HELLO! It’s December 3rd and it’s time for another countdown post!
Today, you get an extract from my novel, Searching For Katherine, and if you like it then the purchase link is below! ( I know it’s not Christmassy, but at least it’s a present!)
Extract Taken From Chapter 13:
Jennifer climbed out of the back of the limo, picking up her dress so as not to tread on it, her shoes clicking across the concrete pavement in the dark. Marcus followed behind with her suitcase and lifted her dress from the floor. She opened the building door and struggled through the door. “I can’t do this – stop.” She put her palm flat on Marcus’ tuxedoed chest: “I need to take this train off – Luca will go mental!”
Marcus untied her train and held it, bundled up in his arms. She took her keys from her sleek black clutch bag and unlocked their front door. Luca was nowhere to be seen, but she could hear him barking quietly to himself so she didn’t bother looking for him. Marcus followed behind, shutting the door with a backwards kick of his foot. He dropped the things on the sofa and gave an exaggerated sigh. Jennifer stood in the living room in her wedding dress.
“You look very out of place.”
“I feel it in this thing!” She picked up the edges of the dress and stared down at them distastefully.
“You look beautiful, though.” He smiled, leading her to the bedroom so she could sit down on the bed.
“It’s a shame your parents couldn’t come to the wedding. It would have been so nice to meet them.” Jennifer rubbed her swollen feet and released them from her white high-heeled shoes. Her dress spilled over the edge of her bed, like a giant meringue. She had been complaining all day about how extravagant the wedding had been and that the food was making her feel sick. Marcus thought it might have been her dress; she had said it was too tight, even though it had been altered two weeks before.
Marcus pushed some of her dress aside so he could sit down beside her. His black tuxedo looked shocking next to her white wedding dress, “They were in Jamaica – they couldn’t just leave.” He fiddled with the trim on the bottom of her gown, twisting it around in his hands.
“I know, I know,” she placated him, “But it would still have been nice to actually meet them.” She gave a quick smile and stood up. Marcus took hold of her hips and pulled her in front of him, her dress engulfing them. She laughed at the sight: “Why did you insist I have a great big white wedding dress?” She played with the netting that erupted from the waist of her dress.
“So you looked like a princess on our big day. You only get married once, Jen. I wanted it to be special.” He mockingly pouted at her.
“It was special, baby.” She kissed his forehead and then sat on his lap, surrounding them in the white skirts of her dress. “So, it’s my wedding day.”
“Our wedding day,” he corrected her, tapping her nose with his finger.
“Our wedding day,” she repeated. “We’re married now; everything is ours.” She kissed him again. They glanced around her room and remembered the day she moved in.
Fiddling with her dress, she whined “This itches; can I take it off yet?”
“You’ve only been wearing it for a few hours.”
“A few? I’ve been wearing it since nine o’clock this morning.” Jennifer turned to see the time on the bedside alarm clock. “Twelve hours I’ve been wearing this thing and it’s digging into my hips.” She squirmed in her dress. “Please can I take it off?” she pouted at him and he lifted her from his lap, making her stand in front of him.
“Okay, turn around.” She did as she was told and turned. He brushed her hair to the front of her shoulder: it was now long, curly and a deep hazelnut brown with a hint of red. She liked dyeing her hair as a surprise to Marcus, but this seemed to be the only colour he had liked so far. Jennifer twirled her hair around her fingers as Marcus unlaced her corset-backed dress. It fell to the floor and she was left standing in her underwear, as white as her dress. She turned to face him again and he had taken off his suit jacket and tie. He hugged her, stroking her hair, her face burrowed into his shoulder. She pulled back and kissed his lips.
Let me know what you thought in the comments, and what else you would like to see in the Countdown To Christmas! 🙂
Searching For Katherine – UK Page
Searching For Katherine – US Page
Melissa Holden, Writer 