One Thing (eBook)
264 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
9798317812676 (ISBN)
Gary White has been telling stories since he could hold a pen - spinning tales of ghosts, romance, and newsroom drama taking inspiration from the world around him. With a career spanning nearly three decades across film, television, stage, and podcasts, Gary has carved out a reputation for crafting compelling narratives that entertain, inform, and inspire. From award-winning documentaries to heartfelt holiday romances and even a full-length musical exploring the state of modern journalism, his creative range is as expansive as his curiosity. Gary spent over 25 years in the news industry, starting in Philadelphia and later in Kentucky, producing a wide array of programming-from hard-hitting news and sports to comedy specials and cultural events. His first documentary, 'College Hauntings,' earned critical acclaim and set the stage for a body of work marked by versatility and passion. In 2022, Gary saw his first feature-length screenplay come to life on screen. 'Finding Love in Saint Lucia,' released by Triventure Films in 2024, is now streaming on Amazon Prime. With the release of 'The One Thing,' Gary proudly adds 'published author' to his list of creative accomplishments. To explore more of his work and stay up to date on future projects, please visit www.garypaulwhite.com
Everyone has that one moment they'd give anything to change. For Samantha Williams, this happened on a rain-soaked road in the Kentucky countryside ten years ago when she stopped to help a handsome stranger on the side of the road changing the entire course of her life forever. Now a decade later, Samantha is a confident and powerful figure in Kentucky's elite, the polished wife of rising political star Jake Williams, and heir-by-marriage to a famed bourbon empire. She's built the life she always dreamed of respect, influence, a picture-perfect family and buried the past so deeply she almost believes it stayed there. Almost. With a chance encounter, Samantha's tightly controlled world begins to unravel. The man from the roadside is back threatening everything: her family's reputation, their political ambitions, and the illusion of her perfect family. As she tries to convince herself things will be fine, her worst nightmares start to come true and the story that she's been working to keep hidden is on the brink of coming out. When a body turns up murdered and tied to the bourbon business her family controls the stakes rise even higher. Suddenly, Samantha isn't just protecting her past she may be fighting for her life. Samantha finds herself pulled into a dark, twisting mystery that stretches far beyond that rainy night. How much is she willing to risk in order to keep that night a secret? How far will she go to protect her family, her future, and her life?
Prologue
That handsome, wet stranger may be just the man I’ve been searching for, Samantha Williams thought when she pulled her brand-new black Mercedes Maybach SUV onto the shoulder of Highway 55 South, just outside of Lebanon, Kentucky. The stranger was crouched next to his bike on the side of the road, getting soaked through from the torrential rain. Samantha noticed the wrench in his hand and the tools spread all around the 2012 Harley-Davidson Street Glide motorcycle that held his attention.
The headlights caught him in their full stream, and a surprised look crossed his face. She saw the man’s impressive muscles glistening in the rain. She noticed his youthful face and firm body. He couldn’t be a high school kid, Samantha thought. But then, he couldn’t be much older either. He wiped the rain out of his eyes and stared at the vehicle.
A moment later, Samantha watched the man slosh through the rain and appear at the driver’s side of the SUV. She moved her perfectly manicured, plum-colored nail to the appropriate button and lowered the window, just a crack.
“Need a ride?” she asked.
His rain-matted, dirty-blond curls clung to his rounded face. He bent down a little to talk through the crack in the window. Samantha appraised his sizable biceps as he again wiped rain out of his bright blue eyes.
“My bike is broke and my cell’s dead.”
“Hop in.”
“Really?”
With a coy smile, Samantha nodded toward the passenger side door. The man hesitated in the rain for just a second before answering.
“Thanks. Just let me grab my backpack.”
His backpack, she thought. Maybe he is in school.
She got a good look at him as he turned around, strode over to his bike, collected his tools and grabbed his backpack, and rushed to the passenger side of the SUV. If she squinted her eyes, he looked like Zac Efron, except taller, at least six feet—quite a difference to Samantha’s petite five-foot-two frame.
The rain made his plain white T-shirt cling to each well-developed muscle. She assessed the effect of the pouring rain on his light-brown khaki pants. When Samantha’s eyes got just below his waist, she knew pulling over to offer him a ride was the right move.
She unlocked the passenger door. He slid in, and Samantha could see rainwater puddling on the passenger floor. She despised a mess, especially in her new car, but she was willing to forgive him. When he closed the door, Samantha pulled back onto the empty road and continued south into Lebanon.
As they rode in silence, the rain intensified. Samantha breathed in the mixture of rain, sweat, and oil that came off the man. She found the scent enticing. It seemed to mix perfectly with her “Love Is in the Air” perfume as it wafted throughout the vehicle.
A clap of thunder invaded their quiet, and Samantha instinctively grasped the man’s hand, sitting on the console between their seats. They both looked down, then back out at the road. She released her grip.
“What a time to break down,” Samantha said.
