Teaser Tuesday - Breaker's Point Sinner

I thought I'd give you all a taste of what's to come in Breaker's Point Sinner, everything about Griffin makes me smile. So here he is in all of his arrogant glory.

Coming May 2015

Chapter One

Griffin gritted his teeth as the cell phone on the passenger seat rang for the third time, the incessant buzz buzz buzz of the vibrate making him grip the steering wheel tight enough to turn his knuckles white.

Jerking the wheel, the tyres spun on the loose gravel that covered the parking lot of the dive bar where Spike had said to meet. The neon lights of the sign over the door of Holey Moley’s blinked on and off as Griffin let the car roll to a halt outside the main door.

Peering out through the windshield he noted the cracked glass of the front window that sat behind warped iron bars and the general run down appearance of the building and let out a sigh. Trust Spike to find the grungiest place on earth to lay low from the reporters.

Reaching over to the passenger seat, Griffin scooped up phone and swiped his thumb across the screen. It instantly came to life in his hand, the list of missed calls almost enough to make him feel special and important. But if there was one thing Griffin didn’t want it was to feel in demand. Especially not by his brothers.

Scrolling down through the list he quickly counted up the number of missed calls from his older brothers Riley and Stuart.

Twenty-eight… Griffin let out a low whistle a bittersweet smile twisting his lips.

Whatever was going on in Breaker’s Point, they were clearly desperate if it meant they had to contact him. Staring down at the screen he contemplated pressing the call button. It would be so easy to just return their calls and a part of him knew he should at least listen to the numerous voicemail messages they had left for him.

Griffin swiped his thumb to the left, quickly deleting the missed call listings in his cell history. The moment he did it a knot of tension seemed to loosen in his gut.

It served them right anyway. He’d asked them for help first and they’d both been only too happy to turn him down. And now they had the cheek to come to him asking for help? They’d clearly come off their meds.

The phone started to buzz once more and Griffin jumped, the phone dropping from his hand and slamming against the steering wheel as it bounced towards the floor of the car.

Shit! He muttered beneath his breath as he scrambled beneath the steering column for the ringing cell phone. Glancing at the screen as he grabbed it, Griffin quickly answered the call putting it on speaker.

“Griffin, are you there?” The familiar sound of his managers voice filled the car.

“Hey, Steve!” Griffin said, forcing a note of cheerfulness into his voice.

He had after all agreed with Spike not to let Steve know that there was anything wrong.

“Don’t hey Steve me, where the hell are you? You haven’t been answering your phone for days. In fact I can’t reach any of the guys. It’s like you’ve all just dropped off the face of the earth.”

“Something came up, that’s all.”

“Something can’t just come up, Griffin, not when you’ve got the rest of the tour to finish, with all the tickets that have been sold, this isn’t something you can just flake out on!” There was an edge to his voice that Griffin wasn’t used to hearing and he couldn’t help but wonder if Steve knew more about what was going on than he was letting on.

“I want you and the rest of the guys to come into the office, there’s something we need to talk about, something important…” 

“Listen, Steve, I’m not sure what you think you know but whatever it is will just have to wait. You need to trust us, we’ve never not done a gig and we’re not going to start now but…”

“Griffin, I’m not playing around, I mean it, you need to come in, this is not something we can allow to carry on and…”

Griffin caught sight of Spike stepping out through the front swing doors of the bar, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth as he stared down at his cell phone.

“Steve, I gotta go. Try not to worry so much, it’ll only make you prematurely grey.” Griffin ended the call as the other man started to protest, his voice cut off as Griffin’s thumb came down hard on the red button.

Sitting in the car he watched Spike for a minute, the concerned look on his bandmate’s face turning his stomach.

Spike was supposed to be the calm one, the man with the plan and it had been his idea that had sent Griffin back to Breaker’s Point. 

It had been a stupid plan.

Pulling the keys from the ignition Griffin pushed the car door open and stepped out onto the loose gravel of the parking lot, his heavy black boots crunching over the stones as he crossed to the door.

“What took you so long? You were supposed to be here hours ago!” Spike said, his voice low and irritated as he took a drag of the cigarette in his mouth and spoke out through the side of his lips.

“I was held up, the traffic wasn’t exactly a peach you know and it’s a long ass drive down from Breaker’s.” Griffin felt himself bristle at the tone Spike seemed to be taking with him.

He wasn’t the one who’d had to go to his family cap in hand only to be humiliated when they turned him down.

Griffin couldn’t shake the look of shock Riley had worn when he’d told him how much he wanted to borrow. A quarter of a million was peanuts to a man like Riley Reynolds, it wouldn’t have cost him a thought to hand out that kind of money. It was part of the reason Griffin felt so utterly betrayed by his own family.

He knew without a doubt that if it had been precious Stuart asking for the money, that Riley would have given it to him without a moment’s hesitation. But because he was the one asking for the money, Riley had turned him down.

It stung and the confrontation with his brothers had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

You could always go to Dyson, he’s still family after all and he more than anyone else would understand feeling betrayed by those who were supposed to be there for you no matter what.

Griffin dismissed the thought the second it popped into his head. It was by far one of the worst things he could possibly do. Dyson had made his choice all those years ago and Griffin wasn’t in the mood to beg even if Dyson was his twin and owed him big time.

“Fine, whatever, man, did you get it?” 

“I told you on the phone there was a problem with the money…”

“Christ, Griffin, I ask you to do one thing and you can’t help but screw it up. These people aren’t playing, they mean business and if we don’t pay them back…” Spike trailed off, his blue eyes a little too wide, his pupils a little too big.

“You’re high again aren’t you? You said you were done with all of that, Spike, you made a promise to me, to the guys!” Griffin sighed and pushed his hands back through his hair as he stalked into the bar, the door slamming back against the grotty wall with the force of his entrance.

He scanned the dimly lit room, his eyes picking out the rest of the band huddled around a small table at the back of the bar. His gaze moved on and fell on the curvy beauty standing behind the bar.

