Dear reader,
Iām about half way through this house sitting gig now. Settled in but still counting down the days until I get to go home.
Life has been stressful lately. As well as being away from home, my day jobs have been very busy, and my dad has been battling with ill health. The writing is still getting doneāthank goodness. Iām just plodding along, making progress each day. A reminder that the pre-order is now up. Iāve also shared another excerpt below.
Apart from writing, my time has been consumed by another project Iām working onādesigning a planner for authors/writers. This has gone through multiple variations over the months, but I think Iāve finally settled on a layout, and I hope to release it in time for the new year š¤
I leave you with some kitty pics.
Leave the door open while Iām working and this happens šŗ
-Sara
Previous excerpts: [1] [2] [3]
Clashing with the CEO excerpt #4
It began to spit with rain as we walked along the footpath, passing shops and restaurants and bars. Occasionally, our arms bumped. Even through my haze of drunkenness, I felt hyper-aware of him beside me. To anyone who saw us, we probably looked like a couple rather than boss and employee. Now, that was a strange thought.
The headlights of an approaching bus cut through the fine drizzle. In a swift and precise movement, Neil grabbed me and pulled me back from the side of the road. I landed against his chest, hard and warm. I was stunned, frozen in his embrace. What just happened? Why was he holding me? I couldnāt comprehend what was going on.
Then I heard the crash of water and felt it slap against my side. A mini tidal wave descended upon the footpath, spraying everything in its wake as the bus roared through a flooded section of road.
Neil eased his hold on me before fully letting me go. I stepped back from him, head reeling.
āAre you okay?ā he asked.
I touched the damp patch on my jacket. āI got a little bit wet, but you saved me from the worst of it. Good thing you noticed that was about to happen.ā
āStay back from the road. It could happen again if youāre not careful.ā
I took his advice to heart, even as I struggled to walk in a straight line. My heart pounded and my legs felt like jelly. Neil had literally swept me off my feet. I kept replaying the moment in my head, mesmerised. It was like a scene from a movie. He was my hero. He had saved me not once, but twiceāfrom Leon, and from being drenched in gutter water.
āHere we are,ā Neil said, snapping me from my thoughts.Ā
His car was a sleek white Tesla. He opened the front passenger door for me. I slid into the luxurious leather interior. The heater was on, but despite the warmth of the car, I couldnāt get comfortable. I felt the cold, dirty water seep through my jacket to the lower layer. My teeth chattered. Deciding it would be preferable to take off the jacket rather than marinate in its dampness, I removed it, revealing the delicate white top underneath. Goosebumps spread over my exposed arms.
Neil watched me from the driverās seat. āYouāre freezing.ā
āIām fine,ā I lied, my voice jittery.
He looked at me with disbelief, then his seatbelt clicked as he ejected it. He reached down to the hem of his sweater and pulled it off over his head, flashing a small band of taut skin below his shirt as he did so. Startled by the peek of flesh, I averted my gaze.
āHere.ā He held out his sweater.
I stared at it as if he were offering me something sacred and off-limits.Ā
āTake it,ā he urged.
I accepted the sweater and pulled it on. The fabric was soft, warm, and lightweight, and it smelled just like himādark florals and black pepper. Neil wasnāt a big man by any means, but it was still baggy on my small frame. The sleeves extended to my fingertips. I rolled them up to my wrists.
āThanks,ā I said.
Neil stared at me as if he had forgotten everything else in the world.
āIt suits you,ā he said, voice soft and low.
As soon as the words emerged from his mouth, he tore his gaze from me. A redness crept up his neck and tinged the tips of his ears. He cleared his throat and returned his attention to the task at hand: driving me home. He put his seatbelt back on and started the car.Ā
What was that all about? Did he just flirt with me? No. I must be mistaken. Thereās no way heād do something like that. Would he?
I put the thought out of my mind. I was drunk. My thoughts were scrambled and unreliable.
āWhatās your address?ā Neil asked.
I told him my street name and number. He typed it into the dashboard, then off we went.
āWho was that guy?ā Neil asked as he drove. āDid you know him?ā
āHis nameās Leon. I went on a date with him once. It turned out he was an arsehole.ā
Neil clenched his jaw. āStay away from men like him.ā
āDonāt worry. I will.ā
āGood.ā
āI donāt usually spend my Saturday nights like this. It was my friendās hen party. Somehow, we got separatedāā
āI donāt care how you spend your Saturday nights, as long as you turn up and do your work on Monday.ā
āAnd as long as I stay away from men like Leon.ā
āExactly.ā