Rejecting His Desire by Dilys J. Carnie
When Rose’s
past catches up with her will she survive? Jack will stop at nothing to make
sure she does.
Rose Eagleton has never let
anyone penetrate her tough exterior. She won’t allow herself to be hurt again, nor
will she let anyone uncover the secrets of her past, which she has successfully
hidden for years. But when she meets Jack Calloway he refuses to let her hide
behind her shell. She’s confused about her feelings for this man who takes
every opportunity to be close to her, to touch her, to make her feel. But she
knows one thing for sure—she can’t let him become important to her.
Jack’s motto had always been ‘to protect’. An ex-Navy
Seal who is now part owner of a security firm, he takes his work seriously. When
he installs a security system in Rose’s club as a favor to her sister, he finds
himself intrigued by the beautiful young woman who fights so hard to keep him
at a distance. As he discovers the secrets she’s trying so desperately to hide,
it becomes clear that her life is in danger. Can he break through her shell and
provide her with the protection she needs but refuses to accept?
Content Warning: contains
adult
language and explicit sex
Genre(s): Contemporary
Romance
REJECTING HIS DESIRE – EXCERPT
"Honey girl, you look as if you'd rather be somewhere else."
The familiar voice made Rose's stomach clench and her heart race.
She cleared her throat, turning around. "I was thinking about
changing my clothes. I'm not really all that comfortable in this type of
attire."
Jack's dark eyes went over her from top to bottom, his perusal slow,
until his eyes rested on hers. "That'd be a real pity, Rose, 'cause you
look beautiful in that dress."
"Yeah, right." She laughed. "Is that a pick-up line,
Jack?"
Even on her best day she thought she just looked 'okay', nothing out of
this world, definitely not a beauty like Daisy and Jasmine. Rose thought that
the beauty gene must have passed her by, because her two sisters were beautiful
while she was merely passable.
The male species were okay, but she'd never found one that made her sigh
and swoon. She was used to putting up a front, fighting her battles, but truth
be told, she was embarrassed and felt uncomfortable in such close proximity
with Jack.
He reached over, slipping his finger around a curl that the hairdresser
had tonged into her straight hair, it was left loose while the rest of her hair
was piled on top of her head. He twined it around his finger, doing it as if it
were the most natural thing in the world.
She reached up, circling his wrist with her fingers, only they were too
small, and it made her aware of just how large he was.
He gave her a questioning look. "You gonna try and throw me down
the stairs or something?" His mouth twitched as his eyes twinkled with
amusement.
She stared hard at him. She didn't like to be touched. "If I have
to."
Rose was defiant; she knew for sure that no way in hell would she be
able to do that. When he'd allowed her to kick his six and a half feet of
muscled body out of her club she'd had to admit surprise. Rose thought a man
like him would have been mortified by a female getting one over on him, but he
hadn't even lifted a finger to stop her.
He stepped back, and she held her breath when she felt his fingers touch
her neck as he let go of her hair. Her insides did that shaking thing which had
also happened the last time she saw him. He leaned against the banister and
shoved his hands into his trouser pockets.
"So why'd you laugh when I called you pretty?"
"Because I thought it was funny and a terrible pick-up line."
He raised his eyebrows. "You think that was a pick-up line?"
"Wasn't it?" She moved back, or tried to; she was already
pushed against the window. He was so close, she had to look up to talk to him.
The air seemed limited, and she blew out a breath to cool her very unattractive
sweaty upper lip.
"No, it was the truth. You look beautiful."
She tried to be casual by shrugging her shoulders, but she was standing
in four-inch heels, and the movement unbalanced her—there was no way that was
ever going to end well. She fell forward straight into his arms, her braless
breasts squashed into his hard chest.
Immediately her nipples hardened, and she was shocked. She could feel
her body enjoying the warmth of Jack Calloway before she realized he had his
arms around her with his long fingers laying on the bare skin of her back.
Jeezus, was that an electric shock whizzing down her arms to the tips of her
toes?
She pushed back, looking up into those black eyes that were half closed.
He, on the other hand, seemed perfectly unaffected by what had just happened.
Although he wasn't smiling as he had been, the facetiousness had disappeared.
She frowned. Had she imagined that sizzle of awareness? No…the soles of her
feet felt like a pincushion.
"You are beautiful," he insisted.
Dilys J Carnie
My home is on the beautiful island of Anglesey on the west coast of North Wales. Anglesey has been my home since the age of eleven after moving here with my mum and dad and three sisters from Scotland.
I'm the proud mother of two grown children. My daughter Emma is a
primary school teacher, and my son Christopher is part of the family business.
I'm a health freak and a vegetarian. Pilates class combined with
visiting the gym at least four times a week keeps me fit. I love clothes,
makeup, and having my nails and hair done. I'm just a girl's girl.
If I'm not in my office pounding the keys I'm sitting in my favorite
chair reading books and discovering new authors on my Kindle.
As a young child I loved to write. I always carried a notebook and pen
around with me and wrote about everything. I never thought for one moment I
would ever be able to pick up a book with my name on it and say "I wrote
that". It was a dream coming true when I signed with a publisher for my
first book in November 2012. So, dare I say at the young age of fifty I think
it's time for me to see if those dreams are everything that I hope they will
be.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/dilysjcarnie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/dilysj.carnie.3
Website: www.dilysjcarnie.com
