About Me
- Katie Ashley
- Atlanta, GA, United States
- I am the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best Selling author of The Proposition, Proposal, Music of the Heart, and Nets and Lies. I am represented by Jane Dystel of Dystel and Goderich for all books except for Proposition and Proposal.
The Proposition
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Teaser Tuesday from Beat of the Heart: MUY CALIENTE!!!
So I decided to go ahead and do a Teaser Tuesday today from Beat of the Heart. This is most def NOT a PG snip.
*rough, rough draft. Subject to change and editing*
“Take us home, Benny,” AJ instructed as we collapsed into the limo in a wild tangle of sweat-soaked arms and legs.
*rough, rough draft. Subject to change and editing*
“Take us home, Benny,” AJ instructed as we collapsed into the limo in a wild tangle of sweat-soaked arms and legs.
“Yes sir,” came the mumbled reply before the door was shut
tight behind us.
Once our bodies had adjusted on the bench seat, AJ crushed
his mouth against mine, thrusting his warm tongue into my mouth. He tasted
sweet like the chocolate and wine we’d just consumed, and I couldn’t help the
moan that escaped me as our tongues intertwined. With one hand cupping my ass,
AJ brought his other to my breast, slipping through the satin of my bodice to
cup my naked flesh.
As much as I hated to, I jerked away from him. Our gazes
locked, and I’m sure mine mirrored AJ’s lust-filled one. It took me a full minute
to find my voice. Even AJ’s broad chest heaved up and down from our passionate
lip-lock. “We should go to my house.”
“Nuh-uh,” AJ grunted, his hand kneading my breast harder.
“But you’ll need to drop me off at my place anyway,” I
argued, trying to ignore the heat pooling below my waist at his actions.
AJ shook his head. “Mine’s closer. And I don’t wanna waste
any time getting back buried deep inside you.”
His words stoked the fire burning within me. I couldn’t
believe just thirty minutes ago we’d been slow dancing at my family’s
restaurant. Now we were mauling each other like sex-starved deviants. Of
course, it was that damn chocolate mousse that had turned dessert into foreplay
between the dancing and the limo.
As his thumb flicked over my pebbled nipple, his other hand snaked
up my dress to find my already damp center. When one finger slid inside my
panties, I involuntarily thrust my hips up. Although I wanted nothing more than
to be with him again, I smacked my palm against his chest, pushing him away. “Oh
no, just a minute, big boy.”
AJ's chuckle scorched against my neck as he nudged his
erection against my exposed thigh. “Why
thank you very much for the compliment.”
“I’m serious.” Grabbing the sweat-soaked strands of his
hair, I jerked his head up to meet my gaze. “You’ve already had me once in this
limo tonight. What kind of girl do you take me for?”
A wicked gleam burned in AJ’s dark eyes. “The kind who gets
off on satisfying her man.”
I quirked a brow at him. “Oh, but you’re not mine, Mr. Latin Lover.”
“I’ve had you,
Mia. So you’re mine for the night.”
Shaking my head, I scooted away to where I was on the
opposite bench seat. AJ shot me a predatory glare, reiterating the fact he wasn't accustomed to females not giving into him. “Quit playing fucking games,”
he growled.
“I said no.”
“Yeah, well, I call your bluff since I can smell how fucking
aroused you are right now. Not to mention, you’re practically soaking the seat.”
He leaned over to grab me, but I nailed him in the chest
with my stiletto heeled foot, thrusting him back against the leather seat. His
gaze dipped from mine to my pump and then he snorted. “Are your ‘come fuck me
heels’ really supposed to deter me?”
When I shrugged, he dropped his head. Never breaking eye
contact with me, he then ran his tongue over the strap slowly before taking it
between his teeth and jerking. The wet leather smacked against my foot, and I
shivered at his actions, causing him to wink at me. “These heels just want me
to throw you on your back and pound you even hard as they dig into my ass.”
Standing my ground, I crossed my arms over my chest. “Baby, your little machismo
act may work for some helpless bimbos, but I’ve got strong Italian blood
pumping through me. I fuck when I want
to.” I flashed him a defiant look. “And right now, you’re not having me in this limo.”
We stared each other down in a silent battle of wills. AJ
eyed me so intently that I could almost see the wheels turning in his head like
he was sure at any moment I would relent and let him take me on all fours like
he had earlier. In a firm voice, I said, “Not. Happening.”
Keeping my foot firmly against his pectoral, I inched the hem of my dress further up my thighs. His nostrils flared at the sight. “Don’t fucking
tease me, Mia!”
