... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Marcy Shuler
Can you please contact louisageorgeauthor (at) gmail (dot) com to receive your copy of 200 Harley Street: The Shameless Maverick
And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Michelle Douglas
From rebel--to knight in shining armour…?
Losing her family fortune, it's time for once-privileged Nell Smythe-Whittaker to make it on her own…with a little help from delicious bad boy Rick Bradford!
Rick hasn't' seen Nell since childhood, but with a family mystery to solve Rick needs Nell as much as she needs him. Yet with a past as checkered as his, can Rick ever be good enough for this beautiful heiress? It's something he's willing to prove…
The Wild Ones: What will it take to tame these rebels?
Scene set-up: Rick has just shown Nell how to perform some maintenance on her van. Their growing friendship is not…uh, helping to allay their growing attraction to each other.
Nell couldn’t stop herself from beaming at Rick. ‘Thank you!’
He grinned that slow grin that could turn a woman’s world upside down. Her heart pounded up into her throat and back again to bam-bam in her chest. She swayed.
He reached out to steady her, but she shot to her feet and stumbled. He rose too—as if attached to her by some invisible string—and again he reached out a hand to steady her. ‘You’re a bit wobbly on your feet there, Princess.’
She didn’t know if it were the touch on her arm or the way his teasing swagger didn’t quite reach his eyes, but the ability to lie had deserted her. Either that or she’d flung it away recklessly. And she hadn’t done anything reckless in fifteen years.
‘I’ve been off balance ever since I saw you standing on my front veranda, Rick.’
All signs of teasing fled. ‘Princess…’
One of his fingers slid up her arm. She glanced down at it. ‘That’s not helping.’ But the finger didn’t stop—it moved back down from her elbow to her wrist, tracing a path along the inside of her arm.
She wanted to dash herself against him like a wave against a rock and encompass him completely. And still that finger trailed paths of spiralling heat and delight across her skin.
‘That makes both of us, Princess, because I find it hard to remember my own name when I’m around you.’
‘I know there’s a lot of reasons why I shouldn’t kiss you and you shouldn’t kiss me.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘But I can’t remember any of them at the moment so you better start reciting them to me, Rick, because…’
‘Because?’
They moved an inch closer to each other. ‘Because kissing you is the only thing I can think of.’
They reached for each other…and stopped at the same time. Nell glanced at her greasy hands. Rick glanced at his. She didn’t want to ruin his shirt, but… ‘I don’t care about my dress,’ she whispered.
His mouth hooked up in that way. ‘But I like that dress. The things I dream of doing to you while you’re wearing that dress would make you blush, Princess.’
She hadn’t known her heart could beat any harder. She hadn’t known her skin could flare with so much heat.
‘I care about the dress…’ But his words emerged on a rough growl and they wrapped around the base of her spine until she trembled with the force of it.
His hand reached for hers, their fingers lacing. One tug brought them chest to chest. He glanced down at her and his eyes darkened. Very slowly she slid against him, relishing the feel of his hard chest against her softness.
His quick intake of breath curled her toes. ‘It seems we don’t need hands,’ he murmured.
His thumb brushed against the sensitive pulse point of her wrist. Very slowly she turned her hands so his spooned them before dancing her fingers across the backs of his fingers and then lacing them through his again. ‘I like hands.’ The words came out on short, jerky breaths.
His hands tightened about hers. She tried to glance up at him, but her gaze caught on the pulse pounding at the base of his jaw. She ached to touch her lips to the spot. She wanted—
‘Princess?’
She looked up at his hoarse rasp.
Very slowly his lips descended towards hers. She held his hands tightly as the world tilted and, leaning her weight against him, she reached up on tiptoe to help close the distance between them.
Nell is running her own cupcake business. She makes the most wonderful cupcakes that have ever been seen in all sorts of exotic flavours. Just for fun, what's a cupcake flavour you'd like to see for sale in Nell's business?
Losing her family fortune, it's time for once-privileged Nell Smythe-Whittaker to make it on her own…with a little help from delicious bad boy Rick Bradford!