Her red hair fell around her shoulders in waves and Griffin felt a prickle of desire roll down through his body as he watched her lean across the bar, her breasts straining against the overly large check shirt she wore.

He couldn’t help but grin as she lifted her gaze to his, a flash of annoyance passing behind her bright green eyes as she caught him staring at her.

Griffin sauntered towards her, relaxing into his role as sex god extraordinaire, a title he had more than earned the right to. There wasn’t a woman on earth who could resist him and for good reason.

He caught sight of his reflection in the speckled mirror behind the bar and his smile wilted.

You look like shit! The small voice in the back of his mind loved to state the obvious and now was no exception.

Griffin tried to shrug it off, he needed a distraction from everything that was going wrong in his life and the stunner who was eyeing him suspiciously was the perfect balm for his battered soul. 

It wasn’t something he was particularly proud of, attempting to solve all of life’s problems by screwing the brains out of whatever woman he happened to sweet talk into bed wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. 

Hook-ups were meaningless and they only ever seemed to be a temporary escape from the painful memories that plagued him whenever he closed his eyes. But it was better than the alternative and although they were meaningless they were at least enjoyable.

“Hey, beautiful, I’m Griffin, you’ve probably seen me on the t.v…”

“Hi, Griffin, my name is I couldn’t give a damn who you are, so you can keep on walking with that sweet talker act because I ain’t buying the shit you’re selling.”

Griffin couldn’t help but grin a little wider as he slid onto one of the tattered barstools. Anticipation curled in the pit of his stomach, it was always nice to meet a challenge and from the looks of the woman who stood glaring at him from the other side of the bar, she would be worth the effort.

“Do you greet all your customers with such award winning charm?”

Her expression darkened and Griffin couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to suck her cherry ripe bottom lip between his teeth as he kissed the hostility out of her.

“Only the ones I know are assholes.” She quipped back before beginning to turn away.

“I’ll have a double whiskey,” He said, halting her in her tracks before she had the chance to stalk away.

Griffin smiled as he watched her shoulders sag before reaching up to the shelves above her head and grabbing a shot glass. She slammed it on the counter in front of him and took a bottle of cheap looking whiskey from beneath the bar.

“Got anything that won’t rot my stomach?” Griffin said, wrinkling his nose his tastebuds withering in anticipation of what was coming.

The red head grinned but it wasn’t a friendly look as she half filled the glass and pushed it towards him.

“Nope, I’m afraid on this side of town this is as good as it gets.”

He knew she was lying, but Griffin also knew when he was beat and so he scooped up the glass and knocked the contents back in one foul mouthful.

He fought to keep his expression from twisting in disgust, he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing just how brutal it had been. But he knew he’d failed the moment her smile widened and she topped up his glass before walking away. The sound of her laughter burning in his ears.

“She’s nothing more than a frigid bitch, I wouldn’t bother with her if I were you.” Spike said as he climbed onto the barstool next to Griffin.

“Piss off, Spike, when I want to learn how to become a junkie I’ll give you a call.”

“Oh come on, don’t give me that holier than thou crap, Griffin, it really doesn’t suit you. We’ve all made mistakes, it’s the stress of the situation. A shit storm we’re buried up to our necks in because of you. I just needed a little help in clearing my head.”

“Don’t blame this on me, I was trying to pull us out of the mire, I was trying to get us back on our feet. How was I supposed to know this would happen?” Griffin said, his grip tightening on the tumbler in front of him.

Spike’s words bit home, it was Griffin’s fault, he’d caused the mess and it was his job to drag them back out of it. But it didn’t make any sense and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t wrap his head around how it had all gone down the drain so quickly. The money should have lasted longer, should have stretched further…

“Come on, you know what these guys are like, nice when you’re asking for the money but the friendliness disappears just as soon as they have you where they want you.”

“But the money shouldn’t be gone, I made sure we had enough to see us on this tour and then some. I don’t understand how it could have just been frittered away.”

Spike shrugged and reached over, his hand grabbing the tumbler of whiskey away from Griffin. He downed it in one go, his face twisting and a shudder rippling through his skinny frame as he dropped the glass back onto the bar.

“I don’t know what happened to it, maybe Steve screwed up? He hasn’t ever been the best manager in the world, maybe it’s time for a change?”

Griffin stared down at his hands, his fingers sliding over the callouses caused by years of playing guitar. Spike was probably right but that didn’t change the fact that they were in trouble up to their necks and Griffin didn’t know how to fix it.

“Cami, get your dumpy ass over here and pour me another drink.” Spike shouted down towards the bartender.

Griffin watched as his cruel barb hit home and the pretty bartender’s shoulders tensed in response. But she kept her back to him, ignoring his shouts that were gradually becoming more and more aggressive.

“Shut up, Spike, you’re making a fool out of yourself.” Griffin said, gritting the words out from between his clenched teeth.

If there was one thing that made him uncomfortable it was Spike’s mistreatment of women. Griffin knew he was no angel but he actually liked women, loved the feel of their bodies, the taste of their lips, the sound of their laughter when they were truly happy. There was one thing on this earth that he enjoyed more and it was a genuine smile but since making it big with his band Black Special, Griffin had found it practically impossible to find a woman who could look past the celebrity status he enjoyed and so every smile he was privy to was tainted and lacked the genuine emotion he sought.

Unlike Spike whose soul mission on earth seemed to be to make women as miserable as he pretended to be. Griffin had often wondered if Spike was in fact a misogynist and if he was, then what had driven him to such an extreme?

“I’m making a fool of myself? I’m not the lazy whore behind the bar pretending not to hear her thirsty customers calling her name.”

Griffin started to turn in Spike’s direction a smart response on the tip of his tongue but it was already too late. His mouth dropped open as Spike hopped over the bar and started pulling bottles out from underneath the counter.

“I knew there had to be something better back here than the piss water she’s been serving us.” Spike said, bending down to pull another bottle out.

“What the hell are you doing?” The shout from Cami drew Griffin’s attention and he couldn’t help but admire her as she strode down the floor towards Spike.

