A Single Step by Georgia Rose
A woman wracked with grief. A man with a troubled past. Will trust build a bridge between them or will it be destroyed by dark secrets?
Shattered by her daughter’s death and tormented by her husband’s infidelity, Emma Grayson seeks refuge in solitude. As she slowly re-enters the real world, she takes on work at the sprawling Melton Estate’s stables. Initially distracted by her painful healing process, she realizes that the property’s handsome manager carries his own sadness…
When Emma is thrown from her horse and badly injured, Trent provides tender, selfless care. She doesn’t want to appear ungrateful for the lonely ex-RAF man’s support, but her anxiety keeps her silent. After his secretive past surfaces and events take a dramatic turn at the estate, she can’t help but feel violently unsaddled all over again.
Will Emma ever find inner peace and love again, or is she destined to live with only heartache and pain?
A Single Step is the first book in the Grayson Trilogy, a dark romantic suspense series. If you like wounded characters, slow-building romance, and page-turning twists, then you’ll love Georgia Rose’s powerful novel.
Download A Single Step to uncover a heartbreaking English tale today!
Find more from this author on:
Amazon
Barnes&Noble
Author Site
GoodReads
Facebook
TwitterAbout the author:
Georgia Rose is a writer and the author of the romantic and suspenseful Grayson Trilogy books: A Single Step, Before the Dawn and Thicker than Water. Following completion of the trilogy she was asked for more and so wrote a short story, The Joker, which is based on a favourite character from the series and the eBook is available to download for free at the retailer site of your choice.
Her fourth novel, Parallel Lies, encompasses crime along with Georgia’s usual blending of genre.
Georgia’s background in countryside living, riding, instructing and working with horses has provided the knowledge needed for some of her storylines; the others are a product of her passion for people watching and her overactive imagination.
Following a long stint working in the law Georgia set up her own business providing administration services for other companies which she does to this day managing to entwine that work along with her writing.
Her busy life is set in a tranquil part of rural Cambridgeshire in the UK where she lives with her much neglected husband and dog. Their son, currently at university, comes and goes and their daughter, having delighted them all for long enough, has eventually moved out, married, and is discovering the joys of being all grown up and having a mortgage.
What inspired you to write your book?
A Single Step, and in fact the complete trilogy, was the first story I cared so passionately about I couldn't stop writing it. I love the setting and that has been commented on by many readers who feel the same as I do. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my love of horses in the story and I included a cute little dog that has won the heart of many who have picked up this book. It was a joy to write.
Here is a short sample from the book:
The pub was busy, with many of the estate staff there making it noisy, but as the evening wore on I became less and less aware of what was going on around me and more and more conscious of Carlton next to me. Late in the evening I went to get in another round. I’d already had more to drink than I should have but that was not about to stop me and as I stood at the bar trying not to look drunk I saw Trent look up at me from the other side. His initially friendly expression changed to one of disapproval as he registered my drunken state which, as it turned out, I was not managing to hide that successfully after all.
Ignoring him I took the drinks to the table and slid back along the bench. Carlton put his arm around me, drawing me closer, and for once I didn’t move it away again – it felt good. We all spilled out of the pub a little later; Wade was driving and Carlton held my hand as we headed to the pickup, then pulled me up and onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. I tried to say I’d get in the back but frankly not that insistently. It was much more comfortable where I was and although I generally aim to abide by the law I was clearly in the mood for throwing caution to the wind and risk getting stopped in the half-mile journey along country roads back to the estate. Okay, so perhaps I was not a great risk-taker, but it was not the only thing I was about to be reckless over.
We pulled up outside the stables and I climbed out, followed by Carlton, who announced he was going to help me with the late watering, which sparked considerable amusement among everyone else in the pickup. We could hear their hollering even as they disappeared down the lane. I set off across the yard, over to the stables, the cold air hitting me but my face feeling warm as I let go of Carlton’s hand and we successfully topped up the water in each stable, though I seemed to be slopping more around than was really necessary. When we’d finished I reached into the feed room to turn off the lights, closing the padlock on the door.
I turned and saw Carlton leaning up against the post-and-rail fence, watching me hungrily as he stood, quickly closing the distance between us. Putting one hand round my waist he pulled me towards him, wrapping his arms round me until I was pressed up hard against his body. Running my hands up his strong arms and leaving one hand on his shoulder I brought the other across onto his chest, where I let it rest, feeling his heart beating rapidly. He looked down at me, his eyes full of desire, and I knew that a night being fucked senseless by Carlton was exactly what I needed. One of his hands was in my hair as he brought his lips down to mine but before they met a dark voice came out of the night, speaking softly but firmly.
