Excerpt from UnEmbraceable, Christian Indie Authors Blog Hop

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I don’t write romance. Not usually. One of my biggest fans requested a romance from me. And so I wrote UnEmbraceable. Starting on Tuesday, February 11 and continuing through Saturday, February 15, UnEmbraceable will be FREE!

Tamar, a prostitute and pick-pocket, has a few experiences that force her to change her life. During that whirlwind spin, she meets Leonard. Is he enough to keep her from turning back to her old life?

UnEmbraceable. A terrifying, hauntingly real and daringly hopeful tale of betrayal and love.

Available as an ebook or paperback.

Tamar (from ch 26)

Restaurant after restaurant and I could lip-sync the responses after a while. “We’re looking for people with experience.” Was this because of how I looked? Was my bruise visible? Did I reek of trouble?

As I passed by the shop windows, I glanced at my reflection for some clue. In that reflection I saw someone I never thought I’d see. Me, and I looked like a normal, respectable girl. I looked much more like the sort of girl Leonardo deserved. Passing by another set of shop windows, I glanced at her once more.

That’s when I saw him. All day long I’d fought my desire to see him, especially after the way I treated him yesterday. But the sight of Leonardo wearing a suit did me in. He wore blue again, and oh my goodness, he was hot. I could easily obsess over that one. I twirled his name round and round my mind. Leonardo DeLorenzo. Hottie. He had his hands in his pockets, and his lovely Italian eyes were downcast as if heavy in thought.

I stopped and stared and reveled in a private gladness.

All the empty shells of my harbored secrets and sins scattered in the breeze blasting down the corridor of this outdoor mall. I pushed my hair out of the way to look at my reflection again. Where did he go?

“Hi.” He stood in front of me. The wind framed his dark brown hair around his face. That gaze pierced me. “Are you still mad at me?”

My glance jumped back and forth between the bricks and those eyes. “Are you still mad at me?”

“I never was.” His loosened silver tie blew in the breeze.

I looked at the sky trying to keep my eyes off him and to guess the time. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work? You know, the whole nine to five thing.”

“I’ll be working all night so I needed a walk and a cup of coffee. Do you want to join me?”

“Sure. I’ve got some time to kill. I was trying to find a job, but no one wants to hire me.”

He stopped and stared at me. “Before we go anywhere, I want you to understand that you’re not allowed to pay me back. Ever.”

I shifted from one foot to the other.

“Okay?” I felt him searching for my downcast gaze.

“Sure,” I conceded. Would he want anything else besides money in return? There was hardly a crowd in this outdoor mall, but I still didn’t want to ask him this in public. Besides, it might chase him away, and I never wanted anyone so close to me. I wanted him even closer than this, but then I grew aware of what kind of girl I was. “Where did you want to go for coffee?”

“There’s a place on the other end of the mall that has great coffee, but they always have a huge crowd.”

Was that the café next to the bar I was trying to avoid? I shrugged and pointed to a sign. “What about that coffee shop?”

“We could get a seat outside or inside.”

“Inside sounds good. This town’s a bit too warm for me. Not as sweltering as Houston, but warm.”

He held the door open for me then ordered our coffees, both iced, mine with raspberry flavor and tons of room for cream, his black. He stood beside the creamer counter as I poured in my sugar.

“Wow,” he commented. “I’m going into diabetic shock just watching that.”

I upended the sugar canister and smirked. “What?”

“Won’t it be a little crunchy once you get to the bottom?”

I looked up at him from beneath demure lashes. “And I suppose you’re going to spout off something about liking your coffee the way you like your women.”

“No, actually, I like you the way that I like you.”

“Okay.” I hid my cheek against my shoulder as heat filled my face. “You just made me shy. Don’t do that.”

“I hope one day it makes you confident rather than shy.”

Should I show him my smile? Hide it? “Let’s sit in this super cute alcove.” He’d be hidden away and I could stare at that luscious body tucked neatly in that tailored blue suit and no one would notice. Strange. I’d never wanted to be so private before.

Leonard (27)

 

After a more carefree spin than I’d yet seen from her, she sat in the olive green armchair in that alcove. She was giving me a greater glimpse into what coping mechanisms kept her strong while she lived on the streets. Her spontaneous sparkle, her gentle sway to the Irish band playing in the background and her frangible smile hooked, lined and sunk all my desires.

God, I’ll be hurricane tossed without Your anchor!

“Is the coffee sweet enough for you?” I asked, trying to keep my mind off the way her full lips sat delicately on the straw.

“Perfect.” She chewed sugar grains and winked. “Crunchy, but perfect.” She looked up at the walls and ceiling. “Wow. This alcove is echo-y.” She jumped to her feet. “Don’t you think? Let’s sit over there.”

I had no idea where she was headed so I followed. My gaze kept going places it shouldn’t have gone. God, please keep me pure as I pursue her and follow You.

“The chairs are prettier, but not as comfy.” She settled into the padded wrought iron-backed chair. “And certainly less echo-y. After all, you and me, we’re one of a kind and don’t need an echo.” She shrugged and gave a half smile as I took a seat across from her at that round table. “So whatcha want to talk about? I mean, we could shoot the breeze for the next half hour, but seeing as I stole from you and you wouldn’t let me pay you back, I’d say we’re a step or twelve beyond shallow conversation.”

“To put it mildly.”

“So, yeah, I’m sorry for throwing that money at you. That was beyond rude. I just…I get nervous around you and I do stupid stuff.”

“I forgive you, Tamar. I do stupid stuff too.”

“But not as bad as what I did.”

“You were trying to push me away, but I’m not going anywhere.”

She smiled that shy, hiding her face away smile. “I know. I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you.”

“I’d say sorry a thousand times just to hear you say that.”

“What? I forgive you?”

“Yeah. It just sounds so…real coming from your lips.” She looked down at her drink and took a tiny sip. And then another.

“I forgive you, Tamar. And I’m sorry for everyone who never said it to you, or never said the other thing they should have: I’m sorry.”

Her short nails scraped at the resin on the table. “I don’t know how you do it, Mr. Leonardo. By the way, what do your friends call you? Len? Leo? Leonard?”

“I love how you call me Leonardo, but it makes me feel like a movie star.”

“You look like a movie star,” she said toward her straw.

Now I was the shy one wanting to hide my face. “It’s a pretty good looking straw, isn’t it?”

“Ha-ha. Way to pass off a compliment, sir.”

I grinned. “Special talent of mine.”

Check out other books by Precarious Yates:

How Shall We Love? ~ a romance/coming of age novel

The Elite of the Weak ~ YA sci-fi/espionage novel