I gave him a sweet smile. “I’m not teasing you, babe. Just giving
you a preview for later.”
An agonized groan escaped his lips as his hand went to the bulge
in his pants. With his gaze still locked on mine, he rubbed the length. “Mia….”
His voice had taken on an almost pleading tone.
My mouth ran dry at the image before me, and I licked my
lips. “You want me that bad?”
“Fuck yes.”
“Show me,” I commanded, nodding towards his crotch.
Friday, July 12, 2013
10K Likes Giveaway!!!
WOWZERS, I'm almost to 10K likes on Facebook! To celebrate that I'm allllmost there, lol. Just 220 likes away. Somehow since starting this crazy ride back in November, I've gained 5K Facebook friends, 5k plus Twitter followers, and almost 10K Facebook likes. HUZZAH and HOLLA!!
So I'm doing a major giveaway to show my appreciation!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Last Teaser Tuesday from Search Me
Happy Tuesday all! I'm in the process of the last minute touches/copyediting on Search Me, which will release on July 2nd. I had originally said July 30th, but I'll be enroute home from Book Bash in Orlando.
In this scene, Lane is in the backwoods working for Maudie at her orchard and brewery. She's about to get to meet up with the blast-from-her-past who broke her heart.
So here's Maddox...
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In this scene, Lane is in the backwoods working for Maudie at her orchard and brewery. She's about to get to meet up with the blast-from-her-past who broke her heart.
So here's Maddox...
Here's Lane
And here's Maudie
Maudie linked her
arm through mine. “Now speaking of romance, do I have a surprise for you!”
I
wrinkled my nose as we strolled down an aisle. “You know I hate surprises.”
“Fine then. Guess what hunky blast
from your past just finished his tour in the Army and is back home?”
I
froze right in front of a display of Miss Maudie’s Apple Crisps. An
overwhelming wave of nausea crashed over me. Oh no. Please tell me no. This
couldn’t be happening. The glaring mistake from my past couldn’t be coming
front and center in my life again.
Maudie
grabbed my hand in hers. “Lane, you look positively green. Don’t tell me you’re
not happy at the thought of seeing Maddox again?”
Oh God, she had
said his name. My past had come back to haunt me in the worst possible
way—trapped for the summer with the guy I hated most in the world. I guess
hated really wasn’t a strong enough word—loathed and despised probably came
closer to how I truly felt about Maddox Diaz.
I’d known him since
I was seven, and he was ten. His dad had gotten killed in some Special Ops
mission in the Army, sending his already fragile mom into full alcoholism. It
wasn’t long before she lost custody of him and his older sister. With all of
Maddox’s father’s family in Puerto Rico and his mother’s family unwilling to
take them, they pinged around to several different foster homes until Maudie
took them in, just like she had my dad. But since Maddox was ten and his
sister, Neely, was twelve, they were never adopted. Instead, they just stayed
with Maudie. Although she and her husband would have formally adopted them,
Maddox’s mother had been institutionalized and labeled incapable of being of
sound mind for signing legal documents like adoption papers.
We played together
during the summers and holidays, but he always managed to do something mean that
had me in tears almost everyday. But just before I would go running to my
parents or Maudie to tattle on him, he’d wrap me in a big bear hug and give me
the sweetest, most charming apology anyone could ever hope for. I’d totally forget
I’d ever been mad at him—until the next time he upset me.
By the time we
were teenagers, he’d mastered that charm to woo all the girls within a hundred
mile radius….except for me. Well, I guess that’s not entirely fair since he had
more than charmed me.
“Lane, are you all
right?” Maudie questioned, bringing me out of my daze.
“Oh, sorry. I guess I just zoned out a
minute.”
She gave me a
sympathetic smile. “I know how upsetting what happened to Maddox is. Why, when
I think of the lousy care he got in that Army hospital and how it led to that
horrible Staph infection, I get so bitter and sad. It’s just not fair how he
ended up being medically discharged from service when he had all those dreams
of rising up the ranks and traveling the world.” She was then interrupted by
the voice of her secretary screeching over the intercom. “Maudie, you’re needed
in receiving. That’s Maudie to receiving.”
She huffed in
exasperation. “I do so hate interruptions!” Before she turned to go, she said, “Don’t
move a muscle. I’ll be right back.”
I nodded. As I
watched her retreating form, my mind frantically spun with excuses to get out of
working at Maudie’s this summer. I could probably still teach a class at my
dance studio’s summer camp. Of course, anything from picking up trash on the
highway to scrubbing toilets would be better than having to be around Maddox
for any length of time.
