Love for the Holidays (five book Christmas bundle)
Page 61
Happy reading,
Zoe
Teaser Excerpt from Between Then and Now
If you enjoyed What Once Was Perfect, check out the rest of The Wardham Series, starting with Carrie and Ian’s novella
“I know what I’ve got. I don’t always show it, but I’m lucky to be your husband, Carrie Nixon.”
“Best mistake ever?” She meant the words to land lightly. It was a standing joke between them, but all that had gone unsaid between them over the last few months weighed the words down on her tongue, and her voice cracked.
“Don’t do this, not tonight.” His features pinched together. He didn’t let go of her hand, but the easy softness in his grip faded, replaced with a subtle tension that told her it was an effort to keep touching her.
“I’m not doing anything,” she whispered. Tears threatened, hot bubbles at the edge of her vision.
“You’re dragging old shit into a new argument. Shit I didn’t even know was in your head. An argument I didn’t even know we were having.”
“We’re not!” Were they? Was it all one big fight that just ebbed like the tide? “I don’t know why I said that.”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t need to. She tentatively lifted her gaze to read his expression, but he didn’t look over at her, instead keeping his eyes on the road ahead. A muscle twitched along his jaw, and she squeezed his hand, willing him to turn and see her. See that she wasn’t mad. That she was just scared and strangely alone and not dealing with that well.
“I don’t think we were a mistake.”
“Damn straight.”
“But we weren’t in love when we got married, Ian. That’s never going to be something I forget.”
“Never asked you to.”
“We just can’t talk about it.”
“We can talk about it, babe. But you can’t yell at me about it.”
“I didn’t yell.”
“You cried. That’s worse.”
“Didn’t cry. No tears.”
“Sad voice, choked up…sounded like crying. Carrie, that kills me, you know?” He dragged a deep breath into his lungs. “I just wanted an evening without a fight. Come on, let’s go in.”
With a start, she realized they were home. “Wait—” She unbuckled her seat belt and reached across the center console. “Slide your seat back.”
“Carrie, I’m not—”
“Give me a chance to get the mood back, please?” She was grateful she’d worn a skirt tonight. “Scoot back, and close your eyes.” He still hadn’t moved, but at least he wasn’t getting out of the truck. “I want to show you what I’ve got on under this skirt.”
Thank god for his healthy libido. A lecherous grin spread across his face as he flicked his gaze to her hemline. “Please tell me the answer is nothing.” She waited for his gaze to hit hers again before offering a slow nod. His already smoldering interest caught a burst of oxygen from her answer, and while he slid his seat back with his left hand, his right arm was hauling her into his lap. “We gotta stop fighting, babe.”
“We weren’t fighting,” she whispered.
“We were doing something,” he muttered as he arranged her thighs on either side of his, his thumbs pressing hard into soft flesh. “And it wasn’t this.”
About the Author
Zoe York lives in London, Ontario with her young family. She has an English degree and works at a university, so it was probably a foregone conclusion that she’d write a romance novel one day. What Once Was Perfect is her debut novel.
www.zoeyork.com