Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!
Today we have a vintage smooch from way back in 2001, from In Bed With the Boss's Daughter by Bronwyn Jameson, one of the books listed in the Summer of Romance research project featured in a recent Rachel Bailey post. But first ...
... the winner of our last Sunday Smooch Giveaway, from before we took a smooch-free break over Christmas and New Year, is Donamae Kutsa. Donamae, can you please contact Kandy (AT) KandyShepherd (DOT) com to receive your copy of Heart of the Bay.
And now for today's Sunday Smooch.
In Bed With the Boss’s Daughter
Corporate tough guy Jack Manning hadn’t laid eyes on Paris
Grantham, his boss’s daughter, since the night he’d refused her invitation to
take her virginity.
Six years later, the former innocent carried her pedigree like
a shield—and was fighting her way into his world of billion-dollar deals. He’d
sworn off loving this woman years ago...yet how badly he ached for her.
Scene set-up:
Jack has been manipulated into working with Paris, teaching
her the ropes in her father’s property development empire. Jack is determined
to keep her – and his desire for her – at arm’s length. This day he’s escaped
to the corporate gym but Paris tracks him down, impatient that he’s been
avoiding her and the obvious chemistry between them.
Smooch:
He snatched up a weight and started a set of bicep curls.
Curl, release, three. Curl, release, four. “I thought you wanted to talk,” he
bit out. Curl, release, five. When she didn’t answer, he made the mistake of
glancing up and found her attention fixed on his arm, her focus hazy, her lips
softly parted.
“Hell, Paris, I told you not to look at me like that.” He
slammed the weight back into the rack, breathing harshly as he battled the
tight, hard clutch of desire. “What is it you want to talk about? I have to be
out of here in five minutes.”
“Of course.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Eyes narrowed, hands on
hips, he dared her to take issue. “Come on. Spit it out, princess.”
She almost did; Jack saw the instant she changed her mind. The
almost imperceptible shake of her head, the compressed lips, as if she’d bitten
down on the words. The movement of her throat as she swallowed them. She
straightened. “Maybe this isn’t a good time.”
“No?”
She took a step backward. Jack followed. It wasn’t rational,
it wasn’t smart, but he couldn’t stop himself. He ached for an argument, a
release from the hot roiling restlessness that had driven him to the gym. He’d
hoped to pound it out of himself on the bag and maybe he would have succeeded.
If she hadn’t shown up.
“Running away again?” he asked as she continued to
backpedal. He was still one step from reaching her when she tripped. In slow
motion he saw her flailing arms, heard her startled breath, felt the grab of
her hands as she tumbled backward over the edge of the bench, dragging him down
with her.
They hit the floor hard. The dull sound of the impact
throbbed in his head as he attempted to fill his winded lungs. Somehow he’d
managed to end on the floor side of their tangled bodies. And despite the
ringing in his ears and the elbow planted in his abdomen, he was instantly
aware of the leg nestled between his. The soft weight of her breasts against
his chest.
“Are you all right?” she asked. And when she scrambled off
him, both the heavy silk of her hair and her stockinged leg dragged against his
skin. He was not all right. Eyes closed,
he groaned in response to the dual-edged torture.
“I’m sorry. You took all my weight and I’m no lightweight. Did I hurt you?”
He felt her moving, heard the soft rustle of her clothing as
she sat up. And then, God help him, she was touching him. Her hands skimmed
across his shoulders, up his neck, over his skull. Another hoarse sound, part
pleasure and part pain, tore from deep in his chest.
“I did hurt you!”
Constantly. I hurt constantly.
“Where?” As her fingers probed further around the back of
his head, she must have leaned forward. He felt the brush of her jacket against
his arm, the whisper of her breath on his face. He inhaled her soft scent until
his senses overflowed, and then he opened his eyes and looked directly into
hers. The concern in their woodsmoke depths caused something to squeeze tight
in his chest, then to unfurl slowly, as if releasing him.
“Everywhere,” he replied simply. Whatever she read in his answer
or his eyes caused her lips to part on a barely audible “Oh.” Then, “Would you
like me to kiss it better?”
Her throaty tone resonated through his body, marking every
spot he wanted kissed.
“Here?” she whispered, feathering her lips against his chin.
Then she opened her sweet mouth against his skin and branded him with the
delicate slide of her tongue.
Oh man, had he really been avoiding this?
Her mouth lifted, and she traced a gentle fingertip across
the bump on his nose. “How did you do this?”
“I walked into a steel girder.”
“Silly you.” She smiled.
“Silly me,” he echoed as he slid his hand under the fall of
hair that curtained their faces. Gently but insistently he pulled her mouth
down to his.
It was nothing like their first kiss, rough with anger and
disappointment, yet her mouth seemed familiar, and absolutely perfect under
his. He couldn’t describe the complexity of emotions tumbling through him as he
tasted the smile on her lips, but he knew whatever he felt transcended physical
need. And as he increased his pressure on her nape, he embraced it with all his
being.
