Good news and a sneak peek!
I've sold another book to Ellora's Cave! I gave you a sneak peek at this story, Power Struggle, back on March 5, so here it is again...unedited, of course...
“I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.”
She shifted in her seat to face him. “I didn’t think food was what you had in mind. If I’d known that, we could have left half an hour ago.”
Everything inside him eased and softened and he couldn’t help the broad grin that pulled his mouth. He wanted to grab her and hug her. “It wasn’t what I had in mind,” he admitted. “But I’m trying to slow down here.”
She nodded. “Okay. Where should we go?”
“Mickey D’s. Where else is there?”
“What!” She sputtered a laugh. “In your tux and this dress, we’re going to McDonald’s?”
He grinned. “You bet. I’m craving a Big Mac.”
Shaking her head, she leaned back in her seat. “Okay. Sure.”
Uncaring of the looks they attracted, they ordered at the counter then he carried the tray to a table in the back corner of the restaurant. The smell of the burgers and fries filled his head and tempted him. He handed Tori her hamburger and Diet Coke and then opened the box of his own burger. “Yum,” he said. “I’m addicted to these.”
“Big Macs? Or any kind of burger?”
“Pretty much any kind.” He took a big bite.
“You know it’s not really that healthy. You’re a doctor, for heaven’s sake.”
He smiled as he chewed and swallowed. “I know. Don’t do as I do, do as I say.”
She laughed and shook her head, picking up a French fry. “Okay.”
They talked as they ate, about all kinds of things – families, work, school, living in Santa Barbara. Talking to her was easy and fun and he wanted to know everything about her. By the time they left the fast-food restaurant he felt more in control of himself, a little less like throwing her over his shoulder like a cave man and carrying her back to her place to have his way with her. The thought made him grin.
“What’s so funny?”
He turned to her beside the car having unlocked the door for her. “Me.”
She nodded, lips quirked. “It’s good to laugh at yourself.”
“Yeah. I’m a laugh a minute for myself. Seriously.”
Her expression warmed and heat exploded between them again. He bent his head and kissed her, unable to stop himself. Soft and sweet, her mouth opened for his and heat poured through him, coalescing in his groin, hard and hot. Jesus! He loved her mouth. Loved the softness of her tongue. Loved the graze of her teeth. Loved the way she kissed him back.
“I’m going to take you home now,” he whispered against her mouth, fighting for breath. “And I’m not coming in with you. But I am going to call you. And we are going to go out.”
“Another fabulous dinner date?”
Laughter sprang up inside him as he moved away from her, every nerve ending in his body on fire. Christ, never mind laughing at himself, she made him laugh and he loved it. “Maybe I’ll spring for pizza.”
She laid a hand on his cheek. “That sounds great.”
*****
When Tori was alone in her house, she hopped slowly into her living room and dropped onto her couch. She stared across the room, sitting in the dark, the lights of the city spread below her window out to the blackness of the ocean.
She touched her fingertips to her mouth, where Dev had kissed her.
Dev. His name was Dev. Dev Fillmore. A doctor.
A man.
Why had she made that crack about him being a baby? It had annoyed him, and she’d hated herself for that, and plus, he was so far from a baby, or even a boy, it was ridiculous.
She leaned back into the softness of the couch and closed her eyes, remembering the smell of his skin, a sexy male scent mingled with spicy sandalwood and sage, remembering the roughness of his face against hers, the faint abrasion of his whiskers another reminder of his masculinity, his maturity. Remembering the strength in his hands, the width of his shoulders, the power of his gaze when he’d looked into her eyes and threatened to carry her out of there.
Remembering how she’d melted, how her panties had literally grown wet, how she’d ached between her thighs, how…she’d wanted him to carry her out of there.
Dear god, she’d wanted him to carry her out of there.
She knew her own weaknesses, her own triggers and hot buttons and Dev had been pushing them all evening. Wow.
“I’m hungry. Let’s get something to eat.”
She shifted in her seat to face him. “I didn’t think food was what you had in mind. If I’d known that, we could have left half an hour ago.”
Everything inside him eased and softened and he couldn’t help the broad grin that pulled his mouth. He wanted to grab her and hug her. “It wasn’t what I had in mind,” he admitted. “But I’m trying to slow down here.”
She nodded. “Okay. Where should we go?”
“Mickey D’s. Where else is there?”
“What!” She sputtered a laugh. “In your tux and this dress, we’re going to McDonald’s?”
He grinned. “You bet. I’m craving a Big Mac.”
Shaking her head, she leaned back in her seat. “Okay. Sure.”
Uncaring of the looks they attracted, they ordered at the counter then he carried the tray to a table in the back corner of the restaurant. The smell of the burgers and fries filled his head and tempted him. He handed Tori her hamburger and Diet Coke and then opened the box of his own burger. “Yum,” he said. “I’m addicted to these.”
“Big Macs? Or any kind of burger?”
“Pretty much any kind.” He took a big bite.
“You know it’s not really that healthy. You’re a doctor, for heaven’s sake.”
He smiled as he chewed and swallowed. “I know. Don’t do as I do, do as I say.”
She laughed and shook her head, picking up a French fry. “Okay.”
They talked as they ate, about all kinds of things – families, work, school, living in Santa Barbara. Talking to her was easy and fun and he wanted to know everything about her. By the time they left the fast-food restaurant he felt more in control of himself, a little less like throwing her over his shoulder like a cave man and carrying her back to her place to have his way with her. The thought made him grin.
“What’s so funny?”
He turned to her beside the car having unlocked the door for her. “Me.”
She nodded, lips quirked. “It’s good to laugh at yourself.”
“Yeah. I’m a laugh a minute for myself. Seriously.”
Her expression warmed and heat exploded between them again. He bent his head and kissed her, unable to stop himself. Soft and sweet, her mouth opened for his and heat poured through him, coalescing in his groin, hard and hot. Jesus! He loved her mouth. Loved the softness of her tongue. Loved the graze of her teeth. Loved the way she kissed him back.
“I’m going to take you home now,” he whispered against her mouth, fighting for breath. “And I’m not coming in with you. But I am going to call you. And we are going to go out.”
“Another fabulous dinner date?”
Laughter sprang up inside him as he moved away from her, every nerve ending in his body on fire. Christ, never mind laughing at himself, she made him laugh and he loved it. “Maybe I’ll spring for pizza.”
She laid a hand on his cheek. “That sounds great.”
*****
When Tori was alone in her house, she hopped slowly into her living room and dropped onto her couch. She stared across the room, sitting in the dark, the lights of the city spread below her window out to the blackness of the ocean.
She touched her fingertips to her mouth, where Dev had kissed her.
Dev. His name was Dev. Dev Fillmore. A doctor.
A man.
Why had she made that crack about him being a baby? It had annoyed him, and she’d hated herself for that, and plus, he was so far from a baby, or even a boy, it was ridiculous.
She leaned back into the softness of the couch and closed her eyes, remembering the smell of his skin, a sexy male scent mingled with spicy sandalwood and sage, remembering the roughness of his face against hers, the faint abrasion of his whiskers another reminder of his masculinity, his maturity. Remembering the strength in his hands, the width of his shoulders, the power of his gaze when he’d looked into her eyes and threatened to carry her out of there.
Remembering how she’d melted, how her panties had literally grown wet, how she’d ached between her thighs, how…she’d wanted him to carry her out of there.
Dear god, she’d wanted him to carry her out of there.
She knew her own weaknesses, her own triggers and hot buttons and Dev had been pushing them all evening. Wow.