Rick hasn't' seen Nell since childhood, but with a family mystery to solve Rick needs Nell as much as she needs him. Yet with a past as checkered as his, can Rick ever be good enough for this beautiful heiress? It's something he's willing to prove…
The Wild Ones: What will it take to tame these rebels?
Scene set-up: Rick has just shown Nell how to perform some maintenance on her van. Their growing friendship is not…uh, helping to allay their growing attraction to each other.
Nell couldn’t stop herself from beaming at Rick. ‘Thank you!’
He grinned that slow grin that could turn a woman’s world upside down. Her heart pounded up into her throat and back again to bam-bam in her chest. She swayed.
He reached out to steady her, but she shot to her feet and stumbled. He rose too—as if attached to her by some invisible string—and again he reached out a hand to steady her. ‘You’re a bit wobbly on your feet there, Princess.’
She didn’t know if it were the touch on her arm or the way his teasing swagger didn’t quite reach his eyes, but the ability to lie had deserted her. Either that or she’d flung it away recklessly. And she hadn’t done anything reckless in fifteen years.
‘I’ve been off balance ever since I saw you standing on my front veranda, Rick.’
All signs of teasing fled. ‘Princess…’
One of his fingers slid up her arm. She glanced down at it. ‘That’s not helping.’ But the finger didn’t stop—it moved back down from her elbow to her wrist, tracing a path along the inside of her arm.
She wanted to dash herself against him like a wave against a rock and encompass him completely. And still that finger trailed paths of spiralling heat and delight across her skin.
‘That makes both of us, Princess, because I find it hard to remember my own name when I’m around you.’
‘I know there’s a lot of reasons why I shouldn’t kiss you and you shouldn’t kiss me.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘But I can’t remember any of them at the moment so you better start reciting them to me, Rick, because…’
‘Because?’
They moved an inch closer to each other. ‘Because kissing you is the only thing I can think of.’
They reached for each other…and stopped at the same time. Nell glanced at her greasy hands. Rick glanced at his. She didn’t want to ruin his shirt, but… ‘I don’t care about my dress,’ she whispered.
His mouth hooked up in that way. ‘But I like that dress. The things I dream of doing to you while you’re wearing that dress would make you blush, Princess.’
She hadn’t known her heart could beat any harder. She hadn’t known her skin could flare with so much heat.
‘I care about the dress…’ But his words emerged on a rough growl and they wrapped around the base of her spine until she trembled with the force of it.
His hand reached for hers, their fingers lacing. One tug brought them chest to chest. He glanced down at her and his eyes darkened. Very slowly she slid against him, relishing the feel of his hard chest against her softness.
His quick intake of breath curled her toes. ‘It seems we don’t need hands,’ he murmured.
His thumb brushed against the sensitive pulse point of her wrist. Very slowly she turned her hands so his spooned them before dancing her fingers across the backs of his fingers and then lacing them through his again. ‘I like hands.’ The words came out on short, jerky breaths.
His hands tightened about hers. She tried to glance up at him, but her gaze caught on the pulse pounding at the base of his jaw. She ached to touch her lips to the spot. She wanted—
‘Princess?’
She looked up at his hoarse rasp.
Very slowly his lips descended towards hers. She held his hands tightly as the world tilted and, leaning her weight against him, she reached up on tiptoe to help close the distance between them.
Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from Rachel Bailey will be posted!
Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver
Rum and banana (special order)?
ReplyDeleteOoh, alcoholic cupcakes! That's a bit wicked, Laney. ;-)
DeleteWhen I'm good, I'm bad - and when I'm bad, I'm good. LOL!
DeleteAmen. ;-)
DeleteHi Michelle
ReplyDeleteThat warmed me up this morning I loved that scene this is such a great story :)
Nell makes the best cup cakes my mouth was watering while reading this book with some of the flavours (and for Rick:)) I love caramel :)
Have Fun
Helen
Am over the moon that you enjoyed the book, Helen. This scene (and the bit that comes after) was a whole lot of fun to write. And I'm with you -- I love caramel.
