Mary E. Thompson's Blog, page 51

Misunderstanding (Nov 20)

Bianca sucked in a breath, plumping her breasts and drawing George’s eyes there. He froze, not wanting to move, or give any indication where his brain went with the delectable view in front of him. Thanksgiving dinner? Who cared. Bianca? He was all over that.

Or, he wanted to be.

He understood why his friend didn’t want him near his cousin. George’s track record with women wasn’t that great. He never wanted any of the women he knew to be more than a quick hook-up. Something seemed different about Bianca. Yeah, she was hot, but he felt like he wanted to sit and talk to her. Wanted to share parts of himself that he usually kept hidden.

It scared the shit out of him.

“No, please sit,” Bianca finally said, her voice breathy and sexy.

George’s cock twitched to life, wondering what the excitement was about and ready to get in on it. He tried to push thoughts of her away, but it was impossible with her right there beside him, her breath coming faster then before, her breasts heaving, and her scent tickling his nose.

“Thank you. So, is this the singles table?”

Bianca rolled her eyes at his bad joke, but George only grinned. He loved that she wouldn’t just roll over and appease him. She’d give him shit back, which he learned with her first words to him earlier.

Unceremoniously Bianca turned from George and struck up a conversation with another cousin, Amber, the only other female at the table. George sat quietly, not really tuned in to any conversation until he heard Amber ask Bianca, “How are things going with Adam?”

Adam? Who the hell was Adam? And why was Steven telling him to stay away from her if she was involved with someone else?

“We broke up. A few weeks ago.”

“What happened?”

Bianca stole a glance at George which made his heart skip. He was watching her intently and noticed when her eyes widened just a touch. He held her eyes, letting her know he was interested in her answer, and he wasn’t going to hide his attempt to eavesdrop.

Bianca finally looked away, focusing back on Amber, and said, “He… he wasn’t ready for something serious.”

“What?” Amber gasped. “You’d been together for almost a year! How was that not serious?”

A year? She dated someone for a year? And they’d only broken up a few weeks ago.

No wonder Steven told him to stay away from Bianca. She was probably still hurting and he was sitting there ogling her and imagining getting her naked.

God, he was an asshole.

George pushed back from the table, needing to get away. He couldn’t sit there and breathe her in and know he couldn’t touch her. He didn’t want to be near her, knowing he would only hurt her. He wasn’t good enough for someone like Bianca, something Steven obviously knew, and he wasn’t going to sit there and pretend he might be. He had to get away.

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Misunderstanding (Nov 19)

Bianca managed a seat at the fun table. She had Steven on her left and three more cousins across from her. There was only one seat at her table, which she knew would end up being Mark’s seat, another cousin. Mark was a little older than them, but still one of the younger group of cousins. Plus, he didn’t have a spouse or kids, so he definitely belonged at their table.

Bianca remembered the first Thanksgiving they all raced for a seat. Everyone waited for grandma to sit, then rushed to sit where they wanted to be. The ones with young kids headed to the kitchen, the older ones sat with grandma, and the living room was relegated as the kids’ table.

After all these years, the kids’ table was still the most fun.

Bianca adored her cousins and Thanksgiving was the one day of the year she got to catch up with all of them. It was fun. It was relaxing. It was-

“Is this seat taken?” George asked, dangerously close to Bianca’s ear.

She shivered at the closeness, or maybe at the deep, huskiness of his voice. Whatever it was, she wanted to abandon all her plans and drag him off to the closest bedroom and have her way with him.

One weekend couldn’t derail her plans that badly, could it?

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Misunderstanding (Nov 18)

“What are you, a ninja?” Bianca asked as her face turned red. George watched intently as the scarlet began at the collar of her pink sweater and climbed her neck then settled on her cheeks.

She was beautiful. He understood exactly why Steven told him to stay away from her. She was like a siren, and he had no hope of escaping.

Then again, it sounded like Steven was saying it more to protect his cousin. Not that George blamed him. Bianca was someone he wanted to protect too. More than he cared to admit.

George snickered at her obvious discomfort, wishing he could see her skin flush for other reasons. But at that moment, he was content with what he could see.

