Mar 11, 2012

Sunday Smooch: Gentlemen Prefer Nerds


Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby, but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch from Nikki Logan's Mr Right at the Wrong Time will be announced next week!  So we'll be giving away two books next Sunday!

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Gentlemen Prefer Nerds by Joan Kilby (Carina Press)

Backcover:
Self-professed nerd Maddie Maloney is an expert on jewels. Jewel thieves are another matter entirely! So when a mysterious Englishman warns her that a thief known as The Chameleon is after the rare pink diamond on display in her aunt’s shop, she tells herself it’s just a joke. Even if she can’t get Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome out of her mind…

But Fabian Montgomery doesn’t give up easily. He’s everywhere she goes, convinced the thief will strike. And when the diamond does go missing—and Maddie is suspected of stealing it—he whisks her away from the police and together they pursue The Chameleon. Fabian plunges her into a glamorous world far from her humble workshop and transforms geeky Maddie into a sophisticated siren capable of espionage. Her mission: to seduce The Chameleon and steal back the diamond.

But Fabian isn’t telling her everything—like who he works for, and why he’s so interested in The Chameleon…



Setup:
Sexy English aristocrat Fabian has given nerdy gemologist Maddie a make-over--including dyeing her brown hair red--so she can seduce the jewel thief (Roland) and steal back a priceless pink diamond. In this kiss scene Fabian is tutoring the inexperienced Maddie in the art of kissing.



Fabian took her wrists, his thumbs pressing lightly on her pulse points, and slid her arms around his neck. "Make me want you."


Maddie glared at him, struggling to maintain her outrage when his slightest touch was kick-starting her heart rate. He clearly thought he was God's gift to crazy cat ladies. Well, it was time the teacher was taught a lesson.


She wriggled closer, trying to recall the tactics used by the seductress in the subtitled movie she'd seen last month. Preliminaries had involved a lot of wet kisses and ear-nibbling interspersed with the couple occasionally pulling back to lock eyeballs and breathe deeply.


"Don't think about it too much," Fabian said when she hadn't progressed. "Just do what comes naturally."


"If you were a gentleman, as you claim, you wouldn't make me do all the heavy lifting."


"You're supposed to pretend I'm Roland. Roland may be superficially a gentleman but he's not in any way that counts."


"Stop talking, I'm trying to work here." Maddie kissed him behind the ear, adding a tiny lick at the last second. It wasn't hard to feel romantic, what with the soft tropical evening air wafting through their bungalow and the distant crash of the waves on the beach. Not to mention the hard muscles beneath her palms, the warm scent of his skin filling her nostrils, his thighs like steel girders beneath her tush.


"That's nice," Fabian murmured, settling his arms around her waist. "Not too much saliva, it dampens the ardor."


"Will you please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate." Maddie trailed tiny kisses down his jaw. His skin was smooth shaven but with the rough hint of bristles beneath the surface. He had a new aftershave that smelled of coconut and lime. Delicious.


"A kiss in the angle of the jaw produces more of the desired effect than one on the chin."


"It's hard to seduce someone when you're being evaluated on every little thing." But she moved her lips back to the warmth below his jaw. She could feel his artery pumping beneath her lips.


"That's good." Fabian's voice had taken on a ragged edge. "Now try licking your bottom lip while you look into my eyes."


Maddie held his gaze and very slowly ran the tip of her tongue across her lip. His nostrils flared. In a husky voice she asked, "Is this doing anything for you?"


Fabian cleared his throat and shifted her on his lap. "If I were Roland, yes, I'd be responding to that."


"Good." With both arms raised, she lifted her hair off her neck and arched her back, thrusting forward the firm curving tops of her breasts. It must be the red hair. As a brunette she would never be this bold. "You're right, wearing a different mask can be liberating."


"You don't want to go overboard." Fabian's eyes flicked to her cleavage. "You're not a…lap dancer."


"Of course not. Lap dancers don't kiss their clients." She paused, uncertain. "Do they?"


"I really have no idea." His gaze remained fixed on the curve of her breast. He seemed to be having trouble concentrating on the lesson. His lips were slightly parted, as if he needed extra oxygen. 


Her own breath was shallow and fast. Leaning in, she brushed her mouth across his, this time running her tongue tip over his bottom lip. Her arms twined around his neck again and she pulled him closer, pressing against him. The contact was electric, sending a jolt straight through her. With a soft moan, she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss, angling her head as his tongue surged inside her mouth, bringing heat and pressure.


His hand molded her breast and, aching, she strained to get closer. With a groan he rose and carried her to his bedroom, still locked in the kiss.







To be in the draw to win a digital copy of Gentlemen Prefer Nerds, tell us your favorite gemstone. Do you own a piece of jewelry set with this gem?!





Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway plus the winner of last week's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Cassie's Grand Plan by Emmie Dark will be posted!

31 comments:

  1. Ha! What a kiss. 'Who's teaching who?' I wonder and want to read on. This one is definitely going on the wishlist! Thanks Joan :)

    My favorite gemstone is the sapphire. I have a ring given to me by my mum (circa 1972) in a leafy setting with the sapphire in the middle like a blue blossom.I've thought of having it reset a few times because it's really chunky for my short, skinny fingers, but I can't bring myself to do it. I think it would change the character and I wouldn't want to do that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, Joan. I'm fanning myself here. And smiling! This was such fun and so wonderfully compelling. I love the title of your book, but this excerpt is even better. I'm thinking now about buying a kindle just so I can buy this as an ebook. Seriously fantastic scene. I love the way she turns the tables on him.

    When I read the background to the story it made me think of that wonderful film with Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn (name escaping me at the moment) where she's the daughter and granddaughter of art forgers and one of their 'masterpieces' ends up in a gallery on display. She and Peter (the mysterious English hero) have to steal it before its provenance is uncovered. Delicious stuff.

