Shayna:
Taking in a mouthful of air, I tried to run for the exit. Even when Lucas’s hand held onto my elbow, I shook wildly to get away. His touch penetrated my skin. I felt it to my core.
“Shay, don’t go.”
I didn’t want to leave, but didn’t have a choice. My insides sang with a wild thump, thump, thumping from the heartbeats. I willed my legs to move, but his pleas had a greater pull.
“Shay, I need you to stay. Let’s talk.” If those words didn’t do anything, his final plea shattered the walls when he added, “Please.”
My fight was gone. Lucas had done something only he could do: soothe the fire with his words because of our emotional ties. I held onto my cries, captured the sobs in my chest and tossed my head side to side. I despised myself for being weak and in love. My head hung low, until all I was able to study was the gray floor of the basement. That pause was just enough to let him know that I could be his. Realizing my error, I swung my head almost mechanically.
“Nooo,” I whined in a somber tone.
“Yes, I can fix this,” he pleaded in a heavy whine.
“No, Lucas.” His finger tightened on my arm. This time, I turned to him full-on to advise, “No, you have to give it time; damn, Lucas, I need to be free.”
Lucas gripped my chin only to trail up to tilt my chin. His breath lashed at my eyelids, then trailed across my cheeks until he breathed onto my tender lips. There we were, two friends panting, with no more than an inch to separate us.
“Let. Me. Go,” I whispered. My voice cracked at the very end. There was a type of finality to the words, as if I had no intention of ever coming back to him. Actually, I wanted to draw the line, build a wall and sever the ties. Who was I kidding? I tried to convince myself to never think about him beyond this evening. “I don’t want this . . . And you. You made a choice, now live with it.”

Taunted Souls: A Friends to Lovers Romance

For the past five years, Lucas Akins has been in love with his best friend Shayna Davies. Anyone with eyes could see, even Shayna. Yet she’s been fighting off her own feelings too!
As they attempt to continue a life together as just friends, the universe steps in and forces them to own up to their feelings.
But life is never that easy.
Bad choices and dark secrets filter into their lives to shatter the only real happiness either has ever known. And they are forced into circumstances neither is prepared to take on, though they must; otherwise, love might be lost. Forever…

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Janice Ross was born in Guyana, South America and migrated to the USA in 1980. Although her citizenship certificate now reads the United States of America, she considers herself a citizen of the world. Sure she has not physically been around the world and back, but she’s travelled in her mind and dreams.

Janice enjoys Zumba, Kickboxing, and most exercise classes. When she’s not pushing her physical limits, Janice spends time working on her craft, as well as lending a hand to other aspiring writers.