Change of Address
by
Natalie-Nicole Bates
Contemporary Romance
Published by Sweet Cravings
Publishing
Release Date: December 2011
Heat Level: Sensual
Word Count: 40,000
Blurb
Saved from a traumatic past
and successful in her present as a home care nurse, Josselyn Adler’s dream of
home ownership in the idyllic town of Unity are dashed to pieces when Dr Ben
Parnell, a cancer specialist, shows up on her doorstep claiming to be the
rightful owner of the house—and Ben has a will to prove it! To Josselyn, the house represents a new
start in her life. With a stable home, hopefully a much wanted family wouldn’t
be far behind.
After a near career-ending
allegation is made, Ben has returned home to lick his wounds. But now he must
prove Josselyn’s claim to be a fake, that she used her position as a live-in
nurse to his sick father to ingratiate herself into his good graces. But as he
gets to know her, he can tell by her shy, often standoffish behavior,
that Josselyn is a woman who has been deeply hurt in her past. Although he is
attracted to the dark haired beauty that has invaded his life, he is still suspicious
of her true motives and her past involvement with his father.
Chase of Address
by Natalie-Nicole Bates
EXCERPT
When she arrived at the foot of the stairs, the
front door rattled. Fear, cold and stark, rose up in her throat and choked her
as she heard the lock snap and watched, rooted to the floor, the creaky old
door jiggle in its frame. The anticipation mingled with fright, produced a
potent, sick feeling churning inside her like the bad horror movie she’d
recently viewed on late-night cable television.
After what seemed an eternity, the door flung
open. The first thought entering her brain was a ghost had entered her home. A
younger, blonder visage of Morgan stood in the threshold. Before she could
utter his name, a second, more coherent thought followed; a ghost wouldn’t use
a key.
The man in the doorway took one step inside and
stopped abruptly, clenched his jaw, and stared. The familiar stranger invading
her new home could only be one person.
“My goodness, you’re Ben! You’re Morgan’s son!”
she exclaimed.
“Well, we know who I am. Now who the hell are
you, and why are you trespassing in my house?”
“Your house?” she asked with disbelief. “This is
my home. Morgan gave it to me!”
“I don’t know who you are, lady, but I suggest
you get a move on it. I’ll give you five minutes before I call the police.” He
pointed to his platinum-cased wristwatch for emphasis.
“Don’t bother waiting.” She reached into her
handbag and removed her cell phone. With shaking fingers, she punched in 911.
The line connected after the second ring. “911,
what is your emergency?” asked the female dispatcher.
“My name is Josselyn Adler. I’m the new owner of
22 Little Pine Road. A man has let himself into my home and is now threatening
me.” Although she was quaking on the inside, she strove to keep her voice and
demeanor strong and confident.
“I have an officer on the way, Ms. Adler. Would
you like to stay on the line with me until he arrives?” she offered.
“No, thank you. I’ll be fine,” she assured her.
As she disconnected her phone, Ben’s gaze burned
into her. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of showing any fear. While
growing up, she had dealt with her share of tormentors. One forty-year-old,
blond-haired bully was not going to intimidate her or drive her from a home
that was rightfully hers.
“Very nice performance,” he said snidely.
“Excuse me?” She furrowed her brow and made eye
contact. Ben Parnell had his father’s glacial, blue eyes.
“Any moment one of Unity’s finest will be
arriving to play knight in shining armor and save the poor maiden from the big,
bad wolf.”
Before she could utter a word in reply, a black
patrol car came to a screeching halt on the street. An officer threw open the
car door and made long, quick strides to the house. His uniform and Unity
Police Department baseball cap matched the color of his car.
A lump formed in her throat. As she was growing
up, a police car in front of the house and an officer at the door meant her
father was in some sort of trouble yet again.
“Good evening, Miss. I’m Officer Smith.” He looked
to Ben. “It’s certainly been a long time since you’ve been around, Ben.” Not
waiting for an answer from him, he turned his attention back to Josselyn. “What
seems to be the problem tonight?”
He knew Ben by his first name. They looked to be
about the same age, and in this small town, it was likely they knew each other
growing up. Although Officer Smith seemed friendly enough, would he side with
the hometown boy rather than with the stranger girl?
“This is my house. Morgan Parnell left it to me
in his will. Now he...” She paused and pointed at Ben. “He thinks it’s his
house.”
“I have a will, too,” Ben loudly interrupted.
“And mine is legitimate!”
His deep voice vibrated through her, causing her
head to ache. Flustered, she pulled an envelope from her handbag. Morgan’s
attorney gave to her a copy of the will a few days earlier. She handed it to
Officer Smith. To her dismay, Ben also produced a document from a briefcase.
This is very bad.
She hoped Ben had been bluffing.
Buy Links
Sweet Cravings Publishing:
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/change-of-address
About the Author
Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and
author. Her passions in life
include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and
antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey
to being born in Russia. She
currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to
her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.
Connect with Natalie-Nicole Bates
Twitter: BatesNatalie
Thank you so much for featuring Change of Address at your fabulous blog!
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