McKenna Jeffries

Today’s snippet theme is Emotional. Below is a scene from a book I co-authored Aliyah Burke. Enjoy.

An snippet from Wicked Burn…

“Why are you telling me this now?” Yasmine swung her head toward him and stood, her chair crashing behind her.

“No matter what happens, I wanted you to know.” Sedeo smiled regretfully.

“Thanks so much, Mister Parker, for sharing with me. It makes me feel so much better.” She didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm from her voice.

She crossed her arms across her breasts, holding herself. The sadness on his face made her throat ache.

“I never meant to hurt you, Yasmine,” he stated quietly.

“I know, Sedeo. I know,” she replied, now suddenly fatigued beyond reason.

She knew he hadn’t meant to rip her apart one word at a time. She wanted to rail at him and destroy him in return, but she couldn’t. Despite it all, she knew he was a fair and good man. The look of uncertainty and sorrow on his face hit her like a punch to the gut.

How is it possible he is the one hurting me, and I want to comfort him? She quashed the feeling and smiled gently.

“It’s all right, Sedeo. Take She–” She cleared her throat, then continued. “Take Shelby and go home.”

He studied her. Yasmine kept her face blank and steady.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to deal with your job, Yasmine. I can’t promise I’ll come back, but I do love you.” Sedeo smiled softly.

A shaft of pain cut off her breath. She nodded abruptly. Sedeo sighed and started to reach for her. He stopped before he touched her, then turned and left the room. Yasmine stumbled back against the table. She heard his murmur to Shelby, but wasn’t sure what he said. The sound of running feet made her straighten and put on a smile. Shelby ran into the room and straight for her. She bent and caught her, lifting her up.

“Yas, we’re going home. But I’ll see ya soon, okay?” Shelby said.

Yasmine swallowed the lump in her throat, then spoke. “Bye, Miss Shelby.”

She hugged the little girl she wasn’t sure she would ever see again tight. A sensation of being watched filled her. She glanced beyond Shelby’s shoulder at Sedeo. He was solemn.

“Come on, sweetie. I’ll walk you to the door.” She walked across the room with her.

Sedeo stepped back out of the way. She continued down the hall and to the front door. Silently, Sedeo opened the door and took Shelby from her. Yasmine fought with herself not to hold onto her. She let her go. Sedeo’s hand brushed hers, and she stiffened, jerking away. Sedeo caught her hand with his. Yasmine looked up at him. His whiskey gaze glittered with tears. He opened his mouth to speak.

“Don’t,” she said.

He squeezed her hand and let her go. He raised Shelby higher, turned, and left. Yasmine closed the door behind him. Gripping the knob, she rested her forehead against the door.

“I love you, too,” she whispered to the empty room.

She raised her head, then pounded her fist against the door. A harsh sound came from her. She dropped to her knees, and tears burned her eyes. Turning, she slid down the door, then pulled her legs up and curled her arms around them, resting her cheek against her upraised knees. The wetness of her tears drenched her skin. A brush of fur startled her. She looked up. Rufus whined and licked her. Yasmine let out a ragged sound. Pulling him close, she lay down and curled around him as the tears flowed. Rufus nuzzled her and kept guard as she mourned.

Copyright © 2009 Aliyah Burke and McKenna Jeffries
All Rights Reserved, Liquid Silver Books.

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Today’s snippet theme is Holiday. Enjoy.

An snippet from Conquering Jazz…

Distantly, he heard her say, “Your afternoon appointments have been cancelled.”

Jasmine looked up at him lazily. Her smile beckoned him. She pulled his head to her, and as she started to kiss him, she whispered, “Come with me.”

He sank into the sweet taste of her mouth. He would follow her anywhere.

****

Reese pulled the car into the driveway and turned it off, looking at the beautiful, large stone house. It had the look of a quaint cottage. The sign as they drove in had read “Ellis Hideaway,” but it should have been called Paradise. The place had a charming feeling about it. The unique stones on the house were complimented by wide bay windows, an oak door, and a wraparound porch. Counting the terraces, Reese realized there seemed to be a separate one for each room in the structure’s six floors.

Jasmine asked, “What do you think?”

Turning, he saw she had a smiling, smug look on her face. Usually, he had been the one to initiate them going on a weekend getaway. He leaned in and kissed her, softly and thoroughly, before pulling away.

He saw pleasure fill her eyes when he replied, “You’re beautiful.” Her melodious laughter made his body clench in reaction.

“Come on,” Jasmine said, opening the door and getting out.

Chuckling, Reese got out of the car on his side while she walked around to join him. She hooked her arm with his, gazing at the house. Reese studied the cobblestone walkway, surrounded by lush vegetation on both sides. Manicured gardens of roses and many different flowers were as far as the eye could see. Huge weeping willow trees surrounded the property, making a gate made from nature. Cocking his head, Reese could swear he heard water running. But glancing around, he couldn’t find the source.

Copyright © McKenna Jeffries, 2008.
All Rights Reserved, Liquid Silver Books.

Go to the following sites to check out these other great authors snippets:

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Today’s snippet theme is Character in Danger. Below is a scene from a book I co-authored Aliyah Burke. Enjoy.

