“Are you alright, ma’am?”
Hunter opened her eyes and found herself staring into the deep blue eyes of a mountain man. “Get back!”
She jumped to her feet, grabbing the closest object on her way up and brandishing it, ready to beat the stranger into a bloody mess. She’d be damned if her photo would be on the front page of the local paper as the latest victim of some deranged weirdo.
“Whoa. Easy there, little lady.”
“Keep your hands where I can see them. Who are you? What do you want? And why are you staring at me like that?”
“Well, you’re just full of questions, aren’t you?”
As the stranger stood there with his hands in the air, Hunter measured him with her eyes. “I asked who you are.”
“I know what you asked. But you never answered me. I asked if you’re okay. You seem to be having some car trouble.”
“That’s none of your damn business. But for your information, I’m fine.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Do you always tell squirrels to go ‘suck a nut’ when you’re fine?”
“You’ve been watching me? Listen here creep, you need to back up and walk away. I’m not going to be your next meal. So take your psycho ass on outta here before I kick it for you.”
The man laughed so hard that tears ran down his cheeks, making a trail through his beard and onto his blue flannel shirt. He actually had the nerve to bend over, in a full-blown belly laugh.
“I don’t see what’s so funny. I said to keep your hands up!”
He continued to laugh and glanced at her occasionally before erupting into another fit. “You?”
“You really are fucking crazy.” Hunter slowly began to back up and inched closer to the safety of her car.
“Listen, buddy. I don’t want any trouble. Just go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under and I’ll be leaving.”
“No, you listen. Sweetheart, you’re not goin’ anywhere.”
A shiver of terror ran through her and the man’s cold gaze stared back at her, freezing her in her tracks. “You’re on my land. You’re not going anywhere. You can’t leave.”
He inched closer to her and Hunter tightened her grip on the weapon in her hands.
“No!” She screamed as the guy reached for her. “Don’t touch me, you bastard!”
He yanked her only means of defense from her and held it up. “This is what you were going to beat me up with? Impressive.”
Hunter only then realized she’d been holding a stick.
“Sticks and stones. That’s the best you could come up with?” He erupted into another fit of laughter and tossed the stick aside. “A damn twig! You don’t get out much, do you?”
He pressed even closer to her body and Hunter felt herself recoil. “I said, don’t touch me.” She backed away and found her backside pressed up against the car.
“Gladly. I was merely disarming you. Though I’m pretty sure you’d have poked your own eye out before you’d have done any damage to me. Let’s just say it was for your own good.”
What a jerk!
“Now, are you going to allow me to help you with this flat tire or are you still hell bent on, what did you say? Oh yeah, kicking my ass.”
“Just get away from me. I’ll figure it out myself. Kindly point me in the direction of the closest person’s home and I’ll be on my way.”
“Not a great listener, are ya’?”
“Why must you answer questions with questions? Have you lived in the woods all your life? No human interaction?”
“What?”
The man was incorrigible! “Never mind. I don’t want to confuse you with words of more than one syllable.”
Hunter pulled her hair to one side of her neck and crossed her arms in front of her.
“You’re quite the piece of work, aren’t you?”
“Okay, look, Mr. Woodsman, just leave me alone. Clearly, we aren’t going to be able to have a civilized conversation. Obviously I’m not surprised, considering…”
“Considering what? Oh, you mean considering how I look? How I talk?”
Hunter smirked and shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”
“Alright, have it your way. Where’s your spare?”
“If I had a spare or anything to help me change a tire, do you think I’d have grabbed a stick to defend myself with? Do you think I’d still be here if I had a spare?”
“Shucks, ma’am. I have no idea. I’m just a dumb ol’ mountain man.” He spit out the side of his mouth and tucked his hands in his pockets.
“Typical.”
“Look, I’ve had the worst week of my life. I’m trying to get to my family’s cabin and I really don’t need attitude and condescension from some hilltop hillbilly. So, if you have an idea on how to help me, great. If not, kindly take yourself back to wherever you came from.”
