Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 37

Fluffy & Fabulous, First Kiss

In only one week Fluffy & Fabulous will be out! I’m so excited to share the last installment in the series, but also sad to see these wonderful characters go. I’m toying with the idea of writing another story, but you’ll have to tell me if you want one more. You haven’t met her yet, but if you love her, you can talk me into writing book nine. I doubt it’ll take much convincing.

But today isn’t about her, it’s about Charlie and Max. Charlie is as sweet as her cupcakes and Max is as strong her her coffee, but they both need a little of what the other has. Today you get a little peek into just how much chemistry they have when they let that sweet and strong combination meld.

Excerpt from Fluffy & Fabulous

Max pulled into a parking space in front of Bite Me! and turned off the engine. I felt like I owed him something for his help and found myself asking, “Do you want to come in? I can make a fresh pot of coffee and I’m sure there are muffins and cupcakes left since I closed so early.”

“I’d love to,” Max grinned, showing that adorable dimple.

Max followed me through the darkened storefront back to the kitchen after I locked the front door. I flipped on the lights and propped the door open so I could grab some muffins and cupcakes from the case. “What would you like?”

Max groaned and my gut clenched, realizing how my question sounded. I spun to look at him and was nearly bowled over by the feral, hungry look in his eyes. He wanted me. I could see it, almost smell it in the heavy, sugar-filled air around us.

His eyes locked on mine and he knew I saw it. He stalked toward me, slowly, like he was approaching his prey. In a way I guess he was, but it shocked the hell out of me. I couldn’t think though, not with that look in his eyes, with that demand… that need.

Without stopping, pausing, or giving me a chance to question him, Max walked toward me until our bodies touched, until we were aligned in the most intimate way possible, until his lips crashed into mine.

His kiss was softer than I expected given his approach. He looked at me as though he was going to devour me, but his kiss was light and gentle, a finger dipped in the icing bowl instead of a spoonful. Just enough that I knew I wanted more.

Max angled his head and cupped my cheek. His tongue brushed against my closed lips and they fell apart like they’d been waiting for a good reason, allowing him entry and letting him take whatever he wanted. When his tongue touched mine my internals ovens went from warming to broil in a second. I couldn’t get enough of him and he seemed to feel the same way.

Max’s hands were all over me at once, like he couldn’t touch enough of me. He shoved my jacket free of my shoulders and it trapped my hands in the sleeves. I struggled to get free, finally releasing my hands as his kisses assaulted my senses. His mouth moved from mine to my neck and collarbone, open-mouthed kisses leaving a blazing trail of desire on my skin.

When his hands joined the party and cupped my heavy breasts I nearly lost it. I moaned loudly, my body aching for his touch, and arched into his hands. He smiled against my skin as his thumbs teased my nipples to tight, hard peaks. “Can we take this upstairs? Put that big, pink bed of yours to good use?”

Preorder Fluffy & Fabulous now!

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Just Another Day (Apr 18)

Rick stood frozen where he stood. He wanted to look around and take in her space, her really, but he didn’t dare move. She said to get out, but he didn’t know if Tara was talking to him or Aaron.

“Who?” Aaron finally asked, his eyes sliding over to Rick.

“You, Aaron,” Tara said softly. “You don’t need to be here for this.”

Rick wanted to breathe a sigh of relief that she wasn’t kicking him out, but he knew being in that room with her and unable to leave until they’d worked everything out was going to be borderline torture. Sure, he wanted to talk, but more than that he wanted to haul her against him and kiss her until she forgot what she was so mad about. Why she was hurt.

If Rick could take back the stupid words he’d said that day, he would. The truth was, for him, a part of it was just sex. He was young and dumb and thought he could sleep with her and not have it affect him. The other part of him though, that part craved her every second since he let her out of his grasp. If it had truly just been sex for him, he never would have left. But he knew he’d hurt her, and he knew he couldn’t look her in the eyes again and not have her, and that she’d never let him near her again.

