Excerpt Monday ~ June 15th

Welcome to Excerpt Monday! Here is an excerpt from my soon-to-be released novella from Phaze Books, Resisting Kane. Hope you enjoy it.

Blurb:
Past inequities are hard to forget … and harder still to forgive. After fifteen years, high school classmates Madison Carey and Terence Kane are forced to work together to stop a madman whose sole purpose is to seek revenge … with her life as the prize.

Excerpt:

Realizing it was useless to try and sleep, Madison got out of bed and slipped on her robe over her lace camisole. She hated to roam the hallways so late at night, especially with Terry under her roof, but she needed something to help her rest.

Tip-toeing down the stairway, she peeked into the den. By the dim light of the lamp, she could see him standing on the opposite side of the room, next to the large bay window. He was talking to someone on his cell phone, and he was obviously agitated by the way he gestured with his free hand.

Even with the distance between them, Madison noticed his jeans were unbuttoned at the top and he didn’t have on a shirt. Transfixed at the sight of him, she was unable to take her eyes away from him. His body showed the hard work of a veteran police officer. He was fit, lean, and from where she stood he seemed larger than life. The way his jeans molded to his muscular thighs made her loins ache, and the ripple of his chest and stomach muscles caused her hands to tremble.

Madison shook her head furiously to clear her thoughts as she made her way into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, she took out a bottle of red wine and carefully placed it on the kitchen counter while she reached inside an overhead cabinet for a glass. But as she quickly glanced toward the den to make sure Terry was still distracted, the glass slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor. Within seconds Terry had his gun cocked and pointed in her direction. Startled, she raised her hands in the air.

“It’s just me!”

Shaking his head fiercely, Terry put down his gun and walked toward the kitchen.

“What the hell are you doing, Madison? It’s almost midnight,” he said angrily, glancing briefly at the clock on the wall behind her. “You’re lucky I didn’t kill you.”

Her heart racing, she tried to talk, but she could only stammer for the right words to say. 

“I…I couldn’t sleep. I thought…I thought maybe a glass of wine would help.”

As soon as he walked in the kitchen and turned on the light, he held up his hand to keep her from moving.

“Stand still. There’s glass all over the floor and you might cut yourself. Where’s the broom?” he asked.

Her fingers shaking, she pointed to the adjoining laundry room. After he disappeared inside the small room, she fought to breathe normally. She wanted to kick herself for being so clumsy. Not only did his immediate reaction scare her senseless, but she was also embarrassed.

When he returned and began sweeping the shards of glass away from her feet, she attempted to focus on something other than his body. Having him barely clothed and standing so close to her was threatening to unravel what little bit of sanity she had left.

After several long, agonizing minutes, he rested the broom against the counter, and she began to feel some relief. He was finally through and she could retire to her bedroom with what little bit of dignity she had left. Yet, before she could move, he came to stand in front of her.

He was so close that she could make out the perfect definition of each muscle in his chest and stomach. Inhaling sharply, she looked up into his eyes just as he placed his hands on her hips. Then, in one swift movement, he picked her up and delicately set her on top of the kitchen counter.

“I need to sweep under your feet.” He explained stoically as he retrieved the broom and continued sweeping.

Closing her eyes, she silently reprimanded herself for getting excited when it wasn’t warranted. He was no different than any other gorgeous, half-naked man she’d had in her home, and there had been plenty.

“Let me check your feet. Just in case.”

Setting the broom to the side, he placed his hands behind her calves and raised her legs so that he could look at the bottom of her feet. The jolt of electricity that surged through her body with his touch took her by surprise and made her light-headed. After inspecting them and finding them clear of glass, he lowered her legs. The instant he removed his hands, her body mourned the loss. Just like the morning before, his hands felt incredibly warm against her skin.

When he turned to pick up the broom, she noticed two large scars on his back. Against the smoothness of his ebony skin, they stood out prominently, and as much as she wished she could overlook them, she couldn’t help but wonder how they had gotten there. 

“What…what happened to you?” she asked shyly. “How did you get those scars on your back?”

Setting the broom back down, he leaned against the counter opposite her and looked at her. The way his muscles tensed, she wished she had never asked. After all, it was none of her business.

