March Inspirations, Aja...

We're kicking off another week of March Inspirations with a giveaway from Aja Graves.

Aja is sharing ​Good Old Soul​ showcasing her usual flair of sensual romance and thought provoking writing style. Check out her excerpt and leave a comment to be entered into today's giveaway.

If I were to tell you I wrote a story about a May/December love affair between music and a saxophone named Her, would you believe me? I didn’t think you would but it’s true. Music has been here since the dawn of time. It’s been the melody of life, unfettered, free, and always waiting for us to-dare I say-tame it and guide it with our voices and with our instruments. The musician may have picked up the sax and breathed air into Her, but it was from the music, the jazz that was created, that love was found and where it grew.

Amina Perrin isn’t looking for love. In fact, she isn’t looking for anything. She’s got her yoga, her massage therapy and the community she serves, keeping her plenty busy. That is until she bumps into a stranger who may change her free-spirited mind.

Gabriel Slade is living the good life. Financially secure, nice condo overlooking the city, and the occasional “drink” with a beautiful woman—he has no intention on getting caught up, especially not with one so much younger than him, but here he is… getting all caught up and picking up a long forgotten saxophone he calls Her.

If you’re opposed to sweltering love scenes between two passionate adults, this book isn’t for you.

To purchase Good Old Soul, click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0791L7NVX

What was going on between us had become more than just hanging out and having great sex; it had become a relationship and neither of us were pretending it wasn’t. To say that I was surprised that I cared for Gabriel as much as I do was an understatement.

My dating game had fizzled long ago because I didn’t have the time to entertain anyone else, nor did I have the desire. My time with Gabriel had replaced all of that for the time being. I was wise enough to know that men got tired very quickly and everything would die. I tried not to have those kinds of thoughts while I was with him; even if it was hard considering our major differences, especially his age and his experience. I believe he knew exactly where and how far he wanted to our relationship because he had likely been down this road before, whereas I was just a novice. Love games weren’t games to me. I dated to have fun, but I had no intention of becoming emotional involved, and I told him so.

“Do you want a husband or children one day?” He asked me, his fingers running through my blown out ‘fro; something he seemed to really like doing when my hair was all out and not in twists or braids.

“No, not really. Honestly, I don’t think about it. I had a boyfriend once and it seemed like he and I would go to that place where I would at least consider it, but then he changed on me and I let that thought go.”

“Changed how?” The fact that he seemed genuinely interested made me want to open up to him. A lot of guys don’t care; they’re not listening when you speak so I’ve learned not to talk much about anything meaningful in an effort to save my time and energy. Not that I didn’t have very deep thoughts to share, but why waste my breath, right?

“At first, it was beautiful,” I started, noticing the tension in his body against my face that was lying on top of his chest, but I continued anyway, “But he soon became a jerk. He would say to me in the beginning how he wanted to have something real where his girl was honest and intelligent, and a freak in bed. I was all of those things and then he stopped appreciating it.”

“Maybe he didn’t know what he had in you,” he murmured softly.

“He knew, I think, but he got tired of how much work being with someone so intelligent, so … deep was. Eventually you all do. Women become the very thing you say you want and in my case, I had already been all of those things, but then he stopped noticing. He stopped talking to me, stopped listening to anything I had to say, stopped complimenting me on my accomplishments — or even me. I had just gotten my license as a massage therapist and called to tell him. He said, “Cool”, but then said he had to go. It was as if nothing big or monumental had occurred. Am I wrong for wanting a man that is truly for me?”

“No, not at all. He should be your supporter in all things if he’s serious.” His chest was so comforting. The slow and steady heartbeat was soothing to me.

Darryl had stopped being a supporter of mine long before we broke up, I thought. I remember him telling me that a man should be the one to tell his woman she is beautiful and that I should hear that each and every day. He stopped complimenting me. He became one of those men he seemed intent on separating himself from.

“That’s what I thought. When I spoke up, something an assertive woman would do, he said all I did was complain, but he claimed he liked assertive women. Let’s just say that after a while, I realized he didn’t really want me and it was over.”

“Are you over him?”

“I’d like to think that I am.”

“But, not really.”

“Not really. I’m over him the guy, but I’m not over what happened. It was like all that energy and all that time I was in the relationship with him, was for nothing. He took but stopped giving and I was left hurting, so then I stopped giving. I date, but that’s as far as it goes because in that, there is no losing, not of myself and not of my heart.”

We lied there breathing quietly and I guess, in our own thoughts. I wondered if he would open up. Whether I had said too much, and I probably did, but for some reason, I wasn’t worried about it like I might have been in the past. Either he wanted the truth about me and would appreciate it, or he’d want the lie that looked pretty and leave when he didn’t get it. All that mattered was the good time we were having right now, right?
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Eventually he did speak and his words rumbled against my ear, his fingers moving through my hair threatening to lull me to sleep. “You’re right. In the beginning, both men and women say what they need to get what they want. Usually, they mean it though. Something changes along the way and all of the intentions on how you want to be with that person gets lost. Distractions come in. Life happens and the goodness fades away. You’re left with the skeleton, which can’t be hidden. I’ve been there too. I’ve been the one to tell the well-meaning lies and I’ve received them.”
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“So, we have both been burned.”

“Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean you give up completely unless you’re positive you want to be a ship drifting alone on the temperamental sea with the waves pushing you to and fro.”
I thought about his words. Trying to take something meaningful from what he was saying to me. When Gabriel spoke, I listened. Maybe it was his maturity over me, although we almost seemed matched, but surely his experience made him wiser. I don’t know, I just know when he spoke I listened and considered.
I considered whether it was worth the risk of getting further involved with a man that could tear me apart and not see it coming. Darryl was a slow demise. I saw it coming over time. Less calls, dates and visits. No real conversation that went beyond the cursory ‘how are you’. We died over time, so I could feel it and prepare myself for it even if it still hurt me. Gabriel seemed like he could sneak the ending up on me because he was everything I was beginning to fall for and never knew I really wanted.
“I don’t know if I’m a ship out at sea or docked. I just know for now, I like the freedom of being either.” The freedom to be either with him, is what my heart said.
“I hear you.”
“So, now that we’ve been philosophical for the day, what would you like to do? I don’t have to start work until 2 o’clock today.”
“Hmmmm, let me see. I haven’t made love to you in over an hour. That seems like something I should handle right away. What comes next can remain a mystery. Okay?”
Smiling against his chest, I agreed. “Definitely, okay.”
© Aja 2018

About Aja...

Aja is the writer of sensually erotic women’s fiction. Her stories allow readers to experience realistic, inspiring and soulful interactions between her characters and intense passion between couples overcoming life’s challenges.
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Raised as an only child, using her imagination to create stories came naturally to her. Writing her first book in the first grade encouraged her doting and supportive mother to enter her into writing contests to help her hone her craft. Inspired by soulful music and sensual art, she crafts her stories on a whim, using the snatches of time her characters grace her with and stringing them together for completion. She loves prose but has been known to be poetic which can be found, if looking, in some of her published work.

With two published series of books already, including the Unexpected series penned with Roy Glenn, she is working on several projects including Love’s Required and Good Old Soul, a soulful May/December romance.


Author Links:

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Aja/e/B00K30K138/
Facebook Profile- https://www.facebook.com/aja.thewriter
Website - http://ajathewriter.com/

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