Thursday, September 19, 2019

A Brush with Obsession by Theresa Papa




Title: A Brush with Obsession
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

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited






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.


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