Sep 16, 2012

Sunday Smooch: Bella's Impossible Boss

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from Bella's Impossible Boss by Michelle Douglas, but first ...

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

Congratulations, Rita! Can you please contact Robyn at robyn-grady (at) hotmail (dot) com and she'll send you a copy of Losing Control.




And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Bella's Impossible Boss by Michelle Douglas ...

Falling for the boss's daughter

From the wrong side of the tracks, Dominic Wright is fiercely proud of his successful career--and his latest project is his gateway to the big time! The downside? Dominic is expected to babysit the boss's spoiled daughter.

Bella Maldini knows hotshot Dominic by reputation, and where women are concerned, it's a bad one! Still, if Bella wants this project to succeed she must work closely with Dominic. If only he weren't so impossible--cynical, complicated, controlled--and, worst of all, sexier than any man she's ever met!


[Set up: Bella and Dominic have just had a heart to heart, and emotions are running high.]

All she could focus on was the warmth of Dominic’s hand curving against her cheek, the firm promise of lips that hovered tantalisingly near and the scent of cinnamon that dredged her senses. The ridiculous chandelier overhead steeped them in a pale-pink light, bathing the man no more than a kiss-distance away in a red-gold halo. Temptation, that was what this man personified, and she wanted a taste.

‘You better stop looking at me like that, Bella.’ The hand belied his warning as it trailed a path down her cheek, her throat and then around to the back of her neck.

‘Like what?’ she murmured as his fingers moved back and forth across her nape, raising gooseflesh. She’d do whatever he asked when he touched her like that.

‘Like you want me to kiss you.’

She dragged her gaze from the delicious promise of his mouth and back to his eyes. ‘If you can tell me how to do that—’ her voice came out all breathy ‘—I’ll do my best to comply.’

He traced her bottom lip with the thumb of his free hand, sensitising the tender skin there, until with a gasp her lips parted.

‘That’s not how to do it,’ he said, his voice low, his chest starting to rise and fall to the same tempo as hers. She moistened her lips and hunger flared across his face. ‘Neither is that.’

Her pulse pounded in her ears. She stared at his mouth and knew she’d taste heaven if he kissed her. Both of his hands tightened on her face as she lifted her gaze back to his. ‘You should draw away.’ He swallowed. ‘You should frown, flash scorn from those beautiful eyes of yours and press your lips together. You should—’

‘No.’ She shook her head. She should stay here and beg him with her body to kiss her until he gave her what she craved.

‘Bella...’

‘Dominic, please,’ she whispered, her hands lifting to tangle in the silky strands of his hair and to pull him down to her aching, starving mouth.

With a groan, he tilted her head back and his lips claimed hers.

Dominic’s kiss devastated her. It stole her breath and it stole her mind. It left her clinging to him and drowning in an ocean of sensation. As his lips plundered hers, pleasured hers, she came to life. His heat, his passion, became her heat and her passion. She’d known instinctively that he’d taste delicious, but she hadn’t known that his kiss would encompass everything rich, divine and addictive. He tasted better than the most extravagant three-course meal she’d ever had. He tasted better even than the twelve-course degustation menu she’d once sampled. He tasted better than chocolate mud-cake.

As she found her balance again, she half-lay across his lap and she tasted him as thoroughly and completely as he had her, attempting to define and name his very essence, to stamp it on her memory and her soul.




To be in the draw to win a signed copy of Bella's Impossible Boss, just tell me what's your favourite food?


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from The Marriage Contract by Barbara DeLeo will be posted!

24 comments:

  1. After thinking about tons of meals I order in restaurants, I finally decided on a simple answer: cheese (and I have the hips to prove it, LOL!). Cheese goes with so many things: vegetables (as a sauce); crackers; toppings (for pasta and poultry); and so many more, I'm sure, plus it's fantastic all by itself.

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  2. What a beautiful lead in to a kiss, Michelle. Looking forward to reading this one.

    I think it will surprise no one to learn one of my fave foods is chocolate. Though I'm also very fond of vinegar (on cabbage, potato, or most anything) and mild/medium chilli.

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  3. 'He tasted better than chocolate mud-cake...'
    Michelle, I so love this smooch! Just gorgeous. Really looking forward to reading this story =)
    And can I say I adore the look and sound of your Nanny Who Saves Christmas!
    Favorite food...anything hot. Mexican especially!

