Series: Reclaiming Life #3
Publication date: September 24th, 2020
Synopsis:
Bracken Point is full of secrets, but none top the ones Tobias Sawyer is ordered to keep.
Sent undercover, Tobias arrives at the small town of Bracken Point determined to solve the case and leave. But he never counted on meeting Madeline Grant.
Ten years ago, Madeline was injured in a house fire, leaving severe burns over her body. Now at twenty, she prefers life behind the scenes, not wanting people to see her scars. When Tobias begins to notice her, will Madeline let down her guard or run away?
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Excerpt
This man never ceased to amaze her. "I can't believe you remember my favorites. I didn't even think you liked me and now here you are, in my bedroom, with my favorite food."
Preston handed Madeline a container and smiled. "I have my moments. Besides, you were rather emphatic about Chinese, the dumplings in particular. I didn't want to be thrown out on my ass for bringing the wrong food."
He had thought about her and wanted to please her. Madeline wasn't used to that. Preston had layers she hadn't uncovered. "Thank you. I appreciate it."
Preston grabbed a dumpling with his chopsticks. "You're welcome." As the chopsticks neared his mouth, the dumpling fell on the bed.
"You're wasting perfectly good dumplings. Have you eaten with chopsticks before?" Madeline smiled.
"Of course, I have. The dumplings are just... slippery."
Madeline reached for the chopsticks, her hand brushed his. His touch, warm and inviting, sent shockwaves through her body. She retracted her hand and fixed her gaze on the wall.
Preston passed her the container and chopsticks. "Here, princess. Show me how it's done."
Madeline drew a breath. She placed the chopsticks in her hands and retrieved a dumpling. Plopping it in her mouth, she flashed Preston a wide grin. "Chopsticks take skill."
Preston smiled. He winked and grabbed the dumpling with his hand and plopped it in his mouth. "Mad skills. Delicious."
"That's cheating!"
"Is it? How about this." Preston positioned the chopsticks in her hands and placed them in the container. A lone dumpling remained. He clamped the chopsticks around the dumpling and raised it out of the box. "See?"
Madeline giggled as the dumpling slipped and fell into the container. "I do see. I see you failing and ruining the last dumpling."
"One more try." He returned the chopsticks to the box and raised the dumpling a second time. This time he held his hand under the chopsticks and leaned toward Madeline. "Care for a bite? I can't eat the last dumpling by myself." Preston scooted toward Madeline, the dumpling dangling from the chopsticks.
Madeline inhaled a combination of ginger and vanilla, partly from the dumpling and partly from the hunky man in front of her.
Preston's hand covered hers as he steadied himself on the bed. As he inched closer, Madeline closed her eyes and opened her mouth.
She bit the dumpling, enjoying the mixture of soy sauce and ginger, when a different sensation caught her attention. Madeline's eyes opened in shock as Preston's lips brushed hers.
He's trying to kiss me! Madeline froze. Kiss him back, stupid. She willed herself to move, but the shock paralyzed her. This was the moment she had wanted for the past three months, and instead of kissing him back, she sat there like some stupid schoolgirl. No wonder Preston thought she was a kid.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." Preston stood and paced the room. "How's your ankle? Healing well?"
Madeline bit her lip and choked back a tear. "I can't put weight on it yet, but the swelling has gone down."
"That's good."
The conversation turned awkward. Madeline didn't know how to move forward. She gazed at her blanket. "I'm hoping I can walk on it tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"It happens to be my twenty-first birthday. I'm the last to turn twenty-one and the girls have an exciting evening planned."
Preston chuckled. "Ah, the twenty-first birthday. Always a lot of fun. Where are you going?"
"Willy's. There aren't too many other options unless we go to Kingston."
Preston knitted his brow. "Just you three girls?"
"Why? We have girls night at Willy's all the time. Only difference is tomorrow night I get to drink."
"Just be careful, okay? Call it me being a big brother. Things can happen when you drink."
A big brother? What happened to beautiful? And what was the kiss about? Things were going so well, then he had to play the big brother card. Why couldn't he see her as something other than a kid? It was her reaction to the kiss. He thought she was an immature prude. If only she'd kiss him back.
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