is a new antho being released on May 1, 2008. There will be novella’s from two of our favorites authors Shannon McKenna and THE E.C. Sheedy (of Spooktacular fame ;), as well as Cate Noble (never read her before).EC was nice enough to tease us with a bit of her novella – After the Lovin’ Enjoy!
**E-X-C-E-R-P-T**
Mac watched a flush creep up Tommi’s neck, bloom in her cheeks, and waited for her to deny his brother’s feelings, make light of them.“Hugh and I had that out years ago,” she said.“And?”
“We agreed to be friends. I love your brother. Just . . . not that way. We’re friends. Nothing more. And that works for both of us.”
“And this Reid character, what do you feel for him?”
She put her coffee down. “Why this sudden interest in my relationships.”
“Answer my question, and I’ll answer yours.”
“I thought I did answer it. Last night.”
“I’d like to hear it again. In daylight.” He wanted to be sure, because he never messed with another man’s woman.
She knit her brows, gave him a wary look. “Reid’s a thief, probably a violent one. The more distance I keep between him and me, the happier I’ll be.” She tilted her head. “So, why the questions?”
Mac had boxed himself in. He owed her an answer; he just wasn’t sure she was ready for it. Hell, he wasn’t sure he was. What he did know was that he wasn’t going to let his dick—untrustworthy at the best of times—make a fool of him. If he was going to have this woman, it would be on his terms. “Why don’t you put on some clothes? We’ll take a walk. The rain’s let up,” he gestured to the gray day outside the kitchen window, ”temporarily at least.”
“You didn’t answer me.”
“I’m not sure you’re ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To talk about sex . . . with me.”
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t play the shocked ingénue. She simply rose and walked to the window, looked out for several seconds before she turned to again look at him. “You’re to the point, I’ll give you that.”
He shrugged, tried to look easier with this conversation than he was. “We’ve got some time to kill. And I want you.” He paused. “But I guess you’ve heard that a few hundred times.”
“Not with quite the cold-blooded approach you’ve taken.”
Mac went to stand in front of her. With one finger he touched her chin, lifted her face to his, wanting to see the depths of her eyes. “Trust me on this, sweetheart. There’s nothing cold-blooded about it.” He bent, brushed his mouth over hers. A charge shot through him, a blue-hot thousand volt charge—and the damn floor dropped out from under his feet. He pulled back, saw the kiss in her eyes, the dark expectant hunger of it.
She wanted more.
He wanted more.
But not yet.
“How about that walk?” He ran his knuckles over the cream of her skin, down the line of her throat. “You’re tight as a drum.” And he knew exactly how to loosen her up.
She blinked, one of those slow, where-am-I kind of blinks, then slipped sideways, pulling the sash on her robe tight. He could span her waist with his hands. “I’ll be right back.” She headed quick time to the stairs leading to the second floor. On the landing she stopped, frowned. “My staying here? It isn’t dependent on going to bed with you, is it?”
“No.” Why he felt insulted she’d ask, he had no idea.
“Good,” she said. “Because I’ve done a few less than admirable things in my life, but I’ve never exchanged sex for favors. I don’t intend to start now.” With that she headed up the stairs and disappeared from view.
Mac stared after her. The woman was no slouch in the straight-talking category herself. He liked that.
If he didn’t watch it, he’d start liking her.
Which wouldn’t be smart, and if he was anything, he was smart, and careful, and determined to be detached—especially when it came to his current housemate. Getting in deep—on anything but the physical level—with Tommi Smith would be nothing but trouble. When he decided to settle down with a woman, which he would sometime in the distant future, he didn’t want to worry about her having one eye on him and the other on the lookout for her next conquest.
© EC Sheedy. All rights reserved
This is awesome, because your post is here, right in front of me… and 4″ to my left… IS THE BOOK! *SQUEE!!!*
YAY! another novella from one of my all time faves: EC Sheedy.
No one writes as smoothly as EC…the words flow like warm silk over soft skin.
She absolutely blows my mind.
Bonnie Edwards
Thanks for putting the excerpt up, Sybil. And isn’t the cover of Baddest Bad Boys just perfect for your site! Think maybe that’s why Kensington chose it?
I’ve never read Cate’s work either. I am a fan of Shannon and E.C..
Interesting assumption of the hero to make about Tommi towards the end…