Aaron finally nodded his head, then walked past Rick, clapping his shoulder as he went by. Rick didn’t budge, but he wanted to run out the door behind him. He couldn’t though. He owed it to Tara to tell her the truth so she could move on.

He knew there wasn’t any hope for him moving on.

When the door clicked closed behind Aaron, Tara ran her hands over her face. Rick wanted to pull them back and just look at her, but he wasn’t going to push. If they were going to talk, he was going to let her lead it. He would answer all her questions and tell her the truth, no matter how much it hurt him to admit how he felt.

“Why are you here? The truth?” she finally asked.

“Aaron left me a message that said he needed me here. I couldn’t get in touch with him or Michelle so I flew home. When I got here he told me he’d tricked me into coming for your birthday.”

She blew out a long breath and sunk down into a chair. His chest hurt to see her pain, pain he’d felt but buried for years. He knew she was hurting all that time, but he convinced himself it wasn’t happening, that Aaron was exaggerating. To see it in person was like being flayed alive.

“When he told you, why didn’t you leave?”

The truth. He owed her the truth. “I wanted to. God, I wanted to. He told me you were in love with me and miserable and that I owed it to you to make this better.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she snarled at him. “You walked out and never looked back. You’ve made a living at running away. Why stick around now?”

Rick shook his head. “Because you deserve better than me, and if there’s even a small chance you’re still hung up on me, I owe it to you to let you go so you can find the happiness I know isn’t in the cards for me.”

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Just Another Day (Apr 17)

Tara couldn’t sit as she listened to her brother talk. He detailed everything. How Rick had gone to him their last night together and confessed the whole truth about their relationship. How Aaron had agreed with Tara that it was best Rick leave, but that they’d stayed in touch. How Aaron stood by when she fell apart, year after year, and felt every heartbreak with her. How Aaron called Rick and tricked him into coming home. How Aaron thought they belonged together.

“You know you love him,” Aaron demanded. “And he loves you. You’re miserable without him.”

“It isn’t that easy, Aaron.”

“Why the hell not?”

Tara sighed. “He hasn’t been here-”

“Because you told him to leave.”

“I was hurt. When the boy you love tells you it’s just sex, not love, it hurts. I knew I couldn’t be around him all the time and ever get over him.”

“Did you get over him?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Tara muttered.

“I think it does, sis. If you’re over him, I’ll back off. I’ll tell him to take his shattered heart and leave, like he wants to do. I don’t know what happened last night, but I almost had to cuff him to the bed to keep him from leaving.”

“I don’t want to know why you have handcuffs.”

Aaron cracked a grin and shook his head. “Considering they were a gift from your best friend, probably not.”

Tara plugged her ears and said, “La la la la!”

Aaron gently tugged her fingers from her ears and held her hands within his. “He’s as hurt as you are, Tara. He’s missed you.”

“Did he tell you that? Or are you coming up with that all on your own?”

“He doesn’t have to say it, Tara. He loves you.”

“Again… Did he say that or are you putting words into his mouth?”

Aaron sighed. “What happened last night?”

Tara laughed mirthlessly and shook her head. “Nothing happened. He was there. I was there. I asked what he was doing here. He wouldn’t tell me. He asked how I was and I got pissed then left.”

“Why didn’t you want to tell him how you are?”

“It’s none of his damn business,” Tara snarled.

Aaron sighed again and cocked his head at her. “I love you, sis, but you’re miserable. You’ve been miserable since Rick left. Don’t tell me it’s a coincidence. I want you happy. That’s why I called him. I want the two of you to get over this shit. Whether it’s moving on or working it out, it’s gone on long enough. The two of you need to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to him.”

“Gee, where have I heard that before? Get your ass in here,” he shouted.

Every pore on Tara’s body prickled. She heard the click of the door and froze. When it snapped closed, Tara’s mouth went dry.

“Now,” Aaron said, pointing a finger at Tara and the man behind her who had yet to speak, “you two can either talk with me here, or I can leave. Either way, you two are going to walk out of this place smiling. Both of you. So which is it?”

