Play With Me (Stand-Alone Novella)

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RELEASE DATE: October 28th

The warmth of Thanksgiving gives a dedicated reporter and a powerful businessman a chance to count their blessings in this tender, sensual novella from Lisa Renee Jones.

Kali Miller has spent three years reporting fluff stories for a small-town Texas paper, waiting for the opportunity to pen the article that will launch her career to new heights. That dream has never felt further away when she suddenly finds herself out of work, forced to take a job as an executive secretary at a Las Vegas casino. But that’s exactly where Kali meets the subject of what will surely be a shocking exposé: her boss, Damion Ward, the casino’s arrogant and undeniably sexy CEO.
Watching Damion make his cold, calculating business maneuvers, Kali is positive she’s doing the right thing. But after Damion invites her to help him plan a Thanksgiving charity event, Kali begins to see another side of the man. And when she surrenders to the exhilarating tension that’s been simmering between them since day one, Kali becomes part of her own story, which she hopes will have a happy ending.

EXCERPT #1

Lisa Renee Jones ‘Play with Me’ Copyright 2014

“We need to talk,” he says, as if this is a casual event requiring nothing more than a chat, as if I’m not being treated like a felon.
“Talk?” I demand, all the emotions of hours of confinement rising up in me to near bursting. “We needed to talk seven hours ago. Now? Now we don’t need to talk.”
He steps forward, crowding me, forcing me to give him space or let him become a part of mine. I have a rare violent urge to shove him, but I retreat into the room instead. He steps closer and kicks the door shut behind him, and damn him, that delicious scent of him tickles my nose, and the teasing eruption of sensations in my body only serves to make me more angry. I don’t want to feel the way he makes me feel. I don’t want him to be the one man who sparks something in me that no one else does.
“I couldn’t call,” he has the audacity to say. “Just like I couldn’t tell you I knew we had a security breach when you told me what the computer was doing in my office.”
“So you knew what was happening and didn’t tell me?”
“There’s a procedure to—”
“I don’t give a damn about procedures, Mr. CEO, especially from the one who sets the rules I’ve suffered with.” The edginess in me results in me poking my finger at his chest, heat dashing up my arm. “Just tell me one thing. Am I free to leave?”
He looks down at my finger and then his gaze lifts, but there is no anger in his face. There is something else, something I can’t identify. “I got you cleared, but—”
Relief is instant, and I cut him off. “That’s all the talking you need to do.” I try to turn away, intending to gather my things, but he shackles my wrist, more heat ripping up my arm and over my chest.
“Let go,” I snarl, hating a man I barely know who has put me through hell. It’s like I’m a masochist. Why else would I be drawn to yet another powerful asshole?
His lips thin, and I wish I didn’t notice how sensual and perfect they are. “We have to talk.”
“No,” I assure him. “We do not.”
“We’re going to talk.”
“You aren’t my boss anymore, which translates to the end of all conversation.”
His eyes glint hard steel. “What does that mean, I’m not your boss anymore?”
“I quit. Find someone else to treat like crap.”
“I had no choice—”
“There’s always a choice. I just want out of here.”
“You’ll regret this later.”
“I’ll take that risk.”
“You’ve had a rough twenty-four hours, Ms. Miller. You aren’t thinking straight.”
I all but growl at him. “Let me guess. I’m a woman and my emotions must be controlling me.”
“Because you’re human.”
“Why do you even care if I stay?” I demand, and I don’t know how or why, but the air around us shifts and thickens.
“Because I do.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I want to know you.”
I swallow hard. “Well, I’m sure you’ll know every piece of my DNA after seven hours of being trapped here. Goal achieved.”
“Ms. Miller—”
“Stop with the Ms. Miller. I’m not your damn employee anymore. Let go of me.”
He doesn’t let go. His gaze flickers to my mouth, then lifts. “I won’t let you quit.”
“Call Natalie. I’m sure she’ll come back.”
He tugs me close, his hard body aligned with mine, and I can barely breathe. “What do you know of Ms. Duncan?”
“If you mean Natalie, she was in HR when I was.”
“There were circumstances.”
“Yeah. I get that. Believe me, I get it.”
“No. You don’t. She has nothing to do with you or us.”
Us? What does he mean, us? And why is my hand on his chest? Why can’t I move it? “I’m done. Let me go.”
“You won’t change your mind about quitting?”
“No.”
