Oct 21, 2012

Sunday Smooch!

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!


Today we have a smooch from The Wedding Must Go On by Robyn Grady, but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -- Bn100!


Congratulations, Bn! Can you please contact Nikki at

Nikki (at) nikkilogan (dot) com (dot) au

and she'll send you a copy of Wild Encounter.

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from The Wedding Must Go On by Robyn Grady ...


Designs on the best man... With his best friend’s wedding suddenly cancelled, and an important business deal riding on it, Nate Sparks needs to get them back up the aisle ASAP! The best person to help is feisty maid-of-honour Roxy Trammel – otherwise known as Trouble… Luckily Roxy also needs this marriage to go ahead – her reputation as a wedding dress designer depends on it! Nate proposes a plan to get the jilted lovers back together – and if it doesn’t work…? He’ll walk Roxy down the aisle in her design himself! All Roxy can wonder is: is that a threat…or a promise…?


(Set up: Nate and Roxy have a single 'goodnight kiss' history. While he'made clear he's not up for a relationship, he does need Roxy's help to get their best friends' cancelled wedding plans back on track. After that embarrassing kiss'n'run incident, Roxy wants nothing more to do with Nate. However, she does want to see her friend happy. She'll talk, but first - needing to attend customers waiting out in her shop - she grudgingly asks Nate to help to unjam the zip on the wedding gown she's wearing - a much prized dress that is in the running to win an international contest.)

(Excerpt...)
Outside, the desk bell pinged. Roxy jumped, called out, ‘I’ll be right there,’ then glanced down at the gown she still wore. Which, frankly, looked great on her. The white satin suited her skin’s natural glow. The sweep of her waist in that bodice was hypnotic. Not that he would allow himself to be concerned with any of that. He was here to get his plan on the table and any bugs ironed out before they went ahead with Operation Back Together.
He said, ‘I thought you were changing.’
‘I couldn’t get a hold of the zip.’ She whirled around. As the train slapped his shin, he was presented with a tantalizing rear view. ‘You’ll have to help.’
Alarm bells—red and flashing—went off in his head. An invitation and bare flesh equalled temptation. Sure, what Roxy proposed seemed innocent enough but, in essence, she was asking him to help her undress. To open himself up and be vulnerable to the call of his baser urges, which he had trouble enough containing where Roxy Trammel was concerned. He held up his palms.
‘I’ll pass.’
‘You can’t pass.’
Believe me, ‘It’s safer I don’t.’
‘I trust you not to do any damage.’ When he didn’t budge, she groaned and muttered, ‘Okay. Time to get this out in the open.’ Her fists finding her hips, she rotated again. ‘I won’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy the kiss we shared that night because, while I’m loath to admit it, I did. And I admit my reaction was…enthusiastic. But if you think I’m so desperate that I’d use sex to manipulate a marriage proposal, think again. And if I were to do such an abhorrent thing—’ her nose rose a regal notch ‘—it wouldn’t be with you.’ She hesitated, then went on. ‘In fact, I’ve been kissed since and, frankly, yours pales in comparison.’
Nate’s gape turned into a smirk. And she called him a liar. He knew just how much she’d enjoyed that kiss. Almost as much as he had. Still, if she could play this Arctic ice-shelf cool, couldn’t he? Hell, it was only a zip. She wasn’t asking him to slip off a garter or nightdress or that itty-bitty pair of silk panties—which he’d best not think about right now.
When he lifted his chin, she lifted hers. He twirled his finger—turn around—and, hoisting up her skirt, she whirled again. The dress’s back was scooped low and, with her long fair hair twisted up, Nate was greeted by an unobstructed, blemish-free landscape. Delicate twin shoulder blades bracketed a sweep of smooth tan skin and two accidental curls spiralled either side of the dent of her spine. Pleasant warmth pooled then solidified high on Nate’s thighs. But he took a deep breath and, focusing not on the view but the task, doggedly searched. After a full-on few seconds, he huffed. No wonder she couldn’t find it.
‘There is no zip.’
‘It’s invisible,’ she told him. ‘Feel around inside the bodice facing.’
Nate scratched his head. Did she say invisible? And, ‘Bodice what?’
‘Slide your finger up and down the inside top of the seam.’ She dropped a wry look over one shoulder. ‘You do know what a seam is, don’t you?’
‘A rich deposit where minerals are found.’
She rolled her eyes as if to say, Men. ‘Just don’t tug too hard.’
When she turned back, Nate shook out his hands, rubbed his palms together. Not sweaty. Not cold. All good. He edged one fingertip inside. Her skin was toasty-warm and smooth as the satin. And now he was aware that she was wearing the same perfume she had that fateful night. Subtle. Something with lavender? Whatever the ingredients, the scent was light and fresh and… Nate filled his lungs.
The kind of bouquet I could breathe in all day.
He snapped open eyes that seemed to have drifted shut. Roxy had implied that she’d dated since their evening together. Leaning closer, he slid his thumb down and felt around. He hated himself for needing to ask but couldn’t a guy be curious?
‘So, I take it you’re seeing someone.’
‘No one in particular.’
Chewing that over, he found something small and difficult to grab high at the top of the crease. Squeezing just enough to get a grip, he added, ‘And yet someone’s swept you off your feet.’
Those curls tickled the back of his hand as she purred. ‘I’ve been swept off several times since that night.’
His bite tightened and grip firmed more. He was jiggling in earnest when, outside, the desk bell rang again.
‘I’ll be right out,’ Roxy called pleasantly, then to him, ‘What’s taking so long?’
‘Inexperience,’ he growled. With a wedding gown, at least. This darn thing didn’t glide as it should. ‘Don’t force it,’ she told him.
‘I’m not forcing anything.’
Shifting, he began to work it in a hopefully more fruitful and earnest kind of way. Clearly this exercise needed a little more of the ol’ Nate Sparks finesse. Three seconds later, she complained, ‘You’re too rough.’
‘Relax.’ His fingertips rolled, then tugged and rolled again. ‘Just a few seconds more.’
‘Nate, not so hard.’
‘Almost got it—’
The zip suddenly gave. Actually what gave was the fabric splitting either side. While Roxy stiffened, Nate’s heart stopped beating as he held his breath and stared. It wasn’t much of a tear. Really barely noticeable. But when Roxy turned around, her expression said it all. Her face was a mask of disbelief, anguish. Rage. And her eyes, which had looked merely annoyed earlier, now spat green fire.
‘Tell me you didn’t tear the dress,’ she groaned. ‘You didn’t, did you? Not this dress.’
The anger in her eyes turned to fear then they edged with moisture and Nate felt the walls press in.


