ASLEEP IN SCOTTSDALE
by Vijaya Schartz
Contemporary romance novella set in Arizona.
by Vijaya Schartz
Contemporary romance novella set in Arizona.
When Talia
runs over billionaire Kyle Dormant with her bicycle in the dog park, she
considers their meeting a happy accident. He believes it is destiny, but her
physician's mind rebels at such notions. Their budding romance comes to a
grinding halt when Kyle won’t wake up from deep sleep... with no medical
explanation. Baffled and deeply concerned, Talia digs into his recent past for a
plausible cause. Instead, she uncovers dark family secrets. Convinced Kyle's
condition was induced, and someone wants him dead, she is anxious to save him,
but the closer she gets to the sordid truth… and a possible cure, the greater
the risk to both their lives.
EXCERPT:
"Watch out! Behind you!"
Kyle glanced back. Too late. A big black dog shot out like an arrow, tires burned rubber. A blur of bright pink trampled Kyle. The impact shoved him sideways toward a bench and sent him bouncing up into the grass, in a jumble of limbs, pedals, and bicycle wheels.
"Are you okay?" The voice of an angel.
Kyle shook his head to stop the world around him from whirling.
"I'm so sorry!" The pink blur disentangled itself from him and the bike, her helmet askew. She pulled it off and shook away a cascade of blond hair as she watched the black dog run away across the lawn. "At least, I avoided the poor dog."
"That's a relief." Kyle retrieved his sunglasses from the ground then winced as he stood up and his knee buckled. Righting himself, he blew grass off his twisted Ray-Ban before he slipped them into his breast pocket. Keeping his weight off the busted leg, he struggled to mask his discomfort.
Pink helmet in one hand, the young woman stared up at him through striking blue eyes. She was slim, with exquisite curves under the pink and gray spandex shorts and sports bra... and vaguely familiar. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine."
The other cyclist, who had stopped at their level, stood astride his bike and lifted his sun visor. "Are you guys okay?"
The gorgeous blond woman waved back. "We'll be all right. Thanks for stopping."
The cyclist nodded, pulled down his visor, set his feet on the pedals and rode away, leaning forward to climb the slope.
The blond beauty faced Kyle and held out her hand. "My name is Talia. Talia Beauregard."
"That's a pretty name." Instinctively, Kyle shook the offered hand, enjoying the smooth feel of her bare fingertips beyond the cut leather gloves. "Kyle." He cleared his catching voice. "Kyle Dormant."
Concern narrowed her azure eyes matching the clear morning sky. "Are you sure you're all right? I'm a doctor. I can help."
"No need. Thanks." His knee and hip hurt like hell, but he'd never let such a pretty little blonde inspect him for bruises and scrapes... not unless they were both naked. He realized he was staring at her sexy curves and returned his gaze to her face.
Talia broke into a pure, angelic smile. "I'm glad nothing's broken."
Kyle forced his stare to the distorted front wheel at his feet. "I wouldn't say the same about your bike."
"Can you believe it's a brand new bicycle?"
Then he realized where he'd seen her before. In his waking dream, or vision. Her hair had been pulled back, but it was her. The kind face, the blond hair, the striking blue eyes, the sensual lips. No doubt about it. It was the first time one of his visions materialized. How weird.
He gave her a once over. "What about you? Are you sure you're okay? We took quite a tumble."
She chuckled. "I'm tougher than I look." She wrinkled her pretty nose as she lifted the handlebar with one hand, inspecting the twisted front wheel. "I should return it. I think there's a serious manufacturing defect in the steering column."
Kyle bit his lower lip not to grin. "Are you certain it wasn't human error?"
"Of course, I am." She stared at him, eyes round with offended shock. "The front wheel started wiggling as if it would come loose, and the brakes wouldn't grip until it was too late. Definitely a mechanical failure." She dropped the handlebar in frustration, and the shiny, twisted bike fell back onto the grass.
Guilt squeezed Kyle's gut. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you." He took her elbow gently and guided her to the nearby bench. "Let's sit a while."
She let him lead her and sat, helmet in her lap, shoulders down. She sighed. "That other bicyclist saw I was in trouble. He tried to warn you. Then the dog crossed the path... I barely avoided the poor thing."
"I saw the dog. He's fine." Damn she was lovely.
"Couldn't you hear me, screaming for you to get out of the way?" The sincerity in her voice stabbed at his guilt.
"I apologize. I couldn't hear anything with my music on." He couldn't help but think about his vision. Why had he seen her face smiling at him? And he'd wanted to kiss her... like he did now. It had to mean something. He wanted to know more about her.
She glanced back toward the broken bike. "Now, my day is ruined."
He smiled at the dramatic statement. "Not necessarily."
She rewarded him with a hopeful gaze. "What do you mean?"
Kyle tapped his Apple watch for a GPS map of the area. "I know a quaint breakfast place on Chaparral, a walking distance across Hayden road." He showed her the tiny map. "Right there. See it? We both could use a break."
"Actually, that sounds good." Her smile lit her entire face. "But I insist that it'd be my treat. It's the least I can do after what I put you through."
"If you insist." But Kyle had no intention of letting her pay.
Kyle glanced back. Too late. A big black dog shot out like an arrow, tires burned rubber. A blur of bright pink trampled Kyle. The impact shoved him sideways toward a bench and sent him bouncing up into the grass, in a jumble of limbs, pedals, and bicycle wheels.