His fingers tangle into my hair, dragging me closer. “Then why would I let you go?”
Both of my hands have now found the wall of his chest, and I intend to push him away, but I just . . . don’t. “What are you doing?”
“What do you think I’m doing? Finding out if you taste as good as I think you do.” And then his lips are on mine, his tongue licking seductively into my mouth, sending erotic sensations spiraling through my body. I tell myself this is insanity. To push away. We barely know each other. I don’t even like him. Except I know it’s a lie. I know that in the short time we’ve known each other, every shared moment, every mutual look, every touch and tangled word exchange, has been leading to this.
Another lick of his tongue and I am unable to hold back a moan or the desperate need to be closer to him. I arch forward, desperate to feel him against me. Desperate to have him naked and touching me. Me touching him. Desperate to be naked and have him inside me. He is a drug, a wicked, wonderful drug that will finally be the end of my sanity if I allow him to be.
That idea sends a burst of panic and adrenaline through me, and I shove at his chest. “Stop. We can’t.”
His mouth leaves mine, and I am one part relief, one part painful need to pull him back. “Why?” he demands, and his voice is rough, affected.
“You’re my boss.”
“You quit.”
“Right. Which means I leave now.”
“You want to leave?”
No. “Yes.”
His eyes darken to deep pools of green fire and stormy torment, telling me he knows this is a mistake. He knows. I know. Why are we still here? “Tell me you really mean that and I’ll let you go,” he vows. “But just know this: If you stay, I absolutely will fuck you senseless and then do it again.”
“I . . . you . . . we can’t . . .”
“We can. I’m going to kiss you now, Kali.”
“Kali?” I whisper, unbelievably aroused by my name on his lips.
“Yes. Kali.” And then he is kissing me, his tongue caressing into my mouth, seeming to touch every intimate part of my body, stroking deep, and burning through me. Sensations roll through me, teasing my senses, torturing me with how much I want him and how wrong I know this is. But then his hand caresses my backside, pulling me closer, hard against his hips, his thick erection pressed to my belly, and I can’t remember why exactly it’s wrong. I am lost. Lost in him. Lost in what I feel, and I don’t want to let anything else in. Not the past. Not the last few hours. I don’t care anymore.
I wrap my arms around his neck, crushing my breasts to his chest, and gasp as he tears his mouth from mine. Then he is staring at me, searching my face for something I don’t understand. And I don’t know what he sees, or what he finds, but his eyes soften, and he strokes the hair from my face. “I was right. One kiss isn’t even close to enough.” His mouth comes down on mine again, and my fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, holding on to him, willing him not to stop. This time the kiss is deeper, a dark demand that I answer willingly, eagerly, my tongue stroking against his.
Suddenly his fingers wrap my waist and he lifts me, setting me down on the wooden dining room table, spreading my legs to step between them.
“What are you doing?”
He reaches up and tugs on the front zipper of my dress. “Undressing you.”
A moment of clarity comes to me, and I grab his hand. “You need to know this changes nothing. I’m still furious about today. I don’t even know if I like you.”
“But you want me. That’s a start.”
He tugs on my zipper and I don’t stop him, my hands going to the table, trying to stabilize myself, though I’m not sure that is possible. This man is shoving my bra down and ravishing my breasts with a hot inspection that makes my sex clench and my thighs ache.
“I . . .” I pant, and forget what I was going to say. He’s cupping my breasts, pressing them together, and stroking my nipples with his thumbs.
“You what?”
“I don’t know.”
He nudges me backward. “Let me try to figure it out,” he offers, lowering his head, his dark hair tickling my chin, his tongue flicking against my nipple, sending darts of pleasure through me.
I squeeze my eyes shut, fighting for sanity, but his mouth closes down over one of my nipples, sucking deeply, and I am arching my back, offering myself to him. Silently begging him for more. It’s just been so long, I tell myself. So very long since someone touched me like this. So long since I felt like a woman. This isn’t me radiating toward men who like to hurt me. This isn’t me torturing myself. It’s him torturing me in all the right ways.
My hands go to his hair, but he slips away, going down on a knee and caressing my dress up my thighs. “Now I’m going to officially apologize for what happened today,” he vows

