Dangerous
-- EXCERPT: “Where do you want it?” I have to keep my eyes on his face or else they threaten to drift over his shoulders, chest, and that obvious bulge in his jeans. Where do I want it? I repeat in my mind, and I know I have to answer quickly or else the obvious innuendo of that phrase will fill the already-awkward space between us. At this point, being in the presence of a man, for the first time in so long—a whispering reminder of the life I used to live, has my body shouting at me to remember what it was like. To feel a man’s touch, his hands on my skin, around my body. Goosebumps erupt along the flesh of my exposed thighs. “Here,” I choke, my voice breaking. I point to the inside of my upper thigh, just above my knee. It’s a strange place for a tattoo, for sure, but there’s meaning there. I notice his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows. With one eyebrow cocked, his gaze drifts down from my face to the puckered skin just below the hem of my purple cotton sundress. A raised scar roughly the size of a dollar and shaped like a fish hook catches his attention. I can see the questions on his face as the room grows silent. Operation scars look different from violent scars. Violent scars are not methodical or neat. They are erratic, loud, and almost weep with memory. This scar, from the broken window of a four-door sedan eight feet under water tells a story that I don’t want in my book anymore. I want it covered. I break the silence, luring his eyes back to my face and not my open legs. “I know it’s difficult to tattoo scars—I’ve done my research, but I want this covered. Is that…possible?” My voice shakes, giving away my nerves. He clears his throat. “I can do that.” Then, he leans forward. With just the expression on his face, he asks to touch it. I nod in return. The fingers of his right hand reach forward, and methodically, as if he’s inspecting the spot, he grazes the raised bump between my knees. Having gone so long without another person’s touch anywhere below my belly button, I jump from the contact. His eyes meet mine. Then, he goes back to rubbing his thumb over the scar, and I feel my pulse quicken, my breath coming out in short spurts as if someone has crushed my lungs and won’t let me breathe. I know he’s touching it for the purpose of the tattoo, but I watch the way he bites his lip, and I can tell it’s just as unnerving for him as it is for me. He swallows again. The room is deliciously silent, and this chemistry between us has changed. It’s dangerously close to something more than just a tattoo artist and his client.
GIVEAWAY!
0 Comments
Title: Every Little Thing
Series: The Ink Well Chronicles #4
Author: Jordan Bates
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 29, 2020
Blurb
The first time I shook her hand, I knew she was the one.
But my breath stalled when I grazed the cool metal on her finger and when I looked down at that fucking ring, my heart stopped. Now, sheâs back in town and after five years, I had no idea whatâd happened. Instead of her husband standing by her side, holding her hand, there was a little girl. The first time I shook her hand, I knew she was the one. But my breath stalled when I grazed the cool metal on her finger and when I looked down at that fucking ring, my heart stopped. Now, sheâs back in town and after five years, I had no idea whatâd happened. Instead of her husband standing by her side, holding her hand, there was a little girl. I wanted to know their story. Because when it came to Melanie, I needed to know every little thing.
Purchase Links
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Excerpt
âI loved reading about Greek mythology the most when I was in high school.â
I turned toward Melanie who was staring at me. I wondered how long sheâd been looking on or more so. How long ago did she move her chair to the side of the table, so we were sitting next to each other, rather than across from each other? âIâm a huge fan of Greek mythology myself,â I respond. âYou are?â Melanie cocked her head to the side. A look of disbelief crossed her face and I tried not to laugh. âI am. I loved studying about it in college. I took a couple of Greek mythology classes between History and Literature. I even took a Latin class as well. The culture intrigues me.â âSame here. Anything I can get my hands on I love to read or watch about.â âIf thatâs the case, I have a comic Iâd love to show you. Itâs about Persephone and Hades.â Melanie quickly put her drink down and placed her hand over mine. âWait!â There was a stunned look on her face as she reached into her back pocket, bringing her phone out. It was only seconds before she was shoving the device in my face, showing me exactly what Iâd been about to tell her. âYou mean Lore Olympus?!â âYeah,â I laughed at Melanieâs enthusiasm and when she pulled the phone away, I saw a genuine smile plastered across her face as she looked at me. âItâs one of my all-time favorite comics and itâs not just the story but the illustrations as well. Itâs just so cool to see the story come to life in a different way than just words or even so, the way most people read about it.â âExactly. We can see these Gods in our time and see them be almost human for a second. Itâs quite a refreshing rendition to the Greek mythology world.â âDid you see it was being optioned for a show too?!â âI had not but that sounds exciting. I wonder if it will be animated the way it is in the comics or if they are going to change it.â âI hope theyâd keep it the way it is but if anything, seeing that story come to life would be amazing to watch.â âI hope you wouldnât make me watch it alone.â It was a long shot but I stuck the comment out there in the open, hoping with how this coffee date was going, Melanie would sink into the words and move this in the direction I wanted it to go. âSmooth move there, Jack.â She shook her head and leaned in closer to me, just like she had at the bar. âI said this wasnât a date.â âYet here you are in a dress, sitting next to me, giving me the smile Iâve been so desperately wanting to get from you.â âMy smile?â She moved her hand to her lips and looked down at her drink. I reached out, tucking my fingers under her chin and lifting her head up. âYouâre smile, Melanie.â I gave her a small smile myself. âSince Iâve known you, Iâve never seen the smile you give others directed toward me. Now, youâve given me a smile that Iâve never seen you give anyone else.â
Also Available
Only 99c!
