Titolo: Emotionally compromised
Autore: A. Rosa
Genere: New adult romance, suspence
Trama: “A smile will get you far, but a smile and a gun will get you farther” -Al Capone.
Federal Agent Alex Turner deals better with guns than boyfriends, and prefers it that way. Her emotional range is bleak, but her aim is damn near perfect.
Thinking saving the world is a far easier task than dating, Agent Turner springs at the opportunity to prevent young scientist Marcus Gibbs from selling his biological weapon to the highest bidder. With her goal in sight, and Marcus eating out of the palm of her hand, an obstacle she doesn’t see coming interferes. Meet Jeremy Hunt — the distractingly handsome CEO of Sunscape Biotechnologies, and Marcus’s boss and best friend.
A man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, Jeremy’s never been one to take no for an answer, which has Agent Turner realizing for the first time that her wit might get her farther than her weapon. With no protocol or training to reference when it comes to matters of the heart, she worries that this might be her hardest assignment yet.
Trama: “A smile will get you far, but a smile and a gun will get you farther” -Al Capone.
Federal Agent Alex Turner deals better with guns than boyfriends, and prefers it that way. Her emotional range is bleak, but her aim is damn near perfect.
Thinking saving the world is a far easier task than dating, Agent Turner springs at the opportunity to prevent young scientist Marcus Gibbs from selling his biological weapon to the highest bidder. With her goal in sight, and Marcus eating out of the palm of her hand, an obstacle she doesn’t see coming interferes. Meet Jeremy Hunt — the distractingly handsome CEO of Sunscape Biotechnologies, and Marcus’s boss and best friend.
A man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, Jeremy’s never been one to take no for an answer, which has Agent Turner realizing for the first time that her wit might get her farther than her weapon. With no protocol or training to reference when it comes to matters of the heart, she worries that this might be her hardest assignment yet.
A. Rosa lives in San Diego, California. When she isn’t scouring city parks or cafe’s to write she is more than likely trying to convince her friends to join her on her next adventure. A sufferer of wanderlust, she is always looking for a new mountain to climb, a canyon to hike, or a plane to board. Her resume consists of coroner, to working at a zoo, and most recently as an executive assistant, but finds her home amongst words, whether it be in books, or in film. Her obsessions are on the brink of bizarre, but that’s just the way she likes it.
#1
The car pulls away, and I am alone with Jeremy, who is
now standing right next to me.
I stare into the distance, not wanting to make eye
contact even though I know he's staring at me. I bob back and forth on my
heels, waiting for a cab, wishing for this moment to be over. He scoffs next to
me, and I still don't budge.
As if he can't take it, he says, "Really?"
The statement almost offends me. I turn to look at him,
and it is a blatant mistake. He stands with hands in his
pockets in a nonchalant sort of pose. My mouth starts watering. Focus.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"You're kidding right now, right? That stunt you
just pulled with Marcus. Is this all because I grabbed your ass?" He is
coming dangerously close to being crude, and I decide to get right to the
point.
"Is this because I offered him my number, and not
you?"
His mouth forms a hard line, and he is all tough CEO,
but I am no mouse and I stare right back. After a moment, he is trying to hold
back his smile.
"Maybe it is." He pouts.
When Jeremy pouts,
it's a remarkable sight. I gulp over my last thought.
"Well, I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not," I
say.
As if dumbfounded, he continues, "Why Marcus? Why
him? He's been a drunk slob all night!"
Is he really putting down his friend? I wonder if
talking about his friends this way is a habit.
I turn to look away because I can't think of a logical
response. He knows I am attracted to him, and I will not let him take advantage
of that fact. I can tell he thinks it's funny that I am giving him the silent
treatment, and it annoys me.He riles me up!
He leans in somewhat close, and in a mocking tone, he says,
"Is it these blue eyes? Are they too much for you?"
Before I can stop it, a laugh erupts from my mouth, and
I look at him and roll my eyes.
"Mr. Hunt, you are definitely not used to not getting what you want, and it almost
pleases me that I can affect you so."
He bites his lip, nodding his head as he looks away.
"You're toying with me."
Maybe I am.
#2
I try the distraction technique. I press my lips
against his, and though he is shocked by the move, he accepts them willingly. His
lips devour mine in need.
He slams my body hard into the wall, and pins me with
his hips. His hands drag down my torso, gripping my behind roughly, and his
fingers dig into my skin.
This is Jeremy Hunt. Commanding and demanding.Another
favorite. With this version, I don't need to think.
He pulls away from me, out of breath. "I need to
know we are OK." I realize this is our way of doing things. Sometimes I
suck at talking, and this might be my only way of showing him that we are fine.
His mouth covers mine again, and I can't help but
whimper. He pulls away once more. "That's better."
