Carrie Ann Ryan's Blog, page 148
June 8, 2013
Quote of the Day 5: Shattered Emotions
Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack 5) comes out June 18th and until then I’ll give you snippets daily. Maddox and Ellie were a pleasure and heartache to write. I can’t wait for you guys to see the Omega and His Mate.
He wasn’t really here, not with her. He’d made that perfectly clear when he’d walked away from her and what they could be.
A growl sounded behind her, bringing her out of the thoughts of what could have been, forcing her to stand on edge.
June 7, 2013
Quote of the Day 4: Shattered Emotions
Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack 5) comes out June 18th and until then I’ll give you snippets daily. Maddox and Ellie were a pleasure and heartache to write. I can’t wait for you guys to see the Omega and His Mate.
Maybe later she could even relish his touch and imagine the scents of wolf and forest washing over her.
June 6, 2013
Quote of the Day 3: Shattered Emotions
Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack 5) comes out June 18th and until then I’ll give you snippets daily. Maddox and Ellie were a pleasure and heartache to write. I can’t wait for you guys to see the Omega and His Mate.
His wolf nudged along the inside of his skin, whimpering but, as always, didn’t say anything.
Guest Blogger: Marie Harte
Thanks for having me, Carrie Ann! I’m very excited about my latest release, a psychic romantic suspense from Samhain—Love In Electric Blue.
It’s more than chemistry, more than love: it’s electric.
Remy Davis does her best to live in the now, never sure when she’ll be forced to run again. She loves her work at Buchanan Investigations—there’s no better place for a woman with her special talent for controlling electricity—but she knows better than to let down her guard. And then everything changes when a man from her past, the man she never stopped loving, reappears in her life.
J.D. never thought he’d see the girl he’d once loved, the woman he thought had betrayed him. The chemistry he and Remy once felt is as strong as ever. Old wounds need time to heal, but time is running out on second chances.
A villain bent on returning them to his twisted experiments has resurfaced. But this time J.D. won’t let Remy face the madman alone: he’ll harness every ounce of his abilities to rescue the one woman who turns electric in his arms.
A Westlake Enterprises story.
Buy link: http://tinyurl.com/ngj9xvu
AUTHOR BIO
Marie Harte is an avid reader who loves all things scifi, fantasy and paranormal. Reading romances since she was twelve, she fell in love with books and knew writing was her calling. Twenty-plus years later, the Marine Corps, a foray through Information Technology, and children, and her dream has finally come true. Marie lives in Oregon with her family and loves hearing from readers. To read more about Marie, visit www.marieharte.com.
EXCERPT
She’d been frank with Cole about her expectations tonight—that this would be a friendly, casual, not-quite date, yet he’d acted overjoyed to take her out anyway.
“I really appreciate you doing this.” She wrung her hands as she stared up into his laughing eyes. He didn’t have the same perfection J.D. had, but Cole’s rough masculinity was its own kind of beauty. She knew his social life had never been less than active. “I hope you didn’t have to cancel any dates for me.”
“Don’t worry. There’s enough of me to go around.”
“So it says on the bathroom walls.”
He laughed with her. “I like you, Remy. Now why don’t you tell me what’s really going on with you and J.D.? Because when I told him about our date earlier, he had visions of tearing my head from my shoulders.”
“He did?” Why that gave her pleasure, she didn’t want to think about. “I mean, well, we have a history. Young love gone wrong.” Way wrong. “It was all innocent and years ago. There’s nothing between us now.”
“Uh-huh.” He crossed his arms, looking a lot less than believing.
“Really.” Why did she have to explain herself? “I don’t appreciate the third degree. I had a nice time tonight. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Cole’s lips quirked. “I know you hate to hear this, but you are so cute when you’re mad.”
“Shut up.” She tried to glare at him and ended up smiling. “You’re so annoying.”
