Delilah Devlin's Blog, page 523

Submissions Deadlines Approaching!

Deadlines for submissions for my two Cleis Press anthologies are fast approaching!

I've started reading through the submissions for the first anthology I want to fill, Beastly Babes, my lesbian shapeshifter anthology. I've gone through 24 stories so far. Several are intriguing. I thought it might be helpful for any of you writers out there to hear some feedback regarding the stories I have and what I hope to still discover.

First, creature features for the stories I'm considering: I have wolves (2), selkies (3), a fox, mouse, snake, panther and puma. That doesn't mean you can't still submit one of those kinds of stories, but yours had better knock my socks off.

Second, I have plenty of sweet, a couple of funny, what I really want to see are some darker, eerier stories with some edgy kink to help round out the collection. They still have to have that romantic Happy-For-Now. And again, that's not to say I won't take more sweet or funny, but your story has to surprise me.

If you have an idea and haven't started writing it yet, and need a little more time, let me know. The deadline is August 15, but I do have a little wiggle room. If I'm expecting it, I won't close the door.

For more information regarding the submission guidelines, check out this link:

Beastly Babes Rules

Let me remind you that I have a second collection I am looking to fill, this time hetero cowboy stories. That deadline is the end of this month. For more information, here's that link:

The Cowboy Rules

Needed: Blog Tour Topics!

In mid-September, I'm going to have a blog tour to promote Enslaved by a Viking. For almost thirty days, I'll be a gypsy, wandering from one author's or reviewer's website to another, big and small. I will tell you where to find me every day, right here.

First, thanks to everyone who offered to host me. Second—what the hell am I going to talk about for thirty days?

That's where you come in. Help me build a list of blogging topics. I'm used to getting up in the morning and blogging about whatever pops into my mind. Come September, I'll have to prepare blogs in advance. No spontaneous thought. Yikes!

As for topics, they can be Enslaved story-related topics or not, or just things you might be curious about a writer's life. Any and all suggestions will be appreciated as I build my list.

Saturday Snippet: Bad, Bad Girlfriend

**Remember! The Fugly Ring contest continues!

Click on the contest name for details! ~DD

* * * * *

I may be the writer, but sometimes, stories surprise me. That happened in the middle of BAD, BAD GIRLFRIEND. I knew the big climactic scene would be in a strip club. I knew Gabe was going to catch Jolie's act. What I didn't know was how the scene would go down—not until I wrote it. I think I wrote this in an hour, snickering to myself the entire time. I hope you enjoy it half as much! ~DD

"Ms. Devlin will have readers laughing one minute and screaming the next… BAD, BAD GIRLFRIEND is a witty, heart pounding smoking hot read that is a must have." 5 Angels, Fallen Angels

"Bad, Bad Girlfriend is just plain fun!… A great quickie from a great author." 5 Stars, Just Erotic Romance

"My emotions ran wild while reading Bad, Bad Girlfriend… Don't miss this mischievous woman's attempts to secure her man's love. I had a fantastic time reading Jolie and Gabe's story." 5 Silver Dragons, Veiled Secrets Reviews

Expect magic when one determined woman dons a legendary pair of red stilettos and bares body and heart to get her man's attention…

Jolene's a big, beautiful woman with an even bigger heart. But she's become her police officer boyfriend's favorite doormat and that's so not working for her. It's time for a little conversation, time to tell Mr. Happy Pants to "pee or get off the pot".

Gabriel has seen what his profession does to marriages. He's not willing to risk that kind of heartbreak. Besides, he likes what he has with Jolene. The woman is sex personified. So when Jolie tells him she won't see him anymore if he's not willing to commit, he's shocked and angry.

With a girlfriend's encouragement and the added confidence a certain pair of red stilettos gives her, Jolene arranges a special show at a strip club to prove to Gabe once and for all that she's more woman than any man can handle, and if he doesn't want the job, then she'll find another lover who does.

