Title: Stop Me Author: Michelle Jester Series: RUE the DAY #3 Genre: Contemporary Romance
After moving to a new city with her parents, Jeselle Parsons quickly found friends and a life full of money, power, and privilege. Even though her parents weren’t wealthy like the other kids’ parents, Jeselle felt lucky to be welcomed into the circle of friends, until she learned how costly that type of life could be. A life that would cost her everything.
For fifteen years, Jeselle, with the help of her friend Dennis, worked to ensure nothing would stand in the way of her revenge on the people who played a part in ruining her life.
All the years of planning, all the years of working, have all come down to this.
Her enemies will learn that revenge has never been so cold.
Rose entered with confidence. That was always the transition Jeselle loved to see. They start off scared, unsure. However, as they learned and worked, they became more and more assured in themselves. Poised, even.
As Rose walked toward her desk, Jeselle thought of the many girls that she’d helped through the years. Today, she was about to bestow her crowning gift to Rose. Exactly like the others, she was offering something that only Jeselle could offer.
“Good morning,” Rose said as she sat.
Jeselle slid the folder across the desk to Rose. She watched with pure satisfaction as Rose opened the folder. A confused look washed over Rose’s features.
“What, what is this?”
“She has a nice house on the south side of town, participates in all of her children’s school activities, and has been married for a little over two years. However, it’s rumored that her marriage is on very shaky ground, because she has a huge gambling problem.”
“Why…Ms. Parsons, I’m confused. Why do you have this file on Trisha?”
Jeselle stood, “Why else? She’s your frenemy. And any frenemy of yours is a frenemy of mine,” Jeselle waited to watch the moment Rose got it.
Rose stood, carrying the file with her, “I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
Jeselle gave up hope that it would finally click with Rose. “Revenge, Rose,” she leaned toward her, “For her misdeeds against you.” Jeselle hadn’t meant to sound so forceful.
Rose’s voice was barely over a whisper, “Why on Earth would I want revenge?”
Jeselle was rocked to her core, she swayed slightly. “Because she hurt you. Horribly.”
Rose’s eyebrows drew together. She walked around the desk to meet with Jeselle. “I think that your heart is in the right place, only…” Rose threw her arms around Jeselle and hugged her, “I don’t need revenge.”
Jeselle stiffened in the embrace.
“Mom always says,” Rose whispered in Jeselle’s ear, “the best revenge is in not needing any.” Rose stepped back and looked at Jeselle, “I am the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, and that has nothing to do with Trisha.”
“Well, that’s good,” Jeselle brushed the front of her suit, sat behind her desk and made herself busy. “Lucky for you, you didn’t lose a parent to anyone.”
“True. But my parents were saved by someone. You.”
“Yes, okay,” Jeselle waved her hand to dismiss Rose.
“You save people, Jeselle. Lots of people. I think revenge is a waste.”
“Is it a waste, Rose, to have revenge because you are trying to save other people from horrible people, hmm? Answer me that.” she replied coldly,
“No. But Trisha isn’t that situation. In my opinion, saving her marriage or her family for her children by helping her get counseling for her gambling problem would save people.” Jeselle sighed deeply, “Go away, and let me go save the world then.”
Michelle Jester lives in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana with her husband, high school sweetheart and retired Master Sergeant. Together they have a son and daughter. She is a hopeless romantic and has been writing poems and stories for as long as she can remember. One of her prize possessions is a bracelet with only a yellow, Rubber Duckie charm on it; which she wears every day to remind her to enjoy the fun and happy things of life!
Can love untangle a web of lies and expose the truth?
A loner with a mysterious childhood…
FBI agent Dolan Watts is no stranger to pain. From his childhood spent in foster care to his daily grind of hunting down hardened criminals, it’s been the one constant through the years. Pain carved out gut feelings he can trust and instincts able to solve cases in record time. Until now. Confronted by a malicious new enemy who revels in mind games, Dolan begins to doubt his own perceptions. Fearing he’s spiraling into insanity, he seeks help from the one woman who can shine light into the darkness consuming him.
A woman haunted by a secret…
Psychologist Daughter Dawson sabotaged her own safety the moment she accepted Dolan as a client. Still, she felt compelled to help him. Dolan’s past mirrored many of the questions about her own, making his torment achingly familiar. Despite their growing attraction, her career demands she keep an ethical distance. Yet when she makes the mistake of confiding in him, both their lives are thrust into unimaginable danger.
Nightmares come to life…
When gruesome tragedy uncovers a serial killer’s twisted agenda, Daughter and Dolan must cling to each other if they hope to survive. Can they stop the body count from rising? Or will they find their only purpose from the start was to be pawns in a reign of evil?
