WiP [Work in Progress]

Thoughts and ramblings of a Filipino author

  • About
  • Bookshelf
    • Self-published
  • Blog
  • Archive
  • Contact

[BLOG TOUR] Like Nobody’s Watching by Tara Frejas

October 18, 2017 • Leave a Comment

Like Nobody’s Watching
Tara Frejas

Genre: Contemporary Romance / NA

Release Date: October 24, 2017

Book Cover Design: Miles Tan

Photography: Chi Yu Rodriguez

Model: Fred Lo

 

SYNOPSIS

It’s all fun and games until someone catches feelings.

If there’s something Pio Alvez is good at, it’s pretending to be someone he’s not. On stage and on-screen, the actor has mastered the art of becoming the characters he plays, and his new role should be no different. After all, how difficult would it be to pretend to be smitten with a beautiful, intelligent go-getter like Audrey Alonzo?

Perhaps it’s more difficult pretending not to be.

 

Add on Goodreads: bit.ly/GRProjectPio

Pre-order on Amazon: bit.ly/ProjectPioNovel

 

Excerpt

Of the couples on the dance floor that night, Pio and Audrey were the youngest. Either SFM’s employees and guests thought the 70s OPM medley was strictly for the baby boomers at tables 3 and 4, or they simply couldn’t be bothered to let go of their phones and have a little fun.

He didn’t mind. The only thing that mattered now was that he was holding Audrey’s hand, and that she was laughing as they fumbled with their footwork while attempting to dance the swing. Soon, they gave up trying and simply moved their bodies to the music, still laughing as they did so.

The classic VST & Co. medley came to an end, and the band segued to a more contemporary song, one that made Audrey go, “I think you like this song.”

Surprised, Pio pulled her closer, hand firm around her waist like he demanded an answer. This sort of nearness shouldn’t feel new to him, but it did, somehow. If only he could hold her like this until he found out why.

“I do, actually,” he said, keeping her body pressed to him. “How’d you know?”

“I saw Dramachine in your music library.”

“Ah. Busted.”

“I’m guessing Datu’s influence?”

He laughed at Audrey’s intimation, twirling her when the vocalist began singing the chorus to Sugarfree’s Prom. “He played it non-stop back then,” Pio revealed when she spun back into his arms. “It was inevitable.”

“Knew it.”

“So you went to college with my brother. Who would’ve thought.”

“Datu Alvez was an upperclassman. A batch higher.”

Pio did the math in his head. Despite Audrey’s youthful looks, she was actually four years older than him.

Wow. That’s actually pretty hot.

“Let’s talk about kuya some other time,” he proposed, lifting a hand to her hair. All the dancing had messed up her soft curls, and he took it upon himself to smooth them in place. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” she replied. “Better.”

“Good. FYI, your ex-boyfriend has been checking us out since we hit the dance floor.”

“Really?”

“Mm-hmm.” Their playful swaying had since relaxed, uncaring of the tempo they were supposed to be dancing to. “Really. His date—who looks really familiar, by the way—left the table a few times, but I don’t think he noticed.”

“Who even knows what’s going on in that head of his anymore.”

“I do,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Sometimes we’re just very simple creatures, Audrey. We’re territorial. We don’t like other people hovering over what is ours, or what we think is ours. Your hotshot ex is probably feeling the same way, getting all worked up because someone else found what he chose to leave behind.”

“Oh no. Are you going to pop a vein?”

“Is that a joke?”

Audrey shrugged. “It is if you laugh.”

He managed a chuckle. There was nothing funny about the thoughts that ran in his head, and it took him a moment to check himself. This night was not about him.

With a quick glance at their table, Pio saw Luigi’s date tinkering with her phone. She looked bored, and it didn’t take a genius to see why. Luigi Blanco was too busy keeping tabs on his ex to care.

“What was our ground rule about kissing, again?” he asked, finding Audrey’s eyes on him when he looked back at her.

She blinked. “Only… if absolutely necessary.”

“And who decides that, again?” He brought a hand to her cheek, gaze falling on that pretty freckle above her lip. God. Why it had to be there of all places was the universe’s way of testing him. Eyes up, Pio.

“We didn’t really think it through.”

Of course, they didn’t. They started laying ground rules five minutes before he entered the mall parking lot. Upon his request. Even then, Audrey wasn’t very participatory. Like she thought they didn’t need it.

Maybe she didn’t, but he did.

Because that face. Those eyes, those lips. This dress, by god, this dress. He liked it the moment he saw it, liked how it draped over her curves, liked the way its neckline allowed a peek at the ink below her left collarbone. It was wispy and graceful, a word in Baybayin he knew he would be looking up as soon as he gets a moment, just because.

Christ.

Pio made sure Luigi was watching when he swayed Audrey to the music. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he said, smiling when he saw a fleeting look of surprise in her eyes when he gazed back at her.