Jolie heard the music, tried to catch the beat, but she'd never been so scared, so embarrassed in her life.

She knew she'd made a huge mistake the minute she'd entered the stripper's dressing room. Lexie had ushered her in after Guppy, the skinny, bespectacled manager of the strip club, let them in the back door and showed them to the women's dressing room. She already wore her costume under a tightly belted trench coat, but getting her first up-close look at the other women awaiting their turns on the stage made her lose her nerve.

She turned back toward the exit.

Lexie stood behind her, her arms crossed over her chest. "No you don't. Not after I paid him a hundred dollars to let you do this!"

"You paid him?"

Lexie shrugged. "He prefers professionals, but he's not above a bribe."

"Great. You had to pay him to let me take off my clothes. Get out of my way."

Lexie's chin firmed, and her eyes narrowed into the meanest look her friend could manage. "You talked me into this. You convinced me this was a good idea. No way are you going to chicken out now."

"They'll laugh at me," Jolie whispered furiously.

The other women, even the curvier ones, weren't as well-padded.

One the women nearest them, eyed Jolie in the glass as she applied a wide streak of eyeliner. "We've had big girls before. Some of the men prefer 'em. Give it a go, hon."

Jolie didn't appreciate the advice and straightened her spine, ready to walk right through Lexie if she didn't get the hell out of her way.

Lexie lifted her chin. "You want a ring, remember? A commitment. You want him to notice you, know you're desirable for more than your cupcakes."

Jolie swallowed, her eyes filling. "I'm scared."

Lexie's militant expression softened. "You'll do fine. In ten minutes, it'll all be over. And you'll know whether the shoes were meant for him."

Jolie nodded slowly. "I couldn't get the pasties to stick, the adhesive didn't work on top of the body lotion I applied."

The stripper eyeing her in the mirror turned and held out her hand. "Give 'em to me. I'll show you my little trick. Works every time."

Reluctantly, Jolie pulled the little gold-glittered pasties from the pocket of her coat and handed them to the woman who towered on a pair of platform PVC boots.

"Get out of that coat. Have to show your boobs. It's just us girls here."

The other girls laughed, but their smiles seemed friendly enough. Jolie didn't like being the center of attention and especially didn't like the fact her "girls" were everyone's focus, but she opened her coat and let Lexie slide it off her shoulders.

"The bra too. Can't paste 'em on top of those cones. Nice bra by the way."

"Thanks," she said faintly. "The Whip and Tickle had a sale."

"Name's Angie," the redhead said, grinning, "since we're about to get friendly."

Jolie's eyes widened. The woman took a small bottle of glue sitting beside her open makeup case, circled the pasty then twisted it onto Jolie's boob.

Jolie held her breath, shocked to her core. Her nipple beaded beneath the little circle and the pasty began to fall away.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Angie said. "Happens all the time to me. It's cold out there." Angie peeled the pasty off the rest of the way, carried it to her mouth and licked it then twisted it back onto Jolie's nipple.

Jolie knew she must have earned a ton of bad karma as the women laughed around her.

"They're just laughing at your expression," Angie said. "We all have our little tricks for keeping these things hiding the pearlies."

Jolie suffered through Angie twisting on the second one, and didn't even blanch when she licked it.

But she didn't dare give Lexie a glance. She could feel her shaking beside her, clinging to her arm as she got ready to let loose with howls of laughter.

"Just remember," Jolie clipped, "I know where you live, Lexie Burns."

"Sorry," Lexie gasped, covering her mouth with a hand. "You should have seen your face."

"Yeah, it was pretty funny," Angie said, her smile stretching. "You're ready. Get that bra closed. You're up next. Give that boyfriend hell."

Lexie tossed Jolie's coat over the back of a chair and grabbed Jolie's waist, pushing her out the door and down the corridor toward the side of the stage. The curtains were closed.