    Hm. Favourite gem? I used to think ruby or emerald, but I now have a garnet ring in a rich, deep red that I adore. Maybe that's my have.

    ReplyDelete
  3. OOOh! I learnt some kissing techniques today! Wonderful set-up to the kiss and now the story sounds so intriguing! Want to read it...NOW!!!!

    My birthstone is diamond but alas I don't have one! I do have sapphire and ruby rings.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Joan - that is one fabulous smooch. Am just about to fire up my KIndle and download the book. Really looking forward to reading it :)

    Favourite gem? Well, I'm not a jewellry person. Only thing I wear are my wedding rings and the same earrings for years. But I did just buy a lovely new sparkly diamante head band for my horse Zeb's flashy show bridle, does that count :)

    Great post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Scrumptious Smooch, Joan! Looks like it's going to be a learning experience for both Maddie and Fabian! I need to join the queue to download the book!

    I'm not a big jewelry person... But I am very fond of my birthstone which is turquoise. I was given a ring with a turquoise for my 21st and I wore it for years and years. Sadly, the stone fell out and I couldn't find it.

    :)
    Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hot! Hot! Hot! Who is teaching who?

    It's amazing how a different hair colour/style/make-up can give you courage to be who you really are/would like to be.

    As for the BLING I'm a diamond/sapphire/amethyst/opal/turquoise girl - I wear them all...and at the same time...plus others as well - what can I say.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi everyone! Sorry I'm late to the party. I had to go out and didn't think I would be so long.

    Juanita, I love saphhires and the setting of your ring sounds beautiful and has sentimental value. I wouldn't change it, either.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Annie! I know that movie - but I can't think of the name, either. Hepburn and O'Toole are two of my favorite actors. I'll have to go in search of it. Garnets are gorgeous. It's so hard to choose just one gemstone.
    PS You really need a Kindle! And not just for my book. I'll never give up reading print books but ereaders are sooo convenient at times.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Nas! Rubies are my next favorite gem after pink diamonds. Lucky you to own one. I'm jealous!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Helen, lol your horse's diamante head band gets honorary status in the gemstone stakes. I'd love to see it prancing around in its finery. Hope you enjoy the book when you read it!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Sharon! Sad about your turquoise ring. The light blue would really suit your colouring. My birthstone is opal. I had an opal ring and the stone fell out. I still have the opal but the setting is broken. Maybe it's time both of us got new rings?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Natasha, who is teaching who, indeed! Fabian has never met a woman like Maddie before and doesn't quite know how to handle her.

    Love the sound of your gem collection!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Sue, thanks for stopping by! Glad you enjoyed the smooch.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh, Joan, that was such a fun kiss! Can't wait to read Gentlemen Prefer Nerds!

    My favourite gemstones are garnets -- just love that deep, deep red. And as my engagement ring is a garnet, I get to enjoy that on a daily basis.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ooo, Joan, what an excellent idea! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Michelle, thanks! Your engagement ring sounds beautiful and unusual. Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh I LOVE Nerd stories! (Guess it's my science background :) ) I can't wait to read this, Joan!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi Serena! I have a science background, too. I wasn't really a nerd myself though I knew plenty who were.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Gorgeous scene. I love how you wrote their first kiss under the guise of him 'teaching' her - so cute.
    I can't wait to read the whole book!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, I think I have a bit of a crush on Fabian... Thanks for visiting, Joan, and for sharing such a fabulous smooch!

    My favourite gemstone is no longer a gemstone - amethyst. Wikipedia tells me:

    "Up until the 18th century, amethyst was included in the cardinal, or most valuable, gemstones (along with diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald). However, since the discovery of extensive deposits in locations such as Brazil, it has lost most of its value."

    It's so purple that I love it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Joan, that was one sizzling smooch! I'm going to have to check out the Carina website pronto!!
    I love Ceylon Sapphires. I always ogle them jewellery shop windows. Wish they weren't so darn expensive!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Thanks, Lia, he thinks he's in charge...until he's not. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi Robyn, oh, yes, Ceylon sapphires are such a beautiful blue! I love them. I like star saphhires, too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Rachel, I definitely have a crush on Fabian. Thanks so much for having me on LoveCats. It's been great!

    Doesn't seem fair that amethyst isn't a gem just because there's lots of it. It's still a beautiful jewel!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Hi Joan, wow! That was great!

    My fave fave fave gemstone are Sapphires, the dark dark royal blue ones... where if you hold them up to the light you can see the most beautiful blue! All my rings have these sapphires... just by coincidence i think. My fave ring is one my Mum gave me when my eldest daughter was born. It used to be hers. It looks like a wedding band but has sapphires spaced around inset into the ring.

    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Loved that scene! I'm guessing the trip to the bedroom wasn't part of the lesson plan!
    I have a gorgeous champagne diamond set in a ring. I love coloured diamonds. A pink one would be nice, too!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Your book sounds good. It reminds me a little bit of an old movie with Peter O' Toole and Audrey Hepburn. Not sure of the name. It was about an art thief. My favorite gem stone is amethyst, my birth stone. I'm not really a jewelry wearer. I'll wear earrings and my wedding ring and that's about it. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  28. TashNz, this is the second blog I've asked this question on. Saphhires are the hands-down winners in the fave gem contest. Your rings sound lovely, especially the one your Mum gave you.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Natalie, lol, no. Things never go to plan in this book. I love champagne diamonds, too. Champagne. Diamond. The two just seem to go together.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Shelley B, I went and looked up that movie. It's How To Steal A Million. About a woman who has to steal a statue from a Paris art museum to help conceal her father's forgeries. I remember seeing it many years ago. Loved it!.

    ReplyDelete