Spotlight & Giveaway: Trading Secrets by Rachael Eckles

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Rachael Eckles’s new release: Trading Secrets

Hello, darlings! I’m thrilled to partner with HJ to give a few readers a limited edition of Trading Secrets.

 
Beautiful and self-assured, finance executive Celeste Donovan lives a life of luxurious excess. Surrounded by loyal friends and acquaintances, she is happy as a single woman. And because of a past abusive relationship, she has no desire to change her status as such.

However, when Celeste meets the mysterious Theodore at a friend’s party, she is instantly drawn to him. When he pursues a relationship with her, she finds herself falling for him. Unfortunately, Celeste doesn’t realize that her past love, Omar, has been keeping tabs on her.

When Theodore is killed in an airplane crash, she believes that Omar is involved. Racked by guilt and grief, Celeste vows to avenge Theodore’s death. Omar, however, is more dangerous than she imagines. With not only herself but those she loves in danger, she soon discovers what real fear entails.

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Trading Secrets 

In her peripheral vision, she saw a man appear right next to her and was startled when he placed a hand on her lower back. Celeste looked over and saw that it was him, the handsome man with the searing gaze from earlier. After a few glasses of champagne, Celeste had forgotten about him, but now the skittishness returned.
Savin greeted the man with a firm hug and a pat on the back. “Mate, so good to see you! Where have you been hiding?” Savin inquired, oblivious to Celeste’s discomfort.
“If you’ll excuse me, fellas, I need to get some air,” Celeste interrupted. She escaped the mystery man’s ice-blue stare and perfect face without a backward glance. Under normal circumstances, she would have fucked him two hours ago, but she was feeling anything but normal. On Savin’s massive terrace, Celeste inhaled the crisp cool air. His Tribeca loft was one of her favorite vantage points, and its airiness gave the illusion of endless space in an overcrowded city where one never felt alone. Celeste sighed and took in the Manhattan skyline, happy to be back home after her travels. Even late in the evening and ninety stories high, one could feel the vibration unmatched anywhere else in the world. She, like all New Yorkers, thrived on the intensity.
Celeste glanced over her shoulder to see the mystery man walking toward the door.
Fuck.
There was no one with whom she could feign conversation before he stepped out onto the terrace. She appeared outwardly calm and uninterested, though inside she was disconcerted. She felt her cheeks flush, unaccustomed to men having such an effect on her.
It’s the wine.
“Hello,” mystery man said as he stood directly behind her and murmured in her ear. “I came over to talk to you, and you fled.” He was much too close. Nibble my ear, why don’t you.
His scent was a mix of raw masculinity and pheromones. She turned around and stepped away from him, realizing she had not made eye contact with him since a few hours before.
“Hello,” she replied curtly. She did not trust herself to respond to his comment.
“Spectacular view, huh?”
“You know Savin, always has the best of everything.” She bristled at the fact that he had a British accent. She would never let Savin knowhe was too self-absorbed as it wasbut she secretly loved Anglo accents.
“He does indeed. And your name is?”
“Celeste, but you already knew that, no?”
He nodded.
“How do you know Savin?” she asked. “He’s been my business partner for many years, and I’ve never seen you before.”
Confident and relaxed, mystery man dove in.
“Savin and I went to boarding school together in Buckingham. Then, true to form, he got in trouble for smoking pot one too many times in the quadnot to mention the fact that we treated class attendance as optional. Our parents kept us separated after that.”
To her chagrin, she giggled at this. “Sounds like the Savin we all know and love!”
“Would you like a smoke? I rarely do but picked some up on a whim.” He withdrew a box of Nat Shermans from his jacket pocket.
“Oh, no, I quit years a … No, you know what? I would love one.” It would give her something to do with her hands while his eyes pierced through her. If you stare into my soul, you deserve to see whatever darkness you find, mystery man. Celeste smiled at that and relaxed a bit.
Their eyes met over the flame as he lit her cigarette. She inhaled deeply, waiting for the nicotine to calm her the way it used to. The serenity never came, and instead, she fell into a body-wrenching coughing fit after her first drag. Mortified, she looked up at mystery man, whose concerned look was quickly replaced with hysterical laughter.
“I don’t mean to laugh, Celeste, but you have a certain je ne sais quoi. I didn’t expect to send you into an emphysema spell. Are you OK, dear?”
Celeste burst into laughter despite herself. “I haven’t smoked in ages; perhaps I should’ve said no.” She realized how foolish she was acting toward this man who had been neither forward nor strange. The laughter led to tears threatening to roll down her face, a reality check that now was not the time to mess up her makeup. She straightened up and handed the cigarette to mystery man. He extinguished it on the ledge and threw it over the side.
“Tsk, tsk,” she said. “That could have fallen on someone’s head.”