“Yet women love me. It’s part of my curse.” He dropped his arms to his side and closed the distance between them. “Now tell me what you need. A friendly ear? A warm hug? For me to tell you again how cute you are when mad? Or how hot you are, and that all the guys at work want to do you?”
“Cole.” She flushed.
“Yeah. It’s that sexy innocence. You’re a beautiful woman, Remy. And I’m your friend. So come clean. What’s really with asking me out on a date?”
“I need you to kiss me.”
He blinked. “Why?”
“Because you’re handsome?”
“I am, but that’s not why.”
She rolled her eyes. “Forget it.”
“Now, now. I can’t have you telling everyone I’m a tease.” He drew her closer, his warmth welcoming. “You want a kiss? Okay. Just promise you won’t zap me if you don’t like it.”
She tentatively put her hands on his shoulders, amazed at how much larger he was up close. “I won’t, I swear.”
He cupped her face in his hands. “I won’t lie and say I haven’t been wanting to do this,” he confessed before settling his mouth over hers.
Remy stilled as his soft breath met hers. He kept his hands on her face as he deepened the kiss. A gentle trespass, but no more than she allowed as he sipped at her lips. She felt a spark of interest, but it was nowhere near the intensity of what she’d felt with J.D.
Cole tasted like crème brulee, and he kissed with a smoothness that spoke of experience. He moved carefully with her, and she appreciated his consideration. He was a good friend, but nothing more.
“Not bad,” he said as they parted. He studied her. “But not great either, hmm?”
Remy blushed, wishing she hadn’t been so obvious.
Cole laughed and pulled her closer for a hug. “I’m teasing you, Remy. Relax. Be honest—our kiss was pleasant, but it didn’t rock your world.”
“You could tell?” She swore she’d felt something hard brush her belly when they hugged, but she didn’t want to be presumptuous and think she’d aroused him. Could she? Had she?
“You kissed me back, but you aren’t breathless. No squirming, either. Definite tells. I have enough experience to know these things.” He touched her nose and pulled away. “I’m betting you don’t. Do me a favor. Make J.D. work for his kiss. Trust me, he can stand to give you a little romance. And you’re worth it.”
She blushed again but smiled as he left. The awkwardness she might have expected after their date hadn’t been there. Her friend at work—and outside of work, apparently—Cole remained her protector.
If only she could have felt a deeper connection with him. Who knew where their night might have ended? Not with sex, though she looked forward to that day. But intimacy with Cole wouldn’t have been outside the realm of possibility. She liked him. She knew him, and the fact that he had psychic ability made her feel at home.
She moved into her bedroom and slipped on a slinky nightie she’d purchased ages ago, her one concession to dressing sexy. The rose-colored satin gown ended at midthigh and had spaghetti straps. Wearing it made her feel like a real woman, and the matching robe that went with it would keep her warm while still letting her feel feminine.
She’d just filled a kettle of water for tea when someone knocked at the door. Setting the kettle down, she hurried to the peephole, wondering if Cole had returned. And if he had, should she let him see her like this?
She peered out to see J.D. staring over his shoulder. Her heart raced and she had to consciously catch her breath. What was he doing here? It had to be close to eleven at least. She unlocked and opened the door a crack. Before she could say anything, he burst through.
“Where is he?” he asked grimly. He looked around her living room before stalking down the hall toward the bedrooms. Remy followed in his wake, more than a little annoyed.
“What are you doing here?” She tried to tamp down the thrill at the thought that he might be jealous. She shouldn’t want that, yet she liked him not wanting her with anyone else. Because she felt the same way about him, even though she had no right to such possession. God, I’m such an idiot.
She waited in the hall while he stormed through both rooms, oblivious to the fact that he had no right to do so.
“Cole’s not here,” he said in confusion. He turned back to see Remy, and his eyes widened. “Good Christ. What are you wearing?”
It dawned on her that the sexy outfit might give the wrong impression. And then he was there, in her space, backing her against the wall.
