The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.
~ Amelia Earhart ~
Spotlight
Penny can’t believe what happened to her: One day she’s studying sociology and paying her tuition with her job at a local café, the next she wakes up in a luxurious house which is the property of a rich and enigmatic woman. Carter Forbes is ready to lay the world at her feet, but what will she expect in return? As she uncovers Carter’s reasons to create this unusual situation, Penny can’t deny the attraction between them. Can she reconcile her desire with her beliefs about herself, or is this passionate affair doomed from the start?
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Excerpt
The surprises never end. This time, she leads me deeper into the maze of rooms, and after a few minutes, I give up every hope I could remember the way. In fact if I tried to escape in here, I’d probably get lost and die.
The library is a thing of stunning beauty, something, under normal circumstances, I would have drooled over. Dark wood, floor to ceiling shelves with ladders, a spiral staircase leading to the upper level.
“The sociology section is up to date,” she explains. “There’s some psychology, women’s studies, literature. I know you’re interested in those. There’s a bit of everything. If you’d like some fiction, I can give you an e-reader on which you’ll find classics, contemporary and all kinds of genre fiction. Please understand I can’t allow any internet access.”
I can’t even find a sarcastic comeback, staring in awe at the many shelves going up to the ceiling, some leather-bound collections. This is only the non-fiction section? If I’d known this she wouldn’t have had to go to all this trouble to get me here. Why, a ticket to a private retreat on the beach, complete with a library, I’m there! This is not how it happened. I drank a glass of wine on my couch and woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom.
It’s not romantic.
It’s a crime.
I turn to her, see her watching me with a proud gaze. No doubt it takes someone clever—and crazy rich—to come up with all of this. I’m sure she’s proud of herself, and the way I nearly caved a moment earlier.
“What if I say no to all of this? I mean…It’s great. You have a beautiful home and obviously, lots of money to spend. It’s a dream, but what if it’s not my dream?”
“Give me time,” she says, “I’ll show you.”
The warm inviting tone sends a shiver down my spine. I want to leave this disturbing fantasy, and I don’t. My mind is not my own anymore, and it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced.
“Maybe you will.” I can’t believe those words came out of my mouth. Her smile tells me that in her world, maybe is not an option. It’s the world I’m living in now—if I don’t find my way out of this castle. Enchanted or cursed, I have yet to determine.
“It’s been a long day,” Carter amends. “We’ll talk some more tomorrow. You need to rest now.”
What I need is to memorize every step we are taking between this room and “my” bedroom. It might come in handy sometime soon. My lips still tingle.
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