CHRISTMAS WATCH
Author: Petie McCarty
Romantic Suspense
The
Watchers Series
Fallen
angels seeking parole for their betrayal . . .
Someone
is watching Rachel . . . but who? And why?
Child
psychologist Rachel Kelly has her Christmas stocking full of troubles this
holiday season, both personal and professional. Recently separated from her
boyfriend, Rachel still loves him but has no idea how to win him back. If
that’s not enough to cause her sleepless nights, she’s uncertain how to handle
her newest therapy client—a six-year-old boy who claims he talks to Watchers.
And a Watcher is coming to help Rachel.
Lt.
Jake Dillon has his heart broken when his fiancée Rachel, without warning,
suddenly calls it quits. Yet when a stalker crashes Rachel's Christmas party
and takes her young clients hostage, Jake is the first person Rachel calls. Now
he has a choice to make—stand back and wait for the cavalry to save her, or
step in and try to save her himself. Time is running out, and Jake may be their
only chance for rescue.
Unless
Rachel's young Watcher spy is telling the truth . . .
This
romantic suspense tale with paranormal elements is Book 2 in The Watchers
series . . . A captivating tale of small-town Christmas romance that will leave
you looking over your shoulder and wondering, Is someone watching me?
Excerpt
Three:
“Since this isn’t our Publix, I’m assuming you stopped on
your way home from work,” Jake said when Rachel reached his side.
Our Publix? Did he even realize he’d said that?
“You’re right,” she replied. “So why are you here?”
“My apartment’s just around the corner.”
Ouch.
That simple statement shouldn’t hurt—she knew he had an
apartment near here—but it still did. She nodded.
“I’ll help you out.” He gently nudged her hands off the cart
handle and took over, setting his own bag on top of her stack.
Rachel paced alongside the grocery cart as they moved
through the electronic door and felt a moment of joy that her parking spot lay
at the far end of the lot. She would have a few extra moments to be with him.
How pitiful was that? She eased a step closer, anxious to inhale his unique
scent of soap, aftershave, and pure Jake.
He glanced over and caught her staring. Heat rushed to her
cheeks, and she hoped he didn’t notice the flush.
“Jake, look out!” She grabbed the cart to stop it just short
of a car backing out.
He gave her his sexy, crooked Jake smile. “Guess I should
keep my eyes on the road.”
Her heart ka-thumped inside her chest. “At least until we
get to the car.”
His smile went to an all-out grin.
Had she just flirted with him? Had it been that easy to get
past her trauma for a few brief minutes?
Far sooner than she would have liked, he stopped the grocery
cart next to her Honda and helped stow her bags in the trunk, leaving his sole
bag in the cart.
“Thanks for helping me,” Rachel told him.
“I’m glad you decided to stop at this Publix tonight.”
“You are?”
“Yeah. I’m glad I got to see you.” Jake grazed a knuckle
gently across her cheek leaving a streak of tingly nerve endings in its wake.
“But I thought you wanted . . . I mean, I haven’t heard from
you . . .” She cleared her throat. “. . . in a long time. I thought you
might’ve . . .”
Why couldn’t she finish a sentence tonight? Bad enough she
felt pathetic, now she sounded pathetic.
“You thought I might’ve what?”
She swallowed hard. “Might’ve found someone else by now.”
He studied her for a long moment. “After all we meant to
each other, you thought I’d go right out and grab a new girlfriend, just like
that?” His mouth tightened to a thin line.
She hadn’t meant to rile him. The last thing she wanted to
do was fight with him. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed two fingers
gently across his lips, wanting that sensuous mouth to smile at her again.
She startled him, and he jerked at her touch. She whisked
her fingers away. “Sorry. I don’t want you to be mad.”
His gaze trapped hers, his pupils expanding until little of
the brilliant green remained. “There’s no new girlfriend, Rachel,” he said
gruffly.
“No?”
He slowly shook his head, his all-dark eyes tracking hers.
He seemed closer than he’d been a minute earlier.
She exhaled hard. “Not yet anyway.”
He frowned.
Why had she said that?
“No, not yet,” he said flatly.
“I’m glad,” she said quickly.
Screw pride.
“Are you?”
He was definitely closer now. If she eased forward just a
few inches, she could press her lips to his, feel that certain sizzle that
always flared when their lips touched. But Jake had walked out on her. So, his
move. Still, she ached with the need to hold him, if only for a second.
“Yes. Very glad. I don’t want you to find someone else—”
His lips brushed hers into silence—sweeping gently across as
though seeking permission—the touch just light enough to make her lean in for
more. He didn’t miss the movement and kissed her again, his lips settling on
hers and nibbling at her lower lip.
The sensuous teasing had her knees growing weak, and she
grabbed the placket of his dress shirt to steady herself.
He didn’t miss that movement either, and he cradled her
cheeks in his big palms to deepen the kiss.
Suddenly lightheaded with desire, she twisted her knuckles
into his shirt to pull him closer. She didn’t care if they were kissing in
front of God and everybody. If Jake wanted to throw her down here in the middle
of the Publix parking lot, she was ready. She could always shop at Winn-Dixie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—"The Most Magical Place on Earth"—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time.
These days Petie spends her time writing new Cinderella series
tales, her new The Watchers series, sequels to her regency time-travel series,
Lords in Time, and more contemporary romance standalones to go along with her
two previous releases—Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with
her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who made
a cameo appearance in Book 2 of The Watchers, Christmas Watch.
Visit Petie's web site online at http://www.petiemccarty.com or
her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty.
BIO Social Media:
http://www.petiemccarty.com
https://www.facebook.com/petie.mccarty
https://x.com/authorpetie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094579.Petie_McCarty
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/petie-mccarty
http://www.amazon.com/author/petiemccarty
9 comments:
This looks like a very enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like a good read.
This looks like a very good book.
Read book 1 (Cowboy Watch) and will be reading this one as well!
Thanks for commenting, Michael, and staying with the tour!
Good to see you again, Marcy! Thanks!
Thanks for staying, Sherry! Always appreciated.
Oh awesome, Christa!! Thank you so much for your support! I hope you'll like this one; it was my most difficult to write with so many players involved in the hostage crisis...
Thank you so much, Dawn, for sponsoring my Goddess Fish Blitz tour for Christmas Watch and for this wonderful opportunity. I greatly appreciate your support of my book tours!
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