The stress of the
news sent my stomach rumbling into overdrive. Ignoring Maudie’s request for me
to stay put, I started toward Eula and the fried pies. I knew nothing would get
my mind off of Maddox quite like an apple pie. As I power walked down an aisle,
I smiled and spoke to a few regular customers. But then an all too familiar
voice sent me screeching to a halt.
I ducked behind a
towering display of Peach Fuzz tea. When I was satisfied he wasn’t any closer, I
craned my neck around the bottles. My heart rattled a little at the sight of
him. It had been three years since I’d seen him last. Now he was twenty-two—a
real man. If it was even possible, he was even more good-looking than I
remembered. Maybe, he was more built than I last remembered. His biceps
strained against the Miss Maudie’s Homebrew t-shirt he wore, not to
mention you couldn’t miss the outline of his chiseled six pack abs. He had
inherited his jet-black hair and naturally tan skin from his Puerto Rican
father, and his crystal blue eyes from his mom. Of course, his dark hair was
still buzzed short from his recent Army days.
The sound of
footsteps caused me to jump out of my skin. I whirled around to find Drew
staring at me over his glasses. With his furrowed brows and pinched lips, I
guess it wasn’t everyday he caught someone hiding out behind processed peach
juice.
“Oh, um, hi,” I
said, ducking my head.
“Maudie asked me
to tell you she’s gotten tied up but to go ahead and keep working on that jams
and jellies display.”
“Sure, of course,”
I replied to Drew’s feet.
He cleared his
throat. “She just told me to tell you that. It’s not like I’m trying to be your
boss or anything.”
I jerked my head
up. “Oh no, it’s fine. Really.”
Drew gave a dreamy,
dimply smile before shouting past me. “Hey Maddox!” I cringed as I waited for
his response.
“Yeah?”
“Grab
those green boxes inside the storeroom and bring them over to Aisle Three for
Lane."
“Will do!”
Drew nodded.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Bye,” I said,
giving him a brief wave as he hurried off.
I started the sad pilgrimage
over to Aisle Three, sickened with the realization that there was no escaping
Maddox now. Heaving a sigh, I dug back into the box and started shoving
multicolored bottles of jam on the shelf.
The sound of his
footsteps behind me caused my breath to hitch. I was still holding it when Maddox
placed a box bulging with jam at my feet. I turned around, and our eyes locked.
The corners of his lips twitched, and I didn’t know if he was trying to grin or
was fighting the urge to say something deeply profound about our reunion. Of
course, there was the giant pink elephant loping about the room, and that was
our past. I’m sure he was trying to gauge whether I was going to go psycho
bitch and maim him, or let it slide. I decide to take the higher road rather
than bringing him to his knees with a swift kick to the balls.
“Welcome home.”
Any hesitation
quickly faded, and he plastered his signature cocky grin on his face. “Thanks,
squirt!”
Inwardly, I
groaned at him using my nickname of a vertically challenged kid. Any thoughts I
had of trying to tolerate his arrogant and egotistical presence with poise and
dignity quickly evaporated. I narrowed my eyes at him. “You know I hate when
you call me that.”
“Sorry.” After his
eyes roamed over me, he bobbed his head in appreciation. “Damn, Lane, I’d
barely recognize you. You’ve gone and grown up on me.”
I clenched my
fists at my sides. After everything that had happened between us, he had the
audacity to focus on my appearance. He was so infuriating! With him being so
arrogant, there was no way in hell I’d admit the nights I’d lay awake worrying
about him while he away in Basic or when he was wounded and away in the
hospital.
Instead of arguing
that I’d been the same height, if not same barely B cup size the last time he
saw me, I continued stacking jam. When I remained unresponsive, he cocked his
head at me. “So this is all you’ve got
for your old buddy and esteemed serviceman?”
“I
told you welcome home, didn’t I?” I winced at the harshness of my words. Was I
really being this cruel to him after all he had been through? After I shoved a
jar of Apricot jam on the shelf, I turned back to him. “Did you really get shot
in the buttocks like Forest Gump?”
He
chuckled. “No, that was just something I told Maudie so she wouldn’t worry so
much.” He jerked the hem of his shirt up to show a scar just above the
waistband of his jeans. “It came awfully close to nicking my kidney.”
For
a moment, our past was forgotten, and my heart swelled with sympathy for him.
