Archive for Wednesday WiPs
Wednesday Works In Progress….
Another Wednesday…which can only mean another sneak peek at one of my upcoming stories. đ And since I’m finishing up Home Sweet Home, I thought I’d give you one last peek at it before I send it off to my editor. You’ll be able to pre-order it in April…and get it on pre-release in early May (if you’re a VIP member at Total e-Bound) And pick it up on general release at the end of May. But here you go…I thought I’d give you a hot excerpt this time.
Home Sweet Home copyright c. 2013 T.A. Chase
âI am, but not too tired to make love with my boyfriend. Youâre going to be really busy all weekend, so I want us to have some alone time before all the craziness starts.â He gripped Juanâs hips, then thrust his groin up against Juanâs. âI want you to fuck me. You donât have to worry about stretching me. I did while I was in the bathroom.â
Juanâs eyes grew wide, and Yancey chuckled. âI didnât want to waste any time. I really want you in me.â
He spread his legs, and Juan shifted until he was in between them, then Yancey grabbed behind his knees to draw them close to his chest, exposing his stretched and well-lubed hole.
âOh fuck me,â Juan whispered when he looked at Yancey.
âNo, thatâs what I want you to do to me,â Yancey joked.
Juan just rolled his eyes as he found the lube bottle Yancey had set on the mattress. Yancey let go of one of his thighs to start jerking himself off. Juan swore softly, then positioned his cock at Yanceyâs opening.
Yancey relaxed while Juan pushed in until Juanâs pubic hair rasped against Yanceyâs butt. Each of them took a deep breath, then Juan began to move. With each thrust, Yancey lifted his hips to meet them and the sound of their bodies coming together filled the air.
Juan held his body at just the right angle for Yanceyâs cock to rub over his stomach, and it drove Yancey crazy. His lover was hitting his gland with each stroke in and out. All Yancey could do was hold on to Juanâs shoulders while enjoying the ride.
âShit! Yancey, youâre so fucking tight.â Juan grunted and Yancey moaned.
Yancey couldnât say anything because the air in his lungs was being driven out of him each time Juan slammed into him. He threw his head back, and yelled silently as his climax rocketed through him. His cum shot from his dick to cover his and Juanâs stomachs.
His inner channel massaged Juanâs shaft, then Juan came, flooding him with hot cum. Juan collapsed on him, and Yancey entwined his arms and legs around Juan, holding him as close as he could without them inhabiting the same body.
He didnât tell Juan to move or anything like that. Yancey loved the feeling of being pressed into the mattress by his lover. It felt like he was surrounded and safe. Finally, Juanâs softened cock slid from Yancey, then Juan rolled onto his side, still in Yanceyâs embrace though.
âI love you, Yancey MacCafferty,â Juan told him.
Yancey grinned. âI love you as well, Juan Romanos. Now we both need to get to sleep, or youâll be dead on your feet in the morning.â
Juan mumbled something, and Yancey could tell Juan was already half asleep. Yancey wiggled free of Juanâs arms, then reached for the towel heâd left beside the bed. He did a quick clean up of both of them. Just enough so they wouldnât be too sticky in the morning.
After dropping the towel to the floor, he snuggled up to Juan, and let his even breathing lull him to sleep.
Wednesday Work In Progress…
Today I thought I’d share with you an excerpt from A Sticky Wicket in Bollywood, the collaboration between Devon Rhodes and yours truly. My character is Ajay Singh, and he’s one of India’s top cricket players. He’s a pretty good guy, but he has a bit of a temper, and it’s been known to cause him trouble from time to time. Here you go….
A Sticky Wicket in Bollywood. (copyright c. 2013 Devon Rhodes & T.A. Chase)
Excerpt:
Ajay backed away from Neel, who had jumped to his feet and was uncharacteristically crowding in Ajayâs face. Neel had never reacted this way to Ajay talking to anyone before
âI didnât think it was that important for you to know I talked to Raj. Weâre just meeting for chai, Neel. Itâs not like weâre going on a date or anything.â Ajay took a few steps back, trying to put space between them.
âOf course, you couldnât date him. Rajan isnât about to come out of the closet for a lover, not now when heâs at the top of the Bollywood world,â Neel commented.
