#SampleSunday - Forever Mine - Holding back

 The set up for today's Sample: Sarah has spent her first incredible weekend with Angel. She still can't get over that he actually want's to be exclusive with her. And she's still reasoning that she doesn't have to tell him her best friend waiting for her back home is a guy. After telling him about her mom being in jail, he lets her know how he feels about her being honest.      

She glanced at the clock; it was 10:30 pm. She was almost out the room, on her way to brush her teeth, when she heard her phone ring. Her face lit up when she saw it was Angel. She answered it with a smile.

“Hi, Angel.”

“Hey.” His voice was a little somber. “Sorry I’m calling so late. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I still feel like an ass about today.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” She clutched the phone. “Actually, I feel a lot better now that I told you.”

“Good,” he said. “’Cause I want you to know you can to tell my anything.”

Sarah's heart sank. She knew she should’ve told him about Sydney already, but truth was she was beginning to wonder if he really needed to know. Valerie was right, she decided, about guy’s being territorial and Angel was making that pretty clear. She was certain now, especially after hearing his take on guys and girls being friends, that he wouldn’t understand her relationship with Sydney.

She reasoned with herself that he probably would never get the chance to meet Syd anyway. She’d already decided to keep the subject of Syd to a minimum. Still, she couldn’t help feeling deceitful.

She pushed Sydney to the back of her mind. There were other things she needed to get clear with him. “Listen, Angel.” She sat down on her bed. “I’m glad you called. With all the talk about my mom today, I completely forgot to talk to you about tomorrow.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“Well, I know we have an understanding now, but I don’t want that to change things at school.”

He was silent for a moment, but she heard the unmistakable change in his tone when he spoke again. “You don’t want anyone at school to know you’re seeing someone?”

“No.” She was surprised that he would even think that. “I just don’t want you to change anything you normally do, for me. I know how close you are with your friends. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to spend together after school and on weekends, there’s no need for me to cut in on your time with your friends at school.”

She really hoped he’d understand. The last thing she wanted to do was suffocate him. After all, this was his school, his friends, she was the outsider.

The truth was, she wasn’t entirely sure she was going be able to handle this. It was well known the way the girls, especially Dana, acted around Angel. Just the thought of watching another girl throw herself all over him now made her cringe.

“Hey,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with everything staying the same as far as you hanging out with your friends, and me with mine. But in case there’s any doubt, I wasn’t planning on keeping this understanding a secret.”

Sarah felt her heartbeat speed up. For the first time the reality of it all was sinking in. This was really happening, and with none other than Angel Moreno.

“Oh, I know that,” she said. “That’s not what I meant at all. I just don’t want to smother you Angel. I want you to still have your space.”

“You have it all wrong, Sarah,” he said “If anyone is gonna have to watch the smothering, it’s gonna be me. In case you haven’t noticed, I just can’t get enough of you.”

His words sent shivers up and down her spine. She felt the exact same way, yet Angel didn’t seem scared. She, on the other hand, was terrified. This kind of happiness was uncommon in her world. She wasn’t used to it and in some ways almost felt guilty about feeling so happy.

“You have to stop saying things like that.”

“Why?” He sounded very serious. “I say what I feel, and I want you to do the same. Don’t ever hold anything back.” 

“Okay.” She loved the way he made her feel so uninhibited. “Can I tell you what I’m feeling right now?”

“Of course.”

She bit her bottom lip. “I’d like to crawl right through the phone right now, and kiss you all over.”

She heard him groan. “That’s not fair. Okay, let’s get one thing straight, things like that you can only say when I have you right in front of me. Damn, how am I supposed to fall asleep now?”

Sarah giggled. “Sweet dreams, Angel.”

“Yeah, you know what I’ll be dreaming of.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, still giggling. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

He groaned again. “Sarah, baby, I know you mean well, but that’s not helping my situation over here.”

She forced herself to stop giggling; reminding herself to not make promises she couldn’t keep. She’d already seen firsthand how hard, almost painful it was for him to restrain himself. Not that she had any doubts he would, but it was cruel to tease him like that.

She stared at the phone for a while after they’d hung up, and wondered how she, herself would get any sleep tonight.

Forever Mine on Amazon US, UK  and B&N The Nook for just $.99 cents!  

#SampleSunday- Always Been Mine (wip)

This is a sample of my upcoming novel Always Been Mine the second in The Moreno Brothers series. It's still a WIP and unedited so please excuse any errors or typo's.

The set up:

Alex thought he was over his ex Valerie until they were reunited briefly at a wedding shower just weeks earlier. Ever since he hasn't been able to stop thinking about  her. Unfortunately she informed him she'd moved on and is seeing someone new. In this scene he decides to join a few friends at a bar. He's surprised to see Valerie's roommate Isabel is there with his friend Romero.  

