WHITE OUT - AMBER LEA EASTON
She's been
erased.
As a protected
witness, Brandi Simms has given up everything that made her unique to start
over in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Blending into the background isn't easy,
but it's vital for survival. When her handsome yet incorrigible neighbor—former
Olympic skier turned cowboy—decides her aloof attitude is a challenge rather
than a deterrent, she knows the only right thing to do is resist.
The secrets she
hides are deadly.
Ryan Landry
isn't accustomed to rejection. Three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, he's the local
hero who came home to run a ranch and be near his family. The mysterious
neighbor who seems content to hang out with dogs rather than humans haunts his
fantasies and ignites that competitive drive that led him to the world stage.
He's not one to
give up.
When her
dangerous past catches up to Brandi, Ryan is determined to break through her
secrets to find the truth no matter what the cost. Trapped in a whiteout
blizzard with unseen threats lurking in the snow, will they get a chance to
create a new beginning or will Brandi's past be the death of them?
Buy links:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QYVCM14
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https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/501560
Author Bio:
Amber Lea Easton is a
multi-published fiction and nonfiction author. Smart is sexy, according to
Easton, which is why she writes about strong female characters who have their
flaws and challenges but ultimately persevere. She currently has seven
contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels out in the world: Kiss Me Slowly, Riptide, Reckless
Endangerment, Anonymity, In Between,
Dancing Barefoot, and White Out. Her
memoir, Free Fall, is dedicated to
suicide prevention, awareness, and helping others navigate the dark journey of
grief.
In addition, Easton works as an
editor, freelance journalist, and professional speaker. She speaks on subjects
ranging from writing to widowhood. Some of her videos on romance writing have
appeared on the international Writers & Authors television network. Current
radio appearances are linked via her author website, http://www.amberleaeaston.com.
Easton currently lives with her two
teenagers in the Colorado Rocky Mountains where she gives thanks daily for the gorgeous
view outside her window. She finds inspiration from traveling, the people she
meets, nature and life’s twists and turns. At the end of the day, as long as
she's writing, she considers herself simply to be "a lucky lady liv'n the
dream."
Excerpt
She wanted to
tell him everything right then and there despite Jerome's words of caution. The
need for someone not paid to protect her to know her real identity burst inside
her like an overinflated balloon.
Fear thudded hard
against the inside of her chest. It wouldn't matter how many sheriffs or
marshals or angels themselves protected her; if Donovan had indeed come for
her, she'd be dead before tomorrow morning. And no one would know, not one
person from her past or anyone in her present. She'd simply vanish again, maybe
she'd come up in conversation here and there about the odd woman who
disappeared yet again, but there'd be no funeral or heartfelt eulogies for her.
No one in the
present knew her real name.
No one in her
past would know what she'd sacrificed to save them.
"Don't you
ever worry about your horses?" she blurted out, hoping to alleviate the
tension with some small talk.
"Nope.
Jamie and Sheryl live in the small house on my property. It's all good."
"You rescue
them, don't you?"
"Yes, I do.
I take in the worst cases, rehab them, and hopefully give them a peaceful life
as tour guides." He shifted his weight, one hand on the steering wheel and
the other reaching for hers.
"I like it
here in Steamboat," she said, fighting back the tears that blurred her
vision. Looking out the window so he wouldn't see her face, she sighed.
"It's a far cry from the life I used to live, but I like it."
"What kind
of life did you used to live?"
"It was
exciting as hell," she admitted with a smile. "I had it all,
everything I'd ever dreamed of having, it was all mine. Do you know that myth
about the man who flew too close to the sun? Icarus? Maybe I was like that. I
burned hot for a long time before..." she stopped herself and looked at
him, "Sorry. I'm ruining the mood."
"I know
what you mean." He shrugged. "I flew too close to the sun, too, but
damn it was fun."
She laughed at
his observation and appreciated that he didn't press her for more details.
"Oh, yeah. It really was."
"My ex and
I were never meant to be married. We were young, but wanted different things.
Mainly, she wanted a different man, but we had a good time. We should have kept
it in the dating realm, I suppose." He shook his head with a grin.
"Flying too close to the sun...that's a good way to put it."
Snow fell harder
as the wind picked up. Streams of white blew horizontally in front of the
headlights.
"Do you
think they've already closed Rabbit Ears' Pass?" she asked.
"It's
possible. They're predicting several feet of powder before it's all said and
done. Bad news for the tourists who aren't already settled, I suppose."
"Good news
for us."
Time, a good
whiteout blizzard could buy her time.
Or become her
tomb.
She rubbed her
fingers over her forehead and exhaled a long sigh.
Maybe the whole
I-want-to-be-bait idea had been ridiculous. Who was she to go up against a mass
murderer?
"Yeah,
they'll close the pass for sure if the snow keeps up this pace, especially at
the higher elevations," he said.
He slowed down
as they entered main street Steamboat. Lights had been stretched across the
road and wound over each tree and storefront. They glowed with holiday perfection
as tourists walked the sidewalks beneath them. A horse drawn carriage pulled
out in front of them with tourists huddled beneath fur blankets and laughing at
the beauty around them.
She envied their
joy as they laughed together, a family of four on vacation. So simple yet
something she doubted she'd ever experience.
"What are
you doing for Christmas? You should come with me to my brother's house, hear
all the lies about my youth." He grinned as he put the truck in park.
"Oh, no,
that's okay. I have plans." Hanging
out with US Marshalls and FBI agents, you know, those kind of plans.
"Are you
finally going to decorate your tree?" He undid his seatbelt without
looking at her.
On impulse, she
grabbed his shirt and pulled him across the space separating them. If she only
had one night left to live—which was a definite possibility—then she wanted to
go out on her terms.
"I was a
pretty wild kid myself," she said against his lips, "and I used to
get whatever I wanted. A real brat, I'm sure people would say. Right now...I
want you and I'm happy that you're a stubborn ass who wouldn't stay away. I
only hope you won't end up hating me when this is over."
She ground her
mouth against his and surrendered to the lust that had been buried too long. The
make-out session in the hot springs had been nice, but she wanted unrestrained
passion and skin-on-skin contact. Tongues collided with one another as he
leaned heavily against her, pressing her against the passenger door.
He shoved his
hands into her hair and held her face close while his mouth devoured hers with
equal force. Teeth captured her lower lip as he inched back from her face, conscious
of them being parked on Main Street in front of busy sidewalk.
Frost lined the
interior windows from their body heat.
"You're one
helluva rollercoaster ride, babe. We keep making out in cars and public places,
don't you think it's about time we take this to the next level? I'm a long way
from a teenager and would like to make use of that king-size bed of yours."
"Oh, that's
definitely on the agenda."
He kissed her
again, slowly, eyes wide open and looking into her
She slid her
tongue over his lips and reveled in the desire humming through her veins. The
more she touched him, the more she craved.
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