Book Blitz + Excerpt - Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart
Book Details:
Feel by Karen-Anne Stewart
Publication date: December 2014
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
The one whose emotions I can’t feel is the one who makes me feel the most.
I was a sensitive, at least that’s what I was told by the boy who saved me from the overwhelming emotions that consumed my soul, the boy who saved me from myself when my gift became stronger. Through the years, he was my redemption, my reason to take my next breath…then, he was gone.
Jensen always told me I was strong, but I didn’t believe him until I was forced to be strong on my own, and I kept breathing without him. I’ve taken 42 million breaths since the moment he sent me away. Now, four years later, he’s standing in front of me, and I can barely breathe.
This isn’t just a story about the abilities I possess; it’s a story about something much stronger…the love of the man who possesses every part of me.
Disclaimer – Feel is intended for readers 18+ due to strong language, mature scenes, and some violence.
Purchase: Amazon
EXCERPT
“You know why I did that! I sent you away to protect you, Saige,” I yell, raking my hands roughly through my hair, trying to expel the guilt and pain. “I’ve never stopped protecting you…never.”
The hurt in her eyes kills me, and I step closer to her, slowly running a strand of her hair through my fingers. “And, what do you think of me now, Saige?” I ask, needing her to understand, to know that I never stopped loving her, and desperately needing her absolution.
Her eyes fill with tears as she takes a step away from me. The sadness in her voice rips through my soul, “Fuck Superman.”
The ache in my chest intensifies. Her breathing is labored as she glares at me, her fists coiled tightly at her side. She brings her soft, full bottom lip punishingly between her teeth again. Her eyes are screaming at me, but she says nothing. A full minute passes as I search for the right words to say. My time runs out as she blinks back tears before turning to leave.
“What are you going to do?” I yell after her pathetically.
“Find him,” Saige states simply, not taking the time to slow down.
“By yourself? What the hell do you plan to do with him after you find him, Saige?”
“Stop him,” she replies, quickening her pace.
“Will you stop walking already and answer me with more detail than two fucking words?”
Andy catches up and pushes me to the side, “Don’t get her talking more! I like her a helluva lot better when she uses less words.”
“Shut-up, Andy,” I warn before damning my pride and running after her. When I grab Saige’s arm, she flinches and tries to pull away.
I immediately release her, shocked by her reaction. “I’m not going to hurt you,” I barely manage to force the words out through the pain crushing my chest as I witness the brief shot of fear in her eyes.
Her lips part like she’s going to give another smartass remark, but she closes them, pressing those full lips together so tightly they start to pale.
“You don’t have to do this. You can walk away and start over somewhere else. I’ll help you, Saige. I taught you how to control the emotions. No one has to know what you can do, and you can have a life without all of this.”
“You might be able to just walk away from people, but I can’t do something like that so easily,” she seethes, the pain burning so brightly it sets my heart on fire. Her eyes close, darkening when she opens them again, “If I walk away, people die. I won’t let that happen just so I can have some
pathetic semblance of a normal life.”
Her bottom lip starts to tremble before it’s quickly sent back to its persecutor and bit so hard I flinch for her and quickly rub my thumb against the punished flesh, freeing the tender skin before it begins to bleed.
“Walking away from you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” I growl, wanting to suck her lip into my mouth and taste its sweetness like I’ve done a thousand times in the past. Damn, I want her so badly, my body aches. “I just wanted you to have a real chance to put all the shit behind you.”
Taking a step closer to me, her eyes sear my entire being. The intoxicating scent of her kills me, but it’s her agony that is torturing as she whispers, “You expect me to just walk away from them to save myself?” The bitter laugh that leaves her lips is so unlike the Saige I remember. Her eyes close again. When they open, they hold me prisoner as she asks, “Could you?”
I run my hand down her neck and gently fist her hair as I lean so close, I can feel the warmth of her breath against my lips. “You have no idea what I would do, just how far I would go, when it comes to you, Saige.”
She swallows hard and her voice breaks, “Yes, I do.”
For a few seconds, I see the old Saige, a spark of the innocence that beckoned me like saving grace thirteen years ago. Then, her fist connects hard against my jaw before I have the chance to see it coming. Biting back a pained grunt, I roughly swipe my hand against my lip, wiping away the blood. My anger vanishes as soon as I see her body trembling. The wild look in her eyes rips my fucking heart out.
“Stay away from me, Jensen,” Saige whispers so quietly, I can barely hear her.
“Let me help you.”
She spins, never breaking her pace as she walks backwards and holds up her wrists, “No thanks; you’ve already shown me your version of help, twice, and I’d prefer to save my own ass.”
Long Excerpt Three:
“If someone hurts you, they’re gonna get fucked up - that’s just a given, Saige,” Jensen states so honestly and naturally, I’m at a loss of what to say for a few seconds as I follow him outside, through the front door he holds open for me.
The temperature has dropped, and the cool air surrounds me, chilling my bare skin. I welcome the distraction of the wind and the sound of the concrete underneath my boots as we walk. “He didn’t actually hurt me, Jensen,” I finally find the words to speak.
“He thought about it. That’s enough to beat the hell out of him.”