"Are you okay?" The voice of an angel.
Kyle shook his head to stop the world around him from whirling.
"I'm so sorry!" The pink blur disentangled itself from him and the bike, her helmet askew. She pulled it off and shook away a cascade of blond hair as she watched the black dog run away across the lawn. "At least, I avoided the poor dog."
"That's a relief." Kyle retrieved his sunglasses from the ground then winced as he stood up and his knee buckled. Righting himself, he blew grass off his twisted Ray-Ban before he slipped them into his breast pocket. Keeping his weight off the busted leg, he struggled to mask his discomfort.
Pink helmet in one hand, the young woman stared up at him through striking blue eyes. She was slim, with exquisite curves under the pink and gray spandex shorts and sports bra... and vaguely familiar. "Are you all right?"
"I'll be fine."
The other cyclist, who had stopped at their level, stood astride his bike and lifted his sun visor. "Are you guys okay?"
The gorgeous blond woman waved back. "We'll be all right. Thanks for stopping."
The cyclist nodded, pulled down his visor, set his feet on the pedals and rode away, leaning forward to climb the slope.
The blond beauty faced Kyle and held out her hand. "My name is Talia. Talia Beauregard."
"That's a pretty name." Instinctively, Kyle shook the offered hand, enjoying the smooth feel of her bare fingertips beyond the cut leather gloves. "Kyle." He cleared his catching voice. "Kyle Dormant."
Concern narrowed her azure eyes matching the clear morning sky. "Are you sure you're all right? I'm a doctor. I can help."
"No need. Thanks." His knee and hip hurt like hell, but he'd never let such a pretty little blonde inspect him for bruises and scrapes... not unless they were both naked. He realized he was staring at her sexy curves and returned his gaze to her face.
Talia broke into a pure, angelic smile. "I'm glad nothing's broken."
Kyle forced his stare to the distorted front wheel at his feet. "I wouldn't say the same about your bike."
"Can you believe it's a brand new bicycle?"
Then he realized where he'd seen her before. In his waking dream, or vision. Her hair had been pulled back, but it was her. The kind face, the blond hair, the striking blue eyes, the sensual lips. No doubt about it. It was the first time one of his visions materialized. How weird.
He gave her a once over. "What about you? Are you sure you're okay? We took quite a tumble."
She chuckled. "I'm tougher than I look." She wrinkled her pretty nose as she lifted the handlebar with one hand, inspecting the twisted front wheel. "I should return it. I think there's a serious manufacturing defect in the steering column."
Kyle bit his lower lip not to grin. "Are you certain it wasn't human error?"
"Of course, I am." She stared at him, eyes round with offended shock. "The front wheel started wiggling as if it would come loose, and the brakes wouldn't grip until it was too late. Definitely a mechanical failure." She dropped the handlebar in frustration, and the shiny, twisted bike fell back onto the grass.
Guilt squeezed Kyle's gut. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you." He took her elbow gently and guided her to the nearby bench. "Let's sit a while."
She let him lead her and sat, helmet in her lap, shoulders down. She sighed. "That other bicyclist saw I was in trouble. He tried to warn you. Then the dog crossed the path... I barely avoided the poor thing."
"I saw the dog. He's fine." Damn she was lovely.
"Couldn't you hear me, screaming for you to get out of the way?" The sincerity in her voice stabbed at his guilt.
"I apologize. I couldn't hear anything with my music on." He couldn't help but think about his vision. Why had he seen her face smiling at him? And he'd wanted to kiss her... like he did now. It had to mean something. He wanted to know more about her.
She glanced back toward the broken bike. "Now, my day is ruined."
He smiled at the dramatic statement. "Not necessarily."
She rewarded him with a hopeful gaze. "What do you mean?"
Kyle tapped his Apple watch for a GPS map of the area. "I know a quaint breakfast place on Chaparral, a walking distance across Hayden road." He showed her the tiny map. "Right there. See it? We both could use a break."
"Actually, that sounds good." Her smile lit her entire face. "But I insist that it'd be my treat. It's the least I can do after what I put you through."
"If you insist." But Kyle had no intention of letting her pay.
HAPPY READING
Vijaya Schartz
Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks - Smashwords - iBooks - Kobo
Hope you
enjoyed this Sunday Snippet. Visit the blogs of the other authors involved in
this tour for more of these exciting excerpts.
http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)
http://authorjamiehill.blogspot.com/ (Jamie Hill)
http://connievines.blogspot.com/ (Connie Vines)
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron)
http://mizging.blogspot.com (Ginger Simpson)
http://authorjamiehill.blogspot.com/ (Jamie Hill)
http://connievines.blogspot.com/ (Connie Vines)
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron)
http://mizging.blogspot.com (Ginger Simpson)
4 comments:
Enjoyed this novel Vijaya! Contemporary romance is my thing, and this was just great.
Thank you so much for the comment. Jamie. It's good to know my writing is appreciated. Wishing you lots of success with yours.
Well--there's an opener to a thriller! And of course, I like the bicycle part, maybe even better than the billionaire part. :)
Loved the excerpt. If you guys put the logo at the top, then when I share, it appears and ties us all together. As is, your post is shared on my FB page with a totally different cover and I can't change it. :( It's not importnt, but something I thought I'd mention.
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