Authors: A.C. Warneke
Blind Attraction
Blind Attraction
A.C.
Warneke
Copyright©2013 Andrea Warneke
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 1481807986
ISBN-13: 978-1481807982
Dedication
This is for the men and women in the military; thank you for all that you do!
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As always, a huge thank you to my friends and family.
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Blind Attraction is for all of those who take that leap, with or without closing their eyes.
Acknowledgement
Living in the digital age has been exciting and wonderful, giving me the opportunity to connect with others from all over the globe from the comfort of my home; it is one of my favorite aspects of being a writer. Since I began publishing I have gotten to know some really fantastic people who have made this road such a joy to travel; thank you for your encouragement and support!
Angelia F Jodi N. Jennifer O. Jacque B. Jess Karen S. Scott-Robert S. Vicki V. Walesca C. Lee Ann G. Eleighna A. Bonnie M. Colleen R. Laura C. Natalie P. Theresa J. Emily B.
And a special thanks to
Jimmy Thomas
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Table of Contents
James Templeton looked at his watch for the third time, rushing down the street to meet his best friend and his cousin for one of their rare nights out. Since college, the three of them had been spending more time at their office and less time on amusements. Lately, James was feeling a bit tense from the responsibility and maturity. He was only 30, yet work had taken over his life.
For the most part, he didn’t mind. He loved every aspect of being a graphic artist, from envisioning a design to bringing it to fruition. It’s just that he hadn’t had time for a relationship and it had been too long since he had been with a woman. It’s not like there wasn’t plenty of opportunity, he just didn’t relish the thought of a meaningless fling
. Those years were far behind him.
He was just passing the storefront that once housed the best comic book selection in the entire
country when his life changed forever, he just hadn’t known it at the time. With a frown, he slowed down and realized the comic book store was gone and apparently had been gone for some time. Two of the three large windows were boarded up and the sign had completely vanished. A light from the one open window caught his attention and that is when he saw her, a goddess amongst boxes and chaos.
Her baby-blond hair was pulled away from her perfect heart-shaped, sun-kissed face, emphasi
zing her high cheek bones and generous mouth. She had an ideal nose, neither too long nor too short, with just a slight upturn at the end. She was too far away to determine her eye color, but they were well-placed and slightly exotic-looking.
His eyes roamed from her model-perfect face to her elegantly clad-body, his
heart started to race in his chest. The line of her graceful neck, the curve of her impeccable breasts, the indent of her slender waist and the slight flair of womanly hips; she was breath-taking. But that wasn’t the end; oh, no. Her legs, good God her legs; they stretched on for miles and James could easily imagine having those two long limbs wrapped around his waist as he….
Clearing his throat, he reined in his wayward thoughts as he continued to watch her through the window. She was graceful, polished; obviously refined. Her clothes, a silky blouse and a pair of expensive slacks, caressed her body as she moved. Or maybe that was just how she carried herself. His breath caught in his throat as her lips parted into a wry smile.
He wanted to ask her out, get to know her a little better over coffee and conversation.
Just
as he was about to knock on the window, his friend Tony called out, snagging his attention. With a slight grin, he realized that he didn’t have the inclination to introduce himself to a blond angel, not with Philip and Tony hanging around. He would do it when his cousin and business partner weren’t there to encroach on his territory.
Of course, things don’t always go according to plan. A few days later, while his driver was taking him to a meeting across town, some idiot ran a red light and crashed into the side of his car. James woke up in the hospital a week later, feeling sore and battered, but alive. However, when he opened his eyes, all he could see was darkness.
After the initial panic wave passed, the doctor was able to explain that there was nothing physically wrong, at least nothing that showed up on any of the many scans they took. He discussed blunt-force trauma and offered platitudes about the body being a strange thing. In the end, the doctor wasn’t able to tell James whether or not he was going to be able to see again; and if so, when.
James
ranted and raged for several weeks before realizing that self-pity would not serve him. He was the co-founder and CEO of a successful business, something that didn’t get accomplished by whining about fairness or injustice. If he was going to be blind, he was going to have to adapt and overcome, just like he had hurtled all of the other obstacles that had been placed before him.
Besides, he was more than an artist
and a designer, and he didn’t get to where he was by giving up. He would get his eye sight back eventually and until that day came, he was going to adjust to his new circumstances and when he was able to see again he was never going to take his sight for granted again.
Until then, he would ho
ld onto that fateful image of the blond and come up with a plan to use his blindness to his advantage….
With another dazed shake of her head,
Victoria Davis knew that it was serendipity for her to be opening a store back in her old home town. The owners of the comic book store where she had spent too many hours while growing up decided to retire and Victoria had been in the right place at the right time. After that, everything seemed to fall into place and her dream of being self-employed was coming true a few years ahead of schedule.
She
was twenty-four and she had employees. How cool was that?
My Romance
had been her brainchild since she was a teenager and while she had to work long, long hours and she owed the bank a lot of money, she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Marnie
Connolly was someone whom Victoria met during college. They had bonded when they realized they grew up not ten minutes away from one another and knew several of the same people, often laughing that it took being two thousand miles away from home for them to meet. Marnie spent as many hours at the store as possible, but with a young son, she couldn’t be there every day.