The Ex File
Behind the Blue Line Series
Book 1
Alexis D Craig
Genre: Erotic Suspense, Police Procedural, Hot Romance
Publisher: Hot Ink Press
Date of Publication: 2/7/2015
ISBN:
ASIN:
Number of pages: 148
Word Count: 59,931
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo of BookFabulous Designs
Book Description:
Second Chances Can Be Lethal
Narcotics Officer, Sean O’Leary is bitter after a messy divorce that has reinforced his solitary nature, leaving him only with his dog and a sword collection. He could never imagine that his former best friend may be the only woman to bring happiness into his lonely life.
Ellie Gardner knows loss; especially after she was banished from her best friend/crush’s life by his jealous wife. Although the regret of walking away from the love of her life still stung, a chance encounter with Sean may change everything.
When Ellie and Sean reconnect, they could never expect it’d be in such an explosive way, leaving them both to gain the fulfillment of their ‘what if’s.
Finding love is hard enough without the past breathing down their necks, especially when said past has no intention of letting go. When Sean’s ex, Pia Mastriani returns, Ellie must face her nemesis’ relentless tactics to get Sean back, including eliminating Ellie if necessary.
Sean and Ellie’s relationship is put to the test but will they fare well while they go rummaging through The Ex File?
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/2Uqk2-CdX9I
Excerpt:
Retirement parties and funerals have several things in common, the largest of which is they both resemble family reunions, only with infinitely more baggage. Ellie Gardner didn’t particularly enjoy heading to either, but did so out of duty and respect. It was the least she could do.
The party at the police union hall was in full swing by the time she snuck in the back door.
Her plan was simple, drop her gift, hug her friends, pay her respects, and bolt. Thirty minutes, tops, at least in her mind. These kinds of things depressed her, even with the cash bar she was leaning against currently.
She’d changed out of her front desk aide clothes as soon as her shift had ended and was now comfortably ensconced in her ‘off-duty’ attire of a Clash t-shirt and jeans, both holdovers from her college days, and a new pair of black Chuck Taylors. If she was going to be emotionally uncomfortable, at least she didn’t have to worry about her appearance.
“Sweet tea vodka, two shots.” She smiled at the bartender and pushed a ten across the counter. She figured fortification was going to get her through the night, though not too much lest the pendulum swing wildly in the opposite direction. It wasn’t often that one of her former lovers was retiring, and was there with his new wife. Though they’d remained friends, the level of impending awkward had surpassed ‘thermonuclear’ the moment she’d opened the car door.
“Make that four,” a gruff and familiar voice behind her told the bartender as he laid a hand on her shoulder. “Hey stranger.”
Fuck. Make that one ex-lover and one unrequited crush. “Hey, Sean.” She smiled over her shoulder and found herself immediately ensnared in the topaz blue eyes that still showed up in her dreams occasionally. Sean O’Leary was six feet, one inch of Irish devilry, in addition to the badge and gun. Black hair that he’d let grow down to his broad shoulders and a smile that inspired in her a desire to fling her panties at him. The old Jack Daniel’s t-shirt and the well- worn jeans were doing nothing to disabuse her of that notion, either. His hand trailed fire from her shoulder and down her arm before he sidled up to the bar on the stool next to her. Being his friend was hard, and being his best friend, for the short while she had been, had been damn near impossible.
He lightly tangled his fingers in her raven curls, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. Anyone else would have gotten cut for that level of familiarity. “I almost didn’t recognize you with your hair long.”
‘Long’ was a relative term. She’d let her hair grow a couple inches beyond her normal pixie cut for the hell of it, and was still getting reacquainted with the ringlets. “Just trying something different.” Though the last time he’d seen it, she’d been damn near a dead ringer for Halle Berry.
This time he just touched one curl, rubbing it between his fingers. “Well I like it, it suits you.”
Ellie was grateful for the darkness of the bar as she felt her cheeks heat in pleasure at the compliment. God, she was pathetic… and damn, how long did it take to fill a shot glass?
“Thanks. I’m liking the longer look on you, too.”
His laugh couldn’t be heard over the music as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, it’s been for work, and I just haven’t felt like getting it cut.” He surveyed the room, filled with uniforms and casual clothes pretty evenly, before turning back to her with a curious look. “I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me, but I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” It had only been three years since she and Sean had last spoken; since he’d been married and his wife was… not fond of Ellie was the politest way to say it. He slid twenty to the bartender and handed her back her ten.