âWhatâs your problem, Neel? Iâve never seen you act this way. If Iâd known youâd do this, I wouldnât have told you the truth about where Iâm going. And what do you mean out of the closet? I never said that Rajan was gay.â Ajay shook his head. âIâll see you tomorrow at the stadium for practise.â
He shoved his way through the crowd, not really paying attention to who he ran into or if anyone was snapping a picture of him being rude to the dancers. All he wanted was to get out of the club and away from Neel at that moment.
Once he was outside, he flagged down a cab, then climbed in. He told the driver to take him to Cafe Pringa. As the vehicle pulled from the kerb, he spotted Neel bursting out of the club. Ajay grimaced at Neelâs crazy actions. There was something going on with his friend, but Ajay didnât have time to figure it out.
All he wanted to focus on was being able to see Raj in person for the first time since that unfortunate argument. Ajay rested his head against the cool glass of the window, and admitted to himself that he probably couldâve seen Raj a long time ago, if heâd returned any of the messages Raj had left on his phone. His stubborn pride and fiery temper made it impossible for him to say he was sorry.
With age came maturity and a certain amount of wisdom, and Ajay was finally ready to face the mistakes heâd made in the past. Maybe when he did that, heâd be able to move on and find something good in his future, though he doubted that whatever was waiting for him would be better than the perfect relationship heâd let slip away when he was young and foolish.
The cab stopped in front of Cafe Pringa, and Ajay sat, staring at the late night crowd. Did he have the courage to step out of the vehicle and go face the man heâd never forgotten? Could he find the strength to ask for forgiveness?
Raj had to have some kind of fondness for Ajay, if Ajay could use Rajâs actions of calling him back and agreeing to meet him as evidence.
âAre you getting out, sir?â
The driverâs question jolted Ajay, and he nodded. After paying the man, he shoved open the door, then climbed out. His phone beeped and he looked down to see a text.
âare you here yet? Found a table outside in the corner.â
Ajay could lie and say heâd gotten caught in traffic, or something had come up and he wouldnât be able to make it. He stared at the words as they shook slightly from the trembling of his hand. No. He wouldnât do that. It was time to face his past, and hopefully regain a friend who had meant far more than anyone else ever had.
Wednesday Work in Progress….
Here’s another little peek at Home Sweet Home. Next week, you might get a peek at A Sticky Wicket in Bollywood (if Devon agrees I can post a little bit of it..lol)
Excerpt: copyright c. 2013 T.A. Chase
Yancey didnât rush, even though he wanted to. He hadnât seen Juan in three months when Juan came to celebrate Yanceyâs graduation from vet school. He strolled into the arena, then leant against the wall as he watched Juan ride the big bay gelding in a tight circle.
He held his breath as Juan pointed the horse towards a double oxer about four feet three inches high. It wasnât the biggest jump set up in the arena, but it was one of the widest. It would force the horse to not only launch himself and his rider high in the air, and stretch out as far as he could over the jump without touching it with his hooves.
Juan made a kissing sound, and gave the gelding a little tap on the hip with his crop as they approached the jump. With a grunting heave, the horse threw himself off his feet, reaching out his head, and curling his hooves under him. Yancey bit his lip, saying a silent prayer that there had been enough power in the leap for them to clear the oxer.
One rail rattled in its cups as one leg rubbed over it, and Yancey winced at the thought of it falling. It had been a good jump, with almost perfect form from the horse. Juan didnât move a muscle, sticking to the geldingâs back like a burr. After landing with a thud, they continued on down the line over another jump built to look like a brick wall.
Yancey waited until Juan was heading towards him before he moved. Juanâs head came up, and Yancey saw the big smile crossing Juanâs face. He walked over to the centre of the arena where Juan was pulling his mount to a halt.
Juan nearly fell out of the saddle in his haste to get to Yancey, who caught him in a tight embrace.
âHoly shit, man. What the hell are you doing here?â Juan pushed him away, gripping his shoulders tight.
âI got in early this morning. Iâll explain the whole thing tonight at dinner if youâre not doing anything.â Yancey glanced over at the horse. âAre you done with him or do you need to ride some more? I can wait as long as it takes. Iâll be here awhile.â
âNo, Iâm done. He cleared the last two jumps, so we ended on a high note. Forman needs to build his confidence up, and this is a good way.â
After taking his arm, Juan led him and Forman out of the arena towards the training barn. Yancey helped Juan to remove the geldingâs tack, and while he put it away, Juan groomed Forman.
Yancey clipped a lead rope to the horseâs halter when Juan finished brushing him. He let Juan take Forman to a paddock where he allowed the gelding to go free. Forman took off, kicking and bucking as he raced across the ground to join the other horses at the end of the paddock.
