Caribbean Romance Teaser 1

By Caribbean Books Foundation

Two wonderful authors gave us the opportunity to give you an excerpt of their work.
Please read their labor of love and consider purchasing the full version of the books to see how the remarkable romances end.

Jewel Amethyst’s Hurricane of the Heart
When Kyle agrees to be the best man at his best friend’s destination wedding in Dominica, he has one thing on his mind: partying. But all that changes when a powerful hurricane strikes the island and he finds himself trapped in a village and falling hard and fast for the indigenous beauty queen, Alia Granea whose goals do not include men, least of all an immature, irresponsible American party-animal like Kyle. But the hurricane devastates more than her beautiful island; it wreaks havoc on her heart when she falls under Kyle’s spell and is forced to choose between her ambition, her love for her country and her love for Kyle Robinson.

J.L. Campbell’s Grudge
Corra Bingham is all about preserving her sanity. After dumping her cheating ex, she goes on vacation in Xantrope. But things turn complicated when she nearly loses her life to a ruthless and persistent stalker. She's clueless as to why anyone would choose her for blood sport, but isn't happy when Phillip Denham appoints himself as her protector. He's everything she doesn't want in a man good-looking, frugal with the truth, and a law-enforcement officer. Try as she might, she cannot make him go away, not even if it means saving her life. Phillip Denham is a man on a mission. Using his skills as a detective, he races to find answers that will prevent Corra from ending up on a slab in the morgue since he would rather have her close to his heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Caribbean Books Foundation
• Release date: Feb 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310148705

Caribbean Books Foundation

Caribbean Books Foundation is an international platform that connects the Caribbean community and its diaspora through its literature.

Book preview

Caribbean Romance Teaser

Book 1

Two wonderful authors gave us the opportunity to give you an excerpt of their work.

Please read their labor of love and consider purchasing the full version of the books to see how the remarkable romances end.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Caribbean Books Foundation is not the publisher.

Caribbean Books Foundation is an international platform that connects the Caribbean Community and its Diaspora through its literature.

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Both books are written in standard English mixed with local Caribbean dialect.

Jewel Amethyst’s Hurricane of the Heart

The Player: 

When Kyle agrees to be the best man at his best friend’s destination wedding in Dominica, he has one thing on his mind: partying. But all that changes when a powerful hurricane strikes the island and he finds himself trapped in a village and falling hard and fast for the indigenous beauty queen, Alia Graneau. 

The Planner: 

Alia Graneau has goals that do not include men, least of all an immature, irresponsible American party-animal like Kyle. But the hurricane devastates more than her beautiful island; it wreaks havoc on her heart when she falls under Kyle’s spell and is forced to choose between her ambitions, her love for her country and her love for Kyle Robinson. 

Can their love, born in a hurricane, survive the ravages of real life?

Copyright Jewel Amethyst

Alamanda Press: An Imprint of CaribbeanReads Publishing

Chapter 1

Damn! Kyle Robinson cursed, squeezing his temples between his palms.

A jackhammer exploded in his head as a thunderous thump echoed around the small room. He opened one eye lethargically.

Bright sunlight assaulted his eyes. His head throbbed. Mumbling something unintelligible, he pulled a pillow over his head and buried himself in the soft bed.

The thumping persisted, a loud echo that reverberated off the walls of his temples. Cursing beneath his breath, he tossed the pillow away and sat up massaging his aching temples. Now that he was awake, he realized that the loud thump had been a mere rap on the door; a light one at that. Through squinted eyes he looked around the brightly painted room, disoriented.

Where the hell am I?

Realization returned in flashes: Dominica; bachelor party; wedding… The wedding! He sprang out of bed, the sudden movement churning bile in his stomach. With a pounding head and racing pulse he rushed to the bathroom, dragging half the bed covers with him.

One minute, he tried to shout, but succeeded in emitting a gravelly whisper. Did I oversleep? Am I late for the wedding? He glanced at his watch and breathed a sigh of relief. He still had a few hours to whip himself into shape.

Quickly, he downed two aspirins he had found in the miniature first aid kit with tap water and splashed his face. His scraggly reflection stared back at him in the oversized bathroom mirror. The wild partying the night before had left its mark. His characteristic Robinson light brown eyes were swollen and bloodshot. His normally clean-shaven face sported a gritty five o’clock shadow. There was a small bruise on his left cheekbone courtesy of a fight with a local.

He examined his milk-chocolate torso looking for any other telltale signs of what had occurred the night before. What he saw was evidence that his perpetual excessive partying was causing his six-pack abs to lose definition. He definitely had to hit the gym.

