Diana, can you please contact Donna Alward - Donna (at) donnaalward(dot) com to receive your copy of The Cowboy's Convenient Bride
And now for today's Sunday Smooch from The Bouquet List by Barbara DeLeo
He's #5 on her Bouquet List. Tall, dark...and completely forbidden.
After a too-close call with death, Yasmin Katsalos is checking some things off her Bouquet List—things to do after you thought you were going to die. Fun fashion choices? Check. Purple hair and a cute diamond nose stud? Check, check. Now she's on to item #5: a flirty fling with a man who's tall, dark, rich...and totally out of her league.
And restaurateur Lane Griffiths definitely fits the bill.
Lane isn't just out of Yasmin's league. He's also her brother's best friend and therefore off-limits. Now that they're working together on renovations for her family's wedding hall, however, Yasmin has plenty of opportunities to bewitch, bother, and boldly seduce. He's reserved. She's relaxed. The only thing they share is a spark of attraction that's too strong to resist. But is Lane just another item on her bouquet list... or has Yasmin found something on her list that will last?
Scene set-up
Lane and Yasmin are visiting a fabric warehouse to choose curtain fabric for the renovation of the restaurant. Yasmin has her sights firmly set on Lane fulfilling one of her dreams on her bouquet list while Lane has been fighting the urge to get closer to his best friends little sister.
Smooch
For the next fifteen minutes, they walked through the maze of towering fabric bolts, stopping every time Yasmin saw something that took her fancy—a canary yellow and magenta stripe, a dizzying pattern of French botanicals with a blue background. At each one she’d stop and stroke it, turning puppy-dog eyes to Lane. Finally they came to an area surrounded by every shade of gold imaginable.
“Ohhhhhh.” That noise of pleasure at the back of her throat again. “Lane, this is beautiful,” she said and she picked up the corner of fabric. “Look how rich it is. It’s textured and a little bit shimmery.” She played with the weight of it in her hand. “And I think it would fall beautifully.” She lifted it to her face and breathed. “And it smells all fresh and linen-y.”
“Let’s hope that’s the closest it gets to anyone’s nose.” He stepped closer and rubbed a piece between his fingers. “Feels good. Let’s take a look at the price tag.”
Beside him, she stretched up on tiptoe as he brought the tag closer.“Thirty dollars per yard. Not too bad. I think we might have found what we’re looking for.”
For the next fifteen minutes, they walked through the maze of towering fabric bolts, stopping every time Yasmin saw something that took her fancy—a canary yellow and magenta stripe, a dizzying pattern of French botanicals with a blue background. At each one she’d stop and stroke it, turning puppy-dog eyes to Lane. Finally they came to an area surrounded by every shade of gold imaginable.
“Ohhhhhh.” That noise of pleasure at the back of her throat again. “Lane, this is beautiful,” she said and she picked up the corner of fabric. “Look how rich it is. It’s textured and a little bit shimmery.” She played with the weight of it in her hand. “And I think it would fall beautifully.” She lifted it to her face and breathed. “And it smells all fresh and linen-y.”
“Let’s hope that’s the closest it gets to anyone’s nose.” He stepped closer and rubbed a piece between his fingers. “Feels good. Let’s take a look at the price tag.”
Beside him, she stretched up on tiptoe as he brought the tag closer.“Thirty dollars per yard. Not too bad. I think we might have found what we’re looking for.”
“Oh my God, you’re a genius!” She reached an arm
around his shoulders and when he turned back to look at
her, they both froze.
He gazed down into her warm brown eyes and was sucker punched by the excitement and joy he found there. This was about so much more than fabric and decorating to her. This was about self-expression and wearing her heart on her sleeve, exactly the things that made him feel as though he was in unchartered territory. He was so logical and sensible and Yasmin was...not. But he didn’t care. In this instant he wanted to get as close to her as he could; he wanted some part of her zest for life and her crazy, naive excitement to brush off on him.
From somewhere in her handbag came the sound of her mindfulness bell. It was a call to the moment, a signal to forget about the past, to not worry about the future. Maybe it was even a call for him to let go of everything and lose himself in her.
Before he could decide, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. Her lips were cool and moist, her breathing rapid, and when she made that noise at the back of her throat again, he knew he couldn’t pull away. He backed her into the stack of fabric rolls opposite, all the while kissing her mouth.
A tide of sensations overpowered him. The clean, freshly laundered scent of the fabrics surrounding them, the sound of her body brushing up against the silk roll behind her, and the dazed look on her face when he finally pulled his lips from hers was priceless.
