Sunday Smooch

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a hot paranormal smooch from Stone-Cold Lover by Ellora's Cave author Mel Teshcho, but first ...


the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- Joanne!


Congratulations, Joanne! Can you please contact Wendy Marcus at

wendy (at) wendysmarcus (dot) com

and she'll send you a copy of When One Night Isn't Enough.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Stone-Cold Lover by Mel Teshco ...


Book 1 in the Winged and Dangerous series.

Heiress Loretta Shaw is notorious for her loose morals and sexual needs. Trouble is, it’s taken her one too many one-night stands to realize that no man can extinguish the sexual fire she feels toward her guardian, Cray Diamond.

A long-ago curse made Cray immortal—a gargoyle, a guardian, who is impelled to protect a human chosen by the curse. He is imprisoned in stone during daylight hours but dusk returns him to flesh and bone, to carry out his immortal duty.

That Cray can shift between human and living gargoyle at night bothers Loretta not one bit. She’s seen him naked many times and her desire for him—in any shape or form—knows no bounds. She’s tired of his resistance. He’s her gargoyle and she wants him in her bed.

[Set-up: Loretta has had a not-so-secret crush on Cray, the only man--gargoyle-- she's set her sights on and been unable to seduce. As he slumbers the daylight hours away in his gargoyle stone form, she tells him where he can find her once darkness awakens him. This time she'll do whatever it takes to have him notice her...want her.]

He paused on the first veranda step and looked up. The rain eased to a heavy mist as their gazes locked. His eyes glittered. “I can’t give you what you want. I’m under oath to protect you.”

Her lips compressed. One hand clasped the rail beside her. “I don’t want your protection.”

I want you.

“Nevertheless, you need it. And I made a vow if I had to guard someone…had to become close to them, it would never be on an intimate level.”

Her throat went tight. It hurt. But it was his honor as a gargoyle, which he protected, not her own. “And if I release you from that role?”

“Only your father can retract the oath.”

“Then…I’ll convince him.”

He raised a dark brow, a half-smile pulling at his lips. “Even if Lincoln released me, the curse would compel me to find someone else to safeguard.” At her horrified silence he added, “Besides, your dad is more worried than ever about your indiscretions.”

She went down a step, now eye-level to him. The light rain clung to her hair and moistened her skin, glazing droplets of silver over her sleeveless, jade dress. Head high, she forced a serene expression while unclipping the diamond studs holding it together at the front.

“Better to have this one night, than nothing at all,” she whispered. Slipping the dress from her shoulders, she tossed it aside. She wore no underwear beneath. She’d planned her attack. The trick was all in the execution.
 
Cray stood stock-still. His shadowed expression did little to conceal the flare in his eyes, the tic of a muscle along his tight jaw. But he’d seen her naked plenty of times, and had resisted her even when hunger had scorched his gaze.

Not this time. Please, not this time.

She leaned forward, cradling his face with outspread hands. Her lips merged with his, and she closed her eyes, savoring the bitter-sweet taste.

Emotion swelled as she sunk against him, and she hazily wondered if he could taste her passion, her need, the burning for him that seared her very soul.

Time seemed to slow, to hold its breath. Then everything quickened, double-speed as he groaned and his set mouth softened and opened beneath hers.

Desire hit her like a shock wave, an electric current that sizzled the nerve-endings along her lips and raced through her veins. She gasped, opening her eyes and jerking back her head. 
  
Surely he felt it too?

His veiled stare of frostbitten indifference was no more. His eyes glowed like a flame heated blue, snapping with fierce desire and longing. 


To be in the draw to win an e-copy of Stone-Cold Lover or your choice of one of Mel's back-list Ellora's Cave books, please share your favourite reluctant hero story with us!


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from A Kiss To Seal The Deal by Nikki Logan will be posted!