My next and final release of the year, Ebb & Flow is due for release in three weeks so I thought it would be a good time to serve a sample. Check out a snippet from the novella below.

*This project is still unpublished so text is subject to change between now and release day…

Nubia slid the barn-style wooden door closed on she and Naazir’s bedroom. She ran her hands through her hair repeatedly and paced on her side of their king-sized bed. After a few laps, she dropped herself into a seat on the mattress, bringing her hands up to her face.

“That woman,” she sneered through tight teeth. “Ugh!“

Nubia lasted longer this time. Usually, she’d get fed up with Naazir’s mother, Cora, after only five minutes of being in the woman’s presence.

From the first time Nubia and Cora met it has been rocky. After two months of dating, Naazir invited Nubia over to his mother’s home for a Labor Day cookout. Nubia expected for the event to be tough. She was a non-drinking vegan attending a heavily liquored up barbecue. She attended the get-together anyway with an open heart. Nubia anticipated meeting and getting to know the people Naazir called his family and friends but not all of them were fond of her.

At the cookout, Cora offered Nubia a plate of ribs and a red cup brimming with beer. Nubia declined them both. Offended, Cora criticized everything Nubia did that night. As innocent as a cookout should be, unfortunately for Nubia, that night set the foundation for she and Cora’s combative relationship.

“I don’t know why I even deal with her,” Nubia whispered to herself.

The bedroom door slowly slid opened. She twisted at the waist in her seat on the bed to glimpse that way to find Naazir stepping in and sliding the door closed behind himself.

“Queen—”

“She is impossible, Naazir,” Nubia mumbled. “I don’t understand why she hates me so much.”

“She hates what she doesn’t understand, not you babe.” Naazir made his way over to her.

Nubia dropped her head forward raising her hand to her face to cover her eyes.

“No, no, no. Don’t do that.” Naazir lowered himself to his knees below her and wrapped his big hands around her tiny wrists. “I don’t want to ever see you do this right here.”

Naazir moved her hands away from her eyes and lifted her head by her chin.

When she saw him in her sights she sighed. Warm golden-brown skin, penetrating deep brown eyes, and maroon-like freckles sprinkled around his nose like confetti. The man was beautiful. Stunning. Not just his appearance. His soul. So not what his shell suggested.

From the streets, Naazir was the kind of guy Nubia normally wouldn’t look twice at. His pants sagged most of the time, he spoke in broken English, and he had a hood quality about him that he oozed without even trying. Deep down, however, he was a saint. Sweet-natured and very gentle with Nubia. The dichotomy in his appearance and character attracted Nubia to him. That, and no doubt his handsome good looks.

He peered up at her and Nubia smiled.

He was the reason she put up with Cora. The woman was no doubt hard to deal with but Nubia would push herself as far as she could for Naazir.

“You’re stressed,” Naazir stated below her.

“No.” Nubia shook her head. “Your mother’s pending arrival stressed me out. Now that she’s here, I’m just over it.”

Naazir moved closer to her. He pressed his lips to the inside of her left calf, against her jeans. That one kiss morphed into many as he trailed kisses up her leg to her amusement.

“Naazir, stop,” she insisted through her laughs.

“You’re stressed,” he repeated. His eyes crinkled at the corners as his smile played on his lips. Naazir slowly folded his bottom lip into his mouth to bite.

The two of them took vows when they moved in together at the request of Naazir. He wanted to prove his loyalty and his commitment to their relationship, show her how serious he was about them. She promised to be understanding and his rock. And he promised to help her keep the peace she already had and to give her more peace when hers fell short. Especially when stressed. Often, his remedy for her stress was to assist with a quick release.

“No, Naazir. Not right now.” Nubia tried to close her legs, but he stopped her. She giggled. “We are not about to do this with your mother here. She already doesn’t like me and I need not give her yet another reason to hate me.”

“But you’re stressed.” He licked his lips slow. “And like I promised you when we first moved in here… there’s no way I will allow for you to hang on to stress around me.”

“Naazir,” Nubia whispered.

He stood to his feet, towering over her. Bent his arm at the elbow and brought it behind himself as he held and pulled his shirt up and over his head.

Nubia breathed softly at the sight of his torso in front of her. Abs defined set in a neat six-pack, skin glistening, the contours of his strength highlighted as he stood beneath their bedroom’s lights.

Naazir placed his balled hands into the mattress and on either side of Nubia’s hips, caging her in. He leaned in closer.

“King,” Nubia tried with a grin. “No.”

He grinned back. “Queen. Yes.”

“Uh-uh.”

“Mm-hmm.” Naazir crushed his lips against Nubia’s and encouraged her to lean back.

END OF SAMPLE.

Ebb& Flow is currently available for pre-order. Click Here to pre-order now.

Ebb & Flow drops Friday, December 27th!