ONE TOUCH
by Caitlyn Willows
Erotic Romance - Contemporary Paranormal - Short Story
January 2006

Amber Quill Press - Amber Heat www.amberheat.com
ISBN: 1-59279-474-2

Just when Lucy Jones dares to try living as a normal woman, her past comes back to haunt her. It took one touch, one wild night for Ken Dutton to realize Lucy is a keeper. Now all he has to do is find her and convince her of that. Her touch might have the power to heal, but all Ken knows is that his heart will break without it.

To read an excerpt of this book, click here.

One Touch is a part of the erotic romance print anthology Caitlyn's Kisses, Volume III by Caitlyn Willows.

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WHAT THE REVIEWERS ARE SAYING

FIVE HEARTS! Caitlyn Willows is an awesome writer! She writes fresh, witty, and deeply moving stories that show her readers a part of her heart. One Touch is a deeply moving story that will have readers wanting a sequel. It is well written and flows freely. It is too bad that Lucy is not a real woman. The world is sadly in need of someone like her. ~Linda B., The Romance Studio

FIVE CUPS! I adored One Touch, it is one of the most riveting, and suspenseful love stories I have had the pleasure of reading. Lucy and Ken are written as real people rather than just characters, which made the reading all the more enjoyable. Also, the paranormal aspects of this story were believable. For those who enjoy an exciting, sensual story, this one is not to be missed! ~Regina, Coffee Time Romance

4.5 MAGICAL WANDS! Beautifully written with deft characterisation and hot, hot sex, this is the perfect short novel. It has all the ingredients of a Hollywood movie – romance, suspense, drama, and sinister agencies at work… A fantastic read, I thoroughly recommend it. ~Audiotalo, Enchanted Ramblings

FOUR ANGELS!!! One Touch is a sweet short story with a paranormal twist. The characters including those of Lucy and Ken are wonderful, genuine, and heart-felt characters that reader will enjoy and love. Inside Lucy is a special gift: the ability to heal those she comes in contact with and her desire to take care of those she cares for. She is passionate with a heart as loving as the flames of a fire are hot. Ken finds himself overwhelmed by Lucy, but he happens to see Lucy and not what she can do for him. His desire to fight for her is endearing. Their passion however is intense, sizzling hot, and even scorching at times. Handle this book with oven mittens. Caitlyn Willows created a delightful story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a touching romance with a little twist. ~ Jessica, Fallen Angel Reviews

4-1/2 STARS! [A] warm and intriguing story with intertwining undertones of mystery and true love. Reading One Touch was like watching two people, who are attracted to each other yet afraid to make the first move, finally take the plunge and go out on a date. The plot is unique and has a little twist of the paranormal to keep interest flowing through the action. Sexually, Ken and Lucy have a lustful connection that binds passion into the exciting plot. Ms. Willows has packed a joyful punch in this quick and exciting short story with its surprisingly unusual plot and delightful romantic love story. If you are looking for a short story that has the whole package, this is the one for you. ~ Francesca Hayne, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

ONE TOUCH is an exciting story with a twist that will make you want more. This may be a short story, but the amount of conflict and feeling found on its pages is amazing. Caitlyn Willows combines just the right amount of danger, action, and sexual heat to create a story that you won’t be able to put down. ~Belle Rouge, Romance Junkies

EXCERPT

Lucy Jones was a fool to think she could actually shut herself away from human contact. Actually, it wasn’t the contact as much as it was the touch she tried to avoid. She should have realized that once she’d recovered her equilibrium, she would have needs to fulfill. The problem had been how to fulfill those needs without revealing herself…and her abilities. If word got out, her freedom would be gone.

It had been a year since she’d slipped free of The Foundation’s clutches. A year away from the tests and evaluations, the constant stream of demands from people who knew her true worth, a year of peace where she didn’t have to worry about a foreign power seizing her for its own use. It had also been a year of looking over her shoulder, being oh-so-careful not to reveal too much.

But solitude had its own price. After a month hiding out, Lucy had  longed for human contact. She genuinely liked being with people. She just didn’t like being cornered and clutched at. Even feeling that way, Lucy couldn’t blame them for the way they behaved. Who wouldn’t want to be cured of all their ills with just one touch? But Lucy couldn’t save them all and that’s what hurt the most. How did one pick and choose?

The government wanted her for their own use. Yet there were millions of people in thousands of locations. Didn’t they deserve to live? Everyone wanted a piece of Lucy. All she wanted was peace. If it hadn’t been for her brother whisking her away in the dead of night, she might not be here today. Things had become that desperate. Through a friend of a friend of a friend of her brother’s, Lucy had been able to slip into relative anonymity. Her long, blond hair was now short and red.

Visits with her family would have to be infrequent and surreptitious—meeting at the lake under the guise of vacations and then only seeing them at night. Phone calls, emails, letters could all be intercepted. Everything had been pre-planned for them to meet again. The lack of communication was heartbreaking, but necessary. Once a year she’d get to see her parents and brother, and no one else. It was better than nothing. As things stood, it had been almost a year since their last visit. She ached to see them.