Excerpt #2

Lisa Renee Jones ‘Play with Me’ Copyright 2014

“Kali!”
I hear Damion shout, but I do not stop. I spot an open elevator and slip inside moments before it closes. I hesitate only briefly, then punch the button for the office floor. If I go to my room, Damion will follow, and I will cave and let him in. I can’t talk to him until I figure out what I’m feeling. Not right now. I won’t talk to him right now.
Hugging myself, I wait for my floor, trying to stop the shaking. Damn it, I’m weak. I don’t want to be weak. The elevator dings for my floor and I exit. Dana is on the phone and waves at me, giving me a smile I just can’t return. At my desk, I all but fall into my chair and will myself not to cry. I grab a stack of mail and start opening it, trying to stay sane.
I know the moment Damion is in the lobby, the scent of him blistering my nostrils. He is like a drug. I think I’ve become that to him, too. He is risking too much for me. I have to leave here, and him, and it’s going to destroy me.
Suddenly he is standing beside me, towering over me. “Let’s go talk.”
I don’t look at him. “No. Not now.”
“Kali—”
I turn to him and snap, “Not. Now.”
“Yes,” he says, turning my chair to face him, his hands on the arms. “Now.”
“Write me up, Damion, fire me, but I am not ready to talk.”
“Hey, Kali—”
The sound of Dana’s voice makes me cringe, and I can’t even look at her. “I, uh,” she stammers from behind me, and I hear her departing steps.
“Either come with me,” Damion warns tightly, “or I’ll pick you up and carry you.”
“Don’t even think about it.”
He pulls me to my feet and drags me into his office, shutting the door and locking it. I try to escape and at least put distance between us. His hand comes down on my arm and he turns me to face him.
I blast him. “You just told the whole damn place that we’re together when we haven’t even really been together. Why would you do that? Why?”
He maneuvers me against the wall, framing my body with his. “We are together, and if you didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t have signed that notarized letter.”
“We aren’t together, and now we won’t ever be together. I have to leave. I can’t stay. I can’t let you get fired over me.”
“I won’t let you go, and I won’t get fired.”
“I had a right to privacy. Terrance should have asked permission to share my personal affairs, and don’t tell me I signed a form or I might hurt you right now. Kent and my alcoholic asshole father—who thinks if he puts ‘functional’ before the ‘alcoholic’ it’s actually acceptable—weren’t supposed to know I’m here. If I wanted them to know, I would have told them.”
“Kali—”
“And I didn’t run away from those people, like you accused me of. I chose to shut them out and be happy. This was supposed to be my place and now it isn’t. Now they know I’m here and everyone here knows about us.”
“This is your place, Kali, and I’m not letting you go without a fight.” His fingers twine in my hair, tilting my head back, forcing me to look at him. “We might be new, Kali, but we’re damn good together.”
“What about—”
“We’ll figure it out. Together, Kali. We’ll figure it out together.” And then his mouth closes down on mine, his tongue stroking past my lips, his palm molding me close to him. I try to resist, but it’s more because I feel I have to, because I should. Only I don’t want to resist this man. Not now and not since the moment I met him. I cave to my need for him, moaning as I sink into the kiss. I know we are headed for trouble, and I’ve had enough trouble. But I have not had enough of him.
I tug at his shirt, suddenly desperate to feel his skin next to mine. To know if it will feel as good as I’ve imagined it would. My fingers slide beneath the cotton material, absorbing his body heat and the warmth of taut skin over hard muscle.
His mouth trails over my cheek to my ear. “Together,” he promises again, his warm breath teasing my sensitive flesh and sending a shiver down my spine.
“Yes,” I whisper, and I don’t let myself think about trouble or tomorrow. I cling to him, arching my body into his, trying to get closer to him, afraid I will never get close enough.
He cups the back of my head, slanting his mouth over mine, kissing me deeply, passionately. Breaking only to seductively trail his lips over my jaw, my neck, my ear, and I am lost in the haze of desire.
“I want you naked,” he murmurs, tugging my dress up over my hips, and, with that, an unwelcome jolt of reality hits me.
I grab at my dress and pant, “Wait. We can’t. Not here. We could get caught.”
“The door is locked.” He turns me to face the wall, pressing my hands to it, his on top of mine, his big, wonderful body encasing me. He leans in close, his mouth at my ear. “And,” he murmurs, “if you’re still worried about getting caught, I need to do a better job of distracting you.” He tugs on the zipper of my dress, and I open my mouth to resist, only to moan as his tongue begins to follow the metal downward. And his tongue is magic burning through me, sending waves of sensations to every nerve ending I own.

