Welcome to my tour stop on the All Over You Blog Tour! Today, Ayden has a brand new excerpt and teasers for us!
Ivy Kendall's only plan for her life was to teach, but then it all fell apart...
When Rory Clark disappears from UCLA after a lengthy online relationship with a "catfish" pretending to be Ivy, the sassy former model turned kindergarten teacher is forced to dive headfirst into the mystery in order to clear her name. The catfishing phenomenon meets good, old-fashioned police work when Cameron Lewis, a bossy San Francisco detective with a dominant streak, offers to help her uncover the awful truth about her stolen identity and Rory's disappearance.
They've barely scratched the surface when Ivy is charged with a murder she swears she didn't commit.
As the evidence against her piles up and the intense attraction between her and Cameron deepens, Ivy wants nothing more than to lean on the tattooed detective. He's already seen her at her worse. Now she has to find the courage to trust him with her heart. But how can she when she's terrified doing so will ruin his career?
Her greatest fear becomes reality when the ugly truth is revealed and their lives come tumbling down around them.
Betrayed by the one person she never suspected, Ivy makes a reckless decision that puts her in the sights of a murderer and jeopardizes Cameron's career. He will do whatever it takes to save the woman he loves...even if that means becoming a killer himself.
Will he be able to reach her before it's too late, or will Rory's catfish take more than just one life?
When Rory Clark disappears from UCLA after a lengthy online relationship with a "catfish" pretending to be Ivy, the sassy former model turned kindergarten teacher is forced to dive headfirst into the mystery in order to clear her name. The catfishing phenomenon meets good, old-fashioned police work when Cameron Lewis, a bossy San Francisco detective with a dominant streak, offers to help her uncover the awful truth about her stolen identity and Rory's disappearance.
They've barely scratched the surface when Ivy is charged with a murder she swears she didn't commit.
As the evidence against her piles up and the intense attraction between her and Cameron deepens, Ivy wants nothing more than to lean on the tattooed detective. He's already seen her at her worse. Now she has to find the courage to trust him with her heart. But how can she when she's terrified doing so will ruin his career?
Her greatest fear becomes reality when the ugly truth is revealed and their lives come tumbling down around them.
Betrayed by the one person she never suspected, Ivy makes a reckless decision that puts her in the sights of a murderer and jeopardizes Cameron's career. He will do whatever it takes to save the woman he loves...even if that means becoming a killer himself.
Will he be able to reach her before it's too late, or will Rory's catfish take more than just one life?
All Over You is a completely standalone sister novel to the All Falls Down duo, intended for readers aged 18 and over.
Excerpt
"Where are you staying?"
"Um, not far," I mumble and then grab a couple of containers and hurry toward the kitchen to toss them in the trashcan. Once done, I turn the faucet on to wet a few paper towels to wipe down the coffee table, trying to avoid looking at him for as long as possible.
I jump when he presses into me from behind, caging me in against the sink.
"Where, kitten?" he growls in my ear, sending goosebumps up and down my arms.
"Mid-City," I say, giving in with a sigh.
His body tenses, his arms going rigid. He curses before spinning me around. His face is a thundercloud, his eyes dark and stormy, pissed. "You're kidding me," he says.
"I can't exactly afford to stay anywhere else. I've been placed on administrative leave," I remind him. Mid-City isn't the greatest area of Los Angeles, but it's not the worst, either. And, unlike him, I don't have an income at the moment.
"Hell no," he growls, not in the least mollified by my reminder. "You aren't staying there. We're going to get your shit in the morning before we pick up your car. You can stay here with me until we head back to San Francisco."
"No." I push against his chest, forcing him to back up a couple of steps.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not staying here!" I shout, frustrated that he just doesn't get why this is a problem for me.
"Then I'll pack up my shit and stay with you," he says as if I didn't just shout at him.
I gape at him, trying to decide if he's serious.
He is. Deadly serious.
And I am so not having this argument with him.
Shaking my head, I storm past him to my pile of clothes in the chair by the desk. Before I can yank my pants on though, he's there, taking them out of my hands and tossing them behind him. And then I'm flying through the air again, tossed on the bed as if I weigh nothing.
He's on top of me before I can roll off the side, straddling me so I can't get away.
"Stop manhandling me," I huff, pushing against his chest. It's useless though. He's like a mountain, too damned big to move. I stop struggling and glare up at him, so mad I can't see straight.
"Then stop trying to run from me," he says, grabbing my arms and pinning them to the bed on each side of my head.
"I wouldn't have to run if you'd stop trying to boss me around." Maybe I am a little submissive at times, but that doesn't mean I can't support myself or make my own decisions about where I'm staying.
He narrows his eyes on me. I'm not sure what he sees on my face, but his expression softens. "Talk to me, kitten. What'd I do to piss you off?"
"I don't need a keeper," I growl at him. "I may not have much, but I can take care of myself."
He eyes me for a moment and then shakes his head like he can't figure me out. "You think I don't know that? You've been taking care of yourself since you were a teenager."
"Exactly!"
"But you aren't alone anymore, sweetheart. I'm here. Let me help."
"You aren't helping," I mumble, sounding like a petulant four-year-old. "You're trying to boss me into doing what you want me to do."
He brushes my hair back from my face. "Mid-City is rough, especially for a woman alone. I don't want something happening to you because you're hell-bent on proving to the world that you can survive on your own. You've already proved that, kitten. You've been proving it since you were seventeen years old."
I stare at him, not sure what to say.
"I want you with me," he continues before I can find words, his voice a quiet rumble. "In this bed or in one in Mid-City if that's what makes you happy. I don't care. But I want to know you're safe while we're here. Not because you can't take care of yourself, but because you don't have to. I'm not going anywhere." He leans forward and brushes his lips lightly across mine. "Stop fighting me."
*****
About the Author
Ayden also writes Young and New Adult fantasy under the penname A.K. Morgen.
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