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Excerpt and Giveaway: One To Leave by Tia Louise -One To Hold Series- Book 5

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One To Leave

One To Hold Series- Book 5

By Tia Louise

Release Date: December 29, 2014

57761-addtogoodreads

Synopsis

Some demons can’t be shaken off.

Some wounds won’t heal.

Until a pair of hazel eyes knocks you on your ass, and you realize it’s time to stop running.

 

BUY: AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / ITUNES

Excerpt

OtL2-DGR

Derek

 

I rolled us together onto our sides, wrapping both my arms around her waist and burying my face in her hair. Her hands slid down my arms until our fingers entwined, and we held each other through the whispers of afterglow.

All those nights in the desert, all those conversations. I never could get Stuart to see how great a wife, a home could be. Now he was pulling me away from mine.

I softly kissed the top of Melissa’s shoulder, and she struggled to get free, so she could turn and face me. Sliding closer, she wrapped her arms around my neck, and our bodies touched everywhere, shoulders to chest to hip to knee, even our noses met—just before she kissed my lips. I pushed her onto her back and parted them, sweeping my tongue inside for a deeper kiss that earned me another little noise.

My lips moved to her cheek, and I held myself over her. “Stuart wouldn’t be lost if he had this.”

Reaching up, she held my face, lightly tracing her thumbs over my cheeks. “Aren’t you the same age? And he’s never had a serious relationship?”

My brows pulled together as I thought about it. “If so, he’s never told me. I mean, he can get laid whenever he wants, but he never lets it go far. He says women are a distraction.”

Blue eyes narrowed. “How many distractions did you have in the service?”

That made me laugh, and I moved to lie beside her. “None. I was with Allison, and then… I guess I shared his opinion for a while. Until you.”

Those dark years after my first wife died seemed so far away now that I had Melissa and Dex. When the cancer took Allison so cruelly and so fast, I turned to stone, my heart a ball of rage and bitterness. I’d done my duty to God and country and came home planning a long life with my wife, starting a family, building a home. She was gone before we ever even had the chance.

When I met Melissa, everything changed. She was beautiful and kind and strong and so sexy. She soothed the anger in my heart. She healed me with her love, and she gave me a son. I could remember my past, of course, but it made my present so much more precious.

She rolled up beside me. “I love you.”

“I love you more.” I smiled, touching her cheek, and she continued.

“So what does all of this mean for us? What are you thinking?”

My eyes went back to the ceiling. “I might have to leave you for a bit if he needs help.”

“Derek! He’s a grown man.” She fell back on the bed, arms crossed, and it was my turn to prop up beside her.

“He saved my life, Mel. If he’s in trouble, I have to be there for him.”

“Doesn’t he have a family?”

“His dad was killed in the service. It’s just his mom, Patrick, and their little sister Amy.” With a big sigh, I rolled onto both elbows, onto my stomach. “Amy’s a college kid, and he’d rather punch Patrick in the face than take help from him.”

“Sounds like a prick.”

I couldn’t help laughing again. “I know you love Patrick, but I had that initial response to him myself.”

“Patrick is one of the good guys. If you can’t see that—”

“Settle down, I can see that. He might color outside the lines, but he manages to turn it around and come out on top. He’s a good man.”

That satisfied her. She smiled and relaxed her crossed arms, I reached out and pulled her against my side. “It’s more than an obligation. I want to be there for Stuart. You’d feel the same way if it was Elaine.”

She couldn’t argue with that, so we were quiet a moment. A tiny squeal from down the hall broke the silence, and we both grinned. I was out of the bed first, heading down the hall without bothering to grab underwear.

Of course, Mel catcalled after me. “Holy shit! Check out that rear view!”

Dammit again. Stuart had better have a good reason for pulling me away from this.

OtL-DGR

* * *

 

One to Hold series

One To Hold Series

One To Hold- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Keep- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Protect- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Love- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

 Author Bio:

7213961Tia Louise is a former journalist, world-traveler, and collector of beautiful men (who inspire ALL of her stories… *wink*)—turned wife, mommy, and novelist.

It’s possible she has a slight truffle addiction. And she will never look at a family restroom the same way again.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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5-Star ARC Review: One to Leave by Tia Louise

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One To Leave

One To Hold Series- Book 5

By Tia Louise

Release Date: December 29, 2014

57761-addtogoodreads

Synopsis

Some demons can’t be shaken off.

Some wounds won’t heal.

Until a pair of hazel eyes knocks you on your ass, and you realize it’s time to stop running.

 

BUY: AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / ITUNES

5 star

Kelley’s Review

Swoony, sexy, and sinfully delicious…

Tia spins a sexy tale that is emotionally gripping as our hero battles the serious demons of addiction and our heroine does everything she can to set him free.

