Suddenly a spy by Heather Huffman
Book Excerpt
Veronica
Sinclair stared at her reflection in the window as the black night slipped by.
Wide blue eyes stared mournfully back at her, their earlier sparkle gone. Rick
stayed in his corner, respecting her need for space and silence. A thousand
thoughts at one raced through her head, resulting in nothing coherent. The
truth was she didn’t know what to think.
He didn’t have
control over the actions of an old girlfriend. But something about the woman
set off warning bells in Veronica’s head. She had a nagging suspicion this
woman was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to things Rick had neglected
to mention. That was a road Veronica wasn’t ready to travel again.
Almost
mechanically, she followed him up to their room. Something about the honeymoon
suite had lost its appeal. She walked straight to the champagne chilling on a
table set for two. Wasting no time on ceremony, she popped it open and poured
herself a glass, tossing it back so quickly a little hiccup escaped. Rick eyed
her warily as she poured herself another glass and turned to face him.
“Choose your
next words very carefully,” she warned.
“Baby…” He
paused briefly, obviously running his options through his mind. “I haven’t seen
her in a long time. I have no idea why she chose today of all days to show up.”
“Who was she?”
“I can’t tell
you.” His eyes came to rest on hers. He seemed to be asking her for something,
but it was something Veronica wasn’t sure she could give.
“No.”
“No?”
“No. That
answer doesn’t work for me. Try again.”
“But I can’t.”
“Can’t, or
won’t?”
“I can’t,” he
reiterated. “I know how you feel about honesty, and I promise I’ve never lied,
but there are pieces of my past I just can’t share with you.”
“No!” Rage
swirled through her like a gale force wind. “You do not get to tell me on our
wedding day that you haven’t given me the whole truth. I think I could take
just about anything but that.”
“Ronnie, I’m
not Seth.” He took a step towards her, stopping short when she looked ready to
back away—or throw something at him.
“I thought I
could believe that.” She blinked back the tears that threatened. “Who was she?”
“I can’t tell
you.” A deep sigh escaped his lips. “I’m so sorry.”
“Was she a
lover?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Veronica
licked her lips. Honesty was good. She supposed. “Did you love her?”
“No.” There
was something close to derision in his voice.
“Who’s Marko?”
“Can’t tell
you.”
“Are you in
danger?”
“Most likely,”
he admitted.
“Am I?”
“Not if I can
help it,” he promised.
“And you’re
not about to tell me what’s going on?” She tried one more time.
“Nope.” He
gave her a crooked grin. She polished off her second glass of champagne and
poured another.
“What am I
going to do with you?” She shook her head.
“I have a few
ideas.”
“Not likely.”
“Do I get some
of the champagne?”
“No.”
“You’re a
cold, hard woman—you know that?”
“You lied to
me,” she reminded him.
“Only by
omission and only because I had to,” he countered, edging a little closer to
her.
“But it’s
still a lie. You know how I feel about that… how many years I lost to him…
stupid, pathological liar.”
“I’m not
Seth.” He moved another step closer.
“I don’t think
I could survive it if you were.” Veronica’s breath deepened and she closed her
eyes for a moment. “He very nearly broke me.”
“But he didn’t
break you, and I’m not him.” Rick moved in quickly then, catching her in his
arms before she could dart away. “And I’m so sorry she spoiled your day, and I
love you.”
“You’d
better.” Her eyes flashed as his mouth took hers hungrily. Veronica was a
little surprised by her body’s instant reaction to him. Maybe it was the
champagne, but Lord help her, she wanted to sink her fingers greedily into his
hair as her body melted against his. She wanted to lose herself in this kiss
before he scooped her into his arms and laid her on their bed, his lips tracing
fiery trails across her body. She could do what she had to in the morning. It
would probably mean the end of their tender young marriage, but at least they’d
have tonight.
Since childhood, I’ve always been able to amuse myself with the stories whirling round in my head. A simple conversation, a scene from a dream, a random what if—they all have the ability to spark a movie in my mind.
I’m often asked why I chose to write romantic suspense novels. I don’t really know that I chose my genre so much as it chose me: these are the stories swirling around my head. But I guess the genre makes sense; I love love, I love adventure, and I love to laugh. All three of these traits permeate my books.
My passion is and always will be writing fiction with strong female characters who are flawed, relatable and very human. The stories and settings are varied but always intertwine, reminding us of the important truth that our lives are all connected in some fashion. We are more alike than we realize.
When I write, I share a piece of who I am. There’s something of my pain and my victories in each page. (Have fun guessing what’s true and what’s not!) I hope to take readers on a journey with me. Nothing makes me happier than someone writing to say my characters felt like old friends – or that they laughed, cried, yelled or cheered with me along the way.
I also believe life is more than the act of taking up air. We all have something we’re good at, something we’re meant to be doing to make this world a better place. So I’m incredibly grateful to have a publisher like Booktrope who helps me use something I love to make a difference in a cause I care deeply about, fighting modern-day slavery. In addition to the work I do to raise awareness of trafficking, I donate a portion of my royalties to organizations that fight human trafficking in one way or another. Also, visit her at http://www.heatherhuffman.net/
Suddenly a Spy Description:
On her wedding day, Veronica Sinclair thinks she has it all: the loving family, the Vera Wang dress, the hunky husband. But then a mysterious and beautiful woman shows up at the reception, suggesting Veronica’s new hubby isn’t exactly who he says he is. As if that weren’t enough, Veronica and Richard must flee gunmen in the middle of their honeymoon, convincing Veronica she got more than she bargained for when she said, “I do.”Thrown into a world of espionage, seduction, and human trafficking, Veronica must fight for the life and husband she thought she had – and she must discover whether they are the life and husband she truly wants.
Links to Purchase the Book:
Amazon: Suddenly-a-Spy-ebook AMAZONa Rafflecopter giveaway
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I don't think anyone finds marriage to be what they think it will be but this would have to take the cake.
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