I am currently working on Liam's Spell, Book 2 of the Decker Brothers Trilogy, and also working on Secrets, Lies & Sins, Book 2 of the Quest for the Shroud series, when I have extra time.
Since it's been a while since I've posted anything, I am posting an excerpt from each one.
Excerpt
from Liam’s Spell – Coming Soon!
“Hey Jade, I’m going to run next door for some
lunch. Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m fine. Brody brought us lunch earlier.
Go ahead.”
Conner’s Coffee CafĂ© was next door to the White
Magic. Erin grabbed her bag and left the shop.
And there was Liam, sitting on the white bench
outside the shop.
He stood. “Going to Connor’s?” He fell in
beside her.
“Yes. I have a break.”
“I know. I looked at your book. I’ll join you.”
“Okay.” Erin managed a smile.
Liam was always a gentleman. He opened the
door, ushered her in.
“Liam and Erin!” Connor greeted them when they
reached the counter. “What’ll you have?”
They ordered their meals.
“Unsweetened tea for you, Erin?”
She nodded.
“I know what the big guy wants to drink.”
“That’s a no brainer, Dr. Pepper.” Liam
laughed.
“Go sit down. The lunch rush is over. I’ll
bring your tray to you when it’s ready.”
“Thanks, Connor.” Erin flashed him a smile.
Liam grimaced slightly as he sat.
“Is your leg hurting?” Erin asked with concern.
Liam’s leg was left mangled on his last tour in Afghanistan. He never wore
shorts, always jeans – even in the high heat of summer like this hot, July day.
She’d given him several massages, so she’d seen the damage. His leg was badly
scarred from his injuries and burns. He’d almost lost the leg, but didn’t,
though he’d had a very long recovery which was amplified by multiple surgeries.
He still limped a little, and probably always would. He’d told her it was a
small price to pay for keeping his leg.
“I had therapy this morning. It’s always sore
afterward. It was my last session. I return to the doctor next week. I should
get the go ahead to drive again.”
“That’s good. More independence for you.” She
gave him a genuine smile. She knew how much he was looking forward to driving
again.
“Yeah.” He nodded and smiled.
“Italian sub for the big guy and chicken salad
for the lady.” Connor slid the tray onto the table.
“Thanks.” Erin smiled.
“Anytime, sweetie.” Connor headed back toward
the counter when a mother and three kids walked in.
“Erin?”
“Yes.” She returned her attention to Liam.
Harper was right. The man was gorgeous. Short, black hair that was forever
tousled, intense blue eyes, tall, muscled and lean - the finest body she’d ever
seen. She shouldn’t have allowed herself to remember what that hard body felt
like against hers while he was kissing her, but she couldn’t help it. She did.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
Liam was also direct. Erin chewed then
swallowed the bite she’d just taken.
“I’m not-”
“You are,” he cut her off.
At first, she suspected this was it. They’d
have an argument, his pride was wounded, his feelings hurt, and the result
would be they would probably never speak to one another again - but to her
surprise, it wasn’t anger she saw when she looked into those brilliant eyes.
Was it tenderness? He continued to watch her. And yes, she felt guilty because
she had been avoiding him.
“I’m sorry. I told you I don’t have good
relationships, and that I didn’t want to do this.”
“Do what?
“This. Um, I’m not ready for a relationship.”
“Why aren’t you ready for a relationship?”
“Well, because my relationships don’t ever
work.”
“How do you know this one, ours, won’t?”
Well he had her there. “I don’t. But I don’t
want to hurt you, Liam. What we are doing right now as a team is too important.
And like I told you, I don’t know how.”
“No one knows how. They just give it a try and
see where it goes.”
“I must not be good at it, because I always
mess things up.”
“Says who?”
“Says me and my last five boyfriends.”
“Hmm. They told you it was your fault it didn’t
work?”
Erin sighed in frustration. “Do we have to talk
about this?”
“Yes. We do.”
“Liam, it’s just…It’s just not a good time to
try this. We need to be focused. I
need to stay focused and I couldn’t if we, well, I need to keep my mind on this
defeat the demon thing.” She looked at her watch. “And I have a client due-”
“In fifteen minutes. I looked at your
appointment book, remember?” He smiled.
“I do.”
“Okay, we’ll talk about this later. Eat.”
“All right. Thanks.” Erin took another bite of
her sandwich.
Liam spoke occasionally, just filling her in on
some of their preparations. She would answer or comment.
After they finished, he walked her back toward
White Magic. He stopped, reached out, and took her gently by the arm. “I need
you to answer one question for me.”
“Okay, if I can.”
“You can. It’s not hard. My question is this:
do you want to have a good, happy, healthy relationship? One that sticks.”
She rubbed her brow. “Of course. Doesn’t
everyone?”
“It’s not that you’re not attracted to me, is
it? Or you want a relationship, but just not with me.”
