Title: Heart Strings
Series: Red Centre Series
Author: Emily Hussey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 30, 2019
Tragic events in her formative years colour Melissa’s perceptions of her place in the world. Trust and commitment are not concepts she embraces. Known in Alice Springs for her aloof behaviour, Melissa is okay with that. She prefers to view life through the lens of her camera.Chris Harris is sociable and charismatic, with a wide circle of friends. He’s worked as a chopper pilot in the region for several years, and enjoys the work, but it’s time for a change. Even so, nobody would have predicted what would happen when he and Melissa had a dramatic confrontation on her father’s remote property.
It’s a case of yin and yang attract, luring them both out of their comfort zone. Does that mean Chris will tolerate irrational behaviour? Some people know when to cut their losses.
In a journey that takes Melissa from a remote Australian station, to the high fashion world of Sydney and beyond, she comes to realise there are choices to make in who she lets into her life, and who she loves.
Chris met her at the airport. She’d rung him from Alice, letting him know that she’d changed her flight and would be coming back a day early. She’d sounded abrupt on the phone and his gut told him not to ask questions. Perhaps the dinner had not gone well.
“Good time, huh?” he asked as she clung to him in the Arrivals Hall. “Or are you just pleased to see me?”
“Of course I’m pleased to see you, you fool. It’s been a tiring trip, that’s all.”
“And the party?”
“The party’s over. I don’t want to talk about it.”
He didn’t pursue the matter. He took her home instead and that night for the first time, she invited him to stay.
“Sweetheart, are you sure you’re ready for this?” Chris kissed her gently. “I don’t want to feel as though I’m rushing you or taking advantage.”
“Chris Harris, are you turning me down?”
His stomach churned at the anguish in her eyes. It made him want to hold her tight. “Are you kidding me? I’ll never turn you down. I just wanted to make sure…”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
She grasped him tightly as though trying to melt into him. His aroused response was immediate and very apparent. She led him to her room, shutting the door quietly before turning to face him. With eyes fixed on his, she slid down the zip to her dress. Dropping it to the floor, she stepped out of it and grasping his face between her hands, reaching up to claim his lips.
With a soft moan, he slid a hand down her back to grab her butt and press her as close as it was possible for two people to be with their clothes still on. Opening her mouth to him, their tongues engaged, a gentle journey of exploration—teasing, tasting and exploring. He could feel her nipples, trapped in their lacy harness, hardening to pebbles and pressing against his chest. His arousal strained in response.
Pulling back, Melissa undid the buttons of his shirt, baring his skin beneath her fingers and darting quick licks across the hollow of his neck. At the same time, he unhooked her bra, dragging it off and casting it aside. He took one breast in his hand, caressing the peachy tip between the finger and thumb and causing her to throw back her head with mewls of pleasure.
The remainder of their clothes were discarded with mutual haste. With a gentle shove, she pushed Chris onto her bed, her legs entwined with his as they began an exploration of each other’s bodies.
“Good time, huh?” he asked as she clung to him in the Arrivals Hall. “Or are you just pleased to see me?”
“Of course I’m pleased to see you, you fool. It’s been a tiring trip, that’s all.”
“And the party?”
“The party’s over. I don’t want to talk about it.”
He didn’t pursue the matter. He took her home instead and that night for the first time, she invited him to stay.
“Sweetheart, are you sure you’re ready for this?” Chris kissed her gently. “I don’t want to feel as though I’m rushing you or taking advantage.”
“Chris Harris, are you turning me down?”
His stomach churned at the anguish in her eyes. It made him want to hold her tight. “Are you kidding me? I’ll never turn you down. I just wanted to make sure…”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
She grasped him tightly as though trying to melt into him. His aroused response was immediate and very apparent. She led him to her room, shutting the door quietly before turning to face him. With eyes fixed on his, she slid down the zip to her dress. Dropping it to the floor, she stepped out of it and grasping his face between her hands, reaching up to claim his lips.
With a soft moan, he slid a hand down her back to grab her butt and press her as close as it was possible for two people to be with their clothes still on. Opening her mouth to him, their tongues engaged, a gentle journey of exploration—teasing, tasting and exploring. He could feel her nipples, trapped in their lacy harness, hardening to pebbles and pressing against his chest. His arousal strained in response.
Pulling back, Melissa undid the buttons of his shirt, baring his skin beneath her fingers and darting quick licks across the hollow of his neck. At the same time, he unhooked her bra, dragging it off and casting it aside. He took one breast in his hand, caressing the peachy tip between the finger and thumb and causing her to throw back her head with mewls of pleasure.
The remainder of their clothes were discarded with mutual haste. With a gentle shove, she pushed Chris onto her bed, her legs entwined with his as they began an exploration of each other’s bodies.
Emily Hussey splits her time between work in Melbourne CBD and her home in Adelaide, South Australia. She has lived in several Australian cities, and spent a few years living in Alice Springs, the setting for the Red Centre series.
While there, she also obtained her private pilot’s licence, providing the technical background for the aviation scenes in the Red Centre Series.
Emily enjoys the short story format, and has been published in local anthologies. The genres range from crime to romance, with some contemporary fiction for good measure.
She was a marriage celebrant for 24 years, and has married couples in many different locations, ranging from private gardens, to beaches to caves or rural locations. Many of her clients remain friends to this day.
The bottom drawer is always full of outlines for future projects. So many ideas, so little time. Plans revolve around making writing her 9-5 job, and gaining inspiration from travels both in Australia and overseas.
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