Today we have a smooch from Once A Good Girl... by Wendy S. Marcus
Prim Victoria Forley’s perfect life changed forever the night she slept with Kyle Karlinsky, baddest boy in town. These days, single mum and uber-perfectionist nurse Victoria has goals that nothing – not even Kyle’s shocking reappearance! – can derail.
But behind Victoria’s oh-so-frosty exterior is a heat that only Kyle can unleash… maybe it’s the right time to be with the wrong guy after all?
[Setup: Head Nurse Victoria Forley has just overheard that the bad boy from her past, the father of her son who’d recently returned to town, got drunk last night and went home with the biggest tramp in the hospital.]
After hanging her coat on the hook behind her office door Victoria turned back to her desk to see Kyle, his hair more unruly than usual, his clothes rumpled and his eyes glassy.
“There’s something I need to -” he said, looking guilty.
“Shhh. Come here.” She motioned for him to move closer. “Bend down,” she whispered. He did. She moved her mouth close to his ear and yelled as loud as she could, “Rough night?”
“Jeeze.” He gripped his temples as if trying to contain the vibration of a gargantuan gong. “Sadist.”
“I’m working. Go away.” She tried to move past him to get to her desk.
He blocked her path. “I forgot how fast news travels here in Madrin Falls. Victoria, nothing happened.”
“That love bite on your neck tells a different story.” It shouldn’t matter, but it did. Hearing about Kyle and Leanne together was hard enough, but seeing evidence of their tryst made her want to strike out and hurt someone. And since Kyle just happened to be handy… “I don’t care what you do or who you do it with.”
“Based on how ornery you are this morning, one might think you care about what I do a little more than you let on.” He reached for her chin, tilted it up and looked directly into her eyes. “Nothing. Happened. When you’re ready to hear the details I’m happy to tell you everything. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“Except for Leanne’s brand. I may have some concealer in my purse.” She studied the offensive discolored blotch on the left side of Kyle’s neck, tilted her head, pursed her lips, and tapped her index finger on her cheek, pretending deep consideration. “On second thought, flaunt it. It marks you as an easy lay. Maybe you can parlay it into a few more drunken encounters with loose women.”
Kyle’s response wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
He smiled then laughed. “God I’ve missed you.” And he swooped down and kissed her.
Only their lips touched. His soft and supple, sensual as he pressed them to hers. Familiar. He didn’t demand, he offered, exerted the perfect amount of pressure to draw her in. Exquisite. Each one of her protective instincts failed, her thought processes taken over, transported back to innocent times, consumed by rapture. This is what she liked, the promise of more, not the actual more.
A voice sounded in the hallway. Victoria pulled away.
Kyle gawked at her, stunned. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. I didn’t expect…”
“Go,” Victoria said. Half in a daze, her lips numb, her heart pounding. How could she have let that happen, at work, in her office? Anyone could have walked in. Her face burned with embarrassment and anger. How dare he put his moves on her. And why, after everything she’d been through because of him, did she lack the willpower to resist his kiss?
Once A Good Girl is available now in stores and online the UK and Aus/NZ, and online in the U.S. For links to purchase online, visit Wendy's website here.
To win a signed copy of Once a Good Girl… answer one of these two questions.
1) Is there a bad boy from your past who you’d welcome the opportunity to kiss again? And I want names and details people!
2) Have you ever been the recipient of a heated kiss at work? How did you handle it? Please keep your answers PG rated! (Wendy says: But if you’d like to share the specifics in private, you can e-mail me at Wendy@WendySMarcus.com!)
Come back next Sunday for a smooch from Helen Lacey's Made for Marriage.
If the answer to both of those questions is no can I still enter the drawing?
ReplyDeleteWendy
ReplyDeleteWhat a kiss this book sounds very good I do love a good bad boy LOL.
But unfortunately I don't have a bad boy in my past and never been kissed like that at work before :( just pecks on the cheeks.
Have Fun
Helen
1) No comment! 2) Definately no comment! Great kiss Wendy - I can't wait to read this book.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Helen Lacey here...Definitely no comment!
ReplyDeleteBut oh, what a kiss, Wendy! Your prim Victoria wanted to resist his kisses? But why?!!
Please do not enter me in the giveaway as I have already read ONCE A GOOD GIRL!
Nice girls never kiss and tell. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, but, Wendy, Kyle seems such a tempting bad boy I don't know how Victoria can resist him!
Hi EllenToo!
ReplyDeleteA no is an answer so YES! You are entered into the contest!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Helen!
ReplyDeleteOne or two bad boys in my past! Luckily I grew out of it!
You're entered in the drawing for a free book!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Helen Lacey!
ReplyDeleteVery diplomatic!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Romance Book Haven!
ReplyDeleteAlso very diplomatic!
Thank you for visiting my blog to tell me you enjoyed Once a Good Girl...! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
And thanks for stopping by here as well!
Hi Michelle!
ReplyDeleteGood point! Shucks!
Kyle is sexy...and he gets sexier!
You're entered in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
#2 is easy...No freaking way!!
ReplyDelete#1 is a TAD harder. I'm gonna have to go with...(now my husband will never see this, right?) wait a minute...Nobody else is naming names so I'm not going to either. I'll leave it as a definite maybe.
Wendy, I love Victoria's response when she sees Kyle! I didn't expect the shout in the ear and I'm still smiling over it. As for Kyle's reaction - I want to read more.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your questions - no, I snaffled the best one for myself. As for the work scenario - obviously you have no idea of some of the uninspiring places I've worked! Sigh.