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RELEASE DATE: October 28th

Blurb

Life is hard. Life leaves you beaten, broken…alone. Then one day, a stranger touches your hand and you feel something intense, unforgettable, but yet, you want to forget. You need to forget. It’s safer than believing in things you’ve decided don’t exist. You know all about shattered promises and lost hope. You know them so much better than you know this excited, warm, wonderful feeling, and it scares you. He scares you, but he also makes you feel alive again. He makes you realize you haven’t really been living. You’re surviving and you fear he’s the one who’ll make you forget how to keep doing it. But what if he’s the one who changes everything?

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT SERIES, and is now in development by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland) for cable TV. In addition, her Tall, Dark and Deadly series and The Secret Life of Amy Bensen series, both spent several months on a combination of the NY Times and USA Today lists.

Watch the video on casting for the INSIDE TV Show HERE

Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 40 books translated around the world. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.

Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at on her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

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Kelli McCracken’s love affair with books
began long before she could read. She didn’t let anything stop her from
creating stories, even as a child.

That same passion still exists within her
today. She is an artist by nature, a curator of characters. Kelli
McCracken does her best to give each story and character great depth.

“It seems like all I do is write…and listen to
Layne. He’s constantly whispering something naughty in my ear, like being
dipped in chocolate. Now I want a Kit-Kat. Welcome to my zany life, where
#SanityIsOptional, romance is required, and liquor is most definitely quicker.
I love talking about my characters. Hope you like hearing about them.”

When she isn’t chasing kids, working on crafts, or sneaking off with a bottle of wine, Kelli spends her time writing.
Of course, it can’t be all work and no play. Once procrastination strikes,  you can usually find her hanging out on Facebook, Pinterest, or Spotify. Be sure to stop by and say hi. She loves chatting with readers.

A week has passed since fight promoter Bruno Costello took off with the nine year-old daughter of MMA fighter Luke Romero and the FBI have no clue where to look. To make matters worse, the promise of Luke getting back his professional license has fallen through. When he’s offered a deal, he takes it, knowing it’s the best chance he has to find his daughter before it’s too late.

Luke’s girlfriend, Daniella Carrington, has her own issues to deal with. She’s been called back to Summerville to testify against her friend’s abusive ex. There’s only one problem; Dani is known to the Summerville police as Hanna and taking the stand under oath could land her in jail.

Add in a handsome stranger relentlessly pursuing Dani and nothing is certain. Will Dani and Luke be able to make things right or will they lose everything, including each other?

* AMAZON * BARNES & NOBLE * iBOOKS * KOBO *

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Eve Carter, is a true romantic at heart and with a modern contemporary erotic twist to her romance novels, you had better fasten your seat belt, as the ride is always fun, exciting and fiery.

* WEBSITE * FACEBOOK * TWITTER *

Trey Taylor was loving life. Bass player to the world famous rock band Devil’s Lair, chicks falling to their knees at every turn, no one to be held accountable to for his actions…life rocked.

