Sunday Snippet: Healthy Appetite

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