When he spoke, his voice was tight. “Don’t set your sites on me Mariska.” Hazel eyes burned into mine,  “When the time comes, I will leave.”

This story is not just about Stuart and Mariska.  The story begins with Nikki and the fact that she had one amazing night with Stuart before he left for active duty and she is looking forward to adding many more nights when she picks him up from the airport.  You can only imagine her heartbreak when Stuart makes it clear that he is not interested.  She will not give him up without a fight though and we get to see Nikki’s true colors towards the end of this read.  Tia may very well end up writing “one” amazing story about Nikki someday that will have all of us looking at her in a different light.

Stuart is trying to get his head on straight and flush his system of all the pain killers he has been taking because of a career ending injury.  He is a Marine and needs to get back in the line of duty even if it means private security in the Middle East.  He plans to leave as soon as he possible can.

Mariska has been having these crazy dreams where people are being shot at and there is a lot of pain and suffering going on.  She does not understand why these dreams are happening until the day she meets Stuart Knight.  He came by the gym with a message for Kenny and Mariska could see that he was hurting and offered to make him one of her famous smoothies.  One brush of the hand and she knew that she was connected to him somehow.  Her grandmother told her many stories about her visions and taught her how to read turkish coffee grounds.  She trusted her gut and when the opportunity arose to go see Stuart at his uncle’s ranch she only hoped that she had the power to heal him.

Stuart is stunned when he looks into Mariska’s hazel eyes and feels a sense of peace wash over him.

“Just looking at her beautiful eyes seemed to help me relax, and her cheeks blossomed with that rosey glow.  My gaze dropped to her full, pink lips, and a force inside me pulled.  it didn’t make sense, but I wanted to explain why I couldn’t stay with her, why I couldn’t take her with me.”

I found myself fanning myself one minute and tearing up the next.  Tia writes a very powerful story about drug addiction and withdrawal filled with hope and healing.  Her characters are complex and have insatiable chemistry as well as a spiritual connection to each other.  I have loved this series from the beginning and was super excited to be reunited with Derek, Melissa, Kenny, Patrick, Elaine, Slade and Lane.  I can’t wait to read what Tia comes up with next.

Excerpt

OTL tease CB

Mariska

If you asked where this sudden surge of bravery came from, I’d have to be honest. I had no fucking idea. Stuart rode into the barn looking like sex on two legs… very tired sex on two legs, but sex on two legs all the same, and I made up my mind. After the way he kissed me yesterday, I didn’t care what type of bullshit line he tried to spin, Stuart Knight was in the same space as me. He was fighting hard, but he wanted this.

Now I was in his bedroom ordering him around, and he was actually allowing it. Humoring me, more like it. Not for one minute was I suffering from the delusion that this man took orders from anyone. Still, for whatever reason, exhaustion or simple curiosity, he let me take the lead.

Once his shirt was off, I couldn’t hide the hitch in my breath at the site of his lined torso. Ridges crossed his abdomen, lines stretched across his broad shoulders and down his arms. He lay on his stomach across the mattress, and it was all I could do not to run my tongue over every inch of his beautiful body. Instead, I quickly took off my boots, and for increased mobility (yes, that was my excuse), I removed my denim shorts.

Lightly I smoothed my palm across his lower back, trying to remember the touches I’d learned in the few massage therapy classes I’d taken. Why hadn’t I taken more? Kneading a little harder, I knew I had to get lower, down into the pelvic area to give him relief.

“Do you mind if I remove your boxers?” My voice was breathless and trembling. Those snug, dark briefs didn’t hide much, but I knew once I saw that ass, I’d be a goner.

“No.”

One word. He’d sounded almost as cautious as me when he said it. Closing my eyes, I shook myself. Now was the time. This was my man. If I was going to make it happen, if I was going to make any of this make sense, from the day I left Bayville to this moment, I had to go for it. Fate had dropped this opportunity straight in my lap.

Inhaling a quiet breath, I gently pulled the waistband out and lowered it down his legs. I knew what was on the other side, pressed between his pelvis and the mattress, and I didn’t want to hurt him. Miraculously, I got his underwear off, and

Oh.

My.

God.

Square and tight, with palm-sized indentations on each side… For a moment, I could only stare at his backside. Perfect and golden as the rest of him.

Climbing back onto my knees, I took the quietest deep breath in the history of recorded time. It trembled going in, and my hand trembled reaching out. I touched him. He seemed to breathe at that exact moment as well—almost as if he’d been holding his breath, too.

sunset eyes tease

One to Hold series

One To Hold Series

One To Hold- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Keep- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Protect- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Love- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

 Author Bio:

7213961Tia Louise is a former journalist, world-traveler, and collector of beautiful men (who inspire ALL of her stories… *wink*)—turned wife, mommy, and novelist.

