EXCERPT - CHAPTER 4

     As usual, her eyes were drawn to the lingerie first. She never wore it, but she sure loved to look at it. There on the rack in front of her was the same set she’d admired at a store in the mall at home. Graham had been with her and he’d teased her for weeks. When they lived in the same house she'd dreamed of wearing it for him. And now, since they would be together soon, she ached again to wear it for him.

On the way to Juneau

     Before she could even really think it through, the sales woman was ringing it up and putting it in a discreet little box.  Her body was doing that tingly thing it did when she started thinking of what she wanted to do to Graham. How exciting would it be to have him take her out of these little scraps of white silk and lace?

     “What the hell are you buying?” She jumped when she heard his voice.
     “Shit! Graham you scared me!” She turned around to face him. How long had he been standing there? Obviously he saw something he wasn’t too fond of. An unplanned moment of torture for him, she couldn’t ask for more. He could see the lingerie and imagine her in it and be miserable. Served him right for sneaking up on her.
     “Why are you buying that, that thing?” he asked. He actually seemed to be blushing.
     “What, you mean this?” she set the box down and took the items out of it for his inspection.
     “Yes that!” he bit out.
     “A girl can never have too much underwear or too many bras.” she stated. “The garter and stockings just come with it. You can’t buy all the pieces separately you know.” She fingered each piece gently as she put them back in the box. What wonderful witty thing would he come up with as a retort?He probably couldn’t stop wondering if she was going to show up on his doorstep wearing the garter, stockings and nothing else.     

     “Oh” he mumbled before stalking out of the store. He leaned up against a pillar to wait for her.
     “You know, you scared about ten years off my life back there you big jerk.” 

      He smiled. “Sorry sweetheart.

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT MY BUY PAGE AT THE TOP OR CLICK ON THE FIRST LINK IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN TO GET YOUR COPY OF VIRGIN VOYAGE OR ALASKAN AMBUSH TODAY!!!

ANOTHER EXCERPT! CHAPTER 3

     Mari didn’t realize that Graham had followed her until she felt his hand on her arm. Damn, she couldn’t let him see her cry! She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction, so she just stood there watching the waves gently bob up and down against the side of the ship. “What do you want Graham?”

Our actual Alaskan cruise :)

     “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said gently, putting his hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t mean to be so rude, I just...”
     Her heart betrayed her when that familiar need worked it’s way through her body. Not just physical, but the need to be a part of him. She was so angry at her body, her heart and at Graham that she didn’t care if he saw the tears now. He took a step back when she turned on him, her eyes blazing. “What do you care Graham, you made it perfectly clear three months ago, and then again about five minutes ago, that you don’t care. Remember?” The pain of that day in April, of hearing the words - I think we should get the annulment, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do - was still fresh in her mind. She turned away from him and out of habit he rested his hands on her shoulders again.
     “I can’t let myself fall in love again Mari. I’m so sorry.” He took a deep breath. “But it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. I do care - a lot.” He rested his chin on the top of her head like he used to do in the past. Old habits obviously die hard. ”You are the best friend I’ve ever had. And the only woman I’ve...the only woman I’ve wanted in years,” he reluctantly admitted in a whisper as he pulled away from her.

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT MY BUY PAGE AT THE TOP OR CLICK ON THE FIRST LINK IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN TO GET YOUR COPY OF VIRGIN VOYAGE OR ALASKAN AMBUSH TODAY!!!

NEW EXCERPTS! CHAPTER 2

VIRGIN VOYAGE

      Graham woke with the bed covers clenched in his fists and a very painful condition south of his belt buckle. He was in a cold sweat and breathing hard, pretty much the way he woke up every time he was able to catch some sleep. It was the same dream over and over, never reaching the satisfying end he craved. The end he needed. One last satisfying hoorah where Mari was concerned to put it all to rest. It worked in theory at least. He rolled over and sat up with a groan, running his hands through his damp and tangled hair. That part of his life was supposed to be over, he'd made sure of that. But every damn night the memories came roaring back. One of these days he was going to explode, physically and emotionally.
     His first wife Lisa used him, their daughter and everyone in her life. She tore their worlds apart and he just couldn't deal with that again, ever, even for Mari. Loving her was not an option, it never could be, but for some reason he just couldn't completely let go. Obviously at one time she was the love of his life, not that he ever got around to doing anything about it, but now he refused to love anyone. His mom called it 'Graham's Vow' but it was more of a promise. A promise to himself to never get caught up in love and family again. He had to do something to preserve his heart.

