Title: Withstanding The Enemy
Author: T.L. Marht
Genre: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Release Date: 31st January 2020
BLURB supplied by Xpresso Book Tours
Emma Andrews was orphaned
at a young age with no family to turn to. Tired of the broken foster-care
system, and believing it was her only option, she runs to a multi-millionaire
with a reputation of hiring young women. It is only then that she learns
what real monsters look like…
Emma uses her overactive imagination to help her get through the toughest of
days. By daydreaming a life full of love and freewill, she manages her
colorless prison, but even in her wildest dreams, she would have never
imagined it could become a reality. That is, until she meets Chance, a man
willing to lay his life down to save hers.
But what Emma doesn’t expect is to fight her own personal demons—her
heart.
PURCHASE LINKS
EXCERPT
I turn the envelope and tear it open. I pull out a piece of
lavender card stock with a note written in the matching penmanship.
To my beautiful enchantress,
From the moment I laid my eyes on you,
I’ve fallen.
Your sorcery has deep magnetism,
Making you irresistible to me.
For it is you, I have fallen in love with;
I will wait for you till my last breath, that is the spell I’m
under.
~Rick~
My heart skips a beat. It’s beautifully written. I never knew
Rick was capable of such poetic beauty. It stirs something foreign inside me. I
throw the card down. He is a monster and I need to remember that.
And I know just the way to do that.
I storm into the bathroom, mad at myself for even
authenticating feelings for him. I turn on my shower and let the water warm up.
I take my clothes off with shaky hands as I mentally prepare myself for what I
am about to do. With all my clothes in a pile at my feet, I think, You can do
it—remember what a monster he is.
I turn to face the mirror with my eyes closed. Come on,
Emma, you can’t forget… One… Two… Three…
I open my eyes to see my full reflection. My hands fly to my
mouth to silence my cry. A tear slides down my cheek as I examine my torso.
Running a hand across the scars, I can feel the crack of his whip as it tears
open my skin. I remember it, I think as the shadowed form of a man
haunts my nightmares. It was Rick, it had to be Rick, I think as I hear
the shattering crack of the whip through my head. Don’t forget. He is the
monster—the shadow.
My mind races as I continue to run my hands down my torso. I—I
can’t feel the scars. The skin under my fingers feels smooth as silk, as if
the scars weren’t there. I frantically look down to my stomach. I see
them—bright red and raised.
My hands tremble as I glide them over each side of my hips. I
force myself to look down at the larger scars lying horizontally across each
hip.
Why can’t I feel them?
My right thumb rubs across my birthmark on my upper thigh.
Inside the heart-shaped mark is a scar that mimics my own heart—broken with no
hope of repair.
He is the monster, I think as I hop into the
steaming spray of the shower.
~~~~~~~
I grab a towel and dry off. The library is going to be a great
distraction, I think as I wrap the towel around me and make my way over to the
vanity—thankful the mirrors are steamed over.
Absentmindedly, I open the bathroom door and walk toward the
closet when I hear voices in my room, causing me to freeze mid-step.
“Oh, Ms. Andrews, I thought you were already dressed,” Brutus
announces his presence from behind me. I quickly turn around and hug my towel
tighter to my naked body.
My eyes lock with Chance’s. Instantaneously, my heart dips low
into my belly. I stand frozen, watching his eyes run down the length of my
body, causing heat to catch like wildfire and spread over my chest. I follow
the path of his eyes—a slow lazy path down my body. My nipples tighten as he
lingers for a moment. His eyes flame as if he can see right through my towel.
The wildfire causes my sex to throb. I feel needy and my eyes heat with
passion. I take a sharp inhale.
Brutus breaks the connection. “Ms. Andrews, we will leave
immediately,” he says, grabbing Chance by the arm and pulling him toward the
door. After Brutus pushes Chance out first, he turns, trying to explain.
“I’m sorry again. We were trying to get your flowers into your
room.” His voice carries around the door as he makes his exit.
In that moment, I notice the large arrangement setting
awkwardly in the middle of my bedroom.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
T. L. Mahrt
is a former business owner, where she utilized her education in
cosmetology, barbering and massage therapy for several years. She
was raised on and is currently living on a farm in Nebraska, where
you can find her running barefoot in the country side with her loving
husband and inspiring children and massive dogs.
After having her son, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, she made the life
altering decision to stay home to care for her two children and pursue
her love for writing. She has a love for romance and poetry where,
her overactive imagination, along with her adventures and up beat
lifestyle drives her inspiration for her writing.
T. L. Mahrt has a thirst for knowledge, and is currently working on her
Bachelor of Applied Science in Communication Studies degree.
AUTHOR LINKS
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