“I’m sorry you had to go through all that. I really am,” I murmured. Then my
gaze focused on the way his jeans sat low on his hips, giving me a side view of
his washboard abs. A shudder ripped through me as I remembered what those abs
felt like against my hands…against my body. I shook my head free of my
ridiculous thoughts and started shoving jars of jam on the shelf.
We
stood in awkward silence for a few seconds. Conversation had never been this
strained between us—even when we were kids and were mad at each other about
something. Maddox rubbed the stubble along his chin. “So…after all this time
and everything that has passed, I’d hoped you weren’t going to hold a grudge.”
A jar of Muskedine
jam slipped through my fingers and then smashed onto the ground. “A grudge? I
was trying to be gracious and polite by trying to ignore what you did to me. I
mean, what happened between us wasn’t like the time you ‘accidentally’ burned
my hair as a kid!” As his serious expression turned to amusement, I changed
courses as well and snapped, “I had to have four inches cut off! I barely could
get it up into a bun for my recital!”
“What
can I say? I was a punk through and through. And you,” he leaned in closer to
me, “were such a little princess.”
I
shoved him back. “I was not!”
“Yes
you were!” He grinned at me. “You never wanted to play outside and get dirty, go
fishing, or do any of the things I wanted to do.”
“Oh,
is that why you’d put worms down my shirt and shove me into mud piles so you
could get me to do what you wanted?”
“Nah,
that was just me being a prick,” he replied.
“Your
main character trait.” I started to bend over to clean up the broken jar when
Maddox took my hand in his.
He gave me a
sincerely apologetic smile. “Look, I really am sorry for what happened before.”
His jaw clenched and unclenched. “I want more than anything in the world for us
to have fun working together, like we did a few years ago. Do you think we can
put the past between us and move on?”
I gazed down to where
his fingers wrapped around my arm. Maddox touching me again made my skin crawl.
But most of all, it was the fact he thought he could just brush what he had
done under the rug so easily. I jerked my arm away and announced, “I’m taking
my break.”
“What
about this mess?” Maddox asked, motioning to the broken jam.
“You
clean it up.” I then narrowed my eyes at him. “After the way you treated me a couple
of years ago, I think you owe me a favor or two!”
As
he made a strangled noise, I whirled around and started for the refrigerated
section. After I grabbed a bottle of my favorite Miss Maudie’s Apple Core cider,
I slipped out the door and onto the back porch. Luckily, there were no
customers eating outside with the heat, so I popped open my drink and eased
down in one of the rocking chairs that overlooked a small stream. As the sweet
flavor coated my throat, thoughts of that infamous 4th of July crept
into my mind, and for a moment, my stomach tightened so hard I thought I might
throw up.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Teaser Tuesday: Preface for Search Me
Howdy all!! Here's the Preface from this month's release, Search Me. It's a little different from say the Proposition or Music of the Heart. It's a new adult book with a little bit of everything--romance, suspense, sexiness, bad guys and hidden treasure.
With only the dim beam of the flashlight illuminating the inky darkness, I could barely see what was straight in front of me, let alone what was farther around the bend. The jagged, rocky walls of the cave closed in around us. The air started getting cooler and damper, but salty beads of sweat still stung my eyes, blurring my vision. Our feet sloshed through the dingy puddles as I tried calming my erratic heartbeat that thundered like a canon blast in my ears. We whirled around the corner and were immediately blinded by sunlight and an earsplitting roar.
I squealed in fear as my shoes skidded to a stop just before the cave’s crumbling edge. Maddox grabbed my arm, jerking us both back before we could go over. Peering over the mossy-covered ledge, I gulped down the rising bile in my throat. The mere sight of the enormous drop to where the rapids from the falls churned into harsh rapids made my stomach clench and my entire body shudder in fear. “Oh God,” I muttered.
With a firm grip, Maddox grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me to him. “Okay, we don’t have much of a choice here, Lane. We’ve gotta jump!” he called over the pounding water.
My eyes widened. “Are you insane?”
“And just what else would you suggest?”
As I surveyed his desperate expression coupled with the harrowing situation we faced, I fought the urge to throw my head back and laugh maniacally. If you had told me forty-eight hours ago, that I, Lane Montgomery—college student, part-time ballerina, sheltered and spoiled only child—would be running for my life from deranged treasure seekers with the very guy who broke my heart and stole my virginity, I would have laughed in your face.
Maddox reached out for my hand. “You have to trust me!”
I fought the urge to say, Like you haven’t claimed that one before! At the sound of footsteps, I realized I didn’t have any more time to debate my options. I turned back to see the menacing shadow bobbing closer. Its voice echoed through the cave toward us. “All right, I’m through playing fucking games! Give it to me, or I start shooting!”