Tara couldn’t move. She wasn’t even sure she was still breathing. The only thing she could focus on was the sound of his breath behind her, in her home, in her world. She wanted to cling to her brother, but she didn’t want him to witness the conversation they were about to have. She opened her mouth and said, “Get out.”

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Just Another Day (Apr 16)

Tara wanted to be furious as she drove away, but she wasn’t. She was hurt. She knew Rick was staying with Aaron and Michelle. She’d sensed him there, but dismissed her instincts since she never thought he’d come back. 

Instead of confronting the two people she thought cared about her, Tara went home, grabbed a tub of ice cream and the remote, and turned off her phone. 

The next morning Tara woke to pounding. She hadn’t had anything to drink so she knew the pounding was outside, and that it wasn’t likely to stop until she opened the door. 

Heaving herself out of bed, Tara groaned, wishing she didn’t have to get up. When the pounding came again she tied a bathrobe around her waist and went to let in her visitor. 

Not that she didn’t know who it was. 

Tara unlocked the door, knowing he would hear the click, then turned to go to the kitchen. If she was going to survive her morning she was going to need copious amounts of coffee. 

“Are you even going to let me explain?” Aaron said when he reached the kitchen. 

Tara just looked at him. She didn’t really want excuses, but she knew that was exactly what she was going to get. Might as well dive in head first. 

“Why don’t you start at the beginning. We’ll go from there.” 

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Camelot’s Queen by Nicole Evelina

Please welcome Nicole Evelina here today to share about her book, Camelot’s Queen!
Camelot’s Queen

by Nicole Evelina

History remembers Guinevere’s sin, but it was Arthur who transgressed first.

Forced into a marriage she neither anticipated nor desired, Guinevere finds herself High Queen, ruling and fighting alongside Arthur as they try to subdue the Saxons, Irish and Picts who threaten Britain from every direction. Though her heart still longs for her lost love, Guinevere slowly grows to care for her husband as they join together to defeat their enemies.

Meanwhile, within the walls of Camelot their closest allies plot against them. One schemes to make Guinevere his own, another seeks revenge for past transgressions, while a third fixes her eyes on the throne. When the unthinkable happens and Guinevere is feared dead, Arthur installs a new woman in her place, one who will poison his affections toward her, threatening Guinevere’s fragile sanity and eventually driving her into the arms of her champion.

Amid this tension a new challenge arises for the king and queen of Camelot: finding the Holy Grail, a sacred relic that promises lasting unity. But peace, as they will soon learn, can be just as dangerous as war. As the court begins to turn on itself, it becomes clear that the quest that was to be Arthur’s lasting legacy may end in the burning fires of condemnation.

This highly anticipated sequel to Daughter of Destiny proves there is much more to Guinevere’s story than her marriage and an affair. See the legend you think you know through her eyes and live the adventure of Camelot’s golden days yourself – but be prepared to suffer its downfall as well.

Guinevere’s Lovers

The theme of this promo, More Than Friends, may as well be tailor-made for a discussion of Arthurian legend. In my Guinevere’s Tale series, Guinevere has three main loves: Aggrivane, whom she loved before meeting Arthur; Arthur, whom she married; and Lancelot, her infamous lover. But none of these is exactly as you traditionally think of them in my books.

Camelot’s Queen is the second in the series. It contains all three of Guinevere’s loves. In the beginning of the book, she’s fighting to overcome her star-crossed love for Aggrivane (get their back story in the first book, Daughter of Destiny, which I highly recommend reading before this one). There are two great scenes that show their ongoing love, how they will never get over one another, but this is my favorite:

Aggrivane had made no effort to cover his tracks. Following his footprints, deep and unmistakably stamped with rage into the muddy depths of the forest, I picked through clumps of mutilated leaves and swept past decapitated branches, the innocent victims of his anger, until I came to a small clearing at the edge of a stream.

His back was toward me as he faced the water. “You should not have come.”

“But you knew I would.” I couldn’t see his face, but I imagined how he would close his eyes and smile ruefully by way of answer. He was determined to ignore me, so I crossed the clearing in a few purposeful strides then tugged on his shoulder in a vain attempt to force him to face me. “What would you have me do, Aggrivane? Choose my former lover as my champion? How would that look to Arthur? To the court?” I was almost yelling, my voice raw.