Guppy signaled to her from the far side. "Get in the middle and I'll open 'em up."

Jolie dug in her heels. Lexie pushed harder, and Jolie couldn't get the traction she needed with the tiny stiletto tips scraping across the wooden floor. When she was behind the curtain, Guppy gave her a thumbs-up, and Lexie darted back.

The curtains started to open, but Jolie grabbed both sides and held them closed. "Oh hell no." She'd gotten a glimpse of the crowd when the curtain waved.

The bar was packed. A dozen or more heads and shoulders peering above the edge of the stage. They'd be looking up her ass.

"Let go of the curtain," Guppy yelled.

Jolie shook her head. "No way in hell."

Hands slipped over hers. "Let go, Jolie," Lexie bit out, trying to peel back her fingers. "I paid for ten minutes but you can do five and I won't even make you pay me back."

She squeezed Jolie's hands, but Jolie gripped the fabric tighter.

They stumbled against the curtain, and she felt the curtain give a little from the top.

"You girls tear it down, you're payin' for it!" Guppy yelled. "Still got your credit card, missie."

"Let go!" Lexie growled.

"I changed my mind. Musta lost it. No man's worth the humiliation."

"Give…the shoes…a chance." Lexie dug her fingers under the waistband of Jolie's shorts in the back and tugged.

"You tryin' to give me a wedgie?"

"Worked in high school."

The elastic at the back of her thong popped and Jolie let go to give Lexie a glare when the curtains swished open.

Lexie hid behind the edge as it retreated, leaving Jolie in the center of the stage, pushing the remnants of her thong down her crack. The movement thrust out her chest and the men around the stage began to howl.

Jolie crossed her arms in front to hide herself, but only managed to press more of her boobs over the top of the shiny cups.

"Bump and grind! Bump and grind!" Lexie shouted from the side.

Well, she was already out there in her underwear. What the hell? Jolie closed her eyes and listened for the music again, this time she felt it and took a couple of shaky steps forward. The stage narrowed to a catwalk, lights trimming the edge. Hands reached high, shaking dollar bills. One grabbed her ankle, but she shook him off and continued forward.

She caught a glimpse of two figures closing in from the front of the club, two tall, broad figures wearing dark uniforms.

Dear God, they were here. Gabe's face was tight, hard. His fists curled. And he was coming fast.

The look on his face shouldn't have excited her, but it did. She shook back her hair, turned on her heel and shook her ass for the crowd.

"Jolie!"

She heard his shout, but it only served to spur her on. She turned, squatting near a handsome dude whose eyes ate her up as she bounced and leaned forward.

His fingers slid under the edge of her bra and stuffed a dollar in her cleavage. She gave him a wink and glided up, turning to bend over and stare at him between her legs before easing up again, and rolling her hips, popping them to the music.

"Take a twenty!" another man shouted.

She strolled like a runway model, putting a finger in her mouth and standing in front of him to trace a wet path down her belly to the snap of her shorts.

"Show us some more skin!" he shouted, waving that bill.

Jolie gave him a wink, feeling more assured of her attraction, squatted in front of him and leaned forward to get the money. However, he grabbed for her boob, nearly pulling her from the stage.

A bouncer ran up and pulled him back.

Jolie gave Gabe a sideways glance. You see that, baby? Your precious milk-and-cookies mama is gonna start a riot.

She bent toward the man seated next to the one who'd been hauled backward from the stage. He stuffed a cool, crisp twenty into her shorts. She went to her knees and opened the top toggle of her bra.

Shouts and whistles started and she leaned back, smoothing a hand down her belly and back up then opening another latch. One more to go. Would she have the nerve?

"Jolie, don't do it," Gabe shouted.

But Gabe didn't own her ass. Didn't own her boobs. He hadn't claimed an inch of her skin.

