Thank HEAVEN! NA ebook now available on Amazon
HEAVEN, the love story of a teen inmate, a wounded Marine and the service dog they both adore is available for purchase (ebook, Kindle) at Amazon here
I hope to get the book trailer up soon, and also post a favorite scene from the novel here. Again, many thanks to all those who read the excerpt and decided to purchase the ebook. This story made the Quarterfinals of Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Awards in 2011
A favorite scene that takes place in the prison. Josh is visiting Nevaeh:
Myst put her head in Nevaeh’s lap while Josh searched for something to say, anything to make her feel better. “If I hugged you, like when I’m about to go, would it be okay?”
“I guess so. I’ve seen other people hugging when they come in and when they’re leaving.”
“Not just a hug,” he replied a little too quickly, staring at her mouth. “Okay, I was just thinking what it would be like to kiss you.”
Way too much information.
Her lips felt really dry, and she was wishing she’d bought some Vaseline at the commissary like LA suggested. Bet that’s what he was staring at, her chapped lips. She began licking them just in case. “Stop kidding around.”
“I’m not. I’ve been trying to think of a way to kiss you for a while now.”
“You need to stop,” she warned.
“So you wouldn’t let me?”
“Nope. I mean yeah . . . I mean-” Damn him! Now she was all flustered and her words made no sense. “We’ll get in trouble, and I could get my privileges taken away.”
He tilted his head back, letting out a low groan of frustration. His Adam’s apple was going up and down. “We could start out slow, make it so they don’t see anything.”
That last part was interesting. “How?”
In response, he placed both hands on the table, palms down. To the guards and other visitors they looked like just another couple having a conversation. But with every other word, his hands moved closer to the center of the table. Even then he had to clown, wiggling his brows until she gave in.
She put her hands on the table also, slowly inching them toward his. Their nails clicked as they touched fingertip to fingertip. After a moment of bliss, she quickly pulled her hands back, feeling numb and excited at the same time. After swallowing hard, she slid her palms across the table again. He linked his fingers within hers, and she could swear all the noise surrounding them receded. For a time they just sat there, not saying anything, just holding each other’s hands, staring without blinking. He caressed her palm with his thumb, and little shivers of excitement coursed through her body.
“It’s like that movie . . . that Jane Austin movie I saw in here,” Nevaeh said, unsure it was her own voice coming out so breathless. “Did you ever see Pride and Prejudice?”
“Huh?” His lids were heavy and he seemed to be enamored with her full lips. Her eyes flared recalling his earlier words. Underneath the table, his leg nudged against hers. Josh slid his chair closer to the table, and with his leg being so long, his knee came in contact with her thigh. When he did that, the tightness between legs inflamed, so she squeezed her thighs together, only making things worse. She had a feeling he was toying with her, trying to see how she’d respond.
Josh’s thumb continued that maddening circling of her palm, making Nevaeh want to squirm, causing her to wonder how it would feel to have that same thumb running down her breast, tickling her nipple and slowly trailing even lower. Whatever was happening, shouldn’t be happening, at least that’s what she kept telling herself. Her mind was a confusing jumble of thoughts. Why were his cheeks becoming so bright red? And with his mouth set in a tight line, it was sort of like he was forcing himself not to speak, because he wanted to tell her that this was all just a game, wasn’t it?
Myst gave a low groan, rolling over to one side, ignoring them, just like everyone else appeared to be doing. To Josh, the whole thing was surreal. Their attraction to each other was strong, the pull undeniable. And since he was finally concentrating on something other than how he was a total basket case out in public, this was the best kind of therapy he needed. The sexual kind.
Nevaeh broke off from his touch, and the separation had them both wanting more, like two magnets destined to click back together.
“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Josh assured her. “But if you’d feel more comfortable with just keeping things platonic . . .” Shit, was that really coming out of him? Platonic my ass, Josh thought. She might be wearing baggy coveralls, but he longed to see what her body looked like without any clothes on. And what it felt like pressed to his. He was a selfish, greedy bastard, only thinking of how good this all made him feel. But he had to believe she’d felt something, and that no matter if she was in prison, what they had couldn’t be kept apart by mere bars.
“I’m already in jail. What more can they do to me?” she mumbled, averting his eyes, because she was sure to get lost in them again.
Josh put his elbows on the table, bending closer to her, beckoning her to come nearer. “I’m gonna keep visiting you, for as long as you’ll let me.”
Her shy smile was all the answer he needed.
~~~~~
Copyrighted Material