The
Ex File
Behind
the Blue Line Series, Book
1
by Alexis
D. Craig
Genre: Erotic Suspense, Police
Procedural, Hot Romance
Publisher: Hot Ink Press
Date of Publication: 2/7/2015
Number of pages: 148
Word Count: 59,931
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo of
BookFabulous Designs
Book Description:
Second Chances Can Be Lethal
Narcotics Officer, Sean O’Leary is
bitter after a messy divorce that has reinforced his solitary nature, leaving
him only with his dog and a sword collection. He could never imagine that his former best friend may be the only woman
to bring happiness into his lonely life.
Ellie Gardner knows loss;
especially after she was banished from her best friend/crush's life by his
jealous wife. Although the regret of walking away from the love of her life
still stung, a chance encounter with Sean may change everything.
When Ellie and Sean reconnect, they
could never expect it'd be in such an explosive way, leaving them both to gain
the fulfillment of their 'what if's.
Finding love is hard enough without
the past breathing down their necks, especially when said past has no intention
of letting go. When Sean's ex, Pia Mastriani returns, Ellie must face her
nemesis' relentless tactics to get Sean back, including eliminating Ellie if
necessary.
Sean and Ellie’s relationship is
put to the test but will they fare well while they go rummaging through The Ex
File?
Excerpt:
Retirement parties
and funerals have several things in common, the largest of which is they both
resemble family reunions, only with infinitely more baggage. Ellie Gardner
didn’t particularly enjoy heading to either, but did so out of duty and
respect. It was the least she could do.
The party at the
police union hall was in full swing by the time she snuck in the back door.
Her plan was
simple, drop her gift, hug her friends, pay her respects, and bolt. Thirty
minutes, tops, at least in her mind. These kinds of things depressed her, even
with the cash bar she was leaning against currently.
She’d changed out
of her front desk aide clothes as soon as her shift had ended and was now
comfortably ensconced in her ‘off-duty’ attire of a Clash t-shirt and jeans,
both holdovers from her college days, and a new pair of black Chuck Taylors. If
she was going to be emotionally uncomfortable, at least she didn’t have to
worry about her appearance.
“Sweet tea vodka,
two shots.” She smiled at the bartender and pushed a ten across the counter.
She figured fortification was going to get her through the night, though not
too much lest the pendulum swing wildly in the opposite direction. It wasn’t
often that one of her former lovers was retiring, and was there with his new
wife. Though they’d remained friends, the level of impending awkward had
surpassed ‘thermonuclear’ the moment she’d opened the car door.
“Make that four,”
a gruff and familiar voice behind her told the bartender as he laid a hand on
her shoulder. “Hey stranger.”
Fuck. Make that
one ex-lover and one unrequited crush. “Hey, Sean.” She smiled over her
shoulder and found herself immediately ensnared in the topaz blue eyes that
still showed up in her dreams occasionally. Sean O’Leary was six feet, one inch
of Irish devilry, in addition to the badge and gun. Black hair that he’d let
grow down to his broad shoulders and a smile that inspired in her a desire to
fling her panties at him. The old Jack Daniel’s t-shirt and the well- worn
jeans were doing nothing to disabuse her of that notion, either. His hand
trailed fire from her shoulder and down her arm before he sidled up to the bar
on the stool next to her. Being his friend was hard, and being his best friend,
for the short while she had been, had been damn near impossible.
He lightly tangled
his fingers in her raven curls, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.
Anyone else would have gotten cut for that level of familiarity. “I almost
didn’t recognize you with your hair long.”
‘Long’ was a
relative term. She’d let her hair grow a couple inches beyond her normal pixie
cut for the hell of it, and was still getting reacquainted with the ringlets.
“Just trying something different.” Though the last time he’d seen it, she’d
been damn near a dead ringer for Halle Berry.
This time he just
touched one curl, rubbing it between his fingers. “Well I like it, it suits
you.”
Ellie was grateful
for the darkness of the bar as she felt her cheeks heat in pleasure at the
compliment. God, she was pathetic… and damn, how long did it take to fill a
shot glass?
“Thanks. I’m
liking the longer look on you, too.”
His laugh couldn’t
be heard over the music as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Yeah, it’s
been for work, and I just haven’t felt like getting it cut.” He surveyed the
room, filled with uniforms and casual clothes pretty evenly, before turning
back to her with a curious look. “I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me, but I
didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” It had only been three years since she
and Sean had last spoken; since he’d been married and his wife was… not fond of
Ellie was the politest way to say it. He slid twenty to the bartender and
handed her back her ten.
Ellie gave her ten
back to the bartender, “A donation,” she said with a small grin. She then took
both her shots in quick succession before turning to face Sean fully. “Of
course I’m here."
Sarge is one of my
favorite people on the planet, and besides,” she patted the expertly wrapped
gift on the stool next to her, “his wife commissioned a piece from me.”
In her spare time,
Ellie sometimes made shadow boxes for people, because she believed in keeping
memories special, even if she wasn’t particularly prepared to revisit them
herself.
Sean toasted her
before tossing back his first shot, “And I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
She blushed again
and nodded her thanks as another friend came over. Sean met her eyes with his
in silent goodbye before pushing off the bar to evaporate into the crowd. Not
that she followed his perfectly jeans-clad ass as he departed or anything.
About
the Author:
Alexis is a writer with a couple of
day jobs. Working for two different police agencies, it's a juggling act to
find time to write.
She is also an aunt, godmother,
avid cyclist, serial hobbyist, ghost hunter, and collector of stray animals.
Her husband is a loving, patient man.
The author of Imminent Danger,
Undercover Seduction, and Give Me Shelter with Lachesis Press, and she has
three more novels coming out in 2015, The Ex File on February 7th, Dead and
Disorderly on May 23rd, and Bulletproof Princess on August 8th from Hot Ink
Press.
Tour
giveaways:
2 ebook copies
Prize pack containing a tote bag, a
hook bookmark with cool charms on it and a book in a bottle pendant open to US
Shipping
$10 Amazon GC
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