“Lane, come on!” Maddox shouted.
With my chest heaving, my trembling hand flung out for his. Grasping blindly at thin air, I finally felt Maddox’s fingers close over mine. Once my hand was clasped firmly in his, I closed my eyes and tried to ready myself to take the plunge—in more ways than one.
With only the dim beam of the flashlight illuminating the inky darkness, I could barely see what was straight in front of me, let alone what was farther around the bend. The jagged, rocky walls of the cave closed in around us. The air started getting cooler and damper, but salty beads of sweat still stung my eyes, blurring my vision. Our feet sloshed through the dingy puddles as I tried calming my erratic heartbeat that thundered like a canon blast in my ears. We whirled around the corner and were immediately blinded by sunlight and an earsplitting roar.
I squealed in fear as my shoes skidded to a stop just before the cave’s crumbling edge. Maddox grabbed my arm, jerking us both back before we could go over. Peering over the mossy-covered ledge, I gulped down the rising bile in my throat. The mere sight of the enormous drop to where the rapids from the falls churned into harsh rapids made my stomach clench and my entire body shudder in fear. “Oh God,” I muttered.
With a firm grip, Maddox grabbed me by the shoulders and turned me to him. “Okay, we don’t have much of a choice here, Lane. We’ve gotta jump!” he called over the pounding water.
My eyes widened. “Are you insane?”
“And just what else would you suggest?”
As I surveyed his desperate expression coupled with the harrowing situation we faced, I fought the urge to throw my head back and laugh maniacally. If you had told me forty-eight hours ago, that I, Lane Montgomery—college student, part-time ballerina, sheltered and spoiled only child—would be running for my life from deranged treasure seekers with the very guy who broke my heart and stole my virginity, I would have laughed in your face.
Maddox reached out for my hand. “You have to trust me!”
I fought the urge to say, Like you haven’t claimed that one before! At the sound of footsteps, I realized I didn’t have any more time to debate my options. I turned back to see the menacing shadow bobbing closer. Its voice echoed through the cave toward us. “All right, I’m through playing fucking games! Give it to me, or I start shooting!”
“Lane, come on!” Maddox shouted.
With my chest heaving, my trembling hand flung out for his. Grasping blindly at thin air, I finally felt Maddox’s fingers close over mine. Once my hand was clasped firmly in his, I closed my eyes and tried to ready myself to take the plunge—in more ways than one.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Teaser Tuesday from Search Me
Hey guys,
Long time, no tease, huh? This one is coming to you from late June's release of Search Me. I like to call it a New Adult Romancing the Stone mixed with National Treasure with a little Goonies thrown in. Here's the blurb in case you missed it before...
Twenty year old Lane Montgomery never imagined her usually boring summer in the boonies would require her to trade her toe shoes for hunting boots or her monotonous college textbooks for treasure map deciphering. Never would she have imagined after breaking her grandmother’s precious Native American statue, danger, a lost treasure of Cherokee Gold and a hostage situation would arise. Nor could she predict that the one man destined to protect her and her family was her childhood nemesis and former crush, Maddox Diaz.
Returning after three years in the Army, twenty-three year old Maddox Diaz is confronted with more than he bargained for when agreeing to help his childhood buddy and deepest regret, Lane. Suddenly he is thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with armed and ruthless treasure seekers that results in car chases and gun battles all in the presence of the one girl who still manages to haunt his dreams and drive him wild with desire.
Lane is determined to deny the sizzling chemistry with the man who stole her virginity and broke her heart. She just wants to stay alive with her heart intact. Will she be able to resist the man whose body sets fire to all her senses?
Returning after three years in the Army, twenty-three year old Maddox Diaz is confronted with more than he bargained for when agreeing to help his childhood buddy and deepest regret, Lane. Suddenly he is thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with armed and ruthless treasure seekers that results in car chases and gun battles all in the presence of the one girl who still manages to haunt his dreams and drive him wild with desire.
Lane is determined to deny the sizzling chemistry with the man who stole her virginity and broke her heart. She just wants to stay alive with her heart intact. Will she be able to resist the man whose body sets fire to all her senses?
When I reached to knock, the back door creaked open. Huh,
that was strange. Maudie usually kept everything locked up tight, especially
after hours. Even though it was only supposed to be the two of us working, I
glanced around to see if one of the other workers might’ve left it ajar.
Shifting our salads in my arm, I stepped inside. “Maudie?”
