She snorted. “Right. That staff meeting thingie?”
“Sort of. It’s the final session to discuss scholarships for candidates we really want in the program. You know. The stars. The triple threat kids who can sing, dance, and act. Gotta lure them in somehow.”
“Okay.” She hadn’t paid attention lately. She couldn’t. She just wanted… someone new.
Since they’d moved back to Vermont to be closer to her parents, Dirk and Daisy Lamont, and her sister and new husband, Portia and Boone Hawke, Anderson’s job had been a pain. His new job as Dean of the Theater Arts School at The University of Vermont was a lot more demanding than when he was a simple professor. She’d liked the old job much better. Now he had more meetings, more responsibility.
“Want me to bring home Chinese?” he asked, sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her forehead. “That way you don’t have to cook.”
Her culinary skills weren’t much to brag about, she knew that. “Okay. What time do you think you’ll be back?”
“Probably seven-thirty.” He reached up to caress her cheek. “You are absolutely gorgeous. Do you know that?”
“Thanks, baby.” She knew. How could she not? She beamed a smile at him and suddenly pulled him down to kiss him, thrusting her tongue against his. Her hand ran lower, brushing the front of his slacks.
He gasped, and backed up a step. “Gracie.” He voice turned husky. “Cripes. You know I’ve gotta leave in ten minutes.”
“Can’t you be late this morning?” She turned on the charm now, eyes wide and lashes fluttering, then leaned forward, pressing her breasts against him. “Let’s have a quickie.”
He groaned when she stroked him again.
He flicked his wrist to check his watch, then lifted her in one swift motion to the counter beside the sink. “Baby. You’re killing me.”
She quickly unbuckled and unzipped his pants, and in seconds, drew him inside her. She imagined a dark man this time, covered in tattoos. He’d just approached her from the alley behind the bar, and had pushed her up against the wall.
She wanted danger.
She wanted someone new.
Anderson knew her body well, and within a few minutes they’d both exploded in pleasure. Him, panting and still hungrily kissing her. Her, wrapped up in another fantasy, as always.
As much as she loved her big teddy bear husband, she couldn’t peak without imagining someone new. Someone a little scary. A real bad boy.
It had always been that way.
She collapsed against him and sighed. “Thank you.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Thank me? Thank you.”
She giggled and patted his rear. “Have a great day at work, honey.”
He collected himself slowly, fastening his pants, then leaned down for one more kiss. “God, I love you.”
She smiled up at him. “Love you, too.”
Acknowledgments
Huge thanks to Sonya Bateman, my long time critique partner, for her constant and unwavering support. I’ve learned more about writing from Sonya than from anyone else over the past decade. Generous and always open to frank discussion, she’s been a port in the storm for me on many occasions. She also writes one heck of a synopsis. (Thanks again for this one, Sonya!) Please check out my favorite book of hers, Broken Angel, as well as her urban thrillers at: http://housephoenix.wordpress.com
To Joan Hall Hovey, award-winning author of some of the best romantic suspense novels out there today, including The Deepest Dark, her newest blockbuster. I have always loved Joan’s work and consider her the ideal novelist. But be warned – if you start reading one of her books, you won’t put it down! Thank you, Joan, for believing in my work.
To Robin P. Waldrop, who inspired me (okay, she nudged really hard) to try my hand at a new venture and who encouraged me along the way by offering insightful critiques and catching my dumb errors. See her very popular YA paranormal romance books at:
http://robinpwaldrop.com
Heartfelt appreciation to Sonia R. Martinez for her good-natured assistance and insightful edits. Sonia is my favorite food writer, who hails from Hawaii and never fails to bring a smile to my face. See her articles and photos at: http://www.soniatasteshawaii.com
Gabriela Scholter, you read this manuscript in less than one day and came back with a dozen excellent catches. I so appreciate your support and feedback, and thank you for your amazing speed and quality in your beta reading. Your ten years of teaching English as a second language abroad has made you an amazing proofreader. You’ve helped me remember a lot of my own eighth grade English, and I’m in your debt. Say hello to Stuttgart for me!
Joan H Young, we have just discovered each other’s mysteries this year, and I must say I love your work. Thank you for taking a critical look at my manuscript even though you are as always swamped with multiple projects and many hikes across the great northeast woods! You really have an amazing knack for finding typos and mistakes, thank you for spending so much time on this. Joan’s cozy mysteries can be discovered here: http://www.booksleavingfootprints.com.
Joan Miller, I truly appreciate all the hard work you put into finding my errors and inconsistencies. I wouldn’t feel right unless you read through my manuscript multiple times before publishing, and I will always picture you and Gretchen’s cat Jessie reading at night outside by the chiminea. From the bottom of my heart – thank you!
Linda Bonney Olin, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a professional writing coach. Your sharp eyes and hard work with my manuscript have made it flow better. God has given you a wonderful gift, and I’m glad you honor him by writing those amazing hymns and more. Thanks for your deep reads and suggestions for improvement. Please visit her website here to learn about her creations: http://LindaBonneyOlin.com
Thank you, Kellie Dennis, of Book Cover by Design (www.bookcoverbydesign.co.uk), for your help with the cover art. I love the images you chose and stand in awe of your expertise. Way to go!
Maria Benzoni Lombardo lives on the same gorgeous ridge over the Genesee Valley that we do, and we have been friends for years. She is reading and reviewing my audio books, and recently offered to try her hand at beta reading. I’m very glad she did. Maria, thanks for finding the errors I made, especially the year that I skipped in the rough draft. I so appreciate your catches and value your input.
