Bridging the Gap Promotions presents...
Matronly
Duties
Melissa Kendall
Genre: FICTION / Romance / General / Science Fiction
Hundreds of years after an asteroid
slammed into Earth and sent it into a new ice age, what remains of the human
race lives on in underground sanctuaries. Now, as the bicentennial anniversary
of the impact approaches, a new leader prepares to take her place at the head
of the government. At least, that’s what she
thinks.
Bethanie Greene’s life has been planned out for her since the age of
thirteen. Beautiful and intelligent, she’s spent the
last twelve years training to become the next Matron of the underground nation
of Oceania. But when Bethanie is kidnapped by rogue extremists just six weeks
shy of taking office, her world is turned upside down by the handsome stranger
who rescues her.
Howard James’ life has been
the polar opposite of Bethanie’s. Struggling
to survive in a world where those in power wished he didn’t exist, he harbors a deep-seated resentment of the
government and all its representatives. Together with his unconventional
family, he shows Bethanie a life she never knew was possible, while at the same
time, opening her eyes to the injustices of the government she is meant to
lead.
But can she trust a stranger? And
can a few days change everything she believes and desires? Against all odds,
Bethanie must decide if her heart and her duties can coexist.
* * * *
~~EXCERPT1~~
A yawn creeps up my throat and I suddenly feel like I
haven’t slept in weeks. The temptation to curl up and go to sleep is strong,
but my body is telling me I need a trip to the bathroom first.
I head down the hall to the door at the end. It’s ajar,
so I push the door open—and freeze. The bathroom is not empty.
Howard stands at the sink, naked from the waist up,
cleaning his teeth. Without clothing, his shoulders look twice as wide as
before and every curve and dip in his muscles is clearly visible. Down the
middle of his back is what looks like a big, black T. I have this crazy
inclination to trace it to see how it feels.
Howard clears his throat and my gaze shoots up to find
him watching me in the mirror. “Do you mind?”
He winks at me.
Oh crap!
“Sorry.” I pull the door shut. I’m mortified to have been
caught staring. I also have butterflies in my stomach again, stronger than
ever, and my heart is pounding. I fan my face with my hands in an attempt to
calm myself down.
Before I can get everything under control, the door opens
and a still-shirtless Howard walks out.
“All yours.”
“Uh-huh.”
I mentally slap myself for such an inept reply, but the
view of him from the front is even better than the back. He has one of those
washboard stomachs I’ve heard Gail talk about. I never understood what she
meant, but now I can see how apt the description is. Once again, I find myself
unable to stop staring.
“Good night, Bethanie,” Howard says strolling down the
hallway.
“Howard? What’s the T on your back?” I ask, curiosity
getting the better of me.
He stops and half turns towards me. “It’s a tattoo, and
it isn’t a T, it’s a crucifix.”
“A crucifix?”
“Yeah, it’s the cross Christ was nailed to. It is a
symbol of the weight I bare in the name of justice.”
“Huh. I’m sorry, I don’t really know what you’re talking
about. It’s nice, though.”
“Thanks,” he says, “but I better get to bed if I’m going
to be up early to take you to the post office.”
“Night,” I call after him.
“Sweet dreams,” he calls back.
I smile. They might just be.
~~EXCERPT2~~
My body shakes at the thought of what
could have happened to me yet again. I’ve heard
stories about the slums, and I have to take a few deep breaths to calm myself.
“I was silly
running away, I get it. I just couldn’t stay in
your home any longer.”
Howard sighs. “Just because my parents raised us
with traditionalist values doesn’t mean we are
anything like the Trads. You accused us of being a drain on society, but you
don’t even know us.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But you
don’t know me either. If you did, you
would understand why it’s hard for me to understand your
way of life. It goes against every law, moral, and convention I’ve been taught. So I can’t be sorry for what I said, even if I’m sorry I ran out of the house.”
Howard takes a deep breath, then
exhales long and slow. The expression on his face looks a bit like pity but
with a dash of guilt mixed in. “Look, maybe I’ve judged you unfairly based on preconceived notions,
but—”
A loud bang echoes outside. Howard
glances at me with a panicked look on his face, and then pulls me off the crate
onto the floor behind. I sit up, and turn to yell at him, but male voices
outside keep my mouth closed. I instead huddle closer to Howard as he puts his
hand around my shoulders. He pulls me in until I’m tucked against him.
“Did you see
where she went?” a man’s voice asks.
“Nah, she just
vanished.” The voice of this one sounds young.
“Damn, the
boss isn’t going to be pleased about this.”
The crunch of shoes against
pavement indicates they are on the move again. The sounds trail off until they’re no longer audible. I sigh in relief, all the
tension fleeing my body.
“Are you okay?’ Howard asks, rubbing my shoulder.
I glance up, only then noticing how
little space is between us. His blue eyes have flecks of grey in them, and
there’s a smattering of freckles covering
his nose and cheeks. His warm breath tickles my cheek almost like a caress, and
his jaw has the barest hint of a five o’clock shadow.
He really is captivating.
“I’m fine,” I eventually say, the words a mere
whisper.
The butterflies in my stomach
return with a vengeance. Howard licks his lips as they turn up ever so slightly
in a smile.
“Good.”
I can’t stop the
sigh that slips past my own lips. Howard leans forward a little, then moves
closer still until his mouth is pressed against mine. I don’t dare move. A zing of something, I’m not sure whether it’s pleasure or fear, shoots through me. His lips are
soft and wet, and the sensation is unlike anything I’ve felt before. I can’t even decide if I want him to continue or stop. When
he pulls away though, a feeling of disappointment bubbles up inside me.
My first kiss.
Goosebumps cover me from head to
toe, and unbidden, my fingers move to my lips. Glancing at Howard, he stares at
me for a minute, then moves to sit further away.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
I shrug. “It’s
okay.”
Howard frowns and then looks across
the room.
Part of Matron training is learning
not to form close relationships. It doesn’t mean it
never happens. I’ve heard the odd story here and
there from the other women, and I realise that’s probably what Gail was trying to tell me at
breakfast the other day. But in all honesty, I can’t remember the last time I had real physical contact
with anyone, above all with a man.
We sit in uncomfortable silence for
a few minutes. Tension rolls off Howard in waves.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Come
on,” Howard whispers. “We need to
get to the house before those guys come back.”
~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~
Melissa Kendall is an almost
forty-year-old mother of two from Perth, Western Australia, the second-most
isolated capital city in the world. Predominantly a stay-at-home mum, she works
a few hours a week as a software support consultant. She has always loved to
read and write, and spent most of her teens writing poetry and short stories.
Over the years, daily life got in the way and she lost the passion for it, but
after the birth of her first child, Melissa discovered e-books and her interest
in writing rekindled. She is now the author of two published short stories. Matronly
Duties is her first full-length novel.
~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~
