Give Me Strength by Kate McCarthy Series: Give Me #2
Published by Self-Published on September 16, 2013
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook
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Quinn Salisbury doesn't think she's cut out for this whole living thing. Even as a young girl she struggled. Just when she thinks she's found a way to leave her violent past behind her, the only thing that's kept her going is ripped away, leaving her damaged and heartbroken.
Four years later, she is slowly rebuilding her life and lands a job as an assistant band manager to Jamieson, the hot new Australian act climbing their way to the top of the charts. There she meets Travis Valentine, the charismatic older brother of her boss, Mac.
From his commanding charm to his confidence and passion, Travis is everything Quinn believes is too good for her, and despite her apprehension, she finds their attraction undeniable and intense.
When her past resurfaces, it complicates their relationship. Instead of reaching out for help, Quinn pushes Travis away, until a staggering secret is revealed that leaves her fighting for her very life.
Torn between running and opening her heart to the man determined to have her, can Quinn find the strength within herself to fight for her future?
Excerpt:
No! No, don’t put me on hold—” Mac huffed. “Goddamn effing asstards,” she muttered under her breath.
I looked over the length of my desk at Mac. She was sitting opposite me at her own. Her lips were flattened and her knuckles white gripping the phone. It only took two weeks to get used to her feisty, take charge attitude, maybe because she reminded me a little of Lucy. Lucy could be a lioness, but apparently it was only me that brought out that particular quality. When Mac put her foot down the other day, forcing Evie to change a particular pair of shoes for an upcoming interview, Evie had bitched that Mac was like the blonde equivalent of Ellen Ripley from Alien. Right now, I could see it clear as day.
“Mac.” Her eyes, narrowed with frustration, found mine. “Transfer the call to me and put the phone down.”
She exhaled through flared nostrils and nodded slowly, putting the phone down.
An annoyed voice came through the line when I picked it up. “Mac? Look, the best I can do is next week and that—”
“Robin,” I said and forced a smile. I was told in a training session a while back that when you’re on the phone and you smile, it carries through into your voice. “It’s Quinn here, Mac’s assistant. We spoke last week?”
“Oh, hi, Quinn.”
“Look, I know you’re under the pump, and it’s completely our fault for not confirming you received approval for the T-shirt artwork sooner.” Mac glared at me for taking the blame. The artwork was approved long before I came on the scene, but apparently Robin had missed that. “We have a huge show this weekend, and we really need these shirts ready by then. If you can arrange to have them delivered by Friday, I’ll send out a couple of tickets to the show and give Jettison Records some of your business cards.”
I heard an indrawn breath and papers being shuffled madly echoed down the line. Robin cleared her throat. “You know, Quinn, I think I might just manage that. Leave it with me and I’ll ring you to confirm the delivery details.”
I finished up the call and looked at Mac’s expectant face. “T-shirts will be here by Friday.”
“Yes!” Mac fist pumped the air. She jumped up and grabbed me from my chair. I was twirled in an impromptu waltz that left me both giggly and dizzy. “I love having you here, but that bitch doesn’t deserve tickets.”
“I agree, but it’s a small price to pay.”
Mac twirled me around one last time, and I smacked my hip into the side of the desk. “Oh shit, Quinn. You okay?”
I chuckled. One hand peeled up my shirt and the other pulled the top of my pants down, exposing a fair amount of skin in order to inspect the damage. “See? Nothing but a small red mark.”
“Working hard I see?”
My heart kicked wildly at the deep voice from the doorway, and my eyes found Travis. He was wearing a pair of grey and black pinstripe dress pants and a collared navy shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his tanned, sinewy forearms. His jaw was tight as his eyes focused on my exposed hip in a way that left me breathless. I snapped my clothes back in place, and his eyes flew up to mine.
“Damn straight we are,” Mac answered for the both of us. “Quinn is kicking asstard ass.”
“Nothing to it, Mac,” I murmured, tearing my eyes from his and resuming my seat at my desk. My hands hovered over the keyboard, and my eyes fixed to the computer screen in an effort to convey that his presence had no effect on me at all.
You might be fooling them, but you’re not fooling yourself.
La, la, la, I told the irritating voice in my head.
“What?”
I turned my head at Mac’s question. “Huh?”
“Did you just say ‘la la la’?”
Shit. “No.”
Travis cleared his throat and I turned back to the computer and began tapping at the keyboard as though my life depended on it. What I typed, I couldn’t be sure—hieroglyphics maybe.
“What are you up to, Travis?” Mac asked.
The corner of my eye told me he was now leaning casually up against the doorframe as though my presence was but a minor blip on his day. I huffed silently and tapped a bit more.
“I have a meeting with Quinn about the security for the show this weekend.”
My fingers froze over the keyboard, and, yes, they even shook a little.
“No,” I told the computer screen with feigned authority. “My diary right here says I’m meeting with Jared.”
I resumed my busy schedule of ignoring Travis and typing my hieroglyphics.
“Well,” came his drawl. “Change of plans. You’ve got me now.”
How did he manage to make that sound like sex? His words licked every inch of my skin, making me want him instantly. How unfair that I was so seemingly happy on my little drought crusade but one night with him and now sex was the recurring star of my world. My face flamed as I stared at the keyboard, the letters out of focus.
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