**********

     Abigail motioned Mari over for a hug and to introduce her to the infamous personal assistant Sam. Her Yuppie oldest sister couldn't even go on vacation without an entourage. And it seemed that somehow the room assignments got messed up so now Abby had to share with the very handsome, very male Sam. Very awkward situation for both of them although Sam seemed perfectly happy. Abigail on the other hand looked like she was about to freak the hell out.
     Mari turned her full attention to her long absent sibling after proper introductions were made. "I can't believe we finally get to see you. I've really missed you!" she hugged her older sister tightly.
    "I've missed you too! I'm sorry I don't get the chance to call much anymore. I'm just so busy at the publishing company..." Abigail returned the hug.
     "It's okay Abby, I understand." Mari took her seat between her sister and Jackson. "Time gets away from all of us."
     "Don't worry about it Abby, Mari's been too busy mooning over Grahamie boy to worry about whether you are calling her or not," Jackson interrupted jokingly.
     And Mari smacked him in the gut. "I wouldn't go there if I were you brother dear." She tried to sound serious, but her voice broke. She hadn't really thought of Graham tonight and now she probably wouldn't be able to stop.

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT MY BUY PAGE AT THE TOP OR CLICK ON THE FIRST LINK IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN TO GET YOUR COPY OF VIRGIN VOYAGE OR ALASKAN AMBUSH TODAY!!!

EXCERPT - CHAPTER 1

VIRGIN VOYAGE - A SUNSET DESTINY NOVEL

This is the first time anyone outside of my immediate friends and family have seen any words from my first novel.  I really hope you enjoy it!

   
        Mari Mannon walked across the gang plank onto the luxury cruise liner, The Sunset Destiny. "Oh, this is going to be heaven," she exclaimed breathlessly as she had her first look at the inside of the ship. What a great place to spend the next week. The wood banisters and casings looked like someone spent an entire week shining them. Brass fixtures and moldings were also polished to a high shine without a fingerprint in sight. The lush colorful carpets added to the luxurious, yet completely comfortable atmosphere surrounding her. What a fantastic place to just...be.
Mari felt a familiar ache in her heart. She just knew this would be the best place in the world to spend time with a sexy thirty-one year old firefighter. Days exploring the ship or beautiful ports of call, and nights exploring each other. Hmmm. Yeah, unfortunately the sexy firefighter she had in mind was thousands of miles away and had absolutely no interest in spending time with her. He was her soon to be ex-husband of convenience - quite a mouthful that is - the man she had loved since she was sixteen. A smile actually came to her lips as she was looking through her boarding packet for her room number. Too bad for Graham Blake, he would never know what he'd missed.
"Okay everyone, our rooms are on deck six, " Mari's father Ethan announced. "We should probably head up there, It's almost time to set sail and the safety drill starts soon."  Mari came out of her reverie to join in on the chorus of 'yes dad's' and 'okays' as everyone headed to the elevators. At this very moment, she was just wishing they hadn't gone sightseeing before heading to the ship. Sitting down for a few minutes before being drilled about safety and evacuation would do her a world of good but there just wasn't any time.
The family; Mari's mom and dad Charlotte and Ethan, her sisters Abigail, Olivia and Vanessa, and her only brother Jackson, filled up the entire elevator car making her feel claustrophobic. As soon as the doors began to close, she stepped off.  Oh she could breathe again!  The not so crowded second car was calling her name so she stepped on and turned around to lean her back against the wall. Standing right there, not five feet away, was Graham. Or maybe just someone who looked an awful lot like him? Her heart beat wildly and her legs nearly gave out. When the doors slid shut and she could finally think somewhat rationally again, she told herself that there was no way it could have been him. Everything today was happening so fast, she must have been seeing things, you know, wishful thinking on her part? Or maybe exhaustion was clouding her vision? Graham Blake was safely thousands of miles away at home with his beautiful nine year old daughter Sarah. Mari quietly cursed herself for giving in to her need for the man who broke her heart more than once in her life, and when the four other people in the elevator looked at her funny, she couldn't help but laugh. She would have to be careful with that. Her secret plan for this vacation could never work if everyone thought she was a crazy woman who talked to herself.

DON'T FORGET TO VISIT MY BUY PAGE AT THE TOP OR CLICK ON THE FIRST LINK IN THE LEFT HAND COLUMN TO GET YOUR COPY OF VIRGIN VOYAGE OR ALASKAN AMBUSH TODAY!!!

WELCOME

Welcome to my new site! I am so happy to have you here.  This will be a place to showcase my writing and release dates and to get feedback from you, my readers.  I want to make this page fun so we will also have random posts here and there.  Enjoy yourselves!

Stay tuned for new pages to this blog coming soon - including an about me page, a page for excerpts and a page for links and contact info.