He laughed as Juan raced over to him, and he wrapped his arms around Juanâs waist. Yancey picked Juan up before whirling him in a circle. Juan cradled Yanceyâs face in his hands, then pressed his lips to Yanceyâs.
Yancey kissed Juan back, licking his tongue along the seam of Juanâs lips, and he asked for entrance. After tilting his head, Juan opened to him. Yancey swept in, tasting Juan; remembering all the flavours heâd discovered throughout the years of kissing Juan.
Wednesday Work in Progress…
This week’s Wednesday Work in Progress is…..Home Sweet Home. I hope you enjoy it. đ
Excerpt: (copyright c. 2013 T.A. Chase)-This is the last part that I wrote last night.
Finally, Yancey looked out into the waiting room and heaved a sigh of relief. There wasnât anyone sitting there, and as far as he knew, there werenât any patients in any of the rooms either.
âThank God, we can close. Dr Behan called to say he was on his way back. I guess today was emergency day for him, and he had one after another. I have to say, heâs going to be so glad youâre here because now you can go on those calls. Heâs getting too old to do the heavy stuff or working with the large animals.â
He turned to see Julie sitting at the reception desk, elbows propped up. Her eyes were tired, but happy. Yancey propped his hip against the edge of the counter.
âI knew that when I bought the practise. I had planned on taking the next week to settle in, but since Dr Jones is sick, I donât have a problem working now.â
âWhere did you come from, Dr MacCafferty?â Julieâs expression held interest, and Yancey knew he had to nip that in the bud.
âI came from Wyoming.â He wasnât sure how to fit his being gay into the conversation.
Julie frowned. âWhy come all the way back east? Werenât there any practises you could buy into out there?â
Yancey nodded. âThere were, and one close to where my brother and his partnerâs ranch is, but I came out east because thereâs someone riding at one of the stables that I care deeply about. I decided it was time to come and see if we can be together.â
âReally? Whatâs her name? I might have met her.â
âNot her. Juan Romanos. Weâve known each other for years since he was sixteen and I was eighteen.â Yancey smiled, remembering the first time he stared into Juanâs brown eyes.
Julie shook her head. âShouldâve known youâd be gay. Iâve met Juan, and heâs good-looking as well. You make a nice couple.â
Ducking his head, Yancey blushed. God, how old was he? Someone telling him he was good-looking shouldnât embarrass him.
âThank you.â He cleared his throat. âIs there a place I can stay until Behan has left?â
âActually, Yancey, you can move into the house. There are a couple of guest rooms you can choose from, then youâll be mostly settled by the time I leave for Arizona.â
He turned to see Dr Abe Behan walk into the clinic waiting room. The older man grinned as he approached Yancey, holding his hand out to shake. Yancey shook it, then gestured to Julie.
âGood to know. I didnât bring a lot of stuff with me. My brother is shipping the rest of it, so it wonât be here until right around when you leave any way. I finally got a chance to meet Julie.â
âDr MacCafferty helped clear out the waiting room, Abe. Dr Jones couldnât come in, says sheâs sicker than a dog. So when he walked in, I put him to work right away. Heâs going to be a good fit.â Julie stood, then stretched.
âPlease call me Yancey. I donât want there to be formal here. Weâre all working to keep the animals happy and healthy,â Yancey told Julie.
She nodded. âAll right, Yancey. Now Iâm heading home. Iâll see you gentlemen in the morning.â
Abe motioned for Yancey to follow him to where the office was in the back of the clinic. âWeâre in charge of looking after the over night patients. Since I live next door, Iâve always done that. Thereâs no point having someone drive here when I can just walk over.â
âGood idea. I donât mind checking on them tonight. Need to start getting into the swing of things as soon as possible.â Yancey took the seat Abe pointed at.
âTo be honest, I know you werenât planning on actually working at the clinic for another week or so, but itâs been busier than all get out around here the past couple of days, and with Shelia being sick, Iâm coming and going here.â Sighing, Abe dropped into his chair. âWe can take our time, and Iâll show you around the clinic. Then sometime next week, Iâll take you around to the area farms and stables I do business with, and introduce you to the managers or owners.â
âI do know Edward Monterrose, the owner of Highlands Farm. One of my friends back in Wyoming, Les Hardin, is a good friend of Edwardâs.â
âAh, thatâs right. You know Les and Edward. Theyâre good men. I used to treat Lesâ horses when he owned his stables here.â Abe scrubbed his hand over his balding head.