She reached him quickly and grabbed the bottle of vodka he had just cracked open and was taking a long swig from out of his hands. Alcohol poured down the front of him and Griffin fought to keep the smile from his face.

“I’ve tolerated you in here all day but this is too much, I want you all out.” Cami said, her voice firm as she started to put away the bottles he’d pulled out.

“We’re not going anywhere, we like it in here, if you want us gone then you know what you need to do, you can call the cops.” Spike said, a grim smile on his face as he reached out to take back the bottle.

She swatted away his hand with the dishrag she held and bent to put the bottles back beneath the counter.

Griffin saw it coming, the look on Spike’s face changing, the smile disappearing as he made a grab at her.

“Look out!” Griffin shouted, but his voice was lost in the sound of bottles crashing to the floor as Spike grabbed her by the neck and slammed her back into the shelves behind the bar.

Griffin hopped over the counter and dived towards Spike as he raised his fist and made to slam it into the cute bartender’s face.

Griffin wrapped his arms around his bandmate’s torso, dragging him backwards away from the stunned woman he’d just attacked. He watched her drop to her knees as Spike released her, her legs buckling beneath her as she crumpled onto the glass covered floor.

Griffin had a moment to wonder how badly she was hurt before Spike spun in his arms and drove his fist up into Griffin’s jaw.

Pain bloomed in his face, his head snapping back with the force of the blow. It never ceased to amaze him just how strong Spike truly was. He looked weedy and weak but Griffin knew he was wiry and fast.

Spike was on him before he even had the opportunity to properly react, his blows raining down on his body as Griffin fought to push him off.

Balling his hands into fists, Griffin lashed out, his punch catching Spike square in the face. Blood exploded from the cut that appeared above Spike’s nose and the telltale crunch of bone told Griffin that he’d broken the other man’s nose.

Spike growled and made a dive towards Griffin, blood dripping down the front of his face. Griffin caught him as he barrelled into chest, the momentum carrying them both to the ground, the blow temporarily knocking the air out of Griffin's lungs.

Breaker's Point Beau is live!

The second book in the USA Today bestselling series is now available.

When Holly McCombe’s wealthy father gambles away the family fortune, the ugly truth of his addictive nature starts to tear at the very foundations of what his daughter Holly holds most dear. In a desperate bid to save her father’s life she has no choice but to become engaged to sadistic bully Marcus Stark.

Her actions have placed her into a dangerous situation where one wrong step could mean her death at the hands of Marcus. 

Riley Reynolds one of the most eligible billionaires in Breaker’s Point had curvy Holly in his arms and his bed years ago, until a foolish mistake drove them apart and destroyed their mutual trust. But Riley’s feelings for Holly never died and seeing her on Marcus Stark’s arm brings his emotions flooding back.

Riley knows if he is to win Holly back he’ll have to prove to her that she can trust him with her darkest secrets. But some secrets are nothing more than dirty lies and those who guard them won’t give them up without forcing the innocent to pay the ultimate price in blood.

Will Holly’s stubborn nature cost her those she loves the most, or can a broken trust be healed by a true love?

Amazon 

Amazon UK 

Bound - Sovereign Club Book 2

Thank you all for being so patient during a very difficult time for me and thank you so much for the prayers and thoughts for my brother, it means the world to me and my family! He's still very ill and it's a constant struggle to concentrate on writing when all I want to do is spend all my time at his bedside making sure he gets the care and attention he needs. But I'm back home at the moment and working on Bound like my life depended on it ;)

I hope you enjoy the teaser of Chapter One!

Chapter One

Grabbing my hair I twisted it around my hand and quickly piled it up onto my head. The sensation of tugging my hair prickled pain along my scalp and it instantly reminded me of the him.

The feel of his rough stubble against my neck as his lips trailed fiery kisses across my skin. The way he wrapped his hands in my hair, forcing my head back until my neck was exposed to him.

Vulnerable.

Just the way he liked me to be.

A shiver raced across my skin and I closed my eyes letting my imagination take over for just a second longer. Without thinking I bit down on my lip and it was enough to jolt me from my thoughts.

I’d been so certain I was over my infatuation for Gabriel Hawk, trying desperately to convince myself that a life without him was for the best. But as the most infuriating man on the planet he’d left his mark on me in what felt like indelible ink.

The best I could hope for was to bury my memories of him… Any feelings I might harbour for him, hidden inside.

Grabbing the handful of hair pins from the vanity table, I stabbed them into place, wincing every time one of them bit painfully into my scalp.

Settling the last one into place, I glanced over my appearance in the mirror and nodded to myself. Not perfect but it was close as I was going to get considering my too curvy frame and the dark circles that sat beneath my eyes.

Scooping up my keys, I paused just inside the door of my silent apartment and sucked in a deep breath.

Beautiful. Confident. Successful.

I repeated the words beneath my breath over and over, my own personal mantra. It was stupid and yet I found myself unable to step outside the door until I’d completed it. Stupid or not, I couldn’t help but think it helped in some small way and I’d take whatever I could get.

My cell phone buzzed in my bag and I contemplated just ignoring it. With a frustrated sigh I dropped the bag onto the small table inside the door and searched inside for the phone.

Finally scooping it out, I swiped my finger across the screen and pressed the phone to my ear, the sudden flood of office voices filled my ear making me jump.

“Sasha, where the hell are you?” Samuel said, his voice clipped and irritated.

“I’m on my way to view a venue, why what’s wrong?”

“Don’t you think your clients would be better served by you actually turning up to work on time? Christ, Sasha, what’s wrong with you? I’m beginning to think you don’t really want this job anymore.”

His words rankled me and I fought the urge to give him a smart answer but the last thing I needed to do was piss him off anymore than he already was at me.

“Samuel, I told you yesterday I was going to view the venue this morning… I won’t be in until later and…”

He cut me off, “We’ve got a client who claims he’ll only work with you, he seems to think you’d be best qualified to help organise the intimate event he has planned.”

The edge in Samuel’s voice made me uncomfortable and the way he used the word intimate sent a shiver of revulsion rolling through my body. I could imagine him sitting behind his overly large desk as he spoke to me on the phone, fixing his sandy coloured hair in the mirror in the hopes it concealed the large bald spot that was starting to spread.

