What a fun topic
this month. We’re asked to post an excerpt from one of our books
dealing with travel and or vacation. Thanks, Rhobin.
I’ve chosen one of
my back-list books, A Cruise to Remember. and it's still available on Amazon and Kobo. Since I write romantic suspense, I
usually have murder and mystery in my books. So, even though my excerpt is
based on a cruise through the Caribbean, it has t include mystery and suspense.
It was a fun book to write and I wrote it just after we had taken a cruise
through the Caribbean.
Short Blurb for A Cruise to Remember
Amnesia, a cruise ship, a jewel theft
ring and attempted murder combine to make it a cruise to remember. Hallie
Donald has been in an accident and has amnesia. She’s traveling on the cruise
as a companion. And someone is trying to kill her.
She doesn’t remember anything but
someone Interpol agent Eric Norby
searches for jewel thieves on a Caribbean cruise, but his main suspect is the
woman he loves.
Excerpt from A Cruise to Remember
“Did we have a date, Dr. Peterson?” Hallie asked.
“No and call me Eric. I saw what he was doing. You didn’t appear to be
enjoying it. My God, woman, don’t you have any idea how to handle a situation
like that? And how the hell did you get yourself into that position in the
first place? I didn’t take you for a stupid person.”
“I’m not stupid,” Hallie sniffed. “But you’re right. I feel pretty dumb
right now. I don’t know how I got myself into that situation. Jack out
maneuvered me. It didn’t matter what I did, he wouldn’t give up.”
Hallie trembled as they walked away. She couldn’t forget how Jack had
treated her.
“I suggest you stay away from him in the future. I might not be around
to save you next time. Are you sure you’re all right?” Eric stopped and looked
down at her.
“Yes, I think so. Don’t worry. I don’t plan to let him anywhere near me
again.”
“Good.”
“I kicked and scratched and even yelled at him to leave me alone.
Nothing worked and no one paid any attention when I yelled. I-I think he was
going to try and make love to me right here on the deck. Thank you for rescuing
me.”
Out of the corner of her eye Hallie caught a glimpse of a tall
attractive redhead watching them. The woman shot Hallie an angry look before
she turned and stomped toward the bar.
“You looked terrified. I couldn’t believe you’d let him grope you like
that.” Eric snapped.
“I couldn’t stop him. I did punch him. I even managed to draw blood at
one point,” she said.
“You need to learn to throw a better punch than that if you want to do
any damage.”
“Maybe you could teach me?”
Eric shook his head, “I don’t get it. I could see you had no idea how to
handle him--so Eric to the rescue. By the way, he wanted sex, he didn’t want to
make love to you, trust me. There is definitely a difference. Don’t you
remember anything about relationships? Or appropriate behavior between men and
women?”
“Nope.”
“You can’t remember anything about how you reacted in the past?”
“How could I? I don’t remember my past. How would I know how I reacted?
And maybe no one has ever tried to rape me before. I don’t know. Give me a
break. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Good. I hope so. You have no knowledge at all about what happens on a
date?”
“No, not really; conversation, eating, doing some kind of activity I
guess. I’m going to have to learn that process all over again, except, it’s
going to be harder because when you’re an adult you’re supposed to know what
it’s all about. People expect that you know the games and the rules. Jack
certainly thought I did. I feel like a child trying to play grown up games.”
“I guess I am going to have to give you lessons.” Eric warmed her with
his smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”
“You don’t have to. I’m fine now. Were you with someone when you noticed
my difficulty?”
“Why?”
“Because I saw a lady standing a few feet from you when we walked away
from Jack. She looked really mad, and I think those were daggers she shot in my
direction.”
“The redhead?”
“That’s the one.”
“I was sort of with her. She cornered me on deck. I offered to buy her a
drink. That’s all. I think she read more into it than I meant. So, in a way,
maybe you saved me, too.”
“Somehow, I doubt that. She had a great figure.”
“I’d hardly noticed.”
“Right.”
“You’re still shaking. Come on over here
where it’s quiet.” Eric found a sheltered corner, away from most of the
passengers. “Sit down, doctors’ orders. I’ll be right back with two drinks. You
could use something to relax you. They have special sail-away drinks. You okay
with that you?”
He slipped his uniform jacket off and draped
it around her shoulders, over her shawl.
“Sounds great, but it’s not necessary.” She
felt warmer in the jacket and his musky male scent enveloped her. It was
pleasant and sexual. She knew didn’t react to all men’s scent this way. She
looked up and noticed his lip curled slightly as he smiled.
“Yeah, it is. Keep the jacket on to help
warm you up. I’ll be right back.”
Hallie sat on the edge of the chair. She
forced herself to take deep, calming breaths. She relaxed slightly and leaned
back. Eric’s jacket slipped from her shoulders to the deck. She bent to pick it
up when she felt rather than heard a buzzing sound, something like a mosquito,
past her left ear.
Strange.
She sat back up and twisted around to adjust
Eric’s jacket. There was a hole in the back of the deck chair.
Funny, I don’t remember it being there before I picked up the jacket.
She ran her finger over the hole.
“Here we go.” Eric carried a couple of tall,
red, orange and yellowed colored drinks topped off with parasols.
“What were you doing?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. There was a funny sound, like
a mosquito, and I think this hole just appeared.”
“What the hell...?” Eric placed the drinks
onto a nearby table. He ran his finger over the hole.
“It’s a bloody bullet hole.”
“A what? You’re kidding?”
“No, I’m not. Where were you when it
happened?” Eric looked at the hole. He squinted back in the direction it would
have come from.
“I guess that’s when I bent down to pick up
your jacket.”
“My God, you could have been killed.” Eric
pulled Hallie into his arms and squeezed her against his chest. “You’re sure
you’re all right?”
“I think so. I mean, I wasn’t hit or
anything. I can’t figure out what’s happening. This has to be one of the worst
nights of my life.”
I’m off to read where my fellow authors
have traveled.
