I am so excited to share with you the first chapter in HUNTING ANGEL and the return of my favorite bad boy Chase.
Warning. This is not edited. Like at all. There will most definitely be typos and there might be a few changes before the release date.
That being said I can't wait for this book and I just wanted to thank you all <3 <3. This has been the most amazing experience.
Enjoy!
Chase Winters is the
bane of my existence.
Some people have death
experiences and realize how precious life and love is.
Not me.
Just the opposite.
Oh, I appreciate life.
I love feeling the wind in my hair, the taste of dark chocolate on my tongue,
and I even came to love the country scent of Spring Valley, Illinois.
What I didn’t have was an epiphany about my love life.
Instead of falling head
over heels in love with Chase Winters, my savior, I actually loathed him more
if that was even possible. Okay, maybe loathe was a strong word. Truthfully, I
didn’t know how I felt about Chase. Sometimes I saw glimpses of kindness. He
could be sweet, considerate and incredible protective. Chase wasn’t the kind of
guy who was easy to love. Sure, he looked like he was sculpted by the gods, but
the second he opened his mouth the illusion evaporated. Mostly all I got was a
selfish ass. To make matters worse, we were linked by some grim reaper voodoo.
Thank you Death.
Chase has saved my life
not once, not twice… shit at this point I’m about to lose count. Maybe I should
have shown a little more gratitude. Maybe I should try and get along with Chase
considering neither of us really understands this connection we have. Or maybe
I should stay as far away as possible.
I might have if he
suddenly hadn’t gone from being a douchebag to someone I didn’t recognize. The
arrogant, snarky asshole was still there, but with me he was different. And I
found that even more dangerous. It was throwing me through crazy, messed up
loops. That’s what he was doing lately – messing me up.
I could handle the
sarcasm all day long. It was the charm that played with my head. Since that
night everything changed. Or maybe it was just me who changed. My mom got one
heck of a surprise when I saw her that night after work. I hugged her like I was
afraid to let go. We spent the rest of that night on the couch together
watching our favorite movie until I finally fell asleep. She had sensed how
much I needed to just spend a night with her, like we used. It was the best
medicine in the world – a mother’s love.
And her special
chocolate milkshakes.
There really was no
point in dwelling on what I couldn’t change. What’s done was done. I should be
focusing on what happens now, like finding out if I am still human or some
genetically altered badass. Hey it was possible. As much as I despised to admit
it, Chase is the badass. So it was
deducible that some of his awesome could have rubbed off on me.
Who was I kidding? I
didn’t feel like a badass. It was strange. I felt different yet I couldn’t put
my finger on what those changes were. When I looked in the mirror, my face
looked exactly the same. Not one blasted freckle out of place. My hair was
still straight as a board and as black as spades. I hadn’t gained or lost any
weight, I was still only five foot three and my tongue was just as sharp as
ever – maybe sharper.
What I really needed
was a distraction from my own rambling thoughts, something to fully occupy my
mind. If I kept going at this rate, I would drive myself straight into the
loony bin. I knew just what I needed.
No not Chase.
Tiptoeing down the hall
in my striped knee-high socks and white cotton shorts, I skipped down the
stairs trying not to disturb my mom. She was fast asleep. It had been a long
night. Sprawling out on the zebra print sofa, (mom was totally into animal
print) I flipped the TV on, finding my favorite YouTube channel. Yes, this
probably raised my geekdom levels, but I couldn’t help. I was addicted to
YouTube.
I was completely
immersed in the repartee between Sips and Sjin when I felt the familiar heat
skirt down back of my neck. The tattoo now gracing my hip tingled. Every time
he was near the same symptoms came over me. It was both disarming and
irritating.
“What are you doing?”
he asked, making himself at home on the couch beside me. His long legs
stretched out in front of him. Letting himself into my house whenever he felt like
it, had also become a habit.
