by Shay Stone
Unbidden, an image of my ex-fiancé, Seth, popped into my head yet again: “Say as little as possible, babe. You know the more you talk, the less sense you make. Just sayin’, ya’ know?”
Shut up, Seth. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Stay dead.
“Welcome to Vanessa Zee Glass! Thanks for stopping through my door—”
“Too damn peppy!”
“Well, hi there! Come on in and stay awhile—”
“Why? So you can talk their fucking ear off?”
“Well, hello there,” I growled under my breath. “You might like to know this showcased artist was once engaged to a complete fraud who used her—shortly before he jumped off the cliffs at Beachy Head in England. Oh, yes, she’s a winner, she is!”
Glass Hearts is now available. Click this link to purchase:
https://www.amazon.com/Glass-Hearts-Awaken-My-Heart/dp/B085RTMCZS
Continue on to read an excerpt from Ryann Elizabeth’s Journey to Them.
Excerpt from Ryann Elizabeth’s Journey to Them
Not ready to head in yet and needing to think, I decided to take a walk down the beach. Light from the full moon made it easy for me to see my way. Listening to the waves crash beside me and lost in my thoughts, I was startled when Jase picked me up from behind. He spun me around before putting me back on my feet.
“Whatcha doing out here all alone, bite-sized?”
Bite-sized, that’s a new one. “Nothing, just thinking about things.”
“Me?” he replied with what seemed like a hopeful look. I must have been losing my mind. Jase had zero interest in me. I was his little sister, just not by blood.
Steeling my resolve, I replied, “Actually, yes, I was thinking about you.”
The megawatt smile that covered his face melted my heart. What I wouldn’t do to have him smile at me like that for real. But, as I had known my entire life, he wasn’t interested in me like that.
“I was wondering what’s been up with you these last few weeks. I know Isabelle and I annoy you all the time, but you have really been, well, an asshole. And I’d like to know what I’ve done to piss you off.” Once I got past “slow-motion” Jase, I could actually talk to him like a normal person. He just usually didn’t stick around long enough to see it unless we were with our families.
Running his fingers through his hair like I loved, he peered at me through his long black lashes. He seemed to struggle with how to reply. Several seconds passed as we walked along the beach in silence. Finally, he stopped and turned to face me. The moonlight coming from behind him highlighted his chiseled jaw and emphasized the lighter streaks in his dark hair, and his green eyes almost seemed to glow. The world stood still as he gazed into my eyes. If I was bolder, I would have reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, but the horror of rejection held me in place.
He slowly lifted his hand and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. Just the barest of touches and my entire body was tingling. “The thing is, I uh…”
With a breathless voice, I urged him to continue, “Yes?”
Abruptly, he stepped back. “The thing is, I don’t think Colin is right for you. First of all, he’s a Duke fan. That right there should tell you there’s something wrong with him.”
Shocked at his pettiness, my anger rose. “Are you crazy? You act like a jackass to the first guy that shows me any interest whatsoever because he pulls for our rival? What’s wrong with you? Colin is a nice guy, and he’s obviously smart since he’s going to Duke. Plus, he’s really cute.”
Rolling his eyes like he was dismissing everything I said made me even madder. “Colin is second-rate and not good enough for you. You will not go out with him. I forbid it.” There was no anger in his words, just finality, like he assumed I’d do whatever he said. Well, he is wrong.
I stepped forward, so only an inch or so was between us, and looked up at him. “Jase Vanzant! You do not get to tell me who I date! You are not my father, nor are you my brother. You have zero say in my love life. I will date who I want, when I want. I will get surfing lessons from whomever I want to. I don’t know where…”
My words stopped there, because his lips were pressed against mine while he held my face in his hands. It took me a second to realize what was happening. Jase is kissing me! After the initial shock wore off, I leaned into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his waist. The hard muscles of his back tensed where I touched him. He lightened the pressure and slowly opened his mouth. His tongue lightly traced my lips, coaxing them open. I hesitantly opened them and allowed him to slide his tongue inside my mouth. A desire-filled fog permeated my brain, and all I could think about was Jase and how perfect the kiss felt.
“Journey! Journey, are you out here?” Isabelle’s voice cut through the fog at the same time Jase jumped away from me.
“I’ve got to go,” Jase said as he turned and left.
I stood there in complete shock, wondering if it had really happened. Jase kissed me. And it wasn’t a normal kiss. It was a toe-curling, life-changing, once-in-a-lifetime kiss.
Journey to Them is now available. Click the link below to purchase:
https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Them-Ryann-Elizabeth-ebook/dp/B07STFJDV7