She opened the last clasp and held the edges closed over her breasts, and slowly rose, walking to the end of the stage right in front of Gabe. With his hot, angry stare locking with hers, she opened her bra wide, flashing the crowd and shaking her glitter-topped tits. Take that, Gabe Devine.

A hand reached up and grabbed for her ankle.

Jolie tried to kick it loose, but the man was rising from his seat. "Come here, baby. Rub those titties on my face."

She teetered and let out choked scream, falling toward the man. But he flew backward and another set of arms caught her.

A shoulder hit her belly and she folded over a wide, muscular frame. Gabe's butt flexed beneath her gaze as he stomped toward the doors.

The doors whooshed open and he carried outside and down the steps. Cool, wintery air prickled her skin, drying her sweat immediately.

"Put me down," she said. "It's cold!"

But he didn't slow his pace, not until he reached the squad car and opened the back door and flung her inside.

Jolie landed in a sprawl of legs and arms and climbed up from the floorboard to kneel on the seat, staring back at Gabe who hunched over to glare inside the car.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he blasted.

Jolie shoved both hands on her hips and yelled back, "That it was about damn time I started looking for another man."

"In that place? Did you want to get raped?"

"I wanted someone to notice me."

His eyes narrowed to angry slits. "All you have to do is breathe deep to get a man's attention."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Be sure to check out the snippets on these other authors' blogs:

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Lacey Savage

Sasha White

Guest Blogger: Sayde Grace

The winner of yesterday's One-Day-Only Contest is at the bottom of this post!

Thanks, everyone, for playing! ~DD

Sexual Tension in Books

by Sayde Grace

Hello everyone! First let me just say a huge thank you to Delilah for letting me take over today!! I'm really excited to be here! Today I'm going to talk about different forms of sexual tension. A few months ago I did an online chat where I talked about adding emotion to your sex scenes. During the chat one of my side topics was sexual tension. Since then I have started a new manuscript where the sexual tension is thick enough to cut with a butter knife.

There are many ways to add sexual tension. Such as adding more serious conflicts between the main characters or on the other end of the spectrum having the characters have no conflicts except wanting each other can add tension. I prefer to have my characters bickering. Now, I was once told that bickering isn't an element strong enough to build a plot on. That's true, however using that as a character trait is different. Having a couple with a major plot is your main concept but giving them a trait where when near each other they bicker can create friction between them. That friction can be just the beginning to passion.

That is just one way to create sexual tension. Some authors keep characters touching. A stroke of a hand down an arm will do it. Sometimes the gentle press of lips near flesh but never touching. And even a certain glance will create tension. Little gestures go a long way in tying characters together with readers.

Adding an emotional element to any form of creating sexual tension will draw your readers deeper into the relationship. As a reader I know that what ties me to a character is how something affects that character emotionally. When that character is fighting with the other how does she feel? What are her hidden emotions? By bringing those hidden emotions to your readers they will connect your readers to your characters.

Those emotions can be presented in the smallest ways. Just a thought here or there. A slight sigh. A cuss. A blink. Those little actions can reveal emotions that are behind the sexual tension.

What are things you look for as a reader when it comes to tension,

relationships, or traits?

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The winner (by random number generator) is…Christy M! Christy, email me with your address so I can get your package into the mail! Congrats!

For those rest of you, remember, the Fugly Ring Contest continues!

One-Day-Only-Contest!

I still have promo stuff to give away that I brought back from Lori Foster's Readers' Get-Together. Today, I'm going to give away some of it! What do you have to do? POST A COMMENT—here and/or on the Girls Who Bite blog! Yes, you can enter this contest twice to improve your chance of winning!

