<>

Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Sunday, November 18, 2018

focus on survival... Desperate (Cunningham Security #3) by A.K. Evans

18+ "A.K. Evans does such a beautiful job pulling her readers into this world of dreamy men and fierce women. As a reader we always hope that the authors will transport us away from our lives and into a dream word, Evans succeeds in Desperate. It left me desperate for more! " - Michaela, Goodreads

Description:

Published: November 13th, 2018

Ekko Rose is no stranger to struggle. Even though she’s experienced more than her fair share of hardship, she has dreams she wants to fulfill. But when another stroke of bad luck leaves her homeless, Ekko's only option is to focus on survival. 

Dominick ‘Dom’ Moore has had his eyes on Ekko ever since he saved her life several months ago. He kept his distance then because she was attached to another man. Now, seeing her living out of her car, Dom resolves to help her get back on her feet.

When Dom approaches Ekko, she wrestles with knowing her rightful place in the world and desperately wanting to latch onto something better.

Just as the pair fall hard for one another, Ekko’s streak of misfortune delivers one more blow. With their relationship thrown into a pit of despair and hopeless desire, Dom must crack the case he’s been trying to solve for weeks. 

Because if he can’t, Ekko might be lost to him forever.

EXCERPT

I was on my back, my arms resting on the pillow just above my head, when he curled into me, resting his head on my shoulder, and draping his arm over my body just below my breasts. 

And that was it. 

Everything we did to each other’s bodies over the last several hours was magnificent. We’d both managed to experience incredible physical pleasure, but for me, it was so much more than that. 

It was in the cuddling afterward. The way he held me close. His fingers running through my hair or tracing delicately down my arm. The constant touch. I hadn’t realized how much I’d been craving it until he gave it to me. Those whisper touches made me feel for the first time in my life that I was not only wanted but also like I mattered. Truly mattered. 

Knowing now how that felt, I wasn’t sure how I’d ever be able to live without that feeling again.

“Good morning,” I finally said after a few minutes had passed.
“Morning, sugar.”
“That was nice of you,” I teased.

Dom let out a laugh and explained, “I figured it was only fair considering you took the liberty to be nice to me in the middle of the night.”

“So you’re just trying to keep the playing field level, then?”

Dom lifted his head and asked, “Ekko, you just came three times. Add to that the one time in the middle of the night and the two times out on the deck and I’d say this is definitely not a level playing field.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I looked away and mumbled, “It’s been a while.”
Dom turned my head toward his and grinned. “There’s no need to feel humiliated, Ekko. It’s been a while for me, too.”

My eyes widened in shock and I confirmed, “It has?”
His chin jerked downward. 

“How long?” I blurted before I could stop myself. I quickly followed up with, “I’m sorry. That was rude. You don’t have to answer that.”
“Since the night I saved you,” he answered immediately.

That was more than six months ago. And he was Dom; he was beautiful. He probably could have had any woman he wanted. 

“What?”

Dom’s arm that was draped across my body gave me a bit of a squeezed before he replied, “I knew from the minute I laid eyes on you that you were the girl for me. I can’t explain it; it’s just something I felt about you that was different than anything I’ve ever felt before. As time went by and I watched out for you, I grew more and more attracted to you.”

I stared at him, completely shocked. 

“Just so you know,” Dom continued. “You were absolutely worth the wait, Ekko. I don’t regret waiting all that time for you.”

“Stop,” I ordered. “I can’t cry again. You can’t keep doing and saying all of this sweet, wonderful stuff. I don’t know how to deal with all of it.”

“You’re going to have to get used to it, fun size. After everything that’s happened over the last few weeks and especially after what happened last night, you’re mine now. I’m not going to hold back on giving you all the sweetness you deserve.”

He was a dream come true.
And that scared the living daylights out of me. 

Goodreads ** Amazon ** iTunes ** Barnes&Noble ** Kobo 
About the author:
A.K. Evans is a married mother of two boys residing in a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. After graduating from Lafayette College in 2004 with two degrees (one in English and one in Economics & Business), she pursued a career in the insurance and financial services industry. Not long after, Evans realized the career was not for her. She went on to manage her husband’s performance automotive business and drive the shop race cars for the next thirteen years. While the business afforded her freedoms she wouldn’t necessarily have had in a typical 9-5 job, after eleven years she was no longer receiving personal fulfillment from her chosen career path. Following many discussions, lots of thought, and tons of encouragement, Andrea decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.

Between her day job, writing, and homeschooling her two boys, Evans is left with very little free time. When she finds scraps of spare time, she enjoys reading, doing yoga, watching NY Rangers hockey, dancing, and vacationing with her family. Andrea, her husband, and her children are currently working on taking road trips to visit all 50 states (though, Alaska and Hawaii might require flights).


Author's Giveaway

1 comment:

Debra Branigan said...

I enjoyed the excerpt. Good luck with your novel.