“Did you wear this for him?” he asked, his voice husky—with rage or arousal, she couldn’t say.
“No.” She licked her lips, aware he followed the movement like a hawk. “Cole left before I put on my pajamas. We had dinner and a movie. I like him. He’s a friend.” She tried to move, but he caged her between his body and the hands he braced against the wall on either side of her head. “Move.”
“Make me.”
“J.D.…”
“That’s not what you used to call me,” he murmured.
“Joshua,” she breathed, feeling him with more than her body. Her heart and her energy, always confused and needy when around him, pulsed with desire. It didn’t help when his energy sought hers, like to like, and aroused her to no end.
He glanced down, shuttering his gaze. “I see your nipples, hard little buds. You scared, baby?”
“Of you?” she tried to scoff, but he ran a finger over her breast and she sucked in a breath.
“Of me.” He smiled before lowering his mouth to hers. He gave her every chance to pull way, but she waited, needy, hungry.
The kiss melted her into a puddle of “hell yes” in seconds. He groaned into her mouth and pinched her nipple. She gasped and ground against him, arching up when he cupped her breast and moved to the other one, giving it more attention.
“Fuck,” he rasped. “You feel so good.”
“You too,” she whispered, not sure when she’d put her hands on his shoulders, holding him close. The distrust, the anger, the pain—all of it paled next to this growing need. What she could never feel for Cole or any other man.
He stared into her eyes and she saw the same desire, the same baffled lust she felt. His lips parted, but his gaze never wavered. “You are the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I want to stay away. I need to, but I can’t.”
“So don’t.” No more talking. No past or future. Only the present mattered. Him and her. Finally together. Remy’s body demanded she take charge. She’d dreamed about this with him.
J.D. dragged her close and kissed her again. And that’s when she lost her train of thought, because though she might comprehend the mechanics, the nuances of his taste and touch scrambled the rational woman she tried so hard to be.
He deepened the kiss and pushed her robe to the floor. Just like their time before, except now she knew they wouldn’t stop. Not until she had him where she wanted him.
June 5, 2013
Quote of the Day 2: Shattered Emotions
Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack 5) comes out June 18th and until then I’ll give you snippets daily. Maddox and Ellie were a pleasure and heartache to write. I can’t wait for you guys to see the Omega and His Mate.
“Why are you out here standing all alone?” she asked. She leaned into his hold, loneliness, a common emotion with her, leached off her and seeped into his chaotic hold on his own emotions.
June 4, 2013
Quote of the Day 1: Shattered Emotions
Shattered Emotions (Redwood Pack 5) comes out June 18th and until then I’ll give you snippets daily. Maddox and Ellie were a pleasure and heartache to write. I can’t wait for you guys to see the Omega and His Mate.
“She’s going to die. No, she needs to die,” Corbin muttered.
June 3, 2013
Guest Blogger: Cara Bristol
Sometimes you have to wonder if Cupid isn’t slinging arrows while blindfolded.
During college, I worked at a department store. A fellow student who worked there also had a crush on me. But I didn’t like him, I was interested in someone else. But he didn’t like me, he was smitten by another girl. But she didn’t like him….
Why do certain people fall in love with the people they do? Why are others unable to love someone who would be a perfect match? Why do people fall out of love? Is there such a thing as a soul mate, one person with whom you are fated to have the deepest bond? And what if your “soul mate” is romantically attached to someone else?
What if the man of your dreams cared for another woman and when you had the chance to trade places with her you discovered that he had loved you all along?
That’s was the “what if” that sparked Destiny’s Chance, my erotic reincarnation novel, released by Loose Id. Destiny Grable has been secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend, Chance Everett, but has never acted on her feelings. When she and her friend Zoe Richards are in car accident and Destiny is reincarnated in Zoe’s body, she hopes she can be free to love Chance the way she wanted. But he sees her as Zoe, and that relationship had ended. The person he really longed for was Destiny herself.
