Snippet Saturday

Today's topic is in-between. Admittedly, I'm not 100% sure I know what that means. I'm thinking it's about the love that comes after your first love but before your happily ever after. I have the perfect twosome for this – Eric Kimura and Deana Armstrong. Deana is the heroine in HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO and Eric is the hero in my upcoming release, IMPULSIVE. They don't end up together and shouldn't, but boy do they have a history.

"I do have to be careful in public." Eric's hands eased up until his fingers dipped under Katie's hair to massage her neck.

"At places like your ex's wedding."

The gentle kneading slowed. "You do know everything, don't you?"

"The entire island knows about that romance. You looked perfect together on the outside and then the unspeakable happened. Most people thought you got screwed in the process."

Then his hands were gone. "Like you said, things happened."

Katie wasn't letting go that easily. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she leaned in close. "Can I ask you something?"

"The conversation can't go worse, so shoot."

"Sure it could."

He rolled his eyes. "Now there's some bad news."

"Why did you go? Why put yourself through that?" She waited to feel his touch against her somewhere – anywhere – but it never came. "I mean, I'm assuming that's why you ended up with me. You were upset at seeing Deana and then this woman you didn't know crossed your path. You needed to feel something and there I was."

"I'm not sure if that is less flattering to you or to me."

"Probably me, but answer the question."

He exhaled a long agonizing breath. "I needed to prove that I could."

"Have sex?"

He didn't even blink. "Stand there on that perfect day, in that incredible oceanfront spot, and watch Deana marry Josh."

Since he gave an honest answer, Katie finally broke her hold on him and let her fingers slide down to his shoulders then to his waist. "That's a tough test of personal courage. What if you couldn't stand it?"

"I did."

"Or was the real point to make your head and your heart face it?"

"Pretty much." He grabbed her hands and pulled them away from his body. The only good thing was that he didn't let go. His warm fingers entangled with hers even as their bodies broke apart. "I'm not stuck on Deana. I'm not using sex with you as some sort of antidote."

"You sure?"

"Positive." He brought their bound hands to his lips and kissed her palm.

The sweet gesture sent Katie's hormones racing. "You really don't have a condom on you anywhere?"

"No."

"That's a shame."

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Don't forget to check out the other Snippet blogs:

Lauren Dane

Mari Carr

McKenna Jeffries

Shelley Munro

Taige Crenshaw

Vivian Arend

Ashley Ladd

Lissa Matthews