This is what today's bundle includes:

Autographed books:

Assassin's Heart by Monica Burns

A Taste of the Nightlife by Sarah Zettel

Paramour by Margaret Ethridge

Autographed excerpt booklet from Donna MacMeans and Susan Gee Heino

Assorted stuff (some of it signed as well!)…bookmarks, trading cards, excerpt booklets from:

Carina Press, Liz Arnold, Sidney Ayers, Anya Bast, Dana Marie Bell, Cheryl Brooks, Monca Burns, Mary Burton, Virna DePaul, Lila DiPasqua, Jess Granger, Donna Grant, Marcia James, Jade Lee, Michelle Levigne, Michelle Miles, Nancy Naigle, Zinobia Renquist, Sidney Somers, Catherine Stang, Renee Vincent, Emma Wildes, Beth Williamson, and more!

No doubt, I'll throw some of my stuff in as well! So, what can you comment about? How about this?

There's many a good tune played on an old fiddle. ~Samuel Butler

Guest Blogger: Myla Jackson

Myla Jackson's Cookin' up Some Summer Fun!

I'm getting tired of the same-ol'-same-ol' when it comes to recipes and cooking. And as hot as it's been I'm looking for something that will give me fresh interest in eating meals. So I went online and found these two recipes and I'm going to try them today.

The first is a recipe for Bruschetta, a light appetizer I learned to pronounce while in Italy last March (hint: the 'ch' is pronounces with a hard 'c'). I had some amazing Bruschetta in Venezia (for those who haven't had the fortune to go to Italy, that's what they call Venice). Okay, so here's the recipe. Let me know what you think.

Roma Tomato Bruschetta

• 6 roma tomatoes, chopped

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup fresh basil (no stems)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 French baguette

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

2. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

3. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.

5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Now, since I'm a meat and potatoes kinda gal, I was looking for something I could grill and keep the heat outside. I'm not a stickler segregating my food by country of origin, so I found this great kabob recipe online as well.

Teriyaki Kabobs

• 1/3 cup soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut 1 1/4 inch cubes

• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 large onion, cut into wedges

• 12 cherry tomatoes

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and salt; mix well. Pour half of the marinade into a large sealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; coat beef in marinade. Seal or cover; refrigerate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

2. Drain the meat, discarding the marinade. On metal or soaked bamboo skewers, alternate meat, green pepper, onion and tomatoes. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side.

3. Baste with reserved marinade. Continue turning and basting for 8-10 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness (for rare, a meat thermometer should read 140 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well done, 170 degrees F). Serve meat and vegetables over cooked rice.

Let me know what you think and Happy Eating! While you're waiting for the food to cook, try one of these short reads….

Myla's Most Recent Releases

She's ready to leave Temptation behind…

Welcome back to the Ugly Stick Saloon with this short story about Charli's first erotic adventure.

Charli Sutton is tired of the same-ol-same-ol in Temptation, Texas and her job at the Ugly Stick Saloon. Her itchy feet tell her that if it ain't happenin' here, it's time to go back to Austin and raise a little hell.

GIRLS WHO BITE countdown begins!

I'm going to use this space to send you somewhere else today! GWB will hit the stores in just six weeks! I have an alternate website, GirlsWhoBite.net, strictly to encourage all the wonderful authors who contributed to my first Cleis anthology to talk about their work, their story and maybe generate some buzz. Yeah, that's the crass part. But hey, if we authors don't push a book, how are you gonna know about it?

The Fugly Ring Contest continues! You're welcome to post a comment here to enter, but any comment on GirlsWhoBite.net counts too! Today, Paisley Smith is sharing the very cool book trailer she put together, plus news about a project she and I are co-authoring. If you wanna know more, you gotta go there!

Also, if any of you have ideas for guests to invite to blog on the GWB site or groups we should visit as part of a blog/chat loop tour, let me know! ~DD

A winner & a brand new contest!

Today's winner is named at the bottom of this post, but first, you have to see what I'm offering this week. You know I look far and wide to bring you fun things to compete for. Well, this time I've outdone myself!

Yeah, I'm hyping this up because what I found is the ugliest ring I've ever seen. This is one you'll save for special occasions. Like Halloween. Or to give away to your least favorite relative. So, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little bit. The pictures don't do it justice. I couldn't get my little Canon to focus, so I'll have to describe it to you.