It’s possible she has a slight truffle addiction. And she will never look at a family restroom the same way again.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

Cover Reveal: One To Leave by Tia Louise- One To Hold Series- Book 5

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One To Leave

One To Hold Series- Book 5

By Tia Louise

Release Date: December 29, 2014

57761-addtogoodreads

Synopsis

Some demons can’t be shaken off.

Some wounds won’t heal.

Until a pair of hazel eyes knocks you on your ass, and you realize it’s time to stop running.

Meet Stuart Knight Dec. 29, 2014. #SexyCowboy

Excerpt

Years earlier, behind enemy lines.

Long nights, sitting against the wall staring into darkness. We’d shared just about everything to pass the time, to keep from going insane from the monotony combined with the stress of knowing at any time we could be blown up or shot. We were walking targets, and we’d been lucky.

“You’re right,” Derek exhaled, looking away again, out at the expanse of beige. “I’m proud of my service, but when the time comes, I’ll walk away.”

“You’ve got another road ahead of you.” I didn’t think any less of him. Some guys in this outfit didn’t have the right stuff, the right attitude or the honor, but that could never be said of this guy. “I’m glad we served together.”

“Now who’s getting soft?” His deep laugh was the last sound I heard before the staccato CLANK! of a grenade dropped into the space with us.

We had seconds, if that long. No time to speak, only time to act. Reaching down, I grabbed it, and threw it as fast and hard as I could. It was just out the window when the BLAST! threw us both against the wall.

My back had been curved from the throw, and I hit a bare space. I was winded, but not hurt. Derek was out cold. White smoke filled the room. Our luck had run out, and we were under attack.

Shots fired outside as I made my way through the blindness to where his dark body was slumped on the stone floor.

“Fuck!” I shouted. He was as big as me and twice as heavy, but I’d be damned if I left him. With a deep grunt, I hauled him onto my shoulders.

His voice was a groan in my ear. “Stuart. Go on. Go.”

“You’re not dying today, soldier,” I shouted back.

Months of working out and not much else between the explosions and the darkness had me strong as a damn mule. I went up the short flight of steps to the exit. I had no idea what I’d be stepping into when I went through that door, but they knew we were in here. We couldn’t stay.

I held Derek steady on my back as I peered into the smoke and dust filling the air. Two bodies in robes right ahead of us. Not Americans. There wasn’t anything we could do for them, but I would do something for us.

A convoy had been preparing to transport the last of us two houses down. If I could make it that far, it was possible we’d be safe. I couldn’t see a damned thing as I made a break for it. My thighs burned with the exertion and the extra weight, and my lungs seized from the smoke. Derek was a fucking dead weight on my back, but I barely noticed with the adrenaline pumping in my veins. I was born for this.

Blinking hard, I could just make out the hulking shapes of the armored trucks waiting to take us away.

“We’re almost there,” I shouted, even though I was pretty sure he was out again.

Taking the first step, I dug in with my heel, trying to gain speed with traction. Combat boots, thirty-seven pounds of weaponry, ordnance, spying shit, and my commanding officer. I ran as fast as I could to the symbol of safety. I was just there when my feet went out from under me. My ears rang with the noise of the explosion, and pain shot like fire through the lower half of my body. I flew forward and landed on my chest in the dirt.

I couldn’t stop shaking. It wasn’t fear—it was adrenaline combined with the effort I’d been pushing to get us to safety faster. My brain tilted on its side. The trucks were near, but they couldn’t see us in all the smoke and confusion. Bodies were running all around us. I needed to get up, but I was dazed.

God dammit! I was made for this. I tried to force myself to get up, but my body didn’t respond. I was above myself looking down. Derek lay on my back exposed, unprotected. What the fuck was happening to me? I fought against this pansy-assed flake-out. I had to get back down there. I had to carry my brother to safety. I was stronger than this.

Somebody had to see us, but the whole place was in confusion. Another whistling rocket, another explosion. I struggled to open my mouth and yell for backup. Nothing came out. I saw a truck jolt and fly back. It was hit.

Then, like an old-fashioned television switching off, everything blinked to black. I didn’t see anything anymore.

One to Hold series

One To Hold Series

One To Hold- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Keep- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Protect- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

One To Love- Amazon / Barnes and Noble / ITunes

 Author Bio:

7213961Tia Louise is a former journalist, world-traveler, and collector of beautiful men (who inspire ALL of her stories… *wink*)—turned wife, mommy, and novelist.

It’s possible she has a slight truffle addiction. And she will never look at a family restroom the same way again.

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

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