Wednesday Work in Progress…
All right. So I’m only about 4-5k away from finishing Reserved for Him. I’m sure it’ll be done today and submitted. Yay! Then I’ll be starting Home Sweet Home, and India. Oh, and my GRL story. đ But hey, at least I can cross one more story off my list.
Today, I thought I’d share an excerpt from Reserved for Him. This is the only peek at it you get…lol…since it’ll be done today.
I hope you all have a great day, and enjoy the glimpse of Ion and Adrien.
Excerpt: Reserved for Him (copyright c. 2013 T.A. Chase)
He rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants, then checked his reflection in the mirror by the door one last time. Ion opened the door with a smile, but his jaw almost hit the floor when he saw Adrien standing in front of him.
Seeing the man in suits all day at the office had told Ion Adrien had a sense of style and loved tailored clothing. Obviously Adrien stepped it up a notch when it came to going out on a date. The dark blue silky dress shirt he wore clung to him like a second skin. Adrienâs black slacks emphasised his muscled thighs, and Ion couldnât wait to see what it did to Adrienâs backside. The man oozed sex and charisma from every pore.
âIâm going to have to fight everyone off you with a stick,â Ion mumbled.
After Adrien strolled in, he swept Ion into his arms and kissed him. Ion forgot every worry and nervous thought he might have had as soon as Adrienâs lips touched his. He buried his fingers in Adrienâs hair, holding tight while Adrien overwhelmed him.
The only thought in Ionâs brain was how soon could he get Adrien into his bed, and was he hungry enough for food to leave his apartment. It wasnât until his lungs burnt from lack of oxygen that he decided to take a step back.
Adrien didnât let him break their embrace. He rested his forehead against Ionâs, and they slowed their breathing together.
âI want you, Ion. More than Iâve ever wanted another man before, and thatâs saying something.â
A small jolt of jealousy hit Ion, but he knew it was stupid to feel that way. Adrien was a mature male with money and power. Of course, he was going to have a lot of lovers before Ion. A tiny voice in Ionâs head said that he wouldnât be having any other lovers after Ion if Ion had any say in it.
âI want you as well, Adrien,â Ion admitted, not seeing the harm in confessing the obvious.
Adrien took a step back, leaving his hands at Ionâs hips. âBut I want us to have dinner together, and get to know each other better before we jump into bed. I think weâre looking for the same thing here, and it isnât a quick roll in the hay.â
Ion shook his head. âIt might seem odd, because Iâm not that old, but Iâm tired of the club scene and hook-ups. Maybe itâs because I have big plans for myself, and it doesnât seem like a lot of the guys I run into are interested in that.â
âMaybe you just needed an older man to see the possibilities with you.â Adrien dove in for a quick peck, then he gestured towards the door. âWe should be going. Our reservations are for eight oâclock and we donât want to be late.â
Ion grabbed his jacket, and all the rest of his things.
Wednesday Work in Progress…
I thought I’d give you one last excerpt from Leaving Home. I’m not sure which story I’ll be giving you next Wednesday. Also, you’re going to have to wait until next week to get two choices for the next blog story. I have a lot of writing to get done the rest of this week, and I have a very important personal matter to take care of this week as well. But I promise, next Tuesday and Thursday, you’ll get two blurbs or maybe scenes for you to choose from. Then I’ll start the next blog story the week after that. đ So be patient with me for a little while…lol
Here’s the excerpt: (Leaving Home copyright c. 2013 T.A. Chase)
After hanging up, Chaz tossed his phone onto the bed, then took his time stepping into the shower. Thank God he slept naked, or else heâd have had trouble getting undressed to clean up.
He took his time, letting the hot water soak into his lower back, and it worked in combination with the meds. Chaz was moving pretty well when he climbed out to dry off. He dressed quickly, then called to check and see if Frank was ready. They agreed to meet in the lobby in ten minutes.
Chaz put his shoes on before he dialled his mother. He stood next to the window, looking outside while he waited for her to answer.
âCharles, this is a pleasant surprise.â Her voice was full of happiness.