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. I was asked to get you guys back inside. Something about claiming seats?”

Steven and Bianca exchanged a look then dashed toward the door. George watched them run, Bianca’s long, thin legs easily keeping up with Steven, despite the six inches or so he had on her. George followed them, unsure what the rush was all about.

Inside, everyone was clamoring for a seat at one of the two tables. Bianca and Steven’s grandmother had a large dining room, an even larger kitchen, and overflow seating in the living room. It was obvious the kitchen table was mostly for the kids because of the tile floor, which was easier to clean up. The dining room appeared to be intended for the older crowd, and the living room geared toward everyone who wanted to watch the football game.

Except the living room was the smallest table. And it was clear that was the favorite table. Which meant someone would be stuck at another table.

Steven slid into a chair in the living room with Bianca next to him. George got into the room just as two others close to their age took two more chairs. He headed for the table just as the fifth chair was filled, which left only one seat.

Next to Bianca.

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Chubby & Charming – Cover Reveal

After a slight delay in production, I’m happy to say Chubby & Charming, the first book in the Big & Beautiful series, will be out in two weeks! I can’t wait to share this book with you, but for today, I’m sharing the cover! I really hope you love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think, and enjoy a sneak peak from Mandy and Xander.

“Western New York Health, Mandy speaking. How can I help you today?”

“Mandy, it’s good to hear your voice.”

It was him. Fuck! Why was he calling me again? And why were my nipples jumping up to say hi on their own.

“Xander, how are you? Did you get your EOB?” I was breathing heavily, trying not to be too excited that he called me. After all, it was probably another problem with his claim.

“You remember me?”

“Uh,” I stammered. Shit! I should have let him reintroduce himself. Isn’t the first rule of getting a guy to like you to play hard to get? And wouldn’t making him think you forgot him fall under playing hard to get?

Yeah, there was a reason I didn’t date.

“I, um, I do remember you. Your voice is very distinct.”

‘Very distinct?’ What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“Distinct. And here I got my hopes up that maybe you had the slightest interest in me.”

Did he really just say that? To me? I thought I was going to have a heart attack. And I couldn’t even blame the stairs. I worked on the first floor.

“I don’t know anything about you Xander. I don’t spend too much of my time wondering about men that I have only spoken to once and don’t know.”

‘LIAR’ my mind screamed. I made it sound like I hadn’t been on Facebook every day to see if he mentioned our conversation, or added new pictures of himself. Nope, I hadn’t gone through his profile with a fine-toothed comb looking for indicators that he had a girlfriend, or wife. And I certainly hadn’t been thinking about him day and night.

Yeah, right.

“Well, I think we need to change that. I was hoping you would meet me sometime. I’d love the chance to maybe buy you a cup of coffee.”

I smiled. No, it wasn’t a smile. It was a shit-eating grin. I couldn’t stop it from covering my face, making me feel like one of the beautiful people. He was gorgeous, simply stunning. And he was asking me out.

Me!

Mandy Ryan!

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Misunderstanding (Nov 16)

“Your friend’s a jerk,” Bianca complained to Steven when he finally caught up to her. “Why did you bring him?”

“He’s not that bad,” Steven argued. “I told him to stay away from you. He was shocked that you would say something like that in front of him when I’d been adamant that he back the hell off.”

“Yeah, let’s talk about that. Why did you warn him off like that? It’s always been pretty unspoken between us that we wouldn’t go after each other’s friends. Why tell him I was off limits?”

Steven shrugged, making Bianca frustrated. “I don’t know. I knew you’d been in a slump with men lately and George is exactly your type. I knew you’d be all over him, and I just didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

Bianca exhaled slowly, calming herself and trying to figure out how to ask exactly what she didn’t want to ask. “Why do you think he would hurt me? Is he dangerous?”

Steven laughed. “George? No. He’s not dangerous. But I’ve never seen him go out with a woman more than once or twice. You’re not that kind of woman, B. You’re a lifer.”