Kyle looked down at the red boxers he was wearing. They were turned inside out and back to front. He had no clue how he had gotten back to his hotel room the night before. They had held the bachelor’s party at the hotel bar. Drinks had flowed, calypso music had been pumping and there had been girls galore. He had already downed about six Kubuli beers and a few rum punches when he started flirting with a well-endowed local girl. A few minutes later he was on the dance floor sandwiched between two Kim Kardashian look-alikes in a sensual grind. A big burly fellow had approached. He had shouted something to one of the girls in the local Creole dialect, grabbed her and punched Kyle in the face. The last thing Kyle remembered was throwing a wild punch in the air that missed his attacker by a mile.

Another knock on the door brought Kyle back to the matter at hand.

Hold your horses! I’ll be right there, he shouted, his deep voice now loud and clear.

It could only be one person knocking at his door: Kevin.

Kyle opened the door with every intention of greeting his cousin with the usual, Whad up, dawg? Instead he stared, mesmerized.

Standing before Kyle was five feet seven inches of sexy curves that could grace the cover of any fashion magazine.

From her smooth bronze complexion and long wavy hair Kyle figured she was mixed-race. Her large almond eyes tapered elegantly at the sides and were fringed by long straight lashes. The only makeup she wore was bronze lip gloss that enhanced her full lips. Her most striking feature, though, was her aura of regal elegance, the confident poise of someone who knew where she was going in life.

Kyle looked her over, a flirtatious smile gracing his lips. His eyes landed near her bosom as he strained to get a glimpse of the cleavage above her button-front multicolored blouse.

In his best Barry White voice he crooned, I must have died and gone to heaven.

Mr. Robinson? the lady asked in a light Dominican accent.

Her voice was like honey: smooth, fluid, and totally sweet.

Kyle drew his eyes away from her bosom.

That’s me.

I’m Alia Graneau, the activities coordinator. I will be in charge of coordinating the wedding and making sure everything goes smoothly, she said, with a sunny smile that revealed even rows of pearly-white teeth and dimples on both cheeks.

"I am delighted to meet you, ma chérie," Kyle flirted, extending his hand to her. Her hands were soft and smooth in his. Her long, well-groomed nails sported a French manicure.

Ignoring his overt flirting, Alia continued. In anticipation of inclement weather, the hotel has decided to end all activities early in the unlikely event that we have to evacuate the hotel guests. So we’ve moved the wedding forward three hours.

Really? What kind of inclement weather are we talking about?

A hurricane. It’s expected to pass sometime tomorrow, possibly with tropical storm-force winds. Right now, we are not in its projected path for a direct hit, so all of this is just precautionary, she said.

Kyle lowered his voice an octave. I guess that leaves enough time after the reception for you and me to have a few drinks.

Alia stiffened. She flashed him a practiced smile that did not reach her eyes. I’m sure you already have a wonderful woman who would be happy to share much more than drinks with you. I’ll be back in ninety minutes to escort you to the reception hall. Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?

Yes. Have a drink with me later.

Alia sashayed away hurriedly, leaving Kyle still standing in the doorway staring at her round backside.

Chapter 2

The open reception hall with its low-lying fortified stone walls was elegantly decorated. Bouquets of ginger lilies, heliconias and anthuriums adorned each table, blending their delicate tropical fragrance. A priest clad in formal phylacteries sat in a wicker chair beneath a trellised archway where the bride and groom would exchange vows.

The bride, dressed in an elegantly simple spaghetti-strapped pearl gown, and her bridal party in coral strapless dresses, waited nervously in the lobby while the groomsmen milled around the bar waiting for the wedding to begin. The thirty or so wedding guests were already seated in the chintz-covered straight-back chairs. The only person missing was Kyle Robinson.

Alia checked her watch impatiently. She wondered if he had gotten cold feet. She had been back to his room, but could not locate him. None of the hotel workers involved in the wedding preparations knew where he was. It was getting late.

Alia checked the bars one last time. She rushed past the swimming pool.

Looking for me? The deep unmistakable voice of Kyle Robinson invaded Alia’s thoughts.

She swung around and did a double take. Standing at the poolside bar with a rum punch in his hand, Mr. Robinson looked nothing like the beaten-up old jalopy she had seen that morning. At six feet tall, in a sleek tuxedo with his hair neatly trimmed, face clean-shaven and startling brown eyes clear and alert, he looked quite suave, handsome even.

Alia breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone is waiting. We need to get to the hall now.

Kyle took a last sip of his punch and placed the glass on a poolside table. There’s no hurry. Shall we? He extended his elbow to escort Alia back to the reception hall.

