Goats solve their differences head-on. They don’t give the silent treatment or yell, they butt heads, and then it’s over.Cowboy Marvin has learned humans resolve issues differently especially those romantically involved. His curiosity sparked, he has invited authors to stop by on Fridays and share the first fight from one of their books.
Fellow Harper Impulse author
Teresa F. Morgan
is here for ...
First Fight Friday
is here for ...
First Fight Friday
with a scene from
Plus One is a Lucky Number
A bridesmaid in a wedding where the best man is the ex Sophie would rather forget, she brings her dreamy but distant co-worker Adam Reid as her plus one, a pretend ‘Perfect Boyfriend’. Pretence soon leads to passion, and they must decide; is their relationship real or is it all for show?
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“Sophie! Stop, please!”
She glanced over her shoulder and quickened her pace. Three inch heels weren’t good for running.
“I don’t want to talk about this.” She waved an arm out and shook her head. She felt so stupid. She continued along the path, now lit by little solar lamps. She wanted to escape.
The air was cooling, and she could hear the sea crashing on the beach below, rhythmic and fierce. The sun setting created an orange glow on the horizon. It was all beautiful but none of it settled her. Her anger felt like the waves, attacking the beach in surges. It kept beating at her chest, tightening her throat.
A part of her hurt, not because of who the woman was, but because whatever Zoe had just experienced with Adam had been real. Adam only pretended with Sophie and maybe now she realised she’d like it to be true. She couldn’t admit that though, not unless she knew Adam felt the same.
Which he didn’t, of course.
Adam grabbed her arm, and swung her around to face him. He swept her hair back off her face and made her look into his eyes, his body unbearably close to hers.
“I swear, she was coming on to me. Seeing you, she launched at me. Literally.” He gripped her firmly as if to take control. She glared at the hands on her arms, and he loosened his grip, but he wouldn’t let her go. She wasn’t going to give in, fall for his bloody charm and his excuses.
Oh, how history repeated itself.
Simon never took the full brunt of her feelings. Adam would, if so insistent to talk about it. She may seem like some shrinking violet but she had toughened up. No way would she let this go unsaid.
“Come with me.” Adam took her hand and made her walk, further from the hotel. They came across a gazebo, covered in jasmine and honeysuckle, and in the night air, it carried the scent of these delicate flowers.
Sophie would not be a delicate flower.
She scowled, knowing her tears were visible now. “How could you? This whole bloody lie was about making me look happy, falling for someone too good to be true.” She laughed sourly at her own comments. “And it is, isn’t it? Too good to be true. Because you've made me look like a fool.” Anger filled her, from head to toe she trembled.
“Listen to me. I wasn’t, I swear.”
Sophie laughed caustically at him. “And I’m supposed to believe you. I know what your sort are like, Adam – James told me! A pretty girl only need to smile at you, flutter her eyelashes and you, you, you ...” She thumped her fist onto his chest as her eyes filled with tears.
“What? What do I do, Sophie?” Adam raised his voice, pushing her away. “So, I go out with a lot of attractive women. I’m not a cheat. And this weekend I made you a promise, and I take them very seriously.”
“Why her?”
“What?”
“Her?”
“Are you even listening to me? What about her? I don’t even know who the hell she is!” Adam turned away, frustrated and angry, combing his hand through his hair. He glared back. “Do you want to tell me? Or is this something else you've forgotten to let me in on?”
Sophie glared in silence, his coldness shocking her.
“You’ve got a nerve.” Adam’s tone chilled her bones. His fists were clenched, his cheeks hollowed with tension, and he paced. Sophie hadn’t seen him so angry; this morning with Simon didn’t come close. “You stood there and let James talk me into coming away with you, knowing full well you were a bridesmaid, I’d be facing an arsehole of an ex-boyfriend, and some crazy tart determined to get back at you. What did you do to her?”
“What did I do?” Sophie snapped. “I found her in bed with Simon. That’s what I did!” she screamed. A tear started to run down her cheek. She instantly tried wiping it with the back of her hand, trying to control her emotion. Adam probably didn’t do emotional train wrecks, so she needed to get control and fast. Besides, she shouldn’t give another man the satisfaction of her tears. “And I had no idea she’d be here.”
“Oh, shit... Sophie, I’m sorry.” Adam shook his head, moving closer towards her, but she took a step back, not quite finding the trust in him yet. “That explains something she said.”