The ring is a size 8, sterling silver, with a 21+-carat fire garnet, and several smaller garnets in the horns of the caribou/raindeer decorating the sides. I'm almost glad the pictures are too blurry for you to see. Imagine the winner's suprise when she receives this gem!

What do you have to do to win the ring?

Post comments on my blog or my Facebook page. Every comment you make over the next two weeks will count as one entry.

The contest ends August 15th!

* * * * *

The winner of the Skull-Stealing Fairy is…SK Whiteside! SK—send me an email with your snail mail address!

If you're bummed you didn't win, you can contact Christi at Christi's Gifts & Consignment (870-230-1877) to order your own.

Road Trip – Wrap-up

I know Iowa was in June, but I wanted to wrap up the trip highlights. I have three more trips planned for August. THREE! What was I thinking?

Anyway, one of the highlights of my trip to Iowa was a chance to get some new ink with my daughter. We made appointments months ago. The artist at the Iron Heart cleared his schedule for us. My brother entertained the 6-year-old while we spent the afternoon getting stuck with needles. Fun, fun! Here's the tattoo parlor in Des Moines that we went to.

My daughter has a thing for garden gnomes and decided to have both of her daughters made into gnomes. The lighting is bad, so is the swelling. The colors today are beautiful. I'll have to have new pics done so you can see them better.

Here's mine. I wanted something simple and "Story" was the word that meant the most to me. Josh made it beautiful. And since I have a thing for fairy art, this turned out perfectly. The colors don't really show up well here either. It's gorgeous. The fairy looks like a Dominatrix. Perfect!

Brother and SIL took us to a township called Amana. The shops are very retro. Tons of artisans—glassware, fudge, etc. Needless to say, I spent a lot!

On the way back from Iowa, we passed acres and acres of vineyards, and a sign—Wiederkehr Wine Cellars. Of course, we had to stop. While we strolled through their shop selecting t-shirts and bottles of wine, a funny thing happened that reminded me we were back in Arkansas. A woman came through the doors. She was dressed in shorts, big hair, and a t-shirt that rode up her round belly. In a very loud voice she yelled to one of the employees, "Y'all got any strawberry wiiiine?"

The clerk pasted on a bright smile. "Ma'am, we have our own grape vineyards."

Maybe that was too ambiguous.

"Y'all got any other flavors? Got any peach wiiiine?

The clerk's smile tightened. "Sorry, ma'am. We sell only grape wine."

My daughter and I snickered. Yup. We were back home all right. Here's a picture of the vineyards the woman couldn't have missed seeing on the drive.

We stayed for a very nice German-style meal in the vineyard's restaurant.

Then back on the road. By this time, our luggage and everything we'd bought took up all of the tiny trunk area and most of the back seat. Little one didn't complain a bit about being squished.

Saturday Snippet: Travel

**Remember! The Skull Stealing Fairy contest continues! Click on the contest name for details! ~DD

* * * * *

If I could make a living writing short stories, I would. I love getting quickly into a story, finding the surprise (Yes, I know that makes me sound a little nuts. I'm the one writing the story, how can I be surprised? But so often, I am!), then zooming to the close. Writing short helps me polish my prose, helps me focus on word choice. Have Sex Will Travel was especially fun to write since I placed the story in Europe aboard the Orient Express—a train I enjoyed several times while I lived there. I hope you enjoy the little snippet!

"Sexy Little Numbers" is a choice cut of all new and original erotic stories and the latest addition to Black Lace's immensely popular series of erotica collections. This longer collection will contain even more variety and a greater range of female sexual desire than ever before. It will be the first of an annual collection of the best general erotica stories written by women. Fun, irreverent and deliciously decadent, "Sexy Little Numbers" will combine humour and attitude with wildly imaginative writing from all over the world. This will be the most entertaining erotic fiction for women to be found anywhere in the world.

