Romance with a splash of humor
Dirty Laundry #1
Date Published: 5/25/19
1 gossip writer + 1 A-list movie star = 1 fake relationship…or does it?
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?
Excerpt
About the Author
Excerpt
1
“I forgot to tell
you something.” Zeke said as they walked
hand and hand to baggage claim.
“What?”
“Please don’t hate
me.” He kissed their linked hands.
“What did you
do?”
As Zeke and Talia
turned the corner to pick up their bags Talia saw a giant poster being held by
a tall muscular guy wearing a too tight t-shirt and dirty jeans. Scrawled on the poster were the words she was
going to have etched on her brother’s grave.
WELCOME
HOME, TALLY!
SORRY
PORN DIDN’T WORK OUT FOR YOU!
GLAD
YOU GOT THE HELP YOU NEEDED IN REHAB FOR THE FIFTH TIME!
“You asked Rex to
pick us up?”
Zeke bit his lip
trying not to laugh at the poster. When
Rex saw the poster had gotten their attention, and many others around them, he
flipped it over.
WELCOME
HOME, ZEKE!
I GOT
THAT MEDICATION FOR YOUR STD!
HOPEFULLY
THE SORES ARE NO LONGER LEAKING!
“I’m seeing my
mistake now.” Zeke said.
“I bet you
are.”
Rex strode over to
Zeke and Talia. He dropped the poster
and opened his arms wide. Talia walked
up to give him a hug, but landed a swift punch to his nuts. Air whooshed out of his lungs. Rex collapsed on the ground. Fellow passengers walked around him. The granny from the plane caught my eye and
gave me a thumbs up.
“Hello, Rex.” Talia stood with her hands on her hips
watching her brother struggle.
“I’m….telling…mama.”
“Go ahead.
Then I’m going to show her the poster you made.”
“Fine.” Rex managed to get off the ground.
“Thanks for picking
us up, ass wipe.” Zeke said.
“No problem. How could I strand my best friend and sister
at the airport? Especially when they are
now seeing each other.” Rex looked at them
skeptically.
“What car did you
bring?” Talia changed the subject before
questions could be asked.
“The
pick-up.”
“What? Why didn’t you bring mama’s SUV?”
“Why would I? My pick-up is fine.”
“It’s a bench
seat. “
Rex smirked at
her. “Yep. We will be getting real close for the next
hour.”
“Hour? It takes close to an hour and a half to get
to Grandin. How fast do you plan on
going?” Talia stopped and looked to her
brother.
“You didn’t tell
her?” Rex asked.
“I didn’t have a
chance. We had a bit of an issue on the
plane.”
“What happened?”
“Never mind that
tell me what is going on.” Talia stared
at Zeke.
“We are going to
go to my farm. It’s a half hour outside of Grandin.”
Talia glared at
both of the men in front of her. Turning
on her heel she grabbed her bag and marched off toward the short term
parking. She easily found his beat up
truck. Slinging her bag into the bed she
stood next to the passenger door.
“In a hurry to get
to your love nest, Tally?” Rex asked.
Talia ground her jaw as she stared at her
skeptical twin. When Zeke’s arm wound
around her waist, pulled her close and kissed her temple Rex groaned and
wrenched the door open.
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.
Contact Links
Twitter:@bookmaven623
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ReplyDeletegreat excerpt
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting
ReplyDeleteLove the idea!
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