“You have quite a way with words. I have no idea why you’d be all alone.”
Picking up on his sarcasm, Hunter continued, “Whether I’m all alone or not is of no consequence to you.”
“I beg to differ. Ya’ see, if you weren’t all alone, I wouldn’t have to be here listening to you whine and cuss out squirrels. If you weren’t alone, you wouldn’t be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere on my land. And I wouldn’t have to be stuck with a woman who clearly has issues. I’ll go get the necessary equipment and be right back so you can be on your way.”
Taken aback at his brusqueness, Hunter stood there with her mouth wide open as the man disappeared into the woods, leaving her standing on the side of the road.
Long Overdue, River Jewel Resort, Book 3
Erotic Romance: Heat Level 4
Welcome to the River Jewel Resort—where fantasy becomes reality!
After a decade of serving in the campus library, a small-town scandal involving one of its college students leaves Olivia Milan unemployed and able to spend a lot of time with her best friend of ten years. She’s always been attracted to Matt Osgood, but she believes he’ll never feel the same about her. When Matt heads out of town for the weekend, Olivia takes the opportunity to head to the River Jewel Resort in search of a new job. However, what she finds when she arrives proves life can be stranger than fiction.
Romance author, Matt Osgood, has been in love with the same woman for a very long time, but he thinks she’ll never return his feelings. Years of going to the River Jewel Resort have allowed him to live out his every fantasy. Still, he aches for a real emotional connection to the woman he loves.
Can the River Jewel Resort make fantasy become a reality for these two best friends? Or will they both run in opposite directions when confronted with the truth?
Sneak Peek:
“I’ve only been going up there for a few months now, but I’ve seen incredible things.”
“Such as?” Olivia shivered as a breeze blew across her back.
“You’ll think I’m crazy.” Matt turned away, and took a giant breath.
“I could never think you were crazy. You should know me better than that.”
He paused a moment and seemed to be gauging his next words carefully. “Olivia, I wish I could explain it to you.” He shook his head. “It’s something you have to see for yourself. All I know is, a lot of miserable people go through those doors and only happy people come back out. Everything people have been saying about it is true.”
“Don’t tell me you believe the hype?”
Matt shrugged. “I’ve seen things even you wouldn’t believe. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to make sure the stories were true.”
“Oh? What kind of stories?”
Matt reached for her hand and led her down the cement boat launch that led to the floating dock where they could watch barges and recreational boats pass by as they talked. After they were seated on the aged, wooden planks, he started trying to verbalize his experiences. “Olivia, that place is magical. That’s the only way I can think of to describe it.”
She had never seen such an enthralled look in Matt’
s eyes before. There was something new and lively about him when he spoke of the River Jewel Resort. In fact, his eyes reminded her of the hot, summer nights when moonlight would dance across the small waves of the Ohio, glittering like a million floating diamonds.
“Well, it must be something special if you, an incredibly talented romance author can’t think of anything better than ‘magical’. I can see it in your eyes. It’s just a resort. I’m sure with the kind of money they charge, they must have one helluva spa and massage salon, but magic? Really? And if everyone is so happy when they leave, why haven’t you found anyone who makes you happy yet?”
Matt laughed. “Yeah, the salon is amazing and what makes you think I haven’t found my happiness? I can sit on the gambling boat and have my pick of any available woman. In fact, it’s become my favorite place lately. When I walk on that boat, it’s almost as if they are there to serve me and only me.”
“Oh, wow!” Olivia tossed her head back laughing “You, my friend are hot, but I think you might be getting a bit of a big head.”
Matt wiggled his eyebrows and nudged her with his elbow. “I know how it sounds, but I’m serious. You have to experience it for yourself.”
She ruffled Matt’s already unruly brown hair and looped her arm through his. “I’m glad you’re having a great time, Matt. You deserve it.”
