown, he'd realized that how people reacted to them had changed and he'd started making appointments to pick up Evangeline's purchases during Miranda's lunch hour. The quiet and privacy suited him just fine as well.

Miranda gave him a bright smile from her seat behind the small glass case as he approached. "Mr Glass, good to see you again sir. And your lovely ladies as well," she said, leaning across to give each of his dogs a quick pat. "I swear they've grown nearly a half a foot since I saw you three in here last month."

Liam nodded. "That sounds about right, Miranda." His dogs took their places, sitting on either side of him as he began to peruse the earrings.

"So who's the lucky recipient this time?" she asked him, leaning forward to look at the selection as well. "Those little diamond studs are new." She pointed to the ones she meant and sighed wistfully. "They're really beautiful."

Liam smiled. They were nice-looking. She knew that he most often shopped for Evangeline, but the bright silver chain he wore was from Miranda's shop as well. "My boss has annoyed Evangeline and has sent me out to apologize to her with jewelry while I'm getting the rest of her things." He shifted his gaze to the emeralds but quickly moved away. They would be too dark against her coffee colored skin.

Miranda giggled. "Have something in mind already?"

He pursed his lips. Normally he'd have just grabbed the first thing he thought might fit the bill and then paid for it. It's what he did for her birthday every year. But this time Samson had sent him out with the idea of apologizing to her, not an easy feat when the woman kept her grudges like she kept her fine chocolate--as close to her as possible and in a combination locked safe.

Nothing looked quite right and he was about to become discouraged when his gaze caught on a bright gold necklace with a trail of different gemstones winding down like a river. The pinks, yellows, and purples would go beautifully with her skin and the diamonds were brilliantly clear. He tapped on the glass over that one and Miranda instantly pulled it out for him.

"Wow, it's beautiful," she said candidly as she stroked the largest of the stones at the bottom of the river, a beautiful yellow gem. "She's going to love it."

Liam nodded. "I think you're right." He pulled out the credit card Samson had given him and handed it over to her. He didn't care about the price, didn't even look at the little tag. Samson wouldn't have cared and Liam wasn't going to change his mind on the perfect gift for his alpha's twin.

As Miranda was boxing up the necklace he saw a pajama shirt and pants set that made him grin. Leaving the dogs where they were he picked it up and brought it back to the counter. It was made of silk and he thought that the pastel pink would go well with Evangeline's skin.

"That's lovely," Miranda said as she began folding up the clothing. She handed the small bag to him along with a few much larger ones that contained Evangeline's purchases for the month. "Here you are, Mr Glass. I'm sure she'll love these. There's also a little bottle of perfume in there for her as well as a thank you for being such a great customer all these years. I don't know what I'd do if it wasn't for customers like her," she said wistfully.

Liam took the bags from her with a thankful smile. Evangeline was always easier to deal with when she had shiny new presents. "Thank you Miranda, I'm sure she appreciates you catering to her needs and putting up with the three of us as well. I'll see you next month. I will need a pair of cuff links then. A friend's birthday is coming up."

She nodded and pursed her lips as she tapped one long fingernail on the counter, thinking. "Particular color?"

Liam tilted his head as he considered. "Rubies would be good I suppose," he said after a moment. His friend's favorite color was red after all.

Miranda wrote a quick note to herself. "Great. I'll order them today and they should be in later this week and you can pick them up next month. If you like them, great. If not, you know we have a wide selection of diamond cuff links as well. Sometime you should bring in Mrs Glass, I'd sure love to meet her."

He nodded. "Thank you Miranda. I appreciate all your help. And there is no Mrs Glass."

She blushed and he turned away.

He'd known she'd fish for more information sooner or later and he'd let her stew on that for a little while. He doubted she knew why there was no Mrs anything in his life or even that there never would be. But his sexuality had never been open to discussion between them and he would keep it that way. Privacy was one of those little things Shifters liked to keep intact.

The door behind him jingled as another customer walked in. He frowned and looked up at Miranda. She usually locked the door behind him so that they would have privacy during his visits and so that she didn't have to see customers during her lunch hour. He turned around to see who it was and nearly tripped over Ethel in the process. He took a step back, bringing his dogs out of the way as the man came forward. Liam didn't think that he'd seen him yet and wanted to watch him for as long as possible.