Uncovering You Series - Book 1 |
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RELEASE DATE: MARCH 27TH
When I wake up in a dark, unfamiliar room, I have no idea what's waiting for me in the shadows. My imagination conjures up demons of the worst kind.
Reality is much worse:
A collar with no leash. A prison with no walls. And a life stripped of meaning.
I am presented with a vile contract and asked to sign. It outlines the terms of my servitude. The only information I have about my captor are the two small letters inked at the bottom:
J.S.
Armed with only my memories, I must do everything I can to avoid becoming ensnared in his twisted mind games. But in the end, it all comes down to one choice:
Resist and die.
Or submit, and sign my life away.
“Lilly.”
Oh
God. It’s him. There’s no mistaking that rich, masculine treble.
What’s
he doing down here?
“M-Mr.
Stonehart,” I stutter, turning. I curse my inability to hide my surprise. He
totally caught me off-guard. I have to look up to meet his eyes. Then up some
more.
The
face that I find is so striking it should belong to a Greek god.
He’s
younger than I expected. Late thirties, maybe early forties.
That
means he started his company when he was younger than me!
Dark
scruff lines his angular cheeks. His jet-black hair is styled in long, natural
waves. My fingers itch to run through it.
Totally
inappropriate.
He
has a prominent nose that might be too big on a less imposing man, but on him,
it’s perfect.
In
short, he’s a package of the purest masculinity I’ve ever seen.
And
then there are his eyes. Oh my God. His eyes. They pierce into me like honing
missiles. They are the deepest black I have ever seen. They would be
frightening if they weren’t so beautiful. When the light reflects a certain
way, you catch a glimpse of the purple underneath.
They
are like midnight sapphires. His eyes reveal a cunning intellect. Those eyes do
not miss a thing.
Add
all that to his towering height, his wide shoulders, his confident-yet-at-ease
posture… and Stonehart cuts an intimidating figure.
My
gaze darts to his left hand before I can stop it. No ring. He’s unmarried.
He
looks down at me, expectantly. His eyes narrow ever so slightly, and I feel
like I’m being dissected, measured up, and tucked away in some small corner of
his brain. I imagine this is what a gemstone feels like under the magnifying
class of the most critical appraiser.
Stonehart
clears his throat. I come to with a start, realizing I haven’t said anything in
ages. I open my mouth, but the capacity for speech seems like a foreign concept
to my brain. “I—”
Somebody
bumps into me from behind. I stagger forward. I’m not used to these shoes, so
my heel steps the wrong way. My ankle twists under me, and I start to fall.
I
don’t fall far. The hand still on my elbow tightens, and Stonehart pulls me
into him.
I
plaster myself onto the solid steel wall the man has for a body. I catch a
scent of his cologne. It’s a deep, musky smell with a hint of charred spruce
that is all male. It scrambles my thoughts even more.
“Sorry!”
a rushed voice calls out. From the corner of my eye, I see the postman giving a
hurried, apologetic wave.
Although
the sequence lasts less than a second, it feels like an eternity. Pressed up
against him like that, I don’t want to move. I know that I couldn’t have made a
worse first impression.
Stonehart
eases me off him with a firm yet gentle grip. Our eyes meet. I flush the most
vibrant red. His fingers graze my forehead as he brushes a lock of hair out of
my face.
Any
tenderness I may have imagined vanishes when Stonehart takes out his cell. He
long dials a key and growls an order. “Steven. See the delivery boy leaving
right now? Have his building pass revoked.”
I
gape. Stonehart keeps speaking. “Wait. I thought of one better. Bar his company
from accessing the building.” There’s a pause. “For how long? Indefinitely.
FedEx can talk to me when they have an improved employee selection program in
place.”
The
phone call gives me just enough time to compose myself. My heart’s still
beating out of my chest. But nobody has to know that.
I
speak without thinking. “You’re going to restrict the entire company from
serving this building because of that?”
Stonehart
humors me with an answer. “A company’s employees are its most important asset.
Their behavior reflects the organization as a whole. If FedEx decided that
clown is good enough for them, it tells me they’re sloppy. I do not do business
with sloppy organizations.”
“What
about the other tenants in the building?” I ask. “Won’t that piss them off?”
When
I hear myself and realize how improper my question is, my cheeks flame red
again.
Stonehart’s
eyes darken, as if he cannot believe I asked that question. I open my mouth to
apologize for my imprudence, hating the way my professional skills have
evaporated into thin air. I’m cut off by a short, barked laugh.
“Miss
Ryder.” He sounds amused. “I believe that is the most direct and honest
question anybody has dared ask me in weeks.” He takes my elbow again and leads
me to the elevators. I have to take two quick steps to match one of his long
strides.
“Yes,”
he continues. “They will be ‘pissed off.’ But the perk of owning a building—”
he hits the elevator call button, “—is that you get to make executive
decisions.” He gives me an unreadable glance as the doors open. “That is, at
the risk of being questioned by inexperienced interns.”
If
that isn’t a loaded remark, I don’t know what is. I flush scarlet red for the
third time since I’ve met him. I’ve never had a man throw me so off balance.
The
elevator is packed, for which I’m infinitely thankful. The trip up will give me
some time to properlycompose myself.
Gratitude
turns to panic when the crowd files out, meek as mice, when Stonehart steps in.
None of the people waiting in the lobby follow us.
The
doors close. I’m alone in here with him. My heart’s beating as fast as a
hummingbird’s wings.
He
catches me staring. “Impressed?” he asks.
“They
know you,” I manage.
His
dark eyes flash with amusement. “Astute.”
First of all - cliffhanger. However, Edwards does note this is simply the first section of the larger novel. If any of you followed the "Anything He Wants" series by Sara Fawkes - this is the same.
Second of all - HOLY BEJEEZUS! I went from the prologue filled with random dates and flashbacks thinking "oh no I don't understand anything, I'm going to hate this" to "omg I love where this is going and it's totally freaking me out, WHERE'S THE REST?!"
Lilly has a spine of steel. She fights every moment she is trapped and confused. She plots and schemes refusing to bow to the wishes of some degenerate kidnapper. I love how sassy she remains despite her situation, I'm a sucker for strong women characters and Lilly is tough incarnate. Though we get only snippets of JS, his persona as demanding and caring is built beautifully. He sounds like the dominant male billionaire I'm going to love and hate in equal measures! From the messages to Lilly's memory - his scenes are perfectly restrained and minimal. This tantalizing start to the "Uncovering You" series promises fights, dark erotic romance, stand-offs, submission, gentleness and spunk. The only problem I have if how long I have to wait until the next one!
Edwards has given us a mysterious, dark novella with a hint of things yet to come and I am literally panting like a dog wanting the next part. While reading I was reminded of the illustrious Kitty Thomas' "Guilty Pleasure's" though who knows where Edwards will take us from this moment forward. This novella has the perfect level of tension and the best intertwined backstory. I was hungry for every ounce of information Edwards wanted to throw my way. This series is truly one to look out for and Edwards darker side is shining with literary magic. Don't take my word for it mark down March the 27th and get your copy asap!
I live near beautiful Seattle, Washington. I grew up reading all types of fantasy books before discovering the wonderful world of romances in high school. Now, I spend most of my time writing about sexy men and the women who love them.
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