It’s finally available!
Something Old, Something New is finally available from
Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. My story shares space with author
L. Bohmer’s “The Other Woman” in Torrid Teasers Volume 20.
Excerpt from Something Old, Something New
Chapter 1
“You can’t marry him.”
The sound of his voice was startling in the stillness of the room and Liz turned, glancing behind her. Jason Lowery stood there, staring at her, his face full of mischief. The infuriating smirk she hated so much curved his lips, showing his perfect white teeth. She rolled her eyes before shaking her head. “Are you insane? You can’t be in here.”
“Why not?” he asked before turning and shutting the door behind him.
“Uh, because no one is suppose to see the bride before the wedding, that’s why.”
He laughed, leaning against the door and shoving his hands into his pants pockets. “Well, if I thought for a minute you were seriously going to go through with this, then I might follow all the rules. Besides, the groom isn’t supposed to see the bride before the wedding. I don’t remember anything about best friends.”
The dark suit he wore made him appear even more gorgeous than usual. Liz couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him dressed like this. Jeans and T-shirts were his usual attire. Just being near him today put tempting thoughts of betrayal in her mind. She stared out the window, determined to ignore how delicious he looked. Crossing her arms over her chest, she muttered, “Fine. What do you want?”
“Now is that any way to greet the only person who cared enough to come all the way up here to witness this spectacle?”
“It’s not a spectacle,” she defended, turning her head slightly to look at him.
“Says you.” Jason laughed. “They have violins playing and doves just waiting to be released. It’s stupid, if you ask me. I hope those damn birds shit all over the place.”
“It’s not stupid—and could you be any more crude?” she asked hatefully. “For your information, Mr. Too-Dumb-To-Know-Any-Better, its classy, something your pea-brain could never comprehend. Now stop making fun of my wedding and tell me what you want.”
“I want you to not marry that asshole,” he replied calmly.
“He’s not an asshole.”
“Says you.”
Liz turned toward him, scowling, narrowing her eyes. “Don’t do this, Jason. Not now. You’ve already given me your opinion. Revisiting the fight from last week isn’t going to accomplish anything, except to piss me off again.”
“Well, if I remember correctly, the fight last week resulted in the best blowjob of my life.” He grinned. “I’m up for a repeat performance if you are.”
Liz clenched her fists at her sides and tried not to raise her voice. “It’s not going to happen. Your twisted idea of foreplay isn’t going to work anymore. I’m through fighting with you”
“Aw, come on Lizzy.” He chuckled, lowering his lashes suggestively and licking his lips. “Your breasts always do this little heaving thing when you get mad. Don’t disappoint me now, when they’re looking so ripe and luscious.”
“God, you’re such a pig.”
“Oink, oink.”
Sighing, Liz glanced at his smiling face and shook her head. “You know, I really don’t have time for this. Will you please just get to the point? I have a wedding to prepare for.”
Jason’s grin dissolved and he exhaled a long breath. “Fine. We’ll skip the small talk then,” he said seriously. “He doesn’t love you, Liz. Not like I do. You don’t belong here. The city isn’t for you.”
“Good lord, not again,” she whined, rubbing her temples when they started to throb. “Jason, we’ve been over this a hundred times already. I’ve been stuck on that damn farm long enough. I want out. I have no life there. Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“Because I know you,” he whispered softly. “You’ll be miserable here.”
“No, I’ll finally have something here!” Liz hissed as loudly as she dared. “Just look at this place.” She glanced around the room, taking in the pristine white furnishings and the antiques gracing every sleek surface. The ornate gardens she could see from the window were the perfect spot for her wedding. “Everything I’ve ever wanted is here, Jason. A big house, beautiful clothes and a man who has more money than I could ever spend.”
“So, you’re just in it for the money?”
Her cheeks reddened as her temper flared. “Don’t you dare judge me.”
“Why not?” Jason spat. “If you’re going to act like a gold-digging bitch, I might as well treat you like one.”
“You bastard! Get out of here. I don’t need you.”
She turned from him, back to the full-length mirror, and admired the dress she’d picked out from one of those chic bridal magazines. He stood by the door unmoving. She tried to ignore him and the pain his words caused.
She knew what her marriage to David looked like to everyone back home, but she didn’t care. They didn’t have to live her life, she did. So what if they thought badly of her? It’s not like she would ever have to see any of them again. Hell, Jason had been the only person who even bothered to make the trip to the city—even if the only reason he did was to try and stop her.
Everything was perfect. Her life had finally started going the way she’d envisioned it all those years ago and she’d be damned if Jason would ruin things after she had worked so hard to get herself here. She sighed, trying to erase her darkened mood, as she studied her reflection.
Her long, golden tresses were pinned securely to the back of her head with small flowers tucked within the strands. She had spent the better half of the morning getting fussed over by her own private hairdresser. She was treated like royalty here. Her blue eyes sparkled, but the slight blush to her cheeks increased the more she mused over Jason’s words. How dare he make her feel like shit!
“Why him, Liz?” Jason finally asked, his voice strained. “Is it because I don’t have his money? Wealth won’t make you happy.”
“And you can?” she mocked sarcastically. “You’re just an ignorant farm boy, Jason. You don’t know anything about what it takes to make me happy.”
“You’re not in love with him.”
“And how do you know that?” she snapped.
He stared at her reflection, meeting her gaze with deep longing. “Because…I can see it every time you look at me.”
Liz’s features softened at his words. She wished, yet again, he wasn’t right. “Maybe love isn’t every thing, Jason.”
“You know that’s not true.” He pushed his weight off the door and moved slowly across the room toward her.
Liz’s heart nearly beat through her chest watching his progression in the mirror. His jet-black hair appeared almost blue in the light from the windows. Those high cheekbones and deep green eyes gave him a look straight from the pages of some high fashion magazine. He appeared more at home in the big city than she did. Just seeing him like this…caused a nervous tremble in the pit of her stomach.
Jason had to be the most beautiful man she’d ever seen, and yes, she loved him, but love wasn’t enough—not for her.
She wanted more than wide-open fields and the dirty back roads of Lincoln County, no matter how much she loved him. Her dreams were full of bright lights and fine things. She couldn’t get those things at home. Living in a small, one-stop-light town with its dull scenery, wasn’t for her. Lack of entertainment had always made her long for something else and getting out of there had been her dream since age ten.
Of course, getting over Jason Lowery would take time, but a determined soul always won, right? Being in love didn’t make you happy. People got married all the time and weren’t in love and if they could do it, so could she.
Focusing her eyes on Jason’s face in the mirror, his intense expression sent a chill up her spine. She’d seen that look so many times she’d memorized it. It caused her knees to go weak.
He stopped behind her. His fingers brushed against the back of her arm and the tingles spread through her limbs in an instant.
“He will never love you like I do, Lizzy.”
The words were whispered across her cheek. The warmth of his breath was a slow tickle against her skin, before his lips danced across her flesh to rest on the sensitive area just below her ear.
Liz’s eyes closed. Her breathing increased as every thought left her…except the way he made her feel. That instant lust…the rush of heat as it swam through her body, leaving her dizzy.
All material ©2005-2012 to Lily Graison
