Author: Karen-Anne Stewart
Publisher: Karen-Anne Stewart
Pages: 342
Genre: New Adult Romance
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Emma
Who I am and all I believe is marred with just one glance into angry, steel blue eyes. He seems to control my air, my ability to breathe. He makes me crave everything I know is a sin. Pure becomes tainted and lines are blurred. It's my fault; I'm the one who isn't strong enough. I've been damaged...broken. Breck's words haunt me...'There's a consequence for every choice you make.'
Breck
I've had so many women I can't even remember over half of their names, but none of them are mine; I make damn sure of that. I take what I desire and never look back. I don't need or want anyone, ever...not until I met Emma. Those eyes bore into what's left of my soul and her touch sears me, weakens me. I want to hate her for that. She is my ruin...my sweetest hell.
Book Excerpt: Who I am and all I believe is marred with just one glance into angry, steel blue eyes. He seems to control my air, my ability to breathe. He makes me crave everything I know is a sin. Pure becomes tainted and lines are blurred. It's my fault; I'm the one who isn't strong enough. I've been damaged...broken. Breck's words haunt me...'There's a consequence for every choice you make.'
Breck
I've had so many women I can't even remember over half of their names, but none of them are mine; I make damn sure of that. I take what I desire and never look back. I don't need or want anyone, ever...not until I met Emma. Those eyes bore into what's left of my soul and her touch sears me, weakens me. I want to hate her for that. She is my ruin...my sweetest hell.
The annoying buzzing in my
pants vibrates again and I give up. Jess is relentless. If I don’t
show, I’ll never hear the end of it.
Rays of sunlight scatter across the
sidewalk as the clouds slowly drift in front of the afternoon sun. The
air is crisp, vibrant, lifting my mood as I pull into Jess’ favorite lunch
establishment. The deli is permeated with the aroma of pastrami, vinegar,
and cilantro.
Jess spots me as soon as I step
inside, giving me her smartass I-knew-you-would-come smirk, but Emma’s back is
turned towards me. Her long hair is twisted into some kind of smooth
bun. Her jacket hangs from the back of the chair and her soft, feminine
frame is covered in a form fitting white sweater. It’s not too tight,
just snug enough to torture a man with fantasies about the sensual curves
hiding just underneath.
The acoustics suck in the old building
but the food makes up for having to strain to hear the person next to
you. Plopping in the seat next to Emma, she jumps, startled by what I
quickly perceive as my unexpected presence.
Her shocked gaze pierces me. A
fleeting pleased look flitters across her flawless features and the hint of a
smile curves the edges of her soft pink lips before she catches herself and
turns towards Jess, cocking one eyebrow, effectively cocking the unruly part of
me into a rock hard state. Damn, I want to fuck her.
“I invited Breck,” Jess shrugs
innocently.
“I gathered that,” Emma says through
gritted teeth, all pleasure gone from her eyes.
The waitress arrives and starts to ask
our order until her gaze falls on me. Her cheeks tint as she flashes a
sexy grin before biting her bold, red lip.
Her reaction is not new to me, women
have always seemed to be turned on by my presence for some reason. Despite what
people may think, I don’t thrive on the attention; I’m just used to it, and I
learned its advantages at an early age. It’s a mutual benefit.
Bringing the tip of the pen to her
mouth, the waitress’ eyes are filled with exactly what she wants to do with
me. I begin the game the women expect, playing the part they seem to want
me to play, and give her my I’ll-have-you-out-of-your-panties-in-ten-seconds
smile.
Jess mouths a vile word at me.
Emma shifts uncomfortably in her
chair.
I smirk arrogantly.
Snapping her finger in front of the
blonde’s face, Jess verbally scourges the waitress, “He’s not going to
strip you down and have his way with you on the table, so how ‘bout doing your
job and forget about him doing you and take our lunch order.”
The waitress shoots Jess a scathing
glare before raising her eyebrow, impatiently waiting for Jess’ order.
Interestingly, the cocked brow action
coming from her does nothing for me.
Emma orders an eight inch sub with
extra sauce and fries, impressing me.
“I like a girl who eats,” I remark,
turning my attention back to the girl who keeps surprising me, this time, by
her choice of the loaded sub.
“You like a girl who is breathing,”
Emma mumbles under her breath.
Biting back a chuckle, I turn towards
the blonde waitress who seems to have regained her earlier flirtatious smile.
Emma glances between the waitress and
me before I catch her, causing her to immediately look away.
Winking at the blonde, I have to force
myself not to burst out laughing at the way Emma’s mouth drops and her nose
crinkles up in that cute way when she’s disgusted. Knowing it will push
Emma over the edge, I slowly lean in front of her, careful to brush my shoulder
against her arm, as I grab the waitress’ hand, telling her that I want my sub
spicy, hot, and dripping with juices.
The noise leaving Emma’s lips is
something between a shocked gasp and a gurgling grunt. Snatching her
jacket, Emma pushes away from the table.