Romero ordered everyone a round then turned to Isabel. “You think Valerie’s ready for another one?”

Alex’s eyes were immediately on the two beer bottles in front of Isabel. Romero was holding his so the other was obviously Valerie’s. 

“Just bring her another one,” Romero told the waitress.

Isabel glanced at Alex, and now he knew what she’d been troubled by. She turned away quickly to talk to Sofia who was getting comfortable in the seat next to her. The anxiety was already making its way to his stomach. He hated that damn feeling. He turned casually back to the rest of the restaurant hoping to get the first glimpse of her out of the way before she was too close. 

“So how’d they get you out of your cave, big guy?” 

Alex shrugged sitting on the edge of one of the bar stools around the pool table.  

“It was time for a break.”

“You think?” Eric asked. “Sofi says you practically live there, now.”  

Romero leaned over the pool table and took a shot. “What’s wrong with you, man? When’s the last time you went out?”

Alex didn’t even remember. He’d been so caught up this past year he couldn’t even remember the last time he’s had sex. That fact alone spoke volumes about the meaningfulness of the experience. 

The waitress walked in with their beers. She handed him a bottle with the kind of smile he was used to getting from women. He reciprocated out of habit, but went back to looking for Valerie. Romero got busy paying the waitress. Alex took advantage and continued to search for Valerie. His anxiety spiked when he spotted her near the entrance. Not just because she looked even more amazing than when he’d seen her at the shower but because she wasn’t alone. 

The sight of her with a guy close enough to kiss her made him squeeze his beer bottle. Alex took a deep breath and a bitter swig of the beer. This was not his idea of taking a break. He felt more angst at that moment than he had in all the weeks since the shower. 

No way he was he spending the evening around Valerie and her new man. He took a longer drink of his beer. He’d be out of here as soon as he was done. Still gripping the bottle tightly he had to concentrate on not breaking it. As much as he hated the sight he couldn’t move his eyes away from her and the guy. 

The guy held her wrist but not in the way a boyfriend holds his girls hand. The moment he saw Valerie pull her hand away defiantly he was on his feet. He welcomed the new tension that seeped through him. Unlike the tension he felt from seeing her with another guy he knew exactly how to deal with this one. 

They weren’t talking they were arguing and Alex should be happy. Instead he went on an instant state of alert. Her boyfriend’s aggressive expression and the fact that he tried to grab her hand again was all Alex needed. He put his beer down and started toward them.

#SampleSunday - Excerpt of Forever Mine

This week sample is another excerpt of my debut YA romance novel Forever Mine available on Amazon   and B&N Nook .

The set up:  Sarah has already gushed about the best friend she longs to go back home to Sydney, more than once.  However Angel assumes Sydney is a girl. For now Sarah has let the assumption go without correcting him. In this scene Sarah and Angel are on their first real date strolling the shops in Old Town San Diego.

 
Angel walked over to where Sarah had stopped and was looking at little turtle figurines with heads that bobbled. He tapped the little head to make it wiggle.

“You like that?” He grimaced.

“It’s cute.”

“My sister has a bunch of those. Ever since her friends found out she liked them they’ve started buying her more. So she collects them now.” Angel chuckled. “I remember the time some idiot brought one to the restaurant for her. My brother Alex broke the head off.”

Sarah looked at him weird. “Why’d he do that?”

Angel was still smiling. He picked out a couple the turtles for his sister and turned back to Sarah, “She was only fifteen. That’s way too young for a boyfriend.”

He watched as Sarah crinkled her nose and she got that little wrinkle between her eyes. He was beginning to love all her expressions. “Maybe he was just a friend.”

“No such thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean there’s no such thing as guy’s and girls being friends.” Angel moved along the aisle still not seeing anything that grabbed him. He stopped when he noticed Sarah hadn’t moved.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” She walked toward him. “You really believe that?

“Believe what?”

“That guys and girls can’t be friends?”

Angel stopped looking through all the junk on the shelves and turned his attention to Sarah. “Yeah, don’t you?”

“No. I think it is possible.”

“Really?” He lifted an eyebrow. “You have a lot of guy friends, Sarah?”

Sarah cleared her throat and glanced back at the souvenirs on the shelf. “Not a lot. But I have some.”

#Sample Sunday - Excerpt of "Forever Mine"

The set up for this scene:  This is the morning after Sarah's first night out with Angel Moreno. He's already called her first thing in the morn and asked to see her again. She's getting ready and has a conversation with her step cousin Valerie regarding her relationship with her best friend Sydney back home and Angel's possible reaction to knowing her best friend is a guy.   