Bianca sighed. She didn’t want to be the way she was. She wanted to be able to hook up with a guy and not worry about the future, but she always did. She was a planner. Her life was always lined up in advance. Bianca had a five year plan. Hell, she had a thirty year plan if she was honest with herself. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t going to waste her time on the things that didn’t help her get there.

And hook ups fell squarely into that category.

“You’re right. It’s not worth it for me to have a fling, no matter how cute he is.”

A throat cleared from behind Bianca. She whirled around to face George. And he was laughing. Again.

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Misunderstanding (Nov 14)

Amusement?

Really? He was laughing at her?

“Listen, buddy, you’d be lucky to have a girl like me,” Bianca spat at him. She was pissed. Yeah, she thought he was cute, but no man was going to make fun of her. She knew who she was, and if he didn’t like it, then screw him.

Bianca stormed away, not willing to stand around and listen to excuses or false compliments. She didn’t need it.

*******

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Steven demanded.

George watched his feisty cousin walk across the room. He felt like a piece of him was going with her, which threw him off balance. He never relied on anyone, never got attached. Going home with Steven for Thanksgiving was a decision he made one morning after too little sleep and too much to drink. When Steven told him all about his favorite cousin, he never imagined the fiery blonde with the richest brown eyes he’d ever seen. He wanted to get lost in her eyes, to forget about everything in his life he’d ever known.

And everything he’d never wanted to know.

Something about Bianca made him think she could erase his past, give him a clean slate, make him believe in the good person he always hoped was inside.

But first he had to get past her cousin.

“I’m sorry, man. It threw me that she was talking about me like I wasn’t there. Basically saying she wanted me.”

Steven glared at him then blew out a harsh breath. “She’s the most important person in my world. You’d be the luckiest bastard in the world if she wanted you.”

George narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Are you actually giving me permission? After all the warnings you gave me leading up to coming here? I honestly thought you would rip my balls off if I even looked at her.”

Steven laughed. “Nah, man, I don’t want to touch those. But if you hurt her, you might be my next accidental bicycle kick.”

George cringed as Steven walked away laughing.

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Misunderstanding (Nov 13)

Bianca had heard that tone of voice from her cousin before. She knew it meant trouble, but what she wasn’t sure of was who it was directed at.

Reluctantly she extricated herself from George’s arms. She glanced up at him, seeing heat and desire in his eyes. She smiled to herself then turned to face her cousin.

Steven’s eyes were trained on George. Fury was clear in his eyes. Bianca didn’t know what he would do, or why he was so upset, but she felt the need to step between the men.

Resting a hand on each of their chests, she forced Steven to look at her. “What is going on?” she demanded.

Steven tossed George another glare before focusing on her. “I told him you were off limits and he’s groping you. In the middle of a family dinner.”

Indignation and anger rose up within Bianca. “How dare you! Do you think I’m a child still? First of all, he wasn’t groping me. I fell and he caught me. Secondly, no one was watching so chill out. And third, I think we’re a little too old for that off limits rule. Besides, you dated one of my friends a year ago so I’m pretty sure you owe me.”

George coughed a laugh from behind her, but Bianca kept herself focused on Steven. He was radiating anger, but it was receding. She knew she’d made her point.

Then she realized exactly what she’d said. She’d basically told George she wanted him. As some sort of deal.

Damn. She usually had her shit together better than that.

She turned to face him, unsure what to say, or how to handle it. She looked up into his eyes and saw…

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Misunderstanding (Nov 5)

The most beautiful green eyes Bianca had ever seen met hers. She knew he was off limits, Steven’s friends always had been, but she couldn’t help but wish she could find a way around that.

“B, this is George. His family isn’t close so he came home with me this year. We work together and I talked him into playing soccer this fall at the Y.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Bianca teased. “This one can be brutal when it comes to a soccer game. I hope you wear a cup.”

“Come on, B. That was one time. And the guy was fine. I think,” Steven argued.

Bianca laughed, but George paled. “Is she serious?” George whispered to Steven, making Bianca laugh harder.

Steven glared at her and shook his head. “It wasn’t that bad. It was high school and it was a total accident. I was going for a bicycle kick and the defender got too close and I ended up kicking his balls instead.”

