Emily loves creating new characters with whom readers can
identify themselves, and losing herself in their worlds. Usually, she writes
contemporary romance in three heat levels: sweet, sensual and erotic. However,
she would like to try her hand at other genres one day, such as paranormal or
mystery.
When she's not writing, she enjoys traveling and
experiencing new cultures, new sceneries, food and meeting new people, or
simply reading a good book.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EmyALawrence
Start the Series with The Guardian of My Soul, Book 1 in the
Soul’s Desire Kristen Mancuso, daughter of a renowned fashion designer has
everything her heart desires, and yet she’s still unhappy. After her father’s
death, her mother’s overprotectiveness has prevented Kristen from choosing her
own path in life, and she often feels as if she's a prisoner in her own home.
Kristen thought her twenty-first birthday would magically bring her the freedom
she craved. She was wrong. When her mother hires Alec Warner to be her personal
bodyguard, Kristen rebels against it, unaware of the true reasons why he’s
needed and the very real danger threatening her safety. Having someone shadow
her every move is the last thing she wants. Alec is handsome, intimidating and
determined to stand between Kristen and anyone who would harm her. Kristen
doesn’t know what to do with Alec. She’s drawn to him, and while he is
committed to his job, he refuses to allow her to control him the way she does
with other men. Their relationship is volatile and explosive, yet they discover
they have more in common than they ever dreamed. Together they face demons from
their past and secrets which could tear them apart. Alec and Kristen fight
their attraction for one another, but that’s one battle where losing may very
well give them everything their souls desire… *Content Warning: intended for
mature audiences 18+
Buy Link:
The Guardian Of My Soul
(Soul’s Desire Series – Book 1)
I hugged the girls goodbye when we finished our meal and
then we headed back home. I tried to ignore Alec’s large, intimidating presence
next to me and how it made me feel—sort of prickly and sensitive, especially
since he kept making observations about how I handled the car.
“Do you have a problem with my driving?” I blurted out exasperated.
Alec took my outburst in stride. Didn’t anything ruffle his
feathers? “I didn’t mean to annoy you. If you’re upset, maybe you should let me
drive.”
“Perhaps you’d like to walk home?” I stopped at the traffic
light and pointed to his door, inviting him to get out.
His eyes twinkled and he looked away. I swore he wanted to
laugh at me. “Why don’t you find another way to channel all of that pent-up
passion?” His voice deepened, and surprisingly he grasped my pointing hand. The
touch and firm squeeze of his hand against mine sent the same electric charge
through me as it had at our first encounter, forcing me to tug at it until he
released me.
“I don’t need your advice, Alec,” I managed. My heart was
pounding so loud, I was afraid he would hear it. What in the world is going on
with me? God help me!
Alec looked at me intently, but remained quiet until we
arrived home.
I tossed him the keys and ran inside not looking back,
needing some distance in between us. I found Fred sleeping peacefully on my bed
and leaned to kiss him before changing into more comfortable clothes. My gray
T-shirt perfectly reflected my mood. Having nothing else to do, I decided to
head to the guest room and check out my gifts. It was a good distraction,
keeping my mind busy so I wouldn’t think of him anymore. Slowly, I discovered
the contents of each gift bag and box, delighted by some and amused by others.
Megan’s silver bracelet with at least thirty small keys attached to it amused
me indeed, but it was sort of bittersweet. I truly ached for freedom, yet by
the looks of things, I wasn’t going to get any. At least, not any time soon. I
still didn’t know what Mother planned to do with Alec, but something told me I
wasn’t going to get rid of him easily. I wanted him gone, but not really. How
in the world could that be? Something was wrong with me, but I was afraid to
search deep within my soul for an answer.
I was so caught up in the gifts I didn’t even sense Alec’s
presence. My stomach somersaulted when I spotted him leaning against the door
frame, carefully observing me.
“How long have you been standing there?” I placed a hand
over my chest, trying to take a deep breath.
“A while...”
“You’re creeping up on me now?”
“No...I found this box in your car. I must have missed it
earlier when I brought the rest of them in,” he said, approaching me.
I took the small velvet box from his hand and opened it
hastily, uncovering a beautiful Pandora bracelet. Among the symbols there was a
crown, a pouch with a dollar sign on it, a talisman with the number twenty-one,
a shoe, a dress, a lock with a small key attached to it, a star, a purse, a
four leaf clover for good luck, and most surprisingly a frog with a small crown
on top of its head. All the talismans had inserts of pink crystals and it was
precious, but I didn’t know what to think of the frog.
“It’s lovely,” I said, trying to put it on my left wrist,
but my hands were shaking. I was nervous.
“Here, let me help.” He sat down beside me and took my hand
in his, fastening the tiny chain. My whole body quivered at the contact.
“Thank you.”
“See, I don’t bite. Hard.” He gave me a warm smile.