My tenth release and my second paranormal, Destiny’s Chance challenged me most as an author. I didn’t want even a hint of infidelity to tint the actions or motivations of the characters, yet I needed Chance to transfer his affection to Destiny after having been “in love” with Zoe. All three characters of this cosmic triangle needed to be sympathetic and likable.
And although the story begins with some disturbing news, the overall theme of it is one of hope – that we each do have our one true love who is out there waiting for us.
Here’s an excerpt where Destiny’s awakens in the hospital after the accident and discovers the truth about what really happened:
Destiny’s Chance Excerpt
Destiny expelled her breath in a heavy sigh and reached for the phone to try her parents one more time.
What the hell? She’d been too wrought by news of Zoe’s death to pay attention to much else, but now she noticed her arm looked…weird. Her wrist seemed thinner, her skin paler, the hair so fine it appeared almost nonexistent. And when had she gotten acrylic nails?
Her pulse rate doubled. The arm, the hand, the silver infinity ring on the index finger weren’t hers, but she recognized them. She fixated on the ID bracelet encircling the skinny wrist. RICHARDS, ZOE. And her friend’s date of birth.
They got the bodies mixed up. Gave you the wrong wristband.
But they couldn’t have switched arms. She flipped her hands over.
Destiny ripped back the covers and swore in frustration when the bed rail fought her frantic efforts to lower it. She forced it down, but her hospital gown caught in the metal. She tore it loose and scrambled for the bathroom.
Bruised and battered, Zoe stared at her from the mirror over the sink.
A nightmare. Wake up! Wake up! “No! No!” Slapping her face, Destiny searched for her plump cheeks, her ski-jump schnoz, and the mocha-brown eyes she considered one of her best features. The image mimicked her movements but presented high cheekbones loved by the camera, a perfect nose, and large blue eyes gone feral.
She yanked up her hospital gown. Where were her hips? Her boobs! She stared at her flat chest. She dropped the gown and screamed.
A nurse charged into the bathroom. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“My face!” she yelled. “What happened to my face?”
“The bruises will heal, and your hair will grow back and cover the scar.”
“No, no! It’s not my face!”
“What do you mean?”
“The person I see isn’t me,” she cried.
∞ ∞ ∞
What do you think about soul mates? Do you believe they exist? Have you found yours?
May 30, 2013
Shattered Emotions Chapter 1 Reveal
![RWP Shattered Emotions [Chapter Premiere]-After 30th](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380911457i/3196721._SX540_.jpg)
Click the Photo go to the Chapter 1 Reveal of Maddox and Ellie’s story, Shattered Emotions.
May 28, 2013
Another Excerpt: Forgiveness
As they entered the circles of homes, the doors opened and people exited them, heading toward the stone benches in the center. They all looked to be in their mid-thirties, as did the rest of the wolves and the people mated to wolves in the den, but Bay could still sense the power radiating off of them.
It wasn’t like the power of the Alpha or any of the Jamensons, which was raw, inherent, and bow-worthy. No, this power tasted of time, wisdom, and memories. Bay couldn’t explain it any other way.
These wolves knew things.
Redwood Pack Book 4.7
Adam Jamenson’s courtship of his mate wasn’t the most conventional. In fact, it didn’t exist. Though he knows Bay loves him with every ounce of her soul, he needs to prove to her that he’s worth it. Not only for her, but for himself. While they move on and learn to be the Enforcer mated pair, Bay will find herself on a path that leads her to a history beyond just her and Adam’s mating. When she finds a locket rich in history and memories, she’ll do all in her power to see those involved found and remembered. With Adam by her side, they’ll both find the true meaning of forgiveness.
Author’s Note: This is a novella set between books 4 and 5 to give you a taste of Bay and Adam. It is best that you have already immersed yourselves in the Redwood Pack world, however even new readers will enjoy a glimpse of one of the Redwood’s favorite couples.