“What?” Sophie sniffed, and took a deep breath. Control. Breathe.
“Oh, about you two sharing men.” Adam’s voice calmed, and he placed both hands on her shoulders. She let him.
“She said that? Damn, I want to kill her.”
“Sophie, I swear, she was coming on to me. If you’d given me one more minute, you’d have seen me shove her away.”
Sophie burst into tears, no longer able to keep her emotions in check.
“Hey.” Adam gently pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his neck, all her anger dispersing, finding comfort in him. One of his hands rested behind her neck and stroked gently. “Just let it go. She’s not worth it.”
Adam held her tightly, his hand soothing her, and she could feel his strength. Her arms circled around his lean, solid body. He pressed against her, protecting and supporting her. His scent, now her favourite smell ever, calmed her.
“I’m sorry, I should have trusted you. I reacted the worse way possible.”
“Look at it this way - you reacted as she hoped, but she’s going to be so mad when she sees it hasn't worked.”
She looked up at him, trying to wipe away her tears and embarrassment. “I‘m so sorry,” she whispered.
Adam kissed her forehead. Forgiveness? She closed her eyes, savouring his touch.
“It’s okay. In your shoes, I would have responded the same way.” He wiped a tear off her cheek with his knuckle.
“Am I forgiven for being so crap at telling you about this weekend?”
“Yes,” he said softly, all traces of anger gone. Holding her close, staring down, her heart beat that bit faster again. Would he kiss her? They were on their own. It wasn't needed. Was it? Yet, she wanted him to kiss her, really kiss her. He pulled away, smiling at her. She hid her disappointment by returning a wicked smile.
“Can I rub you right in front of her nose?”
Adam’s eyes widened and Sophie laughed, gently wiping her face. Oh God, she probably looked a mess.
“Metaphorically speaking, of course,” she said.
Copyright © Teresa F. Morgan
firstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfridayfirstfightfri“I don’t want to talk about this.” She waved an arm out and shook her head. She felt so stupid. She continued along the path, now lit by little solar lamps. She wanted to escape.
The air was cooling, and she could hear the sea crashing on the beach below, rhythmic and fierce. The sun setting created an orange glow on the horizon. It was all beautiful but none of it settled her. Her anger felt like the waves, attacking the beach in surges. It kept beating at her chest, tightening her throat.
A part of her hurt, not because of who the woman was, but because whatever Zoe had just experienced with Adam had been real. Adam only pretended with Sophie and maybe now she realised she’d like it to be true. She couldn’t admit that though, not unless she knew Adam felt the same.
Which he didn’t, of course.
Adam grabbed her arm, and swung her around to face him. He swept her hair back off her face and made her look into his eyes, his body unbearably close to hers.
“I swear, she was coming on to me. Seeing you, she launched at me. Literally.” He gripped her firmly as if to take control. She glared at the hands on her arms, and he loosened his grip, but he wouldn’t let her go. She wasn’t going to give in, fall for his bloody charm and his excuses.
Oh, how history repeated itself.
Simon never took the full brunt of her feelings. Adam would, if so insistent to talk about it. She may seem like some shrinking violet but she had toughened up. No way would she let this go unsaid.
“Come with me.” Adam took her hand and made her walk, further from the hotel. They came across a gazebo, covered in jasmine and honeysuckle, and in the night air, it carried the scent of these delicate flowers.
Sophie would not be a delicate flower.
She scowled, knowing her tears were visible now. “How could you? This whole bloody lie was about making me look happy, falling for someone too good to be true.” She laughed sourly at her own comments. “And it is, isn’t it? Too good to be true. Because you've made me look like a fool.” Anger filled her, from head to toe she trembled.
“Listen to me. I wasn’t, I swear.”
Sophie laughed caustically at him. “And I’m supposed to believe you. I know what your sort are like, Adam – James told me! A pretty girl only need to smile at you, flutter her eyelashes and you, you, you ...” She thumped her fist onto his chest as her eyes filled with tears.
“What? What do I do, Sophie?” Adam raised his voice, pushing her away. “So, I go out with a lot of attractive women. I’m not a cheat. And this weekend I made you a promise, and I take them very seriously.”
“Why her?”
“What?”
“Her?”
“Are you even listening to me? What about her? I don’t even know who the hell she is!” Adam turned away, frustrated and angry, combing his hand through his hair. He glared back. “Do you want to tell me? Or is this something else you've forgotten to let me in on?”