“Yeah, it’s nasty for anyone to be out.” She could hear the question in his voice. Then he continued. “It’s raining . . .”
“. . . cats and dogs,” they said in unison.
“That’s funny,” he said.
“I was just thinking about that phrase,” she replied. “It’s so random.”
“Well, not really.”
“Oh, do you know where it came from?”
“Nah! No one really knows for sure, but people seem to think it comes from the poor sanitation in England back in the 1600s. Jonathan Swift talked about it in one of his satirical essays.”
“Jonathan Swift, huh? Well, aren’t you smart. Did you learn that today in school?”
“I’m not in school. I work. Harris Manufacturing here in town.”
“I see.”
She was glad to know he was of age. Just in case.
“You from around here?” she asked.
“Born and raised. You?”
“No, just visiting.”
“Lebanon? Doing the bourbon trail?”
“Just seeing what I can find,” she said.
A pink hue came to his cheeks when he turned to look out the window. She found it adorable.
The two remained quiet for the rest of the short ride into the small town of Lebanon, population about 6,400. Once during the ride, she caught him stealing a quick glance her way. She didn’t mind. She wanted him to look at her. She wanted him to want her.
Samantha broke the silence. “Is there still a motel in town on Highway 68?”
“The Royal Hill Motel?”
“That’s it.”
As she turned the Mercedes from Highway 55 onto Highway 68 in the center of town, she glanced over at the man and smiled. He gave her an awkward smile back.
A few minutes later, they turned into the Royal Hill Motel parking lot. She had driven by the motel several times over the years. The exterior made Samantha think of the Bates Motel. The rain made it look even more creepy.
She pulled into a parking space outside the door marked “office.” After she turned off the engine, she looked around and thought she saw a rat run past the entrance.
“Wait here and I’ll get a key,” she said. “You can use the phone in my room to call someone to come and get you, if you want.”
“Thanks,” he said with a catch in his throat.
Samantha laughed to herself as she fished an umbrella out of the glove compartment, “accidentally” scraping his leg in the process. She quickly opened the door, shoved the umbrella out, and ran to the office. At the door, she glanced back and verified that the man remained in the car. She turned the door handle and entered the office.
A couple of minutes later, she returned to the vehicle, a room key in hand. She backed out of the parking space and worked her way toward her room.
“Room’s around back,” she said.
The man nodded.
Samantha pulled the SUV into a parking spot and turned off the engine.
“We need to get you out of these wet clothes,” she said.
He grabbed his backpack. They both opened their car doors and ran through the rain for the room. Samantha fiddled with the lock. What kind of place still uses keys? Eventually she got the door open, and they entered the room on the first floor of the dilapidated motel.
“Come here often?” he asked with a smile on his face. “What’s your name?”
Samantha closed the window blinds and then turned to face the man. She ignored his questions, walked toward him, looked him in the eye, and got busy peeling off his rain-soaked shirt. She was thrilled to find that the muscles looked even better without clothes.
“You work out,” she said.
“Every day,” he said. “Not much else to do here.”
She took a minute to appreciate his hard work. Then she rubbed her hand along his pecs and down his finely sculpted abs. From what she could see in his pants, he enjoyed it as much as she did.
As the rain continued to pour down, Samantha looked up at the man in front of her. She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed him passionately. He didn’t hold back, like other men she had been with. The joys of youth, she thought.
Before long, they were both naked and lying on the old double bed. Samantha had never been with a man so well-defined. His body fascinated her. She needed him. She needed what she knew this young, virile man could give her.
She pushed the still-wet curls of dirty-blond hair away from his eyes and again noticed how vibrant blue they were. She then took her hand from his face and started traveling back down his chest and over his six pack.
“I work hard for them,” he said between kisses.
“I bet.”
Her hand kept traveling down to between his legs.
“You’re hard all over,” she whispered in his ear.
Lying beside her, he began to explore her body. She could see every one of his muscles bulging as they rubbed against her.
“I’ve never done anything like this before,” he said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll show you how it’s done.”
Samantha took control again and mounted him.
“I got a condom in my bag,” he said.
He moved to get out of the bed to retrieve the condom, but Samantha grabbed him with both hands and pinned him to the bed.
“We don’t need one,” she said.
And with that, she quickly directed him inside her.
They continued for an hour; his stamina amazed her.
He touched her like she had never been touched before—first gently with his hands, and then more forcefully with his mouth. Although primal and arousing, it remained simply sex. In a good way. No emotions involved, no feelings.
After their third time, they were both spent.
“That was amazing,” he said, trying to catch his breath.
“Not bad for your first time, huh?” Samantha said.
He blushed again. She could tell he was inexperienced. She rolled off him and back onto the bed.
“You never told me your name,” he said. “I’d like to see you again.”
When she turned to face him, she found him staring back at her. He was so young. She put a finger up to his lips and he kissed it.
...| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 1.12.2025 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Krimi / Thriller / Horror |
| ISBN-13 | 9798317812676 / 9798317812676 |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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