He had to see reason. He had to know I’d had no other choice. Because I hadn’t, had I? I wrapped my arms protectively around myself. Suddenly I wasn’t so sure. 

For a long while, Aggrivane said nothing, and sounds of the forest returned as the birds decided my outburst was not aimed at them. Then slowly he turned, his face a stony mask, but I saw pain reflected in his eyes.

“Yes,” he whispered. “That is exactly what you should have done—selected the one you wish to have always by your side, not a substitute to distract you from your true feelings.”

The candor of his words struck me to the core as surely as if he had buried an arrow deep inside my heart. Tears dampened my cheeks before I could find my voice, and I turned away. My mind was working feverishly to deny the truth of his words.

“I am no longer the girl you met in Avalon. My actions…” I took a deep breath. “Are watched by everyone.” I winced inwardly as I realized how close I had come to repeating Merlin’s words about my actions having consequences. “To have named you my champion would only have given my detractors something to use against me.”

“Did Lyonesse teach you that, how to make excuses for any subject?” Aggrivane spat, referring to the malicious woman I had lived with during the latter part of our courtship.

I whirled around, ready to retort, but he stopped me by holding up his hand.

“Everything you have said to me since I returned has been one gigantic justification.” His eyes narrowed, inspecting my face. Then he firmly gripped my shoulders, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. “Why do you refuse to acknowledge that you are still in love with me even to yourself?” His eyes searched mine so thoroughly I felt naked before him. “Do you know what I was about to say to you the day Camille interrupted us?”

I was about to reply, but he rushed on. “I was about to tell you that I was still in love with you. Married or no, neither of us can deny what flickers deep within no matter how hard we try to hide it or snuff it out.”

Aggrivane cradled my cheeks, and my heart cracked all over again, just as it had when my father separated us, just as it had when I futilely searched for his face in the moments after Arthur proposed. I closed my eyes, trying to deny what my heart so readily understood. My head spun with a million thoughts, the loudest being a voice shouting, No, this cannot be happening. He did not just say those words. 

You are dreaming; this is not real, I kept repeating, but I knew it wasn’t true. I tried to force the feelings down, and I let out a strangled gasp as they nearly choked me. I did still love him, but to admit it, to say it out loud, would have been treason. And once I gave voice to those feelings, there would be no going back—no controlling the torrent that came with them.

The words were hanging on my tongue, each beat of my heart bringing them closer to my lips. I pulled away, head bowed and eyes on the grass slowly dying beneath my soles. I knew what I had to do, what had to be said, but every fiber of my being railed against it. I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak, my voice sounding foreign to my ears. “This has to end, Aggrivane. We can’t continue to live like this. I do not want to lose you, but there can be no illusions about what is or ever will be between us.”

Aggrivane cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. I didn’t dare look up. I knew by his silence that his expression would rend me beyond repair.

“If that is what you wish,” he said, clearly struggling to keep his voice steady. “But promise me one thing.”

I answered without hesitation, “Anything.”

I suddenly remembered how he had looked the night we first kissed, the way the wind rippled his black locks into shining waves and how his dark eyes twinkled like the stars in the midnight sky. I would have given anything to be able to go back to that moment, to start things over and live the life destiny had stolen from our grasp.

“Promise me no matter how much you love your husband or esteem your champion, no matter how many others you burn with passion for, you will reserve a small place in your heart only for us. It can be in the darkest depths of your soul, but I need to know there is some part of you no one else can touch, a place that is purely mine.”

I stared at him, wishing I could tell him such a place already existed, sealed from all others by wounds that would never fully heal, scars that marked me as his as clearly as if he had carved his name into my heart. But all I could do was nod and wipe away the tears as they fell. “I promise.”

His smile was as tender as his touch as he ran his fingertips down my cheek from my temple to jaw. “So do I.”

As he embraced me one last time and kissed my forehead, I knew my love for him would haunt me forever.