“No, Liam. It’s not that at all. You’re a
wonderful man and I am attracted to you. It’s not you, it’s me.”
“Okay.” He shrugged and released her arm.
“It’s not you,” she whispered.
“All right. Let’s give it a try, you and me.
We’ll take it slow.” He reached down, took her hand, and brought it to his
lips. He stepped closer to her. She vaguely registered her back touching the
wall. After his lips grazed over her knuckles, he turned her hand over and
pressed a slow, warm, lingering kiss to her palm. Heat shot up her arm and she
tingled all over. She saw tenderness and caring in the depths of his intense,
blue eyes.
“Good.” He gave her a sexy smile as he studied
her face. “We’ll take it slow.”
He released her hand, turned, and proceeded to
walk toward the shop door.
Erin had to peel herself off the wall before
her legs gave out and she slid down to the concrete. Her legs felt like jelly
as she followed him. Of course, her eyes focused on the back of his jeans. She
shouldn’t look there, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away. She had to admit he
was gorgeous everywhere. The man did
have great buns. She’d noticed that the first day he walked into the shop with
the two other Decker brothers.
She didn’t remember actually telling Liam she
would try a relationship with him, did she? Maybe she did. At the moment, she
couldn’t think of one reason not to try. Still dazed, she muttered her thanks
to him for holding the door open for her.
On the way to the massage room, she turned to
look at him. He gave her a very sexy smile that did things to her. Wicked
things. And it didn’t help her clear her head at all. Not one bit. She realized
she was smiling when she turned toward her massage room.
Excerpt from
Secrets, Lies and Sins, Coming late 2017
When their remaining enemies turned and rode
away, Fin turned to regard Jamie. “Were you harmed, Lass?”
“Nay, but you were.” She reached for his arm.
“It’s just a scratch.” Fin pulled his arm away.
“It’s bleeding an awful lot for a scratch,
Fin.”
“Might I remind you, Lady Jamesina, that I’m a
grown man and can care take care of myself.”
He hadn’t realized that his voice was raised
until he turned to see everyone looking at them.
He softened his tone. “I am fine, my Lady.
Thank you.” He gave her a curt nod and left her standing alone.
Jamie sat to reload her pistols then joined the
group of men.
“Are you ready, Lass?” Ian asked her.
She nodded and gave him a small smile.
Marrek had reloaded his pistols for him while
Fin removed his neck cloth and fashioned a bandage around the graze on his arm.
Fin thanked Marrek when he returned his pistols.
Arran handed him a flask of whisky. “Perhaps a
wee dram will improve your mood.” Arran’s green eyes cut toward Lady Jamesina.
“My mood is fine. However, I’m quite sure I can
do with a dram later. My thanks, Kildonan.”
“And where is it that Lady Jamesina and I
should head?” Fin turned to ask Ian.
“Well now, you’ll have to ask her. She’s the
guardian.” Ian seemed highly amused.
Fin turned to her. She held her head high and
,et his gaze. He guessed it was determination he saw in those golden eyes.
“We’re headed for one of my safe places. We
can’t reach it by nightfall. We’ll have to stay the night at another MacEwen
property,” Jamie informed him in a cool tone as she passed by him. She mounted
her horse on her own and turned her head. “Are you coming, Lord Dunloy?”
“Aye.” It took him aback that she was now using
his title instead of his given name.
Jamie didn’t wait, she urged that big beast of
a devil she rode forward. Fin briskly walked toward his gelding.
“Then you’d best mount up in a hurry. We’ve a
long journey ahead of us and I hope you’re not intending to lag behind the
entire way.”
Fin let go a huff of irritation and mounted his
horse. He paused to wave farewell to his friends then hurried after her. He
heard deep baritone laughter behind him as he struggled to catch up to her. Damn Jamie MacEwen. She is the most infuriating woman. She had
no right to treat him thus. It was she who’d lied to him all these years, after
all.
He tried to tamp down his anger and forget
about her. He failed. The anger simmered during the long, silent hours they
rode toward God only knew where.
Darkness was nearly upon them when they passed
by a small, quiet village just off the road.
“Mayhap we should take a room at the inn there,
in the village,” Fin suggested. He was feeling quite weary of a sudden.
“Out of the question. We’ve not far to go.
Another mile or so.”
“And where exactly are we going, lass?” Will
there be a bed waiting for me?”
“Of course. ‘Tis a cottage.”
“Good.” That was heartening news. His stomach
rumbled. “And will there be food at this cottage?”
“Aye, of course.” She muttered.
He was tired. Bone weary tired, which was
unlike him. Then again, he hadn’t sat in a saddle for almost a full day without
a rest in some time, and to be fair, he was still healing from the wounds he
received several weeks ago. He was reminded he had a new one just this day when
his arm began to throb. He’d never let her know he was struggling to keep up.