He had all he needed, food to sustain his body, sex to sustain his libido, rock to sustain his soul. For years he walked to the beat of his own drum, and made no excuses to anyone. Running and hiding can temporarily distract your fate, but it won’t derail it. Fate was coming for him, whether he liked it or not.

His past was gaining ground and threatening all the secrets he desperately tried to hide. His present was slowing him down, making him feel emotions he buried years ago. The two are about to collide. Will Trey survive the impact?

TRAILER

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* Go Back To The Couple That Started The Series *

Amazon US * Amazon UK * Amazon CA * Amazon AU * B&N *

Amazon Best Selling Author ~ A.M. Madden’s debut novel Back-up is the first of three in The Back-Up Series. Book 2, Front & Center is also available on Amazon. Book 3, Encore will be released June 2014.

A.M. Madden is a wife, a mother, an avid reader of romance novels and now an author. In Back-up she aspired to create a fun, sexy, realistic romantic story. She wanted to create characters that the reader could relate to and feel as if they knew personally. A self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, she loves getting lost in a good book. She also uses every free moment of her time writing, while raising teenage boys.

* FACEBOOK * TWITTER * WEBSITE *

Ice

 

As president of the Predators’ MC, my men and I are used to preying on the weak and those stupid enough to cross our paths. So why does a straitlaced teacher make me sit up and take notice when I see her for the first time?

The brothers all think she makes me weak, and believe me, weak in their eyes isn’t where I want to be. She wants me to prove she means more to me than the club, and when I fail, she thinks she can just walk away. She’s wrong. I’m a Predator, and nothing escapes me.

Grace

As a teacher, I’m supposed to want to educate those who want to learn, right? That’s what I believed until I was told I’d have to teach a class at the prison. I didn’t move to a town labeled as one of the safest places in America only to be faced with a bunch of Predators.

He expects me to trust him despite being the reason I’m trapped in the middle of a prison riot. His club means more to him than I ever will, and if I give him a chance, he will break the fragile peace I have managed to find. It’s not the first time I’ve had to escape a predator.

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I was born in a small town in Kentucky. My family began poor, but worked their way to owning a restaurant. My mother was one of the best cooks I have ever known, and she instilled in all her children the value of hard work, and education.

Taking after my mother, I’ve always love to cook, and became pretty good if I do say so myself. I love to experiment and my unfortunate family has suffered through many. They now have learned to steer clear of those dishes. I absolutely love the holidays and my family puts up with my zany decorations.

For now, my days are spent writing, writing, and writing. I have two children who both graduated this year from college. My daughter does my book covers, and my son just tries not to blush when someone asks him about my books.

Currently I am writing five series of books – The Last Riders, The VIP Room, Predators MC, Biker Bitches, & The Dark Souls.

All my books are written for one purpose – the enjoyment others find in them, and the expectations of my fans that inspire me to give it my best.

Jamie loves to hear from fans, you can find her here: 

 

Website
Facebook
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Goodreads

 

 

 

Bittersweet Symphony (Bittersweet #4)
By J.L. Beck

**Half of all sales of this book for the month of October will go towards The National Breast Cancer Foundation. If you would like to donate please visit http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/ for more details**

-This book is suitable only to readers 18++ due to sexual situations, language, and violence.-

I’m a good girl. I don’t go out and party and I most definitely don’t sleep with half the student body. That’s what makes me and Ryder Winchester an unlikely duo. We should never work out, but yet I’m pulled to him like a moth to a flame. I want him, and I know he wants me.
He has secrets that I know I could never understand, but so do I. We all have secrets, things we hide from others in fear of what they would think of us if they ever found out.

I’m a bastard. An asshole. Most days I couldn’t give a shit what someone has to say to me. That is until I meet Kennedy Chaps. She’s different, strong, well opinionated, and completely naive to the person I am… My body, mind, and soul pull to her like no other. I could have her, but I won’t. I won’t taint her. I won’t shut out her light.