“My plate is already pretty full, Samuel, I’ve got Mr Bryce’s event to finish organising, maybe you should take this one.”

“He only wants you, Sasha, so get your ass over here and quit dawdling.”

The phone went dead and I stared down at it before dropping it back into my bag. Scrubbing my hands across my face I let out a frustrated groan. Ever since I’d turned Samuel down on his less than savoury offer of sex he’d been determined to make my life miserable. I could only imagine what sort of client he had lined up for me now, and god only knew what he’d told them about me.

I shuddered as the memory of Samuel’s awkward fumbling flooded my head. The feel of his wet slobbering kiss had been enough to turn my stomach and simply recollecting it wasn’t much better.

Giving myself a mental shake I cleared the thoughts from my head and pulled the apartment door open. I could do this, Samuel wasn’t going to send me running scared with his bullying tactics. 

No matter what he threw in my path I would overcome it.

***

Pausing outside the door to Samuel’s office I straightened the pale pink blazer I wore and rolled my shoulders back. 

Pushing open the door I caught sight of the tall broad shouldered man in the chair opposite Samuel’s desk, his dark hair picking up the sunlight, giving it the effect of having coppery lights. 

“I’m…” I started to apologise but the words caught in the back of my throat and I felt myself beginning to choke. There had to be a mistake and I fought the sudden urge to slide back out the door and slam it behind me.

“Sasha, so nice you could join us,” Samuel said, the look he shot me one of utter distaste.

Gabriel Hawk swung around in the large swivel chair he had perched in, the smug look of satisfaction that curled the corners of his lips over my obvious panic had me wanting to wipe the expression from his face. I found myself fixating on his mouth, that mouth that had brought me screaming to orgasm more times than I cared to admit.

You’re sick Sasha, an addict!

The voice in the back of my head piped up, breaking the moment and giving me the opportunity I so desperately needed to find my balance once more.

“Miss Carter, are you alright?” Gabriel said, his voice tinged with amusement.

He knew full well the effect he had on me and the bastard was actually enjoying my discomfort.

“I’m fine, Mr Hawk, your presence caught me by surprise.” I turned my attention away from him and gave Samuel the widest smile I could possibly muster in an attempt to appear unfazed. “You said I had a new client, I checked my office but there’s no one waiting.”

The look on Samuel’s face changed, his confusion over the situation apparent. For somebody who had spent a long time building a business around public relations it surprised me that he had no clue about my past with Gabriel.

“Mr Hawk is your new client, I didn’t want to leave him sitting in your office alone while you were gone,” Samuel said.

I shook my head and kept my fake smile in place as I struggled to make sense of his words. It had to be a mistake.

“I don’t think, Gabriel… I mean, Mr Hawk wants me planning anything for him.”

Samuel stood and pushed away from the desk, his best ‘for the client’ smile on his face. “If you’ll just give us a moment, Mr Hawk, I need to discuss some scheduling rearrangements with Miss Carter.”

Gabriel smirked in reply and I wanted to fling myself across the space between us and batter him with my handbag. How could he be so utterly infuriating? So completely obnoxious? He’d promised he would stay away from me when we finished and he’d kept his word. Until now…

Samuel dug his fingers into my arm as he swung me around and towed me out the door into the claustrophobic grey hallway.

“What the hell are you doing, Sasha, that’s Gabriel Hawk in there?”

As he spoke I couldn’t help but focus in on the beads of sweat that glistened across his upper lip.

“I don’t have time for this and you know it, I’m dealing with the Bryce party and I just can’t be around Gabriel, I…” I cut myself off before I spilled the truth to Samuel.

“Are you fucking him?” Samuel whispered, his voice cold and dripping with condemnation.

“What? No!” His question shocked me and without thinking I took a step back but the grip he had on my arm held me anchored in place.

He studied my face for a second as though searching for a sign that would tell him I was lying. When he didn’t find it, his expression softened and he released his hold on me.

“I’m sorry, Sasha, that was completely unprofessional of me, I shouldn’t have said it. It’s just ever since that night…”

He trailed off and I struggled to keep the revulsion from my face. I must have succeeded because he continued to study me with a softer expression.

“It’s fine, Samuel,” I started to speak, the words sticking in the back of my throat.

“It’s not really fine, Sasha, you understand the companies policy about getting involved with clients or members of staff so you know why I had to reject you? I didn’t meant to hurt your feelings but it’s simply not professional considering our working relationship.”

“Excuse me?” Anger swelled within me and I curled my hands into fists at my sides.

“I care about you, I don’t want to see you get hurt.” 

“You made a pass at me! I was nice enough to not kick you in the balls when you slobbered all over me.” I kept my voice low, I didn’t want to create a scene and if I could have had the floor open up and swallow me whole I would.

“You’re upset, I understand. And I want you to know that it’s not that I think the sex wouldn’t have been hot, you’d be great in bed but you’re just not the type I normally go for… I need someone who cares about the public’s perception of their image.”

“Samuel, please tell me you’ve lost your mind? I wouldn’t touch you if you were the last man on earth and…”

He cut me off with a pat on the arm and a patronising smile on his face.

“Sasha, I know you’re hurting but don’t let your emotions get the better of you. At the end of the day, I’m still your boss and I’m willing to overlook the indiscretion just this once. But I need you to work on your attitude, you need to put your feelings towards me to one side and…”

I felt the palm of my hand itch and I started to draw my hand back, planning to let him feel the full extent of my attitude and feelings on the matter.

I jumped as the door to Samuel’s office whooshed open and Gabriel stood there, framed by the sunlight that poured in through the large office window.

The look on Samuel’s face died the moment he spotted the thunderous expression Gabriel wore.

“Is there a problem out here?” Gabriel said, his voice cold enough to send a shiver racing down my spine.

His voice dredging up memories I’d tried to bury. Gabriel had a temper and he didn’t like to be made a fool of.

