Release Day Blitz for A Beautiful Thought by Alicia Rae

 

 

 

 

Title: A Beautiful Thought

Author: Alicia Rae

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Publish Date: July 14th 2014

Cover Design: Okay Creation Sarah Hansen    

 

~Synopsis~

As a physical sports therapist, Gail Bennett is accustomed to working with gorgeous athletes every day, but after falling for a few of these attractive men, she has been left heartbroken one too many times. When Gail’s hours at work are unexpectedly cut, she must find a way to continue helping her parents pay for her sister’s education. Reluctantly following her best friend’s advice, Gail takes on a roommate with the one man she has been avoiding since the first time she laid eyes on him.

Damon Johnson loves a challenge, and he is not the type of man to back down when he wants something. From the first moment he meets Gail for dinner, he feels an inexplicable pull between the two of them. In his determination to have her, he finds himself helping her in any way he can. Can Damon break through all the barriers Gail has so carefully placed around her heart and prove that he’s different? Or will Gail’s reservations keep her from falling in love? One thought could change everything.  

 

 

A Beautiful Thought Teaser

 

~Gail~

 

 

My nerves were now out of control with anticipation of seeing Damon for the first time since meeting him at Pearl’s party.

A waitress appeared at my side. “What can I get you to drink, hon?”

I rotated to face her, and I chose the first drink that came to the front of my mind. “A screwdriver, please.”

“Going right for the good stuff.” She grinned. “Give me just a few, and I’ll be back.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

Within minutes, the waitress promptly returned with my drink. I sipped on it while watching the baseball game on a flat screen hanging from the ceiling. Oh-so slowly, the tension in my body dulled. At least, that was the case until the second my eyes caught sight of Damon striding through the front double doors. He was wearing a white collared dress shirt with the sleeves cuffed at his forearms. His dark denim jeans had a light-colored stitching.  

My pulse pumped uncontrollably as he approached the same woman at the front counter, and he offered her a friendly smile. The young blonde briefly spoke to him before pointing my way.

Damon spun around, searching the crowd. When his eyes met mine, he revealed a heart-melting smile that defined the curve of his strong cheekbones. I was pretty sure my heart faltered for a few beats before kicking into an uneven rhythm. I forced myself to swallow deeply as he began to close the distance between us. His stride was composed, radiating strength and confidence. His brown hair was shorter than I remembered, and his tanned honey skin contrasted his soft blue eyes, making them appear calm and alluring. It was a strikingly hot mix.

I stood to greet him. My knees felt weak, but I ignored the sensation as I smiled shyly. “Hello, Damon.” I kept it short and sweet, so I could not lose control of my voice.

“Nice to see you again, Gail,” he replied, not missing a beat.

The deep throatiness of his tone sent awareness trickling down my spine. I resisted a shiver at the sound.

I gestured to the chairs adjacent to us. “Shall we?”

“Of course.”

After taking our seats, my adrenaline kicked into overdrive. I didn’t have the slightest clue how to get this conversation rolling, so I began with something simple. “Would you care for something to eat or drink?”

“Sure.” He glanced down at my drink, and then back up at me. A mischievous grin revealed itself within his expression, making my heart stutter. “I see you already got started without me.”

I shrugged, going for innocence. “Liquid courage and all…” I trailed off, realizing that was probably too honest of a response.

His eyes shimmered, and the corner of his mouth slightly twitched with humor. “Not a bad way to go,” he teased.

I had to laugh. “That’s what I thought.”

~Damon~

 

 

After throwing my last bag in the backseat of my black, four door, Ford F-250, I walked back into the hotel and checked out of my room. Because as of tonight, I was officially moving into Gail’s apartment.

I remembered our night at dinner as I jumped into my truck, and I followed Gail’s written directions to her place. She had seemed like the strong and independent type all through the evening. Then, when it had come time for her to ask me to move in with her, her eyes had filled with so much vulnerability, and I felt like someone had sucker-punched me in the gut. In that moment, it was as though something unexplainable had come alive inside me while sitting across the table from her, and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and take care of her. I was fucking clueless as to why I’d felt that way. I’d never had that reaction to a woman before. I shook my head in awe. There was just something about her, and I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

Roommates. I sighed, tossing around the word in my mind.

I pulled into her parking lot while trying my damnedest to block the images of her that had been continuously repeating through my head. The way she smiled coyly at me. The unforgettable sound of her soft, genuine laughter. The look she had gotten in her eyes when she was nervous. She was fucking beautiful, and the thought of keeping my hands off of her, even though I was not looking for a relationship at the present time, did not seem to sit well with me. It would be the death of me.

I shut off my diesel truck, grabbed one of my bags from the backseat, and headed for her building. Once I found the door marked 13B, I let out a sigh. Time to turn my fate over to the big man upstairs, I thought as I rang her doorbell.

“Just a minute!” she yelled over the music on the other side of the door.

The song was abruptly cut off, and a lot of ruckus followed. I chuckled under my breath, wondering what she was up to in there. A few seconds ticked by, and then she whipped open the door. My eyes traveled with a slow, measured pace up and down the length of her body. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a loose-fitted white Nike tank top with a black sports bra underneath that hugged her breasts perfectly, and a pair of black nylon shorts. Her exposed skin was flushed as if she had been working out.

Jesus.

She looked fucking gorgeous, just like every other time I’d seen her.

“Hey, Damon,” she said, offering a surprised, shy smile. “I wasn’t expecting you so early.”

“Hi,” I replied, finding my voice at last. “I apologize if I interrupted you.” I pointed in the direction where I’d just come. “I can come back later if you’d like.”

She shook her head. “No, that’s okay. I was just finishing up my workout video,” she responded, gesturing me inside.

After I walked in, she shut the door behind us, and I glanced into her living room. The area was divided into two parts. The front half was filled with a couch, loveseat, and TV, which seemed typical. The second half consisted of a treadmill and a mini weight station.

Gail stopped at my side, staring between the room and me. I could feel the electricity brewing between us. I was a man dedicated to keeping my body in prime condition, but this might be too much.

Jesus…I have to watch her do workout videos here? With her dressed like that?

All my blood rushed south.

Fucking hell.

“Is everything all right?” she asked me apprehensively, breaking my concentration.

“Yep,” I croaked out in a hoarse voice before looking at her.

 

 

 

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

 

 

About the Author

 

Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.

Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing into my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo

Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you.

Believe in yourself and follow your dreams...

Alicia's Top 5 Books on her TBR List....

1. Breathe With Me by Kristen Proby
2. Searching For Someday by Jennifer Probst
3. Elite by Rachel Van Dyken
4. Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover
5. The Passion Of Darius by Raine Miller

Alicia's Top 10 Favorite Books that Inspired her.....

1. Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James
2. Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day
3. Twilight by Stephanie Myer
4. The Blackstone Affair by Raine Miller
5. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
6. With Me In Seattle by Kristen Proby
7. The Sullivan Series by Bella Andre
8. Delirium Trilogy by Lauren Oliver
9. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
10. This Man Confessed by Jodi Ellen Malpus

 

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