Available Digitally: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | kobo | ARe | iTunes
When Darkness Comes – A Holiday Montana Short Story
You see at Lora Leigh’s RAW in Sept 2012, I sat at a table for one of the speed dating with readers events and explained my series to them. They understood the Redwoods and Dante’s Circle, then of course they wanted to know more about Holiday, Montana. At that point, Charmed Spirits, book 1 had been out for about 4 hours (no joke) so people wanted to guess the holiday I would write about.
They asked about Halloween, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving…
Yes. All of those.
It’s damned hard to find a holiday sometimes and not have it become too corny. I then held up both hands and women were laughing and giggling and pronounced, No. “No I will not write about a turkey shifter. Never.”
I lied.
From there it steamrolled into a story:
1) Darkness came from the fact I wanted something to do with white or dark meat.
2) Meate is a play on the word meat.
3) When Darkness Comes, the title, comes from an Alexandra Ivy Novel. You see, I made the mistake of reading that at my campus once and the man next to me–who apparently needs to get laid but no one is calling him up on that–joke “Hey, so is the man’s name Darkness?” Oh ha! So clever. A book about a hero coming. I’m sure the man next to me had never made a woman come so whatever. Wow, okay, apparently I’m still bitter of his joking of my books. Anyway…
4) The outrageous ideas of what a turkey can do came from many conversations with readers and Dana Marie Bell. Blame Dana Marie Bell. Always Blame Dana Marie Bell.
5) I didn’t write a bunny shifter because Dana already had a bear named Bunny. No really. Read it. It’s awesome.
6) The heroine is based on Lora Leigh’s actual ______. Yes, someone actually thought _______ was roaming the halls as a ghost in the hotel because we didn’t know ______ was there. (You’ll have to read to understand this unless you were there LOL)
7) Darkness and Edie’s lewd comments came from Memes by Ranae Rose, Dana Marie Bell and myself. Yes. We need help.
8) Blame Dana Marie Bell.
Without further ado, here it is. (yes, I could write more in the future. dare me.)
When Darkness Comes
He hadn’t always been the joke of the magical world. No, once he’d been a true hero—a true man’s man.
Then he crossed the sorceress of Holiday Death and Family Turmoil and everything changed.
Darkness Meate wasn’t a Lothario, though some had said he was well on his way. It wasn’t his fault he liked a woman’s shapely form and treasured her above all else.
At least for that night anyway.
Darkness ran his hand through his too long hair and sighed. Damn. Every time he thought back to the night his life changed he wanted to curse himself. Sadly, the cursing had already been done.
Darkness was a turkey shifter.
Yes, a turkey shifter.
Every Monday on the week of Thanksgiving, he’d shift at midnight to a fat, gobble-ready turkey—complete with tail feathers and wings.
During the day he was safe as a man, but as soon as the sun set for the rest of the week, he’d shift back to his aviary state and have to hide.
Thanksgiving week was a terribly dangerous time for a turkey—shifter or no.
Come to think of it, Darkness wasn’t sure he’d ever heard of another turkey shifter. Sure there were elves, ghosts, witches, Santa, leprechauns and cupids in Holiday, Montana, but no turkey shifters.
The Cooper brothers seemed to be in the middle of all the Holiday magic that took over the town, but Darkness wasn’t a Cooper. No, he was just a man who’d lived for too long.
When the sorceress had changed his form, she’d also changed his lifeline. Now, instead of aging, he was stuck as a perpetual thirty-five year old man who had lived during the Regency era in England, the Civil War era in the Americas, and so much more.
He was damn tired.
Sure, he had to change his identity every few years, but thanks to the curse that was the easy part. After all, the sorceress hadn’t wanted the world to know about him and his feathery predicament, so she’d made it easy for him to blend in and fade when needed.
