Synopsis
Being Lily Parnell’s best friend was effortless for Jack. Growing
up together, Jack loved Lily and was fiercely protective of her and for most of
his life all he wanted was to make her happy. When she was happy he was happy,
except Lily lived a world away from him now and Jack missed her dreadfully. As
far as Jack was concerned there had never been a time in their lives where they
hadn’t shared everything. In recent years Lily’s ambitions took her overseas
and even with an ocean between them, Jack still managed to support his best
friend. One day things changed everything between them and their relationship
began to shift. Lily was carving her own life and after observing a scene
involving her, it made Jack take a close look at his own. Feeling confused, Jack
decided to take a difficult decision never realising the potential fallout from
doing something he felt was the right thing at the time. With his life laid
bare Jack and as a simple, uncomplicated guy he thought he had things finally
figured out. Women loved Jack and they came and went in his life apart from
Lily. She was always there, until one day she wasn’t. Jack felt betrayed and
abandoned by the one person who he thought he could rely on no matter what.
During his journey from that moment on Jack faced more separation and loss than
he could ever have imagined how would it shape him both as a man and can he
forgive her?
Excerpt
Rick cracked the door open and padded through it hacking a cough
and reaching for the mini-bar. “Mornin’ Lothario.” He croaked in my direction
without making eye contact, reading the labels.
Chuckling loudly, there was just no way I was going to live down
that after party Mark was talking about, but when I took in the sight of him I
couldn’t help but throw a come-back at him.
Did your mother send you that get up, or are the pyjamas supposed
to turn the women in your room off enough to leave?”
Rick looked down and smirked at the wine coloured paisley patterned
silk pyjama bottoms he was wearing.
Waving his hand at the chair for me to sit down he pulled a glass
and poured himself a miniature of gin and a small bottle of tonic water into
it. “Long story.”
“Can’t wait.” My hurried comment was followed up with a wide grin
as I settled back in the chair with one leg crossed over the other, my ankle
resting on my knee.
“Allergy. I’ve got a rash from the starch on the hotel sheets the
other night.”
As soon as he said that I knew he was going to regret it and I
could see from the startled look on his face he’d been caught off guard and
didn’t mean to be so open about it. He knew he’d walked right into something
that I’d use against him, even if I was managing to keep my face straight.
“A rash?” I couldn’t keep the humour out of my voice, and there was
even the hint of a breakthrough giggle in those two words.
Rick stared pointedly at me as if to say, “Laugh and tear you a new
one,” but my sense of humour just overrode any potential fall-out consequences
he may have been planning.
“That’s a bit like saying I got pregnant from the sheets, Rick.
Don’t you think you’re more likely to have caught something from one of the
women in your bed than the sheets? Or don’t you want to believe that just in
case you get pussy-fright?
Rick threw the lid of the gin bottle at me and it bounced off my
forehead but by that time I was chuckling loudly. “Laugh all you want, I’m
allergic to starch. So they got me these from the hotel store because I needed
something to make sure I was protected in bed. It was fucking murder trying to
play with the itch in my pants the night before last.”
“Most guys wear condoms for protection, Rick not theatrical
pyjamas.”
Rick was being deadly serious but the more he spoke the more
uncontrollable my laughing became until he stood up and pulled them down to
show me the red welts on his legs, his dick at eye level with me. Just as he
did this, the door opened and the two girls he had in his bed came through the
door.
Turning my head to look at them, I was still stifling a grin. Rick
was true to form and had two classic groupies for his sleepover, skinny girls
with big tits, no bras, dyed blonde hair with black roots dressed in the usual
rock-chick attire of leather mini-skirts, fishnet stockings and tight dark
brown and cream t-shirts with the ‘Cobham Street’ motif on them.
“Sorry ladies, I was just about to part-take would either of you
like to join me?”
My quip was out before I’d even thought about it. Hell, I was
probably going to be sacked after this, but I grinned widely and Rick smacked
me around the head, making me cry out— partly in surprise, partly out of pain.
“You’re such a smart ass Jack Cunningham.” Pivoting the top half if
his body in their direction he gestured at me with his hand, his pyjamas still
at his ankles. “I was just showing him my rash.”
Laughing raucously I stared helplessly at Rick taking in his
pathetic form with the patterned material draped around his feet and his dick
dangling in front of him. As soon as I knew he felt the need to explain what
was happening all of my professionalism suddenly deserted me and I was
struggling to catch my breath, let alone stop laughing. The skinnier one of the
girls gave a loud snort, then her resolve was gone and she joined in laughing,
but I think she was laughing because mine was so infectious more than anything
else.
Rick continued protesting his innocence when suddenly the second
girl who had been standing staring deadpan erupted in the oddest hee-haw laugh
I’ve ever heard in my life. The look on Rick’s face was a picture as he gawped
in disbelief with his jaw open taking in all of us laughing hysterically at his
expense. I was sure he was going react badly, but even at that I just couldn’t
get it together at all.
Rick bent down and pulled his pyjamas up, which I found even
funnier for no particular reason and this set off a fresh bout of laughter.
Striding over to open the door, Rick waved a finger in the direction of the two
women and Jed made short work of evacuating them from the scene. All I could do
was watch helplessly because I couldn’t get my laughing fit under control, and
I was sure I was going to be next to be thrown out, but probably via the roof
terrace.
Closing the door again, Rick bent forward, his hands on his knees
and he suddenly cracked up with laughter. “Jack fucking Cunningham, I should
bury my size eleven up your ass for what just happened there, and I don’t understand
why I can’t…I fucking love you, dude. You have no idea what a breath of fresh
air you are in a world full of ‘yes men’. How the fuck have you been?”
KLShandwick just Jack 2015©
Teaser
Meet the Author
K. L. Shandwick lives on the outskirts of London. She started
writing after a challenge by a friend when she commented on a book she read.
The result of this was "The Everything Trilogy." Her background has
been mainly in the health and social care sector in the U.K. She is still
currently a freelance or self- employed professional in this field. Her books
tend to focus on the relationships of the main characters. Writing is a form of
escapism for her and she is just as excited to find out where her characters
take her as she is when she reads another author's work.
Thank you for being part of just Jack cover reveal. 💙
ReplyDeleteOoooh can't wait !!
ReplyDeleteSo ready for this book xxx
ReplyDelete