“It’s time for you to go now, Carlton.”
He exhaled harshly as he pulled back from me.
“Oh, give me a break,” he said roughly, turning, and as he did I caught sight of Trent standing a few feet behind him. Trent stared straight at me and without breaking eye contact he indicated with his head to Carlton that he should leave. Carlton paused for a moment, taking another look at me, then shaking his head in exasperation and muttering goodnight walked away across the yard towards the gate. I stared after him in disbelief – how could he leave me just like that? Trent continued to look at me and when I met his cool gaze again he shook his head a little, frowning, as if confused.
“This isn’t like you, what’s going on?” He paused, but as no answer was forthcoming he continued more angrily: “You’ve got to learn to look after yourself better, Grayson. You’ve had too much to drink and you can’t protect yourself in that condition. Fortunately, at least you were with Carlton and he cares for you, even if he’s more interested in getting into your pants at the moment than in looking after you, but you shouldn’t have put yourself in that situation. Don’t you have any respect for yourself?” He was lecturing me as if he had some sort of right to do so and my eyes welled up as I looked fixedly down at my hands.
“I’m a grown-up, Trent. Why is what I do any of your business?”
“Because you’re not behaving in a responsible manner,” he snapped back, and then carried on, a harsh edge to his voice now. “What is it, Grayson? No smart comeback from that clever mouth of yours? That’s not like you.” His mocking tone hurt me but I had no intention of telling him what was going on; my feelings were already threatening to overwhelm me and as I looked up at him I could see the shock on his face as he registered the pain across mine.
“I need to go to bed,” I whispered, and walked unsteadily towards the cottage. I remembered going upstairs, lying across my bed, then nothing more, letting the darkness take me.
Related products
-
Invasion of Privacy and Other Short Stories by Jim Liston
Invasion of Privacy
If you’re the person who murdered my wife and think you’ve gotten away with it, think again. I’m looking for you, and I’ll eventually find you.
Is it wrong for me to try and find the person who ruined my life, even at the expense of stealing a few moments of someone’s privacy? If I invade a person’s privacy without them knowing it, what’s the harm? I guess it all comes down to the question of whether I’m willing to risk the consequence of going to jail if I’m caught. I am. What do I have to lose?
The other stories included are:
The Tourist Attraction
I’m sick of it. Every day there’s a group of them tourists, standing by my fence watching us, pointing and whispering. I don’t know what started it, but I’ll be damned if I’m gonna put up with it much longer.
A Novel Murder
“I’m going to kill her today,” he said, “I’ve had her tied up in the basement for three days; it’s time to end it.”
The Doctor’s Pet Fly
A fly only lives for about a month. It seems like a waste of time to train a fly and then have it die after only a month. Maybe he’s found a way to keep them alive longer. He is a doctor, after all.
The Show
Rita looked around at the crowd of smiling, excited faces, concentrating on every detail to commit it to memory; she didn’t want to forget any of it. She shouldn’t have worried; she would remember this for the rest of her life.
Carl and Tabitha
Carl hated his boss and was determined to find a way to get even with him.
Tag, You’re It!
We looked across the valley at a breathtaking scene of red lakes and forests of blue and orange that were alive with activity.
Before They Come Back
Running his claw-like hand along my spine while making an odd whistling noise that I surmised to be their way of communicating, I began to realize they were preparing to cut me open.
Justin’s Love
When Justin first saw Lucille, it was love at first sight. He knew that she was perfect for him. All of his friends and co-workers were envious; she was beautiful.
Ronnie and the Smoke Bomb.
I didn’t tell Ronnie the police had found him sitting on the curb near the car, crying. They said he was sitting there mumbling, “It’s only a smoke bomb.”
-
The Illusion of Smoke: The Prequel (Sonnclere Mysteries) by Ivee Olivares
A strange smoke … A genetically modified drug … A chance encounter …The first of the Sonnclere Mysteries, THE ILLUSION OF SMOKE, is a fast-paced thriller with a twist. The heroine, Dr NeroliSonnclere is a scientist born with an unusual sense of smell. Able to sniff out odours undetected by ordinary humans, she uses her gift, as well as scientific knowledge, to sift clues and solve problems unlike those she’s ever faced before.
