Every Deep Desire Excerpt & Giveaway

Although my Deadly Force series revolves around the men of Colonel Kells Torridan’s Green Beret unit who were accused of war crimes and dishonorably discharged, the heroines in each book are the protagonists. 

In EVERY DEEP DESIRE, Juliet Capel is a heroine who refuses to live life by another’s leave. She not only survived her husband’s abandonment, but also lived through an intense interrogation that lasted for weeks. Since Rafe went AWOL, the army was convinced she knew why. Eventually they let her go and she went into her homeless stage, then earned her degrees, and became an admired landscape architect in Savannah, GA—a city famous for its gardens.

As we get to know Juliet, we see a woman who’s willing to strip to pay her way through college. Who’s intensely loyal to her friends and employees. A woman who refuses to rely on others. She’s fought hard for her current happiness and although her husband has returned—now a full-grown man and sexier than ever—she won’t risk her heart. 

But as she learns about the horror of Rafe’s life for the past eight years, and not only how he’s been protecting her this entire time but that she holds some responsibility for his situation, her resolve wavers. Then we learn, before Juliet, that even if they solve the mystery, she will lose him. Rafe is tied to the Fianna forever . . . unless she’s smart enough to come up with a plan.

Today I'd like to share en excerpt from EVERY DEEP DESIRE that shows Juliet's powerful inner conflict. 

------------------Excerpt from EVERY DEEP DESIRE---------------

Rafe stood and flexed his hand, contracting the muscles along the length. The tattoos swept away any warmth she’d felt in his arms, and her shivering made it hard to swallow. Within the space of a breath, he pulled her close until their noses almost touched. One of her hands rested against his pounding heart.

“What are you doing here?” she whispered. 

“Waking you from a nightmare.” 

“Why are you really here?” 

“Protecting you.” 

How was she supposed to bear this sadness all over again? “I don’t understand.” 

“All I want is to save the life you’ve built.” 

She frowned. “You’ll want something in return.” 

“There is one thing.” When she arched her eyebrow, he shrugged.. “To keep you safe, I need to find something.. To do that, I need your help..There are bad people out there. Men who’ll hurt you if I don’t return with what I’m looking for.” 

“You know that sounds insane?” 

“All of the vandalism, the loan being sold, the cathedral are related to one thing. You.” 

“If I trust you, and we find this thing and fix my problems, you’ll leave?” 

“I’ll do what’s best for you.” 

So many emotions, so many thoughts driving garden stakes through her mind.. But she wasn’t stupid. Someone was tormenting her, and she had no idea how to stop it.. Rafe might be the last person she’d ever turn to for help, but he might be the only one who could help her.. 

Her hands fisted against his chest. She’d always assumed this confrontation between them would be cold and bitter and ragged. She’d never expected to have this conversation in solemn, quiet darkness.

“Rafe?” The word hurt coming out. Like knives carving each letter along the way. 

“I’m here.” He spoke with a soft drawl she used to love. 

She rested her forehead against his shoulder. Now she knew the source of the heat. His body threw off enough warmth to reset the thermostat. Why was she such a coward? “That letter you sent me — ” 

“Things aren’t what they seem. Just please trust that everything I’ve ever done has been for your safety.” He paused. “We have one week to find what I’m looking for.” 

She raised her head to meet his gaze. Before he left, she’d been able to read his eyes. His secrets and dreams.. His unspoken desires. 

Now there were shadows tinged with sadness and regret. The blazing fire she’d loved had turned to gray ash. And for some reason she didn’t want to examine, it mattered. She blinked, determined to keep herself together and him separate. “Then we start tomorrow—I mean later today.” 

He held her head with one hand while his other arm wrapped around her waist. Her breasts flattened against hard chest muscles. His breath tickled her nose, warm and forceful. How could she consider being this close to him? Working with him? He brushed a kiss against her cheek..The sensation hit her system like the bottle rockets he used to shoot for her to see from her balcony, and she closed her eyes. His lips traced hers, and the tingle curled her toes.

How, after all these years, could she still be so susceptible to him? Because he’d once been her husband. The one man she’d loved beyond reason. Forever and always. She tilted her head, and the brush became a demand. The demand became an ache.. And the ache became a need so great she threw her arms around his neck.. Her world tilted, his arms tightened, and his lips explored hers as if he’d never kissed anyone else ever. The air around them vibrated, matching the motion of the kiss. 

He broke away, leaving her a disoriented mess.

“Juliet.” The word rolled like a wave break. Forward, then retreating.. His body heaved,, and he ran his hands over his prison-shorn hair. “I’m sorry.” 

Those words stung more than his rejection. He was sorry. Hadn’t he said so in his letter eight years ago? “You should leave.” She glanced at her clock. “It’s almost three a.m. We both need to sleep.” 

And she needed to be alone. Because when he touched her, she melted. When he whispered, she caved. And when he kissed her, she begged for more. It’d always been like that. All he had to do was walk into a room, and she wanted him. When he looked at her, like she was the only woman he’d ever need, she dreamed of lying beneath him,, his heavy body possessing hers. Her reaction to him was sad, pathetic, and wrong. She wasn’t sure who she hated more:  him or herself for her reaction to him.. 

Without warning, he swung her up and laid her on the bed.. “I’m asking you to help me fix what I’ve ruined. Then your life can go on as it was.” 

Her eyes drifted closed. The nightmare’s adrenaline rush left as swiftly as it came in, leaving her depleted. She heard the words but his face blinked in and out of time and space. The bed sagged, and she scooted over so he could adjust his body. Then, just before sleep hit, she reached to feel his warmth.. 

No, she wasn’t happy he’d been released from prison. She wasn’t happy he’d come home.. She wasn’t happy he’d kissed her and she’d kissed him back. But she didn’t want to be alone. And that was going to be a problem.

~~~~~Today I'm offering a giveaway of a signed paperback copy of EVERY DEEP DESIRE for one lucky commenter. I'll leave the winner announcement in the comments by midnight on Thursday January 10th. This contest is limited to U.S. residents only. Good luck!~~~~~~

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Sharon Wray is a librarian who once studied dress design in the couture houses of Paris and now writes about the men in her Deadly Force romantic suspense series where ex-Green Berets meet their match in smart, sexy heroines who teach these alpha males that Grace always defeats Reckoning.

Her acclaimed debut book EVERY DEEP DESIRE, a sexy, action-packed retelling of Romeo and Juliet, is about an ex-Green Beret determined to regain his honor, his freedom, and his wife.

EVERY DEEP DESIRE is available on: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | IndieBound | Kobo |  Google

And adding it to your Goodreads TBR list is also always appreciated!