Ellie gave her ten back to the bartender, “A donation,” she said with a small grin. She then took both her shots in quick succession before turning to face Sean fully. “Of course I’m here.
Sarge is one of my favorite people on the planet, and besides,” she patted the expertly wrapped gift on the stool next to her, “his wife commissioned a piece from me.”
In her spare time, Ellie sometimes made shadow boxes for people, because she believed in keeping memories special, even if she wasn’t particularly prepared to revisit them herself.
Sean toasted her before tossing back his first shot, “And I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
She blushed again and nodded her thanks as another friend came over. Sean met her eyes with his in silent goodbye before pushing off the bar to evaporate into the crowd. Not that she followed his perfectly jeans-clad ass as he departed or anything.
Excerpt 2:
Tempting fate, he cupped her cheek, heartened when she didn’t turn away from him. “I may be a lot of things,” he started, “but I’m not that kind of bastard. That much I can promise.”
“But you didn’t call.” Her voice was small, full of confusion and accusation even as she hooked her fingers through his belt loops.
Sean rested his forehead against hers, feeling the heat of her whiskey breath against his lips. “You said you were going to call me right before you ran out the door the other morning.” He hoped that by showing the parity of their situations, it would make her feel better.
“I didn’t run.” Ellie tilted her head back to look him in the eye, “I walked, with dignity and great haste.” She held a straight face for only a moment before breaking into a quiet chuckle.
He could feel himself grinning like an idiot. He nuzzled his nose against hers. “Fine, you left with great haste.”
She turned her face away and mumbled something that sounded like, “I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Eleanor,” he purred as he placed a finger under chin and turned her face to his. She looked… scared? Ashamed? It was several shades of emotion at once, and he wanted nothing more than to hug her as tight as he could to make them go away. “El. You know what I did last week?” She shook her head. He licked his lips and laughed slightly. “I arrested a couple hookers, did some buys. Hung out with Guinness. Went a little nuts on eBay for a couple antique swords. It’s an exciting life I lead, huh?”
Ellie’s eyes fell from his to his lips, finally landing on his chest. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”
Sean threaded his fingers through her hair as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “No, don’t apologize. We’re both kinda new at this.” When she looked back up at him, she looked like she was about to cry. That wouldn’t do at all. He brushed his lips across hers, pleased to see the surprise in her eyes. “We’ll work it out.”
She reached up and tucked his bangs behind his ear, her fingertips igniting little sparks against his skin as she trailed them down his neck to his shoulder. “I’m sure we will.” When she arched up into him as she kissed him, he knew the heaven he’d experienced the other night hadn’t been imagined. Her fingers wound in his hair, the way her breath caught when he bit her neck, her leg hooked around his, damn, he hadn’t realized how much he’d missed this.
The knock at the door broke them apart for only a second. She looked at the door, and the clock on the stove, before pulling him tight against her again. “Wrong house. They’ll figure it out.”
That was all the permission to continue he needed, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her onto the counter. Stepping between her legs, he dropped his hand to her knee, moving it slowly up her thigh and dragged her dress with it. Ellie tugged at the collar and sleeves of his button down shirt, until he stopped only long enough to toss it into the living room over the half-wall.
He framed her face in his hands and peppered her lips with tiny kisses and nibbles as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed herself as close to him as she could be while still dressed.
The banging on the front door recommenced, this time with the familiar timber of a cop on a mission. “Eleanor Gardner. Open the door now or I’m coming in there.”
About the Author:
Alexis is a writer with a couple of day jobs. Working for two different police agencies, it’s a juggling act to find time to write.
She is also an aunt, godmother, avid cyclist, serial hobbyist, ghost hunter, and collector of stray animals. Her husband is a loving, patient man.
The author of Imminent Danger, Undercover Seduction, and Give Me Shelter with Lachesis Press, and she has three more novels coming out in 2015, The Ex File on February 7th, Dead and Disorderly on May 23rd, and Bulletproof Princess on August 8th from Hot Ink Press.
@Dispatchvampire
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexis-D-Craig-Author/147234841955791
http://www.pinterest.com/alexisdcraig/
Tour giveaways:
2 ebook copies
Prize pack containing a tote bag, a hook bookmark with cool charms on it and a book in a bottle pendant open to US Shipping
$10 Amazon GC
It sounds good, thanks for the chance!
thanks for the chance!