Images flicker behind my eyes, happy moments, Alex’s half smiles, our hands clasped together, his strong shoulders when he carried me from the water, blue eyes darkened with arousal, the gentle touch of his lips to my forehead that always seems to make me feel better. I am in a half-asleep slumber. My heart aches, I miss him terribly, but do I actually miss him, or the image I’ve created in my mind? I’m so confused, and my trust is so shaken up I no longer know what to believe. Where does the truth end and my imagination begin? I swore to myself I’d never again live under pretenses. Yet here I am, falling for a guy who could write a manual on creating a fake front.
It bothers me that he knew my life history before I had a chance, and choice for that matter, to share it. He probably knows a lot more than he admits. I, on the other hand, know practically nothing about him. What’s worse, he admitted he isn’t ready to share more, at least not yet. What started as an innocent vacation fling is rapidly evolving into a heartbreak waiting to happen.
I need to pull myself back together. I can’t fall deeper or I won’t climb out.
I will my body to find strength, get up, and finally do something productive.
This time, once I’m up, I focus on making a list of things that need to be done. I’m flying out first thing tomorrow morning, so I go and repack my bag. As I go around my condo, everything reminds me of our time together. The couch we had sex on, the mirror forever bearing the images of my naked body revealed shamelessly in orgasms, the bed where Alex let me take control after my nightmare and balance my psyche. The same bed where he pushed me over the edge of ecstasy too many times to count.
This place screams us.
I escape into a hot shower, only to be assaulted by more memories. The first time we stood there, half-dressed and intimate.
I focus on washing my hair and body, unable to block the onslaught of memories.
My hand slides over my breast and I realize my nipples are budded up; I’m aroused. The other hand slides down to the v between my thighs. I touch the gentle folds and find a pool of wetness there. I need to take the edge off; release the pent-up sexual energy I didn’t even realize I had.
My fingers slide further between the folds, finding my clit and starting a slow, circular pattern. The coils in my core tighten up even more. I roll my nipples with the free hand, one, then the other, pulling on them slightly, each tug pushing me closer and closer to the peak. I take my time and go very slowly, until I can’t physically take it anymore and an orgasm rips through my body, wave after wave, slow circles around my clit prolonging the pleasure and letting me ride it out. I slide down against the wall and sit on the marble shower floor, too spent to move. Water hits my face and shoulders. I pull my knees up and rest my arms and head on top of them, taking a few minutes to regain my senses.
I come out of the shower with renewed strength and the will to deal with what life threw my way. I am determined to take control.
First, I’ll go see my father. He needs to know there’s no threat behind the pictures. Despite my overall trust issues with Alex, I do trust him fully on this matter. These photos will not see the light of day. It’s not only for my protection, but also in his own best interest. In light of recent events I do not, even for a second, doubt his capabilities. No wonder he had his own key card to enter my condo. How far, exactly, do his capabilities extend? He seems to stop at nothing.
Once the fear of public humiliation is put to rest, my father will have to make a decision. Will he stand by my choices, or will he try to bully me into submitting to his ideas? I hope it’s not the latter; I am so done with bending to his demands. I fear losing my position in the family business and yet, part of me hopes I do. I’ve tasted freedom, and I can’t walk back into the cage willingly.
To Be Continued.
Acknowledgments
I’ve always loved to read, although my preference of genres has changed greatly throughout the years. It wasn’t until I started reading romance in my late twenties that I developed a strong urge to write. I read book after book, and the urge only grew stronger. About three years ago, I put the first words down, in iPad notes, at the local Starbucks. By then, I had vivid images of these characters living in my mind. I spent a few hours every morning in that Starbucks while my kids were in preschool. In a matter of months nearly the whole first part of the duet was born. Back then, I never thought of publishing it. Somehow, just writing my thoughts down temporarily relieved the urge.
Then, my family situation took a new turn and for a few years, I barely had any time to dedicate to writing. The story lived in my head, bits of it occasionally making it to the notes file on my iPad. I feel like I’ve known these characters for years now. Along with the new ideas came a renewed need to put everything in writing. Finally, last year, I picked up where I left off, finished the story, and made one very important decision: I braved publishing it. Did I mention that no one ever knew I was writing? Not a single soul, except for my One, to whom I dedicate this book.
Easier said than done. I was at a complete loss for where to start. You’d think writing is difficult, but for me, not knowing what to do next was the hard part.
This is when I turned to Alessandra. She’s been one of my favorite authors and my inspiration for years. I am incredibly thankful for her resources, tutorials, videos, and references. They proved to be invaluable in helping me find my way from a manuscript to a published book. There are tons of big and small things that you need to know. No one can tell you everything at once. What’s even harder, sometimes you don’t even know the right questions to ask. Alessandra’s videos discuss a variety of topics, raising awareness of issues one would likely not even consider otherwise, and later learn the hard way. She had to go through all of this when she was a new indie writer herself. Those times are still fresh in her memory, making the advice that much more relevant.
With Alessandra’s help, I was lucky to meet wonderful people who helped me further along the way.
Taryn, who edited this book every step of the way, is absolutely amazing and supportive, while being honest in her comments and critiques. She was the first person ever to read the manuscript. I remember emailing it for the first time with trembling fingers, thinking “What am I going to do if she tells me it’s complete nonsense?” She didn’t think it was a disaster. Instead, she meticulously led me through the process of cleaning up my work. I am forever thankful for all the time she has spent perfecting it. I took each and every one of her comments to heart and worked to polish the manuscript and use what I’ve learned in my future works. I hope the readers enjoy the final product as much as I did.
Shari, who did a marvelous job creating the unforgettable covers. I am so grateful for her patience while she listened to my blabbering on the phone, caught the main idea, and improved it threefold. I’m new to this business, but she has always listened and dedicated her time to working with me. I am also very thankful to her for the coolest logo, as well as for formatting the books and adding little creative touches. No matter what they say, a book is first judged by its cover, and Shari has made it an eye-catcher. The cover itself is a small mystery asking to be revealed.
Finally, last but definitely not least, is Debra. Talk about someone holding your hand and leading you through every step of the way. I am truly grateful for her always being there, answering every weird question I had, creating a kick-ass website, arranging the advertising campaign, and getting my book in the hands of the very first readers. Debra is a real treasure for someone like me.
Looking back, I realize I’m very lucky to have support and encouragement both at home and outside. This journey would not have been the same without the help of these remarkable individuals. Thank you once again!
There is someone else I haven’t thanked. You, the reader! Thank you for giving a chance to a new writer like me, for spending your valuable time with my book in hand. Without you, none of this would be possible. You give me another reason, possibility and great desire to c
ontinue to give life to the characters and stories that live in mind, to share my imagination with you. I hope we can all take another exciting journey together.
Please, consider leaving a review or a rating, spreading the word around, visiting my social media pages, or simply sending me a few words. I would love to hear from you!
See you in ONE to See Me.
Yours truly,
Alicia Maxwell
ONE To Watch Me (The ONE Series, Part 1, Book 1) Page 15