My eyes were glued to
the screen. I fought the urge to look over at him, finding it more difficult
than it should have been. Whenever we were in the same room, I instinctual
sought him out. Our eyes would connect, the world would standstill, and then we
would go on as if nothing happened. So recently I began to challenge myself, to
see how long it would take me before I caved. “What does it look like? I’m
watching TV genius. Even you should be able to figure that out.” I answered in
a droll voice never taking my eyes off the tube. Try as I might to ignore his
overbearing presence, I failed. Epicly.
“This is not TV,” he argued, remaining as
difficult as always.
“It’s Sips and Sjin,” I
added clenching my fists. My nails dug into my palms. It was all I could do to
not look at him.
I felt those silver
eyes on me and shifted under his gaze. “Is that supposed to mean something to
me?” His voice alone could cut straight to my heart and make it beat a million
times faster.
Tossing a handful of
green and red skittles into my mouth, I snickered at the banter between my two
favorite gamers. “They do a play through of games and post them on YouTube with
snarky humor. It’s a-m-a-zing,” I informed, chewing on the wad of rainbow
candy.
“Attractive.” His
weight sunk his side of the couch.
I grinned, finally giving
in and meeting those smoky eyes that haunted my dreams, no matter how much I
willed otherwise. “It’s totally turning you on,” I teased over exaggerating my
chomping. I hated that just a peek at him in his ripped jeans and black t-shirt
could leave me breathless.
Joke was on me. His
silver eyes flickered gold, and he shot me a devilish grin. “You’re right.”
Shit.
I swallowed. Well that
totally backfired. My pulsed picked up, and I could feel myself pulled toward
that god-worthy body. “Whatever,” I shot back weakly and returned my attention
to the TV, though at this point he’d ruined it for me.
My feet were pressed
against his thigh, seared by his incredible heat. He was like an inferno. “Okay.
So let me get this straight. Instead of playing video games, you are now
watching someone else play video games?”
I kicked him lightly in
the thigh. “You got a problem with it – leave.” I put on a much braver front
than I felt. Truthfully, if he did leave, I knew that moment he was gone I
would miss him. Pathetic.
“God you are lame.”
That was it. I didn’t
even think about what I did, I just tossed whatever was in my hand directly at
Chase’s smirking mouth.
It happened to be the
remote control.
I watched as his hand
snatched it out of the air before it connected with his beautiful bad boy face.
Damn his demon reflexes. “Nice try Angel Eyes. I love it when you are feisty.”
I scowled at him. “Mom
is upstairs you know.”
He lifted that stupid
brow with the hoop in it. Enviously long lashes fanned around his twinkling
eyes. “That sounds like a challenge.”
“God you are warped.”
His wrist snaked out
before I even saw it coming, gripping my ankle. With a quick tug he pulled me
to him, and I shrieked in surprise. “You like it,” he murmured, his breath
tickling my skin.
Suddenly I found myself
in a very precarious position straddled over his lap. Being this close to Chase
meant trouble – of the good kind. I pushed aside the butterflies of excitement
and anticipation. My body knew what was about to follow the kind of look he was
giving me, and it was on high alert. “If you came over for a quick tumble
you’ll be sadly disappointed.” I tried to sound completely bored and
uninterested.
Yet the golden gleam in
his eyes said no one was fooled, least of all him. His hands spanned on either
side of my hips, burning right through the flimsy white cotton of my shorts. I
cursed myself for not wearing more clothes like lots of layers. No, instead I
strolled around the house in next to naked.
“Nothing I ever do is
quick Angel.”
Every time he said my
name my pulse decided to race like it was on speed. I bit my lip to keep from
sighing. The last thing I needed to do was stroke his already out of control
ego.
“Do you need a
demonstration?” he whispered, his voice dropping to dangerous octaves.
I swallowed, entranced
by his eyes. He tipped his head forward grazing his lips across mine. A blaze
of heat tore through my body leaving me achy and wanting more. I knew that I
should pull away while I still had opportunity because the small window was
closing quickly. As if I had a choice. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I
watched as his eyes darkened and flickered. He wasn’t the only one who could
use the element of surprise. I laced my fingers into his hair loving the way
his eyes changed right before me. Never losing contact I moved in to seal our
lips together, needing–
Like I weighed no more
than a pound of sugar, he lifted me in the air, dropping me down on the couch. For
a split second I was stunned…then I went up in flames. Roughly pushing the hair
out of my face, I glared up at him, seething. “I am going to make you regret
that Chase Winters.”