“Perhaps that was the intent,” he said as he winked at her. “What do you say we get out of here? I’d love to take you out for a drink. Johnny’s Place is right around the corner.”
She was impressed. Celeste frequented the trendiest hot spots, but few knew of this swanky place. Intimate. Sexy. A well-kept secret.
“Well. I suppose I could use a change of scenery.”
He moved closer and put his hand on the small of her back, beginning to lead her inside.
“I’ll grab my coat, and then we can head out,” she turned to tell … I never asked him his name.
No sooner had she walked back into the ballroom than Savin was in front of her, and mystery man excused himself.
“So you’ve set your sights on Theodore, huh? Don’t break his heart. He’s the real deal, an old friend,” lectured Savin.
“Theo—” Oh, that’s his name. “I didn’t set my sights on him. To the contrary, I was minding my own business … Besides, somehow I think he can take care of himself.” She smiled.
“He’s a good guy, Celeste. I wanted the two of you to meet tonight.”
“You arranged this? What the hell, Sav?” she scolded as he laughed at her reaction. Her heart fluttered as she struggled to keep her mind off the man’s perfect lips.
“Why else do you think I demanded your presence? You need something more than a series of Antoines. I can tell you’re starting to find it all so dull. And if I didn’t know better, I would think that maybe you have a little crush, Celly.” Celeste narrowed her eyes with a frown and prepared to turn and stalk off. She stumbled backward and ran smack into Theodore’s chest. He was holding up her camel cashmere coat. Savin laughed at the uncharacteristic display of clumsiness.
Celeste looked up at Theodore with a question in her eyes. Theodore leaned to her ear, whispering, “I knew it was yours because your scent lingered on it.”
“Ah. Yes, of course. And thank you.”
Savin did not miss any of this exchange … Or her blushing. She wished for the thousandth time that he were less observant. She was going to hear about this over Sunday brunch. He winked at the two of them and shook Theodore’s hand.
“Great to see you, mate. Celly, I’ll see you at brunch Sunday.”
Celeste did not make a habit of leaving events with men, preferring to meet them after. As they made their way to the door, she told a couple of the wives who hated her how woooooooonderful it was to see them, while Theodore (with his hand again at the small of her back) said goodbye to no one. In fact, he appeared to know no one besides Savin. A ghost.
Theodore pulled Savin’s massive door closed as she strode to the elevator. Angelo raised his eyebrows and stepped aside to let them pass.
“Good night, Celeste. Be safe.”
“Good night, Angelo.”
Theodore stepped into the elevator after her, and yet again she caught her breath at his handsomeness. Thinking of nothing intelligent to say but needing to cut the sexually charged silence, she cleared her throat.
He said, “This is a strange thing I’m about to say … but I’m not sure I’ve ever been more attracted to a woman than I am to you. I was immediately drawn to you when I saw you walk in, and I haven’t been able to think of anything besides your eyes since. You are a vision.”
Oh, come on! “We met like an hour ago.” She hesitated to call him by his name. “Theodore, is it?” Celeste chuckled and looked away, at once disappointed that the four elevator walls were mirrored. It was impossible to avoid his gaze.
Her La Perlas were drenched. I wish he would give me some space … or fuck me right here in the elevator.
As they stepped out onto the cold street, Celeste was relieved to feel the heat leave her cheeks. They walked in silence the two blocks to Johnny’s and retreated down the steps into the warmth of the tiny sublevel jazz club, a fire crackling in the middle of the room. A quartet was playing in the corner. They strode to the bar, and he put his arms out to remove her coat. He doubled it over his arm.
“You are quite the gentleman.”
“Any excuse to be close enough to touch you.” She jerked her head around to look into his clear blue eyes, crinkled in mischief. Two can play at this game.
“What can I get for you, Miss Celeste? The usual?”
Celeste casually reached over the bar to stab three olives with a pick. She sucked the olives off slowly and deliberately, one by one.
She felt Theodore’s eyebrows raise but ignored him and said, “Let’s switch it up. Vodka martini tonight, Ketel. Extra dirty.” She turned to Theodore and winked.
He appeared unruffled as he ordered, “What the lady is having.”

Excerpt. ©Rachael Eckles. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.

I hope you can enjoy a glass of champagne and a bubble bath reading about Celeste’s elusive world. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter @rachaeleckles and on Facebook for updates on book 2 release in the Trading Secrets trilogy!
 
 

Giveaway: Limited edition paperback of Trading Secrets by Rachael Eckles (unsigned; US only)

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Meet the Author:

Rachael Eckles grew up in the Midwest. After graduating from law school, she followed her heart and moved to the east coast. Trading Secrets is her first novel. She currently lives in Manhattan with her puppy, where she is working on her next novel.

https://www.rachaeleckles.com
https://www.instagram.com/rachaeleckles

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