Then there is Arthur, who is of course, Guinevere’s husband. We all know that. But neither of them planned on marrying one another, and both had dreams that involved other people (you’ll find out who Arthur wished to marry in this book). But still, they grew to love each other. This is from their wedding night, when they are still very much strangers:

“If you had it to do over again, would you choose me?”

How could he even ask me such a question? He was the king. What was I going to say—no? “Would I have a choice?”

Arthur stepped toward me, hand outstretched. “Of course. You’ve always had a choice.”

I stepped away from him. “Have I? You asked for my hand in front of the entire court of Dyfed, already having secured my father’s agreement.”

Arthur dropped his hand, balling it into a fist at his side. “Guinevere, I understand your pain. You are not the only one who has lost something. I had a completely different life before I became king—plans, dreams which will never be fulfilled. This is a duty I never asked for.”

“Neither did I.”

“But you’re here now.” His smile was tender.

Before I could respond, he leaned in and kissed me gently. Then he pulled back and searched my eyes as if looking for permission to continue.

My tension eased, shoulders sagging as I realized he was right. I was here now, with my husband. No matter what had come before, I’d made my promise to him. I had a duty now, to him and to my people. In answer to his questioning eyes, I kissed him back, with equal tenderness and no small amount of awkwardness.

He ran his hands over my hair, down my neck and shoulders, to my waist as our lips danced, gradually learning one another’s pace and preferences. When his hands reached my hips, he removed my shift and lifted me effortlessly. We made love with the uncertainty of strangers, the act slowly forming a bond between us even as we struggled to find pleasure in our forced coupling.

When it was over, Arthur lay his head on my chest and his breathing slowed to the even pace of a dreamer. I kissed the top of his head.

“I suppose being married to you will not be so bad,” I whispered before closing my eyes.

And then there is Lancelot. I’m not going to tell you why this happens (you’ll have to read the book to find out), but this is the moment where Guinevere and Lancelot become lovers. 

As he had promised that night in the inn, Lancelot was there for me no matter when I needed him. At first, he’d merely listened as I confided my fears, holding me when the panic was overwhelming and letting me cry when the guilt surfaced. Sometimes I fell asleep in his arms. When I woke in terror in the dark of night, it was not Arthur I sought but my champion.

One night, months after we had returned to Camelot, I slipped into Lancelot’s doorway, breathless and sweating, heart still pounding from the vivid nightmare in which Elga had succeeded in killing both of us at Badon. I was so happy we were both alive I didn’t even greet him. I ran over to where he lay drenched in moonlight and kissed him, waking him from a sound sleep. He never tried to push me away, merely smiled into my kiss and drew me to him. Peeling away my sticky shift, I bit his neck, letting him know I no longer wished our relationship to be chaste. He responded by tangling a hand in the hair at the nape of my neck and pulling me on top of him. His face was buried in my breasts as I moved against him, welcoming his touch as though I was starving without him. And maybe I was. It had been ages since Arthur had touched me.

When we had finally sated our hunger, he laced his fingers in mine and smiled. “I knew you cared for me. Finally, so do you.”

Have I got your attention? I do hope so. As I said earlier, I recommend reading the first book, Daughter of Destiny, first. You might be able to read Camelot’s Queen on its own, but you will miss many of the relationships and motivations built up in the first book, which may lead to misunderstanding or frustration, and I want you to have a pleasant reading experience. But whether you read both or jump straight into this one, please know this is not your mother’s Arthurian legend; I have very much put my own spin on a classic story – but I hope you enjoy it all the same.

Buy Camelot’s Queen now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, iBooks, or Kobo!
Meet Nicole

Nicole Evelina is an award-winning historical fiction and romantic comedy writer. Her most recent novel is Camelot’s Queen, the second book in an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view.

