Our week went from really warm to ungodly hot here, even before the summer solstice on Thursday. As I write this just before 11 a.m, it's already 98 degreees in the shade of my carport. Yesterday got to 105, and that was with a breeze going through the carport. The weather guessers say this is the hottest day and it will be slightly better for the next week, only in the lower 90s. I'm really thankful we have central air conditioning. When we were house-hunting more than twenty years ago, that wasn't on our 'must' list, but boy am I glad the house we eventually chose had it. If we were shopping for a house now, it would absolutely be on our 'must' list, and near the top. Haha. I have no plans to cook again until it's cooler, or next weekend for younger son's birthday dinner, whichever comes first. We'll be sticking with salads and sandwiches again this week. And a nice big fruit and juice smoothie every day for me--it's healthier than ice cream, and when it's this hideously hot, also very cooling.
In the spirit of our weather (thanks, Mother Nature), I have a snippet for you this week from Freeing Medusa. I'm still working on revising this one, so hopefully I can share a release date and game plan with you all soon.
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Katharine had had enough. Her skin tingled with need again, and her heart beat too fast. But she hadn’t seen any likely candidates–even a desperate Medusa had standards.
Which meant it was time to go home and break out a couple more vibrators to get through tonight. Dammit.
She took another sip from her glass, smiling at Ramona from her post on the deck. Her friend danced with someone she’d greeted enthusiastically half an hour ago. She hated to interrupt, but it was time to go home.
Katharine sighed and shifted her shoulders, trying to loosen the tight muscles there. She turned her gaze over the crowd one last time, and her breath caught in her chest.
He was gorgeous, in a rugged sort of way. His nose had been broken at least once, a dimple dented his chin, and he had the brightest blue eyes she’d ever seen, black hair dipping over one of them. His green shirt stretched taut over strong shoulders and a wide chest, then tucked into a pair of jeans that fit nicely on narrow hips.
Her heartbeat quickened in anticipation.
Then he glanced away from his conversation with a shorter man and caught her eye. A slow smile curved his mouth as his gaze slid down the front of her, making her skin heat, then back up, lingering on her mouth.
Her lips tingled hopefully.
She took a drink from the cup she held. Whatever frozen thing Ramona had given her was melting and slushy, but she still tasted the bite of alcohol as it hit her tongue.
He moved away from the couple he was with, toward her, and her temperature rose a few more degrees. His long-legged stride was confident and unhurried.
No, damn him, he made her wait, pausing once to greet someone along the way.
She tightened her grip on the stem of the plastic cup and took a quick breath.
He finally stopped about two steps away, and she got a whiff of cologne, something musky that made her mouth water.
Her nipples tightened inside her vest.
“Hi.” His low tone raised goosebumps on her arms despite the warm evening.
“Hi.” She put out her right hand. “I’m Katharine Vardos.”
He smiled again, a slow curve of his lips that made heat spread in her belly, from the inside out, until her panties were damp when she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
He finally wrapped his long, strong fingers around hers. “Hunter Phelps. Nice to meet you.”
Heat shot up her arm from where he held her hand, rising into her face. “Are you a friend of Ramona’s?” She left her hand in his, her brain already imagining his long fingers elsewhere on her body. The mental images made her breathing quicken.
He shook his head, his thumb sliding across the back of her hand. “My buddy Lance is.” His bright gaze dropped to her mouth again.
She inhaled slowly. “Are you a dancer, Hunter?” Blue eyes she could drown in, she thought when he met her gaze once more.
“Occasionally,” he said, tightening his hold on her hand. “Was that an invitation?”
“Yes.” Oh, please let him say yes, she thought.
He set his barely-touched beer bottle on the deck railing, then took her cup and set it aside, too. “Let’s go.”
Katharine swallowed at the look in his eyes and let him steer her to the improvised dance floor just off the deck.
The d.j. was playing something fast, but Hunter wrapped his arm around her back and drew her close. She set one hand on his shoulder and licked her lower lip when he clasped her other hand near his chest. She tried to concentrate on following his slow steps, but his denim-covered knees kept brushing her bare legs, and his fingers on her back traced a small circle, over and over, burning through her vest. She knew her panties were wet now. Well and truly wet.
“So what do you do, Katharine?” he asked, his warm breath sliding past her ear.
“I write young adult books.” Under her fingers, strong muscles flexed as he moved.
He tilted his head to one side. “Really?”
His knee slid between hers, distracting her for a second. “Mm-hm.”
He bent nearer. “You smell good, Katharine.” His lips grazed her ear, making her shiver.
She shut her eyes for a second. If he pressed a little closer, his wide chest would brush over her aching breasts. “One of my cousins mixes perfume oils, and she created this one for me.” She slid her fingers from his shoulder to his nape, brushing the soft hair there.
He shivered and his eyes darkened when he met her gaze. “Do that again.”
She held his gaze while she sifted through the short hair at his nape.
He yanked her closer, so their torsos were in full contact now, and she shut her eyes for a second when her nipples pressed tight into him. “Do you like playing with fire?”
She felt his arousal thickening along her belly, and her clit pulsed in anticipation. “Once in a while,” she managed lightly, loving the soft, silky slide of his hair against her fingers, her palm.
His knee pressed higher between her thighs, and her breath caught. “Do you feel like playing tonight?” He bent closer to nuzzle her ear.
She sucked in a quick breath when his hand at the small of her back pressed her nearer to his erection. “Yes.” Hell, she’d jump naked into the flames right now, her hormones were so happy.
“Did you drive?” He nipped at her earlobe, and she bit her lip to keep in her gasp.
“Yes.”
“Too bad. I guess you’ll have to follow me to my place then.” He leaned back far enough to meet her gaze. “I was hoping to get my hands on you sooner.”
Katharine slid her hand from his nape to his cheek. “Sorry to disappoint. But it will be worth the wait.” She stretched up on tiptoe to brush her lips along his, lightly. “I promise.”
He didn’t let her ease away, the hand at her back dropping to her ass to hold her right where she was, with his erection nudging at a spot low on her belly.
So close, she thought.
When he dragged his lips over hers, she felt the hot slide of his tongue, and she opened to let him in.
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The man in the graphic above is the model on the cover of Freeing Medusa, and boy, I can't wait to share that pretty with you when we have a release date!
Is it as miserably hot where you are this week as it is here? Or are you lucky and getting a more gradual introduction to summer? I'd love to hear which it is for you!
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