**Acts of Atonement by Eleanor Aldrick**
Good Morning,
Everyone! So thrilled to see you all today! Today I Have another new-to-me
author to feature. She is here letting us all know about her latest release, ACTS
OF ATONEMENT. Please allow me to feature on the blog Eleanor Aldrick … Plus, a
GIVEAWAY!
**ELEANOR ALDRICK**
**BIO**
Writing
about yourself is hard. Writing about yourself in the third person is even
harder.
Instead of giving myself all kinds of accolades and touting my writing prowess (or lack thereof), I’ll just share some of the bits that make me who I am. Sound good? Good.
Reading has always been a big part of my life. Growing up, my mother would walk into my room well into the wee hours of the morning only to have to tell me to put my books away and sleep.
If you're a bibliophile like me, I’m sure you can relate.
I never stopped reading nor did my love for it diminish. As time passed, my reading tastes evolved and I found myself devouring romance novels left and right (find me on Goodreads). So naturally, when I found myself unfulfilled with my learned profession, I turned to writing the books I loved to read.
It started as a hobby but with my husband's encouragement, it grew into what it is today, the start of my new, and very much loved career.
I hope that my story serves as an inspiration and that regardless of where you are in life, you are able to follow your dreams and give yourself your very own happily ever after.
With Love,
Eleanor Aldrick
Instead of giving myself all kinds of accolades and touting my writing prowess (or lack thereof), I’ll just share some of the bits that make me who I am. Sound good? Good.
Reading has always been a big part of my life. Growing up, my mother would walk into my room well into the wee hours of the morning only to have to tell me to put my books away and sleep.
If you're a bibliophile like me, I’m sure you can relate.
I never stopped reading nor did my love for it diminish. As time passed, my reading tastes evolved and I found myself devouring romance novels left and right (find me on Goodreads). So naturally, when I found myself unfulfilled with my learned profession, I turned to writing the books I loved to read.
It started as a hobby but with my husband's encouragement, it grew into what it is today, the start of my new, and very much loved career.
I hope that my story serves as an inspiration and that regardless of where you are in life, you are able to follow your dreams and give yourself your very own happily ever after.
With Love,
Eleanor Aldrick
To find out more about Ms. Aldrick, please
visit:
**ACTS OF ATONEMENT**
Publication
date:
June 5, 2020
Series:
Men of WRATH #1
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense
**BLURB**
Unattainable. That’s what he
is.
Thirteen years my senior, my uncle’s best friend, and my father’s business partner. The man could not be any more untouchable if he lived on the moon itself.
William Hawthorne has haunted my dreams for the better part of my teenage years. Coming in like a dark knight on the most tragic of days, he swooped in and quietly guided me back to sanity, offering me the support I so desperately needed.
Over the years I’ve done my best to stay away, recognizing he is utterly off-limits. And avoiding him has worked… until now.
A series of events have landed me on his doorstep. Literally. I’m both the nanny and his charge, making it practically impossible to stay away.
Closing the distance to my new home, I remind myself of what I know to be true. Life is cruel and its penchant for torturing me hasn’t changed.
It seems the sins of my past have finally come to bite me in the ass, and keeping my secrets will now be harder than ever.
I try to swallow around the ball of emotions stuck in my throat but it’s useless. Letting William see me, the real me—all battered and broken inside, pining after a love I cannot have—is not an option.
As the front door swings open I give myself one last warning. But I have to wonder, will it be enough?
Thirteen years my senior, my uncle’s best friend, and my father’s business partner. The man could not be any more untouchable if he lived on the moon itself.
William Hawthorne has haunted my dreams for the better part of my teenage years. Coming in like a dark knight on the most tragic of days, he swooped in and quietly guided me back to sanity, offering me the support I so desperately needed.
Over the years I’ve done my best to stay away, recognizing he is utterly off-limits. And avoiding him has worked… until now.
A series of events have landed me on his doorstep. Literally. I’m both the nanny and his charge, making it practically impossible to stay away.
Closing the distance to my new home, I remind myself of what I know to be true. Life is cruel and its penchant for torturing me hasn’t changed.
It seems the sins of my past have finally come to bite me in the ass, and keeping my secrets will now be harder than ever.
I try to swallow around the ball of emotions stuck in my throat but it’s useless. Letting William see me, the real me—all battered and broken inside, pining after a love I cannot have—is not an option.
As the front door swings open I give myself one last warning. But I have to wonder, will it be enough?
**EXCERPT**
Chapter
4
I TOSS AND TURN but sleep eludes me. My body is still
humming from the contact with William earlier today. I have never experienced
anything like that before. Sure, I’ve been attracted to other men and my body
has done the typical indicative of arousal, but never to the extent of what
happened with William. My whole body came alive under his touch, reacting as if
it were a live wire and his hands the conductor.
Why? Why does my body want someone so completely
off-limits?
