Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A FAIRY TALE FOR GWYN...


Linda, I absolutely adore this cover. I read the blurb and the excerpt and have to say, this one is going to be on my 'must read' list.

A Fairy Tale for Gwyn - Blurb -


Gwyn Jacobs doesn’t believe in happy-ever-after.

Ever since her ex-husband walked out four years ago, abandoning her with a toddler and infant twins, Gwyn has been mother, father, and bread-winner all rolled into one. Her own scarred heart and failed marriage aside, she is determined not to open up her children’s lives to the possibility of another heartbreak...until her very own fairy tale falls into her lap -- and the hero won’t take no for an answer!

And now, the excerpt:
“I think you should,” he said.


Gwyn reached for the handrail and gripped it until the ache in her knuckles remained her only link to reality. She thought she should, too, but decided to make sure they were thinking about the same thing. “Should what?”

“Know why else I’m leaving.”

She gulped for air. She absolutely didn’t want to know, she told herself, because it was for the best, and reasons didn’t matter. They couldn’t matter. But when she tried to deny him, she managed only a thread of a whisper, a single word. “Why?”

Strong, heated fingers closed over hers, slid against them, twined with them.

“Because if I don’t leave now, I won’t leave at all.” Gareth’s thumb stroked her wrist, playing havoc with her pulse. “Because, besides missing my plane and breaking my contract, I’d still be here in the morning when your kids woke up, and you’d hate both of us if that happened. And because I respect you, and them, too much to do that to you.”

Gwyn squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on his words rather than his touch. Respect…kids…she felt certain the words should have some importance, but she couldn’t seem to get past the warm, pulsing ache spreading through her body.

Gareth’s voice swore in her ear. He’d moved closer. Close enough that his scent filled her senses to overflowing, and his hair brushed her cheek when she moved her head, and…

“You’re not helping,” he muttered.

Her eyes fluttered open. “Wh-what?”

“I said, you’re not helping,” he grated.

With a shock, Gwyn realized that he hadn’t been the one to move, and that her own feet had somehow shuffled forward, bringing her to teeter on the edge of her stair, her free hand resting against his shoulder for balance. Her face flamed. She dropped her hand and stepped back.

“I’m sorry.”

Gareth’s clenched jaw made his smile look somewhat tight. “Don’t be. I’m just a bit rusty at this honorable thing. Which brings us to the next discussion.”

Gwyn would have liked to retreat a few more steps before she tried to discuss anything with him, but he still held her hand captive. And with his thumb continuing to travel its hypnotic path over her wrist, she couldn’t muster the will to pull away. She cleared her throat. “What discussion would that be?”

“The one where we decide what we do now. You see, much as I’m enjoying Goldfish soup and doing chicken pox dot-to-dots, I’m afraid those pursuits still fall under the heading of friendship.” He lifted her hand in his, turned it over in his grasp, and traced a finger across her palm. “I meant what I said about wanting more than that from you, Gwyn, and I don’t know how long honor will hold out.”

Nothing on earth could have persuaded her to meet his gaze at that moment.

Gareth lifted his other hand to push a strand of hair away from her face. “Come away with me.”

Except maybe that.


See, I told you guys' you were going to want to read this one!

--Mary

2 comments:

Margaret Tanner said...

Oh what a great excerpt, I didn't want it to finish and I really loved the cover. Another story to add to my to buy pile. Best of luck
Regards
Margaret

Linda Poitevin said...

Thank you, Margaret -- I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I have so many favorite scenes in this story, I had a hard time deciding on just one...I hope you enjoy the rest of it as much!

Warmly,
Linda