Built to Last
by
Elisabeth Grace
 |
Release Date: November
16, 2015
~ Synopsis ~
At seventeen, the small town
of Saltwater Springs had been everything to Scarlett Devereaux—as had her
boyfriend Luke. Never had she imagined she’d have to leave them both
behind—until the night that changed everything. A decade after skipping town
Scarlett returns to start over in the only place that ever really felt like
home. But when nothing goes as planned, she’s forced to turn to Luke for help.
With a drunk for a dad and a
mom making pocket change at the local diner, no one ever thought Luke Garrity
would amount to anything. After building a successful contracting business he’s
proven everyone wrong professionally, but things in his personal life are
upside down. Making it the exact wrong time for Scarlett to return to Saltwater
Springs.
With a history of
devastation and heartbreak between them can Scarlett and Luke make amends, or
will secrets from the past threaten the foundation of Scarlett’s new life? Were
Luke and Scarlett really built to last?
|
~ Excerpt ~
“Place your left hand on the piece of wood
away from where you’re cutting, but close enough that it’s comfortable.” She
did as he instructed. “Good, just like that. Now you’re ready to cut.”
Luke moved to stand beside her. Scarlett
was nervously biting her lip. “I don’t know if I can do this.” She glanced up
to him, her eyes almost pleading with him not to force her.
He couldn’t help but wonder what had
happened to the spitfire of a woman she’d been blossoming into before she left
town. Not only had she lost some of her Southern accent during her time away,
but apparently she’d also lost some of her “hear me roar” attitude. What had
shaken her confidence so much that she questioned her abilities? His stomach
twisted at all the different scenarios running through his mind that could have
made that possible.
“I’ll help you with the first cut.” Luke
positioned himself behind Scarlett and leaned over her bent frame, placing his
hand over hers. Her soft hand twitched underneath his for a second and then
settled. “All right, the key is to keep an eye on the saw base as you cut and
to push with enough force that the saw keeps moving through the wood, but not
so fast that the saw seems to slow down. Sound good?”
She nodded, the movement of her body
shifting her hips ever so slightly—enough that he became painfully aware of his
crotch’s proximity to the juncture of her thighs. He shifted his weight, trying
to get comfortable in pants that were becoming more uncomfortable by the
second. Scarlett’s whole body tensed underneath him.
With a deep breath, Luke decided the best
course of action was to ignore her response to being so physically close to
him, even though her rigidity further twisted the knife she’d dug into him a
decade earlier, leaving him wanting to question why he was never good enough.
Scarlett cleared her throat. “Let’s get
this over with.” Her words dug the knife in deeper. “Once I have the first one
under my belt, I’m sure it will get easier.”
Maybe that’s all he’d ever been to her—a
notch in the proverbial belt for experience sake. He’d never thought he was
just a good time to her, but she’d left him questioning everything. “Turn the
saw on then, and I’ll help you guide it,” he said in a brusque tone.
The sound of the blade whirling against
the side of the wood cut through the silence in the storefront and Scarlett
jerked a bit, startled, bumping into him.
Not at all helping the situation below his
belt.
Luke lightly squeezed her hand below his,
indicating that she should push the saw forward. As she did, bits of wood and
sawdust bounced up and into the air. Five seconds later, the small piece they’d
cut fell to the ground and the saw’s rotation started to slow.
The noise died down, and Luke was about to
congratulate Scarlett on making her first cut when a shrill voice rang out from
behind them.
“Well, well. Isn’t this cozy? Still trying
to sleep your way into high society, are you, Luke?”
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Thanks so much for sharing!
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