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Author Bio
Jordan Bates is an up and coming romance author from Florida, who is determined to write loves that last and are true to everyone who reads them.
Jordan graduated from UCF with a degree in English - Creative Writing. She has been writing since her freshman year in high school, where she finished her first and second book. Since then, she has pursued writing poetry, young adult novels, and romance novels.
When she isn't working or writing, you can find her looking for inspiration among the forests, and finding all the new food to eat. Because what's better than writing? Eating an amazing burrito.
Author Links
We are so excited to celebrate the release of UNFORGIVEN by Jay Crownover with you today by participating in the blog tour! UNFORGIVEN is part of the Loveless, Texas series and you can grab your copy now. Join Jay's Group for details about all of her titles.
UNFORGIVEN by Jay CrownoverLoveless, Texas #2 | Available Now------------ Grab your copy of UNFORGIVEN today!
Amazon | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo
About UNFORGIVEN:From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men series comes an irresistible and suspenseful romance between a tough Texas Ranger and his first love--a woman in danger who insists she doesn't need his protection. Hill Gamble is a model lawman: cool and collected, with a confident swagger to boot. Too bad all that Texas charm hasn't gotten him anywhere in his personal life, especially since the only girl he ever loved has always been off-limits. But then Hill is assigned to investigate her father's mysterious death, and he's forced back to the town--and the woman--he left behind. When Hill left Loveless, he broke Kody Lawton's already battered heart. And now that he's working on her father's case, avoiding him is impossible. She can handle Hill and her unwanted feelings--until he puts his life on the line to protect her. Suddenly, Kody realizes that Hill could be taken away from her...for good. "Crownover delivers the goods."-Lori Wilde, New York Times bestselling author "Crownover writes cowboys that make you want to pack your bags in search of a small-town ranch!" -Melissa Foster, New York Times bestselling author Includes the bonus novella Cowboy to the Rescue by A.J. Pine!
Add UNFORGIVEN to your Goodreads TBR here!
Hill put his cowboy hat back on his head and stifled a yawn behind his hand. “We can save all the updates for later. Y’all go ahead and finish laying Conrad to rest. I just wanted to stop by and pay my respects.”
Case reached out to clap Hill on the shoulder at the exact same time I reached out and grabbed a handful of his shirt. My body was moving faster than my brain, and my emotions were all over the place, making it impossible to keep up. “Can you come out to the farmhouse with us?” I wasn’t exactly sure why I needed him to come, but I suddenly knew I did. My oldest brother gave me a questioning look, and I quickly dropped my hand. I cleared my throat and reached up to tuck some of my hair behind my ear. “I mean, if you don’t have important investigative stuff to do. You’re practically family. I think you have as much reason as the rest of us to be there.” I felt like I might bolt out the door and not look back if he didn’t agree to come. I wasn’t supposed to rely on him anymore. He’d proved that was a bad idea in the past, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. As great as my brothers were, they didn’t make me feel like everything would eventually be okay again the way Hill did. Regardless of the past, Hill was the one I always believed would be able to fix whatever was broken. It was a lot to put on his shoulders, and totally unfair. No one could live up to those expectations, not even Hill, which was why his fall from the pedestal I’d had him on back in the day had been so heartbreaking. Slowly Hill nodded, all while covering up another yawn. I felt terrible. The guy needed to sleep, not to hang around as my underappreciated security blanket. But putting Conrad into the ground and saying goodbye to my complicated past forever seemed much more manageable when I knew Hill was going to be there while I did it. We all followed the hearse out of town in a long procession of pickup trucks. Once again my lime-green Jeep Wrangler stuck out like a sore thumb and defied convention. My father had hated the brightly colored vehicle, often referring to it as a death trap. His disdain made me love the thing even more. The finality of things eventually hit me as I watched my brothers, my nephew, and Hill each take a corner of the casket and start to move my dad to his final resting place. Case had picked a spot under an old cottonwood tree at the back of the property. It was far enough away from the house that a person would have to make a special trip out to pay their respects. It would keep whoever ended up living in the farmhouse from having my father’s ghost lingering right over their shoulder. It was a somber, serious walk to the location. I think all of us realized we no longer had to live in fear of Conrad or be oppressed by the secrets of our childhood. Our father’s transgressions were no longer our cross to bear, and maybe now we could finally grieve not only for him, but also for our mother. When she passed away, Conrad did his best to eradicate every trace of her from our lives. She was never spoken of, never cried over, never outwardly missed. She was snatched away and became a hazy memory before any of us could do anything about it. So while we were coming to peace with Dad being gone, we also now had the space to mourn the loss of the woman who had done her best to counterbalance all his hate. I didn’t realize I was crying until Aspen wrapped an