I’m back to being quiet for a few minutes as he studies me with those sexy, brooding, dark green eyes. My head is spinning from the vodka and beer, and it’s weakening my defenses. The way Jensen is looking at me right now is so familiar and comforting but so damn tempting. Everything about him makes me want his touch. I don’t want to give him that power over me again. He’s right; I am strong, but I don’t want to have to survive the pain from him shattering my heart a second time. I can walk away from him. I can live without him. But I don’t want to do either of those things. We used to be so good together, but that got lost somewhere. Too many nights I’ve lain awake trying to remember when we started falling apart, but I never could. Everything felt so right with him. I felt right with him.
Searching his face, I see the same man I fell in love with. He looks the same but also so different…hardened and sad. My gaze falls to his arms, carefully studying the tattoos covering his
muscles all the way down his tan skin to his wrists.
He says nothing, just remains quiet, giving me time to see the meaning behind the ink.
A sob threatens to erupt, burning my throat. Each piece of art tells a story of us, from the stars above our field to my name etched in beautiful scripted calligraphy inside a violin. “If you wanted to get rid of me, why did you do that to yourself?” I can barely breathe as I force the words out of my mouth, miraculously keeping the tears from falling.
His hands find my waist, pulling me close. “I never wanted to get rid of you, pretty girl. Don’t you see that? You’re not someone anyone can rid themselves of. It’s just not possible.” His lips that have kissed me so completely a thousand times part, slowly lowering to mine, and for a second, I almost make myself forget. He can say whatever he wants but the truth is, he did get rid of me. At least physically.
“I called you,” I whisper, repressing a shudder at how I tried so hard to reach him so he would get me out of that awful place. I push angrily against his chest, “You never answered.”
“Please, don’t. Don’t push me away from you again, Saige,” he pleads. The supplication in his voice slices my heart.
I slowly blink before looking up into his afflicted gaze, “Tell me why I shouldn’t?”
His hand finds my cheek as his lips curve into a sad smile, “Because the world is tainted. It isn’t perfect. You learned that at a much younger age than any child should ever have to. All my life I’ve tried to give you some piece of happiness, some way for you to feel love firsthand. That was real, Saige. I loved you; I still do, dammit! But I’m not perfect either. I wanted to do right by you. I wanted to keep you safe and I wanted to believe that what I did that night was doing that. I know I was wrong because there’s no way that I could feel like shit every damn day since that night if what I did was right. I’m sorry, Saige. I should’ve answered when you called. I should’ve done a lot of things. I’m so fuckin’ sorry.”
Jensen caresses my skin with his thumb. His voice breaks and he works hard to keep it steady, “You feel everything. Without you, I feel nothing. Nothing but the fucking pain from you being gone.”
I watch as Jensen blinks back tears. It’s only the second time I’ve ever seen him even close to crying. The night he had my parents send me to the private institution, I saw the tears well in his eyes as mine were streaming down my face when they drove me away. He may have had them send me to that godforsaken place, but, seeing him now, broken and tormented because he hurt me, there’s no way he could’ve known what happened to me while I was there.
I place my hand over his, leaning my cheek against the warmth of his touch before backing away so I can see him. I’m insane for falling for him again, but it seems my heart isn’t giving me a choice at the moment, ignoring how the rest of me is scared as hell it will never survive if he breaks it this time.
“I don’t want you to hurt,” I whisper. I don’t.
“Then, please stop fighting what we are together and get your stubborn ass over here so I can kiss you like I haven’t seen your pretty face in four long fucking years.”
I take one step towards him and that’s all he needs to wrap me in his arms, pulling me against his chest to close the rest of the distance between us as his hungry mouth collides against mine. His teeth nip the fullness of my bottom lip then his tongue caresses and strokes the sensitive, tingling skin. All strength in my body is stolen by the liberating dominance in his kiss, bruising and healing wrapped in one breathtaking seduction. My knees no longer work, but the rest of my body becomes alive, responding to his touch, awakening me from the emptiness I’ve lived in for so long. This is what I’ve craved. What I’ve missed. His taste, scent, and touch have haunted me, and I breathe them all in deeply now, terrified they will be gone again.
His fingers slide against my neck before softly tangling my hair in his fist. My head spins at his gentle touch mixed with his rough, passionate kiss. My lips part, granting his tongue all the access it wants, and he takes it greedily, sliding his tongue against mine, taming and setting me free. His kiss is scorching, searing me as liquid heat pulses low in my stomach. I feel the damp cotton pressing against where I need him to be so badly right now. Soft whimpers rumble up my throat, the needy pants muffled against his hot mouth. Jensen’s hand pulls me flush to his body and I feel him, hardened and throbbing, against my stomach. My gasp fills the air. I twist my waist, straddling myself against the muscles on his thigh.
AUTHOR BIO
Karen-Anne Stewart has always adored reading and has now fallen in love with writing. Her written works are The Rain Trilogy: Saving Rain, Healing Rain, and After the Rain. Her debut novel, Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy, was a nominee for the Book Junkie’s Choice Awards and is a nominee for the 2013 RONE Awards.
When Karen-Anne isn’t writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and visiting new places. She fuels her addiction of creating new stories by her only other addiction, caffeine, and listening to a myriad of musical genres. Tucked away near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Karen-Anne lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and their cat. She plans on writing new adult romance as long as her fingers maintain dexterity.
Thank you for sharing Feel on it's release day! Have a lovely day :)
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure! Thank you! :)
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