Title: Heartwood(Carved Hearts #3)
Authors: L.G. Pace III & Michelle Pace
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 9, 2015
Covere Design: Wicked By Design
Synopsis
When we were kids, my
cousins planned for their weddings like they were coronations. Sleepovers
revolved around notebooks stuffed with clippings from bridal magazines and
elaborate plans scrawled in purple ink. Horse drawn carriages, twenty tiered
cakes, groomsmen in tails, and scads of bridesmaids, none of whom were nearly
as pretty as the bride. Me? I'd just yawn and wander off to the backyard and
play fetch with their dog. I never cared about any of that crap, at least not
until I met Joe."
With her wedding
rapidly approaching, Molly's days consist of herding Joe off to tux fittings
and diaper changings times two. She misses life on the food truck, but she
isn't quite ready to leave the twins. Planning for every detail to be as
perfect as her groom, she hopes her instincts are wrong that it's all too good
to be true.
Knowing Molly like he
does, Joe can plainly see that his girl needs to decompress. She's as stubborn
as always, and talking her into a honeymoon without the babies proves easier
said than done. Molly's on edge about every little thing, from the nosey next
door neighbor to cars speeding down their quiet street. While Joe revels in
their otherwise blissful existence, he worries that Molly's paranoia may be a
symptom of something bigger.
Come back to Austin one last time
for the wedding of Molly Elizabeth Hildebrandt and Joseph Samuel Jensen. Raise
a glass in celebration alongside their family and closest friends. Wave goodbye
as they ride off into the sunset toward a dark fork in the road that could
destroy their happily ever after. Will they finally get their fairytale ending?
Find out in Heartwood, the explosive conclusion to the Carved Hearts
series.
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Excerpt
I was blocks away
from the restaurant when traffic came to a crawl. Anxiously tapping the
steering wheel, I finally passed the scene of the accident which had tied up
both lanes. It seemed some tourist had slammed their Winnebago into a Smart
Car, and Austin's rubberneckers needed an eyeful. The gridlock continued, and
growing ever more frustrated, I pulled out my phone and texted my date.
Traffic. I'm a mile
away.
She didn't respond. I
was about to call her, when my phone chimed.
I glanced down at the
picture message. No accompanying words, but I didn't need any. The top of her
garter belt jutted out from her skirt. It was visibly pinned to black
stockings. I licked my lips, ready to park and sprint the remaining blocks to
the restaurant. Taking a deep breath, I soldiered on.
When I finally
entered Bess Bistro, I scanned the place eagerly. It didn't take me long to
find her in the dimly lit restaurant. She sat at the bar facing away from me
sipping a martini. I watched as she placed her glass carefully on the surface
in front of her. Her upswept hair accentuated her long, lovely neck which
begged to be tasted. Seeing those stockings in the flesh made my temperature
rise, and the way her midnight blue dress hugged her heart-shaped ass had me
salivating.
Some old dude with greying temples and a droopy porn mustache was giving her
the full court press. He was turned sideways on his stool, leaning into her
personal space and talking to her cleavage. She nodded politely in response to
whatever nonsense he was spewing, as his lustful eyes continued to violate
every inch of her exposed skin.
A couple of years back, I might have punched him right in the 'stache, but this
was the new and improved me. The guy that didn't fly into jealous rages or
break irritating people into itty bitty bits. However, when he reached out and
stroked her dangling earring, 'Old Joe' reared his ugly head. I was tempted to
rip him off of his stool and toss him out the front door by the seat of his
Depends. Instead, I took a moment and another deep breath. I had kids to think
about now. Everything I did (or didn't do) set an example for them.
True, they were far too little to know what I might do here, but their
blabbermouth aunts would be more than happy to fill them in later in life. As I
stood contemplating the pros and cons of my next action, a far more civilized
strategy occurred to me. I felt a devilish grin bloom on my face and I
sauntered to the bar.
I slid onto the empty barstool next to her. Reaching out, I picked up her drink
and took a sip. "Is this martini dirty?"
"Well if it wasn't before, it certainly is now." Her stunning eyes
took in my tailored suit, and the corners of her mouth curled coyly as she
reached out and reclaimed her drink from me. Her full sleeve of tattoos somehow
meshed perfectly with the silky dark material she wore. She was dazzling, and I
was glad I'd decided to wear her favorite tie.
"What's a woman like you doing sitting at a bar alone?" My
greedy eyes devoured her plunging neckline and her glossy, full lips. She
giggled quietly, and the way her fingertips trailed along the stem of her glass
made me heady with anticipation. Mustache Rides shot me a dirty look and turned
reluctantly back to his scotch.
"Waiting on my fiancé." She looked up at me from under her sultry
lashes.
"He made you wait?" I asked. She nodded, and the bartender who'd been
hovering nearby approached. "Johnnie Blue. Make it a double."
"He's a busy man." Molly sighed dramatically, lifting her speared
olives to her lips. She tugged one off showily with her teeth, her eyes fixed
on mine.
Oh...it was definitely on now.
"He's a fool," I shot back.
The bartender barely stifled a chuckle as he poured my whiskey. It was clear he
thought I was trying to pick her up, and of course, I was. Though we owned a
house and had children together, and it was my ring on that pretty
finger of hers, these facts were all irrelevant.
Tonight Molly planned to make me work for it.
She glanced at the bartender, and then back at me. She was well aware we had an
audience. Her amusement was thinly veiled, but she kept a straight face and
stayed in character.
"How late is he?" I continued, my voice sounding wanton and thick.
"Very." Her decisive response reeked of promiscuity and I
could feel the bartender assessing us curiously.
"I can keep you company while you wait if you like." I leaned
my elbows onto the bar and looked her over casually. She turned toward me and
crossed her long legs. She was purposely drawing my attention to one of her
best features, and I allowed my eyes to drop. My gaze trailed from the black
straps at her ankles all the way up to her risqué hemline that ended far above
the knee.
"Buy me another drink and maybe I'll let you buy me dinner."
With that, she downed the last swallow of her martini. With a wicked smile, I
turned back to the bartender who shook his head in blatant admiration.
"Oh, she definitely needs another one of those." I stated. Mustache
Man muttered something and abandoned his drink on the bar. The bartender
glanced at Molly, and the gentle curl of her lips made him blush so profusely that
his bald head looked sunburnt.
About The Authors
L.G.Pace III has spent several decades pouring creative energy into other things besides writing. He began his current journey by telling his two daughters bedtime stories about a magical realm and a hero named Terel. Though that story is still sitting unfinished in the electronic universe he has managed to bring two other stories out of the dark maelstrom of his mind for others to enjoy. He dwells in the great state of Texas with his wife, novelist Michelle Pace and their children.
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Other titles by Michelle Pace
Fury (Sound Wave Series #1)
Rage (Sound Wave Series #2)
The Perpetual Quest for the Perfect Life (Jefferson Point #1)
Something’s Come Up
Crazy Love
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Buy The Carved Hearts Series
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