People just assumed he’d shown up as a new resident of a town, even if he’d lived there for decades.
He was pretty sure other magical creatures could see through the guise, but he wasn’t sure. It didn’t really matter anyway. No one could help him.
He’d tried priests, Voodoo, magic, and other means and everyone had laughed at him.
After all, who in their right minds would confess to being a turkey shifter? Most shifters in books were fierce predators—wolves, birds of prey, cats, and bears—yet a dinner meal wasn’t something to be envied.
What as the worse he could do? Make them fall asleep after they ate him—and not in the good way—due to the Tryptophan? Fine, apparently there were rumors of a wild turkey roaming the streets of New Jersey once, but honestly, he didn’t think most turkeys were mean.
Darkness cursed under his breath and shook his head. He needed to stop feeling bad for himself. When he thought back to the curse and how he only had himself to blame he wanted to scream and fight back.
But there wasn’t anyone to fight back.
He’d been the one who’d slept with the wrong mistress. He’d been the one who hadn’t cared that she was a sorceress who wanted to make him pay for his crimes.
His crimes being that he never married and only slept with opera singers and the like. Apparently before the sorceress had been the vixen she’d been beneath him, she’d been a young maiden he’d ignored.
It wasn’t his fault he ignored those blushing maidens and their prowling mothers. He hadn’t wanted to get married so he’d run—no stayed away from—any chance of a compromising position.
He’d ignored one too many blushing virgins though.
Damn it.
Now he was forced to walk the streets as a Turkey a week of the year. It hadn’t been that bad before Thanksgiving had become a national holiday and his tail was literally on the line.
He’d once been a breast and thigh man. Now he had to hide all his meat from hunters who wanted to eat every delicious morsel.
Hell, he missed what that thought would have been sexy, not a death wish.
“Darkness?”
He turned at the soft sound of the loveliest voice he’d ever heard. “Edie?”
She smiled that shy smile with those lips he loved and he melted. Hell, he’d had a crush—yes a school crush—on the little blonde for the past five years and had done nothing about it.
He’d been celibate since the avian disaster and he wasn’t about to change that.
Not even for her.
“Why are you standing outside the diner looking like that?” she asked as she shifted from foot to foot. She never seemed to stand still, always bouncing or trying to move a mile a minute. He loved her energy and the fact she was so full of life.
“Like what?” he asked, lost in her violet eyes.
“Like you’re lost and angry all at the same time.”
He frowned then shook it off. No one ever really saw him, so it was weird to think that she would.
“Sorry. Just having one of those moments I guess.”
“If you’re sure,” she said as her voice trailed off. “I’m here if you want to talk though.”
“Thanks Edie. Were you going into the diner?”
She looked through the window then looked away. “I was, but it was really only to find company,” she confessed. “I’m not all that hungry.’
He saw that familiar lost look in her eyes that was so much like his own and he took a chance. “I’m not all that hungry either. Would you like to take a walk with me?”
Her eyes widened and he bit back a curse.
What the hell was he doing? He’d sworn off women. A woman had caused his dilemma and now here he was, making it worse.
“I’d love to, Darkness,” she said then looked at her phone. “I just have to be home before dark.”
He looked at his watch and frowned. “That only give us an hour, but that should be fine. Why before dark? Going to turn into a pumpkin?”
She laughed. “I thought that was midnight, not dark. And no, I just have to be inside at night.”
She didn’t elaborate but he didn’t pressure her. After all, he had his own secrets. Her words struck him as odd though considering confining oneself to their home every night seemed a bit odd.
He was only confined after the sunset one time a week.
“Tell me about yourself, Edie,” he asked as the strolled the sidewalk, nodding to residents. Tyler Cooper, the town sheriff tipped his hat at them and strolled past.
“What’s to tell?” she answered.
“Anything. I know you work with Matt Cooper at his hardware store and live in Tyler’s old apartment building, but that’s about it.”
