About Dark ‘N Deadly:
They’d never so much as kissed, but Tess McTavish never forgot the handsome, dangerous agent, Eric Miller, who vanished in a shroud of mystery. Now the last thing she needs is an ATF agent with his own agenda. Doesn’t matter that Tess and her brother are innocent. If Eric learns the truth of their past, they’ll never be free.
Eric’s drive for revenge against the man who targeted him and his colleagues in a deadly explosion still burns hot inside him. Another bomb is about to be detonated and he’s sure there’s a connection between that man…and Tess’s family. But Eric and Tiger will do everything they can to protect the woman he’s falling for from what’s coming…
Exclusive Excerpt:
With each clash of their hips, his gaze was drawn to Tess’s khaki shorts, and the sleekest, smoothest, prettiest sun-kissed legs he’d ever seen. A snug green tank top that he guessed would match her eyes perfectly, contrasted with the orange, red, and yellow scarf drawn through her belt loops. As she danced and swayed, sunlight pouring through the window glinted off the purple polish on her toes and fingers, and the long, beaded earrings.
Slurping drew his attention to the kitchen floor by the cooktop. Tiger eagerly licked up what looked like a mixture of scrambled eggs and melted cheddar that had fallen onto his once-clean floor. He opened his mouth, about to say something along the lines of what the hell? but stopped, and instead, crossed his arms and leaned against the door jamb.
“Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good,” they shouted so loudly he cringed, although in reality they were pretty good at holding a tune, and he was… What?
Envious.
They were having fun, something he and his sister had never been able to do as kids. There’d never been music or laughter in his family’s kitchen. If he and Maggie had ever been caught doing the Karaoke-thing, they would have gotten their asses paddled so hard they wouldn’t have been able to sit for a week.
Excited by all the noise, Tiger barked, insinuating himself between Tess’s and Jesse’s legs. She turned to give the dog a pat on his head when she caught sight of Eric. Her eyes went wide, confirming his thoughts on the color of her shirt, then she grabbed the phone and turned off the music.
Jesse ruffled Tiger’s ears, which his dog seemed to love, judging by the way he leaned into the kid’s hand and groaned.
“I’m sorry. I hope we didn’t—” Tess gasped.
“Holy shit, dude,” Jesse whispered.
Eric pushed from the door with one singular thought singing in his head: caffeine, then reached for the clean mug she’d set on the counter and poured a cup. Tilting the mug, he downed half of it before coming up for air. When he turned, Tess and Jesse were staring at him. More specifically, at his chest.
While he’d been drowning in caffeine, Tess had come closer and now stood only inches away. She smelled like the honeysuckle shampoo his sister had left behind in the guest bathroom.
With her mouth half-open, she touched her fingers to his left pec, grazing one of his scars. Her fingers were warm and gentle, and his pectoral muscle twitched as if it had a life of its own. She dropped her hand, her green eyes soft and brimming with compassion.
Compassion he didn’t want, but it was his own damn fault for waltzing down here without putting on a shirt. Something else he’d have to get in the habit of doing.
“My god, Eric.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “What happened to you? How did you get all those scars?”
“Dude, you look like you got peppered with shrapnel, and that one on your back…” Jesse whistled. “That musta hurt like a bitch.”
It had. Not nearly as much as losing his friends.
The scars all over his torso weren’t raised and red anymore, and they were gradually fading, day by day. The pain of losing his friends, however, would always be there. Along with the survivor’s guilt that shadowed him every day of his life.
About Tee O’Fallon:
