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From The Departed…
I quit—
Taylorjerked his head back as she said that. Then he shook his head. She couldn’t. He knew Dez, knew how she needed . . . fuck. Yes, he knew how she needed what she did. It wasn’t a job for her—it was a need.
“You can’t quit,” he said quietly. “You and I both know how much you need your work—we know what it does to you when you don’t work.”
Dez’s mouth twisted in a bitter, ugly smile. “Obviously we don’t or you wouldn’t be pushing me out for three months because you can’t deal.”
Alarm screamed in his head as she reached down, pulled out her ID, her weapon. Fuck—
“Desiree, be reasonable.”
Lashes swooped low over her eyes and she murmured, “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m not taking three months—double the time the doctor said I needed—and hell, I can talk to ghosts just fine without hurting my neck. I don’t even need six weeks. I’ll go insane if I spend three months away from what I need to do. Since you won’t let me do it here, I’ll do it on my own.”
She slammed her shield, her ID, her weapon on his desk.
He caught her wrist. “Don’t do this, damn it.” She couldn’t leave . . . even as he thought maybe it was for the best—for him. Yeah, it might be better for him, but it would be hell for her. She needed this. Shit. What had he done? She couldn’t leave.
“Give me a reason why I shouldn’t.” Her eyes, dark and soft, bore into his, challenging.
Something hovered on the tip of his tongue. But instead of exploring that, he gritted out, “Because you’ll regret walking away from your job.”
Dez shook her head. “I didn’t walk. You shut me out.” Her eyes lingered on his face, and then she reached up, touched his cheek.
His heart slammed against his ribs and he had to fight the urge not to nuzzle that hand, not to grab her, beg her not to leave. Fuck—not seeing her? Then, even that paled.
Away from here, how would she get what she needed? How would she get enough? The voices, her ghosts, they’d drive her mad.
As she turned away from him and started to the door, he came out from behind the desk. “You can’t walk away from this team, Dez. I won’t allow it,” he said, forcing his voice to be flat and cold—no emotion, damn it, because letting something other than his head speak was what had caused this. No emotion—nothing but logic. Nothing.
Dez paused at the door and looked back at him. She lifted a brow at him. “You won’t allow it,” she murmured, cocking her head. Then she sighed and opened the door. “Sugar, you just don’t seem to get the picture here. You don’t have a choice.”
Their eyes met, held, steely blue on darkest brown. She was the one to look away first.
“Good-bye.”
Read More…
Today, I’m throwing in a signed copy of:
This was the previous book, although these books work very well on their own. If you’ve read this one? Regift it! I beg you! 🙂
To enter, tell me a character you hated…but came to…well, not love, but like. Because Taylor wasn’t a character I liked. But he grew on me.
The contest runs through the first week of January, when The Departed releases…
All names entered will go into the pot. One winner will be drawn at the end of the contest and posted here. Make sure you read my disclaimer-the winner is responsible for checking back to see if they’ve won- (hint…you can always set up a google seach for your name/whatever handle you see use. Good way to keep track of contests).
Entering means you agree to the rules & that you’ve read the disclaimer.
More prizes will be randomly added with each giveaway post. (Or that’s the plan…). Entries must be made at my blog, not via facebook, twitter, GR, etc)
Most recently I had that when I read The Hunger Games Trilogy. I hated Haymitch in the beginning, but then I found myself laughing at his antics and even kinda liking him.
Same with Gemma in Marian Keyes Other Side of the Story. She got on my nerves at first. I thought she was whiny and annoying, but I grew to like her ok 🙂
Hmm.., I would say Lothaire in Kresley Cole’s IAD series. In the beginning he was bad, now he is BAD!!
Great excerpt.
I would say Al the demon from Kim Harrison’s Hollows series.
For me it was Jericho Barrons from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series and it wasn’t quick in coming.
Lucas Davenport from John Sandford’s Prey series. I love the writing and the mysteries, and I’ve gotten to the point where I can tolerate him, but it’s still a struggle.
I didn’t like Ian from Jeaniene Frost’s The Night Huntress books at all. It wasn’t until the short in A BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS that I “got” him. I don’t love him but I like him.
THE MISSING was the first book of yours I ever read. You captured me :).
I didn’t like Raphael from Nalini Singh, Guild Hunter series but now, after 3 books, I love him
I’m brain dead after a twelve hour shift, so I can only think of one right off the top my the empty space where my mind used to be: Dan Gillman, from Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series.