From across the store, I could hear raised voices and the
sound of boxes crashing and falling. I fumbled in my purse for my phone to call
911. After I jerked it out, I started slowly making my way towards Maudie’s
office. I’d gotten half-way down an aisle when I heard a man’s voice. It only
took a second for me to register it as the Creep aka Mr. Jensen from earlier in
the day. “I know you’re lying. The damn frame is busted on the painting, so
don’t try to tell me you don’t know anything about the map!”
“I’ll tell you one more time, Mr. Jensen. The frame got
damaged when the painting was shipped to me. I can assure you I have no idea
about this silly map you speak of.”
The sound of breaking glass caused me to jump. “Stop lying!
If I have to tear apart every single item in this store, I will! I’m not
leaving here without the map!”
While my heart rattled in fear, my entire body started
trembling all over. I tried to stop my hand from shaking as I dialed 911. In a
hushed voice, I said, “There’s been a break-in at 259 Mountain Laurel Blvd—or
Miss Maudie’s Brewery. Send someone as soon as you can! The man is still here!”
“Okay, ma’am, I need your name and for you to stay on the
line while—”
I tuned out the dispatcher as Maudie’s raised voice floated
back to me. “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re not going to come
in here and destroy my business! You better leave right this minute, or I’ll
call the police!”
A gun blast caused me to jolt back. The salads and my phone went
flying through the air as I tipped to the side and knocked over a display
before grabbing hold of some metal shelving to keep my balance. My heartbeat
pounded in my ears as an ice cold panic washed over me. Staggering back to my
feet, I focused my eyes that were already blurring with tears back on Maudie’s
office.
My mind raced in thought, but the main one screamed, “No,
no, NO!” This couldn’t be happening. It had to be just a dream. If I just
closed my eyes, I’d wake up back at the cabin to find this whole day had been
just a weird dream. Pinching my eyes shut, I willed myself back home. But it
was no use. It was all real.
Through my emotionally overloaded fog, I heard the
dispatcher’s far away voice calling, “Hello? Was that a gunshot?”
I groped along the floor to find my phone. “Yes! Maudie’s
been shot! Send an ambulance!”
A hand cupped over my mouth and jerked me up out of the
floor and back against a body of solid rock. I immediately began kicking and
thrashing against the person.
“Shh, it’s just me,” Maddox whispered, his breath warming my
ear.
I relaxed in his arms, and he took his hand away. Tears
streamed over my cheeks. “Maudie…that guy Jensen…shot her,” I gasped
incoherently through my sobs.
His face contorted in agony. Although he remained rooted to
the spot, I could tell he wanted nothing more than to go busting into the
office. “Dammit to hell! I left my pistol in my Jeep back at the house!” he growled.
With an ashen expression, he appeared to be weighing in
options about going back to get it when two heavy-set men came out of Maudie’s
office. Maddox jerked us down to the floor.
Jensen stalked out of the office and started barking orders.
“All right boys. Fan out. I want every inch of this place gone over thoroughly!
There’s no telling where she could have hid it or where she might have a safe.”
One of the men remained rooted to the floor. “Search the
place? You promised us this would be an easy score. There sure as hell wasn’t
anything mentioned about killing people or having to hunt down the map!”
Whirling around, Jensen narrowed his eyes. “Look Parker,
this isn’t just some hacking scheme that you do from the sidelines. You knew
when you signed on that this entailed leg work. So either shut the fuck up and
start searching or take a walk!”
Parker grumbled under his breath before reluctantly
following Jensen. When they had started out the backdoor to the warehouse,
Maddox and I raced into the brightly lit office. The room appeared ransacked.
Papers and books littered the floor while the drawers of the filing cabinets
were opened and files strewn about. “Maudie?” I called softly.
Finally, I saw her body crumpled behind the desk. Her eyes
were closed, and I’d never seen her so pale. My hand shook as I reached out to
touch her shoulder. “Maudie, can you hear me? It’s Lane.”
Her eyelids fluttered before she finally opened them wide.
“You have to get out of here!”
I shook my head. “We’re not leaving you like this. The
police and an ambulance are on their way.”
“No! Leave now."
Maddox made a strangled noise in his throat. When I glanced
up, tears shone in his eyes. “We won’t leave you to die!” he argued in a
strained voice.
Her breaths started coming in raspy pants. “Get the map.
It’s in the safe. The one behind the bedroom painting.” I nodded, and she drew
in a ragged breath. “The combination…the commission date on the back… of the
painting. Inside are the map and my will." She glanced up at Maddox and
grabbed his arm, her eyes filled with desperation. "Don’t let anything
happen to Lane. Protect her with your life. Promise me!"