The bastard knows that talking like this isn't my
thing, and he seems aware of his power over me. I return his heated crystal
glare with a wry look. Obviously, he's aware I let him control me. "Fine.
Let's not talk, then."
He scoops me up, bridal style. "Jeremy, what are
you doing?" I yelp in surprise.
"You don't want to talk. Fine! But I will at least
make this more comfortable for both of us." He beelines for my bedroom.
"I am no good at talking," I blurt out.
He raises an eyebrow at me, starting up the steps.
"Oh really? I think you are good at it when you are scolding me."
Before I can respond with something sarcastic, he
throws me onto the bed. "Jeremy!"
"Oh, are you angry at me now?"
His grin is infectious as I watch his Viking form, in only
his boxer briefs, crawl over the bed toward me. My previous anger vanishes, and
I smile. How does he do that?
Before I can finish my thought, his lips come down on
mine hard, he presses his hips into me, and he grabs my hands, pinning them
above my head. His tongue dips into my mouth for a brief moment, teasing me,
eliciting an involuntary moan to slip from my lips.
He pulls away looking triumphant. "Now that I've
got you calmed down, and right where I want you"—his eyes glitter
mischievously—"you need to know that I am glad I am everything to
you."
My eyes widen, and the previous panic seeps back into
my core. My arms jolt, trying to get free of his grasp, but his grip is firm. I
try to speak, but he cuts me off with an authoritative voice. "I am not
finished yet." He places a chaste kiss on my lips to soften the
conversation. "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, and I
have to admit that would frustrate the hell out of me, but for now I will let
it go. I just want to say a few things. Maybe we don't know what everything
means to us, but those feelings are mutual.You don't need to be scared, or
embarrassed by your emotions. I can tell this is something you don't know how
to handle, and in a way, it's kind of"—he tilts his head to the side as if
pondering it for a moment—"cute."
I furrow my eyebrows at the word cute.Teddy bears are
cute, not trained federal agents.
He laughs at my look and kisses the soft skin between
my wrinkled brows. "You are so much cuter than you let on, but that is
beside the point. You are a lot to handle, you know that?"
My lips twitch playfully, hiding my own secrets..
"Oh, you have no idea."
We both let out a belt of laughter, and things feel
back to normal. Whatever normal means to us.
#3
I try to soften my expression and unclench my fists as
I stand before Marcus. The deep-seated hatred I feel for this man is
indescribable, but I keep my cool. I don't have a choice.
Marcus's eyes feel heavy as they drag down my body and
then back up, bouncing as they catch my eyes. His demeanor is harsher than I
remember of the pleading boy I first encountered at the club. Despite his
transformation, I feel like the man could show a little, I don't know, remorse?
Decency? There is no shame in his salacious expression. I'm tempted to comment
on his audacity.
Bravo, sir. You
have made me feel incredibly uncomfortable in under thirty seconds.
Although, this might be my angle. I take another drag
from my cigarette, smiling but eyeing him suspiciously. He lets the silence
hang, and my patience wanes.
Fine, have it your
way, Marcus. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion." I pout.
He shrugs, and I worry that he either knows my secrets,
or is hiding his own.
I'll take option two, please.
"Glad to have some company, actually. What's your
excuse?"
I raise an eyebrow, and I let my lip twitch, pondering
his question.He doesn't seem too attached to his date. Thinking about that
horrid woman, my eyes dart to the glowing windows. I spot Jeremy's towering,
broad frame on the dance floor. My heart skips a beat. He is already dancing
with her. He's smiling; she's smiling.
It's all going according to plan, isn't it? I feel my
stomach plummet with jealousy. I take a deep breath, feeling the crisp night
air burning an icy path where the cigarette smoke once was, trying to regain my
focus.
"So, I see even you aren't immune to the Jeremy
Hunt effect." Marcus interrupts my reverie. He takes a long drag, not
taking his eyes off me.
Marcus is either entirely driven by his drug habit, or
he has managed to accrue a substantial amount of confidence between now and our
front door encounter almost a week ago. It’s in his eyes. Before he couldn’t
even hold my gaze, but now his eyes are determined, teetering on piercing. I want to be impressed, but instead, I
see it as another opportunity to work to my advantage.
I peruse the veranda, checking for any familiar faces.
There is only one other couple out here canoodling, which means few
observers.As my eyes swing back around, Derek makes his entrance onto the
balcony through the double doors. Perfect
timing, as usual.
Derek's lips don't move, and he doesn't make eye
contact, but my earpiece buzzes with his disapproving tone. "Are you
really smoking right now?"
The corner of my mouth twitches with a lingering smile.
I take a defiant stance and take a long drag, bringing my eyes back to Marcus.
Thanks so much for posting about my debut novel Emotionally Compromised today! I totally appreciate it! If you're at all interested in reviewing it, definitely drop me a line :) Thanks so much for being awesome!
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www.authorarosa.com