No, no…just no. I kept repeating the mantra in my head: I will not kiss Nick. I will not kiss Nick.
Though I really wanted to. Really, really wanted to know the feel of his lips and have his hands press against my back again, eliminating all space between us. My mind then upgraded that simple kiss to a few make-believe scenarios that were so graphic my body was in constant movement, slowly squirming in a wavelike motion. When a longing moan escaped with my breath, my eyes bolted wide.
“Shit!” I threw the covers off and rolled out of bed. Hightailing it to the shower, I offered a quick good morning to Nick on the sofa, noting the wicked smile he gave in return. Oh, God. Please tell me that moan wasn’t loud enough for him to hear!
The hot water worked wonders on my tight muscles, and by the time I dressed and came back out, I was so relaxed I no longer opposed the flirtatious smiles Nick continued to throw my way. But when he turned his back, my eyes began to narrow. This was the first morning since becoming roommates that he decided not to bother with a shirt, strutting around in nothing but a pair of loose-fitted cotton pants, luring my gaze to the sexy sculpture of his upper body.
I cursed the butterflies flittering inside and my damn eyes, which couldn’t seem to stop looking.
God, I hated him. Well, not really, but I hated how efficient he was in making me want him. Ever since he activated those butterflies last night, I just couldn’t shut the damn things off. They were still flitting around, making me antsy and driving me crazy for not kissing him. And despite my best efforts to convince myself to not get involved, I felt my resolve dissipating. I wanted to rewind time so bad, and this time ignore the distractions and stay put in his arms for that kiss.
I entered the kitchen, where he was already leaning over the counter drinking his coffee and reading the paper. Seriously, what time did he wake up every morning to get all that before I even woke up? I hung my head backwards, just realizing he absolutely was half-naked for my benefit, because he would’ve had to put on a shirt to go out. Sucking my lower lip in and out of my mouth, I focused in on the black tribal sleeve tattoo that began halfway up his upper left arm and curled over the edge of his shoulder. I couldn’t see it at the moment, but I knew it covered part of his chest too. “Is that your only tattoo?” I asked. I knew it wasn’t. I had already seen something resembling jagged edges peeking out over the edge of his pants. I’d only asked because a sense of playfulness was overtaking me. And my eyes desired a special treat.
“No. I also have a sunburst, but I doubt you’d want to see it.”
Taking the bait, I inquired, “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
He twisted his torso towards me and took the longest sip of coffee ever. Fighting the extension of his already curving lips, he replied smoothly, “Because it’s some place you’re too shy to look.”
Nearly
Broken deals with subject matter that I’ve only encountered
a couple of times previously and Devon Ashley handles it in a way that doesn’t
shy away from the brutal reality of human trafficking. It is explicit in its detail of the
degradation of young women by those involved in this practice, so if that is
not something you want to read about then you should heed the advice that
accompanies the book:
New
Adult Romantic Suspense / Dark Realistic Fiction
Recommended for 17+ for mature
and disturbing situations,
language and sexual content
and
choose an alternative read.
I
really don’t want to disclose the story line in this review, which is quite a
challenge, but I'm going to give it a go.
Megan
is a fabulous character. She is
resilient yet fragile, courageous yet terrified and deals with the situations
she faces in what I considered to be a very realistic manner. Past events drive her behavior and she grapples
with a constant, yet unknown, threat. It
is not until certain puzzle pieces come together that she truly understands the
consequences of her past for her future.
Nick is
to die for. He is smart, caring, a
talented chef and will stop at nothing to be with the woman he loves.
Nearly
Broken is beautifully written. The story
flows effortlessly and you are caught up in Megan’s world very quickly. Her emotions are clear and vivid and her
experiences are haunting. I found myself
immersed in her world and praying that the outcome would be what she deserved.
There
is a beautiful love story woven throughout Nearly Broken,
despite the bleaker elements of the subject matter. It is one filled with hope and a promise of
happiness that was heart warming. Nearly
Broken also carries with it intrigue/suspense as we wonder
about the ‘villain’ and what impact he will have for other characters. The core subject matter is quite bleak,
although I think Ashley has handled it well.
I
really enjoyed Nearly Broken. It is not a story for the faint hearted with
some fairly graphic detail about the human trafficking/sex trade and yet intertwined
with this dark element there is a beautiful love story that is a delight to
read. I think it is both the stark
contrast between and blending of these two elements that makes Nearly Broken such a wonderful read.
4 out of 5 stars
I’m a
mom, wife, a lover and a fighter,
coffee addict, wicked knitster, Microbiologist, baker of fine yummy treats, and
someone who will fight you to death for that last twinkie bag of M&Ms
during the zombie-apocalypse. Seriously, my addiction is that important to me.
Oh yeah, and writing is cool too!