He stood hovering over
me with a stupid grin. “I’m looking forward to it.”
I jumped off the couch,
meeting him head-to-head. Okay well in reality it was like head-to-chest. It
wasn’t my fault he was so damn tall or that I was so short. Cursed genes. “I
think you better leave before I give in to the urge to stab you.”
He chuckled walking to
the door. “There is never a dull moment with you.” Pausing in the doorway he
leaned against the frame. “It’s why I like you Angel Eyes.” He brushed a piece
of loose hair behind my ear.
Without further ado, I
slammed it in his face. As usual, his laughter seeped through from the other
side. This seemed to be our signature goodbye more and more lately. I think he
liked it in some twisted way. It’s like he lived to get under my skin or under
my shirt. Propped against the closed door, I closed my eyes and released a
whoosh of breath I’d been holding from his touch.
“Angel,” my mom called
from upstairs.
Ugh. I had woken up
sleeping beauty with my outburst. “Sorry mom,” I hollered back.
~*~*~*~
Hello
Monday morning you suck. That was my first thought of the
day – lovely wasn’t it? Lying in my bed, I stared at the ceiling. Today would
be many of firsts for me.
First day back to
school since my… accident. Is that
what I should refer it as? An accident?
First time I would see
Brandy since she lured me into trap. On her defense she had been compelled, so
I couldn’t really hold it against her. Chase on the other hand, had absolutely
no qualm holding her entirely responsible. Nothing in his thought process makes
any sense to me. Or maybe that was just guys in general.
First time I would be
leaving the confines and security of my house. I would have to be a fool and an
idiot after all I went through to not be nervous and caution about the creepy
and scary as shit things that are out there. They weren’t just stuff made up in
nightmares and horror films.
Rolling out of bed, I
stood in front of the mirror, and pulled up my t-shirt. There it was – the
black swirly design. A constant reminder of that night, of the night I became
something more than just human. It had been a week since that hellish night – a
week of me skipping school. My mom thought I had come down with some kind of
extreme illness. I told her I caught it from Chase, which in a funny way was
the truth.
The intricate swirls were
no longer red or caused me pain, but it did however sometimes tingle or get
warm. Tracing the tribal lines with my finger, I thought about Chase and what
he had done to save me. I still didn’t fully understand what he had sacrificed
other than tying ours souls together forever.
Forever.
It sounded so definite.
Forever with Chase. I should have been horrified by the idea not…
Thrilled.
Eager.
Elated.
Huffing at my
reflection, I pulled down my shirt and went to my closet. School waited whether
I was ready or not. I’ll admit there was some apprehension coiling in my belly.
Tossing on a pair of jeans and a cardigan, I raced downstairs.
Heading into the
kitchen, I went to grab myself a bowl of Lucky Charms. I could use a little
luck of the Irish. There was a pink note on the granite counter that captured
my attention. A small box sat under the note. Picking up the pink letterhead I
read the quick note from my mom.
Angel,
I
love you dearly but I swear if you drop this phone in the toilet, run it over
with your car or any other excuse you can come up with it will be the last time
you use a phone. Got it? I’m pretty sure the guy at the phone company thinks I
eat cell phones for dinner. Please be more careful.
Love,
Mom
P.S.
Speaking of dinner, I made extras for dinner tonight for Chase.
Good God. Now my mom
was cooking him dinner. He even had her wrapped around his finger. I would deal
with that later, right now I grinned as I tore open the box to my new IPhone.
Hell yes.
The worse part of getting a new phone was I had
to input all my contacts again, which I guess wasn’t as bad as it seemed. I
mean I live in Spring Valley. There really
weren’t that many people to add. Glancing at the clock, I realized my glee was
short lived. If I didn’t hurry my tail, I was going to be late to class.
Slipping my new kickass phone into my backpack, I threw down a bowl of
leprechaun cereal just in time before a car horn beeped outside my house.
