STAY
A Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel
Coming January 23rd
She
stared back at me with big chocolate eyes.
Molten.
Her
gaze washed over me like lava.
Burning
up everything in its path.
“You
are so beautiful,” she said, voice hoarse.
“Peaches,”
I whispered as a warning. Wasn’t sure I trusted myself with her
right then.
“You
are. Did you know…did you know the first time I saw you…when you
were lying covered in blood and you opened your eyes and looked at
me, that I saw it? Something so beautiful and raw and powerful. Even
when you’d been broken. The way you looked at me shook me straight
to my bones. And then tonight…what you did for me…I don’t…”
I
roughed a hand through my thrashing hair, a perfect mirror to my
thrashing heart. “Peaches.”
Another
warning.
I
didn’t deserve the way she was looking at me. Like I was good and
right when I was no better than the bastard we’d left lying back
there on the floor.
So
slowly, she reached out, shaking fingers gentle as she traced them
along the scar that marked that night beneath my eye.
A
tremble took me whole.
Energy
pulsed and shivered and shook.
Shit.
I
gripped her by the wrist and pressed the underside to my nose.
“You’re killing me, darlin’.”
“And
you’re saving me.”
A
hard frown hit me. “It was you who did all the saving.”
Sitting
back a fraction, she shook her head. “If it weren’t for you, I’d
be home tonight, hiding in the dark.” Her tongue darted out to
sweep across her lips. “I never would have been brave enough to go
there or to stand up to him. To say those things.”
“But
that’s where I think you’re wrong, darlin’.” This time it was
my turn to reach out and touch her. I cupped the side of her face,
glancing between her and the road. “I think you’re so much braver
than you’ve been giving yourself credit for. I see it there. Feel
it every time I look at you. You’re incredible, Willow. Every time
you walk through my door, I know it. So good that I know I shouldn’t
be doing whatever the fuck it is I think I’m doin’ with you.”
She
was still panting those breathy pants, and she leaned into my touch.
“I…”
she attempted before she looked down, averted her gaze. Even with her
head downturned, there was no missing the blush creeping to her
cheeks. She hesitated before she spoke. “When you kiss me…it
doesn’t feel like pretending. It feels like the best thing I’ve
ever felt.”
I
swallowed hard, crossing a line. Pushing into the boundaries that
should have been firmly set in place. “That’s because when I kiss
you? It’s not pretend. When I tell you you’re gorgeous—the best
thing I’ve ever seen? I mean it. And when I look at you…”
I
touched the center of my chest, feeling ripped open wide. Exposed.
Maybe telling her the truth when it wouldn’t do either of us any
good was wrong. But there was no hiding when this girl was looking at
me that way. “I feel it right here. We might be pretending, but you
can’t fake this.”
Like
she didn’t trust herself, she pressed farther against the door.
“You make me want things…things I know I shouldn’t want.”
“And
what is it you want, Peaches?” I prodded low, knowing full well I
was pointing us in the direction of no return. “Told you when I
came into your store that I’d give you anything.”
“I
want…” She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, nervous or
unsure whether to give me the truth.
Blood
pounded mercilessly through my veins. Thickened with lust. All of it
clouded my judgment, knocking loose my center of gravity.
Because
I knew the look on her face. Desire was written across her like a
musical score.
The
way her body rocked and trembled and silently pled.
Desperate
to be played.
I
knew I should close my mouth. Shut this down.
Drop her at home. Instead, I let the words slide free. “Tell me,
Peaches.”
The
needy rasp fell from between her lips. “I want you to touch me.”
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Synopsis:
From
NYT & USA Today Bestselling Author A.L. Jackson comes the next
sexy, gripping Bleeding Stars Stand-Alone Novel…
I’m
Ash Evans.
The life of the party.
Hot. Rich. Charismatic.
A tattooed rock star with the world at my feet.
I burn through women faster than the strike of a match.
The life of the party.
Hot. Rich. Charismatic.
A tattooed rock star with the world at my feet.
I burn through women faster than the strike of a match.
I’ve
embraced my lifestyle and live it to the fullest.
Until the day my lifestyle caught up to me.
Until the day my lifestyle caught up to me.
Willow
Langston found me at my lowest.
Literally.
Facedown in a puddle of my own blood.
Literally.
Facedown in a puddle of my own blood.
I
owe her my life and I have three months to repay that debt.
What I never should have done was touch her. Kiss her. Take her to my bed.