Is there something you've been avoiding lately? Come on, 'fess up. I'll be selecting one winner from the comments who can choose a copy of my book (in a duo) or a $5 Amazon gift card.
Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway -- a copy of Bronwyn Jameson's Bestseller Collection containing In Bed With the Boss's Daughter and Addicted to Nick -- will be announced and a smooch from Amy Andrews' brand new Playing the Player will be posted!
Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver
Beautiful smooch, Bron. I remember reading this book when it was first published and loving it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kandy. You have a good memory, it really is an oldie!
DeleteHi Bronwyn
ReplyDeleteWOW what a smooch it is already hot enough he this morning LOL I need t chase this one up and read it.
I avoid housework all of the time I know nothing major but I have so many good books to read but I have decided that 2017 is the year of de-cluttering so I am not going to avid it (as much) this year :)
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, you are not alone in avoiding the dreaded housework. Another thing that's futile to avoid, since you know it has to be done eventually. I'm trying to do the 15-minutes a day thing. One task, done well, so it doesn't feel like a major undertaking doing everything on one day.
DeleteHi Bron,
ReplyDeleteI loved this book! Ah, procrastination.... I used to be a shocking procrastinator but I have trained myself to push through the blocks. Having said that, my husband always knows when I'm putting off finishing a book because it's suddenly got difficult. I start maniacally cleaning out cupboards or cook really complicated recipes!
Thanks, Melanie. I know we're not supposed to have favourites (as with children!) but this was my first and has been very good to me. And while searching for the smooch scene I read quite a few chapters and felt rather proud of myself. Which is always nice.
DeleteLOL on the manic cleaning/cooking as avoidance. You are not alone. Funny how those absolutely VITAL tasks come to mind at difficult writing times!
When I have a paying job to do that is due by Monday morning, like Melanie I get a ton of cleaning done before I settle down (probably Sunday night) to do that job. I figure that if I did it earlier, my house wouldn't get cleaned. Also, there are times when my work job is suddenly cancelled, and I don't want to charge my customer for work I've done that he doesn't need. To me, this particular procrastination is a win-win situation, although you might not want to tell me that at 3 am Monday morning when I'm finishing up....
ReplyDeleteLacey, I sometimes wonder just how much cleaning would get done without it being such a perfect tool for procrastination...aka avoiding other difficult things!
DeleteAt 3am I'm not telling you anything. LOL.
Fab, FAB smooch, Bron! :-) Love the interplay between Jack and Paris.
ReplyDeleteOh, and how I wish me and procrastination were strangers. Alas, whenever it comes to synopsis writing or housework, we become the best of buddies. ;-)
Thanks, Michelle. Interplay/banter between characters is my favourite thing as a reader. So it's always lovely to hear when it works for mine!
DeleteAh yes. Synopsis writing. Right up there with housework/cleaning when it comes to avoidance.
Oh Bron....when oh when are we getting a new book? I read this and remembered how awesome your writing is and how I've been missing it! I'm going to have to start rereading some of your older titles now clearly to get my fix.
ReplyDeletePLease push through that block :-)
I am pushing, Amy, and will get there. Hopefully soon!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteIs that the original vintage cover? I love the feel of it.
I've actually been avoiding going through all the 'papers' in the house. All those documents that pile up. For example; do I really need the warranty from a long gone microwave oven?
Yes, that is the original cover picture although that particular cover is from an Australian reprint. I do love the image which captures the characters and a particular scene as well as giving a nod to the title.
DeleteOh, Mary, I hear you on that task. And similar tasks. All involving decades of accumulated paperwork.
Fab smooch Bronwyn. My ebook collection is officially too large, and I need to tidy my bookshelf - I can't remember if I've read this story already or not.
ReplyDeleteFor what I've been avoiding, the answer is most of the housework. Not so much actively avoiding it as much as I'm supposed to be staying off my feet from a stupid broken big toe, which makes most things a touch tricky.
Lyn, so sorry to hear about your broken toe. They are so painful, aren't they? Well, in truth, I've only ever broken my little toe and that was painful enough for me! On the positive side, since you have to be resting the foot, that sounds like the perfect position for reading. Or writing!
DeleteI've been avoiding long book series. For some reason, it just scares me to dive into something longer than 1-2 books. It's a problem because I have collected a lot of series in hopes to read them in "one sitting".
ReplyDeleteOh Natalija, but think of what you are missing! There are so many wonderful series. Perhaps you should start with a trilogy and work you way up to the longer series.
DeleteAh, what a lovely scene. Now I want to lie here and read the whole thing! Procrastination is my constant friend, especially when there's the prospect of a good book to read!
ReplyDeleteI hear you on that, Annie. It's a sweltering day here and I want to loll in beneath the air-con vent with nothing on my mind but a good story.
ReplyDelete