I didn’t know what to say, so I turned my attention to the
bracelet. I loved it. I didn’t know why it was one of my favorite things, but
it was. “There’s no card? Dang it! Now I won’t know who gave this to me.” Was
someone trying to tell me something?
He didn’t answer, but stood up, doing a quick scan of my
unwrapped gifts.
“Thanks for bringing all the gifts in.”
“You’re welcome.” He was paying attention to me, but he
wasn’t looking at me. “It looks like you could open a department store. You
received more gifts than most people get in all their birthdays put together.”
“Are you just trying to upset me?” I asked dryly.
“I must admit it amuses me how you respond to me. It’s also
funny how all these things can make you smile, as if you couldn’t afford to buy
them yourself anyway.”
My mouth dropped open when I heard his comment. It hurt.
“What are you implying?”
“You were born and raised in luxury. You can afford to buy
anything you could possibly want...I mean...look around you for a second. But,
is this what truly makes you happy? Material things?”
My cheeks flushed and I felt my heart race. I was
embarrassed at how he saw me. “Are you calling me materialistic? Alec, you
don’t even know me. How can you judge me?” I whispered, very near to tears.
“I’m not judging. I’m merely asking a question. I just think
you should look for happiness and satisfaction from another source, that’s
all.”
“Did I ask for you to psychoanalyze me?” I choked back a
sob. “You think just because your father is so close to me and my mom, it gives
you the right to judge me without knowing anything about me? You know, you’re
nothing like your father! He’s nice and polite, whereas you’re cold and
uncaring. Have you forgotten who I am?” I grabbed a pillow off the bed, hugging
it to me so tight I almost squeezed the feathers out of the casing.
“The fact you’re wealthy does not make you better than me in
any way. I might be impressed by your looks or your mind, but I will never be
impressed with your bank account,” he retorted. “And you’re certainly not my
boss.” His eyes narrowed at me.
Anger washed over me. “I never said that I was! And I don’t want
to be. Why are you still here anyway? What if I tell Mom what you said to me?”
“Aren’t you a full grown woman? Why do you run to your mom
to save you whenever there’s a bump in the road?”
I couldn’t contain my first impulse and threw myself at him.
I tried to grab him by his shirt, but found my fingers molded against hard
muscle. His face was mere inches away from mine, and I could feel his breath.
“What’s your problem with me?” I questioned, feeling at a loss.
He put his big hands over mine, but didn’t try to free
himself or back away. “I have no problems with you. It’s apparent you have one
with me. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you don’t dislike me as much as you
pretend.” He chastised me, his lips parting slightly as he inhaled sharply.
My eyes locked on them and for a moment I forgot what we
were arguing about, distracted by those sensual looking lips. Such a strange
sensation I’d never felt before. My pulse accelerated, my breathing intensified
and goose bumps danced over my suddenly warm body. The clean smell of his soap
only made matters worse and as if on cue, I flushed. What am I doing? Quickly,
I drew back. He let me go. Embarrassed, I scooted to the far end of the bed and
shut my eyes, trying to control my uneven breathing patterns. When I opened
them again I found him watching me, his poker face on.
He turned to leave and was halfway out the door when my
mouth began to speak as if it had a mind of its own.
“I guess I associate gifts and things with affection.” I
forced the words out, staring blankly at my knotted fingers in my lap.
Alec stiffened and stopped, then swiveled around and walked
back to me, but this time he didn’t sit down. His expression had changed,
softer, wordlessly inviting me to continue.
I blinked a few times, twisting my fingers while thinking of
the right words to explain myself, that wouldn’t make me look pathetic. “After
my father died when I was ten...my mom took over his business. She traveled a
lot and couldn’t always take me with her since I had school and other
responsibilities. I was left with my nanny. So whenever she returned home, she
showered me with presents. I guess it was her way to compensate for her absence
and to show me she loved me. You don’t know what it’s like to lose a parent and
have the other one away from you quite often. So don’t judge me.”
His lips opened and then closed, as if changing his mind
about what he was going to say. “My father may not be dead, but I considered
him to be for many years,” he said, digging his hands into the front pockets of
his jeans. My baffled gaze demanded an explanation for his words and he didn’t
wait long before he offered it to me. “I was seven when he divorced my mother
and moved out. As a kid you don’t always understand what’s going on, and the
fact he hardly ever came to visit me and my sister made me believe he didn’t
care about us anymore. I hated him. I hated him so much I rebelled against him.
I don’t come from a happy family either. I know what it’s like to grow up
without a father. I watched my mother struggle to provide us with everything we
needed and it hurt to watch her suffer. At least you didn’t have to worry about
that.” He concluded and left the room, leaving me staring after him bewildered.
His words lingered on my brain for the rest of the day and I
just couldn’t find my peace or settle down. Is it my fault I was born into a
wealthy family? One thing was clear. He didn’t like me. So, why won’t he just
go away and spare us both this unnecessary mutual annoyance? Lots of questions
swirled inside my head, but I couldn’t come up with an answer for any of them.
