Title: L is for Luminous
Author: Amity Cross
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Design: Amity Cross
Release Date: January 11, 2016
Blurb
When desperado dork Lux Dawson gets stuck in an elevator at a comic convention, she couldn't be any more mortified.
She's just another writer trying to get her work seen, not to get stuck in a three by four metal box with the sexiest male specimen she's ever seen... who just happens to be guest of honor, Jude Atwood.
Jude's the star of the hottest TV series on the American airwaves, the supernatural detective show Naturals, and he's at the height of his star studded career. Too bad she's a nobody and he has a famous actor girlfriend, who just happens to be his onscreen, epic love. Who could compete with that, right? But for some insane reason Jude wants to know all about Lux...including her disaster of a writing career.
Once those elevator doors are pried open by the jaws of life and reality arrives in the form of hordes of waiting paparazzi, Lux's life is about to explode...
She just doesn't know it yet.
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Excerpt
Outside, the air was cool, so I pulled my biker jacket on and flipped up the collar.
“Hey.”
I turned at the sound of Jude’s voice. He was leaning up against the wall, his phone in his hand, his gaze firmly on mine. I could still feel the ghost of his body pressed against mine, and I shivered, sinking deeper into my jacket.
“Hey, yourself,” I threw back.
“Are you leaving?” he asked, clearly disappointed, and I wondered if a little dance was all it took to get him going.
“Yeah,” I said with a shrug. “I’ve had enough excitement for one night.” And enough threats from your ex-girlfriend to last a lifetime.
He pushed off the wall. “You’re going home?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll walk you,” he said.
“No, it’s okay,” I said, backing away. “Stay at the party. It’s only a couple of blocks.”
“A lot can happen in a couple of blocks,” he said, narrowing his eyes. He stepped forward, wavering on his feet.
“Exactly how much have you had to drink since I left you in there?” I asked in amusement.
“I’m not drunk,” he complained. “But you are.”
“Am not,” I lied. Well, I’d reverted to tipsy after Tessa had sobered me up with her bi**hy presence. I put my hands on my hips. “I bet you a hundred bucks you can’t walk in a straight line.”
“Only a hundred? I think we can do better than that.”
“You’re a cocky b**tard, Jude Atwood.”
“And she swears like an angel,” he slurred.
“I think I should be walking you home,” I retorted.
“Now there’s an idea…”
I flushed scarlet, my entire body beginning to zing. “So you don’t fall in a gutter and wake up with your shame all over TMZ, jerk.”
He waved his hand at me. “I’m still walking you home. The air will sober me up a bit.”
“Ha! So you are drunk.”
He held up his hand and pinched his thumb and forefinger together. “Perhaps a little.”
I shook my head and began walking, Jude falling into step beside me.
“How did you like the party?” he asked.
I could still feel his body pressed against mine, moving to the music. So close to kissing and throwing everything away.
“It was okay,” I muttered.
“You’re a good dancer,” he said, giving me a wink.
I rolled my eyes and glanced away so he couldn’t see the heat in my cheeks. I wasn’t sure it was necessary considering he was a little loose, but it was like a default reaction. You know, like a reflex.
Stopping at an intersection, my mind went back to the moment Tessa shoved her phone in my face and almost b**ch-slapped me to the ground. Bloody hell, why should I care what Tessa Donahue thought? Maybe I should care a little if I wanted to have my contract renewed. I hadn’t thought about anything beyond this season of the show. Did I want to come back for another year? Did I want to continue living in this spiral of one-sided lust and heartbreak?
“What are you doing?” Jude asked. He’d gotten to the middle of the road and had come back again. He wound his arm around my waist and guided me across the street.
“Nothing,” I muttered. “I was just thinking.”
“About?”
I shook my head. “Stuff.”
We walked in silence after that, and he didn’t let me go until we stood out the front of my block. Unlocking the door, I was gently nudged to the side, and my heart began to speed up.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he stepped into the tiny lobby.
“I’m walking you to your door,” he declared.
“This is my door.”
He narrowed his eyes and pushed the button for the elevator. “That’s everyone’s door.”
“So specific,” I retorted as the car arrived.
Stepping into the elevator, he sidled up next to me, making the synapses in my brain misfire.
“You don’t have to come all the way,” I said.
Jude grunted, his eyes on the display above the door. His fingers were worrying the hem of his shirt, and it began to dawn on me that he was nervous. I thought he was drunk? Maybe he was a bit of both. Maybe I was misreading the situation.
The elevator arrived at my floor with a ding, and we walked down the hall to my apartment. Unlocking the door, I turned to Jude.
“Safe and sound,” I declared, edging inside.
He narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard. “Yep.”
We stood there staring at each other like idiots, the air feeling thick. As thick as it had when we were dancing earlier.