“What about you? If anyone needs to find happiness, it’s you. You’ve been alone for too long, Olivia. You have a huge heart, you’re smart, beautiful and kind. Instead of wasting all of that on temporary lovers you should be married to someone fabulous and having lots of smart, beautiful babies. Someone who truly loves you for you.”
Olivia knew he meant well, but she just wasn’t ready. Besides, who would want her now? Star of the latest town scandal, plus being officially unemployed, her reputation didn’t exactly scream, “Pick me! I’ll rock your world!” Besides, if she couldn’t find the nerve to tell the man she truly loved that she loved him, what was the point of looking for anyone else?
“Sometime.”
“You always say that. I love you and I feel it’s my duty to be honest with you. Get over it. Ever since Randy died, you’ve had a wall up and all you’ve done is float from guy to guy, mostly at the library.”
“So? They need my help. Besides, I’m good at what I do.”
“Sweetheart, it’s time to let go of the past and open up your heart. Make your own happy ending. Every guy out there isn’t worthless. Yes, you’ve met a few assholes, and yes, you’ve been hurt. But I think you do it to yourself. Don’t be angry. I understand, I really do. The pain you’ve been feeling, the emptiness, it means you’re alive. I get it. This bravado you show to the world isn’t a flaw. You’ve had a lot to cope with, but it’s time to find that one in a million soul mate instead of hooking up with people you have no intention of ever loving, for random quickies on campus. Whether you admit it or not, you know I’m right. Now, let’s get you home so you can clean your house. Again.” He rolled his eyes and Matt’s lips slid into that mischievous grin that filled her with a longing to kiss him senseless. They laughed, falling into step with each other as Matt wrapped his arm around her shoulders and Olivia sent up a silent prayer that someday he’d want her by his side forever.
Wicked By Nature
Paranormal-RomCom
Selena Barnes comes from a long line of witches. When her parents were killed in a magical accident, she surrendered her powers and kept them a secret from her fiancé’, Shawn Richardson. Up to this point in her life, her biggest problems involved wedding details, appointments and town gossip. However, Selena will learn that things aren’t always as they appear. She finds herself involved in deeply disturbing lies and her true destiny is revealed by her long lost friends, Kelly and Keith Jacobs. With each revelation, she teeters on the precipice of her sanity. Can Selena accept the truth and save her friends or will she embrace the evil that wishes to claim her?
Sneak Peek:
The closer we became, the more I felt pulled to him. We were like magnets. I leaned in to kiss him and as soon as our lips touched, I craved more. His tongue slid into my mouth, searching, teasing and he tasted sweet just like his favorite tea. Keith wrapped his hands in my hair, pulling me up against him. My own hands explored his arms, his chest as my pulse quickened to a steady, rapid staccato. Then without warning, he broke our kiss.
Breathless, he held my face in his hands. “My entire life, I’ve wanted to kiss you, to love you. I never believed I’d have the chance.”
“So why are you stopping? Shut up and kiss me some more.” I smiled and tugged on his shirt, pulling him up against my body.
He held me in his arms and said, “Because Selena, we still have some talking to do. There’s more you need to know, more to learn before we just go jumping into bed together. If I don’t say these things now, it may be too late. Once I start loving you, I won’t want to stop.”
My raging hormones would have to wait. Though I appreciated his gentleman-like attitude, I had needs and if they weren’t fulfilled soon, I knew I’d blow a gasket. “Okay, let’s talk.”
“You might be mad at me for a few things I’m going to say, but you need to understand that I don’t intend to hurt you.”
“Keith, really let’s just talk. Let me decide if I will be mad or not. Okay?” The sooner we finished talking, the sooner I could get laid.
He told me he had seen Shawn with not only Roberta, but many other women from town including Janice. He knew Roberta and Shawn were demons, but their strong financial ties to the town could’ve put the community in unnecessary hardship if Keith had made a move too soon. Though Keith felt I should’ve known all along about Shawn’s deceit, he also believed I would’ve thought Keith was nothing more than a meddling gossiper and jealous, loud-mouth.