To be in the draw to win a signed copy of The Wedding Must Go On, tell us your idea of the perfect wedding dress.


Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Defying His Desert Duty by Annie West will be posted!

16 comments:

  1. That was great. The perfect wedding dress is one that makes the bride happy and looks good on her.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  2. Ooh, what a gorgeous moment, Robbie!

    And I agree with bn100 -- the perfect wedding dress is one the bride loves and makes her happy to wear.

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  3. Totally agree re "what makes the bride happy". It wouldn't hurt if "the price was right" too, LOL!

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  4. Bn, what a wonderful answer! I was so busy before my wedding that I bought the dress like 2 weeks before but I did feel really nice in it. That probably had something to do with the day and the man :)

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  5. And, Michelle, isn't it strange how the decade and fashion has something to do with that? Remember off the tizz of the eighties. The sophistication of the fifties. But I've never seen a bride in her dress look anything but beautiful!

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  6. Laney, lol, yes, price is a factor. I wonder how many brides take advantage of overseas websites then have the dress fitted here. Exact same dresses for a sniff of the price.

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  7. Fabulous scene Robyn. Poor Nate's fumblings made me smile. Every Saturday morning I work for a few hours at my sisters bridal store and sometimes those zips just don't want to budge. Really looking forward to reading the book :)

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  8. The perfect wedding dress is one that makes the bride feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, and like a princess after all she is about to marry her prince.

    Thank you for the give away Robyn the new book sounds very lovely.

    Desere

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  9. My idea of a perfect wedding dress would be - a dress in which a bride feels comfortable. Because she would be glowing anyway and be beautiful on that day so everyone would be looking at her face and the inner happiness shining out of her. The dress would be noticed later in photos!

    Please do not enter me in the giveaway as M&B has already sent me a copy!

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  10. Is there really such a thing as a small tear in a wedding dress when you want everything to be perfect?

    The perfect wedding dress makes the bride feel like a princess.

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  11. the wedding dress supposed to be fitted and be liked by the bride :)

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  12. What a great scene. Poor Nate - you really took him out of his comfort zone. I love books with wedding planners as they seem to bring that extra layer of romance to any story. As for the perfect wedding dress I think it does depend on the bride as they all have their own unique tastes and fantasies however I also think the groom plays into this too. A Bride wants to be a princess to her prince so his tastes are also considered and he is her best accessory on the day.
    Looking forward to reading another one of your wonderful stories Robbie.
    Cheers
    Tracey T

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  13. Such a gorgeous scene. Like most of the other commenters, I think the perfect wedding dress is the one the bride feels good in. :)

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  14. It's still Sunday where I am even if it's Monday Down Under. I loved this non smooch. There's just enough hints to make me want to read more.

    I got married in a mini dress which was just perfect for me but I can't see that style coming back as a wedding dress anytime soon.

    I do think if a dress makes you feel great and the cost is reasonable that you have a winner on all counts.

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  15. Late dropping by, Robbie, but I just had to say how much I enjoyed this! What a scene. I can't wait to read what happens next. A wedding dress that makes the bride feel special is just wonderful.

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  16. My No. 2 daughter is getting married next March so we are going through the wedding dress choice thing now. No.2 really liked one particular dress but thought her bridesmaids wouldn't like it. I said it is about her that day so she has gone with the one she likes. She's gonna look gorgeous.

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