He frowned at her statement. âWhy a surprise? I usually call you when I can.â
âYou havenât called me in over a month, honey. Maybe two. I think you were finishing up in Las Vegas and called to tell me you wouldnât be coming home for the break.â
Wincing, he gave himself a mental slap on the forehead. How could he have forgotten to check in with his mom? And he must have ignored several of her voicemails as well since she wouldâve called to make sure he was okay.
âSorryâ was all he could think of to say. He couldnât explain what the problem was. Sheâd demand he retire and come home, and since he wasnât ready for that, heâd stay silent.
âIf I hadnât talked to Matthew a few times while you were quiet, I wouldâve panicked, but he told me you were okay. Just taking time off from everyone.â
The tone of her voice said she didnât understand why heâd want to take time off from his family, but she was willing to let it go as long as he was in contact with one sibling.
âSpeaking of Matthew, I called to tell you he was back in the states. He just landed a few hours ago, but heâs heading home to take a shower before hitting his bed for some uninterrupted sleep.â
Chaz kind of hoped Matthewâs guy would keep Matthew from sleeping for a little while at least, but he wasnât going to mention that to his mother.
His mother sighed in relief. âThank God. I hate when heâs out of touch, though he does manage to call once in a while. So we watched you on TV last night. You and Frank did a good job, but you seemed a little stiff. Are you doing all right?â
He loved his mother. âYes, Mom. Iâm doing fine. It was just I hadnât warmed up enough after not doing the job for a couple months.â
She hummed like she wasnât completely convinced he was telling the truth, but she let it slide. âGood. Now are you and Frank off to have some breakfast?â
Chuckling, Chaz said, âYes. You know our routine, though we might pick up some stranglers along the way.â
âAll right. Have a good event, honey, and Iâll talk to you in the next day or two.â
âBye, Mom.â
Chaz hung up, then tucked his phone away. He grabbed his wallet and sunglasses as he walked out of his room. After making his way down to the lobby, he looked around for Frank. He found his partner standing near the front entrance chatting with Cody Harwood.
âCody, I thought you werenât going to be riding any more,â Chaz said as he approached.
Cody and Frank turned to face him, and Cody smiled.
âIâm retiring after this event. I got an exemption, but I still canât ride. I donât have enough strength in my riding hand to grip the rope.â Cody flexed his right hand.
âThat sucks, man. Sorry to hear that.â Chaz slapped Cody on the shoulder. âYou want to join us for some breakfast?â
âSure. I need to be over to the arena an hour before the round starts to help with the bulls, but I could definitely eat.â
âGood. Letâs go.â
Chaz led the way out of the hotel, and they climbed into his truck. There was an IHOP down the road that he and Frank ate every time they came to Tulsa. He drove there, listening to Cody and Frank talk about guys they all knew.
Have a good Wednesday, everyone. đ
Work In Progress…
I thought this was an appropriate picture. đ
Since I forgot to do this on Wednesday, I’ll give you an excerpt today. It’s from Leaving Home, which  will be done this weekend. Yay!
Excerpt: (this is the scene I wrote last night right before I went to bed)
As much as Peter wanted to baby Chaz, and do everything for him, Peter knew Chaz wouldnât welcome being taken care of. He wasnât an invalid or a cripple. He was simply trying to heal up from an injury. Several injuries that would have levelled a lesser man.
âSure. Here you go.â He handed everything over, then after Chaz was done, he returned the glass to the counter. âLetâs get you in the tub.â
It didnât take that long, even with Peter being as careful as he could. Chaz settled into the steaming water with a sigh, and Peter rolled a towel to tuck behind Chazâ head.
âAre you going to join me?â Chaz peered up at Peter with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
Peter shook his head. âNo. You need to rest, and I need to get ready for bed. Iâll be back here in a few minutes.â
âHey, donât I get to decide where we sleep tonight? I think I remember you asking me whether I wanted to share a bed with you.â
Peter ducked his head, swearing silently as his face heated yet again. He couldnât believe he was bold enough to ask Chaz that. If the man wanted Peter to stay, he wouldâve said something. Chaz didnât need to see Peter as a needy person who had to spend every moment of every day with him.
âYes, it is up to you. Iâm sorry I presumed.â He backed away from the tub.
Chaz grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop. âOh, you didnât presume anything. I want you in my bed for as long as youâre willing to be there, Peter. Believe me when I say youâre the only man Iâve ever said that to.â
Was it the pain or exhaustion making Chaz say that? Peter had the feeling if Chaz felt good, he wouldâve never said anything like that. Chaz didnât seem like the type of guy who settled down or got involved in a serious way with anyone. Very much a player as Max would say.