Unable to sleep, I decide I need to scratch the itch
William has spurred on. Making sure the boys are asleep and Dad is in his room,
I begin getting ready for a night out and shoot my friend Cassie a text.
BELLA: You down for the hunt tonight?
Not two seconds later, Cassie replies.
CASS: You know it, biatch!!! Whoop Whoop! 💃
I can always count on Cass to be my wing woman. She is no
drama and always down for fun. Opening my closet, I survey the options,
selecting a tried and true little black dress paired with a slim black clutch
and a gorgeous pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos.
Moving on to my hair, I take it down from the sloppy bun
that is my signature hairdo, and add in some fresh waves with a styling wand.
Spraying the roots with dry shampoo for volume, I fluff and tease until I’ve
reached the desired height. The bigger the hair the closer to God. Though I’m
pretty sure God wants nothing to do with my activities tonight.
I decide on a smoky eye, soft blush, and glossy nude lips
to finish off my look. I’m ready. Ready to get rid of this burning need within
me and get over whatever it is I feel for William.
Looking down at my phone, I see Cass texted she was on
her way to Uptown and would meet me there in ten. Perfect. I grab my keys,
stick them in my clutch, and tiptoe out to the car.
Spotting Cass up at the bar, I make my way toward her,
surveying the crowd as I walk.
“Hey, hot chica. I’m so jealous of your hair. I wish I
hadn’t chopped mine off.” Cassie reaches out and tugs at the ends of my long
black hair.
“Shut it. You know your long bob is hot as fuck.” I roll
my eyes and wave my hand toward her face. “And don’t they say blonds have all
the fun?”
“Whatever. You know that between the two of us it’s you
who’s having more fun.” She swirls her index finger in her martini glass,
fishing out the olive. “So, are you going to share what has us out on a Monday
night? Kind of early in the week to get a fix, no?”
I call out to the waiter and order a glass of bourbon,
neat. “Long story short, an interaction earlier left me wanting, and the man
who caused it is off-limits.”
“Innnnteresting. Do I happen to know who this gentleman
is, or is that information off-limits too?”
“No, you don’t. It’s my uncle’s best friend, my dad’s
business partner, and the father of the little girl I’m nannying.” I take a
slow sip from the tumbler placed in front of me and hand the bartender cash,
telling him to keep the change.
“Holy shit!” Cassie whisper-shouts. “Talk about cliché,
Bella. No judgment here, though.”
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and nod. “I’ve had
a crush on him for as long as I can remember, but he’s always been just that—a
crush.” Turning toward the room, I scope out the scene once more. “Until today…
he hadn’t touched me. I swear there was something there. It was pure
electricity when he grabbed me by my hips… but what do I know? I could have
just imagined the whole thing.”
“When was the last time you hooked up with someone?”
Cassie’s brows furrow inquisitively.
“It’s been about a month. The boys starting summer vacay
has really put a kink in my extracurriculars, and not the good kind.” I see a
guy sitting in the VIP area, making an obvious point of checking me out. “I
think I’ve found tonight’s tribute,” I sing-song. “Don’t look now, but he’s
sitting to the right of the VIP section, white button-up, black slacks, and
blond hair.”
Cassie waves a cross in front of me, sending me off with
her version of a blessing. “Vaya con Dios.”
I throw my head back and laugh, reminding her God wants
nothing to do with my clandestine activities.
William
My mind is far away, reliving the memory of having Bella
between my hands. The memory of her skin coming alive at the slightest touch
leaves me wondering what else I could make her body do. Would she be a
responsive lover? Would she taste as sweet as she smelled?
Enough. I’m sure my recent obsession with Bella is
nothing more than just having a thirst that needs to be quenched. I haven’t
gotten laid in six months. I’m no cheater, and things with Heather stopped
being physical when I suspected she was letting someone else take a dip in what
was now a communal pool. I’m not a jealous man but there was no way I was
risking a venereal disease just because Heather was convenient and I was horny.
My boy Ren snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Earth
to William. Where the hell’d you go?”
Slowly blinking my eyes, I turn to face him. “Yes, I’m
here, asshole. Just have a lot on my mind.”
“Mmhmm. Well, like I was saying, there is a hot blond at
the bar. I’m going to head over if you don’t want to call dibs.”
“She’s all yours. Not my type.”
“Since when are blonds not your type?” Ren rolls his eyes
as he steps toward the bar.
Since your hot little niece walked into my home.
Gazing back toward the other side of the VIP area, a
flash of long black hair catches my attention. I’ve found my girl for the
night, and she is perfect. Wavy black tendrils cascade down to a juicy round peach
of an ass—an ass I’d love to bite—long defined legs peek out from under her
little black dress—I can picture those legs wrapped around me as I... wait...
that is my girl. The very girl I came here to escape.
What in the hell is she doing here? Is that a drink in
her hand?
Before I know it, my feet are carrying me toward her.
Just as I’m about to reach her, a man who looks to be about my age reaches out
and pulls her toward him. As if in slow motion, the man wraps his arms around
Bella’s waist and causes her to stumble into his chest.