From Have Sex Will Travel…

The Russian's fingers did it for her.

As annoyed as she'd been with his arrogant set down on the train platform before they'd boarded, one look at his hands as he clutched his newspaper in front of his face and she was mesmerized, unable to drag away her gaze.

He had large hands, shaped like shovels, dark, sparse hairs sprouting below the second set of knuckles. His fingers were long—the tips blunt and thick. His nails were clean, trimmed, but not filed or buffed. He had a man's large and capable, but unfussy hands.

Evie surreptitiously clenched her thighs. Two of those thick, blunt fingers would equal the girth of the last cock she'd had thrusting up inside her. Three would stretch her to the point of delicious pain. His palms would be slightly calloused, but she could already imagine the feel of them rasping over her breasts. Her boyfriend's hands had been as soft as hers.

The newspaper snapped, and her gaze shot up to meet his over the top of the pages. The same narrowed glance he'd given her on the platform now seemed to hold a hint of challenge.

Evie's cheeks grew warm. He'd caught her staring. At his hands. At the long fingers curling tighter around the paper he held in front of him. He probably knew exactly what she'd been thinking.

She glanced away, reaching for the backpack at her feet and pulled out her itinerary to review it for the hundredth time, staring at the pages, but not really reading.

Something deliciously unexpected arced in the air between them. An electric charge of sensual curiosity that didn't dissipate the longer they sat, side-by-side, on their red-upholstered bench, pretending not to notice their deepening breaths or the number of times they restlessly shifted in their seat. It wasn't the vibrations beneath them from the train ripping down the track, even though the steady even hum added a subtext to their restless movements.

Evie crossed her legs, wishing she'd worn something less comfortable than her favorite pair of faded blue jeans and a Three Doors Down concert T-shirt. She dressed like a grad school student in a state of arrested development, which she was. Or a teacher who'd saved her meager salary to splurge on museum tickets rather than a holiday wardrobe. Also true.

The Russian wore a dark brown business suit. A summer wool that fit him well without an overly tailored cut that would hug his frame. He'd left off the tie. His dress shirt was opened at the neck to reveal the base of his throat and give a hint of the dusting of dark hair that clothed his broad chest. Comfort seemed to be his priority over style.

The paper lowered to his lap, and Evie suppressed a groan, caught again. His gaze rested on her—telling her silently he knew she'd been watching him.

She lifted her chin. 'It's not as if I have anything else to do,' she muttered, knowing he didn't understand a word she said.

A soft snort was his response. Then he folded the paper and stuffed it into the handle of his brief bag. He crossed his arms over his chest, then began a slow perusal of her body that left her slightly outraged—and incredibly aroused—beginning with her breasts and sliding slowly down her body.

Was he truly attracted? Or did he think he could intimidate her into giving up her berth? That he hadn't wanted to share the small compartment with her had been apparent in the low, heated argument he'd had with the attendant who checked their tickets and collected their passports.

Having been shocked that she'd been given such a nice accommodation in the first place, no doubt a mistake but one she wasn't going to admit, they'd have to pry her cold dead fingers from the sides of the cabin door to remove her now.

She'd withstood her cabin-mate's irritation, ignoring both men as they spoke and gestured toward her until The Russian had uttered a low curse, unmistakable by his tone, raked a hand through his straight brown hair before finally, grudgingly, taking his seat. He'd made a great deal of noise opening and slamming his case, drawing out his newspaper and raising it so high she knew he wanted to tell her she didn't matter. He would simply ignore her.

Only it seemed he found it impossible to dismiss her. Was his predatory stare simply his new tactic to drive her out?

Oddly, Evie found herself growing amused. Let him stew. Let the tension grow so thick that neither of them could pretend something wasn't happening here. 'I'll be out of your hair by morning, anyway,' she drawled.