arm around my waist and discreetly handed me a tissue. She also handed me a white rose and muttered, “Take your time.” I didn’t want to get any closer to the grave. I didn’t want to admit I was sad and maybe a little lost. I wanted to pretend none of this was happening…the same way I had when Aaron died. Thinking about my mom, then Aaron, as well as my father suddenly made the tight grip I had on my composure shatter. It felt like so much had been taken away from me, and it was hard to breathe through the agony of that loss. My shoulders shook as silent sobs racked my body. Aspen tried to pull me closer, but I pulled away, covering my face as I struggled to rein my emotions in. Both the tissue and the rose hit the ground at my feet as the flood of tears blurred everything into a hazy kaleidoscope. The sobs were no longer silent as I gasped for air and wailed at the unfairness of it all. Sure my dad hadn’t been great, but he had been mine. Sure my mom had been sick and suffering, but she’d also been mine. And Aaron, God, I’d never wanted to let him go. He was the one person I’d honestly believed would never leave me, and he was gone as well. Strong arms wrapped around me, and my forehead hit the center of a strong, broad chest. I knew immediately the man holding me wasn’t Case or Crew, but the man who had also lost Aaron. I liked to delude myself into thinking Hill and I had nothing in common, but the truth was, our grief was exactly the same. He was the only person who really knew what it was like to live with that gaping hole inside your heart. I fisted handfuls of his shirt and cried until I was hoarse and could barely stand. I felt his hand cup the back of my head, but he didn’t say anything. He simply stood there, holding me, shielding me as my feelings were finally allowed to run free. I had no idea how long we stood like that, but my knees felt weak and my throat was completely raw by the time the tears dried up. Wordlessly, I looked over at the now-covered grave and silently picked up the abandoned rose. I tossed it on top of the freshly dug dirt and rubbed my burning eyes with the palms of my hands. I wanted to apologize, to make up some excuse, but as always, Hill seemed to know I was at my breaking point. He didn’t question me, didn’t push. Instead, he inclined his scruffy chin in the direction of the old farmhouse and softly stated, “You need a glass of water and a few minutes to sit down. Let’s head back to the house.” All I could do was nod weakly and walk next to him. I stumbled slightly and didn’t protest when his arm shot out and wrapped around my shoulders, pulling me tightly to his side. I felt like a deflated balloon. I was always so full of hot air and bluster, but it took next to nothing to break that thin shell and show just how fragile I was. I walked next to Hill in silence, wondering how he always had a knack of showing up just when I needed him. I really wanted to rest my head on his shoulder but held back. It was scary, really, how attuned he was to me, when all I’d ever done was push him away and throw up roadblock after roadblock when he tried to mend the wounds of our shared past. The hurt I had was comfortable. I wasn’t ready to let go of it yet, no matter how tempting unloading all my baggage was. “It never gets any easier.” His voice was low and I could feel the vibration where I was pressed against him. “What doesn’t?” “Saying goodbye.” He sighed, and his hold on me tightened a fraction. “I still think about Aaron every single day. I can still hear his laugh and see his smile.” Hill cleared his throat. “All these years later, whenever my phone rings, I still think it might be him. Time does help, but I don’t think it’s enough to heal some wounds. Some we just have to accept as being part of us forever.” I sucked in a breath and felt tears threaten once again. I swear I never cried, but lately I was like a damn faucet. I rarely talked about Aaron, and never brought him up when Hill was around. I always thought it would be too painful, too much to bear, but his words brought a flood of happy memories to the surface. Things with Aaron had been so bad at the end, I’d repressed almost everything about my time with him, including the good moments. He did have the world’s best smile, and I hadn’t thought of it in so long, and wouldn’t have if Hill hadn’t brought it up. I put a hand to my chest and felt my heart pounding. “I don’t know if time has helped me, but it is nice to think of happier times.” Hill nodded and I shut my mouth, not wanting to go any further down memory lane. I remained silent as we continued to walk. I should’ve told him he could let me go, but I didn’t. It took about twenty minutes to wander back to my childhood home. Hill yawned and apologized for basically sleepwalking no less than five times. I was going to bully him into bed and order him to sleep for at least twelve hours when he came to an abrupt halt as soon as we rounded the side of the run-down house. Coming down the long dirt road leading into the property was a flashy car, one that had no reason to be pulling up to my father’s home. “Isn’t that a Tesla?” The question tumbled out as I instinctively put my hand on the muscled expanse of Hill’s broad back. I felt him tense at the touch. “It is. Does the driver look familiar?” He kept the question low as I squinted into the setting sun to see if I remembered seeing the person behind the wheel before. I gasped and practically pushed Hill as I exclaimed, “She does!” The woman driving the Tesla was the same well-dressed redhead who’d been at the viewing. I still had no clue what her connection to my father was, but it looked like I was about to find out.
Grab your copy of UNFORGIVEN today!
Amazon | Nook | Apple Books | Kobo
---------------------
|