Damn. “Where are you
going?” I ask, the thought of her leaving affecting me way more than I
like.
“Next to Jess. Sitting next to
you seems dangerous; who knows what I might catch.”
“Ha, cute! I’ve got a clean bill, the
epitome of health. I prefer not to make stupid
decisions. I always use protection and get tested every few months.”
“More than I needed to know,” Emma
spouts, her words drowning in disdain.
The pleading look Jess discretely
shoots my way weakens me, making me bite back my smartass reply.
Emma refuses to look at me while we
wait on our food, but I can’t seem to pull my eyes away from her, or the quirky
way she fidgets with everything when she’s studying it. I want to bite
that lip, graze its fullness between my teeth and taste its sweet ripeness
before tasting the rest of her, wondering if the intoxicating flavor in my head
is anywhere close to what I imagine. Somehow, I know it is.
Jess breaks the silence by attempting
small talk, even going as far as asking me about work.
“Since when do you give a shit about
my work?”
Pain explodes against my shin, and I
send Jess a warning glare, which she ignores and kicks me again.
Clearing my throat, I slide my legs a
little further under my chair and decide to appease her, “I’m busy trying to
come up with a design for the new energy efficient solar line Granddad
instituted.”
Emma begins to scribble on her napkin
as Jess continues to ask me about the design needed while I flippantly answer a
few of her questions before slanting my eyes, warning her to knock it
off. She’s about as interested in my work at my grandfather’s business as
I am, which is not much. The only reason I’m working at his company is
out of respect for him.
Changing tactics, Jess explains that,
in addition to the restaurant, I have taken over the decision making aspect of
my grandfather’s business while he undergoes chemo.
Emma’s hand stops moving as her gaze
meets mine, her eyes full of empathy. “I’m sorry about your grandfather.”
There’s a vulnerability in her eyes
that I haven’t seen before, a sadness that sends a sharp ache straight through
my chest. Fuck, another reason I want to hate her.
“Working at your grandfather’s company
must take away from your other job. The owner of the restaurant must be
really nice to donate food every night and give you the time needed to help out
your grandfather.”
Jess opens her mouth to correct Emma,
but I return her under the table kick, shutting her up.
Emma’s voice changes, her eyes
becoming hooded, “Is your grandfather doing well with the chemo?”
I don’t want her sympathy, and I sure
as hell don’t want her looking at me the way she is right now, making me want
to scoop her in my arms and hold her until all of her sadness disappears. “He’s
a tough bastard,” I state quickly, my gaze turning harsh, desperately needing
to dispel the effect she has on me.
Her daddy may be a preacher but Emma
seems to possess the ability to curse a man with her bewitching smile, casting
a spell on what’s left of my soul, but it’s the radiance in her eyes that
conjures the vexing illusion of something I can never have that’s so damning.
“What’s this?” I ask angrily, dragging
myself away from her hex as I grab the napkin Emma’s been scribbling on the
past twenty minutes. The bold, smooth lines of the company’s initials
with a design made of a brilliant abstract mixed with a simplistic, clear, sure
artistry creates a formidable yet inviting feel. “You just drew this?”
Emma’s hands drop to her lap as she
leans back in her chair defensively, “I heard you and Jess talking. I was
just playing around.”
My gaze snaps back to hers, seeing
that ambiguous light becoming opaque, and I curse underneath my breath at the
harshness of my tone with her. Although it’s torture seeing the light in
her eyes, it’s unbearable watching it go, especially when I’m the one causing
it to dim. Softening my voice, I hold up the napkin, “This is perfect,
exactly what we’re looking for.”
“Oh,” she mumbles,
relaxing her shoulders a little. “Um, thank you.”
Jess beams proudly, “Of course
it is! She’s an amazing artist.”
The blush that spreads across Emma’s
cheeks at the compliment does hateful things to me. Turning my attention back
to the drawing, I ask, “An artist, huh?” I slide the napkin across the table,
“How much for this design? After you recreate it on the computer with a
little color and sharpen it, making it 1200 DPI?”
“I don’t mind designing it for
you. I can have it ready by tomorrow.”
“You’d give it to me?” my question is
laced with bewildered amusement.
Emma gives a small, unsure nod.
A hearty laugh bursts out before I can
contain it, “You really are small town aren’t you?”
“Fine!” she snaps, halting my laughter
and catching me off guard. Emma grabs the napkin, crumbling it and
throwing it into her purse. “Like I said, it was only me playing around.”
Suppressing another chuckle at how she
squares her jaw, lifting it just a notch, I can’t help but admire her
determination to despise me when it’s clear by the hurt in her eyes that she
cares what I think.
“Damn, Jess, I hurt your friend’s
feelings again.”
“Stop being a prick!” Jess snaps.
“My feelings aren’t susceptible to
your nocuous attitude,” Emma proclaims, smoothing her sweater before folding
her hands calmly on the table.
Yes, she is most definitely a
beautiful liar. Bursting out in laughter, my brows pull together,
“Nocuous?”