“A few years ago, I helped put away two men who were known gang members and drug pushers. My partner and I had been watching them for a long time, and we finally got a break and caught them in the act. Two years ago, they were released from prison, and they had a vendetta against me since I had sent them there in the first place.”

Placing his hands on his hips, Terry looked down at the floor and cleared his throat. As difficult as it seemed to talk about, she felt guilty for wanting to know what happened.

“I was walking back to my apartment late one night when they jumped me. They had been hiding in one of the dark alleyways, waiting for me to show up. They stabbed me three times and left me for dead. Fortunately, there was a witness nearby and he called for an ambulance while I bled out on the sidewalk. I stayed in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks. I was very blessed to not have any permanent damage. I went back to work two months later and they were caught again.” 

As a shiver raced up her spine, Madison found herself at a loss for words. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for all that he had gone through. Even with the pain he had caused her in their lifetime, she would never wish anything so terrible on him…or anyone.

“I’m sorry, Terry. I’m sure your parents must have been terrified.”

With a nod of his head, he looked up into her eyes again, and she could see the light had dimmed behind his gaze.

“They were. It was around the same time my father was diagnosed with lung cancer, so it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. My mother had a lot to deal with, and I lived with that guilt a long time.”

With her palms flat on the countertop, she tried to get down just as Terry rushed over and placed his hands on her hips. Pressed so close against him, she felt every curve and every ripple of his body when she slid down the length of him. Her heart throbbing, she averted her gaze from his chest and tried to regain her composure.

“You…you shouldn’t have felt guilty, Terry. It wasn’t your fault. I’m sure your parents knew that.”

When he stepped away from her slightly, she couldn’t help but look up at him. The warmth between her legs had become overwhelming, and she knew if she didn’t get away from him soon she would go mad.

“I know, and in a way I’m glad it happened. Ever since the day I left the hospital, I’ve been correcting things I should have done a long time ago. Each day is a gift, and now there’s this need…to make things right.”

As soon as his voice trailed off, the unspoken meaning behind his words left her speechless.

“You…you said you were stabbed three times, but there are only two scars on your back. Where is the other one?”

When his hands moved to the zipper on his jeans, Madison’s breath caught and held. Slowly he lowered the zipper half way while she watched, enthralled. Placing a hand on the right side of his jeans, he pushed them down just enough to uncover a jagged scar on his hip.

With disbelief, she noticed it was worse than the two on his back. Instinctively, she reached out to touch it, but caught herself before doing so. As her cheeks flushed a bright shade of crimson, Terry grasped her hand.

“Touch me, Madison.”

The sad tone of his voice made her knees weak. While she looked into his eyes, she brushed his scar with her fingertips, causing him to close his eyes and press his lips tightly together. His reaction was undeniable, and it left her feeling powerful, but also guarded.

His skin was so hot. Tracing the outline of his wound, she watched as his chest rose and fell with each breath. Now he was the one unraveling.

“I should go to bed,” she said quietly.

“Madison…”

Closing her eyes briefly, she shook her head and walked past him, out of the kitchen. Wrapping her arms tightly around her body, she hurried up the stairway to her bedroom where she locked the door behind her.

Resting her head against the door, she wiped away the lone tear that had escaped and rolled down her cheek.

If only doors could lock out memories.

———————————————————————-

Here are some links to other authors participating in Excerpt Monday. Please note that some of these websites are adult-oriented so you must read at your own risk.

Ella Drake ~ Firestorm on E’Terra excerpt

Jeannie Lin ~ Intrigue Of The Dragon Court excerpt

Kim Knox ~ Flesh and Shadows excerpt

Aislinn Kerry ~ Blood and Roses excerpt

Cherrie Lynn ~ Sweet Rebellion excerpt

Adelle Lauden ~ Smiling Eyes excerpt

Christina DeLorenzo ~ Excerpt

Babette James ~ Deeper Than Bone excerpt

Kaige ~ Excerpt Monday Take 4

RF Long ~ Soul Fire excerpt

Crista McHugh ~ New Alliances excerpt

Evie Byrne ~ Dante’s Inferno excerpt

Grace Draven ~ Draconus excerpt

Inez Kelley ~ Jinxed excerpt

Mel Berthier ~ Fatal Encounters excerpt

MG Braden ~ Inheritance excerpt