Halfway Hidden by Carrie Elks
When fear mixes with desire, who can you trust?
Rachel Stone is stuck, contemplating that very question. Spending her time as a bartender in an isolated West Virginia town, she hides behind dark hair and an assumed name. She exists from day to day, trying not to let her past overwhelm her.
When a tall stranger walks into the bar at closing time, her attempts at hiding turn to dust. Muscled and intense, he is attractive enough for Rachel to ignore her instincts and listen to her baser desires. As a storm brews in the skies of West Virginia, confusion builds in Rachel’s mind. What begins as flirtation explodes into a darker, more primal passion, leading her to question everything she thought she knew.
While snow blankets the outside world, they are forced to remain inside, confronting their demons and the sizzling attraction between them. Submitting to their urges is easy; learning who to trust is anything but.
This 30,000 word novella contains references to past abuse and rough, consensual sex.
Description
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About the author:
When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.
What inspired you to write your book?
I’ve always loved romantic suspense and erotic romance stories. I wanted to combine the two in a way that felt new and fresh.
Here is a short sample from the book:
“Can I get a drink?” The voice startled her, and Rachel froze for a moment, glancing up at the mirror lining the wall behind the bar. The stranger stared back at her, his face reflected in the glass. Their eyes met and she dropped her cloth, the fabric square falling to the wooden floor. She took a deep breath, trying to still her racing heart before turning around with a smile painted on her lips.
“Sure, what can I get you?”
It was as if he’d appeared out of nowhere. A ghost walking through walls.
“What beers you got?” Like hers, the stranger’s voice seemed out of place. It was an accent that unnerved her to the bone. She hadn’t heard it for more than a year, save coming out of her own mouth. All she had to do was closer her eyes, and it was like she was back in Boston.
“You want draft or bottle?” Her lips were dry as hell, and she snaked her tongue out to moisten them. The stranger kept his gaze glued to her face as he considered the options, fingers tapping gently on the bar. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, his thick hair showing no signs of grey. His face remained unlined, though peppered with light stubble, the dark-blond scruff shadowing his jaw. He was good looking too, in that rugged, tough way that some guys were. Even sitting on the bar stool, she could tell he was a big man: tall and built. The thick muscles of his chest fought with the fabric of his t-shirt to make themselves known, and the muscles were winning. It felt like the temperature had risen by forty degrees. She pulled at the neckline of her sweater to fan her skin.
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