Alia ignored it and said with a wry smile, I hope you weren’t getting cold feet, Mr. Robinson.

Kyle laughed. Now why would I get cold feet? It’s not like I’m having a life-changing experience.

Alia raised her brows but said nothing. She was really sorry for the woman crazy enough to marry this flake. She led the way to the reception hall.

So, are we on for drinks later? Kyle continued where he had left off earlier as they entered the corridor between the bar and the reception hall.

Alia shook her head in disgust. Shouldn’t you be spending your wedding night with your bride?

Kyle chuckled, his face registering comprehension. He placed his hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the bridal party gathered in the lobby.

Alia recoiled at his touch, angered by his mocking laugh.

Kevin, he beckoned to his cousin.

Kyle’s tall, lanky cousin, dressed in a dark grey tuxedo, left the three groomsmen and walked toward Kyle and Alia. At six foot six he towered over Kyle.

Before Kyle could get a word out, Kevin said, Man, we’ve been looking all over for you. Where were you?

Kyle did not answer. Instead, he introduced his cousin to Alia. "Alia, I want you to meet my cousin Kevin Robinson.

He’s the one getting married today. I’m just the best man."

Alia’s face turned deep crimson. I’m so sorry, Mr. Robinson, she apologized profusely. I just—assumed you were the groom.

Kyle chuckled lightly and said with a wink, You know what they say about assumptions.

Alia’s regret turned to anger. Kyle Robinson was certainly full of himself.

Tersely she said, If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know.

Kyle smiled. You could let me have the first dance with you.

First dance is for the maid of honor, Kevin reminded him. I hope you remember the choreography.

Kevin and Leila had wanted a fun wedding so they had a choreographer design a sexy Latin dance for the bridal party.

The second dance then, Kyle corrected himself. He looked at Alia expectantly.

I don’t know if you noticed, Alia responded coldly, her accent deepening, but I’m working.

With that she walked away to organize the bridal party for the procession.

***

The wedding ceremony went off without a hitch, as did the choreographed first dance. Kyle could not have been prouder of his cousin as he watched him commit his life to Leila. Kevin was just a year older than Kyle and the two had been partners in crime since childhood, from getting into trouble as teenagers to partying like animals in college and beyond. Two years before, while celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday, Kevin had gotten into a serious accident. He recovered physically, but something changed within him. He was no longer fascinated by the party lifestyle and wanted to settle down. That was when Kyle introduced him to Leila, a friend from college.

Leila had always been well-grounded, fun-loving and ambitious.

She had milestones she wanted to meet. One of those milestones was being married by twenty-five and having her children before thirty. She and Kevin hit it off at once so it was no surprise to Kyle when Kevin proposed to Leila barely a year after meeting her. At first Kyle thought his cousin was nuts for wanting to marry so young, but seeing them together, the way they looked into each other’s eyes, he knew Kevin and Leila were doing the right thing.

After the first dance Kyle sauntered over to the bar to have a quick drink before taking his place on the dais at his cousin’s side. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alia Graneau approaching.

He turned around and gave her a suave smile. Ah, you must have changed your mind about that dance.

It’s time for the best man’s speech, she responded brusquely.

Oh man! he said with exaggerated disappointment. I thought we were gonna get our groove on.

Alia ignored him.

What time you get off work? Kyle persisted.

What is that to you?

I’m just thinking we can meet back here and have a little private party, know what I’m saying? He winked at her.

In your dreams, Mr. Robinson, Alia said and walked off.

This time she did not even bother giving the practiced smile.

It’s Kyle, he called after her.

The bartender looked up at him. "Garçon, you wasting your time."

What do you mean by that?

Every man in this place has tried.

That statement only strengthened Kyle’s resolve. That’s because she hasn’t met me as yet, he said with a wink. He drained the glass and walked up to the podium.

Kyle tapped the microphone lightly to get everyone’s attention.

Hi, ladies and gentlemen. Hope everyone’s having a ball cause I’m about to bore you with the best man’s speech. A groan went up from the guests dining on Dominica’s finest cuisine.

One guy shouted to Kyle to make it short, eliciting a chuckle from the audience.

Before I delve into my little spiel about how lucky Kevin is to have found Leila, or what a wonderful wife Leila would make, the bride and groom have asked me to do a little housekeeping.

Kyle paused. "It is no secret that before Leila won Kevin’s heart he was the number one playa. Oh yes, Kevin did some damage in his day. Well, now that he’s decided to become a one-woman man, Kevin has instructed me to ask all the women