I think it is safe to say that we all understand–at least on a basic level–that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but are also very conscious of the fact that it is easier than one may think for things that are out of sight to eventually become out of mind.
It is because of this awareness that I am giving you, my loyal followers and readers, the very first sneak peek into Revealed Book Two: Atonement.
For those wanting to follow along, but are finding themselves trying to piece together the order of events, head on over to the SHOP tab to purchase Revealed Book One to get caught up! For everyone else, make sure that you comment on the excerpt and ask loads of questions.
We are shooting for an April 2019 late summer release date, and who’s to say that your valuable input won’t help to enrich the fictional lives of Martin, Gage and the gang?
Happy Reading!
~T.M.
***
“Gage, I cannot believe you still aren’t over that. I mean sure, it sounded like Martin Toussaint put you through hell back then, but at the end of the day, you had a far more candid insight into the business than any of the other interns. You were on the ground floor when it came to the brokering of deals and the establishment of business relationships. The rest of us spent the semester case-studying ourselves to death,” Leigha said, flipping her hair over her shoulder the way she always did when she indirectly dismissed someone’s unsubstantiated complaints.
Although Leigha had met the man, she had no idea just how tortuous Martin Toussaint’s attentions had been for Gage.
Just then, all conversation was sidelined as a band of wait staff approached the pair, encircling their table with a trio of dome-lidded serving trays. Lowering the platters expertly at each place setting, the lids were lifted to reveal the sumptuous fare. Leigha had ordered grilled cognac prawns in beurre blanc sauce with saffron rice, lightly seasoned cauliflower and a remoulade dressing on the side, while Gage’s taste buds had insisted on the slow cooked sesame duckling filet in orange sauce with basil steamed vegetables and whipped sweet potatoes. The final salver boasted an aromatic boeuf bourguignon in a spicy butter-flour reduction with pearl onions, carrots, potatoes and mushrooms with crusty bread. Gage didn’t know if it was the presentation of the appetizing cuisine or the startling recollection of whose favorite meal it was that had her unconsciously salivating.
“Ah, it looks as though I’ve arrived just in time.”
Upon hearing the crisp tenor of his voice, she had her answer.
If Dominic were to find out that Martin had purposely arrived late for the externs’ welcoming dinner, he would have gut-punched his younger brother on sight. Where business was concerned, the elder sibling had always stressed the importance of punctuality. Of course, as a successful executive at the Toussaint Corporation himself, Martin had embraced not only the ideal of promptness, but also the family’s staunch standard when it came to fierce negotiations, lucrative acquisitions and aggressive deal closings. The fact that he hadn’t given two damns about any of that with the prospect looming over him of seeing Gage again was truly a staggering revelation.
And not because he still wanted her.
It was quite the opposite, he kept telling himself. He’d had four years to get over her latent disregard, but anytime he thought about her callousness, her stanch dismissal of their situation, it made him angry. She was lucky that the business could really utilize her skills. Why he had acquiesced to Mateo’s request was not something he was willing to explore presently, but as it were, all Gage would get from him henceforth would be flippant indifference.
“Mr. Toussaint, it is certainly good to see you again, although I must admit that we were expecting your brother!” Leigha chirped in surprise.
“Dominic was unfortunately called away on business, but hopefully I will prove myself to be a suitable stand in,” Martin grinned charmingly at the giggling woman as he made his way around the table to shake her hand and kiss her cheek. Nearing Gage next, he leaned in low before she could mimic Leigha in standing to greet him.
“Cela fait trop longtemps.”
It has been far too long, Martin murmured in her ear, positioned so close that Gage was caught in a perpetual squat between his looming figure and the chair she had been trying to rise from. His minty breath swirled as he spoke, caressing the exposed column and nape of her neck like an emboldened scribe.
“Good evening Mr. Toussaint,” Gage exhaled the whispered hiss as she fought to keep her eyes from drifting closed at the shocking sensation his warm breath immediately triggered.
When Martin made no attempt to move along, Gage turned her head, only to meet his cold, gray stare. Still crouched uncomfortably below his towering stature, her chair scraped the floor loudly as she was forced to stand to her full height and extend her hand, lest they remain stalemated all night. Ignoring the initiation of her proffered handshake, Martin simply kissed Gage’s cheek before moving to his own seat. Politely waiting for the pair to descend back into their chairs, Martin unhurriedly observed the table’s immaculate setting and the lovely contrast between his dinner companions before finally taking his seat. If the furtive glances and subtle attention being paid to their section of the dining room were any indication, then these two women had obviously picked up right where they’d left off in turning heads since arriving back in Aix.
Not that he cared.
“So, are you able to disclose the nature of business that kept Mr. Toussaint from meeting with us this evening?” Gage interrupted Martin’s distracted train of thought, as she speared a tender piece of meat on her plate before popping the morsel into her mouth.
“Miss Taylor Weston, after working together so intently nearly four years ago, has still not enough time passed for you, that you’d find my presence here tonight less favorable than that of my brother’s?” Martin queried with a completely disingenuous smile on his face.
Gage’s slick response was spoiled by a choking cough that had her immediately reaching for her glass of wine, while her best friend patted her back sympathetically through an unrestrained chuckle.
“Oh my goodness, Mr. Toussaint! I was just having this conversation with Gage before you arrived. I can’t believe that she still isn’t over you alls relationship,” Leigha reflected amusedly.
“What?” Gage squawked in disbelieving panic.
“Well, you aren’t. The fact that you are still holding your internship demotion against this man is ridiculous. To this day, I am still envious of the hands-on learning you received while the rest of us interns participated in a bunch of groupthink exercises,” Leigha stated, believing herself to finally be bringing a resolution to the matter.
“You are right Miss Hinton; she did receive quite a lot of hands-on experience,” Martin confirmed straight-faced as he scooped the delicious stew up and into his awaiting mouth.
Where was a vial of hemlock when a girl needed it, Gage thought to herself as she tried not to envision first poisoning her loud ass friend and then her smug… whatever Martin was to her now. Taking the time to regain her composure, Gage sipped a bit more wine than was customary during a business dinner before replying.
“You’ve both brought up some very good points that I would be more than happy to address,” Gage spoke in the exasperatingly measured way that she’d mastered during her Civil Litigation courses. “Firstly Mr. Toussaint, I was only curious about your brother’s whereabouts in relation to the nature of work we’d be embarking on during our externship. If that information is in fact unrelated to our job functions, then please forgive my curiosity.”
Pausing for effect, Gage bestowed Martin with the same fake smirk he’d just lobbed her way before continuing on to her meddlesome friend, “And Leigha, despite your beliefs on the matter, I assure you that everything between Mr. Toussaint and myself is not only forgiven but long forgotten. Now, if all hearts and minds are clear, I’d love to hear more about what we can expect to be working on in the coming days.”
Her best friend’s “my-bad-sis” face had Gage nearly snickering, if not for the storming over of Martin’s already frosty gaze. In truth, she’d long ago become accustomed to his furious looks, but this one was especially lethal in its intensity.
So be it, Gage thought. She knew good and well that things were far from resolved between the two of them, but better to proceed with no illusions of consorting at all than to leave things open to interpretation. Besides, four years was a long time to hold a grudge, and she wasn’t the same silly girl who’d lost herself twice over in the pursuit of a man for whom she was obviously not enough.
“Business it is,” Martin responded dryly, his uncanny ability to read her like a book still potent.
