Title: A Brush with Obsession
Series: The Pope Family Trilogy #1
Series: The Pope Family Trilogy #1
Author: Theresa Papa
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: September 19, 2019
Blurb
Sometimes
the risk is worth the reward, but maybe not.
Dreams
can turn quickly into nightmares.
Law student
Samantha risks her own safety in her determination to uncover what happened to
her missing best friend.
The risk?
She poses
as an employee in a club that caters to the sexual whims of the wealthy and
powerful.
The reward?
An encounter
like no other.
Two
gorgeous men enter Samantha’s life at the same time and rock her world.
Falling for
one of them is a dream come true.
The dream?
He’s hot,
sexy and caught up in an insatiable attraction with her.
The nightmare?
A stalker
with a deadly obsession threatens their lives.
With which outcome will Samantha awaken? Dream
or nightmare?
Purchase Links
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Excerpt
About to cross the street, I look up at the granite façade of Pope,
Manning, and Price law firm where I’ve slaved away as an intern all summer. I’m
extremely lucky to have landed an internship at such a prestigious firm in
Chicago. It kind of helped that my cousin is married to John Price’s sister.
But I will also admit that my 4.0 GPA didn’t hurt either.
As I exit the elevator, my friend Dafny smiles from behind the reception
desk as she holds up a coffee.
“Hey, Sam! I got you a café mocha. I hope it’s not cold since you’re in
later today.”
“Thanks, Daf.” I plop my butt on her desk to talk for a minute but
knock over her coffee with my purse, spilling it on her papers.
“Oh crap, hold on and I’ll get some paper towels.”
I take off running across the hall to the bathroom where there’s an “out
of order” sign on the door. It doesn’t faze me, so I plow right in, proceed to
trip over someone’s legs, and face plant on the bathroom floor. Totally
stunned, I lift my head and shake out the cobwebs. There’s a plumber on the
floor fixing the sink.
“Shit! Ouch.” Sitting up to my side, I come face to face with a shirtless
male wonder. He just sits there across from me on the tile; his elbows rest on
his bent knees with this sexy dimpled smirk on his face.
“Are you having a bathroom emergency? Can I be of any assistance?”
“What the hell are you doing sprawled out across the bathroom
floor!”
My hands throb from the forceful contact with the tile floor, but I
scarcely register the pain. At first, my anger consumes my senses, but that
reaction is quickly replaced with my preoccupation with gawking, captivated by
the man in front of me. Emerald green eyes playfully stare back at me from a
face that looks vaguely familiar for some reason. Thick, wavy dark hair falls haphazardly
over his forehead as he runs his fingers through it to tame it back into place.
The planes of his muscular chest and arms move seductively under his golden
skin as he effortlessly jumps to his feet and holds out a hand to help me from
the floor. Speechless, I take it, and he lifts me quickly off the floor,
pulling me directly against his muscular torso. The heat of his body permeates
through my clothes, and I melt against his firmness. He holds me close, his
lips almost touching my ear as he uses the same harsh words I did seconds
before.
“What the hell are you doing ignoring the sign I put on the door and how
about paying attention where you’re walking?”
I put both hands on his chest and push him away as hard as my strength
will allow. It’s like trying to move a brick wall, though, and he barely
budges. His gaze travels downward to my chest heaving with deep breaths. This
only entertains him further as his eyes change to darker emerald. I quickly
look away flustered by the heat that rises in my core.
“Well, I had an emergency and needed paper towels right away to wipe up
coffee someone spilled.” Aren’t you an arrogant asshole! Too bad all
those good looks are wasted on you.
He removes his arms from around me and steps back toward the sink. Pulling
down a handful of paper towels, he turns around and holds them out to me.
“Here you go. Try to be more careful next time.”
Raising my chin, I try to grab the towels with a huff, but he won’t let
go. His eyes sparkle mischievously when I look up at him to show me, he means
no real malice. We pause, I soften my expression, and he smiles relinquishing
the towels. Then his fingers glide up my wrist, sending warm pulses through me.
As I make my exit with one quick look back his dimples are deep and a full set
of white straight teeth taunt me. Laughter echoes off of the bathroom walls
behind me. Taking a moment to compose myself, I lean against the wall in the
hallway. What the hell just happened? I use the paper towels
to fan myself and reflect on the excitement from him holding me so close. Then
I remember that I left Dafny with coffee all over her desk and run to help her
clean up.
Author Bio
Theresa is a self-published author of fiction. Originally, from a suburb
just outside of Chicago, she now resides in Arizona living out her dream of a
life from which she never needs a vacation. She and her husband of thirty-two
years have two daughters who are the most important part of their world.
Theresa’s big Italian family extends throughout the country with a rich and
flavorful history. Much of that history spurs ideas for the stories she
creates. Make sure you visit the Art
Imitates Life in the back of every one of her books. It’s fun to see where
ideas are born.
Author Links