Sarah couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. Standing under the shower with the warm water running over her body she thought of Angel, as she lathered herself and smiled.


The past year had been all but hell, and the past two months had been worst, with Sydney having to drag her out of her funk every time. But now she felt jubilant. It scared her a little. She was still very aware of the fact that this was Angel. The Angel she’d heard so much about. But he said he was looking forward to getting to know her. He sounded so sincere, and his kisses, God those kisses. Just thinking about them made her quiver all over.

Sydney’s call woke her up just after seven, and they talked until Angel called. He knew she was going out last night for the first time since she’d been out here, and was anxious to see how it went. Sarah told him everything, not wanting to leave anything out, especially about the kissing. Sydney hadn’t been surprised at all that Angel was interested in Sarah and was happy she sounded so excited, but warned her to take it slow.

She got out of the shower and dressed. She went back in the restroom to get her blow dryer and ran into Valerie, still in her sleep clothes, a long t-shirt and basketball shorts. “Where are you going so early?”

Sarah’s cheeks reddened. “Angel is picking me up.” She tried not to smile too big.

Valerie’s jaw dropped and eyes popped wide open. “He is?”

Sarah nodded, smiling sheepishly. She grabbed the blow dryer and started back to her room with Valerie in tow. “Oh my God, you’re so lucky! Was that who called so early this morning?”

Sarah stopped at her bed and looked through her purse. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. The more she made out of this, the harder it would be if she turned out to be Angel’s flavor of the week. A faint haze of pain sunk in, just thinking about it. But she knew it was a definite possibility.

“No, that was Sydney,” she said. “Angel called while I was on the line with him.”

Valerie rolled her eyes. Sarah knew what Valerie thought of Sydney. She’d never actually met him but she didn’t understand their friendship. “There’s no way that guy is not in love with you,” she’d said, many times.

Sarah also knew Valerie resented the fact that she had preferred, literally begged to stay in Flagstaff with him and his family, rather than come and live with Valerie and her Aunt. Even now, she talked more and was closer to him than she’d ever been with Valerie.

Valerie plopped on Sarah’s bed. “Are you gonna tell Angel about Sydney?”

“I already did.” She left out the part about Angel referring to Sydney as a she this morning, and the fact that she hadn’t corrected him.

Valerie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “Really? What did he say?”

Sarah made a face. “Valerie, we hung out one night; you honestly think he cares?”

“I’m telling you, guys are territorial.”

She shrugged. “Well, territorial or not, I’m not his girlfriend -”

“Yet,” Valerie interrupted. “We’ll see what he thinks of Sydney once you two get serious.”

Sarah felt something tighten in her chest. She thought about how he’d gotten right to the subject of Jesse when they got to the beach. How stone faced he’d turned when she told him she’d gone out with him. But with Sydney it was totally different. He’d have to understand.

“What makes you so sure we’ll be getting serious? You, yourself said he’d never had a girlfriend. Why would he want one now?”

It was almost a rhetorical question. She didn’t really want to hear the answer. Valerie was ruining this for her. It was way too soon to start worrying about what Angel would think about her relationship with Sydney.

She’d given it some thought when she realized Angel had assumed Syd was a girl. But she pushed it to the back of her mind. She’d cross that bridge when she came to it. At the moment, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever have to.

Valerie made herself comfortable against the headboard. “It’s the way he was with you last night, Sarah. I’ve never seen him act like that before. He’s never been one for public displays of affection. But last night it was so obvious he wanted everyone to see you were with him.”

Sarah tried to hide her exhilaration.

“I’m just saying,” Valerie continued. “If you were like me, I wouldn’t worry about it. Just tell him all about Sydney and if he walks, oh well, too bad for him, on to the next. But you’re not like me. You’re sweet, sensitive little Sarah. And I saw the way you looked at him last night too, missy. You’re already falling for him. So, unless you want troubles, you should start weaning Sydney off your everlasting devotion.”

The butterflies in Sarah’s stomach stirred, threatening to take off in a wild spin. Sarah walked back to her purse, eyeing Valerie. She put her make up on silently. She hardly wore any, so it didn’t take very long. She was about to respond to Valerie’s observation, when her phone rang, making her jump. Valerie smiled eagerly.

“Is it him?

Sarah looked at the caller ID and nodded. Valerie flew off the bed and ran over to Sarah’s side, leaning in to try and hear him. Sarah looked at her and giggled. She flipped the phone open and answered.

Sarah gave him the directions with Valerie glued to her side the whole time. When she hung up Valerie groaned. “God, he even sounds hot. I swear you are so lucky!”