“I’m sorry, Mr Hawk, there’s no problem, I was just getting Miss Carter here up to speed on the situation.”

“It sounded to me like you were harassing her…” Gabriel focussed the full extent of his attention on Samuel and I couldn’t help but feel grateful that he wasn’t zeroing in on me in the same way.

Samuel shifted uncomfortably and I watched him squirm. He deserved it after everything he’d said to me.

“That’s not it at all, here at FoxHall PR we’re very conscious of ensuring that all relationships are kept strictly professional…” Samuel spluttered over his words and his face grew red.

“Good,” Gabriel said, pushing out through the door and gesturing down the hall towards my office. “Shall we enter negotiations, Miss Carter?”

The way he said my name tightened things low in my belly and I nodded. I led the way down the floor away from Samuel but I could feel his hate filled gaze boring holes through the back of my skull as I pushed the door open and disappeared inside with Gabriel.

Turning to face him my mouth suddenly went dry and I realised my mistake. Being alone in a room with Gabriel Hawk wasn’t a good idea when he could simply say my name and reduce me to a puddle of desire and desperate longing.

He stared at me like the wolf stares at its prey, a smile curling his lips and I swallowed hard.

He was wrong for me in every conceivable way possible and yet I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anything in my life.

Sneak Peek - Chapter Two of Breaker's Point Beau

I know many of you have been waiting very patiently for me to release the next Breaker's Point book. I had plans for it to be out long before now but with the deteroriation of my health over the last few months what's that saying about best laid plans?

Anyway, things are finally beginning to level out and with the release of Precious last week, I'm hoping that I'll be back to my usual release schedule very soon and that means Breaker's Point Beau will be out very soon :)

In the meantime here's chapter 2 to help whet your appetite for the arrival of Riley and Holly.

Copyright M.G. Morgan. 

Chapter Two

Sitting in the driver’s seat of her black sports convertible, Holly dug her fingers into the smooth round leather surface of the steering wheel.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, smearing her eyeliner and causing her normally immaculate mascara to run in rivulets down her face. She’d done so much crying lately that she was rapidly starting to believe she needed to invest in waterproof make-up.

Get a grip, Holly.

Crying was a waste of time. All it ever seemed to achieve as far as Holly was concerned was to make her feel even more weak and out of control than before. And yet it was the only thing she felt she actually had any control over.

With the back of her hand, Holly swiped at the tears that continued to leave dark tracks on her face. 

If he saw her like this then he would want to know why she was crying. If she lied, he would know, especially if he really was the one who had taken the pictures from the top of the hill over looking the terrace that night.

Why couldn’t it have been Riley? 

Sweet, charming, handsome Riley…

He was everything a man should be and simply thinking about him brought a fresh flood of tears trickling from her eyes.

With her vision blurred, Holly struggled to keep the car moving forward down the winding hill on her side of the road.

The sound of a car horn blaring had Holly swerve the car back over the line onto her side once more. 

Her tyres sprayed gravel as the car bumped onto the hard shoulder and Holly slammed on the brakes making the engine groan. 

The high pitched scream of metal on metal as it twisted and buckled under pressure as the side of the car slid along the metal barrier filled her with dread.

The car skidded to a stop and Holly was left holding the steering wheel in a death grip, her knuckles white and bloodless.

The faint sound of the engine ticking over as it waited for her to make her next move pulled her from the shock of a close call.

And it was a close call.

She released the steering wheel, her hands stiff and cramped with the force that she had held onto the wheel with. Pressing a button the seat belt zipped free and Holly pushed the driver’s door open, her expensive heels crunching on the hard, sharp gravel that lined the edge of the road. Expensive heels that helped create the image she needed to maintain. An image that was now more of a prison than anything else.

It had after all contributed to the direction her life had spiralled into.

A cool breeze rifled through her hair and for a moment Holly closed her eyes, her mind immediately conjuring a memory of Riley’s hand on the back of her neck.

The feel of his fingers in her hair as he had drawn her against him. 

The crush of his mouth against her own stole her breath.

The taste of the fresh sea breeze reminded her of the salt on his lips as their kiss had deepened, igniting a passion within them. Igniting a fire within Holly that still yearned for him.

She couldn’t have these thoughts. These were the thoughts of a woman on the verge of doing something very stupid and she couldn’t allow it.

Holly swallowed back the sob that threatened to escape her and pushed all thoughts of Riley from her mind. It was safer for him if she didn’t think of him.

Moving around the car she stared down at the damage her carelessness had caused.

She didn’t even like driving and she tried to avoid it whenever possible.

The passenger side of the car was dented, the black paint ripped and ruined from the barrier she had struck as the car had skidded onto the hard shoulder.

Marcus wouldn’t be happy when he saw the damage, it wasn’t his car and it shouldn’t have mattered but he was the type of man that seemed to think that everything was his.

Holly swallowed back the bile that threatened to crawl up the back of her throat at the thought of him.

How had she gotten into this mess?

She climbed back into the car and restarted the engine. If she thought of nothing, simply pushed everything from her mind then perhaps by the time she made it back to the house he wouldn’t be able to see through her lies. She’d be calm and he’d leave her alone.

Of course if she was really lucky he wouldn’t even be there.

Holly drew the car to a halt outside the house she had once called home.

A house that had once belonged to her parents, it never ceased to amaze her how easy it was for something so precious to become something so terrible. How a gambling debt could destroy everything she had ever worked for.

Sliding her finger across the remote control, Holly watched as the garage doors slowly rattled upward. Icy fear slid down her spine as a man staggered into view but it wasn’t Marcus.

The fear she had felt just moments before vanished and Holly was left with a hollow pit of despair low in her stomach.

Niall McCombe staggered into view, the empty bottle of whiskey still clutched in his hands.

Holly’s heart sank in her chest as she caught the glassy eyed confused look in his eyes.

Drunk, again.

It was the only thing her father knew how to do these days.

Holly hopped out of the car and moved towards him, catching him as he swayed in against her body, his eyes filling with recognition as she came into view.

“Holly… What are you doing out here?”

