Fractured
Elle Charles
(Fractured, #1)
Publication date: May 7th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
How do you learn to remember when you have forced yourself to forget?
How do you learn to trust when those who were meant to protect you failed?
Catering assistant, Kara Petersen, leads a quiet, monotonous life until a simple twist of fate changes everything.
The sparks fly when Kara meets handsome, enigmatic, Sloan Foster. Dominant in the boardroom and successful in the bedroom, he always gets what he wants – and he wants her.
Captivated by his charm and aloof confidence, Kara is drawn to him in a way she has never been to anyone before. Aware something isn’t quite right, and against her better judgement, she concedes his intense allure is too strong to resist and their innocent fling swiftly develops into something she could never have imagined.
But in this outwardly perfect world of wealth and glamour, all that glitters isn’t gold. And as the mystery behind the man begins to slowly unravel, so does her life.
Now, with her heart and trust on the line, Kara is learning more about herself than she ever thought possible, from a man who seemingly knows more than he should. And the memories she forced herself to forget, are the ones she now desperately needs to remember…
Fractured is the first gripping instalment of Elle Charles’ dark, contemporary, romantic suspense series. Featuring unpredictable plot twists and endearing characters, this sensual, compelling saga of enduring love, ceaseless passion and sacrifice will keep you turning pages until the very end!
Perfect for fans of Sylvia Day, E L James, Aleatha Romig and Helen Hardt.
Download your copy now and become addicted to a new series!
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
Please be advised this book is not a standalone novel. It is the first in the Fractured series, and the story develops and unravels over the course of the first three books. Each book is full length (between 326 and 450 pages each) and must be read in order.
This is a dark contemporary romance novel. It contains sexual scenes and controversial subject matter (including triggers) that some may find upsetting. Intended for readers aged 18+
This novel is a new edition that has been re-edited and revised – 27 July 2018.
Get Fractured FREE!
The complete series:
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CHAPTER ONE:
I slowly take in the room; clean lines of glass and dark wood, expensive fabrics and leather. Opulence seems to be a running theme here from what I can see. Rich shades of cream and brown finish the room beautifully. The whole place screams money and success, and it’s absolutely stunning. Suddenly, I realise why the man downstairs eyed me like shit; I don’t belong here, and neither does Sam. I bite down on my lip to suppress the panic rising up from the confines of my stomach.
Then the door clicks shut behind me.
I spin around, and my mouth dries out almost instantly, as I prepare myself to come face to face with the sneering, dirty bastard again.
Oh. Holy. Fuck!
It’s not the sneering, dirty bastard.
I wilt where I stand. My lungs actually stop operating momentarily, and my heart shudders like it has been finally shocked from a long, deep slumber. My whole body currently feels on fire for some unknown, inexplicable reason.
“I have already had my doctor take a look at her. She seems to be fine, just, well…she’s high.”
He folds his impressive, muscular arms over his equally impressive, muscular chest, and he leans back against the closed door. My eyes drop to his feet, and ever so slowly, work their way up his body. Tanned bare feet, long muscular legs and thick thighs, wrapped up in worn, faded blue jeans. The fitted white t-shirt encasing his torso does nothing to hide the perfectly defined ridges of his stomach, chest and shoulders. The outlines are more than visible underneath the stretched fabric. I gulp excessively, open-mouthed and speechless, at the faultless specimen of male perfection towering over me.
I stare up at him, my lips part and my eyes widen. His face is heavenly; beautiful, naturally bronzed skin, a strong, chiselled jaw, set under perfect cheekbones. His nose is straight and flawlessly proportioned. He has the darkest, yet clearest midnight blue eyes I have ever seen. In fact, I’m positive I have never seen such a colour before. He seems piqued by my stare, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
My hands clench at my sides in desperation, and my tongue slides over my bottom lip. All I can think about is running my hands over his sexy, slightly too long dark locks, while his tongue….
Oh my God! What the hell?!
A nervous feeling wells up in my stomach, twisting into knots deep in my gut. I place a hand over my belly, but the feeling shifts south and suddenly can I feel heat pooling at my core profusely. His eyes remain locked on mine, and I’m dying to rub my thighs together to alleviate the tension that is building immensely.
I chew my lip timidly. Is he aware of what I am doing and that he’s instigating it? He smirks a little. Of course, he’s aware! Look at him! Any woman would be brain dead not to want him. Even my asexual self is not immune, judging by the way my body is reacting to him.
He arches up an eyebrow over his stunning dark blue, now virtually black eyes. He is fully aware that I am shamelessly checking him out, amongst other things, while my poor friend is lying in pain only a few feet away. I mentally scold myself for such uncharacteristic behaviour. Yet I can’t help it, this man has ignited something in me. I can’t even begin to fathom where it is coming from.
I need to get out of here.
I need to get away from him.
Feeling painfully aware, I wrap my arms around my middle and shift from one foot to the other, desperate to eradicate these alien sensations bubbling copiously inside my body. He remains motionless watching me, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable under his roving eye. The way he’s studying me makes me want to run for cover. I don’t know what it is, but there is a familiarity in his eyes that is unmistakable. I also don’t misinterpret the ghost of a smile forming on his lips.
Somewhere, I think I have seen him before.
“Thank you,” I whisper, averting my eyes, desperately trying to control the heat my body is emanating. I don’t know what else to say. All words have left me, and for the first time in my life, I actually feel something that I can definitely say I have not experienced previously.
Sexual attraction.
It is something that no man has ever elicited in me, not even come close to.
Well, maybe once, many years ago.
Author Bio:
Elle was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she still resides.
After many years of putting aside her creative ideas, in 2012, she was inspired to write again. The surprising result was her debut, contemporary romance novel, Fractured. The first of the series, books two and three, Tormented and Liberated, followed in close succession, along with the accompanying novella, Aftermath.
A self-confessed daydreamer, she loves to create strong, sexy and diverse characters, cocooned in opulent yet realistic settings that draw the reader in with every twist and turn until the very last page.
A voracious reader for as long as she can remember, she is never without her beloved Kindle. When she is not absorbed in the newest release or a trusted classic, she can often be found huddled over her laptop, tapping away new ideas and plots for forthcoming works.
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