Not on his life!
It was a small cottage she pointed out as they
left the road and made their way down a path. It looked to be in good condition,
and that was promising. He couldn’t help but notice how spry Jamie was as she
slid from her mount. She walked to the door, turned her key in the lock, pushed
the door open and returned to her horse. “There’s a lean to in the back. I’ll
take the horses.”
He stifled a groan as he dismounted. His arse
was mighty sore. And why did his legs feel so damned weak. “I’ll bring my
horse. It will make faster work of it if we each take care of our own mounts.”
She gave him a nod and led the way behind the
cottage.
It wasn’t until he had trouble lifting the
saddle from the handsome black gelding he borrowed from Arran, and his arm felt
like it was on fire that he realized there was something wrong. He dropped the
saddle. Groaned and straightened.
And there was Jamie. She raised her hand to his
brow. “You’ve a fever, Fin. Go in and sit. I’ll see to the horses. I’ll be in
as quickly as I can to see to your wound.”
The man in him wanted to protest, but the part
of him that felt so blasted weak and sick complied with a nod. He trudged
around the small, compact structure and took himself into the house. He thought
to sit in a chair at the table, but the bed in the anteroom beyond beckoned.
The mattress looked fluffy. It was a MacEwen plaid that was thrown across it.
He lay his head down upon one of the plump pillows and closed his eyes.
When he next opened them, there was a soft
golden glow in the room. He saw a fire gleaming in the hearth in the large room
beyond. Something smelled divine. A lamp on the table beside his bed had been
lit.
Then Lady Jamesina entered, minus her hat. Her
long, dark braid trailed over her shoulder. She was carrying a basin. He
watched as she set it atop a table stacked with folded cloths on the other side
of the bed.
“Good, you’re awake.” She drew the plaid away
from him.
It was then he realized his chest was bare. The
woman had undressed him while he slept? How could that be? He tried to lift
himself up and couldn’t.
“Your wound has festered, Fin. It’s where the
fever comes from. I cleaned it earlier and applied a poultice. Now I need to
apply another.”
He grunted and gave her a nod. “What smells so
good?” He scraped his hand over his face.
“A Stew. I made it yesterday, and left it in
the cellar so we would have it if we needed it.”
“We need to compare the clues?” His eyes
narrowed after he surveyed the room. “What have you done with my coat?”
“Damn it, Fin. I hung your coat on a peg in the
other room to dry. I know you’re angry with me but I can’t believe you don’t
trust me.”
“Well you’re certainly not the person I thought
you were. You could have been lying about everything, how am I to know.”
“I never purposely lied to you. I just never
revealed to you that I was a woman. Everything else I wrote in my letters was
the truth. How I felt, what I believed. If you read them, you should know
exactly who I am.”
Her words stung almost as much as the cleaning
of the gash on his upper arm. “Ouch!”
She rose and walked to a cabinet. She returned
with a bottle of whisky and a glass. She set them down, and poured him a
generous amount and offered it to him.
“If you’re going to whine like a bairn, Fin,
you need to drink this.”
“I’m not whining. I was complaining about the
sharpness of your tongue as much as roughness of your ministrations.”
“Drink it or do without. I’m changing your
poultice regardless.” She held the glass out to him again.
He struggled to sit up, but managed to do so
without her assistance. He snatched the glass from her hand and drained it,
then settled back down into the soft warmth of the bed.
“There. I’ve had my medicine. Do your worst.”
“Hmmph.” Jamie continued to clean the remnants
of the old poultice off. She sponged the festering gash and then applied the
new poultice.
“Fin?” she called when she finished.
“Aye?” Fin struggled to open his eyes.
“Could you eat a bit of stew? You need to keep
up your strength.”
“Aye, I can. And could I have another wee dram,
lass? For Scottish whisky, it tasted fairly good.”
“Aye. I’ll get it, and I’ll have you know ‘tis
the best whisky to be had in Argyll.”
“MacEwen made, I suppose,” he mumbled.
“Of course.” She quirked a dark brow his way.
The venison stew was the best thing he’d ever
tasted. It was humiliating that she’d had to help him sit up to eat it. That
stung his pride. She made him drink a hot cup of rather bitter tea before she’d
pour him a whisky.
“No wonder you’ve never married. That was the
foulest tasting brew I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
“It’s not meant to taste good. It was made to
fight your infection and help you to heal.” And put him to sleep and out of his
misery and hers, God willing.
He insisted on another dram, she argued but
eventually gave in after muttering something about if he had more whisky in him
mayhap he’d go to sleep and quit complaining. She helped him lay down and
pulled the plaid over him. Then he felt her hand, he’d noticed earlier that she
had long-fingered, pretty hands, upon his brow. He could hear the soft lull of
her voice as he slid into slumber.