We both have secrets so deep that allowing them to escape would be like losing a part of the person we are. But as friendship morphs into something much deeper I feel myself confessing my secrets; things that could very well be the end of us.

Sometimes it’s about finding the right person to tell your secrets to.

Sometimes it’s about the risk.

Sometimes two damaged souls can’t heal all wounds, sometimes love is not enough. Hearts get broken, people lose hope, and love dies.

We are Ryder Winchester and Kennedy Chaps and this is our story.

 Worry eats at my insides. I’m scared. Terrified. Sam knows. He obviously knows and told Ryder. I know Ryder is playing it off as nothing, simply looking at me as a way to rid the pain. I want him just as bad as he wants me, but I am not sure I can follow through with everything that’s going on. I have to do something to find a way to stop Sam before he ruins our lives, even if it means sacrificing my own happiness.

I can feel the tears slipping from my eyes at the very idea of never seeing Ryder’s face again, of never being able to show him that life is worth more than what he has been given, of never making him believe that he isn’t anything like his father. He is amazing, kind, generous, loving, protective…I just hope that someday he will realize who he really is.

Wiping away the tears, I fix my hair and force myself to calm down.

Getting out of the car, I walk up the front steps to Ryder’s apartment complex. It has been a week since the incident with Sam and I haven’t heard from him. It is as if he fell off the radar. I try to gather my thoughts and emotions, but once at his door, I have to pull my heart out of my stomach. I am not sure what horrible incident will happen first: Will my heart beat out of control, sending me into cardiac arrest, or will I vomit all over his floor?

Raising my fist to knock on the door, I stop. A noise on the other side of the door startles me, freezing me into place. It sounds like things are being thrown throughout the house.

My heart rate picks up, and my body goes into overdrive as fear finds its way into my mind. I can’t bury it if I tried. Without hesitation, I grab the handle of the door. The coldness of the metal is the only thing I can sense.

Turning it, I open the door and my heart plummets to the floor. Danger registers in my mind, but I’m too worried about Ryder to pay it any attention. The apartment is trashed. It looks as if someone has gone through the place looking for something, but never finding it.

I hear the slamming of doors down the hall… “Ryder?” I call out. Feelings are lodged in my throat. I don’t think I can do this. Taking one look at the apartment, I can tell he is already spiraling out of control. He is losing himself.

“What?” he roars gruffly from down the hall. I can hear the pain laced in his voice. Anger vibrates off of him with every step he takes toward me. He looks nothing like the man I have fallen so helplessly for. Instead, the shell of that person stands before me. He is shirtless and sweaty. His face has a week’s worth of scruff, and his hair is all over the place.

“Are you okay?” I ask as innocently as I can. I have never been more afraid of Ryder than I am in this very moment. I can see the unstableness within him. Like a teeter-totter, he needs something, or someone, to balance him out, but he has to want it, first.

He picks up a nearby bottle of what I assume to be alcohol. He reeks of whiskey and another sweet smell.

“Do I look okay, Kennedy?” he sneers sarcastically. The words are like a slap to my face. What happened to him? I take a soft step backward, not wanting to trap myself within his grasp.

If I am being honest, I know he’s not okay. His eyes are blood shot while his face is a beautiful, ragged mess. He is so damaged, and it hurts my heart. I thought I was the only one suffering, but obviously I was wrong. How could I have been so blind to Ryder’s needs, to what he so desperately needed from me?

“Not really… You look… not…good,” I mumble through my words, not wanting to say the wrong things that may upset him even more. But then my feistiness sparks, and I start to gather my courage. “No one’s heard from you in like a week. You haven’t even called me.” I don’t want to sound needy, but I have missed him. I wanted to make sure he is okay, but I wanted to see him too. My eyes linger over the muscles of his chest, the muscles that make up that delectable V of his.

“Really?” He barks out before taking another chug from the bottle. I seriously need to find every bottle of alcohol in this place and pour it out.

