Beth Williamson’s Blog

Happy New Year! 2007 is going to be an incredible year and I’m excited to be starting it with a new release. Tomorrow, January 2 rings in the new year with On His Knees from Loose Id.

Scott Carpenter did the cover - it’s hot, eh? Anyhoo, here is the blurb and an exclusive excerpt for ya.

Blurb:

Recently divorced, Renny Johnson is discovering how independent she can be. Her husband of ten years, Nicholas, left her with a broken heart and shattered self-esteem. When a would-be robber turns out to be Nicholas invading her new home, Renny takes the situation, and him, into her own hands. She’s going to teach him what it means to be a man… on his knees.

Excerpt:

The old Renny would have run from a challenge; whether or not there was danger involved was irrelevant. The youngest of five children, she had spent most of her life avoiding anything remotely resembling confrontation. That was before her divorce, before she found the courage to start her life all over again. The new Renny would confront everything head on, come hell or high water.

Whatever the outcome of the break-in, it would bring trouble, but she could not stop herself from finding out who was in her house. Renny trusted her instincts and they were all standing up like the hairs on the back of her neck.

Her heart thumped like a bass drum, sending adrenaline and blood racing crazily through her system. Beads of sweat broke out on her brow, between her breasts, and under her arms. Through all that, she felt cold. Perhaps it was the air conditioning set low enough at night to allow her to snuggle under mounds of covers. Perhaps it was cold raw fear.

Renny opted to believe it was the latter, but it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t let the fear control her. Courage and fear went hand in hand.

A deep breath in, she let it out so slowly, even she didn’t hear it. Although she lived alone, she always kept the bedroom door closed when she slept. Creeped her out to leave it open. She glanced down at the taser and shook her head. To use it, she’d need to get close, really close, to whomever was in the house. She needed something with more reach, something longer.

The baseball bat. Nicholas’s baseball bat. It was on the shelf in the closet, a trophy from her divorce battle with her ex-husband. The bat used by Mark McGuire to break the homerun record, it was obsessively important to him. He’d insisted on it in the divorce settlement, but she happily refused to hand it over.

It seemed more important than his wife had been, which was exactly why she refused to give it to him.

She set the taser gun on the bed, and tiptoed to the closet, thankful she’d purchased the deep plush carpet. As quietly as possible, she slid the door open and groped on the shelf until she located the bat behind the empty shoe boxes and purses. One of the smaller purses fell and landed on her face, almost scaring a scream out of her. Definitely made the sweat pools larger. She’d need a shower soon.

Sliding the bat down almost noiselessly, the weight of the wood felt solid in her hands. Comforting. Empowering. Whoever the asshole was who broke into her house, this bat was about to make him regret it.

A scratching sound made Renny jump. She watched in horror as the bedroom door slowly opened a few inches. A lightning flash revealed the taser on the empty bed. Renny hoped the intruder didn’t see it. She crept back behind the door, keeping both hands on the baseball bat, praying her sweaty palms or racing heart didn’t give her away.

The soft scrape of the door on the carpet was the only sound in the room, other than the blood rushing past her ears. She held the bat like a batter waiting for the ball to cross the plate. God help her if her aim was off even a little.

She swallowed, or tried to since her mouth was still as dry as cotton. Inch by inch, the door opened until she thought she’d yell, “Just get your ass in here!” Instead, she held onto her patience and waited, bat at the ready. Finally, finally, a dark shape stepped into the room and paused. When a rumble of thunder sounded, Renny knew she had only moments before the lightning flashed again, revealing her whereabouts, or at least where she wasn’t.

Her opportunity came seconds later when he stepped further into the room. Renny swung the bat with all her might. After dinging a shoulder, it connected with a dull thump on the intruder’s skull. He dropped with a grunt onto the carpet and lay still as death in the gloom.

Renny shook with fear and triumph, and damned if she likely didn’t need new panties.

Holy shit.

She ran to the bed and picked up the taser, never letting the bat leave her right hand. Now doubly armed, she headed toward the bathroom to turn on the light. She didn’t want to blind herself so she flicked on the light above the tub, which threw a small shaft of light into the bedroom. The unconscious lump on the floor didn’t move.

Renny walked toward him slowly, until she was within reach. She poked him with the bat, then jumped back. Her heart couldn’t take many more surprises. Fortunately, nothing happened. She blew out a shaky breath and figured she needed to make sure he was securely trapped before she called nine-one-one.

Rope. She needed rope. Did she have any? Maybe in the garage. That meant she’d have to walk around him, or rather, over him to leave the room. Better now than never. She tucked the taser into the elastic of her panties, hoping like hell it wouldn’t slip and taser her pussy.

She tiptoed slowly toward him, baseball bat ready. It had only been a minute, but it felt like an hour, since she’d hit him. As she made a wide arc around the body, something caught her eye, something that winked in the meager light from the bathroom. A silver necklace around the intruder’s throat. A familiar looking open link necklace of white gold.

It couldn’t be.

She stepped closer and peered at the intruder’s face, knowing who it was, yet hoping she was wrong.

Nicholas.

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