An snippet from Wicked Burn…

The sound of fire hissing never failed to make adrenaline and cautious respect fill Yasmine Van Cort. This fire was no different. The scorching heat of the fully engaged blaze made her sweat even more in her heavy turnout gear.

“Find the baby.” She kept repeating the mantra in her head.

Neighbors had called in the fire, so they knew there was a family of three to be rescued–a man, woman, and child. Her partner, Ethan Zachary, was to her right. They worked in tandem to ensure their safety and that of the individual they had set out to rescue. As they strode down the hall, she could hear the voices on the radio in her ear.

“Team three. Nothing yet,” Alvin Calles said.

“Team eight, still searching,” she replied, checking in.

Ethan motioned to her as he shined the flashlight down the hall. She carefully walked ahead, testing the various doors for heat index before opening them. Surprisingly, this left area of the house wasn’t as engulfed at the other side, where team three was searching. As she did a brief check of each room, she could see a family who seemed happy. A sense of pity filled her. It was a shame their beautiful home was being destroyed. She shook it off. Hopefully they would be able to rescue them, and they would be alive, which was more important than things. Reaching another room, she tested the door for heat. Finding it as cool as the others, she pushed it open. Spotting the crib in what was clearly a nursery, Yasmine’s heart clenched as she approached it.

Standing beside the crib, she saw what looked to be a ten-month-old curled up holding a teddy bear and a picture. She stripped off her work gloves, checked vitals and felt a surge of relief when the child’s warm breath puffed against her fingers. “Baby found,” she reported, and slipped back into her gloves.

Picking up the limp baby, she cuddled it close. The child woke, kicking and screaming as Yasmine headed back to her partner by the door. They hurried down the hall, then the stairwell and out the front door as the fire raged around them.

Copyright © 2009 Aliyah Burke and McKenna Jeffries
All Rights Reserved, Liquid Silver Books.

Go to the following sites to check out these other great authors snippets:

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Today’s snippet theme is Dialog. Below is a scene from a book I co-authored Aliyah Burke . Enjoy.

An snippet from Wicked Burn…

Her thoughts flashed to his firm lips on hers. She could still taste his sweet and male flavor. His words pulled her from her thoughts.

“I’ve had such mixed feelings. I was grateful to you for saving Shelby, yet I blamed you, all of you, who were at the fire for not saving my sister and her husband.”

Yasmine stopped, disentangling her hand from his. Rufus whined, but sat, waiting for her to move. She gave her attention to Sedeo. He put Shelby down and held her hand as he met Yasmine’s gaze steadily.

“Why are you telling me this now, so suddenly?”

His statement had come out of the blue. They had been having such a good night.

“I had to.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m so angry with you, but I can’t stay away!” he cried.

She stared at him. She could understand both things. The same need had driven her to use the picture as an excuse to see him. As a firefighter, she had faced the anger before from survivors. They needed someone to blame, and it was easy to make firefighters a scapegoat. Although she understood, it still hurt he blamed her.

This is what you get for letting yourself get involved with a fire survivor. He might not have been in the actual fire, but he was still a survivor. He had to live with the aftermath. The blame, anger, and results. Yasmine crossed her arms under her breasts.

“I had to tell you. I’ve been doing research on the internet. On firefighters. Trying to understand what you do. Why do you do it? What’s the draw?”

“It’s my job. I love it. I’m not about to defend or explain it to you. ‘Nuff said.”

She wondered if this was some sort of survivor syndrome. Yasmine knew when people were put in such tragic circumstances they could develop an unhealthy attachment to those they perceived had helped them. She couldn’t believe she had missed it with Sedeo.

“This is not survivor syndrome,” he said, as if reading her mind.

She glanced at him, startled. His look was steady.

“I looked into that, too. My feelings were so strong when I met you, despite the circumstances. When I saw you again, it was out of control. I’ve never felt this way–an instantaneous attraction, a connection that seems like I’ve known you for so long, instead of such a brief time.” He stopped, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again.

She gasped at the intensity of his gaze.

He continued. “I wanted to be sure of what I was feeling. I read everything I could find. Talked with a therapist about it, even. Ultimately, I figured out it wasn’t a false connection, but real. If it had been just attraction, I would have come to you weeks ago. I wouldn’t have fought coming to you for so long, even after I knew I wanted to know more about you…be with you…see where this could go. I didn’t come.”

His frustration was clear.

“Why did you come tonight?” she asked.

“I couldn’t stay away anymore,” he said softly.

Yasmine observed the need battling with his guilt, a guilt she was sure stemmed from him being alive while his family was gone. Sedeo reached out and cupped her cheek.

“I want to be here. Here with you. I’m afraid of you being a firefighter, but I can’t let it stop me. I need to be here. Let’s see how this goes.”

She couldn’t fault him for his truthfulness. If he had said he had come to terms with her profession, she would have walked away, knowing it to be a lie. With what he said, she couldn’t.

Be real. You wanted him from the very beginning. At least now, you know what you’re up against. And he wants you as much as you want him.

Yasmine turned her head and pressed her lips against his palm. Sedeo came closer and kissed her. She kissed him back. No matter what happened, she would see where this led. He pulled back.

Copyright © 2009 Aliyah Burke and McKenna Jeffries
All Rights Reserved, Liquid Silver Books.

Go to the following sites to check out these other great authors snippets:

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