1 gossip writer + 1 A-list movie star = 1 fake relationship…or does it?
Tabloid
Dirty Laundry, Book One
Jackie Paxson
Genre: Romance with a Dash of Humor
Date of Publication: 5/25/19
ASIN: B07S8FPTWC
Number of pages: 210
Word Count: 73430
Cover Artist: self
About the Books:
After breaking a story that rocks Hollywood, Talia is the top gossip writer around. One night will put all of that into question. The writer becomes the story when she gets caught doing the walk of shame from A-lister Zee Jaxon’s home.
To save both of their reputations he suggests a fake relationship. Pretending should be easy. It shouldn’t mean the fake feelings become real. Accepting the real feelings means the lies they’ve told are even harder to hide.
When the truth comes out can their love survive or will everything just fade to black?
Amazon
Read Excerpt 2:
Talia woke on something soft and warm. It was too lumpy for a bed. Not to mention moving. Her eyes snapped open. Abs. Pecks. Nipples. She couldn’t quite comprehend what she was seeing. Lifting her head, she saw Zeke. Zeke was her bed.
Her eyes roamed over him. His mouth was open as he slept. Blonde scruff grew along his jaw. A soft snore escaped making her freeze in place. His hands flexed around her. A tingling sensation exploded inside her.
Zeke’s chest rose with every breath bringing her gaze to his well-defined pecks. With her free hand she reached out to touch a muscle she’s only seen in magazines. None of the men she’d previously been with had such a defined chest. Some should have even had bras.
Her hand trailed down his chest to his abs. A sensation of need took over her. All she wanted to do was drag her tongue over each ridge of muscle. The six pack abs with those defined hip bone things made her squirm. She lightly caressed his happy trail.
“I wouldn’t go any further, baby.” Talia squeaked in surprise pulling her hand back.
Zeke was awake and watching her. In his eyes was a desire she was surprised to find.
“Oh…um…uh.” Talia tried to move off of him, but he clutched her tighter.
“You don’t have to stop. I just wanted to warn you because if you went any further I don’t think I could help myself any longer.”
A look of shock crossed her face. She scrambled off Zeke only to grind against something very hard. “Oh god.” They both moaned. In her clumsy attempt to climb off him she fell off the couch banging into the coffee table.
“Ow!” She moaned laying on the floor.
“Glad to see you two are awake. Breakfast is ready. Zeke you are needed in the barn. Apparently, the storm did some damage.” Addie looked at them.
“Thank you, Addie.” Zeke ground out.
Addie smirked at the two then walked back to the kitchen.
“What time is it?” Talia asked.
“Oh God! Its after nine. We are really late.” Zeke turned to see Talia crawling away from the table. “I wish I had my camera right now.” He laughed.
Using a side table, she heaved herself off the floor. Walking away, she gave him the finger over her head. His laughing followed her upstairs.
***
Hours later covered in brown, either mud or horse shit, Talia washed up in the first-floor bathroom. She scurried across the hall to the laundry room. A pair of sweats and t-shirt sat folded on top of the dryer. She pulled on the sweats and oversized shirt. Taking a deep breath, she shuffled her way out to the kitchen.
“Alright, Addie. I am ready to help. What can I do to help with dinner?”
Addie looked at Talia. The wince she tried to conceal told Talia all she needed to know about how she looked. “You don’t have to help me, hon.”
“I’m not a freeloader around here. Give me something to do.” Talia felt her reserve dwindling, but she needed to help out.
Reluctantly, Addie gave Talia the rolling pin. “Roll out this dough. When it’s about an inch thick cut out the biscuits and place them on the sheet.”
Talia could do that. How hard could it be to roll out dough and cut it in circles? The answer was near impossible with only a few hours of sleep. Not to mention cleaning the horse stalls all day.
“Oh dear.” Addie stood next to Talia. They looked at the misshapen dough. Most were a ball or oval. They weren’t an inch thick either.
“Sorry, Addie.”
“It’s alright, Tally. Go sit in the living room while I put these in the oven.” Talia nodded and slumped off to the living room.
A bone deep ache spread through her body. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worked that hard. Talia now knew how Zeke got those defined muscles. Those muscles she’d been touching, rubbing and ready to kiss. What the hell was wrong with her?
“What’s wrong with her?” Zeke’s voice came out from the kitchen echoing her thoughts.
“She’s exhausted.” Addie said.
“How long has she been sitting like that staring at the blank tv?”
“About 45 minutes. Poor thing needs a good soak in the tub, dinner then straight to bed.”
Footsteps sounded next to the couch. Zeke squatted in front of her. “Lia, you ok?”
“Yep. Just catching my breath.”
“Uh huh. Come on let’s get you upstairs.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“You have two choices. Either you get your butt off the couch and up to your room or I pick you up off the couch and carry you to your room. Easy way or hard way, Lia?”
Talia remained seated on the couch. She was too exhausted to answer.
“Ok. Hard way it is.” Zeke picked her up as if she were light as a pillow.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m taking you to your room, getting a bath ready for you, then bringing you dinner.”
“Ok.” Talia was too tired to argue. She knew she smelled of the manure/mud mixture, but she couldn’t help snuggling into Zeke’s arms. His warmth and strength enveloped her. He smelled like sweat, hay and fresh cut grass. It was like a damn aphrodisiac. Her lady V was standing at attention.
About the Author:
Jackie is a single mom of a rambunctious boy and his dog, Cady. She is an avid reader with a blog under the name of The Book Maven. Reading has been a passion of hers from the time she could pick up a Sweet Valley High book. Writing is a new adventure where she gets to curse, be clumsy and fall in love with every page.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19210922.Jackie_Paxson
Blog: www.bookmaven623.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookmaven623
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bookmaven623
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bookmaven623
Enter the Giveaway:
No comments:
Post a Comment