Yet didnât it mean something that Chaz chose not to take more pills tonight after riding tweaked his back so badly? Could it mean that Peter really was someone more than just a vacation fling or a one-night stand?
He snorted silently. Yeah right. It was all Peterâs wishful thinking making him believe there was something more between him and Chaz. The only thing there was mutual liking and almost overwhelming lust. When the two weeks were up, and Chaz had to get down to Tulsa, Peter had no doubt the man would walk away without a second thought.
Wednesday WIP
First order of business…All Romance Ebooks is having a Christmas give-away. They’ve been giving away books for free and my book, Pestilence, is free today and tomorrow. If you haven’t picked it up yet, or if you know someone who might like it, but hasn’t been able to get it yet. Here’s the link.
Second of all, today’s WIP is titled Reserved for Him, one of the short stories I’m working on for next year. đ
Excerpt: (copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase)
âI want you all to fucking think of a fucking solution.â
It was going to be one of those days, Ion though as he pushed his mail cart off the elevator onto the executive floor of Bellamy International.
âWhy the fuck do I pay you bastards such fucking ridiculous salaries if you canât come up with one fucking good idea?â
Ion winced before sending Patrick, his best friend and Mr. Adrien Bellamyâs executive assistant, a sympathetic grin. âSounds like heâs in rare form today.â
âYou have no idea. Bellamyâs been like this all morning.â
Adrien Bellamy was the CEO and President of Bellamy International, a multi-national company that acquired failing businesses and tried to make them successful again. Well, it was just one branch of the business. Bellamy International had its fingers in several different pies, which suited Ion just fine. He might only be working in the mailroom right now, but he planned on making his way up the corporate ladder to a trouble shooting position some day.
Ion was ambitious, and it was his drive to succeed that brought him to the company. Bellamy International was one of the top 100 businesses in the world. What better place for a young businessman to work at?
âAll your ideas are shit. I wonât lay off a thousand workers simply because the men in charge were fucking greedy crooks. You have to find me a solution that doesnât result in people losing their jobs.â
Ion knew better than to ask why Mr Bellamy was furious. Patrick couldnât tell him since being the head manâs minion meant he came across a lot of sensitive material, and it meant Patrickâs job if he were to share any of it, even with another person in the company.
After handing Patrick mail, Ion checked his list to see whom else he had to deliver to.
âTheyâre all in the conference room. Have been since this morning when I got here. Bellamy called a meeting of all the execs.â Patrick sifted through the large pile of envelopes Ion had given him.
âWhy arenât you in there taking notes or whatever he has you do during meetings?â
Patrick shrugged. âNot sure. I sent him a text to see if he needed me for anything. He told me to cancel the rest of his meetings for the day, and work on something else.â
They both jumped when a loud crash resounded from the conference room. Ion straightened from where heâd been resting his hip against Patrickâs desk. The door flew open and ricocheted back after hitting the wall with force. He and Patrick watched in amazement as Mr Richardson, the CFO, dragged Mr Bellamy out of the room.
âGod damn it, Sidney. Why the fuck do I have them here if they canât figure out one fucking solution? Monkeys are more intelligent than that group.â Mr Bellamy yanked his arm out of Mr Richardsonâs grip. He started to pace the length of Patrickâs office area.
Ion had left his cart next to the elevator, and he found he was happy about that because his boss wouldâve tripped over it. It paid to stay out of the way when Mr Bellamy was angry. After pressing into a corner, he hoped no one would notice him.
âTheyâre fucking morons.â Mr Bellamy ran his fingers through his hair.
âPatrick, can you call the cleaning crew and get someone to come up here. Thereâs a mess in the conference room.â Richardson seemed calm, bet then he always did. Ion had never seen the CFO lose his cool in the three years Ion had worked for the company.
Mr Bellamy was the complete opposite. He lost his temper at least once a week, usually at Patrick, then later that night, Ion would get an earful about what a prick Bellamy was.
Wednesday Work in Progress
How about a little naked Adam Levine? đ
I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at Leaving Home. A little bit of work in progress from me.
Excerpt: (copyright c. 2012 T.A. Chase)
Leaving home was an integral part of growing up. It was an important step to discovering who a man was to become. Peter Skinner understood that, yet he couldnât help feeling sad as he carried the last few boxes out to Yanceyâs truck.