While his dark gaze lingered on her breasts, she eased back in the seat, straightening her shoulders so that her breasts lifted subtly. If he kept looking, he wouldn't miss the sight of her nipples beading beneath the thin material of her bra and tee. She unfolded her legs and crossed them again, drawing his gaze down to her long legs. She might not have fully fleshed-out curves, but her slim body did manage to pull male glances everywhere she'd traveled so far.

One asset in particular seemed to hold their attention longest.

Knowing she was being a little devious, Evie bent over to rifle through her pack, pretending to reach deep for something while her cropped tee slid up her back to reveal the upper edge of her turquoise thong.

When she straightened, she caught his glance sliding away from her bottom. Feeling smug, she couldn't help the slight smile that tugged at the edges of her lips and turned her head to lock her gaze with his, returning his challenge without blinking.

Only maintaining that stare proved hard. The longer she looked into his face the more she took note of his strong, square jaw, the dark, slashing eyebrows that overhung deep-set brown eyes, the thin sensual lips that firmed while she continued to look.

Suddenly, he stood, his height towering over her. He shrugged out of his jacket and folded it, laying it atop his brief bag. When he sat and pulled off his shoes and socks, Evie's triumph wilted, wondering what he was up to now. Without glancing her way, he stood and opened the cabinet above her head to fold down the upper bunk.

Evie quickly ducked to keep from getting bumped. 'You could have given me a warning,' she said grumpily.

Another soft snort had her tilting up her face to meet his steady stare. His hands pulled open his belt, unbuttoned the top of his pants, and he efficiently pulled his shirttails free.

Now, the air inside the compartment grew stifling. Her heart thudded dully in her chest as he stripped away his shirt and folded it neatly over his discarded jacket.

His naked chest drew her gaze. Helpless to resist, she conceded his body was attractive even if his behavior made him seem a total jerk. Broad, rather than lean, thickly muscled, his waist narrowing proportionate to his size—she knew he'd blanket her completely, press her deep into thin travel mattress if he lowered his body over hers.

Unwilling to let him mock her a single moment longer and needing to move now that excitement hummed through her body, Evie gave him a disgruntled frown and slid her bag along the floor with her foot. She stood in the small space between him and the bed, and then sidled toward the sink near the entrance of the cabin.

She watched him in the mirror, saw his gaze rake her back, lingering on her buttocks and thighs, and reached a decision she was sure she'd regret later.

Right now, however, her body was beginning a slow burn that quickened her breaths, tightened her nipples, and softened her sex. She'd started this journey needing to fill her life with experiences she'd never have back in her own prosaic little world.

Experiences. New challenges. Obstacles for her to overcome on her journey to discover herself as a single woman in charge of her own destiny.

Her boyfriend's defection, which had forced her to make this trip on her own, had stung. Her self-esteem had dents large enough to park a Hummer inside—but The Russian had been checking her out. She thought, that just maybe, she was ready to put to rest any doubts she had about her ability to attract and seduce another man.

She quietly twisted the lock on the door to ensure their privacy. Then without looking back, she slowly drew her shirt over her head and dropped it beside her feet. Unfastening her bra, she let it slide off her arms, not caring where it landed either. She slipped out of her leather slides and unbuttoned her jeans, pushing them down to her thighs. When she bent to push them the rest of the way down, she heard a throaty murmur behind her, and her body reacted immediately, urgently, dampening the crotch of the panties that were the only item of clothing she still wore.

She straightened and tucked her fingers beneath the bands at her hips, and drew a deep breath for courage, then started to push them slowly down.

Hands closed over hers, halting her. Had she misread his interest? Evie's breath rasped as her courage fled. Heat filled her cheeks, and she closed her eyes.

His large hands squeezed hers, pressing them to her sides, telling her to keep them there. Then he slowly glided up her ribs. When his long fingers nudged beneath her breasts, she couldn't help the shallow, breathless moan that escaped her lips.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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