The slightest curve tilts her luscious
lips and a need-filled ache builds steadily in my pants as my throat goes
dry. Feelings stirring to life inside shame me. I’m not the type of
man to want the woman, just what the woman can do to satisfy my needs at that
moment. With Emma, I want something more. If only I knew what that
something is so I can just take it already, fuck her, and be done with it.
The next glance into her expectant
eyes proves that it won’t be that easy. Not with her. “You mistook
my meaning. I meant what I said about the design; it’s perfect for the
product, simple but strong. I still want it, but I won’t take it for
free, so what do you want for it?”
Emma appears uncomfortable. It’s
obvious she’s out of her element when it comes to business deals. I’ll have to
work with her on that before she starts selling her art, assuming she isn’t
giving that away for free as well. I already know she’s giving lessons
for free at the center, a quick call to Patty, the center’s coordinator,
confirmed that.
“I-I don’t know. Maybe fifty
dollars.”
“I don’t work for a small mom and pops
business, Emma. Don’t undersell yourself.”
The chewing on the inside of her
cheek, causing her lip to curve sideways and downwards, is a pretty good
indicator that she’s still struggling with coming up with a price. I
decide to put her out of her misery, “I’ll pay one thousand dollars.”
“One thousand!” Her eyes widen
in shock.
“But, you have to present it,” I
state, guessing she’s not done much of that either.
The panic in her eyes proves I’m
right. “Present it where?”
“To the board members at the
meeting on Friday.”
“I have to work on Friday,” she
blurts, relief filling her beautiful eyes.
“Okay, Friday evening then, at
the party the company is hosting for the new line. You can go as my guest
and present it there.”
Jess glares at me.
I smile cockily.
“I have to work early Saturday
morning.”
“You’ll be out of there in plenty of
time to sleep before work the next morning,” I state, my tone indicating that
the decision has already been made.
She opens her mouth to protest, but
the waitress returns with our lunch and her blouse open a few more buttons.
Jess rolls her eyes as Emma glances at
me through her lashes, deepening her spell.
Clinching my jaw, I tear my eyes away
from her and give the waitress a wink chock full of innuendo, effectively
disgusting Emma to the point where she is ignoring me again.
The rest of the lunch hour is spent
with Emma barely touching her meal and Jess shooting visual daggers at
me. I thoroughly enjoy my sub, knowing that Jess will not be asking me to
do her anymore favors with Emma anytime soon.
“Can I please have a carry out box?”
Emma asks the waitress, reaching for her purse.
“I’ve got the tab,” I announce,
pulling out my wallet.
“Thank you,” Emma manages to spit out,
“but I can pay for my lunch.”
“I’m sure you can, but you’re not
going to,” I state, leaving no room for argument while I give the waitress a
generous tip instead of what she really wants, as indicated with her number
written on the receipt she hands me. Leaving the receipt on the table, I
turn towards Emma and Jess, feeling every bit of the tension Emma is struggling
to control.
“Thank you for lunch,” Emma’s words
are rushed and tinged with a little anger.
“No problem,” I smile, refraining from
brushing back a piece of hair that has loosened from the bun and is blowing
across her face. The stark blue of her eyes shimmers, brightened further
by her tan, silky skin. The chestnut wisp continues to torture me as it
falls against the corner of her full mouth. Thoughts of my lips on hers,
her lips on me, leave me in physical torment. I want to feel that mouth
getting me off. Stepping away from her, I grapple with my waning
self-control and make myself focus. “Where do you work?”
“Shallonelles,” she replies, her eyes
not quite meeting mine. She hesitates before adding, “And the gallery on Main .”
“What do you do there?”
“I create the art for the paper’s
ads.”
“What do you do at the gallery?” I
ask, getting the feeling she left that part out on purpose.
“I give tours.” Emma flashes a
forced smile.
“Is any of your work there?” I ask,
already knowing the answer.
“No.” There’s that fake smile again,
and something I wasn’t prepared for…a heartbreaking longing.
About the Author
Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain, and the newly released stand alone novel, Ash to Steele. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards, and Saving Rain and After the Rain were nominees for the 2014 RONE Awards.
When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near theBlue Ridge Mountains , Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity.
When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the
For More Information
Giveaway Details:
Karen-Anne
is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card & one Kindle copy of Ash to Steele!
Terms & Conditions:
- By entering the giveaway, you are
confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- One winner will be chosen via
Rafflecopter to receive one $25 Amazon Gift Certificate or Paypal Cash and
one copy of Ash to Steele delivered by the Kindle store.
- This giveaway begins July 7 and ends on
September 26.
- Winner will be contacted via email on
Monday, September 29.
- Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
Thank you for hosting!
Media Contact:
Dorothy Thompson
Pump Up Your Book
Email: thewriterslife@gmail.com
Thank you for allowing me to stop by today with a spotlight and excerpt of Ash to Steele! I hope you have a wonderful week :)
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