Deepest appreciation to Dina Von Lowenkraft, who writes Young Adult Fiction across the pond in Belgium, and whose new Twilight Times Book Dragon Fire was just released with a splash in the literary world. Dina, you are the ultimate finder of paradoxes. You have a brain like a steel trap and I appreciate your honest appraisal of the first part of this book before the rewrite. Kudos!
Jenny Woodall, who writes under the pen name of Victoria Howard, has become a wonderful author friend from “across the pond” in the UK. After we got past our UK/USA variances in writing styles, we have helped each other with stories, genre classification, and more. Jenny, I appreciated your insight into Portia’s psychological state in the original first chapters of this book. Thank you for taking the time and for making the effort. Jenny’s best-selling romantic suspense books can be found here: http://www.victoriahoward.co.uk/
Mary Alice Grimes, we have only recently “met” over the past few years, but I'm glad we did. I thank you for your painstaking attention to detail and presentation of opportunities to improve the work. My books are always better after you’ve had a chance to go through them, and I will be thankful to you for that forever.
Karen Vaughn, you have been reading through my Gus LeGarde series and other books so fast I can hardly keep up with your wonderful reviews! Thanks for reading through this book, too, to find errors. I’m glad you liked Grace in that last scene where she really gave it to Murphy. ;o) Check out Karen’s books at: http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Vaughan/e/B004PRN7ZO
Sharon Pribble, thank you for offering to read this manuscript and for looking for my errors! Grateful for the time you took, and I wish
you the very best.
About the Author
Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. A multi award-winning author of many addictive fictional series and more, Aaron enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com and watch for his upcoming release, THE SEACROFT (2015). You may contact him at author@lazarbooks.com.
Books by multi-award winning author Aaron Lazar:
LEGARDE MYSTERIES
DOUBLE FORTÉ (print, eBook, audio book)
UPSTAGED (print, eBook, audio book)
TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (print, eBook, audio book)
MAZURKA (print, eBook, audio book)
FIRESONG (print, eBook, audio book)
TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (print, eBook, audio book)
DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (print, eBook, audio book)
THE LIAR’S GALLERY (print, eBook, and audio book)
UNDER THE ICE (print, eBook, and audio book)
LADY BLUES (2014) (print, eBook, and audio book)
THE LEGARDE MYSTERIES OMNIBUS (eBook)
MOORE MYSTERIES
HEALEY'S CAVE (print, eBook, audio book)
TERROR COMES KNOCKING (print, eBook, audio book)
FOR KEEPS (print, eBook, audio book)
TALL PINES MYSTERIES
FOR THE BIRDS (print, eBook, audio book)
ESSENTIALLY YOURS (print, eBook, audio book)
SANCTUARY (print, eBook, audio book
BETRAYAL (print, eBook, audio book)
LOVE STORIES
THE SEACREST
THE SEACROFT (2015)
BITTERSWEET HOLLOW ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
DEVIL’S LAKE (print, eBook, audio book)
DEVIL’S CREEK (print, eBook, audio book)
WRITE LIKE THE WIND, volumes 1, 2, 3 (ebooks and audio books)
Aaron Lazar’s Book Awards
The Seacrest
2014 Best Beach Book Festival WINNER, Romance category
2013 ForeWord Book Awards, Romance, FINALIST
Double Forté
2012 ForeWord BOTYA, Mystery, FINALIST
Tremolo: cry of the loon –
2013 Eric Hoffer Book Awards: Grand Prize Short List
2013 Eric Hoffer Book Awards: Honorable Mention, Eric Hoffer Legacy Fiction
2011 Global eBook Award Finalist in Historical Fiction Contemporary
2011 Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award – 2nd place Mystery
2008 Yolanda Renée's Top Ten Books
2008 MYSHELF Top Ten Reads
For the Birds
2011 ForeWord Book Awards, FINALIST in Mystery
2012 Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Top 10 Reads
Essentially Yours
2013 EPIC Book Awards, FINALIST in Suspense
2013 Eric Hoffer Da Vinci Eye Award Finalist
Healey’s Cave
2012 EPIC Book Awards WINNER Best Paranormal
2011 Eric Hoffer Book Award, WINNER Best Book in Commercial Fiction
2011 Finalist for Allbooks Review Editor's Choice
2011 Winner of Carolyn Howard Johnson's 9th Annual Noble (not Noble!) Prize for Literature
2011 Finalists for Global EBook Awards
Terror Comes Knocking
2013 Global Ebook Awards, Paranormal – Bronze
For Keeps
2013 Semi Finalist in Kindle Book Review Book Awards, Mystery Category
Websites
www.lazarbooks.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com
www.pureoils.blogspot.com
Contact
You may contact the author via email, at author@lazarbooks.com.
Connect with Aaron Lazar:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
LinkedIn
Google+
Table of Contents
Dedication
PART I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
PART II
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
PART III
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
PART IV
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
What’s Next?
DEVIL’S CREEK
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by multi-award winning author Aaron Lazar:
Aaron Lazar’s Book Awards
Contact
Table of Contents
Dedication
PART I
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
PART II
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
PART III
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
PART IV
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
&nbs
p; Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
What’s Next?
DEVIL’S CREEK
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by multi-award winning author Aaron Lazar:
Aaron Lazar’s Book Awards
Contact