He didn’t seem to hate Ryan now. If he hadn’t told me he once hated him, I
would have never guessed it, judging by the way they behaved with one another.
Damn, he’s so confusing! I frowned. Then I remembered my body’s reaction to the
closeness with his and I felt betrayed. What was that all about? I had no
answers for that question either.
Continuing the Soul’s Desire Series with book 2
Unforgettable Hearts Ellie Benton lost all contact with her childhood friend,
Tyler Stuart, when she moved with her family to New York. For seven years she’d
mourned the loss of the copper-haired boy whom she’d secretly admired her
entire life. Saddened by the thought that he’d forgotten her, Ellie carried on
with her life, but nothing could fill the void he’d left in her heart. When an
unexpected trip reunited them after such a long time, Ellie found herself
unable to resist the strong pull she felt toward him, nor control the feelings
she’d fought so hard to keep at bay. Tyler’s initial coldness at the sight of
her made her question if he’d ever cared about her, but soon she discovered
things she’d never even dared dream of, secrets that turned her soul inside out
and brought her more joy than she’d ever experienced. Tyler proved to be the
man of her dreams, exactly how she’d imagined him. But, as they embarked on a
passionate relationship—just when she thought she’d finally found her
happiness—demons from their past and present threatened to separate them. Will
their love overcome all the obstacles they have to face?
Buy Link:
Unforgettable Hearts
(Soul’s Desire Series – Book 2)
I saw Tyler’s fingers tighten around the glass, squeezing it
so hard I feared it might shatter in his hand. It only took seconds. First
there was a crack, then his eyes became slits, and before I could react, the
crystal glass broke, slicing his palm open.
“Tyler!” Caitlyn jumped, a look of horror on her face.
“Dammit!” Tyler growled and grabbed a towel, pressing it
against his bleeding wound. I felt my stomach lurch and my heart beat a hundred
miles per hour.
“Son, what did you do? Let me see that!” Alfred was by his
side, but Tyler got up from his seat and stormed out of the dining room,
causing several heads to turn.
“I’ll go,” I said and rushed after him. “Tyler, wait up!
Tyler!” I managed to catch up with him when he stopped to open his door.
“Go back, Ellie. I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth.
“No, you’re not. You’re bleeding!” I followed him into the
bathroom and watched him turn on the cold water, getting his blood all over the
faucet.
He put his hand under the clear water and grunted when it
poured over his wound. He rinsed off as quickly as he could, but it didn’t stop
the bleeding.
“You might need some stitches—”
“No, it’s not that deep.”
I opened the medical cabinet on the wall. “At least let me
put some alcohol on it. You don’t want it to get infected, do you?” After
opening the bottle I grabbed his wrist to hold him in place and poured a bit on
the bleeding wound.
Tyler growled, then mumbled all kinds of despicable things,
half of which I couldn’t understand. He thrust his hand under the stream of
water again and waited until it ran clean from his wound. The pain seemed to be
subsiding since his body relaxed. He examined the wound closely. “It’s not as
severe as I thought it was. It still burns, though.”
“Sit down and let me bandage you,” I said, taking what I
needed from the cabinet.
He sat down on the edge of the tub, but stuck his hand
behind his back when he saw me grab the bottle. “Oh, no. No more alcohol.”
“Don’t be such a baby. Come on. The faster I finish this,
the sooner I’ll leave you alone.” Saying those words hurt, but it was the
painful truth. Whatever pain he was feeling, mine was multiplied by thousands
of times at the thought that he didn’t want me around him.
His jaw clenched, and said nothing in return. I had half
expected him to tell me I was mistaken, but he didn’t. Giving me his hand, he
let me clean and bandage his wound. The proximity was killing me slowly, and it
took all I had to keep from wrapping myself around him and settling into his
arms. I ached to hear that he’d missed me and have the harrowing weight lifted
off of my heart, but his lips remained sealed and not one word came out as I attended
him. Saddened, I reflected deeply on our past relationship and how much it had
meant to me, feeling the poignancy of everything we’d shared in good times and
bad. I wondered if perhaps this was the beginning of the saddest time of all,
as the pain I felt in all the years we’d been apart was nothing compared to the
way I felt now. Holding my breath to avoid inhaling his masculine scent, I
tried to swallow the raw pain scraping its way toward my mouth as a scream
demanded its exit.
“There...you’ll be okay, but maybe you should let your dad
have a look at it—”
“Stay away from that man,” he said and grabbed my wrist
unexpectedly. My heart jumped into my throat, blocking my windpipe. My throat
contracted around the emotions which threatened to leap up and out of my lips,
my stomach tensed and my insides felt like they were tied into a knot.
“What?” I barely whispered, glaring at him perplexed.
“You heard me. Stay away from that Andrew whatever.” Tyler
was dead serious, his voice dry as bones. Was that what had caused his anger?
Him seeing me with the other man? There was a small flutter of hope in my
tummy, but I wasn’t sure what to think anymore.
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