INFAMOUS
By Irene Preston
SYNOPSIS:
Being Jessica Sinclair meant never having to apologize
for bad behavior.
Everyone knows
Jessica Sinclair. She’s that girl on the cover of all the
tabloids. As a Hollywood insider, Jessica has
spent her life partying with A-list celebrities, shopping on Rodeo Drive
FROM IRENE:
I
call this my “Paris Hilton weds soccer dad story.” I had a blast with this couple, but when
writing about a married couple, it’s sometimes a challenge to keep the tension
up. I loved writing this scene because it’s a great example of the way Jessica sabotages
her relationships. Her reconciliation
with Morgan is going well until Morgan puts his foot in his mouth with an insensitive
remark about a gift he’s bought her.
Instead of letting him know he’s hurt her, she reverts back to her
standard coping mechanism.
EXCERPT:
“It’s amazing. I love it. What’s the
occasion, though?”
“No occasion, it just occurred to me
that when a man has a beautiful wife he should buy her beautiful things.”
Morgan wasn’t looking at her. Instead,
he lifted out the bracelet and fastened it around her wrist. His thumb
lingered, stroking her pulse next to the diamonds.
“If you want a reason, though, let’s
just say that you’ve been exceeding my expectations in the monogamy department.
I know you said I wouldn’t be bored, but I didn’t expect you to take the job so
seriously.”
She lowered her lashes so he
couldn’t see the hurt in her eyes. He couldn’t mean that the way it sounded. It
was the kind of thing a man said to his mistress, not his wife. She wondered if
he had bought the bracelet with her in mind at all, or if he had just had the
jeweler send over something in the appropriate price range for a spoiled trophy
wife. The beautiful bracelet felt like a manacle around her wrist.
All her happiness in the evening
vanished. Was that how Morgan saw her? A beautiful possession? Something he
could buy for his enjoyment and convenience? When they first met, she hadn’t
thought so. She had thought he loved her as much as she loved him. It was only
later that she realized he had never said the words.
Her insecurities about moving back
into his life crashed down on her. She still wasn’t satisfied with his reasons
for wanting her back. Was it pride? She knew he didn’t like to fail. A divorce
might have seemed like a very personal failure to him. Or maybe she really was
just a pretty convenience. Why bother with a nanny and a mistress when you
could get both in one package deal?
“What would I have to do to earn a
matching necklace?” She thought she had hidden the little barb of sarcasm under
her trademark throaty purr, but apparently she was a little off stride tonight.
Morgan’s eyes narrowed and he gave her a sharp look. Then he smiled and ran his
thumb up her palm, sending little shivers through her.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something
if you’re motivated.”
She wanted to snatch her hand away
from him, but years of playing the bad girl in public kept her calm and smiling.
She wasn’t the daughter of an Oscar-winning actress for nothing. If Morgan
wanted a whore, she would oblige him.
She relaxed, letting herself lean
toward him over the table. She uncrossed her legs, wiggling suggestively as she
repositioned herself. Sighing, she ran a calculating tongue over her lips and
then caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she peered up at him though her
lashes. As expected, Morgan’s eyes were riveted to her mouth.
“Got any suggestions?” she asked.
“Jessica—” Morgan’s tone was an
amused warning, but his eyes had darkened with desire.
Under the table, Jessica toed off
one black pump. The pumps matched the almost-demure black dress. They were
almost boring, almost conservative, the type of black peep-toe pumps any woman
might keep as a staple in her closet . . . unless you counted the
four-and-a-half inch stiletto heel and the trademark Louboutin red sole that
turned them into something else altogether.
She eased her foot out of the
designer leather and slid it along the floor until she made contact with the
sole of Morgan’s sensible black oxford. Very slowly, maintaining continuous eye
contact, she began sliding her foot up his calf. Morgan’s eyes widened and
Jessica smiled at him as her foot continued its upward journey.
“Jessica. . . .” His voice was a low
growl.
She blinked artlessly.
“Morgan?”
He opened his mouth, but just then
her foot finished its climb and made its way over the edge of the chair and
into his lap. There was an unmistakable bulge in his trousers. She stroked
delicately.
He jumped and a hand clamped over
her foot. Trapped, she wiggled her toes against him, pressing down until she
felt him press back involuntarily. His mouth was a grim line, but his pupils
had dilated until there was only a thin band of brown around the edges.
“Cut that out,” he said.
Jessica gave another wiggle with her
toes. His hand tightened around her foot.
“Are you sure, Morgan?” she said. “I
want to make sure to give good value.”
Teach him to be careful what he
wished for. The tablecloth wasn’t long enough to hide what she was doing. Anyone
who happened to glance this way was going to get an eyeful. She smiled. If
there was one thing Jessica Sinclair was known for, it was living right down to
everyone’s worst expectations.
FIND OUT MORE:
Infamous will be
available in US Barnes and Noble and other local booksellers on February 18,
2014
You can purchase
online immediately:
Amazon: http://www.bit.ly/get_infamous
Barnes and
Noble: http://www.bit.ly/LXuXjY
ITunes: http://www.bit.ly/PtGmnl
KOBO: http://www.bit.ly/kobo_in
Sony: http://www.bit.ly/sony_in
Web: http://www.irenepreston.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorIrenePreston
Twitter: @irenepreston
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/IrenePreston
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/irenepins
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/irenepreston
Hi Jill!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me on your blog today!
Just a note to everyone, INFAMOUS is available for kindle on Amazon.com for only $1.99 during the month of February - that's over 50% off the regular digital price, so take advantage!