April 13, 2014
Whew. It's been a
long week filled with a few bumps and bruises. First up, two of my published
titles, Merry and Bright and Busted in Bubbles, are temporarily off
the shelf. I'm hoping I found a new home for Merry and Bright, but I'm waiting for confirmation. Busted in
Bubbles will be back shortly. I'm working on new cover art. I'll keep everyone
posted when I know anything for certain.
TV fare ended up
being light this week, but S.H.I.E.L.D.
totally delivered an awesome episode. I won't discuss because seeing Captain America: Winter Soldier is a
true bonus before getting into any details. J
Tonight's post is
from, Healthy Appetite, a novella
where my female character is very in tune with her nature and my male character
totally falls for her.
Here's the tagline:
Thad Nightingale meets Kailey Dent during a weeklong get
away and finds her approach to life refreshing. Not only does she eat with
gusto, she has a thirst for adventure that leaves Thad hungry for more.
And a snippety peek…
Kailey had picked a
casual spot not far from the slopes. Thad dutifully asked about Talon,
verifying that he had indeed gone out with friends celebrating a birthday. When
Kailey confirmed, Thad thanked whatever ruled the universe for that small
favor.
She made an
interesting dinner partner, insisting they sit at the bar instead of a corner
table. If Thad didn't know better, he'd swear she did it to keep him at arm's
length. But she couldn't suspect anything… he hadn't been that overt in his
pursuit of her.
As soon as they
seated themselves at the bar, Kailey asked the barman to flip the channel to
the snowboard competition and ordered a shot. After she downed it, she promptly
ignored Thad becoming engrossed in the pyramid match. Thad decided he didn't
appreciate being ignored and made it impossible for her to continue.
"You used to compete,
didn't you?"
Kailey turned toward
him, brow raised. "Been checking up on me?" Her face had an almost
angry look on it.
Not the time to bring
up his earful from the sponsor. "What? No." Thad signaled the
bartender for a shot of his own. "It's not a big secret, is it?" He
implied he'd heard it around the mountain.
Kailey shrugged.
"Guess not. And yeah, I almost went pro."
Thad tossed back the
drink and let it burn past his throat. "It doesn't bother you to watch?
You don't miss it?" He tapped the counter, wanting another.
Kailey gave a quick
shake of her head. "I like doing my own thing more. And I've got money on
this heat, so no, doesn't bother me to watch."
Thad let her finish
viewing in peace. When the competition ended, Kailey ended up fifty buck to the
better.
She grinned and
danced around on her stool. "Let's grab a table now. Just wanted to see
the end before ordering food." She slid off her seat and jerked her head
toward the semi-crowded eating area.
Thad stood up and
followed her. "Perfect timing."
They got a decent
table along a wall and placed their orders. While waiting, they argued back and
forth over who had the best chance at the upcoming downhill championships. It
didn't surprise Thad they disagreed over which skier would come out on top.
The food arrived and
Thad's steak with chips and some kind of vegetable medley landed on the table
first. Kailey requested the house pasta dish and flipped when they brought it
out.
"Shit. I'll
never eat all that."
The huge entrée
spilled out over the top of what looked more like a family-sized serving bowl
than a regular one.
Kailey shot Thad a
flabbergasted look. "Glad I didn't order the salad, too." She
chuckled and picked up her fork.
Thad watched her
twirl a huge mound out of the bowl. She leaned forward, opened wide and shoved
the squiggly noodles into her mouth, slurping a stray one through pursed lips.
Anyone else would've
looked ridiculous, but somehow Kailey made it seem sexy. Thad cleared his
throat, glanced away and shifted in his seat. No one should get a hard on
watching someone else eat.
No one but him,
apparently.
He looked back to see
Kailey chewing slowly, eyes closed in bliss.
Mouth still half full
she uttered. "Oh my holy snowboard. You have to try this." She spun
her fork around again and lifted it, holding the pasta over her hand and
guiding it to him.
Reflex had him
opening to accept her offering before he even thought about it. The pasta slid
in and his eyes met hers. He pulled the food from the fork but Kailey stayed
half-risen, waiting to gauge his reaction.
Which ended up being
intense.
The explosion of
flavor something incredible. He chewed slowly, savoring the blend of spices and
oils. When he finally swallowed, he sat silent for a moment.
"Fuck me."
Kailey laughed.
"I know, right?" She settled back down in her chair. "Makes your
steak seem like nothing more than dead cow." She swirled another forkful
and popped it into her mouth. "You should have the server bring you a box
and share this with me." She chewed and swallowed, chasing it down with a
quick gulp of water. "Seriously. I can't eat this whole bowl."
Thad flashed a grin
and couldn't think of a reason not to do as she suggested.
Honestly, I didn't
know if this scene would work, but I ended up loving it. J
That's it for this
week. Happy reading!
Skylin
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