His words although a little slurred were surprisingly clear and it instantly made Holly wonder how long he had been locked in the garage.

“Dad, how long have you been out here? How did you end up the garage?”

Holly wrapped her arm around his waist, pulling his arm over her shoulder in an attempt to move him in the direction of the house.

“That bastard left me out here…”

Holly struggled to hold onto him as Niall made a sudden drunken shuffle forward as though to take a swing at someone only he could see.

It didn’t take much for Holly to guess at who had locked him into the garage.

“Marcus locked you out here?”

Holly moved around her father and stared up into his face in an attempt to get some sense from him.

He stared down at her, his eyes suddenly unfocused.

“I…”

He didn’t get any other words out as he doubled over towards the ground, taking Holly with him as he started to vomit.

The smell was pungent, burning at the back of Holly’s nose and throat as her eyes watered and she fought to not be sick herself. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

He continued to heave, the vomit pouring out of him like water as he knelt on the ground. It didn’t shock Holly, the sad truth was that she was used to her father getting sick now.

Instead she held him, like he had held her when she was a child and found herself ill with the flu.

He clutched at her hand, the movement filled with desperation and pain.

“I’m sorry, Holly, I’m so sorry for everything… I didn’t mean for this to happen…”

A moment of lucidity.

The more his guilt seemed to eat away at him the more he seemed to be slipping away from her and Holly was at a loss as to how she could help him anymore.

“Come on, Dad, we need to get you inside.”

He clutched at her arm a little harder.

“Forgive me…”

“Always.” She said, plastering a smile on her face in an attempt to bury the pain filled emotions that threatened to swell within her and drown her in tears.

He climbed unsteadily to his feet, letting the empty whisky bottle drop from his hands and shatter on the drive.

Holly ignored it as she wrapped her arms tightly around his body and struggled to walk him slowly towards the house. They made it to the steps before he hesitated and his legs buckled beneath him once more.

“I can’t go back in there.”

“Don’t be daft, Dad, we’ll get you inside and cleaned up, a shower and some sleep will do you the world of good.”

Niall shook his head and let his gaze drop to the steps. “I can’t… He said I belonged in the garage like the animal I was, he banned me from the house, Holly, from my own god dammed house.”

She stared down at her father in horror, bile rising in the back of her throat. Marcus was a vile excuse for a man, she’d often wondered if he was even a human or just pure monster but this was a new low even for him.

“I’ll take care of it. You’re not banned from the house, Dad, please just come inside with me.”

Her father started to sob on the steps, his cries pitiful and childlike as he clutched at her legs and Holly inwardly cursed Marcus’ cruelty.

“I’ve made such a mess of everything and I don’t know how to set it right.” Her father’s words were garbled but Holly had listened to enough of his drunken pleas over the years and she understood him.

“Dad, if you don’t get up then I’ll have to get one of the guards to come and help me and…”

Holly’s insides twisted, her words stuck on the tip of her tongue as though her mouth was coated with glue. There was a time when asking for help from the bodyguards wouldn’t have filled her with such horror but not now, not since Marcus had arrived.

Now asking the guards for anything was like speaking directly to Marcus. It wasn’t something she ever wanted to do but she also knew it would be far worse for her and her father if Marcus found them both on the steps.

Her unspoken threat seemed to have its desired effect and she watched as her father scrubbed the back of his hand across his face. His tear stained face was mottled with anger as he stared up at her.

“You know what those bastards would do, Holly, and you’d still draw them down on me. Where’s my daughter gone? The kind and beautiful little girl who always wanted to protect me.”

“Dad, please, I didn’t mean it, I…” She trailed off as he staggered to his feet brushed her hands away.

“Don’t Dad me, I stopped being your father the day you agreed to marry that bastard, Marcus.”

Holly let him push her away, tears stinging the back of her eyes as she hugged her arms to her body.

He’d slipped so far, sometimes she wondered if he’d slipped so far from her that the man she’d loved and looked up to was completely gone. 

She didn’t want to care, if she was utterly honest with herself, he’d loved the bottle more than he’d ever loved her. It was his fault they were in this mess to begin with and now he couldn’t even remember what she’d done to protect him, the reason she’d agreed to Marcus’ proposal.

Niall slipped on the top step, his body going down hard on the cold cement steps.

Holly started towards him but the look he gave her over his shoulder was enough to halt her movement and she froze. There was a hatred in his eyes that she’d never seen before.

He climbed to his feet once more and started into the house without a backwards glance, leaving Holly to stare after him, the ache in her chest spreading through her body until she was completely numb.

Precious - Sovereign Club One - Billionaire Brothers

Chapter One

The party swirled around me, laughter, the sound of clinking glasses and the overwhelming smell of perfume and aftershave that did its best to cover the scent of so many people crowded into such a tight space. 

I’d given up on trying to breathe through my nose, especially if I wanted to keep the salad I’d eaten at lunch time where it was supposed to be. Pregnancy had some perks but I had quite quickly learned that having a sense of smell to rival any blood hound wasn’t one of them.

Gertrude had truly outdone herself. It was an odd feeling to attend a party she had thrown in my honour and yet this wasn’t the first ‘make-up’ party she had thrown for me after finding out I was pregnant.

Except she wasn’t really throwing the party in my honour, it was for the child I carried and the promise that the Ashcroft name would continue. If I was honest I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about that.

Gertrude had proven herself to be dangerous and untrustworthy and I wasn’t entirely sure how much of her hatred she had truly managed to bury.

Closing my eyes I pressed my hand against the large roundness of my belly, sucking in a slow breath as the baby inside began a fresh round of kicking my bladder.

“What’s wrong?”

David’s voice sent a shiver of desire coursing through my veins as his breath fanned against my neck. The sound of his voice didn’t just have an effect on me, our son choosing that moment to place a particularly heartfelt kick against my insides. 

I winced and pressed my hand against my stomach, letting the air hiss out between my teeth before I could answer.

“Your son seems to think my bladder is good target practice for his martial arts training.”

Opening my eyes I stared up into his face, a smile curling my lips.

