Today I am so pleased to welcome R.L. Merrill to Joyfully Jay. R.L. has come to talk to us about her latest release, Under His Sheets. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!
Exclusive Excerpt
He took my glass and set it down, then tugged gently on the lapel of my cardigan, frowning at a small hole in the seam where the shoulder met the sleeve. Yeah, I looked exactly as if I’d seen better days. “You could use a little comfort tonight, no? Save your worries for tomorrow?”
“You make it a habit of rescuing American musicians from trouble?”
“Most certainly not.” His voice had a breathy tone, and it was higher-pitched than I would have thought by the way he got us out of a sticky situation. “I definitely don’t make it a habit of kissing American musicians in trouble, but sometimes…”
“You make an exception?”
“Sí. Do you make a habit of needing rescue?”
“Not really? But I appreciate what you did tonight.” I stepped closer to him, prompting him to put a hand on my waist, which, whatever, if this was going to happen he’d likely get a glimpse of what I didn’t have going on. I might have winced though.
He gripped me a little tighter and his expression turned serious.
“You’re safe here. That protest and the aftermath will likely go on for hours. You’re welcome to stay, no expectations.”
“But possibilities?”
He smiled then, and there was a mischievous glint in his soulful brown eyes.
“Endless.”
I closed the distance between us, feeling the heat coming off of his hard chest under his tight t-shirt as our bodies came in contact. I relaxed for the first time in two weeks, and man, was it nice. People don’t realize how much the lack of human contact and physical touch can really impact a person. Weigh them down or eliminate all ties they have until they blow away in the breeze.
He slid his hand around to my lower back and his fingers slipped under the waistband of my jeans.
“Then let’s commence exploration.”
His lips were the balm I needed, his tentative kisses soothing my soul from the losses I’d experienced, reminding me that there was still good in this world, still people willing to help out when you were in a rough patch, and right then, I was raw.
I also realized I wasn’t thinking straight. Wasn’t this how Americans went missing? I knew nothing about this guy, no one knew where I was. I still had a manager after this whole debacle, but she was back in the States and we weren’t, like, besties or anything. I didn’t talk to my family as they abhorred my career decisions. The only person back home who gave a damn about me was my former teacher, Mrs. Cecilia Galván. Perhaps it was time to reach out to her.
Well…tomorrow.
“Listen, Randall,” he said, taking a strand of my long, curly hair, and winding it around his finger. “I can make up the sofa for you if you just want to rest—”
“And if I don’t?” I ran my hands up his chest, balling the material of his t-shirt in my fists.
He tilted his head to the side and clicked his tongue against his teeth. “If you are sure, then I suggest we take this to bed.”
His words unlocked a desire within me that hadn’t seen the light of day for…a long time. He was direct, only slightly breathy in a way that let me know he was into this as much as I was, but he wasn’t overtly flirtatious or attempting to seduce. He was a man on a mission, no time for superfluous chat. I liked it.
“Lead the way.”
The next few minutes held a series of questions:
“Lights on or off?”
“Off,” I said, wanting to experience this through my other four senses. Sight could be deceiving, and sometimes judgmental. And seeing when your partner was judging you was not a pleasant experience.
He must have had blackout curtains, though, because it was pitch black. Not even a digital clock. The only visible light came from his phone display, which he held in his hand.
“Music on or off?”
“On, please,” I answered, wishing to hear what music he thought was perfect for sex. I didn’t just make music for a living, but I experienced it holistically in all aspects of my life. Since he’d already mentioned Mike Patton, I wasn’t surprised to hear another album he was featured on, Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, playing through a speaker somewhere.
“Clothes?”
“Off.”
“Mmm, excellent choice.”
Blurb
Accidentally Undercover, Book 3
Indie rock star Randall Sutter is hard at work creating a new life for himself in Spain after his band was robbed and decided to break up. The inspiration for his reinvention? The passionate night he spent with a Spaniard who encouraged him to consider spending more time in his country. So Randall 2.0 decides to dust off his credentials and take a job teaching music at an international school in a suburb of Barcelona. But questions soon arise when the stranger Randall can’t stop thinking about appears at the school—as Alonso the Custodian. And pretends not to recognize him. And claims to not speak English. Randall then discovers his new community—like the rest of Catalonia—is experiencing political turmoil, and Randall isn’t sure who he can trust. When Alonso reveals the truth about the night they met and just what he was doing there, Randall will have to have faith that Alonso’s feelings for him are real and not just part of his mission, or they may both end up victims of a centuries-long dispute playing out in modern Spain.
Under His Sheets is part of the Accidentally Undercover shared romantic suspense series.
Bio
Whether she’s writing contemporary romance featuring quirky and relatable characters or diving deep into the paranormal and supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling, diverse, and inclusive stories that will stay with readers long after. Winner of the Kathryn Hayes “When Sparks Fly” Best Contemporary award for Hurricane Reese, and a Foreword INDIES finalist for Summer of Hush, and Daphne DuMaurier finalist for Connection, Ro spends every spare moment improving her writing craft and striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after. She contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and recently joined the Carnival of Mysteries shared world project. You can find her connecting with readers on social media, advocating for America’s youth, cruising around town with Great Dane Velma, cuddling with twin black cat familiars Frankenstein and Dracula, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…
Connect with R.L.:
https://www.rlmerrillauthor.com
https://www.facebook.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.instagram.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.twitter.com/rlmerrillauthor
https://www.tiktok.com/rlmerrillauthor1342
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Under His Sheets, R.L. Merrill is giving away a $25 Amazon Voucher! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
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