He bent down beside me, taking Maudie’s hand in his. His jaw
clenched and unclenched, and I could tell he was fighting to keep from truly
losing it. As for me, the tears streamed freely down my cheeks. “I promise I
will,” he said.
“Keep yourself safe, too. And your sister.” She tenderly
stroked Maddox’s cheek. “I love you with all my heart, sweet boy! You are my
son.” She then gave us a weak smile. “I love both of you so much. Remember
that…always.”
Maddox squeezed Maudie’s hand. “I love you, too.”
Sobs rolled through my chest so hard that I could barely
murmur the words.
“Now go before they come back! Hurry!”
“No, I won’t leave you!” I protested.
Maddox’s Army training took charge, and he pulled me up off
the floor. “Maudie told us to go, Lane, so come on!” He dragged me kicking and
flailing out the door. “Stop it! We can’t do anything else for her. She wants
us to get the hell out of here and get the map, so that’s what we’re going to
do!” His fingers jerked my chin up to meet his intense glare. “Got it?”
I nodded weakly while
wiping my eyes and trying to clear my head. It obviously wasn’t fast enough.
Maddox grabbed my purse strap wound around my shoulder and gave me a harsh
tug. “Move!” he barked.
We then started running through the darkened store. Before
we got to door that led outside, Jensen and his men huffed inside, and we had
to duck behind some shelving.
“I’m telling you that I heard voices in here when I stopped
to take a leak!” one of the guys said.
Jensen growled in frustration. “We should’ve split up
better. This place is big enough that someone could easily hide out.”
As they broke apart and started spreading throughout the
store, Maddox motioned his head to the backdoor. We ran, hunched over, so that we could remain
as hidden as possible. My heart was beating so loud in my chest that I was sure
Jensen and his thugs would be able to hear it. As I hurried ahead of
Maddox, I
plowed through the backdoor with such an adrenaline rush that I thought I would
knock it off its hinges.
The door flew back, sending the metal bar careening into
Maddox’s crotch. He gave an agonized groan before pinching his mouth shut.
“What was that noise?” Jensen demanded.
“It came from the warehouse.”
“Dammit!” Maddox hissed. He closed the door behind us and
pushed a crate in front of it.
In a whisper, I replied, “I’m so, so sorry about your…your…”
When I realized that I would have to acknowledge his balls, I pinched my lips
together.
“Whatever. Come on!” He grabbed my arm and dragged me to the
far side of the warehouse. When we heard the door open again, we dropped down
behind a tall stack of crates. Maddox
peeked around
the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Jensen.
It seemed like only a second before a voice rang out,
echoing off the metal walls to close in around us. “All right, whoever’s there
better come out right now!”
I held my breath, trying not to move a muscle, while Maddox
crouched just as still.
“Now listen. I know somebody is out here. I have a feeling
it’s that pretty young girl from this afternoon.”
Maddox tensed and edged himself closer to me. If we hadn’t
been in such a scary situation, I might’ve felt a little tenderness towards his
reaction. I was brought out of my thoughts by the sound of crashing boxes. The
only thing that separated us from Jensen, his thugs, and the same fate as
Maudie were wall to wall crates of jams, jellies, and drinks.
It wasn’t a comforting thought.
Jensen’s voice rang out again. “All right, be as stubborn as
that old bitch! There’s three of us and one of you, so we’ll turn over every
crate and box until we find you!”
Maddox grimaced. In a low voice, he said, “We’re so
screwed!”
“Can’t we just go out the backdoor and try to outrun them?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t have a silent alarm. The
minute we go through it everyone in a mile radius is going to know exactly
where we are. So there’d be no way we could get up the hill to Maudie’s without
them seeing us. We need a distraction until the cops get here, but I seem to be
lacking a plan that’ll keep those assholes and their guns away!”
I wracked my brain about what could cut us off from Jensen
and his men. Something that would buy us enough time to get the map from
Maudie’s safe. My eyes honed in on the box in front of me. Two words stood out
to me among all the ingredients. Contents Flammable.
“Got a lighter?”
Maddox gave me a look like I’d completely and totally lost what
was left of my mind. I rolled my eyes and jerked my head towards the box. When
I could tell my plan had was registering in his mind, I asked, “Too much of a
distraction?”
He gave me an incredulous look before grinning. “No,
actually I think it’s batshit crazy enough to work! I’m impressed with the
wheels turning in that head of yours, Squirt!” I shot him a death glare before
he peeked his head over the top of crate. “Okay look. There’s a box of matches
and some lighter fluid in the tool drawer. You start pouring some Mountain Brew
while I go get them.”