David’s grin made my heart skip around in my chest. Watching him change as the months passed had been truly breathtaking. I’d always known David as kind and loving, his touch igniting something primal within me. But now it was so much more.

As the days ticked down to my due date I found myself wishing time would speed up and simultaneously slow down. It was hard to wrap my head around two such conflicting emotions and yet I felt them.

“We don’t have to stay.”

I smiled up at David, my hand cupping the side of his strong jaw.

“You know we can’t just walk out, what’ll your mother think?”

David’s gaze darkened momentarily and the flicker of uncertainty passed through his eyes. His hand closed around mine, drawing it away from his jaw and over to his lips.

The kiss he placed against my palm was feather light but it was enough to quicken my pulse and send it thudding into my throat.

“She’ll just have to understand, Carrie. She insisted on the party and we were gracious enough to attend, despite how far along you are… If we leave early no one is going to mind.”

Pain flared through me, forcing me to grit my teeth and grab onto the support David offered.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” David’s voice was filled with concern as he wrapped his arms around me, drawing me in against his body.

The pain subsided leaving me with an unpleasant tingling after glow.

“It’s fine, just braxton hicks like the doctor said.”

The panicked trip to the hospital when I’d felt the first of the braxton hicks the week prior still brought colour to my cheeks.

“Are you sure?” The concern was still there in David’s voice as I pushed away and stared up into his face.

“I’m sure but I think you’re right and we should go home, if I spend much longer on my feet I think you’ll have to get the fire department out to cut my shoes off.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier? You sit and I’ll go and sort the car.”

The disapproving look in his eyes made me smile and I bit back the smart reply that skipped along the tip of my tongue.

I let him guide me over to a deserted couch near the back of the room, a sigh of relief escaping me as the pressure subsided in my back and feet.

“Don’t budge.”

He waited only long enough to see me nod and then he was gone, his stride long and powerful as he crossed the room. I watched him as he approached Gertrude, the tension he carried visible in the stiffness of his shoulders.

I couldn’t hear what was being said but the look on Gertrude’s face spoke volumes and as soon as David turned to get the car, my heart sank as she made a beeline for me.

“David said you’re not feeling very well.” It was more of an accusation than a statement.

“I think I’m just tired. The party has been fantastic but you know you didn’t need to go to so much trouble.”

Gertrude studied me for a moment, her eyes narrowing as though if she stared hard enough she would be able to read the thoughts inside my head.

“I forgot you’re not really built to have children are you?”

Her words were like a slap in the face and the seconds ticked by as I struggled to find a suitable answer.

“Excuse me?” The words stuttered out of me as shock spiralled through me. In the months since she’d discovered I was pregnant all the usual nasty quips and downright rude behaviour had ceased.

Until now.

“Carrie, don’t take it so personally I’m just stating facts. Growing another person inside you isn’t easy but to do it and carry so much extra weight it’s bound to put undue stress on your body.” She smiled and reached out as though to take my hand in hers.

Shrugging away from her I shook my head as though that simply movement alone could dislodge the anger I was feeling at her words.

Pushing up from the couch my body protested at the sudden and uncoordinated movement.

“You have no right to speak to me like that.” I kept my voice deliberately low my feeble attempt to keep my blood pressure in the normal range.

“Carrie, please, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m just concerned for you and the baby.”

“Don’t give me that, Gertrude, the only thing you’re truly concerned with is appearances and I don’t fit the ideal mould you had in mind for your son. 

“You’ve hated me from the moment you set eyes on me and I should have remembered that. Instead I allowed myself to be swayed by your pretence at making amends. I should have known it would only be a matter of time before the truth came out.”

“How dare you speak to me like that, after everything I’ve done for you? You do realise that without me no one here would ever accept you? You don’t belong in David’s world and without me to accept you, you’d simply be a figure of ridicule.”

A giggle escaped me and then another until I was practically doubled over with laughter.

“Why are you laughing?” Gertrude’s icy tone cut through my laughter and I raised my gaze to hers.

“I’m laughing because what you’ve said is ridiculous. I never asked to be accepted by you or anyone here, Gertrude. Not one of you really matters. I would love to think you could show your son the respect he deserves and trust that he has found a woman he loves, a woman who loves him. And I do love him but you can’t see any of that because you’re so wrapped up in your own petty bitter hatred.”

“What the hell is going on in here?” David’s voice boomed through the room.

The sound of his voice momentarily distracted me. It wasn’t until Gertrude’s hand connected with my cheek that I truly realised what was happening.

The sting of her blow brought tears to my eyes and I took one stumbling step backward as a wet warmth spread down the inside of my thighs.

David’s arms wrapped around my shoulders steadying me.

“I should have known all of this was a lie! What the hell are you thinking, mother, she’s pregnant?”

I stood there, shock robbing me of my voice as my mind struggled to come to terms with what had just happened. It was too early, it was all too soon, I still had four weeks to go before my due date but the fluid that covered my legs told me none of that mattered anymore.

“David.” My voice came out much lower than I anticipated and he continued to berate his mother.

“David!” I said, speaking firmly and forcefully.

He turned his attention to me, his voice cutting off mid word. The moment I had the full weight of his gaze trained on me I didn’t hesitate.

“I think my waters just broke.”

The Billionaire Brothers aren't done yet! Introducing The Sovereign Club!

I have a surprise announcement for you all and I know it's way too early to release this and I don't have a date set for it yet but I'm so excited and utterly in love with the cover that I have to share. 

I know quite a few of you loved Carrie and David and Aaron and Heather from Billionaire Brothers. I loved them too and finishing up book 7 which I said would probably be the last book was really difficult for me. I've spent so much time with the characters they're more like family to me.

The series will continue and the next book will be a Carrie and David book. I'm going to change it up slightly in regards to the titles etc and while this will be book 8 in the Billionaire Brothers, it'll have a subtitle of The Sovereign Club.

Precious: The Sovereign Club, Billionaire Brothers 8. What do you think of the cover? Are you as excited as I am? 