Sarah tried to play it cool, but the swarm in her stomach had spun out of control. She’d barely had enough time to absorb what had happened the night before, and now he was on his way to pick her up again. She smiled at Valerie and hurried to finish herself up.

She filled her aunt in on her plans, and gathered her purse together. He drove a white mustang. She could tell it was an older model but it was still nice. She looked out the window and watched him get out of the car. He wore dark carpenter jeans and a long sleeve gray crewneck shirt that hugged his chest perfectly.

“I’m leaving!” she yelled at no one in particular and walked out to meet him.


Forever Mine just recently recieved a 5 Star "Top Pick" Review from Night Owl Reviews!!

Available on Amazon Kindle US, Amazon Kindle UK and B&N Nook

#SampleSunday- Excerpt of Forever Mine

Today I'm sharing an excerpt from my debut novel Forever Mine now available on Amazon  and B&N The Nook , temporarily priced at $.99 for the holidays. The premise of Forever Mine is about 17 year old Sarah Lynn Fierro who is sent to live with her aunt in California after her single mom is sent to jail. She has no intentions of staying, that is until she meets Angel Moreno and is unexpectedly swept off her feet. This is the scene of their first conversation after having had a few awkward encounters prior. Angel has come to her rescue from a pushy guy who was trying to force a hug from her. I'd appreciate any thoughts/Comments. Happy reading!

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Released, Jesse fell to one knee, coughing and gasping for air. Again, Angel turned to face Sarah. He took a few steps her way. She still held her hand to her chest, and her eyes remained on Jesse who, now on his feet, continued to cough. She finally looked at Angel, with those eyes that were beginning to haunt him.


He was determined not to clam up again. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He fought back the urge to pull a strand of hair away from her face. She smiled at him for the first time.

“Yeah, thanks.” she replied. “You didn’t have to do that. He was just being a little pushy. I could’ve handled it.” She stood up straight putting her hand to her waist.

“Yeah, maybe you could’ve. I just don’t have patience for idiots.”

A few people noticed the scuffle and slowed as they walked by, but not enough to call the attention of any teachers.

Again she turned to watch Jesse huff away embarrassed, still coughing and rubbing his throat.

“He’ll be fine.”

Sarah shrugged and they started back slowly toward the gym.

Walking so close, side by side, Angel was distracted when their hands touched for just a second. He refocused on his reaction to seeing Jesse push himself on her. It was typical of him to want to help but he had gone a little overboard. He could’ve just pushed him off. Instead, he really wanted to see Jesse hurt.

He stared at her now, eyes narrowing. “Is he a friend of yours?”

Sarah glanced his way but turned away quickly. “That’s not what I would call it.”

Angel tightened his jaw and stared straight ahead. “What does that mean?”

She focused on the cheerleaders, who were now staring at them, especially Dana. Angel was oblivious to them, his eyes fixed on Sarah now.

She finally looked back at him. “We hung out once, a long time ago.”

Hung out? “You dated him?”

“Not exactly.”

She never completely looked him in the eye, and the frustration was getting heavier. Jesse was one of the biggest assholes he knew. He couldn’t imagine her being involved with him in any way.

They reached the gym before he could push further, and she gazed at him. She put her hand on his arm and every hair on his body stood at attention.

“Thanks again for what you did back there.”

Angel couldn’t help stare at her eyes.

“I’ll see you around.” She took her hand off his arm and began to walk away.

What? That’s it? No way was he letting her get away so fast. He grabbed her hand as she turned from him. It was soft and small in his big brawny hand. His heart raced.

She turned to look at him he tried focusing on something other than her eyes, but it was impossible.

“Are you going to the game on Friday?”

She studied him for a moment and then cleared her throat. “I can’t. I’m working.”

A few guys turned the corner and strolled toward them. She tugged her hand but he held it tight. He glanced at the guys and back at her.

“Work, huh? 'Til what time?”

“Not sure yet, I’m babysitting, so it depends on what time their parents get home.”

She tugged her hand again, this time just hard enough that Angel let go, and she started to walk away again.

Angel frowned. “Well, there’s a party after, maybe you can go to that, if they get home early?”

She was at the locker room entrance, when she turned back to look at him.

“Maybe.” She waved and disappeared behind the door.

Angel stood there staring at the locker room door. This was ridiculous. Why was he so bad at this all of a sudden? Then it dawned on him. He’d never actually asked a girl out. The irony made him chuckle. He’d always just hook up with someone at a party, or dance, and then ended up parking with her somewhere. Even with all the girls he’d been with, he’d never been inclined to actually ask any of them out, and now that he was trying to, he sucked at it.