I. See. Red.
“Get your filthy hands off her.” I growl, barely sounding
human.
Immediately, Bella spins around and stares at me with
wide eyes and a perfectly pouty mouth shaped in an O of surprise.
“Hey man, she came up to me. Why don’t we let the lady
decide who she wants to go home with tonight?” A sleazy smile spreads across
the man’s face as he squeezes Bella’s waist tighter.
I’ve seen enough.
Reaching out and taking a fist full of the man’s shirt, I
pull him toward me, effectively breaking his hold on Bella. “She’s off-limits
and if you value your life, I suggest you turn around and forget you ever saw
her.” I push him off me and toward a booth where he sits his ass down, like the
coward he is. Grabbing Bella’s hand, I turn us around and steer her toward the
rear entrance of the bar, not stopping until we’ve reached the valet.
I hand the attendant my ticket and we wait in silence as
he pulls up my SUV. Both of us are clearly in shock, neither of us wanting to
be the first to break the silence. As soon as the car pulls up, I move to open
her door, closing it once she’s inside and rounding my way to the driver’s side
to tip the valet.
Once we’re in the car, we sit in silence. Not knowing
what to do, I pull out onto the road and drive. About five minutes into our
self-imposed silent stand-off, the floodgates open and words come pouring out
of both of us.
“What the hell were you doing there, Bella?” I say at the
same time she speaks, “Don’t tell my dad.”
Nervous laughter follows what could only be described as
an awkward moment.
“Before I promise you anything, you need to answer my
question first. Last time I checked, you were eighteen and clearly not old
enough to get into that bar. How in the hell did you get in?”
“Fake ID. Are you going to tell my dad?” Bella looks up
at me with those gorgeous gray eyes I can’t say no to.
“I won’t tell him as long as you promise you won’t do
this again. How long have you been doing this, and what were you hoping to accomplish?”
I pull over into the parking lot behind Buzz Brews, an all-night diner.
“That’s two questions.” She raises an eyebrow and smirks.
“I’ve been doing it for a little over a year. What were you looking to
accomplish tonight?”
“You smell like you bathed in whiskey.” I redirect her
last question, not wanting to answer the real reason I was there tonight.
“I spilled my drink on myself when you pulled that guy
off of me. It’s my drink of choice, and nice try but you can’t change the
subject. You still haven’t answered my
question and now you owe me two. Why were you at the bar and where is Harper?”
“I was looking for something you can’t offer, and
therefore shouldn’t concern yourself with.”
Bella audibly sucks in a shallow breath upon hearing my words,
but I continue, needing to make this invisible line that much clearer.
“Harper is with Hudson and his girlfriend. They stopped
by after you left and offered to babysit.” I chuckle, remembering how Hudson
awkwardly held Harper. “Angie, Hudson’s girlfriend, has baby fever. She thinks
that spending time around Harper might make him see the light. Besides, who am
I to deny free childcare with someone I trust.”
“That was nice of them.” Her sweet smile slowly
transforms into a wicked one, making those perfect plump lips all the more
tempting. “How funny... I was also there for something you can’t offer and
therefore shouldn’t concern yourself with. Now that we’ve cleared that up, we
can both go our separate ways.”
She starts to open the car door, but I grab her wrist and
pull her toward me. I must have pulled harder than I thought because suddenly
she’s up against me, both palms splayed across my chest. My gaze drops to where
her body meets mine, watching her hands rise and fall in sync to the beat of my
desire. I wrap my arms around her and notice Bella’s half-lidded eyes are
searching mine, for what, I don’t know. Perhaps the answer to whatever the hell
it is we’re doing here.
As if she’s heard my thoughts, she whispers, “What are we
doing?”
I raise one hand, cupping the back of her neck and bring
her face closer to mine. Light shines through the window, illuminating her face
and causing her eyes to turn the most mesmerizing shade of silver—a gray so
pale it resembles the moon’s surface. Absolutely stunning. My eyes flicker back
and forth between the two magical orbs and I lean in a fraction closer,
hovering my lips over hers as I whisper, “What we shouldn’t...”
Mustering every ounce of willpower I possess, I breathe
her in one last time and gently push her back into her seat. Reaching over her
warm little body, I pull on her seatbelt and click it into place. “I’m taking
you home, where you should be at this hour of night,” Bella begins to protest
but before she can say anything I brush the pad of my thumb across her lips and
continue, “Don’t worry about your car. Someone from the team will be picking it
up.”
Bella nods in agreement while I quickly place both hands
on the steering wheel in an attempt to keep them off of her. Having her this
close and alone is almost too much to bear and having my hands anywhere near
her is asking for trouble.
Willing my cock to stand down, I shift my car out of park
and pull back onto the road. It’s time to take little miss temptation home.
Buy Links
**GIVEAWAY**
Blitz-wide giveaway (INT)
$20 Amazon Gift
Card
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HAPPY READING!!!
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