Her debut novel, Daughter of Destiny, the first book of the Guinevere’s Tale trilogy, took first place in the legend/legacy category of the 2015 Chatelaine Awards for Women’s Fiction/Romance, and was short-listed for the Chaucer Award for Historical Fiction. Her upcoming novel, Been Searching for You (May 10), a romantic comedy, won the 2015 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Great Expectations and Golden Rose contests. Later this year, she will release Madame Presidentess (July 25), a historical novel about Victoria Woodhull, America’s first female Presidential candidate, which was the first place winner in the Women’s US History category of the 2015 Chaucer Awards for Historical Fiction.

Nicole is one of only six authors who completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness. Nicole has traveled to England twice to research the Guinevere’s Tale trilogy, where she consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon.

Nicole is a member of and book reviewer for the The Historical Novel Society, and Sirens (a group supporting female fantasy authors), as well as a member of the Historical Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Romance Writers of America, the St. Louis Writer’s Guild, Women Writing the West, Broad Universe (promoting women in fantasy, science fiction and horror), Alliance of Independent Authors and the Independent Book Publishers Association.

Her website is http://nicoleevelina.com. She can be reached online at:

https://twitter.com/NicoleEvelina
http://www.goodreads.com/nicoleevelina
http://pinterest.com/nicoleevelina/
https://www.facebook.com/nicoleevelinapage/
http://instagram.com/nicoleevelina
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyi5-knSn0Abm5ujfpcHgbg/videos?view_as=public

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Just Another Day (Apr 14)

Rick hated the venom he saw in her eyes, the hatred he knew she always associated with him. For a second he thought there was a glimmer of something else, something beautiful, but it passed quickly.

He knew a little about her life from Aaron, but not enough. It would never be enough because he’d missed out on years with her. Years he could never get back.

“What about you? Ever been close to being married?”

Her eyes snapped up to his, almost as though she forgot he was there. “No. I’ve never been close.”

He stifled his urge to smile. She’d never moved on either. Maybe she still cared for him, still loved him as Aaron assured him she did. Rick wasn’t foolish enough to believe her brother had all the answers, but he definitely had more than Rick had.

“How’ve you been?”

He wanted to kick himself. It’d been years and that was the best thing he’d come up with. If he stayed away another few years he was going to have to work on his conversational skills.

“I’m great,” Tara said. Her voice was too bright, her eyes staring into his, daring him to call her on her lie.

Rick clamped his mouth shut. He had no right to question her, no right to call her on it. They both knew she wasn’t going to tell him anything, making whatever hope had begun to blossom within him wither and die.

“Good, Tara. I’m happy for you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. For you to be happy.”

She laughed mirthlessly, throwing her head back and staring up at the cloudless sky. Darkness was settling in thick around them and a chill was coating the air, but Rick could only focus on the curve of her neck, the lines in her throat, the jut of her chin when she faced him again.

“Is that really what you wanted Rick? Because to me it seemed as though you wanted to get me into bed and then walk away. My happiness never entered your mind because I was just a prop for a night. Someone to fill the empty spot in your bed. Someone to ignore the next day. Someone who never mattered. So why would my happiness mean anything to you?”

Rick couldn’t have hurt more if she’d punched him. He tried to take a breath and found his throat seized with her harsh words. He wanted to correct her, to tell her the truth, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t speak, and he couldn’t betray the trust he’d held all those years ago. It wasn’t fair to him and it wasn’t fair to her, but Rick made a promise. And even if it ripped his heart out, he was going to keep that promise.

So he stood there as Tara shook her head at him. Her icy glare shot through his heart. “Same old Rick, I see. Nothing to say.” Then Tara turned on her heels and bolted to her car. Rick didn’t move until her taillights disappeared in the darkness.

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Just Another Day (Apr 13)

Tara knew she was hallucinating. She had to be. It was the only explanation that made sense. Rick couldn’t actually be there. She was losing it. 

He seemed real though. He talked to her, and dear god the feel of him against her back felt real. 

But she couldn’t trust his words. If he was real, he was lying because he didn’t care about her. No more than he ever did. 

She broke away from him, cold coating her back with the loss of him. She admonished her traitorous body for wanting him pushed against it again and tossed Rick a glare sure to make his calls shrivel. 