“That’s weird because the only one who called me was you… and then you have my piece of shit father… but that doesn’t really matter now… does it?” I watch him, carefully listening to his slurring thoughts for any hidden meanings.

“It matters…”

“It doesn’t… and I’m not even sure why you’re still here, Kennedy.” He is fucking stupid if he doesn’t know why I am here. He is stupid to assume anything in the state he is in.

“You’re stupid if you don’t know why I’m still here,” I state, trying to hide my anger, knowing he will just get off on it. He is at the tipping point, and I don’t want to give him any more steam.

“I’m stupid…” He lets out a harsh, vile sounding laugh. “I’m the one, but you’re… you’re the innocent, precious, perfect beauty… standing in front of me… trying to pull me off the cliff.”

I look around the room. The couches are overturned, the dining room table broken, glass is all over the place, and everything else is strewn all around. I wonder how the cops haven’t been called yet.

“What happened?” I ask curiously, wanting to take the attention off of me.

“What didn’t happen?” he responds gruffly, pushing off the counter while slamming back another drink. I eye the bottle precariously; I need to get it away from him, but I don’t dare get close to him. I know the Ryder I care about wouldn’t hurt me, but this Ryder is someone darker, meaner, and more abrasive with less boundaries.

“You should probably put the bottle down.”

He eyes me, the darkness within him casting out any good. The light within him is diminishing with every drink.

“You should probably leave.” He takes a step toward me, and my breathing hesitates. Fear spikes down my spine, but I can’t look away from him. My feet are glued to the floor, and I know I won’t leave this place until I save him and bring him back to me. We both might be broken, but he is far more broken than I; if I have to, I will save the two of us, making us whole again.

I shake my head no, afraid that my voice will tremble, giving away just how much he affects me. Before I can even blink, he is directly in front of me, his hand wrapping around the back of my neck.

I am shaking like a leaf in the wind. I know he can feel it. He takes a drink from the bottle again, and the scent of whiskey invades my senses. He smells dark and dangerous, and even though I’m frightened by him, I’m intrigued as well.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asks softly. His voice is that of the Ryder I have grown to know, but the look in his eyes tells me it’s merely a façade.

“No,” I declare, somehow finding my voice. I so badly want to take him into my arms and tell him it will be okay, but I know that isn’t what he needs.

“Are you sure?” he taunts me, his fingers seizing my neck harder. There’s no pain, just discomfort.

Then it dawns on me: he thinks he can hurt me and everyone else who cares about him, like he’s his father. He is wrapped up in his very own dark world, letting the thoughts assault him.

“I know you’re in there somewhere, Ryder. Find your way out, find your way back to me,” I beg, my hands landing in fists against his chest. He’s warm, and I’m so enveloped up in the feeling that I don’t realize we are moving until my back slams into the wall. His body pins mine, a feral look in his eyes as the bottle of whiskey hits the floor.

I can’t breathe, nor can I force myself to close my eyes. I can’t do anything to protect myself from him; I’m at his mercy.

“This is me, Kennedy. The person you thought you knew never existed. My father killed him a long time ago.” His hand skims over my chest, my heartbeat skyrocketing to a point where I’m afraid I will die.

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Check out the other novellas in the Bittersweet serial:

Bittersweet Revenge (Bittersweet #1)

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Bittersweet Love (Bittersweet #2)

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Bittersweet Hate (Bittersweet #3)

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J.L. Beck is the author of Bittersweet Revenge(A Bittersweet Novella Book 1). A four part novella series. She lives in Elroy, WI with her husband Brandon, and daughter Bella. Since the moment she could reach the shelves on the book shelf shes been reading, thus influencing her to write. Her favorite books are those that leave an imprint on your soul. You know the ones that have you putting everything off because you have to find out what happens next.

When she’s not writing or reading(of course)you can find her picking up after her three year old daughter, or explaining to her husband why its unsafe to do something any other way, than the way your wife told you too.

Shes a huge fan of all things drama, with shows like The Vampire Diaries, and Arrow being some of her favorites. She’s addicted to all things social media, caffeine, and Starbucks.