My Bare Lady, a funny and
heartwarming romantic comedy
standalone from Piper Sheldon and Smartypants Romance is available now!
Suzie Samuels is the only thing standing between Clifford
and his life’s work. All he has to do is change everything about her.
Perception creates reality and Clifford Rutledge needs the irascible stripper
to prove it.
Suzie Samuels is set to prove once and for all she’s more
than Short Fuse Suze, stripper for the Black Demons and renowned motorcycle
arsonist. If all it takes is hard work, then Suzie knows how to work it hard.
But Suzie’s scandalous spirit tests Clifford's resolve.
And Clifford’s buttoned-up bullying is driving Suzie bonkers.
Can Clifford move past their differences long enough to
pull off the impossible task of changing the bare lady into a fair lady?
More importantly, as perceptions shift and priorities
change, will he want to?
'My Bare Lady' is a full-length
contemporary romantic comedy, can be read as a standalone, and is book #1 in
the Scorned Women's Society series, Green Valley World, Penny Reid Book
Universe.
Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
Excerpt
I
was transfixed. It wasn’t just the way she mastered the room. It wasn’t just
how her choreography perfectly correlated with the entrancing music. It wasn’t
just her sex appeal. It was that unwavering gaze and focus on her task. To the
rest of the room, staring blatantly at her admirable—ahem—assets, she was an
object, but I recognized the barely controlled passion roiling under her skin.
What would it be like to be that strong? Not just physically, but strong in a
way that allowed her to bare her soul to a group of greedy strangers. My
passions were locked away safely inside me and yet she put it all out there.
Such bravery and passion.
In
certain moments, I swear she looked right at me—quick stolen glances that shot
a bolt of adrenaline down my spine. Perhaps this was a skill she learned to
earn more tips, as the money was out in droves now, peppered over the stage and
her sweating skin. But I swore she saw me. Saw through me. To the things I
didn’t want seen. I stepped back further into the darkness knowing my concerns
were irrational but unable to tear my eyes off hers. I was stronger than this.
I was thoughtful, pragmatic, and not a victim of animalistic natures and poetic
fantasies.
Though
she occasionally snapped the thin strips of material that made up her outfit in
a playful tease she never took any clothes off. She didn’t need to. She’d
managed to capture the attention of every person in that room with her
movements alone.
My
body reacted despite my rationale; heart pounding, skin aflame. I needed to
leave. I wouldn’t be like the rest of these people.
The
song crescendoed and in a show of strength, she launched herself back to the
top of the pole once again. A small gasp escaped from me but the music drowned
out all noise. She performed a trick that made her appear to fall down the
entire length of the pole, tumbling over and sideways, limb over limb, only to
catch herself at the bottom using only her thighs. She hung upside down,
panting, dark hair sprawled out around her and her gaze set on me. Her eyes
were a brilliant emerald, unlike any color I’d ever seen. They were luminescent
in the stage lighting. Even across the hazy bar, they were transcendent.
Glowing. Fixated on me.
Nobody
else.
I
swallowed but it wasn’t easy. The song ended and the lights went out. The crowd
went wild. Several moments passed before I gained control of my faculties
again. With that control came the shame of watching her. The understanding that
just seeing her perform was enough to make me forget who I was. That couldn’t happen.
I
got out of there as fast as I could. The entire drive back to Knoxville my
chest heaved at an alarming rate; my body remained a mass of tension. Her
hypnotic gaze flashed repeatedly in my vision no matter how often I tried to
shake it loose.
Thankfully,
I’d never see her again.
About Piper
Sheldon
Piper Sheldon writes Contemporary Romance
and Magical Realism books that hope to be New
York Times bestsellers when they grow up. For now, she works as a technical
writer during the day and writes about love the rest of the time. Of course she
also makes room for her husband, toddler, and two needy dogs at home in the
Desert Southwest.
Connect with
Piper Sheldon
Connect with
Smartypants Romance
Website: https://smartypantsromance.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment