Saturday Snippet
Today’s theme is author’s choice so I thought I’d share a sneak peek at the final book in the Cocktales series. It’s releasing on Wednesday, May 29!
Snippet:
Jayne Kent stepped behind the quiet bar and sighed heavily. It was almost closing time at Books and Brew. While their Thursday crowd was usually larger thanks to an evening book club meeting, the snow seemed to have scared away most people. Glancing out the window, she guesstimated about three inches had fallen, with at least three more being predicted.
Ordinarily she loved snow, the peace that descended over the city whenever the white stuff fell. Tonight, the silence simply added to her loneliness.
“Good night, Jayne. We left the tip on the table.”
She smiled and waved goodbye to two of the last customers as they walked out. Looking over, she spotted Elias Clark in his usual chair in the corner, his nose buried in a book, oblivious to the world. They shared that unique ability to lose themselves in the words printed on the page. Or at least they used to. Lately, she couldn’t put aside the melancholy consuming her enough to concentrate on any book she picked up. She’d lost her talent for disappearing—just when she needed it most.
Reaching for a tumbler, she filled the glass with ice then reached for the Glenlivet Scotch. It was Elias’ favorite drink. She never drank usually, but tonight she felt the need for something stronger than her normal Shirley Temple.
“What are you doing?”
Elias’ deep voice cut through the quiet and startled her. “Oh!”
He rose slowly and walked to the bar. She admired his smooth elegance. She’d never met a man quite like Elias. A research scientist at a local facility, as well as an adjunct professor at a local university, everything about him fascinated her. Stephanie teased Jayne about her crush on him, but what she felt for Elias was too strong to be given such a juvenile description.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He claimed a stool at the bar across from her. Even though he’d been coming to Books and Brew since they opened, she wasn’t sure she had ever seen him sitting at the bar. He always opted for the out-of-the-way leather chair.
“You didn’t. I knew you were here. I was just zoning out a bit. What did you say?”
“I asked what you were doing.”
She looked down at the glass of Scotch she’d poured. “Having a drink.”
He gave her a slight smile. “You don’t drink.”
She shrugged. “I do tonight. Thought I’d see what all the fuss is about with this Scotch of yours.”
He didn’t speak as she lifted the glass, silently toasting him before taking a sip.
She gasped. “Oh my God. That’s terrible.” She put the glass down, quickly looking around for something to kill the taste.
Elias’ grin grew and she realized she didn’t see him smile often. It wasn’t that he was miserable. Quite the opposite, he was very nice, genuinely friendly. While she’d always found him attractive, the full-fledged smile took his face from handsome to freaking hot in an instant.
“I should have warned you. It’s an acquired taste.” He rose and walked to the end of the bar, gesturing at the hinged entrance. “May I?”
She nodded. He lifted the wood and joined her. It was a night for all sorts of out-of-the-ordinary occurrences.
Elias reached for a clean glass and began to mix together several ingredients. Stirring, he handed her the new drink. “Given your love of coffee, I think you may find this more to your liking.”
She raised the glass with caution and sniffed at it. Elias’ face proved he was amused by her reticence.
“Trust me,” he said.
It was all she needed to hear. She took a drink. The liquor was smooth and creamy and quickly erased the lingering foul taste of the Scotch. “Delicious. What’s it called?”
Elias took a step toward her. Jayne’s breath caught. They’d never been so close—or alone. “Screaming Orgasm.”
She swallowed. Because of his nearness, Jayne was forced to look up. She’d known he was tall, but she’d never realized how great the difference in their heights until now. He topped her short, five-foot-four frame by at least half a foot, maybe more.
Yet another disparity between them. Another roadblock. Elias was forty-three to her thirty. While her friends perceived that age difference as too great, Jayne wasn’t sure she agreed.
“Screaming Orgasm.” She gave him a sad smile. “Never had one of those before.” There was a double meaning behind her response. In the past, she never would have made such a revealing remark, but tonight, she felt too weary to shield her words.
His eyes narrowed slightly and she flushed.
Shit. Way to go too far, Jayne.
“I mean—”
“I know what you mean, Jayne.”
Screaming Orgasm is available at Ellora’s Cave, Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.
Lissa Matthews
Felicity Heaton