He gazed down into her warm brown eyes and was sucker punched by the excitement and joy he found there. This was about so much more than fabric and decorating to her. This was about self-expression and wearing her heart on her sleeve, exactly the things that made him feel as though he was in unchartered territory. He was so logical and sensible and Yasmin was...not. But he didn’t care. In this instant he wanted to get as close to her as he could; he wanted some part of her zest for life and her crazy, naive excitement to brush off on him.
From somewhere in her handbag came the sound of her mindfulness bell. It was a call to the moment, a signal to forget about the past, to not worry about the future. Maybe it was even a call for him to let go of everything and lose himself in her.
Before he could decide, she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. Her lips were cool and moist, her breathing rapid, and when she made that noise at the back of her throat again, he knew he couldn’t pull away. He backed her into the stack of fabric rolls opposite, all the while kissing her mouth.
A tide of sensations overpowered him. The clean, freshly laundered scent of the fabrics surrounding them, the sound of her body brushing up against the silk roll behind her, and the dazed look on her face when he finally pulled his lips from hers was priceless.
“Lane,” she whispered. “I don’t want you to get in trouble.” Her brown eyes were wide, her breathing rapid.
“I’m living in the moment,” he said and brushed his hand down the soft skin of her cheek. He didn’t want to talk or think, he just wanted to taste those dusky lips, so he leaned in and kissed her again. This time she hooked both hands around his neck and kissed him deeper, and a shudder ripped through his body. Cupping her face in his hands, he savored the sweet taste of her, wanting more—
“I’m living in the moment,” he said and brushed his hand down the soft skin of her cheek. He didn’t want to talk or think, he just wanted to taste those dusky lips, so he leaned in and kissed her again. This time she hooked both hands around his neck and kissed him deeper, and a shudder ripped through his body. Cupping her face in his hands, he savored the sweet taste of her, wanting more—
“I do hope you realize that any damage to the fabrics
will be charged in full.” They sprang apart, and the shop assistant was looking at them disapprovingly over the top of her glasses. “Body oils can leave permanent stains on such fine material.”
For a chance to win a copy of The Bouquet List, tell us what would be top of your "Bouquet List" - a list of things to do to celebrate being alive!
Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from Tempted by Hollywood's Top Doc by Louisa George will be posted!
Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver
Wonderful smooch. Spending time with my family and
ReplyDeletelaughing every day
Love your priorities, Tammy. I'm going to make laughing one of mine as well.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Barbara
ReplyDeleteOh I have this one on my massive TBR pile and I am going to move it up I need to read this one and soon :)
Things I would want to do Hubby and I love cruising and one thing that we would both love so much is to take all of our children their partners and of course our grandkids on a cruise together what fun would that be I love it when we get together or I really want to visit Scotland
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, that cruise sounds like incredible fun and something your kids and grandkids would remember forever. I have my fingers crossed that you can make it happen soon!
Deletelove the review --all I want to do is enjoy been here & also with family-----LynW
ReplyDeleteFamily is right at the top of my list too, Lyn.
DeleteGorgeous excerpt, Barb. And I loved that disapproving shop assistant -- what a hoot!
ReplyDeleteAs for the bucket list, I'm torn between more European travel or a lot of lazing at the beach. Both sound rather divine. :-) Regardless, good books and good company would both feature. :-)
And you could laze on a beach in Europe with good books and good friends and tick off four things at once, Michelle!
DeleteLove the smooch and the shop assistant had me laughing out loud.
ReplyDeleteTravel would have to top my 'bouquet' list.
Thanks, Mary. She was a bit of a grumpy one that shop assistant. Travel seems popular on everyone's lists, Mary!
DeleteThanks, Mary. She was a bit of a grumpy one that shop assistant. Travel seems popular on everyone's lists, Mary!
DeleteLove the excerpt and think I need to schedule the book for a re-read soon.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe that I can not think of a single thing for my bouquet list at present? Though in an effort to appreciate being alive I made a change in January this year to look for the positive in things.
Looking for the positive is a fabulous, goal Lyn and one I need to focus more on, too.
ReplyDeleteGreat smooch, Barb!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to do more travel. Love going to new places, seeing new things, eating yummy food I've never tried before - that is top of the list.
I wonder which place would be the top of your list, Jenn? New York figures highly on my list, and South America.
DeleteSmell roses in Provence. Feel the madness of the Mistral as it sweeps over snow capped Alps and along the Rhone valley. Be transported in time as I clamber up impossible slopes to Medieval villages perched high on rocky crags - no cars allowed. Sit in the dappled shade of a plane tree, sipping a cool glass of Chardonnay and listening to the tinkle of a fountain - mouth watering at the garlic infused air.
ReplyDeletePam, are you a writer? If not, you should be! You had me transported to France and putting it right at the top of my list.
Delete