An excerpt from the award-winning novel, Mended


Ashley washed the dishes while Wade loaded the dishwasher, all the while making small talk as they worked. It felt nice, casual, routine, like they’d been doing it for years. But there was something else in the air, something electric. As Wade talked about the furniture he was refinishing for work, Ashley happily listened to the drawl of his deep southern baritone. She loved the sound of his voice, how he drew out his vowels, how his lips looked as he formed his words. She could listen to him talk for hours.      
She was aware of how close he stood to her in her small kitchen, and she was tempted to reach out and touch him. Her heart skipped a beat whenever his arm lightly brushed hers as he reached for the rinsed dish in her hand. The air between them pulsed with life and seemed to pull her toward him. Did he feel this too or was she losing her mind? She snuck a glance at him and he appeared relaxed and casual as usual. It was just her, then. As he leaned in to grab the next dish from her hand, he exhaled a warm breath that caressed the skin on her neck, causing her to break out in goose bumps. 

When she looked up, he was searching her face. He lifted his hand and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear before gently trailing his fingers softly down her cheek. Her gaze moved down to his lips, which parted slightly as he sucked in a breath. He leaned in slightly, his lips poised over hers, the pull toward him growing with every second. She closed her eyes and breathed in his heady scent of spiced cinnamon and sawdust. His hand caressed the back of her neck as he gently pulled her the rest of the way toward him.
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For more about Kayla Marie's books, visit her website: www.kaylamariebooks.com
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