Snippet Saturday – Winter

This week's theme is winter and I debated giving you an excerpt from my upcoming Frost Bitten but since its still a couple of months from release I didn't want to frustrate anyone so instead I've grabbed an excerpt from my newly revised and updated free Christmas story, A White Cougar Christmas. So if you enjoy the snippet you can click over to the free reads page and download the rest for no cost.

Excerpt:

"Can I offer you a drink, Niki?"

Her breath caught in her throat as he continued to kiss and lick his way up her arm. Something about the way he spoke her name implied much more than a drink. An overwhelming sense of desire flowed through her veins, peaking in her nipples. When he reached the inside of her elbow she nearly shot to the ceiling. He'd discovered one of her special spots, the place that always made her hot and wet in an instant. And when his nostrils flared at her sudden rush of arousal she knew he'd caught the scent.

"Whiskey," she answered a bit to breathlessly for comfort. Another woman might have blushed under the circumstances, but not her. Sex was as natural to her as bathing or hunting. In fact, her feline sisters and she had abnormally high sex drives and regular releases kept them on an even keel, or as their mother reminded them all the time, kept their aggressive tendencies at bay. Unfortunately for Niki, her releases lately had been strictly solo and she'd grown tired of it. She'd run the woods as the snow fell in big, wet flakes all afternoon, never reaching the level of satisfaction her body craved. Nature had forced her to accept that without the adrenalin rush of fear or sex, she'd never settle back down.

Things were looking up for her now though.

Dean lifted his head to the man behind the bar.

"You got it, boss," he nodded.

"It's nice to meet you, Niki." Dean stepped closer. "I don't think I've seen you in my bar before. I'm sure I would've remembered someone like you.  You stand out in a crowd."

Niki barely heard his words, with his movement her senses were suddenly overflowing with the scent of musk and pine after a violent storm in the mountains. His scent. Male. Strong. Dominant. Images of him nudging her thighs apart so she could straddle his leg made her weak in the knees.

"You have no idea," she answered without thought. "At least this time of year I can get away with a lot more camouflage than normal."

His sudden look of puzzlement finally broke through her lust-addled brain. She'd come dangerously close to revealing her status as a rare white cougar warrior to a perfect stranger. What the hell was happening to her? Her body had gone molten hot for the man standing in front of her, but that didn't usually make her stupid. She knew next to nothing about the man or his establishment. In fact, how had she not heard of a cougar friendly business this close to home?

Niki accepted the glass of whiskey from the bartender and took a quick sip, hoping to gather her wits before she made any more mistakes. "Thanks for taking care of your overly friendly customer for me. As much as I might have liked to break a few bones it probably wouldn't be a great idea."

"Maybe we could find something else for you to do with all that pent up energy."

Her ears perked up. Now he was talking. She stepped closer to him, soaking in the heat radiating off his body and another noseful of his delicious scent. Much more of this and she might find herself addicted. "What did you have in mind?" she whispered.

He smiled. "Eager aren't you?"

She pulled back at his mocking tone, withdrawing from his touch.  Despite the immediate feeling of loss she didn't have to stay where she would be taunted. Besides it wasn't as if she couldn't find a willing partner without the sarcasm. She turned away from him, hell bent on getting out the door without causing anymore of a scene or looking back at the luscious man who'd turned her on more in a few seconds than any other man had for as long as she could remember.

"Don't." His voice sounded loud and clear and she could have sworn the entire bar came to a standstill including her.

It hadn't been a plea or a request. No the tone of that command sizzled from her head to her toes and everywhere in between.  But she was a woman full of pride who refused to turn and go back. He would have to meet her halfway. So she waited.

When he placed his hands on her waist she shuddered in pleasure. In that moment the deal was set.  For tonight she would be his and he would be hers, no questions asked.

"This could get dangerous," he warned, his voice lowered to barely a whisper only she heard.

She leaned back and rested her head on his shoulder. "Danger is my middle name."

He wrapped her jacket around her shoulders and steered her toward the back of the bar. When he reached for the door he paused. "Last chance. Any second thoughts?"

"None," she assured him.

With that first step outside she inhaled deeply, taking in the clean scent of fresh snow and wild earth. This time of year was her favorite from the cold nights to the long hours of darkness giving her the cover she sought to run free and wild every chance she got. The bar was surrounded by the forest with only a small dirt road that led visitors to and from the parkway. The seclusion didn't bother her at all. She valued her privacy more than the average shifter. Although they were all pretty private when it came to public places.

"It's a nice night for a run."

"Is that where we are going?"

For a free copy of the entire short story you can download a PDF from my site here or you can get it in any format your heart desires at Smashwords or All Romance eBooks.

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