Thanks for sharing the smooch.
I can't wait to find out Kyle's explanation of the night before... and to see what happens next!
ReplyDeleteMy answer - like Annie, I'm a no because I kept the best one. :)
Sorry...my answer to both questions is no. Can't wait to see what happens!
ReplyDeleteHi Cynthia!
ReplyDeleteToo funny!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by! And congrats on your upcoming release. Can't wait to read it!
Hi Annie!
ReplyDeleteI like the word snaffled! And that you snaffled the best guy for yourself! Sorry for the uninspirational work environments!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Rachel!
ReplyDeleteAwww....this isn't turning out as fun as I'd hoped! But I'm glad you snagged a good one!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Shelley B.!
ReplyDeleteYou're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Wendy ~ No comment to the first question and just no to the second one.
ReplyDeleteI loved the smooch though. Thanks for the chuckle when she yelled in his ear and now I need to hear Kyle's explanation for the night before.
Off topic here. Sharon, I loved your camping pictures and Leah, I wish I was as organized as you are.
Fabulous kiss, Wendy! I'm looking forward to more of Kyle and Victoria's story!
ReplyDeleteWhat wicked questions! I think I'll go for the safe "no comment" but I will say that like Annie and Rachel, I kept the best one! LOL
Lovely to have you back on the LoveCats!
:)
Sharon
I married the bad boy. I should have just listened to my Mother: BAD BOYS DON'T MAKE GOOD HUSBANDS. He could kiss though & therein lay my problem.
ReplyDeleteLoved the smooch today!!
Dashing in to say, THANKS, Kaelee! I'm a not-very-closet photographer so I love getting the pics out! Yeah, I wish I was as organised as Leah too! LOL
ReplyDelete;)
Sharon
PS back to you, Wendy!
Oh lovely kiss, Wendy! I didn't see the shouting in the ear thing coming either - awesome move :)
ReplyDeleteTo your questions - No, to the first, and to the second - no, not literally at work, but I did once kiss a colleague at a work function when I was still at Uni. I thought we'd live happily ever after - two days later, he was with someone new. My first broken heart, although, in hindsight, probably a lucky escape!
Kaelee, as I sit here amongst the disaster that is my study, I'm laughing hysterically at your comment - I am SO not organised :) But I aspire to be!
ReplyDeletewow...great chemistry between these two Wendy. Lovely scene and kiss. A shout and a hickey are two things I wasn't expecting :)
ReplyDeleteI was a big sucker for bad boys - now I keep that to my reading preferences. There's something so wicked about kissing them, like temporarily taming a wild beast. Thanks for making me remember the wild boys in the past!
Cath
Hi Kaelee!
ReplyDeleteGreat to *see* you! I'm so glad you liked my smooch!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Sharon!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And thank you for facilitating my visit here to LoveCats! And YAY for keeping the best one for yourself!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Leah!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And after meeting your wonderful and handsome husband I am confident you are MUCH better off!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Nikki!
ReplyDeleteFinally some action!!! And wanting a do over for performance issues is priceless - you perfectionist you!!! I remember being kissed by a very handsome man on New Years right after I'd eaten a handful of potato chips. UGH!
And it's wonderful to be here...Thanks for having me!
You're in the drawing.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Marybelle!
ReplyDeleteSo much has been written about bad boys making lousy husbands, yet so many of us love to read about them. In our books we can transform them into loving, dedicated mates. In real life, not so much. Thank you for sharing...and confirming what we suspected...they're fabulous kissers!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Catherine!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked Victoria and Kyle's chemistry! And for the record, I like to do the unexpected in my books - which is why I often hear - "I can't believe they let you put that in a medical romance!" But they do!
I agree - there is something so wicked about a bad boy and I love to see a good woman reform them!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Wendy!
ReplyDeleteMy lips are sealed. :) Great smooch excerpt. I LOVE your cover.
Hi there Wendy !!!!
ReplyDeleteLovely to see you at Love cats and wishing you a very very Happy New Year :)
I have to say a "no" to both the questions, well...since I was mostly a nerd who never snagged a boyfriend, let alone a bad boy in school ;) And as to the later ones, I'd rather leave the past where they belong. I chalk them as experiences to learn from ;) LOL!
Hot smooch though ;) And loving Victoria already :p
Hi Lynne!
ReplyDeleteThanks and thanks!
You're in the drawing!
And one more thanks...for stopping by!
Hi Ju!
ReplyDeleteGreat to *see* you! Is your book out yet?
Chalking the past up to experience is AOK! Glad you liked the smooch!
You're in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
The answer to both questions is NO!
ReplyDeleteLove the smooch and can't wait to see what happens between Victoria and Kyle and his explanation of the hickey.
Hi Amanda!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm glad you liked my smooch!
You're entered in the drawing!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi again, Wendy :) Nopes, my book is currently in 3rd round edits! And I thought self-edits was tough..huh!
ReplyDeleteHi Ju!
ReplyDeleteYou'll get there. I can't remember how many rounds of edits I went through with my first book. But I know in the end, it was a MUCH better book. Good luck and hang in there!
Oh Wendy I do love a good smooch scene. Well done.
ReplyDeleteSusan Carlisle
Heart Surgeon, Hero...Husband?
www.SusanCarlisle.com