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  4. Ah, Laney4, cheese -- yes, nice answer. I indulged in a cheese platter last night and very delish it was too. And you're right, cheese is very versatile.

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  5. Oh, Chey, pizza (with champagne) is one of my all-time favourite meals. I usually have it every birthday. Yum.

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  6. Thanks, Rach. I think you'll like Bella -- she revels in food.

    And chocolate? You surprise me. ;-) I haven't had chocolate for ages (the fructose thing), but I'm starting to get a very big itch to scratch...and I'm going on holidays soon, which is always the perfect time to indulge. :-)

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  7. Aw, thanks, Robbie. Hmm, I can see a food theme appearing now as Nicola in The Nanny Who Saved Christmas also has a thing for chocolate-coated sultanas.

    Oh, Mexican, yum! Had the best tacos through the week. Mean to have them again next week. :-)

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  8. Wow! Smashing smooch, Michelle! Dominic and Bella have some awesome chemistry happening!

    Hate to predictable on the food front, but it's chocolate for me. Plain dark chocolate - so full of anti-oxidents that eating it is not really a sin at all... is it!?? ;)

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  9. Thanks, Sharon, and yes -- Bella and Dominic have a seriously difficult time keeping their hands to themselves. Which, it has to be said, was lots of fun to write.

    And absolutely! Dark chocolate is VERY good for you...especially when taken with red wine. ;-)

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  10. Love the smooch. Had to look up degustation ~ that sounds like an awesome way to eat.

    I gave a lot of thought to my favorite food as I just love eating. Cheese,chocolate and olives rate up high but nothing beats roasted chestnuts as a treat.

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  11. Kaelee, I have never had roasted chestnuts. I'm going to make sure I change that, though. Have a definite penchant for other kinds of nuts -- cashews, almonds, hazelnuts.

    I hear you on the cheese, chocolates and olives too. Yum! And I agree, degustation sounds divine!

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  12. Any man that tastes better than chocolate mud-cake is a keeper.

    As much as I do love chocolate & cake, I would have to say my favorite food is fruit. Here in QLD we are heading into the season for all my favourite fruits - cherries & mangoes & nectarines & watermelon &.........

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  13. What a great read!!! Hmm, favourite food. Do I have to pick just one?? I think it would have to be cheesecake but as it has the highest calorie count of any food on the planet, I indulge rarely!

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  14. I gave this some thought, given the seriousness of the question in hand! I toyed with roast beef in a traditional yorkshire pudding; I thought about fresh oysters on ice and how butter on freshly baked granary bread rivals the finest cuisine. But it came back to chocolate for me too - a light chocolate mousse, not too rich, and just enough to melt in your mouth and send you to heaven, just the same way a hero should!

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  15. That was very nice. I like pasta.

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  16. Michelle, coming in late but had to tell you how very much I enjoyed this smooch. I can't wait to read this story. Love the title and now I've read a snippet I know what a treat I've got in store. A hero who tastes better than mud cake? That's a masterly stroke!

    I'm trying and failing to name my absolute favourite food. It depends on the day - too many to choose from, but mud cake is in there.

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  17. LOL, Marybelle, but you're right -- by the end of the book Dominic is definitely a keeper.

    Fruit! Yes, I can't wait for the stone fruit to come into season. Yum!

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  18. Jen, I can't decide if cheesecake is the food of the devil or the food of the gods! My DH makes a truly divine lemon cheesecake, but we try to save it for special occasions. *she says searching her mind for an upcoming special occasion*

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  19. Jo, I truly appreciated the seriousness with which you approached the question. And your list was gorgeous and poetic.

    I am now seriously hungry!

    :-)

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  20. Tash, Italian does it for me too. Thanks for dropping by!

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  21. bn100 -- pasta, yes! Especially with a gorgeous creamy bacon and shallot sauce, or a tomato and pesto sauce, or... Oh, it's just so versatile! What's not to like. :-)

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  22. So pleased you enjoyed the smooch, Annie! You know my penchant for caramel doughnuts, but I wasn't sure that a hero who tasted better than caramel doughnuts would have the universal appeal of chocolate mud cake. :-)

    And I completely agree -- why have just one favourite food when we're so spoiled for choice?

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