That was the only thing she did—look at him in surprise—and nothing else. She didn’t squirm away from his hold, make a face, or say no like he expected. And he was ready to back off too, if she did.

But she didn’t, and he leaned in, the split second it took to close the gap between them he used to glance on Luigi Blanco. Oh, he was watching, all right. And by the looks of it, he wasn’t liking the show.

Pio pressed a kiss on Audrey’s forehead, closed his eyes, and smiled.

Take that, Douche of Makati.

 

 

About the Author

Tara Frejas is a cloud-walker who needs caffeine to fuel her travels. When she’s not on work mode, she keeps herself busy by weaving her daydreams into stories.

Aside from her obvious love affair with words and persistent muses, Tara is very passionate about being caffeinated, musical theatre, certain genres of music, dancing, dogs, good food, and romancing Norae, her ukelele. She owns a male bunny named Max who sometimes tries to nibble on her writing notes.

Fun fact: She’s a Piscean. Go figure.

 

Connect with her on:

Facebook: http://fb.com/authortarafrejas

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tarafrejas

Instagram: http://instagram.com/tarafrejas

Website: http://tarafrejas.com

Email: author@tarafrejas.com

Subscribe to her newsletter! http://bit.ly/subscribetotara

 

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway

 

For helping spread noise about my latest book, I’m giving away a couple of prizes to both PH and INTL readers! You may join this raffle once a day, so go and do it!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share

Facebook Google+ Twitter Pinterest Email

Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to Blog

Recent Posts

  • So I Just Turned 46…
  • [BLOG TOUR] Second Wave Summer by Tara Frejas, Six delos Reyes, Jay E. Tria
  • [BLOG TOUR] The Crime Circle by Yeyet Soriano
  • [COVER REVEAL] Scandalized (Version 2.0) by Tara Frejas
  • [BLOG TOUR] The Secrets That We Keep (A #HeistClub New Blood Anthology)

Recent Comments

  • G. Gonzales on [COVER REVEAL] The Secrets That We Keep by #HeistClub New Blood
  • Jennifer Hallock on [COVER REVEAL] The Secrets That We Keep by #HeistClub New Blood
  • Review || Start Here anthology from #romanceclass – That Bookshelf Bitch on [BLOG TOUR] Start Here by #romanceclass Various Authors
  • My Sacrifice (MSV After Dark) on Coming soon for My Special Valentine After Dark
  • G. Gonzales on My New Life

Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

RSS Unknown Feed

Instagram

  • #Repost from @minavesguerra with @regram.app ... Happy release day to @inwardfangirl! Flipping the Script is available now on Amazon at bit.ly/loloikong. Enjoy this film-themed contemporary YA romance! 🎬📽🍿 #romanceclass #romanceclassFlicker
  • Gusto ko lang batiin (kahit late na) ng happy birthday, happy anniversary, happy balentayms, ang mahal kong publisher @bookwarepublishing #MySpecialValentine sa kaniyang ika-27 na taon. 2003 noong una akong naging bahagi ng MSV at dahil sa inyo kaya may mga libro akong ganito. Mabuhay, MSV! Salamat!
  • After the release of #YouAreHere comes another one from @dawnlanuza! Coming soon!

#Repost from @dawnlanuza with @regram.app ... ‪You asked for it, you got it! ❤️ Cover art by the talented @maedinn (who gave me 3 awesome cover studies but I can only use 1? WAE 😂) ‬
‪Most of my books were in the shade of blue or pink so we made sure to dip into a different palette! 🎨 What do you guys think? ‬💋
  • This is next week na! Go!

#Repost from @dawnlanuza with @regram.app ... Friendly reminder: this is happening in two weeks! Who’s coming? 🤗
  • Tagu-taguan sa ilalim ng pier. 😁 📷 @jotheeful ❤
  • #Repost from @romanceclassbooks with @regram.app ... 🎉 NOW AVAILABLE! 🎉 Mina V. Esguerra's new book, Kiss and Cry, is now available on Amazon for pre-order for $1.99. Go to bit.ly/six32central2 and one-click now!
.
.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Calinda met Ramirez when she was 20 and he was 22. She was the rising star of women's skating, and he was the superstar forward of men's hockey. Her parents and coach were against their relationship, and because Calinda wanted to prove that no hot guy would ever distract her from her dream, she chose skating over him — and also avoided him all together.

Ten years later, they meet again as gold medalists and prominent sports advocates, still single and undeniably attracted to each other. It's still not a good time for them, because Ramirez is retiring from hockey and moving back to the United States. Calinda doesn't do relationships, really, and proposes they use his final three weeks in Manila to explore what might have been, and do all the things they wish they'd done (there's a list!). Then he can leave for good, and they can both move on with their lives without this one regret.
  • 02.01.2019
  • Strawberry cheesecake, warm pudding a la mode, and tiramisu. Perfect ending to a lovely day. 😋

Copyright 2019 WiP [Work in Progress]