-
My Gift To You by Faye Hall
Rush Mullens saw her parents, Joseph and Carmen, being murdered before her eyes as an 8 year old child– ten cloaked figures destroying her once peaceful life. She did not know the men responsible, but she would find them. She wanted revenge…she needed it.
When Lord Justin Maston came to take her in to his care, she vowed she would use this opportunity to find the murderer’s she chased. She did not think she would also find a boy she could love more than her own life.
Bailey Maston had never supposed to mean any more to her than a friend, one who could protect her from the new lifestyle she had been forced into. What he had become though was a young man who could take her breath away, and steal her heart.
Rush knew Bailey knew nothing of her family, or the life she was raised to live. She doubted should he learn the truth that he would understand. She could not let him endanger the revenge she so craved to seek. Nor could she ignore that she was willing to risk all – her past, her life, her reputation – just to sample an ounce of passion from this man.
Bailey Maston wanted to find a woman – the perfect woman – to give his heart to. He wanted to trust that such a person could exist that would never betray him. Everything he had seen in his young life, both at home and in society, told him what a foolish dream this was. Such a woman could never exist. Even if she did, he doubted she would ever willingly give her heart to a love-starved boy like him.
Foolish though his dream was, Bailey could not help being drawn to the young orphaned girl his parents had taken in.
He wanted her friendship and the attention she so willingly offered to him.
He craved to feel the passion he knew was hidden deep inside her.
What he did not want was to fall in love with her.
When Bailey finally discovers the truth of Rush’s life, and the revenge she was enacting, he feels betrayed. Foolish though it was, he hopes that beyond this betrayal may yet lay the woman he has always yearned to find…a woman he craved to give his well-guarded heart to.
-
Metro Star Murders by James Kipling
Guests have come to expect the best when staying at the Metro Star Hotel. Normally a safe haven and a popular place for relaxation and recreation, things have changed dramatically. Lately, its sense of security is shattered. A murderer is lurking inside the hotel. As the murders continue, it’s up to Detective Young to decipher the conflicting information, uncover the secrets, and see through the lies of everyone at the hotel.
-
Murder Has Consequences by Giacomo Giammatteo
For a select few people, friendship lasts forever. Nicky Fusco and Frankie Donovan were friends like that, but that was years ago. Now Frankie’s a detective in Brooklyn’s Homicide department, and Nicky is a reformed hit man. But when Frankie gets in trouble—and the law can’t help him—he turns to Nicky.
The problem is that Nicky promised his family, and God, that he’d go straight.
-
Sloane Monroe Series Boxed Set by Cheryl Bradshaw
Enter the world of Sloane Monroe in Black Diamond Death…On the slopes of Park City, Utah’s newest ski resort a woman is found dead. At first glance, it has all the makings of an accident. But what if she was murdered? Although skeptical, PI Sloane Monroe takes the case and learns not everyone is who they seem, and some will go to any lengths to protect their identity. SINNERMAN: PI Sloane Monroe has solved every case that’s come across her desk with the exception of one—the brutal murder of her sister Gabrielle. Three years have passed without a trace of the serial killer until today, when a young woman’s body is discovered on a patch of dirt in front of the local supermarket. Will Sloane exact her revenge before Sinnerman slays his next victim, or will she be too late?I HAVE A SECRET:It’s been twenty years since PI Sloane Monroe has returned to her hometown of Tehachapi, California, but when a former classmate is stabbed and tossed overboard during the high school reunion cruise, Sloane isn’t about to allow a murderer to run free in her own backyard. But in a town where everyone is harboring secrets, how many more men will die before she discovers the truth?
-
A Family Apart (Imposters Trilogy) by T.K. Crowtten
Arvin has spent his whole life doing everything possible to make his wife Sarah happy. Putting her in the lap of luxury and tending to her every need has not helped her to find peace with the loss of a son many years ago.Searching for their son over the years has worn on her… deep down she can’t live with the thought of her son being out there somewhere, where she can’t reach him. Or worse… dead in a ditch or unmarked grave, with no one to visit him.Tragedy has struck the Kendrick estate. Out of shadows help presents itself, can it be trusted?After all this hurt is it possible that a family apart can be brought back together with the return of the lost son? Could it really be him?
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.