Deletecant wait to read your latest ---sounds like another winner--- would rather have caramel then chocolate-----lyn
ReplyDeleteHope you enjoy it, Lyn! And, yes, while I love chocolate, caramel wins hands down for me too. :-)
DeleteSimmering sexual tension and cupcakes? I'm drooling lol
ReplyDeleteI love the snippet, Michelle, and can't wait to read more of Rick and Nell's story.
I'd love to see cranberry, macadamia and white chocolate cupcakes :)
Okay, you just made my mouth water in the most unfair fashion, Lauren! Yum what a wonderful combination. Hmm…shall be heading out to the shops shortly. ;-)
DeleteTiramisu, obviously. All melty-gooey. ;P :D https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3234/2678510123_81311e8d3a.jpg
ReplyDeleteMelty-gooey sounds altogether divine, Hunter Valle Yabby. :-) It's been far too long since I had tiramisu. I do believe that should be rectified asap!
DeleteP.S. Meant to add that that LOOKS absolutely divine! Yum!!!
DeleteGreat smooch - I love cupcake. I would love to see a rocky road cupcake.
ReplyDeleteOh, Tammy, I think a rocky road cupcake would make lots of people very happy. :-)
DeleteAfter reading this I must read the rest of the book.... Would love sticky date cupcakes
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Mmm…sticky date cupcakes with a heart of butterscotch sauce, Barb!
DeleteCan't wait to read this, and definitely looking forward to Rick after reading the book before this one :)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to come up with a cupcake flavour I'd love other than the usuals. All the ones that I've seen mentioned so far in comments sound good. The tiramisu one is making me tempted to cook the tiramisu cupcake recipe that I have on my list of recipes to try.
Lyn, I'll keep my fingers crossed you enjoy it!
DeleteOh, and, yes! Try out that tiramisu cupcake recipe and then report back and tell us what they were like…consider it a public service on behalf of the rest of us. ;-)
Lovely smooch thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather partial to butterfly cakes. You don't see them much anymore & they are so sweet in every way.
So pleased you enjoyed it, Mary. :-)
DeleteButterfly cakes! What a lovely thought. I haven't had one of those in an age. They remind me of school fetes and kiddies birthday parties. I might have to hunt up a recipe for those. I'm sure the DH would be most appreciative.
I have a confession - I didn't read the smooch! I have this book sitting on my beside table, and I'm *so* looking forward to diving in, so I didn't want to give myself a spoiler. :)
ReplyDeleteFlavours, hmm... what about black jelly bean flavour - aniseed? You just don't see enough aniseed things anymore and I love it!
LOL. I do that too sometimes, Rach -- I hate spoilers. ;-)
DeleteI love black jelly beans. Hmm…wondering if the flavour would translate across to a passable cupcake. What am I thinking!!! Of course it would. Is there such a thing as a bad cupcake? Ha! No.
Hi Michelle ~ Love the smooch! I have the duet on order. I think you should have chocolate maple syrup cupcakes.
ReplyDeleteMaple syrup! Ooh, yum, Kaelee. I'd be happy with just the maple syrup, but chocolate adds a very nice touch. Good thinking. :-)
DeleteMmmm, DELICIOUS! That's the Smooch and the cupcakes, Michelle! I love stories where the characters have known each other when they were younger and The Rebel and The Heiress sounds great!
ReplyDeleteAs for a cupcake flavour - I'd like a Death by Chocolate cupcake.
Glad to have whetted your tastebuds, Sharon. ;-) As for Rick and Nell's history…well…it kinda tugs on the heartstrings (I hope!). But I enjoy it when there's a bit of backstory between characters too.
ReplyDeleteDeath by Chocolate cupcakes? Lord, what a nice way to go! Happy sighs.
Wow, who needs hands with that smooch set-up. *whew*
ReplyDeleteHow about a pineapple upside-down cupcake or a maple bacon cupcake. MmMmMm...now I want a cupcake.
Marcy Shuler
I forgot to add my thanks to Louisa for winning last week's book. I've sent an email. :)
DeleteMarcy
LOL, Marcy. When I was writing that scene I was like…"Look, Mum, no hands!" ;-)
DeleteOh…and you just won me over with pineapple upside down cupcakes. Yum!