He’s a relative asshat for a few novels, but with so little page space that you didn’t quite noticed until the 15th novel, Hot Pursuit, where he is the ‘hero’ of the secondary romance, and where he reveals himself for the complete irredeemable douchebag that he is. He has a second chance at HEA and redemption with the next novel, Breaking the Rules, and while I liked the novel overall, I never quite got over what an ass Gillman is.
wow this is a tough one for me….and everyone is picking guys. I can’t say I’ve HATED any of the guys that are main characters in anything i read except for Lord John in the Outlander series but I still hate him so that doesn’t count. ummmmm….gonna have to go with Cormia is the BDB series….she drove me nuts and I couldn’t stand her until the end when she got a backbone and then I wasnt thrilled but she was reasonable.
I can see why you weren’t too thrilled with Taylor….and it only gets better after the excerpt……I think at the beginning I wanted to slap him upside the head but he is growing on me for sure! I was waiting til I had a chace to read The Missing but decided I couldn’t wait and I’m really glad I didn’t!!! of course now I really have to read The Missing…LOL
I would have to say Taylor as well cuz came acrossed as a big meany!!! But as i read more of ur clips i am starting to like him more and more!
I did not like Rhys from Jenna Petersen’s Billingham Bastards series when I first met him. He was an arrogant jerk and a snob, but you come to admire him for his loyalty and learns to feel for himself and others.
Raven in Lauren Dane’s Brown Siblings series. God I hated her in the first few books. We have gotten little glimpses into why she is the way she is. I know Raven will get her own book in the spinoff series. I have grown to tolerate her. I think by the time she gets her HEA I will like her.
Hmmm, this is a tough question. I rarely change my mind about a character. The one that pops into my mind was Sheriff Dawson in the Mercy series by Lori Armstrong. It’s not that I hated him but he wasn’t a character that I wanted to know more about. Of course, now I am so glad that he is part of the series. Go figure.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
Barron’s from. KMM Fever series
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Cal from Rob Thurman’s The Cal Leandros Series. It’s not that I didn’t like him exactly, but he was pretty harsh. Once I got to know him I LOVED him– he has layers. LOL His loyalty to his friends and his brother are without questions, and that in itself is awesome.
I did not like Jericho Barrons from the Fever series by KMM. He was a big jerk at first till I read the last bookand finally liked him.
i would say Joseph from “Her Magic Touch” by Sable Hunter. he is the hero and i wanted to smack him reaptedly in the back of the head for the way he treated Cady the heroine. however by the time i was 1/2 way thru the book i was starting to like him and when i was done i was maybe not loving him but close.
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For me, it was Lauren Dane’s Raven from the Brown Sibling series. I thought she was a witch when I began reading the series. But, after a while she wasn’t so bad.
One that jumps out at me would be Lucien from Lynsay Sands Argeneau series. I did not really hate him, but thought he was a real A**Hole. After a few books (especially when he got his story told)I realized he wasn’t as bad as he wanted everyone to think.
I didn’t like Vllad from KMM’s Fever series until midway then I kinda liked him then hated him some more by the last book
I didn’t like Dmitri from Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series much at first but I loved him in his book and now he’s my favourite.
I was not so fond of Limos from Larissa Ione’s Lords of Deliverance series but now that I’m reading her book (Immortal Rider) she’s kind of growing on me.
I wasn’t a big fan of Alcide in Charlaine Harris’s series. I like him better on the show than I did in the book.
Without a doubt it has to be KHEELAN BEN-ALKAZAR from Charlotte Boyette-Compo’s Westernwind series. Talk about an asshat at the begining of the series, I couldn’t stand him, but in book 6, when I found out why he was such an ass I actually started to feel sorry for him.
I would say Dr. Yvette Ming from Beverly Barton’s Powell Agency books. I was not a fan in the beginning. Although, I understand the character a little better after reading the latest book.
Definitely, Joseph McCoy in Her Magic Touch. I agree with Tammy. I disliked him in the beginning but by the end he had won me over.
I loved this excerpt! This makes me anxious for the book to release.
I’ve been racing my brain but I can’t think of a character I didn’t like but came to like. I know there have been characters but I guess I’ve blocked them out.
I didnt care for Dimitri much in the first Guild Hunter books. But he slowly grew on me though the next ones until I like him now.
The one that jumps out at me is Salvator from Alexandra Ivy’s Guardians of Eternity series.