She wanted more. All of it. Hand-holding and kissing and long, lazy lovemaking. She opened her eyes and hoped he could read her feelings in them. The next two years were going to be torture, and it was all her fault.
His face was naked with longing, desire, deep affection. It was beautiful to see this powerful man baring his emotions to her. Emotions that had everything to do with her, with wanting her. It was a heady drug, one she wanted to overdose on. If she never saw him after today, she’d forever remember the way he looked at her right now, like she was his entire universe.
He slid his hand into her hair, the movement causing a rash of goose bumps to break out all over her body. “I’m sorry for breaking the rules. I take all the blame.”
She opened her mouth to ask him what rule he’d broken, just as his lips landed on hers. The world fell out from under her. She grabbed on to him to keep from falling, latching onto his shirt and yanking him closer. His arms clamped around her, holding her even tighter to him, and the raw male strength of his body against hers was a revelation. Heat radiated off him like he was her own personal sun.
And then his tongue was in her mouth—warm and tasting like a wish. The salt of her tears mingled to make this kiss the one that all other kisses would be measured by.
And then it was over and he was pulling away. She wanted to beg him to keep kissing her, and maybe the world and the two years separating them would disappear.
He looked down at her, his face ravaged by the war raging inside him, the same one inside her—the nearly overwhelming need to be together, the rules be damned.
He stared at her for an endless moment, a muscle in his jaw ticking, then turned and walked to his car.
Tears flowed as she watched him drive away. At the end of the parking lot, he stopped before pulling out onto the road. She couldn’t see inside the car, but knew he was watching her in the rearview mirror. A sob choked in her throat. If she cried any harder, he’d turn around and come back for her, but she couldn’t let him.
He drove out of the parking lot and out of her life. She turned to her car and saw the bouquet he’d given her sitting on the roof.
She mashed her face in the pretty flowers and watered them with her tears.
Seven Things about Abbie Roads: 1. She loves Snicker Parfaits. Gotta start with what’s most important, right? 2. She writes dark emotional books featuring damaged characters, but always gives her hero and heroine a happy ending… after torturing them for three hundred pages. 3. By day she’s a mental health counselor known for her blunt, honest style of therapy. At night she burns up the keyboard. Well… Burn might be too strong a word. She at least sits with her hands poised over the keyboard, waiting for inspiration to strike. And when it does–the keyboard might get a little warm. 4. She can’t stand it when people drive slowly in the passing lane. Just saying. That’s major annoying. Right? 5. She loves taking pictures of things she thinks are pretty. 6. She lives in Marion, Ohio with her favorite fellow and two fur babies. 7. Being a published author is a dream come true for her.
Gracen Lowe has a new life theory: What you don’t know can’t hurt you.
Which is exactly why he decides not to tell his twin sister, Bella, that he’s accidentally falling for the woman she hates most, the very woman who allegedly cheated with Bella’s last boyfriend and broke them apart.
Bella might be his best friend and ultimate confidante, but she’d legit cut off his favorite body part if she knew which woman he’d been craving. So even if his theory’s totally whack, staying quiet will definitely keep him safer.
Except he feels so guilty about it all.
Meanwhile, Bella’s heating up the sheets with one of Gracen’s best friends, and she can’t seem to reveal that little detail to her brother either, due to—you know—reasons.
When the truth is exposed, all bets are off. Shattered secrets will either set everyone free or wreck their relationships forever.
“He reminded me a lot of you, actually,” I decided suddenly.
“Me?” That perked my life coach to immediate attention. With a lift of his brows, he said, “Oh, so you’re saying he was incredibly handsome, huh?”
I laughed and shook my head. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?”
“Wait, wait.” Squinting at me and trying to read my thoughts, his mouth fell open with a horrified gasp. “Holy shit. You think he’s better looking than I am? EL! What the hell?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s—oh my God. You’re ridiculous. Comparing the two of you would be like comparing apples and oranges. Because you’re all raw and rough and masculine, while he’s—”
“Feminine?” he guessed dryly.
“No. He’s like—I don’t know—cultured. And smooth.”
Gracen was like pure art.
“Ah…” My life coach drew out slowly. “You mean, he’s a pretty boy.”
I sighed in defeat over the entire conversation and just gave up by answering, “Yeah. Sure. He’s a pretty boy.”
“Well…” He lifted his hands as if there was no hope for me. “I guess, if you’re into that type, that’s fine.” Then he lifted an eyebrow. “But, seriously, on a scale of one to ten—”
“He’s a twelve,” I blurted in a rush. “Definitely a twelve.”
Eyebrows arched as if impressed, he nodded. “Okay, then. Pretty boy’s a twelve. And a gentleman hero, too. How the hell does that remind you of ME?”
Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact.Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children’s literature from The Institute of Children’s Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University. Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant. Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor…or Hulk (can’t decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny. Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.
