Ash Rising
by Melissa Fox
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Infiltrating an international
drug cartel is the dangerous chance of a lifetime for Asher Beaulieu of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Falling in love while running the op isn’t part
of the plan, but he never had much use for plans anyway. Shrouded in deception
and surrounded by temptation, his charmed life explodes in betrayal and
tragedy.
Ash rises from the flames a guarded, wary shadow of his
former self. His past comes to revisit him, along with an annoying American DEA
agent, who forces Ash to reclaim his courage and character before facing
another chance at love—and an even deadlier threat.
DEA Special Agent Emmaline Justice is determined to be
recognized for her work, not her sex. She doesn’t have time for an intriguing,
wounded RCMP inspector. When the contacts she cultivated over long months of an
international undercover investigation keep showing up dead, Emma must use her
instincts as both an agent and a woman to determine Beaulieu’s role in the case
and in her life.
One woman tore him apart. Another is brave enough to put him
back together—if his past doesn’t kill him first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gina’s eyes narrowed as she
followed his gaze to her friend and then shot back to him. “Oh, no. You stay
away, Ash.”
“What?” He pretended hurt
innocence.
“She’s a good friend of mine, a
really good friend—practically family. You stay away from her.”
“Hello, friend,” he said smoothly
and held his palm out. “I’m Ash.”
She glanced at Gina’s stormy
countenance but smiled and placed her hand in his. “Hello, Ash.”
His fingers closed around her
much smaller ones, cradling the softness and vulnerability of fragile bones and
soft skin. A wave of protectiveness—of possessiveness—rose sudden and
unexpected. He jerked back and rubbed his hand on his thigh.
“See, now.” Recovering instantly,
he curled his mouth into a practiced, seductive grin. “I introduce myself, and
you’re supposed to do the same. I say, ‘I’m Ash,’ and you say, ‘I’m…?’ ”
She leaned forward in a
conspiratorial manner. “I don’t think Gina wants me to tell you my name.”
He closed the distance between
them, until his lips brushed her ear. “Do you do everything Gina wants?”
“No.” She brought her head back
to look him in the eye, and a sly smile curved her mouth. “But I’ll do whatever
you want. Ash.”
Holy hell. A laugh burst from
him, and he grabbed her hand. “Your name, sweetheart. I want your name.”
“Liz.” The smug expression on her
face faded as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers.
“I’m…Liz.”
He smiled over the tops her
knuckles. A shiver moved through her—slight, almost imperceptible, but
unmistakable.
“Liz,” he murmured, drawing out
her name. A little charm worked every time. “How nice to meet you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
After being rationed books by my parents like most kids get rationed
candy, I turned to writing to tide me over between fixes. I love to get lost in
a captivating, exhilarating story, whether reading or writing. Nothing is
better than being drawn into a story so deeply you don't realize you're turning
a page until you've reached the end, and the characters live on in your heart
and mind long after the cover has been closed.
Having lived in the suburbs of the Mid-West, desert of the Southwest,
and foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I’m now on an island in the Puget Sound
with my husband and dogs.
Social Media
Website: http://melissa-fox.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaFoxWords
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFoxWords
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Fox/e/B009YC0ERO
Melissa will be awarding an ebook
copy of Ash Rising and a $20 gift certificate to Amazon or Starbucks (Winner's
Choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $20 gift
certificate to Amazon or Starbucks (Winner's Choice) to a randomly drawn host.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteInteresting read
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking the story out!
DeleteHi Rachel! Thank you so much for hosting Ash and Emma's story today :D
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rita!
ReplyDeleteLove that excerpt.
ReplyDelete