I knew he wouldn’t give up easy. A guy like him would need an explanation, a reason, something firm to wrap in pretty, shiny, logic. I hurried into the bathroom. Andrew came onto the hallway while I was in the shower. I wanted to reach with my arms through the wall and pull him to me. Instead, I increased the temperature until my skin turned pink as I sobbed.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

Beyond Andrew’s lusty eyes was the clock. It was well past midnight. He leaned over and kissed me again. When we came up for air an hour later, I murmured, “It’s late.” Part of me wanted to stay. The other part was afraid of the love drunk that wanted to stay all night. She scared me.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

There was a light touch on my shoulder. I turned to Nick and smiled. He looked past me and his face shifted, as those large brown eyes of his grew larger. His thick eyelashes couldn’t hide how mesmerized he was. It was the softest, most real expression I’d seen since we met. I waited until he returned and his eyes flickered over my mine.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

No question, this place was a dive suitable for rock shows. I concentrated on Jade. What little light there was illuminated the glittering makeup on her face. She gestured in exaggeration with her drink as she gossiped about Derek’s friends. I had to hold her off from setting me up on a half-dozen random dates; I firmly put my foot down with a “maybe” and a “sounds interesting.” How could I tell her no?

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

‘”Well, Julianna, I’m off to save someone else. It’s been a pleasure, nefarious intentions and all.” As Andrew stood up, he leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

I blinked in surprise. Wait, that wasn’t a real kiss! What the heck was that supposed to mean?”

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

“Are you O.K? You looked scared in there.”

Our hands separated and the warmth from his skin dissipated. I breathed in the fresh air, trying to reorient myself. The alcohol didn’t help. It was hard not to take off running. I was safe with Andrew, wasn’t I?

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

We were way over the speed limit. There weren’t many cars on the road this early. The engine hummed as we moved along, fluidly changing lanes. I could feel Nick’s foot making tiny adjustments on the accelerator.

“You know the speed here is sixty-five miles per hour?”

“Some rules don’t apply to me.”

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

*****

And one final piece of artwork, providing by my other daughter, who wanted to have her artwork on the internet:

Drawing by Allison Tupper, age 6

“Why did you steal the car?”

I shrugged, devouring several fries. An image of my father’s beloved British Racing Green 1980 MGB popped in my head. “I needed to get to Tanum to see the Vitlycke Rock Carvings. I thought Dad wouldn’t notice since the car was in the garage under a tarp.”

“I noticed.”

“You told!”

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

Gathering courage, I stammered, “Why did you kiss me?”

His face changed, his new expression enigmatic for a fleeting moment. Then sexy Nick from the night before stared out. His unblinking gaze made me flinch. I touched my pendant.

“You didn’t enjoy my kiss?”

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

My nerves flamed as every muscle in my body arched against him. The past firmly relived, I twisted it, pushing the memory forward into an alternate ending, my ending. I imagined myself pressing my hands forcefully against the damp shirt on his chest until he backed against the edge of the stage, my body slowly grinding between his legs, and leaning over to bite his ear then lick the salty sweat off the pulse in his neck below. Take that Nicholas!

I dropped the pendant from my fingertips and the projection abruptly ceased. I served my revenge dirty.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

They found us fifty meters down the side of the mountain against a stand of Spruce, covered in tiny shards of glass from the broken windows, the necklace still in one piece around my neck. They extracted me from my seatbelt, unconscious but breathing, and tended to the huge contusion on my forehead from the spent airbag. They said the Volvo saved my life when we spun off the road. They recovered her lifeless body. Later, they reported her heart had torn apart. They apologized.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

“Oww! Drop them!” Nick yelled. Frightened, I stopped. He had an arm thrown up over his eyes. “The point is to shield your thoughts and emotions, not to project the sun into space,” he said through gritted teeth.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

If you want more than six, you're gonna have to buy the book.

Here are my six sentences, taken from Chapter Fourteen of my book Tenderfoot. If you were looking for seven, you’ve come to the wrong place. Go see this guy instead.

The water looked wonderful. What the heck. I stepped toward the trees where Nick couldn’t see me, throwing up my shields for good measure. I dropped the rucksack and stripped. The sunlight touched my bare skin with a friendly caress as I pulled my swimsuit on.

Digging one heel in to push off, I ran to the edge and flew.

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSunday.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.

A Short Excerpt from Tenderfoot

I turned my head toward the waving shadows on the grassy ground. Like before, things I should not have been able to see at such a distance became instantly clear, popping into focus, like I was standing a few feet away instead of hundreds. The noise of the leaves grew louder, a caressing noise as they brushed each other. I inhaled deeper, catching traces of people who had recently walked through, each scent unique. The smell of exhaust and diesel wafted down from the cars passing on Franklin Street. How could I have not noticed all of this before?

Six Sentence Sunday is graciously hosted by Sara over at SixSentence.com. You can check out other author entries at her website or follow along on Twitter, searching by #SixSunday.