Sophie glared in silence, his coldness shocking her.
“You’ve got a nerve.” Adam’s tone chilled her bones. His fists were clenched, his cheeks hollowed with tension, and he paced. Sophie hadn’t seen him so angry; this morning with Simon didn’t come close. “You stood there and let James talk me into coming away with you, knowing full well you were a bridesmaid, I’d be facing an arsehole of an ex-boyfriend, and some crazy tart determined to get back at you. What did you do to her?”
“What did I do?” Sophie snapped. “I found her in bed with Simon. That’s what I did!” she screamed. A tear started to run down her cheek. She instantly tried wiping it with the back of her hand, trying to control her emotion. Adam probably didn’t do emotional train wrecks, so she needed to get control and fast. Besides, she shouldn’t give another man the satisfaction of her tears. “And I had no idea she’d be here.”
“Oh, shit... Sophie, I’m sorry.” Adam shook his head, moving closer towards her, but she took a step back, not quite finding the trust in him yet. “That explains something she said.”
“What?” Sophie sniffed, and took a deep breath. Control. Breathe.
“Oh, about you two sharing men.” Adam’s voice calmed, and he placed both hands on her shoulders. She let him.
“She said that? Damn, I want to kill her.”
“Sophie, I swear, she was coming on to me. If you’d given me one more minute, you’d have seen me shove her away.”
Sophie burst into tears, no longer able to keep her emotions in check.
“Hey.” Adam gently pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his neck, all her anger dispersing, finding comfort in him. One of his hands rested behind her neck and stroked gently. “Just let it go. She’s not worth it.”
Adam held her tightly, his hand soothing her, and she could feel his strength. Her arms circled around his lean, solid body. He pressed against her, protecting and supporting her. His scent, now her favourite smell ever, calmed her.
“I’m sorry, I should have trusted you. I reacted the worse way possible.”
“Look at it this way - you reacted as she hoped, but she’s going to be so mad when she sees it hasn't worked.”
She looked up at him, trying to wipe away her tears and embarrassment. “I‘m so sorry,” she whispered.
Adam kissed her forehead. Forgiveness? She closed her eyes, savouring his touch.
“It’s okay. In your shoes, I would have responded the same way.” He wiped a tear off her cheek with his knuckle.
“Am I forgiven for being so crap at telling you about this weekend?”
“Yes,” he said softly, all traces of anger gone. Holding her close, staring down, her heart beat that bit faster again. Would he kiss her? They were on their own. It wasn't needed. Was it? Yet, she wanted him to kiss her, really kiss her. He pulled away, smiling at her. She hid her disappointment by returning a wicked smile.
“Can I rub you right in front of her nose?”
Adam’s eyes widened and Sophie laughed, gently wiping her face. Oh God, she probably looked a mess.
“Metaphorically speaking, of course,” she said.
Copyright © Teresa F. Morgan
Plus One is a Lucky Number by Teresa F. Morgan
As they take off to the sunny shores of Cornwall for the wedding weekend, it’s not long before pretence leads to passion and Sophie and Adam must decide; is their relationship real or is it all for show?
The wedding favour...
Sophie’s going to a wedding where the invite is strictly plus one… but with her single girl status not exactly fitting in with the bridesmaid dress code, and the best man being none other than the ex she would rather forget, Sophie needs a favour and she needs it fast!
Luckily for Sophie, her dreamy but distant co-worker Adam Reid owes their mutual friend James big time…and his gorgeousness more than fills the role of the ‘Perfect Boyfriend’!
As they take off to the sunny shores of Cornwall for the wedding weekend, it’s not long before pretence leads to passion and Sophie and Adam must decide; is their relationship real or is it all for show?
Plus One is a Lucky Number
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I live in sunny Weston-super-Mare, trying to hold onto my Surrey accent where I was born and bred.
For years I persevered with boring jobs, until my two boys joined my nest. In an attempt to find something to work around them, and to ensure I never endured full time boredom again, I found writing.
I’m at my happiest baking cakes, putting proper home cooked dinners on the table (whether the kids eat them or not), reading a good romance, or sitting at my PC emptying my thoughts onto the screen.
I love writing contemporary romance, stories with a touch of escapism and creating heroes readers will fall in love with. Men who in reality, let’s face it, just don’t exist.
