“Did I ever mention I’m deathly afraid of sharks?” LaVerne shudders as she stares wide-eyed at the fifteen foot long hammerhead gliding through the water of the ten story aquarium teeming with sea life.
Mac hums the theme from Jaws and grins when LaVerne jabs her with an elbow.
Lyn knocks her knuckles on the glass and laughs. “It’s an aquarium,
sweetie, not the ocean, and the glass is at least eight inches thick.
Unless you go to the top and dive in for a swim, I think you’re safe.”
“Oh, look at that!” Steam condenses on the surface as Mary presses her nose closer to check out the giant sea tortoise meandering high above.
Lilly and Debby coo as a school of angel fish skim along the glass in front of them.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but this is one of the coolest places we’ve ever thrown a party.” Mac glances around the large building. Surrounding the gigantic circular tank in the middle, dozens of smaller tanks line the walls and hold sea life of varying kinds, like leafy sea-dragons, giant eels, and majestic rays.
As if in greeting, an octopus moves over the clear wall of his home with hundreds of suction cups and waving arms.
The Hostesses jump and laugh as a California sea lion barks and waves his whiskered nose in the air.
Debby glances down at her jeans and sweater then up at the penguins waddling over their rocky enclosure like miniature waiters. “I didn’t realize it was black tie.”
Lyn grins. “Isn’t it great? In Kara and Jody’s book,
Dangerous Love, Josh and Alessa have a date at an aquarium. They love all sorts of underwater creatures, especially the more exotic ones.”
“I’m assuming seafood isn’t on the menu,” Lilly drawls.
Mary laughs and looks up. Kara and Jody wave from the tenth floor balcony overlooking the central tank
where their roast party is already underway.
Spying the elevator, Mary leads the hostesses inside and the doors close. “We’re having a Greek feast. Skewers of shish kebob, gyros, pork loin, couscous and hummus, with cheesecake and baklava for desert, and a decadent chocolate cake as the centerpiece.”
The doors open to the sounds of merriment and heavenly scents. As the hostesses hurry out of the car toward today’s guests of honor, LaVerne’s stomach growls and she blushes. “As long as there is no shark.”
Let's drink a toast and congratulate
Kara Leigh Miller and
Jody Holford on
DANGEROUS LOVE!
their great new release.
(Today's introductory skit was written by
Mac Crowne)
BOOK BLURB:
He’s fighting to forget his past while she struggles to remember hers…
Doctor Josh Parker lives with guilt about his wife’s death every day. He believes himself incapable of ever loving again, but when a mysterious woman arrives in the Emergency Room, brutally beaten and left for dead, he starts to feel something he hasn’t felt in far too long: hope.
Alessandra Matthews has no memory of the events that led to her being hospitalized. Worse, she has no idea who hurt her or why. Although she’s uncertain of who she is, she is fully aware of one thing—she’s falling for her doctor.
Sometimes, what you don’t know can kill you…
As Josh and Alessa work to solve the mystery surrounding her past, she soon realizes just how much danger she’s really in, but Josh refuses to let her face the darkness of her memories alone. With each of them struggling to put their pasts behind them, theirs is a DANGEROUS LOVE.
EXCERPT:
He picked up the small pitcher of ice water and poured some into a plastic cup, handed it to her. She finished the whole glass and held it back out, making him smile.
“This time with the pills.” He grinned, making him look younger as he passed her a tiny plastic cup with two pills inside. She kept her eyes wide open and on his the entire time, hoping that staying focused on him would keep her from another flash.
“All gone.” She smiled, and stuck her tongue out to prove it. He laughed lightly and took the cups from her, tossed the small one in the trash. He checked his pager, frowned, and then looked back up at her. “Do you think my memory will return?”
“I’m not sure. As I said, it’s not uncommon for victims of abuse to block memories. Almost self-preservation.”
She leaned her head back again and sighed. He moved to her side once more, and she could smell his cologne. It was becoming almost familiar to her,comforting.
“Well, maybe it’s better that way. I wasn’t living the best life. Clearly. I made someone mad.” She ran her fingers over the raised pattern in the hospital blanket.
“There is absolutely nothing you did to deserve this,” he said, his tone quiet but firm. She continued to trace the pattern. “Alessa, look at me.”
When her gaze found his, it was like lightning in her belly. Fast, intense, and electric. His eyes were fierce.
“No one deserves to be hurt like this, to be hurt at all. Regardless of what you remember, you need to go forward remembering that.”
She nodded, her eyelids heavy. She didn’t want to close them though. She didn’t want him to leave.
“You need some rest. But you’re safe. You know that right?”
She frowned at him, wondering how he could know that. He tilted his head to the side. How old is he? His eyes seemed older than the rest of him, and she figured he had seen enough to make that possible.
“Thank you. You’re going above and beyond. I’m sorry I’m taking up so much of your time.”
He stood for a moment, saying nothing, and she couldn’t read his expression. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he ran his hand through his already mussed hair. Giving a sigh, he stepped closer, put his hand over hers on the bed and squeezed lightly. Her pulse picked up even as her eyelids drifted closed. She tried to turn her hand in his, but her arm felt heavy. As she nodded off, she thought she heard him say, “I want to be with you.” She tried to respond, tried to repeat his words so when she woke up, she could at least remember if he had really said them or if she had just wished he had.
AUTHOR BIOs:
Kara Leigh Miller is a hopeless romantic who spends her days weaving tales of love and heartbreak. She's a stay-at-home mom, full time author, and Managing Editor at Anaiah Press.
Kara Leigh Miller
Editorial Director, Anaiah Press
Jody Holford is a wife, mom, reader, and writer. She's also a blogger and follower, a word twister, and a Gemini
.
Website
Blog
Jody's Amazon Page
***GIVEAWAY***
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Contest ends on Sunday and everyone who comments is eligible.
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