Snippet Saturday – Just One Look

This week is about the first moment the hero and heroine meet, and while deciding which particular hero and heroine to offer you I discovered that the majority of my books have characters have known each other for quite some time before they cross the line from friends to more. Guess I have a thing for friends to lovers stories.  I'm going with Coyote Wild. Brogan knows about El but he's never met her before the opening scene of the book and the poor man is a little shaken by his reaction to her.

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Need slammed into Brogan Wilder like a two-by-four to the gut. He knew lust, dealt with it when it rose, but this…

This was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. The beast inside chafed at the chains of restraint, snarled and snapped to be let free.

Brogan searched the room but nothing he could see should have him ready to shift. His sister Rowan sat on the sofa, his best friend and her fiancé, Quinn, beside her. They were the only others in the room. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention and the blood in his veins heated and pumped harder. Whatever had his instincts screaming to take, to possess, had moved closer.

Skin grew tight and hot as he fought with his inner beast. Shifting wasn't an option. Not yet. First he needed all his human skills to determine what had the power to do this to him. Then he'd have to decide if it was friend or foe. He sniffed the air, tried to place the feminine scent teasing his senses. It wasn't Rowan or any other female he knew.

"For pity's sake, Brogan, sit down. You're making me nervous and I know you're all bark and no bite. If you don't relax you'll scare El right back toAustralia." Rowan's words broke into his agitated thoughts.

"What?" He tried to focus on his sister and what she was saying.

"Eloise. Remember? She'll be coming down from her room any minute and I want you to be on your best behavior. It took months of nagging and pleading to get her to agree to come out for the wedding. I want her to enjoy herself and not regret saying yes."

Rowan pushed off the lounge and came to stand beside him. Placing her hand on his arm she said, "Please, Brogan. She's the best friend I've had since Gordie, the only friend. She likes me. Not Brogan's sister."

Brogan looked at her. She was all grown up, ready to face her destiny but not without scars. They all had them but Rowan would have more if it wasn't for Eloise Crawford. He knew their friendship had been what kept his sister from going mad the few years she'd been forced to live away from home. He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Okay, I'll try. But something's got the beast's hackles up and I can't figure out what." He'd never hidden any of the ugly side of who or what he was from Rowan and he wouldn't do it now.

"Rowan?"

A musical voice with a strange sultry accent came at the instant his beast went on red alert and yanked at Brogan's control.

He couldn't keep the growl inside, or stop the change in his eyes that Rowan wouldn't miss. If Brogan's instincts were right, his mate had just stepped into the room.

Rowan's eyes went wide and her face drained of color. Shaking her head, she whispered, "No. Brogan, no."

Brogan squeezed his eyes shut, dragged the beast back under control. It wouldn't do to scare Eloise before they'd even met. When he opened his eyes again it was to find Rowan watching him warily. A rush of breath left her when she saw he had command of his coyote.

"It's not my choice, Rowan. The fates have spoken." He tried to ease her with a hug. Drawing her close he murmured, "You'll need to help guide her."

"No."

"Yes, Rowan. Remember, what's done is done, we move on from here."

She pulled from his arms and stood with hands on hips. "You hurt her and I'll tear you to pieces," she snarled.

Brogan smiled. He had no doubt she'd follow through on her threat. He'd seen her go to battle for someone she cared about. Her loyalty to those she loved was unquestionable, but if those she loved were pitted against each other she always sided with the weaker one.

Rowan looked past him to the woman who stood twenty feet away and had his body reacting as if she were plastered to his side. He could smell her, almost taste her. If he didn't get a hold of himself he had no doubt Eloise Crawford would run screaming into the hills or to the nearest airport and first plane out of there.

"El, you've unpacked?" Rowan asked as she stepped around him.

Brogan looked at Quinn, who'd remained suspiciously quiet during the little demo of his animal behavior. Their gazes connected and he could see the laughter in his best friend's eyes. The bastard knew this wouldn't be easy and if Quinn knew anything about him, he knew everything. As he knew Quinn. He wouldn't fool himself into thinking Quinn felt sorry for him. Oh, no. To Brogan's way of thinking, Quinn was looking forward to the inevitable fight to come.

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You can find all the details on Coyote Wild here - http://rhiancahill.com/books/coyote-wild2010/ 

And don't forget the other authors participating in this weeks Snippet Saturday round:

Megan Hart:Read in bed!

Rhian Cahill

Jody Wallace

Eliza Gayle

Lissa Matthews

Mandy M Roth

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Myla Jackson

Taige Crenshaw

Delilah Devlin

HelenKay Dimon

Lauren Dane

Leah Braemel

Shelli Stevens

Shiloh Walker

TJ Michaels

Zoë Archer