After he told his entire side of the story, he added “I’m so sorry, Selena. I never should’ve stayed silent. Hurting you is the last thing I would ever want to do. But I won’t tell you that I’m sorry Richardson and you are through.”
I sat down on one of the Adirondack chairs and listened to the river as its waves gently lapped at the rocks below us. I was too exhausted to be angry with Keith, besides from what Kelly had said yesterday, I’d already gathered he knew about Shawn and Roberta all along. However, I never would’ve imagined Shawn and Janice. Then again, I was way behind in Shawn’s tally of conquests and frankly, I was sick of hearing about Shawn.
I knew Keith was being honest and he did what he thought was best, not only for me but for his father and the entire town. This was more than I had done for any of them recently. My thoughts mulled around my mind and I chose my words with care, before speaking.
“I know you could listen to my thoughts if you wanted, so I won’t try to say it doesn’t upset me.”
“I wasn’t invading your mind this time, I promise. I’m a bit scared of what you’re thinking, so I’m controlling myself.”
“First, let me say you should have told me. You should have let me decide if I would’ve believed you or not. You didn’t trust me enough to let me make up my own mind.” I turned to face him, my eyes full of compassion. “But you were right. I wouldn’t have believed you. I thought I was in love. I believed in so many things that have turned out to be so very wrong. So, I don’t blame you. How could you have known what I would do or say?”
He held me in his arms and I continued, “For the record, I’ve always wanted you to kiss me. When you left, I was hurt. I couldn’t be there for you when your family was killed and I was alone when mine was. It sucked. I blamed the craft, I blamed the goddesses and I blamed everyone except for the demon I fell for. And that really sucks. I’ve been an idiot for so long. But I’m glad you’re back and I’m glad you kissed me, even if it ended too soon.”
“You kissed me” he teased.
I smiled and said, “Are we okay now? Can we get back to that amazing kissing and maybe move on to other more amazing things?”
The smile on h
is face disappeared. “Not yet. I mean, we’re okay. But there’s more you need to know.”
“There’s more? Like what?”
“The prophecy about us.”
“Oh. Okay, tell me.”
“It was decided before we were even born.”
“Sterling filled me in on most of it.”
“How does he know anything about it?”
“He overheard Kelly and you talking last night. He told me just a little while ago.”
“Did he also tell you about the mating?”
“Yep.”
“So, you’re okay with me biting you?”
Biting? “No one said a word about biting!”
“Well, that’s the only way to make you mine, Selena.”
“Marriage and sex don’t work for wolves?”
“No. I mean we can and we will get married, if you want. But to be one of us, you have to be bitten, marked.”
Holy balls! I felt so very ill.
“It’s not like I’ll bite a chunk out of you. In fact, I’ve heard it’s quite pleasing to the receiver. At least until you go through the change. But that’s another conversation we will have later.”
“Change? I have to, um, change?”
“Yeah, change.”
“What will I change into? I’m already a mix of craziness! When will this change happen?”
“It can occur anywhere between twelve and seventy-two hours after you’re bitten. Kelly, Dad and I will take care of you. Dad should be back soon and believe me, there’s nothing to worry about, Kitten. You’ll be safe and well taken care of.”
Nothing to worry about? He wanted to chew on me like some meaty-bone and I shouldn’t worry? Oh, and then I get to become a wolf? A bunny murdering, squirrel-eating wolf! Right, not a thing I should be concerned about there.
“I know it sounds scary, but it’s your destiny. How about I just leave for a bit while you think it over and you can call me when you’re ready to talk some more, okay? But know this Selena, I love you and I won’t let anything happen to you. Even if we haven’t mated, you’re already mine.” He stood to leave.
Sterling’s words from earlier mixed with Keith’s and I knew they were both right. But I still had questions and I was so nervous!
Anything You Want: River Jewel Resort Series Book 1 Page 5