Rick took his sweet ass time meeting her eyes, enough time for her to do a quick assessment of him. He’s changed since she’d last seen him. His shoulders were broader, his waist narrower. His face had sharpened with age as well, his once angular jaw softened with stubble and lines that spoke of time in the sun and laughter. Lots of laughter. 

Tara immediately believed he had to be married and glanced down for a ring. 

“I’ve never been,” Rick said, breaking through Tara’s internal thoughts. 

“Been what?”

Rick finally met her eyes, compassion and desire muddying the already brown color. “Married,” Rick clarified. “I never met anyone I could see spending my life with. At least, not after I left here.” 

Tara sucked in a breath, his words cinching her throat tight. Could she dare to dream he was talking about her? 

No. He couldn’t be. If he was he never would have left. 

Right? 

She did demand he leave. But if he loved her he would have fought for her. 

Dammit, why was he back? 

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Husky & Hot, so sweet

Just in case you haven’t picked up Husky & Hot yet, I wanted to make sure you knew how sweet Drew was. He’s heartbroken and getting over his ex, but he’s also simply perfect for Carrie. And he proves it over and over again!

Excerpt from Husky & Hot

“There you are,” his voice came from behind me. “I’ve been looking for you all week.”

I turned and gave him an annoyed and confused look. “You’re my boss. You know where I am 40 hours a week.”

“Whoa. What did I do?”

I shook my head. He didn’t need my jealousy creating problems. He was getting over his ex and that was good. I cared about him enough to want him to be happy, although being happy without me was a little annoying.

“Nothing. You did nothing. What did you need from me?”

“This isn’t nothing, Carrie. Talk to me. I thought we were more than boss and employee.”

“You don’t need to worry about my personal life. It’s fine. Why were you looking for me?”

“I, uh… I was wondering what you’re doing tonight?” He ran his hand through his hair and looked entirely too adorable. Drew was not the kind of man I’d ever think of as being adorable. Sexy. Hot. Badass. Yes. But adorable? Only at that moment.

“I don’t have any plans tonight. Did you need me to work late?”

“What?” he snapped. “No. I wanted to go out. On a date. With you.”

“Wait, what?”

He chuckled. “I wanted you to go out with me. I was thinking of fixing you dinner at my place, if you’re interested. If not… don’t worry about it. I was just-“

“I do. I mean, yes. I thought you were… Never mind.”

“You thought what?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Carrie, what’s going on? I thought we were okay. Better than okay the other day. What’s changed?”

I took a deep breath for strength and dug deep. Telling him what I’d thought all week and what Xander said about him… oh, who cared.

“You acted like the other day was a one time thing. Then Xander told Mandy you’d gotten lucky but wouldn’t talk about it and everyone said that meant it was just a one time hook-up. When you spent the week acting like you’d gotten some I just figured you met someone.”

“Wait a minute,” he said, holding up his hand for me to stop. “Okay, first of all, I don’t know what I did to make you think the other day was a one time thing, but I’d hoped it wouldn’t be. As for Xander, well he’s a dick. I didn’t tell him anything because I didn’t want him to think differently of you for being with me. As for you… I haven’t been able to think about anything other than the way you screamed my name the other day. Sitting at that desk gives me a hard-on because I see you sprawled over it, open for me. I’ve basically been useless all week.”

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Just Another Day (Apr 11)

Rick couldn’t breathe. He didn’t dare move. He was walking along the narrow beach when he saw her drop into the sand.  He ducked behind a tree so she wouldn’t see him. Then he watched and waited.

The wind whipped around his face, tearing through his thin jacket. The sun was being pushed out of the sky, taking the warmth with it. Still, Tara sat. Rick didn’t know how long he could stay still, but he knew better than to move.

Tara made a move to get up and Rick breathed a sigh of relief. He straightened, letting his aching back stretch as he moved for the first time in far too long. He fought the urge to moan with the tension easing from his body, but he didn’t want to alert her to his presence. When Tara stood and walked off, Rick followed her, keeping his distance, but staying close enough to watch her.

