Summer Blog Hop: Pieces of One Part 1 (The Dark Life Collection) by: SVC Ricketts

Title:  Pieces of One Part 1 ( The Dark Life Collection)
Author: SVC Ricketts
Published: June 16, 2015
Publisher: Self
Pages: 189
Genre: Romantic-Suspense
Buy Links: Amazon

Two men want me and I want them. Simple, right? Except for one slight complication…
For over two years, I’ve been dealing with a pain in the butt MY way.
Separately.
She has her life and I have mine. They don’t intermingle. It’s the only way to keep things sane. But now she’s done something monumentally stupid and the only way to untangle myself from her mess is to live life in her shoes. Me, on the run in five inch stilettos. Great.
My name is Trista Dividir. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder and Marvy is my other personality, my alter.
To get my life back, I lie, I cheat, and I fall for both of her lovers. Little do I know, I’m not the only liar.
Did I mention I have another alter? Yeah, I didn’t know about her either.
Book one in a three part contemporary romantic suspense series

 He stares at me in the elevator, waiting for me to say something. I nervously keep my eyes forward, trying not to catch his reflection, but it’s pointless in the mirrored elevator. Struggling to suppress the smile pulling the corners of my mouth, I pucker my lips when I catch myself glimpsing his well landscaped body. My heart slams my ribs with fear and admittedly, a little pleasure.Frozen in place, I finally swallow the deluge of saliva building in my mouth. “About my car, my friend drove me here and she’s waiting for me outside.”He hasn’t taken his eyes off me, but they narrow as he tips his head to the side. “Yeah, I saw it last night when the valet guys brought me the keys. It’s safe.”Tilting my head down, I dart my eyes left and right. “So…um…can I get them?”“They’re in the office.”I blanch and my head jerks up. “What the heck? Then why are we going to the penthouse?” My voice squeaks like a prepubescent boy; I can’t help it. For a moment, I stop breathing.
Please don’t let him want to get some. A twisting pain guts me as the knots in my stomach clamp down.The guy flashes a smile that should be illegal in this universe. My mind begins to wander with Marvy-like thoughts.“You look different in the daylight.”
My ears erupt in flames. Instinctively, I move my ponytail forward trying to block my face. I wish I had a hat on.
Irritated at both myself and his comment, my back stiffens. “I like this look,” I say flatly.“I do too! But it so doesn’t look like you.” Unabashed, he moves closer.
On impulse, I try to match his steps moving farther away, but he closes the distance.“What’s wrong?” he asks, brushing his fingers against my arm.The knots sail from my stomach to my chest and then back down to my stomach. I know I should keep my distance, but my feet aren’t moving this time.
“Nothing,” I whisper, my breath lost.Leaning in, he traps me between his arms and the mirrored wall. I have no choice but to spin and face him. His closeness makes me back up, only to realize I’m against the same wall he was against last night. He cocks his head to catch my gaze. The flare in them should be a warning I heed, but I’m lost in a sea of hazel-green. Dipping his head, he kisses the nape of my neck below my ear and I am drowning.Oh my God! My eyes flutter back as I unsuccessfully try not to enjoy it, but my mind is in a freefall.
The knots melt, turning warm and slick below my hips. Between my thighs they explode with pulses. His soft lips explore behind my ear, and with small soft teasing bites. When he moves to my mouth, every resolve I walked in with disintegrates.His kisses are rough at first but he must notice my unease. Pulling back, he holds my face, and searches my eyes for a few blinks. The next kiss is a baiting tender lip touch and small nibbles. I respond to the sweetness and part my mouth to taste more of him. When his hands go to my hips to pull me closer, my arms go around his neck as if they belong there. I stand on my tippy toes to maximize every inch to reach him. He moves his hand up to my breast, cupping it like he did with Marvy last night.
Reality slams into me and I snap my eyes open, tears stinging my sight.
Panting, I shove him back. Fucking fuck–all! I was right! He is a great kisser, but I can’t do this. This is her, not me. I look at the lights indicating floors. I swear this damn elevator was faster last night!Catching my breath I rattle, “I…I...I can’t do this right now. I just came to get my car. I have shit to do today and my friend is waiting outside.”Stunned, he blinks at me. “Oooh–kay.” He narrows his eyes again. “Are you sure you’re all right?”I shed my jacket as it’s suddenly piping hot in the elevator. “Yeah, I’m fine.”“What the hell is this?” he asks, grabbing my arm with the bruises. “Did he do this?”
My eyebrows shoot up. He? So it wasn’t this guy! I think happily with a small smile of relief.“Wipe that look off your face, Marvy. I told you he’s dangerous!” He points a finger and the severe tone tells me more than I want to know about Marvy’s outing. The guy growls and rakes his hands through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just I’ve seen how he treats women,” he says with a softer tone, tracing the bruises on my arm.
I jump a few inches when Kitta’s ringtone, Baby Got Back, pierces the silence. I step out of the guy’s grasp and fumble with my phone to answer it.

SVC Ricketts is an indie Contemporary Romance author and professional smart alec (self-professed). Her work has been recognized by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and was selected as a finalist for the 2013 PNWA Literary Competition in the Romance category. Most recently, she self-published her first book, a LGTB Romance novella called My Last Season With You in October of 2014.
Raised between Southern California and Oahu, she moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1993 and although she loves it here, her heart belongs to the Islands-it always will. When she’s not in, what she loving calls “book-mode,” she multitasks her life between her hilarious adult special needs daughter, super smexy husband of 10+ years, two dogs, and sweating out her stress in a hot yoga studio. She’s also an avid Twitter (@SVC_Ricketts) and Facebook (SVC Ricketts) addict (again, self-professed). If you want to check out her other ramblings, you can visit her at www.SmexyIndieAuthor.com.

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