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Yours
in Black Lace
ISBN 0-373-79140-2 May
2004:
It
takes a special kind of hero to be matched with a strong and determined
woman. Some of you may remember Emelio from my last book. Those who are
meeting him for the first time, prepare to fall in love. Emelio offers
Stevie exactly the kind of affection and understanding she needs to heal
the wounds of her past.
If
you, a family member or a friend is living in a situation that is
dangerous to your health, safety or well being, please don’t be afraid
to ask for help. Emotional, psychological and physical abuse can happen to
any woman, no matter her station in life. For more information about
hidden abuse in upscale marriages, go to http://www.nottopeoplelikeus.com/index.html
Excerpt:
Stevie's
gaze locked onto the dark purple bruise
developing over Emelio's chin. She’d done that.
On
the one hand, she should be proud that she hadn’t hesitated to use her
training. But on the other, she’d lost control and descended into
violence. That wasn’t like her; that was something her ex-husband would
do. The
realization that she hadn’t escaped her past after all brought tears to
her eyes.
“I’m
sorry, Emelio. I... I’m sorry.”
He
blew out a long breath and she felt the tension leave him. “Was he the
same guy who broke your nose?”
She
pulled out of his grasp, shame bringing hot color to her cheeks. “I think
the slight bend gives my nose character.” Her attempt to lighten the
mood fell flat when her voice cracked.
“Tell
me about him.” Emelio’s gaze was soft, understanding, however his
voice was firm. She shook her head, but he gently persisted. “Is there
any possibility he did this? I need to know what we’re dealing with.”
“Tom
didn’t trash my apartment. I made sure when I left New Orleans that
nobody knew where I was going.”
He
followed her outside to the balcony. “What happened, Stevie?”
“I
guess I owe you an explanation, don’t I?” She gave a short laugh of
embarrassment and leaned one hip against the railing, her arms wrapped
protectively over her waist. “There’s not much to tell. I married
young. I married wrong.”
She
stared blindly across the street at the Miami-Dade Community College
campus. “It started off with Tom picking my clothes, suggesting what I
should do, where I should go. It was important for the wife of an aspiring
politician to project a certain image. Then things changed and he started
to dictate every aspect of my life.”
All of it was for her own good, of course. She wasn’t capable of taking
care of herself, wasn’t smart enough to make her own decisions. And if
she dared to ignore his advise... She shivered, remembering like it was
yesterday.
“Did
you tell anyone? Try to get help?” Emelio’s face had darkened with
anger but his voice remained low, soothing, and most importantly,
nonjudgmental. A few of the tears blurring her vision spilled over her
lashes.
“My
parents didn’t believe a ‘nice boy like Tom’ would treat me that
way. He just had ‘a quick temper’ and the best thing I could do was to
keep him happy. Later, I tried to tell my brother, Eric, but he didn’t
believe me either. That sort of thing doesn’t happen to people like
us.”
His
hazel eyes reflected his understanding as he brushed the tears from her
face with the pad of his thumb. “You didn’t call the police.”
“I was ashamed, Emelio. I felt trapped and alone and I thought if my own
family didn’t believe me, no one else would either. Tom belittled me
until I had no self-esteem left. He made me a prisoner in my own life. And
I let him do it...”
“You were victimized, Stevie. You didn’t do anything to deserve that.
No woman ever deserves that.”
From
the book YOURS IN BLACK LACE by
Mia Zachary
Imprint
and Series: Harlequin Blaze; Publication Date: May
2004
Copyright © 2002 by Mika Boblitz; ® and T are trademarks of the
publisher.
The edition will be published by arrangement with Harlequin Books
S.A.
For more romance information surf to: http://www.eHarlequin.com
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