“I love that we compare and describe things in terms of Coopers.”
Darkness shrugged. “I can’t help it. There are like fifty of them.”
“True. Well, that’s about it. I’m really boring.”
“And you have to be inside at night.” He winced at that. “Sorry. I didn’t want to pry. Forget I said anything.”
She met his gaze and nodded. “You’re different. Aren’t you?”
He froze. “What do you mean by that?”
“You’re…you’re one of them…us.”
“Us?”
She swallowed hard then looked over his shoulder. “The sun is setting. Come to my house and you’ll see what I mean.”
He frowned. What the hell was going on?
He might not have known what was going on, but he needed to follow her anyway. They made it back to her apartment just as the sun started to set. She stood in her living room then took off her shoes and stripped off her top.
“Uh, Edie. What are you doing?” His cock stood at attention as she took off her bra and her pink tipped breasts fell heavy.
Hell, those were more than a handful.
His mouth watered even as his mind went blank.
She stripped down to just her skin. Her perfectly shaved skin and smiled.
“It’s not what you think,” she said.
“You’re…you’re naked.”
She just smiled and the last of the rays of sun fell away. Then her body became awash in a glow of light and suddenly she wasn’t there anymore.
No, instead stood a Pomeranian.
A ghost Pomeranian.
“What the fuck.”
Edie—ghost dog Edie—yipped at him then ran around his ankles before running through the wall and back out again.
“Holy fuck. You’re a ghost dog or whatever. You’re different. Just like me.”
He fell to the floor and let Edie crawl up his lap. Her little ghost tongue darted out and kissed his face, then she ran to a corner of the room and brought back a toy.
“You want to play fetch?” he asked incredisouly.
She leaned down on her front ghostly paws and shook her tail in the air before yipping.
“Apparently that was a yes.”
They played fetch and other doggie games before she tuckered out and he lay on the couch with her on his chest.
“When the sun rises, we’ll talk about why you couldn’t just warn me.”
She seemed to smile then yawned big before falling asleep on his chest. He fell asleep soon after, knowing something had changed for him for the better.
When he woke up he found himself covered with a deliciously naked woman.
“Well hello,” he drawled. His cock strained through his jeans and she wiggled.
“I figured it was easier to show you then tell you,” she said, oddly shy for a naked woman.
He ran his hands up her sides and cupped her breasts. “Good decision. I don’t know if I’d believed you otherwise.”
She arched into his hands and moaned. “What are you?”
He took a deep breath. “A turkey shifter.”
She blinked. “Really?”
He removed his hands and sighed. “Yes, but only during Thanksgiving week.”
“Well that’s better than every night having to be at home because you’re a freaking yip yip dog who also happens to be a ghost.”
He laughed at her response. “How did that happen, by the way?”
She shrugged even though she was still naked and straddling him. “I let a black cat cross my path one Halloween and this happened.”
His eyebrows rose and he held back a laugh. “I was cursed by a sorceress.”
“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
“I don’t age, Edie. I’m stuck this way forever.”
She cocked her head to the side and frowned. “Don’t most of those curses break once you fall in love?”
His heart warmed and her words and he nodded. “We don’t know that though.”
“Then we’ll just have to wait and find out.”
“I like the sound of that.”
She ran her hands up his chest and grinned. “Now that I know you’re a turkey, should I know anything else? Like do you like breasts or thighs? What about being trussed up? I’m thinking basting would be too weird, but maybe we can nibble on that idea.”
He rolled his eyes at her particularly bad puns then flipped her so she lay beneath him.
“I’ve known you for years Edie, yet now I feel like I really know you. I don’t care if you need to be taken on walks and haunt the hallways. I don’t care that I’m a juicy dinnertime meal. I just like you.”
“I like you too Darkness Meate and this Thanksgiving I know what turkey I’ll be eating.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “How many jokes do you have left?”
“Oh Darkness, I’ll keep them coming.”
