Emotionally
Compromised
By: Alex Rosa
Romance/Romantic Suspense
SYNOPSIS
"A smile will get you far, but a smile and a
gun will get you farther" -Al Capone.
Federal Agent Alex Turner deals better with guns
than boyfriends, and prefers it that way. Her emotional range is bleak, but her
aim is damn near perfect.
Thinking saving the world is a far easier task
than dating, Agent Turner springs at the opportunity to prevent young scientist
Marcus Gibbs from selling his biological weapon to the highest bidder. With her
goal in sight, and Marcus eating out of the palm of her hand, an obstacle she
doesn't see coming interferes. Meet Jeremy Hunt -- the distractingly handsome
CEO of Sunscape Biotechnologies, and Marcus's boss and best friend.
A man who is accustomed to getting what he
wants, Jeremy's never been one to take no for an answer, which has Agent Turner
realizing for the first time that her wit might get her farther than her
weapon. With no protocol or training to reference when it comes to matters of
the heart, she worries that this might be her hardest assignment yet.
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Excerpt #1
The
car pulls away, and I am alone with Jeremy, who is now standing right next to
me.
I
stare into the distance, not wanting to make eye contact even though I know
he's staring at me. I bob back and forth on my heels, waiting for a cab,
wishing for this moment to be over. He scoffs next to me, and I still don't
budge.
As
if he can't take it, he says, "Really?"
The
statement almost offends me. I turn to look at him, and it is a blatant
mistake. He stands with hands in his pockets in a nonchalant sort of pose. My
mouth starts watering. Focus.
"Excuse
me?" I ask.
"You're
kidding right now, right? That stunt you just pulled with Marcus. Is this all
because I grabbed your ass?" He is coming dangerously close to being
crude, and I decide to get right to the point.
"Is
this because I offered him my number, and not you?"
His
mouth forms a hard line, and he is all tough CEO, but I am no mouse and I stare
right back. After a moment, he is trying to hold back his smile.
"Maybe
it is." He pouts.
When Jeremy pouts, it's a
remarkable sight. I
gulp over my last thought.
"Well,
I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not," I say.
As
if dumbfounded, he continues, "Why Marcus? Why him? He's been a drunk slob
all night!"
Is
he really putting down his friend? I wonder if talking about his friends this
way is a habit.
I
turn to look away because I can't think of a logical response. He knows I am
attracted to him, and I will not let him take advantage of that fact. I can
tell he thinks it's funny that I am giving him the silent treatment, and it
annoys me. He riles me up!
He
leans in somewhat close, and in a mocking tone, he says, "Is it these blue
eyes? Are they too much for you?"
Before
I can stop it, a laugh erupts from my mouth, and I look at him and roll my
eyes.
"Mr.
Hunt, you are definitely not used to not
getting what you want, and it almost pleases me that I can affect you so."
He
bites his lip, nodding his head as he looks away.
"You're
toying with me."
Maybe I am.
Excerpt #2
I
try to soften my expression and unclench my fists as I stand before Marcus. The
deep-seated hatred I feel for this man is indescribable, but I keep my cool. I
don't have a choice.
Marcus's
eyes feel heavy as they drag down my body and then back up, bouncing as they
catch my eyes. His demeanor is harsher than I remember of the pleading boy I
first encountered at the club. Despite his transformation, I feel like the man
could show a little, I don't know, remorse? Decency? There is no shame in his
salacious expression. I'm tempted to comment on his audacity.
Bravo, sir. You have made me feel
incredibly uncomfortable in under thirty seconds.
Although,
this might be my angle. I take another drag from my cigarette, smiling but
eyeing him suspiciously. He lets the silence hang, and my patience wanes.
Fine, have it your way, Marcus. "I hope you don't mind my
intrusion." I pout.
He
shrugs, and I worry that he either knows my secrets, or is hiding his own.
I'll
take option two, please.
"Glad
to have some company, actually. What's your excuse?"
I
raise an eyebrow, and I let my lip twitch, pondering his question. He doesn't
seem too attached to his date. Thinking about that horrid woman, my eyes dart
to the glowing windows. I spot Jeremy's towering, broad frame on the dance
floor. My heart skips a beat. He is already dancing with her. He's smiling;
she's smiling.
It's
all going according to plan, isn't it? I feel my stomach plummet with jealousy.
I take a deep breath, feeling the crisp night air burning an icy path where the
cigarette smoke once was, trying to regain my focus.
"So,
I see even you aren't immune to the Jeremy Hunt effect." Marcus interrupts
my reverie. He takes a long drag, not taking his eyes off me.
Marcus
is either entirely driven by his drug habit, or he has managed to accrue a
substantial amount of confidence between now and our front door encounter
almost a week ago. It’s in his eyes. Before he couldn’t even hold my gaze, but now
his eyes are determined, teetering on piercing. I want to be impressed, but instead, I see it as another
opportunity to work to my advantage.
I
peruse the veranda, checking for any familiar faces. There is only one other
couple out here canoodling, which means few observers. As my eyes swing back
around, Derek makes his entrance onto the balcony through the double doors. Perfect timing, as usual.
Derek's
lips don't move, and he doesn't make eye contact, but my earpiece buzzes with
his disapproving tone. "Are you really smoking right now?"
The
corner of my mouth twitches with a lingering smile. I take a defiant stance and
take a long drag, bringing my eyes back to Marcus.
Alex Rosa lives in San Diego, California. When
she isn’t scouring city parks or cafe’s to write she is more than likely trying
to convince her friends to join her on her next adventure. A sufferer of
wanderlust, she is always looking for a new mountain to climb, a canyon to
hike, or a plane to board. Her resume consists of coroner, to working at a zoo,
and most recently as an executive assistant, but finds her home amongst words,
whether it be in books, or in film. Her obsessions are
on the brink of bizarre, but that’s just the way she likes it.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.rosa
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Website: http://www.authorarosa.com/
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