Intoxicated by Ally Fleming
aka AlTonya Washington
aka AlTonya Washington
Motivated by desperation, Etienne Shaw and her three friends make a decision one night that will shape their destinies and haunt their futures. For Etienne, it was the night she believes she became a monster. Whether the monster was simply conjured in a moment of terror or had been brewing inside her for years, was a question with the power to incapacitate her. Then, she meets Mercuri Nikolaides, a man with the power… to intoxicate her.
For Mercuri and his friends, the desperate act of four women sets the stage they will use to disentangle themselves from a sinister group they’ve bled and killed for longer than they can stomach remembering. Meeting Etienne was a potent surprise and Mercuri doesn’t know what to make of the waif-like beauty or her ability to lay waste to the fortress he’s constructed around his emotions and his desires for anything beyond the vast material success of his life.
Now, Etienne’s and Mercuri’s worlds passionately collide as their enemies return. Vengeance however, is not the endgame. More is sought and; in the midst of its pursuit, the innocent and the guilty alike will be crushed.
Excerpt: Intoxicated by Ally Fleming
Interracial (BWWM) Romantic Suspense Thriller
Who could resist staring into eyes like that? They were deeply set and intense, but it was the color that gave her pause. Brilliantly gold; with rich brown flecks that were bolder given the vibrancy of the gold, the combination was a striking one. If she didn’t know better, Tee would have sworn she was staring into the eyes of a feline- a colossal, predatory feline.
“They’re mine,” a quiet sigh colored Mercuri’s words as though he’d guessed and wasn’t at all surprised by her preoccupation with his eyes.
She smiled. “I didn’t doubt it,” Tee was pleased to hear that her voice had regained its cool, steady flow.
“They make some people nervous,” he said.
Tee was sure the eyes were only partly to blame when pitted against the total package. He was speaking again before she could come up with a response.
“Mercuri Nikolaides.”
Again, Tee smiled. “I’m going to have to get you to write that one down.”
“Yeah, it’s a mouthful.”
“I bet,” she winced the second the words tripped off her tongue. Losing your composure over a gorgeous man is something you haven’t done in years, she reminded herself.
Mercuri’s mouth, a wide undeniably sensual curve, twitched on the cusp of a smile. He resisted grinning outright over the words he was sure she hadn’t intended to utter- not out loud anyway.
“This is uh- some place,” he half gestured to the Brassels’ living room instead. “Impressive,” he added with a curious smile. “So how’d you get into… Jeez, what’s it called?” He only pretended to hunt for the name. “Oh yeah- modifying?”
Tee laughed, enjoying the feel of the gesture she rarely indulged in away from her girlfriends. “I’m not really sure where that term came from,” she said.
Mercuri sighed again. “Rich people,” he grinned when she laughed again.
“What I really do is interior design for corporations.”
Mercuri nodded, slipped a hand into a deep side pocket along his dark trousers. “I think our hosts mentioned that,” he said.
“Well the thing about design is in the way each designer envisions the space and how well that vision compliments the clients.” Absently, she smoothed a hand over the snug sleeves of the creamy powder blue frock that adored her curves.
“Basically, I reimagine spaces,” she explained, as her brow quirked. “People like how my mind works. Sadly, most people spend so much time regarding the overall picture, they miss the little things- small touches that make a place sing.”
“Like what?” Mercuri stepped in a fraction. Casually, he propped an elbow to the oak railing that sectioned off the staircase landing from the living room. While part of him wanted her answer, a larger part just wanted to listen to her speak- to observe her petite frame and exquisite face as she did so.
“Well there’re all sorts of little things one can do to add warmth to a space,” Tee went on. She was in her element as she spoke of her craft and therefore unaware of how intently she was being studied. “It matters very little what the space is used for.”
“A boxing gym?” Mercuri smiled when he saw hers engage.
“Okay…” Tee’s luminous ebony gaze twinkled with amusement as she scanned the milling crowd before looking back to Mercuri.
“If it’s important for someone to make their gym warm and inviting, they could easily add touches such as comfy lounging chairs and plants… but in a place like that you’d prefer subtlety. Leave the chairs and plants to the lobby- if it’s a professional gym. For the actual space, minute additions can make bold impressions on the overall appeal. Something as small as having an outlet concealer for a light fixture decorated with the image of a small pair of boxing gloves or having the weight racks painted to match the gym’s overall color scheme.”
“And you could paint the little gloves on the sides of the racks,” Mercuri supplied, grinning anew when Tee laughed.
“Now you’re getting it!” She cheered. “I’ve never done an actual gym, but if the chance comes my way, I’ll be sure to get your permission before I use your idea.”
“It’s all yours,” Mercuri waved a hand. “So how’d you go from conference rooms for corporations to interior design for homeowners?”
“Well, I only got into that part by accident. A friend of mine bought this big, over-the-top place out in Malibu. Just to say she had it, you know?”
“I know the type,” Mercuri thought of Pope.
“It was a gorgeous place, but it wasn’t a home. I griped so much, she finally told me to do something about it. I did and had a great time in the process.”
“So you spend a lot of time in Malibu?”
“Well I live in San Francisco, so…”
“No kidding?” Surprise pooled his vivid eyes. “I’m in Sonoma County- near Kenwood.”
Laughter reflected her surprise as well. “Small world,” she said.
“Yeah,” Mercuri took another patient appraisal of her small, curvy body and then straightened. “I should let you go. It was nice meeting you and I’ll call if I’m ever in the market for a modification.”
“Sounds good.” She gave him a winning smile as she turned to head back up the staircase. “Goodnight Mr. Nikolaides,” she called.
“Ms. Shaw,” Mercuri watched until she was gone from his sight.
( Continued... )
© 2016 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author, Ally Fleming. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only.
Download Intoxicated: Novel on Amazon
Author: Ally Fleming aka AlTonya Washington
Interracial (BWWM) Romantic Suspense Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GQWIYT4
About the Author
Ally Fleming’s world is one where the imagination is fueled by the suspense of fiction, the allure of romance, the depravity of villains and the potency of those who oppose them. Her work is influenced by an infatuation with powerful heroes, irresistible heroines, gritty story-lines, intriguing villains and the heat those forces generate.
She’s an award-winning author, with over 14 years in the business. Her writing creds span the historical and contemporary romance genres as well as contemporary and paranormal YA. She also dabbles in erotica. Ally Fleming is her pen-name for interracial (BWWM) suspense fiction. She’s more widely known as AlTonya Washington.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ramseysgirl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/altonyaw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/novelally/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/337210.AlTonya_Washington
