Good Morning and a little excerpt for you

Hello from the Goldfields of Western Australia. Summer has definitely arrived in WA. It's times like these I'm glad hubby convinced me to put a pool in! It certainly helps to keep us cool on these hot days. But it was bloody hard work to dig the hole - by hand - and jackhammer because there's a lot of rock here.

How was everyone's Christmas? Did you all get to see family and friends? We stayed home in our little rural town which was very quiet - except for a really nice sounding V8 that's been going up and down the lookout hill across the road almost every day - somebody got a new car for Christmas!

I have 4 works in progress at the moment. Think I might just post a little excerpt from one of them for you all to read. This one is safe to post on my personal account - I just have to find a nice image to go with it. Constructive criticism is welcome.

I hope everyone has made sensible arrangements for bringing in the New Year. Let's hope 2022 is kinder to all of us than 2020, or 2021 has been.

Okay, time for the excerpt.

Working Title: Storm (this may change)

Release Date: Sometime in 2022.

EXCERPT... (Unedited - in its raw form)

Looking down at the envelope, I flipped the top flap up and extracted the documents pinned together with a large, silver paperclip. Once they were in my hand, I placed them down on top of the envelope, then flipped the final page over just to make sure I’d signed on the dotted line before the car stopped.

I shoved the papers back inside the envelope as the car came to halt, and I hurried out once the doors slid open. With a quick look down at my watch, I frowned. Finding a parking spot in the middle of the city at rush hour had made me a few minutes late. I sent up a silent prayer that the lawyer I was booked in to see was running late just like when you attend a doctor’s appointment.

My feet moved a little faster down the hallway. When I turned the corner, I came to undignified halt as I crashed into a solid wall of muscle dressed in a black Armani suit like an out-of-control truck, and papers scattered everywhere, all over the plush pile, carpeted floor.

Jesus Christ, I huffed. This is NOT what I need right now.

I stooped over and began to quickly gather the papers up to give back to their owner, trying to ignore the amused chuckle I heard coming from him as he crouched down to do the same.

Goddamnit, I’m going to be so bloody late now. Stupid, stupid girl, I chastised myself. I should have made an allowance for how much time it would take for me to find parking. Then I wouldn’t have been in such a rush that ultimately landed me in this situation.

My eyes flicked up when I continued to hear his amused chuckle, with my lips pressed together in annoyance. Goddamn. My hands faltered in picking up any further papers, and I’m sure my heart skipped a beat for a fraction of a second.

Sex and sin.

A lethal combination that oozed from him as if it was a tangible object that I could taste.

What in the fuck? Remember why you’re here, Storm.

I avoided the amusement dancing in his blue eyes, and his sexy-as-sin turned up lips.

“Are you Storm?”

His smooth, deep voice washed over me, momentarily stunning me. As I looked up with a frown marring my forehead, his raised brow indicated he was waiting for me to answer. I held out the pile of papers I’d gathered, then began to wonder how in the hell he knew my name.

“Um, yes,” I answered tentatively, then straightened back up and took a step back.

Who is this guy?

My stomach began to knot up.

Sex and sin straightened up with the unkempt pile of papers held in one hand.

“They just called you in,” he smiled, pointing in the direction of a man standing at the edge of the reception area with an impatient look on his face. He leaned in toward me. I should have taken another step backwards, but I didn’t. “They don’t like to be kept waiting,” he whispered in my ear. My heart was beating wildly, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe with him being so close to me.

I rolled my eyes in exasperation for two reasons.

One, because I’d stupidly let sex and sin get so close to me that he’d infused his woodsy scent into my brain, and his sexy voice lodged into my memory bank, and two, because I had started to become suspicious of him. I felt so damn stupid. But I had a right to feel suspicious. Tyler Burgess, my soon-to-be ex-husband, wouldn’t hesitate to hire private investigators. He would do anything to avoid giving me one single dollar.

“Oh … thank you.”

I attempted to skirt around him, but he stepped in my way. I had to stop or risk smacking into him again. He smiled, and extended his hand.

“Ryan Wylde.”

I didn’t have time for this. These damned lawyers were vultures, and they seemed determined to prolong the agony of my divorce to line their own pockets. I now owe Penny a substantial amount of money. I just wanted to be free of Tyler. Once and for all. All that was separating me from that accomplishment were the A4 sized papers inside the yellow envelope in my hand. My mind was otherwise occupied, and I didn’t quite catch what he said.

“What? Riding wild?” I commented impulsively.

Too late, my brain caught up and I realized he’d said ‘Ryan’, not ‘riding’.

He smirked.

I shivered.

That smirk had raised an immediate, and unwelcome pulse of desire between my thighs.

“By all means, Storm,” he chuckled.

I visibly shook a little as a flash of desire rushed through my entire body at the silky way his voice caressed my name as it fell from his lips.

“You may ride Wylde for as long as you wish.”

My face heated. He was laughing at me. I readjusted the shoulder strap of my handbag further up my shoulder.

“I doubt you’d be able to handle me, Mr. Wylde.”

Tyler had constantly reminded me I required too much of his time. Too needy. That’s me. Miss Needy.

Sex and sin, Ryan Wylde, made some barely audible tut-tut noises.

“Challenge acknowledged and accepted, Miss Storm.”

He leaned comfortably back against the wall behind him and crossed one leg over the other, his foot coming to rest on the tip of his very expensive shiny black shoe.

I was still trying to think of a come-back when I heard my name being called behind me again. This time, it was quite stern, with a hint of impatience thrown in for good measure.

“Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Wylde. I know I will be once I leave this building.”

Just the thought of walking out of this office building a free woman put a genuine smile on my face as I turned away from sex and sin, Ryan Wylde, and headed toward the opened door of Mr. Darcy’s office.

My thoughts tried to turn to sex and sin in a suit on the way down in the elevator. Mr. Ryan Wylde was only on my mind because I’d smelled his woodsy cologne as I passed through the reception area on my way to the elevators.

Exhilaration was coursing through my body at being declared a free woman.

Destitute.

Penniless and couch surfing at my best friend, Penny’s, house.

But absolutely free and clear.

A single woman. As good as, anyway. I just had to wait for some Decree Nisi from the court in the mail to cement it.

It was so euphoric. Did all divorcees feel this exhilarated at the stroke of a pen? It was empowering.

Exiting the building, I stood to one side on the pavement. Tilting my head back, I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. One long, full lungful of free air. I felt so damn good.

“Have you concluded with all necessary business, Miss Storm?”

I almost jumped out of my skin. My heart began to race as my hand went straight up to my neck, covering where his warm breath had flowed over my skin in a delicate caress, prickling my skin and causing the tiny little hairs to stand up on my nape when he’d whispered in my ear. The way his mouth moved and his tongue rolled to form the sensual way in which he savored my name, momentarily mesmerized me.

With a jolt I pulled away, taking a step or two away from him. He’d snuck up so close to me before he spoke, he’d scared the crap out of me and made the blood pump through my veins a little faster, all at once.

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