George cringed and involuntarily grabbed himself. Bianca stood by and prompted Steven, “And what happened to the guy?”

Steven sighed heavily. “He went to the hospital. He ended up needing surgery, but he was fine. As far as I know.”

George looked from Bianca to Steven. “I guess I should be glad I’m on his team and not competing with him.”

Bianca laughed again, enjoying the sound when George joined her. “Definitely. He’s brutal.”

“Alright, enough of that. You guys aren’t supposed to be ganging up on me,” Steven pouted.

Bianca took the bait and wrapped her arms around her cousin’s waist, hugging him close. “Sorry, cuz. It’s just because I love you. And your friend should know what sort of person he’s spending his time with.”

Steven tickled Bianca, making her squeal. She darted out of his embrace, then tripped and found herself in George’s arms. His hands steadied her before she fell, her arms circling his waist and her face pressed into his chest. She breathed deep, knowing she’d never get another chance to feel the man she was holding on to.

“What the hell are you doing?” Steven demanded angrily.

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Misunderstanding (Nov 4)

Everyone knew picking up a guy at a family get together was never a good idea. For one thing, the chances were fairly good you were related, but even if you knew you weren’t it still wasn’t smart. When it all fell apart you would be left with a messy situation, one that involved more family than anyone typically cared to involve in their personal lives.

But even knowing all that, Bianca couldn’t stop herself when she met George. She didn’t know what it was about him, but from the second he walked in with her cousin, a cousin she’d always considered more like a brother than a cousin, Bianca knew she had to get to know him.

“B!” called Steven when he spotted her. Her cousin made a beeline for her, his friend following closely behind. Steven wrapped Bianca into a fierce hug when he reached her, acting like it’d been years instead of weeks since they’d seen each other. “It’s so good to see you.”

“You, too,” Bianca said, hugging him back. She closed her eyes to enjoy the feel of her cousin’s arms around her. He’d always made her feel safe. He’d been the one she’d shared her secrets with forever, the one she talked to about everything. Once upon a time she needed that, and over the last few months that she’d been away, she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed it.

Her throat clogged with emotion as she held tight to Steven, forgetting momentarily about their one man audience. When she finally pulled back, she smiled at her cousin, knowing he understood how much she’d missed him. Then he stepped back to bring his friend into their circle and everything changed for Bianca.

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Meet The Teacher, part five

Read part one, part two, part three, and part four first!

Tim sat gazing at Veronica. He couldn’t believe he’d just admitted so much to her, but he felt compelled. He wanted her. He always had. Moving back had given him hope. He’d never imagined she’d be single, but he hoped she would be. When he thought she was married it was easy. Easy to avoid her. Easy to ignore the way he felt.

But she wasn’t married. She was single.

And he wasn’t going to lose her again.

“Say something, V.”

She looked up at him with tear filled eyes that ripped Tim’s heart from his chest. He didn’t know what those tears meant, but in his experience, tears were not usually a good thing.

“What can I say, Tim? I’ve dreamt of hearing you say that for eleven years. But my life is different now. It’s not just me. I have to think about Charlie. He’s the only thing that matters to me. Keeping him safe. Taking care of him. Protecting him. I can’t lose Charlie the way I lost his dad, the way I lost you.”

“You didn’t lose me,” Tim said vehemently, pushing up from his seat to approach her. He didn’t think he could sit there another second without touching her, without pulling her into his arms. “You didn’t lose me,” he forced out, even though he knew it was the truth. He left. She didn’t go with him. He never kept in touch. She moved on.

“I did, Tim. I wish I hadn’t, but I did. I know you. You won’t stay here. Not forever. You’ll be here for a few years and you’ll be ready to move on. I can’t do that. Not to Charlie. I can’t get involved with you if it means hurting Charlie one day. He already adores you as his teacher, I can’t cross that line.”

Tim fisted his hands at his sides to keep himself from yanking her into his arms and showing her exactly what she’d be missing if she didn’t give him a chance. That wouldn’t work with Veronica. She was never the sort of woman who let her emotions rule her. It was something he’d always admired about her, but something that he hated right then. He wanted her to be weak like he was, to feel her way through, not to be so logical.

