Moving across the large front yard
was an adventure in tetanus avoidance. The property was a mess, from the
overgrown yard to the tarp-covered something that had probably been a car in a
previous life. Junk and debris, from car parts to plywood scraps, had piled up
to the point of merging into an unidentifiable blob. Add in some nuclear waste
and it would probably form into a comic book super villain.
The whirring continued, this time
accompanying an energetic, male and very off-key declaration to “shake it off.”
Stifling a laugh, she approached the door and poked her head just inside.
A dark figure dropped straight
down like a giant spider splayed on an industrial metal web.
Alethea yelped and jumped back.
She’d have landed right on her butt if a large, rough hand hadn’t reached out
and caught hers. Rather than steadying her, she found herself yanked forward
and into the solid embrace of her caterwauling mystery man.
“Oh, wow.” She grabbed hold of
his shoulders as he swayed, feet dangling a good few feet off the ground, at
the end of a harness and pullied rope. His hold on her was steady, sturdy, and,
as he shifted his grip, seemed to be sending tiny little shock waves rocketing
through her system. She blinked, clearing the surprise from her eyes and drew
him into focus.
Long, shoulder-length dark blond
hair. A good three days growth of beard covering what she suspected was a
stone-carved jaw. His gray eyes reminded her of a summer storm, with lightning
bolt sparks of amusement curving his full lips into an entertained smile. “Wow.”
She said again as the flush warmed her face.
“Sorry to scare you.” He released
her, reached down to unhook himself from the rope, and still hung onto it while
he lowered his feet to the ground. “Lost my hold on the rope. You all right?”
“I’m fine.” She stepped back,
tucked an invisible curl behind her ear and shoved her suddenly shaky hands
into her pockets. His voice carried a hint of the South and coated her
roughened heart like smooth molasses. She took a deep breath and wondered when
the combination of leather, sawdust and sweat had become appealing? “I called
out from the house.” She had to shout over the music. “But I guess you didn’t
hear me.” She inclined her chin toward the Bluetooth speaker that continued to
blare. “Nice music.”
I enjoyed the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Thank you for shining a spotlight on WORTH THE RISK!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing all the goodness
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
I liked the excerpt
ReplyDeletecute cover
ReplyDeleteI like it!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and Worth the Risk sounds like my kind of book! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great read. I like the blurb.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt is interesting. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteA perfect curl up by the fire read!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good book.
ReplyDeleteThe cover is comforting.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good book to read and I also like the cover too.
ReplyDeleteWhat inspires your book plot ideas?
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get your ideas?
ReplyDeleteI love the cozy cover !
ReplyDelete