I nodded.
“If Jensen or any other of those ass-clowns get close to you,
don’t wait for me. You just start running like hell. Got it?”
“
Okay,” I whispered.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Fan Love and Appreciation Contest
You readers rock my socks on a daily basis!! Much love and hugs,
Katie
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, May 3, 2013
Contest for Love Notes and Book Updates
First, let me say how mortified and horrified I was to learn that the wrong copy of Don't Hate the Player...Hate the Game was sent to the formatter, and thus uploaded to Amazon. It is getting rectified ASAP(by the weekend), and I hope you can bear with me on the typos and punctuation errors--nothing changes with the story/plot. Although I had pushed the release date back twice, I was bound and determined to release it--even though I was ten days off of surgery and sorta on pain medicine, lol. So it's easy to see why this hiccup happened
Second, I'm so very, very proud of my buddy Heather Gunter for releasing her Young Adult novel, Love Notes. I've giving away 3 ebook copies so just enter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Third, I wanted to let you know what's coming up next. First up is the June 30th release of the New Adult book Search Me. Here's the cover and blurb:
Nineteen year old Lane Montgomery never imagined her usually boring summer in the boonies would require her to trade her toe shoes for hunting boots or her monotonous college textbooks for treasure map deciphering. Never would she have imagined after breaking her grandmother’s precious Native American statue, danger, a lost treasure of Cherokee Gold and a hostage situation would arise. Nor could she predict that the one man destined to protect her and her family was her childhood nemesis and former crush, Maddox Diaz.
Returning after three years in the Army, twenty-two year old Maddox Diaz is confronted with more than he bargained for when agreeing to help his childhood buddy and deepest regret, Lane. Suddenly he is thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with armed and ruthless treasure seekers that results in car chases and gun battles all in the presence of the one girl who still manages to haunt his dreams and drive him wild with desire.
Lane is determined to deny the sizzling chemistry with the man who stole her virginity and broke her heart. She just wants to stay alive with her heart intact. Will she be able to resist the man whose body sets fire to all her senses?
Then I also know you're very anxious to see if Abby and Jake's story will be continued. And in a way it will. AJ will be getting his own book, Beat of the Heart, which will be coming out September/October. We will see Abby and Jake in it as well as Rhys's book, Strings of my Heart. I'm excited to dive in to AJ's story and introduce you to him and his lady love, Mia. Abby and Jake will be featured prominently in the book along with the other guys of the band.
The Pairing, Pesh and Megan's story, will be released in November/December. Here's a sneaky peek at the cover--the blurb is coming soon.
.jpg)
Second, I'm so very, very proud of my buddy Heather Gunter for releasing her Young Adult novel, Love Notes. I've giving away 3 ebook copies so just enter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Third, I wanted to let you know what's coming up next. First up is the June 30th release of the New Adult book Search Me. Here's the cover and blurb:
Nineteen year old Lane Montgomery never imagined her usually boring summer in the boonies would require her to trade her toe shoes for hunting boots or her monotonous college textbooks for treasure map deciphering. Never would she have imagined after breaking her grandmother’s precious Native American statue, danger, a lost treasure of Cherokee Gold and a hostage situation would arise. Nor could she predict that the one man destined to protect her and her family was her childhood nemesis and former crush, Maddox Diaz.
Returning after three years in the Army, twenty-two year old Maddox Diaz is confronted with more than he bargained for when agreeing to help his childhood buddy and deepest regret, Lane. Suddenly he is thrust into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with armed and ruthless treasure seekers that results in car chases and gun battles all in the presence of the one girl who still manages to haunt his dreams and drive him wild with desire.
Lane is determined to deny the sizzling chemistry with the man who stole her virginity and broke her heart. She just wants to stay alive with her heart intact. Will she be able to resist the man whose body sets fire to all her senses?
Then I also know you're very anxious to see if Abby and Jake's story will be continued. And in a way it will. AJ will be getting his own book, Beat of the Heart, which will be coming out September/October. We will see Abby and Jake in it as well as Rhys's book, Strings of my Heart. I'm excited to dive in to AJ's story and introduce you to him and his lady love, Mia. Abby and Jake will be featured prominently in the book along with the other guys of the band.
The Pairing, Pesh and Megan's story, will be released in November/December. Here's a sneaky peek at the cover--the blurb is coming soon.
.jpg)
Thanks again for all your book love and support!!! You rock!!!
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