A deadly family curse looms as Nate and Haylee fall in love. Can
they find a way to break the curse and have a happily ever after or is Hayleeβs
fate to suffer the same curse as her ancestors?
SUNSTONEβS FIRE (Curse in Stone, book 1) by Lia Davis
*Please note this is an ARC copy of
chapter one for the book is currently in edits. It may contain typos.*
Chapter One β part four
βYeah.β From his questioning tone, she could tell he believed in spirits or had
had an experience with them before. βYouβre not scared, are you?β
He smiled at her teasing. βNope. So, that was a ghost that made me crash my car?β
βPossibly.β It was strange that the spirits would show themselves. What was so
special about that night? Oh, yeah. It was the first night of the full moon.
Meeting Nateβs stare, she found herself captivated by his chocolate brown
depths. For the first time in years, she felt at ease with another. βWould you
like some tea?β
He nodded. βIβd love some.β
Just as they turned to the kitchen, a knock sounded on the front door. Wondering
who it could be at the late hour, she answered it. Nate was at her back, like he
expected an attack or something. The sense of security warmed her. Remember
the curse. I wonβt be responsible for his death.
When she opened the door, an older gentleman who looked to be in his late
sixties, his hat and coat soaked from the rain, greeted her. βHello, miss. Do
you have any vacancies?β
βYes, please come in.β She moved to the side. βWhat are you doing out in this
storm?β
βOh, just passing through.β He removed his wet, leather trench coat.
Haylee took it from him and opened the coat closet a few feet from the door.
After grabbing a hanger, she hung the coat on the outside of the door to dry.
Facing the stranger, she noted how his clothes werenβt wet. Odd. Then
again, it was a full moon, and she lived across from a haunted cemetery. So she
let it go. βWe were about to have some tea. Would you like to join us?β
βTea sounds nice.β The man moved toward the living room like he had a purpose.
She glanced at Nate, who shrugged. Nibbling on her bottom lip to keep a laugh
from coming out, she followed the man. When he turned toward her room, she
called out to him. βUm, sir, the kitchen is this way.β
He faced her, then glanced back at her room, then to the kitchen on the opposite
side of the great room. βYes. The kitchen. For tea.β
Beside her, Nate chuckled as the man strolled past. Haylee let out a sigh. It
was going to be a long night.
In 2008, Lia Davis ventured into the world of writing and publishing and
never looked back. She has published more than twenty books, including the
bestselling A Tigerβs Claim, book one in her fan favorite Ashwood Falls
series. Her novels feature compassionate yet strong alpha heroes who know how to
please their women and her leading ladies are each strong in their own way. No
matter what obstacle she throws at them, they come out better in the end.
While writing was initially a way escape from real world drama, Lia now makes
her living creating worlds filled with magic, mystery, romance, and adventure so
that others can leave real life behind for a few hours at a time.
Liaβs favorite things are spending time with family, traveling, reading,
writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties. She and her
family live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers, but
itβs her home and she loves it! Sign up for her newsletter, become a member of her fan
club, and follow her on Twitter @NovelsByLia.
Aspiring author, Nate Wilson wants some space from his overbearing family and
a job he doesnβt like. A week on the Oregon coast sounds like paradise and just
what he needs to get the creative juices flowing. Unfortunately, his plans are
derailed when a storm moves in and a ghostly figure flashes in his headlights,
sending him skidding off the road and into a tree. Lucky for him, he ends up in
front of a Bed and Breakfast, and the beautiful owner may do more to spur his
creativity than any beach could.
Hesitant witch and inn owner, Haylee Clark is cursed. Well, not her exactlyβat
least not yetβbut all of the women in her family have suffered the same fate.
They fell in love, only to have that passion turn sour and their husbands die
tragically, leaving them brokenhearted. So far, Haylee has done well to avoid
that destiny, but when the captivating Nate Wilson crashes into her life, he
awakens something within her that she never thought to feel.
When the pair stumbles upon a hidden room where Hayleeβs grandmother used to
conduct her rituals, they unknowingly unleash a dark entity hell-bent on
destruction, and discover that a family heirloom is the source of the Clark
family curse. Despite the spell, they canβt deny their attraction, and give in
to the magic between them. But the closer Haylee and Nate get, the more the
curse tries to tear them apart. If they donβt find a way to defeat the evil,
they may lose more than their hearts.
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