Tara paused when she reached the sand near the parking area. She turned back to the lake and stared off over the water. Rick silently surveilled her. When she reached up to wipe tears from her lashes he sucked in a breath, his heart pounding in his chest at the sight of her crying.

Rick was closer to her than he realized. Close enough that she heard his intake of breath. Close enough that she turned to him when he made a noise. Close enough that he saw her eyes widen when she realized, even in the darkening sky, exactly who he was.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. Rick wanted to know if the words were a prayer or a curse, but he didn’t dare ask. He froze, staying still, as he wished he’d done moments before.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, finding her voice, as strong and fierce as it had been the last time he’d heard it.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” he said instead of answering her question. He couldn’t lie to her, but he also couldn’t tell her the truth.

“I, um… you weren’t. I was just leaving.” She turned to go and Rick thought his heart would shred right then and there.

“Tara, wait,” he asked, hating the harshness of his voice. “Please,” he added, hoping it would soften the demand he’d unintentionally issued.

With her back to him she said, “Why, Rick? Why are you here?”

The pain in her voice tore him apart. He wanted to tell her everything, but her emotions were as raw as his. He could tell by the slump in her shoulders, the way she wrapped her arms around herself when she faced him, the softness of her voice. She wasn’t ready to hear the truth, not the whole truth. So he told her a version. “I’m here because I had to see if you were okay. God, Tara I’ve missed you.”

He stepped up behind her, his cock stirring to life when he pressed his front against her back. The shiver that raced through her body shook him, making him want more, but he didn’t know how far he could push her.

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Just Another Day (Apr 10)

Tara left Michelle and Aaron’s house feeling much better. She and Michelle had a glass of wine, but Tara left before her brother got home. She didn’t want to face him. He could see too much most of the time. Tara knew her brother had seen a change in her since Rick left, but he kept it to himself lately.

Except the looks he gave her.

Tara didn’t want to see the looks. She was too on edge already with her birthday only a few days away. She couldn’t handle her brother’s too accurate looks on top of that.

Tara drove around town, not wanting to go home alone. Rick was on her mind more and more as she approached her birthday. Every year she ached for him to return. And every year she was disappointed.

Despite the chill in the air Tara parked in front of the lake. She always visited around her birthday, and many other times during the year, letting herself remember her one night with Rick. It had been her first time, but not his. She appreciated the tenderness he exhibited that night, as if he’d known exactly how much the night would mean for her. She assumed he had, although they never talked about it. Every other experience she’d had since paled in comparison to Rick, but Tara knew the moment he touched her that no one would ever make her feel the same way again.

Tara filled her lungs with a deep breath of the cool air, something else lingering. She glanced around, seeing another car parked nearby, but few people. She shook her head, knowing her imagination was working overtime. He hadn’t been there in years and believing she could smell him was almost as foolish as believing he might ever come back.

She was too old for childhood fantasies. Sure, she’d been the one to tell him to leave, but she never thought he’d actually do it. She was hurt. She said things she didn’t mean. But she saw him kissing someone else within an hour of them sleeping together. There was no way to explain that away.

Not that she let him try.

She knew what she saw. And there was no excuse for it.

Tara couldn’t deny that the years had taken the sting out of his behavior. She’d ached for him to call her and explain. To tell her what really happened. To tell her he’d been thinking of her. Anything.

But it never came.

Tara gave up hope she’d ever see Rick again. It hurt to know she’d never see him, but she told herself it was for the best. She could move on with her life, not that she had yet, but she would.

She let him fill her mind as she walked, wondering what he was doing, where he was, how he was. She wondered if he was married or had kids. She wondered if he was happy. Tara could ask Aaron. They were still in touch, something he worked up the courage periodically to talk to her about. Tara never let him though. She didn’t want to hear how great he was when she was so miserable. She wished him well, but not too well. A big part of her wanted him as miserable without her as she was without him.

When Tara reached her favorite spot she lowered herself into the sand. The beach wasn’t large, but Tara didn’t care. She closed her eyes and breathed deep. The wind blew gently past her, lifting her hair from her neck and sending a chill through her. She smiled into the breeze and finally felt a little peace.

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