Then he stepped forward, a hungry look in his eyes, and I stepped back, moving into my apartment.
Everything that happened in the next second was like I was living in someone else’s life. A dream, a fantasy, a parallel universe.
L is for Luminous is Copyright © 2015-16 Amity Cross
“Hey.”
I turned at the sound of Jude’s voice. He was leaning up against the wall, his phone in his hand, his gaze firmly on mine. I could still feel the ghost of his body pressed against mine, and I shivered, sinking deeper into my jacket.
“Hey, yourself,” I threw back.
“Are you leaving?” he asked, clearly disappointed, and I wondered if a little dance was all it took to get him going.
“Yeah,” I said with a shrug. “I’ve had enough excitement for one night.” And enough threats from your ex-girlfriend to last a lifetime.
He pushed off the wall. “You’re going home?”
“Yep.”
“I’ll walk you,” he said.
“No, it’s okay,” I said, backing away. “Stay at the party. It’s only a couple of blocks.”
“A lot can happen in a couple of blocks,” he said, narrowing his eyes. He stepped forward, wavering on his feet.
“Exactly how much have you had to drink since I left you in there?” I asked in amusement.
“I’m not drunk,” he complained. “But you are.”
“Am not,” I lied. Well, I’d reverted to tipsy after Tessa had sobered me up with her bi**hy presence. I put my hands on my hips. “I bet you a hundred bucks you can’t walk in a straight line.”
“Only a hundred? I think we can do better than that.”
“You’re a cocky b**tard, Jude Atwood.”
“And she swears like an angel,” he slurred.
“I think I should be walking you home,” I retorted.
“Now there’s an idea…”
I flushed scarlet, my entire body beginning to zing. “So you don’t fall in a gutter and wake up with your shame all over TMZ, jerk.”
He waved his hand at me. “I’m still walking you home. The air will sober me up a bit.”
“Ha! So you are drunk.”
He held up his hand and pinched his thumb and forefinger together. “Perhaps a little.”
I shook my head and began walking, Jude falling into step beside me.
“How did you like the party?” he asked.
I could still feel his body pressed against mine, moving to the music. So close to kissing and throwing everything away.
“It was okay,” I muttered.
“You’re a good dancer,” he said, giving me a wink.
I rolled my eyes and glanced away so he couldn’t see the heat in my cheeks. I wasn’t sure it was necessary considering he was a little loose, but it was like a default reaction. You know, like a reflex.
Stopping at an intersection, my mind went back to the moment Tessa shoved her phone in my face and almost b**ch-slapped me to the ground. Bloody hell, why should I care what Tessa Donahue thought? Maybe I should care a little if I wanted to have my contract renewed. I hadn’t thought about anything beyond this season of the show. Did I want to come back for another year? Did I want to continue living in this spiral of one-sided lust and heartbreak?
“What are you doing?” Jude asked. He’d gotten to the middle of the road and had come back again. He wound his arm around my waist and guided me across the street.
“Nothing,” I muttered. “I was just thinking.”
“About?”
I shook my head. “Stuff.”
We walked in silence after that, and he didn’t let me go until we stood out the front of my block. Unlocking the door, I was gently nudged to the side, and my heart began to speed up.
“What are you doing?” I asked as he stepped into the tiny lobby.
“I’m walking you to your door,” he declared.
“This is my door.”
He narrowed his eyes and pushed the button for the elevator. “That’s everyone’s door.”
“So specific,” I retorted as the car arrived.
Stepping into the elevator, he sidled up next to me, making the synapses in my brain misfire.
“You don’t have to come all the way,” I said.
Jude grunted, his eyes on the display above the door. His fingers were worrying the hem of his shirt, and it began to dawn on me that he was nervous. I thought he was drunk? Maybe he was a bit of both. Maybe I was misreading the situation.
The elevator arrived at my floor with a ding, and we walked down the hall to my apartment. Unlocking the door, I turned to Jude.
“Safe and sound,” I declared, edging inside.
He narrowed his eyes and swallowed hard. “Yep.”
We stood there staring at each other like idiots, the air feeling thick. As thick as it had when we were dancing earlier.
Then he stepped forward, a hungry look in his eyes, and I stepped back, moving into my apartment.
Everything that happened in the next second was like I was living in someone else’s life. A dream, a fantasy, a parallel universe.
L is for Luminous is Copyright © 2015-16 Amity Cross
Author Bio
Amity Cross isn't her real name. That's no secret.
She is
the author of wicked stories about rock stars looking for redemption, gritty
romances featuring MMA fighters and dark tales of forbidden romance. She loves
to write about screwed up relationships and kick ass female leads
that don't take s**t lying down.
Amity
lives in a leafy country town in southern Australia and can be found
chained to her desk, held at ransom by her characters.
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