Ellesea Loves Reading: 04/06/20

Monday, 6 April 2020

Release Day Spotlight & Extract: Trust In You by Julia Firlotte

Trust In You by Julia Firlotte

From the moment she met him, Ella Peterson had questions. As always, though, she’s too shy to ask.

Older and sexy as hell, mysterious Adam Brook soon sweeps sheltered Ella off her feet; but is he as perfect as he appears to be, or is there more to him than he’s telling her?

Ella’s world has already turned upside down after moving from England to rural Kansas. She and her sisters were hoping for a more secure future, but instead find that life can be tough when jobs are scarce and the stakes often higher than anticipated.

When events spiral out of Ella’s control, she learns the person she needs to rely on most is herself and her instincts on who to trust in the future.

It’s just that her instincts are screaming at her to trust Adam; it’s what he tells her that makes that a problem.

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I fan my fingers in front of my face attempting to make it less obvious I’ve been crying.

I’m starting to feel better when something moves at the back of the room. My heartrate surges and I jump off the chair like I’ve been electrocuted.

Jesus Christ!

I squeal with fright and clamp a trembling hand over my mouth.

Adam is leaning against the far wall, watching me. I’m not sure whether to scream, run or apologise.

‘Oh my God, Adam!’ I finally exclaim, panting in response to my thundering pulse. ‘You nearly gave me a heart attack.’

He’s got one leg bent to rest the sole of his shoe against the white tiled wall, and his hands behind his back. He’s clearly been there since before I entered the bathroom. Oh good Lord, he’s just witnessed all that crying! I’m mortified.

His towel and fresh T-shirt are on top of a bag by his feet and he’s wearing jeans, but his chest is bare. And I’m suddenly mesmerised. He’s got the figure of a Calvin Klein underwear model, but with black tribal tattoos on his arms, neck and chest.

Mmmm.

Yummy.

I’m lost for words and my heart is thundering. I drag my gaze from his body and finally meet his eyes. He looks concerned.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump,’ he says in a gentle voice and starts to cross the room towards me. I stare at him for a moment then belatedly realise I’m only wearing my bra so clutch my top hastily to my cleavage like it’s a lifeline. When he stops walking, he’s practically in my personal space, so I side step the chair and back up against the wall to create some distance, but he takes a step forward and follows me.

He follows me!

My adrenaline kicks in, spilling a tear down my cheek. He goes to wipe it off but then checks himself and drops his hand back to his side.

‘Did I scare you?’ he asks. My eyes are naturally on a level with his shoulder. What a shoulder!

‘Yes,’ I squeak at him. ‘Y… you… could have said… you were there,’ I stutter and then mentally kick myself. There’s nothing like playing it cool when the man of your dreams corners you in your underwear. I can’t take my eyes off him.

‘Sorry.’ His expression is kind and my heart thuds so loud I wonder if he can hear it. ‘At first I was admiring the view,’ he says.

Pardon?

Now he does touch me. He runs a single finger tip from my shoulder slowly down my arm to where I’m clutching my top to my chest and his finger pauses there, making it clear what he was looking at. My skin burns fiercely at his touch, but I hold his gaze. Adrenaline is still pumping fight or flight instincts through me. Then he retraces the line back up my arm, over my collarbone to my face.

‘But I can’t say I was enjoying seeing these,’ he says, wiping away a tear off my cheek and being careful not to touch me with anything but his finger. His accent sounds stronger now and I’m transfixed by it. He leans closer so his face is inches from mine. The tickle of his breath on my cheeks makes me light-headed. I’m glued to the spot; I don’t know whether to smack him, burst into tears or throw my arms around him at the shock he’s just given me.

Hmm… maybe not the last one.

Julia is an avid reader of all things romance, and she has read hundreds of books across a variety of sub-genres and began writing her own novels in 2018. Four books are currently in various stages of editing and completion, the first of which is finished and will be on sale in spring 2020.

Julia has always been passionate about languages and fiction and has a degree in Languages And Trade and an A-Level in English Literature. When Julia is not writing or editing her own novels, she usually has her nose in books by other authors and is otherwise kept busy caring for her family, going to the gym and carrying out her day job. Julia lives on the South Coast of England with her two children, husband and cats.