Hello everyone.
I'm not new to Texas ARF, though I am new to posting here. I hope to change that and show my face around here a bit more often... but don't worry, my mama raised me right so I'll try not to wear out my welcome.
I normally write Paranormal Romance of the "vampire" persuasion, but coming September 15th, I will have my first Mainstream Contemporary release hit the e-publishing world as "Flesh Wounds" makes its debut. The story is set right here, deep in the heart of TEXAS, too!!
If you don't mind, I'd like to share a little of it with you now. Enjoy!!
After five years away, Julia Benson has finally come home.
Facing the painful memories awaiting her in the small Texas town is nothing
compared the mess she’ll make when she gets there. Dealing with the ripple
affect leaving caused the ones she loved is just as hard as dealing with being
abandoned by a father who wasn’t everything she’d believed him to be.
Dylan Banks was the boy from across the street who’d loved Julia
since they were twelve. She was the only girl for him and the only one he
couldn’t have. Unable to repair that broken part of the girl he loved so much
from afar, he now had a second chance to fill the void the only way he could… love
her until she got it through her thick skull that not every man was like her
father.
Can love really repair all that has gone wrong in Julia’s life
or are some wounds just too deep to heal?
Excerpt:
With the towel held above her head to block the torrents of rain, Julia
ran around Garret’s car toward Dylan’s truck. He met her on the passenger side
and opened the door.
Dylan glared at Garret, whose eyes never left Julia as she ran
from the safety of his car.
Garret flipped a short wave to him as he pulled away.
A jealous fire ignited in Dylan’s gut.
He rushed back around and jumped inside. “I was afraid you had
gotten it started and tried to drive home in this alone.”
Julia pressed her lips together and glared back at him with a
seething scowl.
“I’m glad you’re safe.” Dylan fumbled with the radio trying to
stop his hand from shaking.
“If I’d known you were coming, I would have called to let you know
you needn’t bother.”
“It’s no bother, Jules.” He swallowed the air that had become
trapped in the back of his throat.
“Why do you always insist on rushing to my rescue?” She jammed the
seatbelt clip into the latch.
“Rescue you? Your mom asked me to give you a ride so you wouldn’t
be stranded out here in this mess.” He inhaled deeply. The anger he had felt
for her when she left him Monday night slowly regrouped and formed a ball in
his gut. “I can leave you here if that’s what you want.” His hand sat idly on
the door handle. Push me, Jules, just
push me, and see what happens. Wild angry thoughts whirled in his head,
thoughts on which he’d never act.
Her eyes studied him keenly. Her rigid shoulders softened and she
sat back shifting her gaze to the rain pouring outside.
“All right then. I’ll take you home.” He put the truck in gear and
pulled away from the school. “I’ll have Grady tow it to the shop in the morning
after the storm clears out.”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll call him.”
“I don’t mind, really.” He glanced over only to see her jaw clench
tightly. He was pushing her buttons and strangely enough, he liked it.
“Whatever.”
The twist in his side pressed against his ribs. “You haven’t been
around much this week.”
“I’ve been busy.” She didn’t look in his direction at all.
“With that guy?” He knew the second the words left his mouth he’d
said the wrong thing.
“I don’t see how it’s any of your business.”
“It’s not. I just thought that if we were going to be friends, you
would’ve at least said hello or something.”
“Hello,” she said with a softened tone, but still one that
scratched at his heart.
“I’m trying here, Jules.”
“Nobody asked you to.”
Dylan’s anger jolted through him and he immediately pulled the
truck over to the side of the road.
“What are you doing?” Her eyes widened and she stared at him with
an open mouth.
“I’m not going any farther until you stop acting like this,” he
growled. He threw the gear into park.
“Acting like what?” She unfastened the seatbelt and scooted to the
edge of the seat.
“Acting like something completely phenomenal didn’t happen between
us.”
“I told you that if we were going to be friends, you would have to
forget what happened.”
“I can’t forget something like that.”
“Well that’s too bad.” She jerked open the door and bolted out
into the pouring rain.
Dylan scrambled out of the truck and ran after her. She barreled
down the street in front of the truck. The headlights captured the pink flesh
of her thighs under the wet, thin dress she wore. Dylan’s hand clasped a
slippery arm and pulled her to a halt.
“Stop!” He drew her back.
“Let go of me,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“Not until you look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t feel it,
too.”
Water drenched them both as they faced each other in the driving
rain. Her eyes narrowed and the sea green shade darkened.
“I…I…” She searched Dylan’s eyes, as though trying to find the
words to say.
Dylan looked down at his hands locked around her arms.
The way Julia gazed at him he could easily imagine her sliding her
fingers across his forehead and moving his long hair away from his eyes.
His chest heaved as his breathing increased.
“Please don’t do this to me, Dylan.” Deep recesses dug in between
her brows.
“It’s already been done.”
With that, his mouth assailed onto hers.
I sure hope that wasn't too much of me too soon. After all, I only come in one size and that's TEXAS SIZED!!
If you'd like to hang out with me in other places, come on over!!
My Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/robin_badillo
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