Lucy had lasted a month sequestered in a cabin by the lake after her escape. Being a hermit just wasn’t in her nature. So she’d crawled down from her mountaintop retreat and slipped very carefully back into society. That’s how she’d wound up as a firefighter. And while she couldn’t heal the world, at least she could heal those she came in contact with during the course of her work. Still, she had to be careful. But just a quick hand to the victim was all it took. Skin to skin contact worked the best; when clothing got in the way, the process took a bit longer, but still worked. So far no one had noticed the success rate of her particular engine company…or the remarkable health of her fellow firefighters in the months she’d been here.

She knew it was a risky choice, but these were her friends—men she worked with every day. How could she not take care of them? Healing was her gift—and curse—why couldn’t she help them? At least that’s how she justified her actions. Then she’d learned that a news reporter was going to be spending a month with them for a special interest feature. Panic flared through her body, setting off minute electrical shocks to her system. Fearful she’d been discovered, her first instinct was to run. Then Ken Dutton had walked into the firehouse.

Hormones she’d suppressed kicked into overdrive. Her knees buckled, her body quaked, and lust overrode every ounce of common sense she possessed. It might not have been so bad, except those olive green eyes of his locked onto her the second he arrived. His bright smile widened. Sunlight pouring through the open bay doors glinted off the golden highlights in his brown hair. He boasted a physique that could have easily lumped him in with her male counterparts. It was all Lucy could do to keep her hands to herself. Instead, she busied herself by taking over the cooking. A month and he’d be gone.

That was two weeks ago. She hadn’t counted on the fact that he would pursue her…and leave her giggling like a horny teenager in the process.

Lucy stirred meatballs into the cauldron of spaghetti sauce. She felt the heat of another person behind her, but didn’t look up. Considering the towering shadow the man cast, it could only be one person.

“So…when are you going to put the poor guy out of his misery? And yourself for that matter?”

She laughed at Bascom’s question. The guys sure loved razzing her over this. At least she’d provided them entertainment these last two weeks.

“Anticipation makes the prize sweeter.” She dumped the sauce over the spaghetti. “You’re taller, so you stir. I’ll get the garlic bread from the oven.”

“Chicken,” he said as he picked up the pasta spoons.

“No…just short,” she shot back.

He snorted. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Look…if it’s a broken heart you’re worried about, you know we’ll beat his ass if he hurts you.”

Lucy laughed. You couldn’t ask for better friends than that. She’d felt a good rapport with these men since the second she’d arrived. Until Ken had shown up at the firehouse, she’d always been one of the guys. Now she felt like the little sister. Even some of the wives had come around to try to make the match. Lucy had to face facts—she was fighting a losing battle.

“Maybe I’ll be the one to break his heart.”

“As my wife would say…‘You go, girl.’” He stabbed the spoons into the pasta and whirled around to face her, hands on hips. “Okay…here’s the deal. I’ve been asked to broker a date for tonight.”

Lucy slid the tray of bread onto the counter. Nothing like being cornered.

“My friend over there wants to take you to dinner.”

He pointed to the table in the corner where Ken was talking to Mac. Ken turned a smile her way and gave her a wink. Lucy’s body sang out in response.

“One dinner.” Bascom held up his finger. “And you already have the night off. The fact you’re here cooking for us instead of being at home when your shift is over, leads us to conclude you might be interested.”

Okay, so he had her there. Lucy was nice, but not so much that she’d give up her night off for men who could fend for themselves. She’d had an ulterior motive—stealing glances at Ken Dutton.

“If you agree, the date begins immediately.”

Eyes wide, Lucy jerked her head Bascom’s way. “Like this?” She waved her hand over her attire—serviceable black boots, dark gray khaki pants, and a matching T-shirt.

He grinned. “So you are interested.”

“I might be.” No further sense denying the obvious. “But I’m hardly dressed for dinner and certainly not a first date.”

“He’s been looking at you dressed like that for two weeks. I doubt it bothers him.”

“Maybe it bothers me. Maybe I’d like to look nice for a date…even with a man who’s been seeing me in work clothes for two weeks.”

He narrowed his steely blue eyes. “So…if you were dressed up, you’d go out with him right now?”

Lucy weighed her answer. “I would, but I’m not. And I really don’t have anything appropriate at home. So you see—”

“I never thought of you as the type of person to put on airs, Lucy.”

“A girl likes to look nice for her man…I mean a man.”

“Uh-huh…and that’s all that’s stopping you?”

She conceded that point with a nod. “Absolutely.”

Bascom grinned and snapped his fingers. “Ladies…it’s a go.”

Lucy whirled around as the wives descended on her. Bascom’s wife carried a bulging dress bag. Mac’s had a beauty case. Tenney’s was lugging a bag of shoes. They’d planned this. She was screwed. She dared a glance Ken’s way. He was looking rather pleased with himself.

Yep, definitely…and hopefully screwed.



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