What I never should have done was touch her. Kiss her. Take her to my bed.
Love
wasn’t supposed to be a part of the equation.
I gave up that nasty complication a long damned time ago.
Now I want her more than my next breath.
But she doesn’t know what I know.
I gave up that nasty complication a long damned time ago.
Now I want her more than my next breath.
But she doesn’t know what I know.
Do
I leave to protect her? Or can I face my demons and ask her to Stay?
Connect with A.L.
Facebook: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonPage
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
A.L. Jackson Author App: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonAuthorApp
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonAmzn
Bookbub: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonBookbub
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor
Snapchat: @aljacksonauthor
Reader Group: http://smarturl.it/AmysAngelsRock
A.L. Jackson Author App: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonAuthorApp
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonAmzn
Bookbub: http://smarturl.it/ALJacksonBookbub
Twitter: @aljacksonauthor
Instagram: @aljacksonauthor
Snapchat: @aljacksonauthor
Stay Excerpt Blitz
She stared back at
me with big chocolate eyes.
Molten.
Her gaze washed over
me like lava.
Burning up
everything in its path.
“You are so
beautiful,” she said, voice hoarse.
“Peaches,” I
whispered as a warning. Wasn’t sure I trusted myself with her right
then.
“You are. Did you
know…did you know the first time I saw you…when you were lying
covered in blood and you opened your eyes and looked at me, that I
saw it? Something so beautiful and raw and powerful. Even when you’d
been broken. The way you looked at me shook me straight to my bones.
And then tonight…what you did for me…I don’t…”
I roughed a hand
through my thrashing hair, a perfect mirror to my thrashing heart.
“Peaches.”
Another warning.
I didn’t deserve
the way she was looking at me. Like I was good and right when I was
no better than the bastard we’d left lying back there on the floor.
So slowly, she
reached out, shaking fingers gentle as she traced them along the scar
that marked that night beneath my eye.
A tremble took me
whole.
Energy pulsed and
shivered and shook.
Shit.
I gripped her by the
wrist and pressed the underside to my nose. “You’re killing me,
darlin’.”
“And you’re
saving me.”
A hard frown hit me.
“It was you who did all the saving.”
Sitting back a
fraction, she shook her head. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be
home tonight, hiding in the dark.” Her tongue darted out to sweep
across her lips. “I never would have been brave enough to go there
or to stand up to him. To say those things.”
“But that’s
where I think you’re wrong, darlin’.” This time it was my turn
to reach out and touch her. I cupped the side of her face, glancing
between her and the road. “I think you’re so much braver than
you’ve been giving yourself credit for. I see it there. Feel it
every time I look at you. You’re incredible, Willow. Every time you
walk through my door, I know it. So good that I know I shouldn’t be
doing whatever the fuck it is I think I’m doin’ with you.”
She was still
panting those breathy pants, and she leaned into my touch.
“I…” she
attempted before she looked down, averted her gaze. Even with her
head downturned, there was no missing the blush creeping to her
cheeks. She hesitated before she spoke. “When you kiss me…it
doesn’t feel like pretending. It feels like the best thing I’ve
ever felt.”
I swallowed hard,
crossing a line. Pushing into the boundaries that should have been
firmly set in place. “That’s because when I kiss you? It’s not
pretend. When I tell you you’re gorgeous—the best thing I’ve
ever seen? I mean it. And when I look at you…”
I touched the center
of my chest, feeling ripped open wide. Exposed. Maybe telling her the
truth when it wouldn’t do either of us any good was wrong. But
there was no hiding when this girl was looking at me that way. “I
feel it right here.
We might be pretending, but you can’t fake this.”
Like she didn’t
trust herself, she pressed farther against the door. “You make me
want things…things I know I shouldn’t want.”
“And what is it
you want, Peaches?” I prodded low, knowing full well I was pointing
us in the direction of no return. “Told you when I came into your
store that I’d give you anything.”
“I want…” She
tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, nervous or unsure whether to
give me the truth.
Blood pounded
mercilessly through my veins. Thickened with lust. All of it clouded
my judgment, knocking loose my center of gravity.
Because I knew the
look on her face. Desire was written across her like a musical score.
The way her body
rocked and trembled and silently pled.
Desperate to be
played.
I knew I should
close my mouth. Shut this
down. Drop her at home. Instead, I let the words slide free. “Tell
me, Peaches.”
The needy rasp fell
from between her lips. “I want you to touch me.”
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