Sad because moving out meant heâd cut his last ties to the family heâd thought would love him forever. Peter snorted silently. He shouldâve known that once he told the truth, theyâd turn their backs faster than a Quarter Horse cutting a steer from a herd. His grandfather ruled the Skinner clan with an iron fist, and if he said Peter must be shunned, the rest would go along with his decree.
âDo you have everything, Peter?â Yancey helped him put the boxes in the back of the vehicle.
He looked back at the house where he grew up, and sighed. âNo. I got everything I want to keep. They can throw the rest of it away for all I care.â
âThrow it away? Your parents would really do that?â Yancey frowned. âThat seems a little harsh.â
âYouâve met my grandfather right? Youâve seen how he treated Les and Tony. He wasnât happy about it when I acknowledged any of you existed. Then I had the nerve to start working for Les.â His laugh was harsh. âYes, theyâll throw away anything that will remind them of me. Trust me. I saw them do that with my dadâs younger brother. He didnât do what Grandfather wanted, and he left. No oneâs seen or heard from him since.â
Peter remembered hearing his parents fight over it when he was little. His father had removed all the pictures featuring his brother from the walls and albums. Peterâs mother hadnât wanted to do that. Of course, Grandfather hadnât liked Mother either, so she would have gone against anything he said.
Which was why Peter had been surprised when she stood right beside his father and told him to leave. It had crushed him, causing his heart to break and question his plan to be honest. Heâd run to Max, who held him while he cried. Then Max had explained that the best families were the ones they built for themselves.
Wednesday Work In Progress….
I thought I’d start doing this again. Giving you a glimpse of what I’m working on. đ This is the overall ‘cover’ for the steampunk PAX at Amber Allure. It’ll be out in February. I won’t have an exact date until all the stories are in. I’ll remind you closer to the release, but for any of the PAXs, you can get all five stories in the PAX for a great discounted price. đ
My story is titled The Whore of New Slum, and it’s my first try at steampunk. I’m hoping I get it right, and go totally off the rails with it…lol.
Here’s an excerpt:
As he reached the second floor landing, he heard shouting from down the hall. Usually, heâd ignore the arguing, and make his way up to Mollyâs room, but he found a reluctance to continue on that day. More than likely, it was because he knew Mollyâs time was growing near, and he hated watching his sister waste away.
So he wandered in the direction of the yelling, curious as to what-or who-was causing all the trouble. He approached the room, and someone burst out of it, running into him.
He grunted and stumbled back, arms flailing as he tried to keep his balance and not end up on his ass. Two hands came into his view, gripping his wrists long enough for him to get back on his feet. Wendall blinked, not sure heâd seen what he thought he had. One of the hands had been normal, well-formed with thick fingers and scars marring the darkly tanned skin. The other hand had looked like it was made out of metal; bright shiny silver skin with steel joints.
Wendallâs gaze shot up to look at the person standing in front of him. By his height and the breadth of his shoulders, Wendall deduced the stranger was male, but he couldnât tell anything else about him. The bottom half of the manâs face was covered by a leather mask, and a high-collared shirt and long leather pants hide everything else.
âSorry. I didnât see you there.â
Wendall thanked his experience in hiding his emotions when he heard the strangerâs voice. It sounded like heâd gargled with broken glass and tore his vocal cords apart to the point there was almost nothing left of it. Wendall kept his face bland, hoping he showed only a mild hint of curiosity.
âItâs all right. I wasnât paying attention and stopped at the wrong floor. Have too many things running around in my head at the moment.â Wendall flashed his best customer smile and bowed a little. âThank you for saving me from embarrassing myself.â
The stranger stepped back, holding his left hand behind his back, obviously forgetting that Wendall had all ready seen it. He dipped his head, turning so that the left side was hidden from Wendall. Scars cris-crossed the manâs face, and a deep furrow formed between the manâs eyebrows, making Wendall believe he was in pain.
âYouâre welcome.â
âAbdur, get back in here. I still need to make some adjustments and make sure youâre strong enough for the procedure.â
A doctor rushed from the door, skidding to a stop the moment his eyes landed on Wendall. His eyes went right to the brand on Wendallâs face, and Wendall braced himself for the scornful expression the doctor was sure to be sporting soon. A lot of people looked down on Wendall and his kind for the services they provided, yet if they didnât do it, there would be a lot of unhappy people doing terrible things to each other. Most people didnât see that, and thought they were superior to Wendall.