Adored by the Billionaire 5 Sneak Peek

Adored by the Billionaire 5

Chapter One

Sitting in the hall, Paige huddled in against the coat Reynolds had given her and sipped on the steaming coffee in the plastic cup. It was supposed to have a taste, some kind of sickly sweet latte concoction. But right now, as she swilled the lukewarm liquid around in her mouth, it didn’t have a taste. Nothing had taste. 

The latte wasn’t something she’d have chosen for herself, if she’d been given the choice but still she cradled it against her hands and sipped at it. The heat the cup held gave her fingers a sort of superficial heat, it was better than nothing and it helped to camouflage the numbness that had invaded all of her senses.

As long as she continued to stare down at the cup she didn’t have to meet the curious and probing stares of the other officers milling in and out of the apartment.

“Paige?”

The sound of her name was almost startling and for a moment Paige allowed herself to be utterly lost in the pain and confusion she felt. Only he would call her name like that.

“Will.”

His name was the only word on her lips, it was the only word that mattered.

“Paige, is there anyone I can call to come and get you?” Detective Reynolds kept his voice low. 

To Paige’s numbed mind it sounded as though he were addressing a child and it irritated her. She wasn’t a child and she didn’t need to be treated with kid gloves.

Anger.

Blinding rage.

If she could just find the energy to get angry then she could fight the fog that had descended over her.

If she could just do that, then perhaps they’d take note of her, start answering some of her questions. She needed to know why they had taken Will, she needed to know what they were thinking and how they could have gotten everything so wrong?

“I don’t understand…” Paige started to speak, her voice betraying just how confused she really was.

“I know this is difficult but you need to move past Will. You need to forget about him and…”

Paige stood suddenly, clutching the coat around her shoulders in an attempt to stop it from slipping down her arms and exposing her body.

“Are you crazy? You expect me to just walk away from the man I love, that I could just walk away from him?”

“You don’t understand, Paige… He’s not a good man, he used you and the things he allowed Christopher to do to those poor women.” Reynolds shook his head and the movement made Paige want to lash out and slap him. Her hand tingled at the thought of just doing it and it took all of her strength to keep her hand down at her side.

“It’s not true, Will would never hurt those women, he helped save them. He stopped Christopher when none of the rest of you could.”

“And did you ever think why it was so easy for Will to get close to Christopher when no one else could? Did you never find it suspicious that Will knew about Freedom Island, that he could land there without issue?”

“Without issue?” Paige moved away from Reynolds, her tone filled with derision.

“You’re just like all the other cops, jumping to conclusions when you have no idea what you’re talking about. 

“There were issues… There was a whole mess of issues and a high price was paid for that victory against Christopher.”

Paige started for the stairs and Reynolds moved after her. His hand wrapped around her upper arm and Paige struggled to shake him free but he refused to release her.

“What price was paid, Paige?”

“Let me go, Reynolds, I don’t owe you this.”

He tried to hold onto Paige’s arm but she twisted from his grip and started down the stairs. There was only one thought in her mind, only one person she could turn to in this situation.

Paige paused outside the apartment building, her stomach in knots as she stared up at the darkened windows. There was only one person who would understand what had happened at Freedom Island, only one person that she could turn to and ask for help. Of course if he wanted he could simply close the door in her face.

Paige started up to the door and pushed it open. 

The stark and empty downstairs lobby was lit with an ugly yellow light and it cast everything with a sickly yellow glow. Paint had peeled from the walls, leaving entire patches of dry wall exposed. And as her eyes adjusted to the cruel lighting she could see the cobwebs that crowded the corners. It was as though the very building itself was sick and the lighting was only emphasising the issue. 

Everything about the place made Paige want to simply get away from it. 

She climbed the stairs, her feet feeling like lead weights as each stair squeaked in protest. Each step she took seemed harder than the one before.

There had to be a reason why the cops had come from Will but Paige had no idea why. Every time she’d asked Reynolds he’d ignored the question or rapidly changed the subject. Whatever the new evidence was, it had to be particularly damning and that frightened Paige. She had no doubt about Will’s innocence, someone had to be setting him up. But whoever it was, clearly knew what they were doing and how was Paige supposed to fight that?

She paused outside the apartment door, her hand raised and poised to knock. If he turned her away there was no one left. Anders couldn’t be trusted and part of Paige had already considered the possibility that Anders was in fact the one behind the the set-up.

If it was Anders then Paige knew it was just going to be a matter of time before he came for her. If he killed her then there was only one other who knew the truth about Freedom Island.

Paige knocked, her heartbeat echoing in her ears making her light headed as she waited for him to come to the door.

Aidan pulled the door open, his eyes alert despite the fact that he had obviously been in bed. His sandy brown hair had grown out from the severe army cut he had opted for when he had gone to Freedom Island. But that wasn’t the only change Paige noticed in him.

The haunted and rage filled look that had lurked beneath the surface of his eyes on Freedom Island was now gone. Something had erased it from him and it made him look younger. Vulnerable even.

There was only one thing on this earth that could do that and Paige knew it only too well.

Love.

To love was to leave yourself open, vulnerable. Loving Will had meant giving him the power to destroy her and it was something she had given willing, something she would do over and over.

Aidan had that exact same look and there was only one woman who could have changed him so completely.

He leaned against the half opened door and Paige caught sight of the gun he held in his hand. For a moment it surprised her and her heart raced within her chest and then it was gone. It was just like Aidan, something had changed in him but it seemed he still had his old habits.

“Hi, Aidan…” Paige shuffled outside the door, suddenly unsure of what she needed to say to him. How could she explain everything? It was all one giant jumbled mess.

“Paige? What are you doing here, where’s Will?” Aidan leaned out, his eyes scanning the hall. 

Once his gaze returned to Paige’s she felt her eyes fill with tears and she struggled to hold them at bay.

“They’ve arrested him, Aidan. They’ve accused him of working with Christopher on Freedom Island and they’ve arrested him.”

Aidan’s mouth dropped open, his shock was genuine and it all suddenly became too much for Paige. The weight of the situation crushed in on her and she found herself crumpling to the floor as panicked sobs escaped her.