But then she wouldn’t be his Veronica.

“I’m not going anywhere, V. I don’t know how to prove that to you, but I’m not going anywhere. I bought a house, I’m not renting. The big Victorian on the edge of town, the one-”

“I always wanted to buy,” she interrupted.

Tim nodded. “It was the only place I wanted to be. It’s too big for me, but I hoped I’d be able to fill it with a family. Our family. I had other opportunities, but I want to be here. This is home. Because it’s where you are. And Charlie. I already love him. I know I shouldn’t say that, but I do. He’s a part of you and I can’t help but love him. The same way I-”

“Don’t!” Veronica shouted. “Don’t say it. You don’t mean it, Tim. Don’t say things like that.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. A flush crept up her neck and met the tears halfway down, pink streaks marring her perfect skin. Tim hated seeing her cry, but loved how beautiful she was. Her blue eyes seemed brighter with the pink in her cheeks. Her green sweater tugged tight across her breasts as she heaved for a breath. He could tell she was struggling with emotions she’d kept bottled up far too long, and he ached to see her release them.

“I’m not lying to you Veronica. Ever since I finished school I’ve been calling Mr. Stevens, asking about openings. I’ve been trying to get back here for years, but he was just as leery as you. He wouldn’t hire me only to have me run off. It took me seven years to convince him I was serious about a job here. About making my life here. I’m a patient man, V. And I will wait the rest of my life, if that’s what it takes, for you to realize every word I’m telling you is the truth.”

Veronica gawked at him, astonishment clear on her face. He waited for her to say something, anything, but she just stared at him. After a few seconds she stood and gathered her things and walked toward the door.

“Wait!” Tim called after her. “Say something.”

She didn’t face him, but she paused. After a moment her soft voice met his ears. “I can’t, Tim. I can’t risk it again. Charlie’s dad… I couldn’t make it work with him. He drove off the road when his girlfriend was giving him a blowjob. That’s how he died, with her head in his lap, her mouth wrapped around him. If I’d been a better wife he wouldn’t have been out there looking for someone else.”

“Don’t you dare blame yourself,” Tim ground out. “If he was stupid enough to not see how amazing you are, it’s his own damn fault. But don’t put that on yourself.”

“How can I not? Don’t you see? I wished he was you. Every day of our marriage I wished he was you. That you’d never left. That you’d kept in touch. That you’d come back to me. And he knew it. He knew I’d never love him the way I loved you. So he sought comfort from someone else. And he paid for it. My son has to grow up without his father because I was too in love with you to let him in. How is it not my fault?”

Tim lunged at her, no longer able to keep his hands off her. His fingers threaded into her hair and his lips came down on hers in an attempt to silence her. She squeaked when their lips met, then tensed, but within seconds she melted against him the way she always had. Tim traced her lips with his tongue and she opened for him, giving him his first taste of paradise in too many years. She was soft and warm and sweet, just like he remembered her. She was just as addicting as she’d always been, each little swipe of her tongue making him want more and more.

Tim pressed his body against hers, aching to feel every last bit of her. She felt like home, like the last piece of his life was falling into place. He poured everything he had into his kiss, every memory, every fantasy, every dream. He needed her to feel just how much he loved her, and to believe she deserved it. He wanted to heal her pain, and his, with their kiss. For both of them to finally be happy. For both of them to be loved.

When they finally broke apart Veronica was breathing heavy, her chest heaving against his. Her eyes were bright and shimmering. “Wow,” she said quietly, glancing down. “That was every bit as amazing as I remember.”

“You’re amazing,” Tim said. “And I will spend my life convincing you of that.”

“I just don’t know, Tim. It all feels…”

“Right,” he supplied for her.

She smiled. “It does. It shouldn’t, but it does.”

“Then let’s give it a shot. You and me and Charlie. And the big Victorian. Together.”

“Together,” Veronica said quietly.

They nodded, and sealed their agreement with another kiss.

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