Jagger Kennedy never went looking for fame, he just fell into it. After scoring a major modeling contract, his clean-cut good looks and charm catapulted his career. But when his actress girlfriend breaks his heart, he moves to L.A. to try his hand at acting. He’s not looking for love—he just needs to make a change.
Aerie Daniels is a woman in control … until she meets Jagger. Her surprising connection with him leaves her dazed and it’s unlike anything she’s ever felt. But just when she lets her walls fall, she makes a startling discovery about Jagger that breaks her fragile heart into a million pieces.
To keep from losing the woman who’s changing his world, Jagger is willing to give up anything—including his career. But even that might not be enough to regain Aerie’s shattered trust…
DAZED IN GENERAL:
Dazed is a Connections Series Novella but it not necessary to read Connected and Torn prior to reading this. Also it has a beginning, a middle, and an end :)
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Excerpt from Dazed
Connections #2.5 by Kim Karr
© 2014 by Kim
Karr
Published by the
Penguin Group
Release date: April
1, 2014
Aerie Daniels
There’s something
deliciously perverse about staring through the clear glass. All of my senses
engage as I wait in line—the fragrance that fills the air as the fire crackles
beneath the foil wrapped treats wafts under my nose, the beauty in each and
every small package as they line the shelves with tiny dots and colored
sprinkles mesmerizes me, the sound made as the silver sheet is peeled back to
reveal the magnificence it holds captivates me, and the anticipation of the
taste makes my mouth water. Ummm… just thinking of the first bite into the
moist brown exterior with its bittersweet Belgian chocolate complimenting the
flavor of the Madagascar bourbon vanilla that oozes from its inside has me
trembling. The black and white cupcake—it’s simply perfection.
Amidst the
skyscrapers in Los Angeles’ South Park neighborhood, Sprinkles is a gem tucked
away for those of us who seek out a small piece of heaven. I don’t come here
often, but when I do it’s for that one special treat. The menu describes it as,
“Yin and Yang.” An ancient proverb that says, “Complementary opposites, such as
light and dark, day and night, and masculine and feminine, seemingly may exist
as contrary forces, but are actually interconnected.” Simply put, it says one
gives rise to the other and it’s true— opposites attract. Without the vanilla
inside, one could not possibly crave the chocolate outside—looking at the two
parts united has me drooling.
“You know what they
say about staring through the glass,” a deep husky voice says from behind me.
His words tingle my
skin and my gaze snaps up. “Excuse me?” I stop short, in a daze, not even sure
what he just said I was so lost in my thoughts.
He chuckles. “You
know what they say about staring through the glass,” he repeats.
My eyes blink and
come into focus on the upward tilt of his full lips. Then my eyes move to his
smooth pale skin flecked with a light stubble, his nose seemingly sculpted even
with a slight imperfection in its slope, large eyes with the most unusual gray
color swirling from within, and chocolate brown colored hair framing his face
in pieces—I’m not sure if he has just rolled out of bed or if product molds it
just so. Either way, he is utterly beautiful.
“I’m sorry, I don’t
know what you’re talking about.”
“Just be careful so you
don’t fall in like Alice.” He smiles, displaying his bright white teeth.
“Again, I’m sorry but
I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I notice his eyes sweep over me and
my heart starts pounding.
“Through the Looking
Glass,” he responds in a dangerously husky voice.
This time when he
speaks I catch an accent, ever so slight but extremely sexy. It reminds me of how Robert De Nero talks,
just not as loud or fast. I continue to stare, unable to respond. I notice that
his physique is long and lean. He’s dressed in worn jeans that fit him
perfectly. His orange laced hiking boots scream I don’t conform. A pair of
tortoiseshell sunglasses hang from the V of his gray sweater, which clings to
his body perfectly. And an outdoor vest tops the outfit. It throws me off. It
makes him look more like an Abercrombie model than a James Dean type. It’s a
navy blue down and quilted one with a silver zipper. I don’t know why, but
something about his outfit, about this man, captivates me.
“Number 98,” calls
the girl from behind the counter.
He steps closer. His
warm breath whispers across my neck. “Through the Looking Glass is the sequel
to Alice in Wonderland. When Alice gets too close to the glass, she falls in
and starts on a crazy journey,” he tells me as his arm waves in the air with a
green ticket on display. Stepping closer, his gaze cuts from mine to the glass
case as he hands his number to the clerk whose wearing a cute brown apron with
the word Sprinkles scripted across it.
“Can I have a dozen
of the black and white cupcakes?” he asks.
Suddenly alarmed, my
eyes dart to the case as I watch the single remaining row of beautifully
crafted cupcakes diminish until there are none left. My irritation flares as I
glance at my number—97.
The beautiful
stranger hands the clerk his credit card and waits to sign the slip.
“I was number 97, my
number was before yours,” I say as he’s handed the bag that holds his
treasure.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Here
let me get the sales clerk’s attention so you don’t have to take another number,”
he says.
I want to stomp my
feet. I want to scream. I don’t want her attention. I don’t want another
number. I want the cupcakes that he stole from me.
“Miss,” he calls
draping his perfectly fit body over the case. She looks his way and with a charming
grin he says, “Can you help this lovely lady? She missed her number being
called.”
“Of course, I’m so
sorry. How can I help you?” the girl asks averting her eyes from the man who
looks like he should be on the cover of GQ magazine, over to me.
He smiles at me with
a face that belongs on a billboard. “Don’t fall in.”
I swear he’s goading
me. But then he tips his chin and a sexy, smoldering grin passes over his lips
and I’m not so sure anymore. He turns to look at me one more time before he
exits, and excitement flushes over my face. I nod a slight cursory acknowledgement,
then he disappears and disappointment washes over me—he’s gone. Crap. The
cupcakes are also gone. Double crap. And now I’m left wondering if he saw me
staring at that flavor? Did he distract me on purpose so he could purchase them
first? Urrr…I’m so angry right now I consider walking out, but when the clerk
asks me what I’d like I settle for the Vanilla Milk Chocolate cakes—they are
the mirror reflection of the black and whites, with vanilla cake and chocolate
frosting, but they are not nearly as good.
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