Sunday Smooch - Wedding Night Reunion in Greece by Annie West

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Annie West's new release

 WEDDING NIGHT REUNION IN GREECE. 

She’s his runaway bride…

He’s come to claim his wedding night!

Emma Piper’s just promised to love, honor and cherish Greek tycoon Christo Karides…but then she overhears him admitting he married her purely for convenience. Bolting to her family’s beautiful Corfu villa, Emma doesn’t expect Christo to follow—especially with seduction in mind! Their intense attraction promises an explosive reunion. Will a night in her husband’s bed show Emma there’s more to their marriage than just convenience…?

Escape to the Greek islands with this reunion romance.

Scene set-up

Within hours of her wedding Emma Piper is devastated to find the real reason her new husband married her had nothing to do with love! Furious and hurt she leaves him to deal with a reception full of well-wishes and makes her escape. Now he's tracked her down to Corfu and has the temerity to demand they stay married. More, that they share a wedding night. The answer is no. But the trouble is Emma still has a weakness for the man she'd loved, even if she hates him now.

Smooch  -

‘This conversation’s getting us nowhere. That’s in the past and—’

‘On the contrary, this conversation is just getting interesting.’ He lowered his head as if trying to read her face in the darkness. ‘Tell me why you married me, Emma.’

That voice, honey mixed now with rumbling gravel, scraped through her insides. But instead of leaving painful grazes, it stirred something altogether unwanted. Something she needed to banish. If only she knew how!

Suddenly she realised the danger of being this close to him. Of his flesh on hers. ‘I want to go inside.’

‘Could it be,’ he went on as if she hadn’t spoken, ‘because of this?’

He tugged her hand, pulling her against him. Emma’s hissed breath was loud as she planted her other palm on his chest to push away.

But before she could, he’d raised her captured hand to his face and pressed his lips to her palm. She felt surprisingly soft lips and the delicious abrasion of his hair-roughened jaw, a reminder of his masculinity, as if she needed it!

Instantly sensation juddered through her.

Desire.

Delight.

Weakness.

Shivers reverberated through her and Emma knew she had to fight this. But then Christo moved, bending lower to kiss the sensitive flesh of her wrist, creating a shower of sparks in her blood.

The trouble was Emma had so little experience. There’d been a guy at uni when she was eighteen but that had never progressed beyond a few kisses, because her grandmother had died and suddenly, more than ever, she was needed at home. She had no experience withstanding such powerfully erotic caresses. Or the demands of her own body, finally woken after so long.

Firming her mouth, she pushed that unyielding chest with her free hand. It made no impact.

Or perhaps she didn’t push very hard. For now Christo was kissing his way along the bare flesh of her forearm where the wide sleeve of her robe fell back.

His grip wasn’t tight. She could yank her hand free. If only she could find the willpower to do it.

But oh, the lush sensations spreading from those tiny yet incredibly intimate kisses.

Her breath sawed and in her ears blood rushed helter skelter.

He’d reached her elbow and she stiffened like a yacht’s sail snapping taut in the wind. Taut but trembling too, at the sensations he evoked. Her hand on his chest no longer pushed. Instead it splayed, fingers wide, absorbing the sultry heat of his hard chest and the teasing friction of the smudge of dark hair on his pectorals.

‘Stop that now.’ Because, heaven help her, she couldn’t. ‘I’m not sleeping with you, Christo.’

That caught his attention. He looked up and even in the gloom, she caught the brilliance of his eyes as he looked down at her. Then, without uttering a word, he put his mouth to her arm and slowly licked her inner elbow.

Emma’s knees all but gave way as a frighteningly potent shot of lust punched her. She made a sound, a soft, keening noise that she wouldn’t have thought possible if she hadn’t heard it slide from her lips.

She cleared her throat ready to demand he release her when she felt the scrape of teeth nipping the soft flesh in the crease of her elbow. Then almost immediately the strong draw against her skin as he sucked the spot.

Emma bit down hard on her lip to prevent a groan escaping into the night. She’d had no idea something as ordinary as an elbow could be so sensitive. That it could make her feel...

Ready for sex. That’s how she felt. With her trembling limbs and that pulsing point down between her thighs that urged her to move closer to Christo. There was an aching hollowness inside and her breasts seemed fuller than before, eager for contact, her nipples impossibly hard. If she followed that animal instinct she rub herself against him, purring and pleading for follow through.

Her weakness terrified her.

‘I said I don’t want to go to bed with you.’ Her voice was too loud and too wobbly.

For answer he released her hand which wavered uselessly in the air then slowly dropped to her side. Instead of moving back he stroked his fingertips over her cheek. All she had to do was pull her head back a couple of centimetres to sever the contact but she couldn’t do it. Instead she stood as if mesmerised by the caress of long, hard fingers that worked magic with each touch.

‘I don’t believe you.’

A wedding night in Greece wasn't what Emma and Christo had originally planned but I must say I loved the location. If you were planning a honeymoon, or writing about one, where would it be? Who knows, suggestions might end up in a future book!

Leave a comment to go in the draw to win a signed copy of WEDDING NIGHT REUNION IN GREECE.

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and another smooch will be posted!

Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver

Greek Island Dreaming, Annie West

Ever fancied an escape to an island hideaway? How about a trip to exotic Greece? I confess I’ve been dreaming of both lately.

You’ve all heard how we authors work alone, hunched over our computers, cut off from the world. 

Well, OK, I know some who write in their local café! But generally we spend solitary hours locked away indoors, living life vicariously through our characters. Is it any wonder we sometimes dream of wonderful locations for those characters?

So today I’m taking you to one of my favourite dream locations. In this case it’s a real place and I used it in my book. I could actually pinpoint a lot of the scene locations on a map!

Welcome to Corfu.

I’ve wanted to visit here since I was in my teens. It’s in the Ionian Sea to the west of Greece and is one of a number of islands there. One day I’ll get to them all. But I’m so grateful I managed to visit Corfu last year, just before the big influx of tourists. I found a lovely island, roses, olive trees, friendly people, great views, excellent food and so much history. The colours are brilliant and the quality of the air was lovely. Here is just a taste of what it has to offer and what appealed.

The streets of old Corfu town

The colours

The sea

The flowers

The sheer scenic beauty of the place

I'll leave you with a photo of some very old olive trees. These grand old trees are all over the island and make beautiful shady groves, as well as being a source of food and oil. Greek olive groves are one of my favourite places. And when they're on a slope down to a sparkling sea and also shelter some ancient ruins...what's not to love?

I hope you enjoyed this little excursion to the Mediterranean.

If you could plan a week’s dream escape, where would you go?

In case you’re wondering, the book set in Corfu is WEDDING NIGHT REUNION IN GREECE (out now).

Heaven on earth? Kandy Shepherd

When I mentioned I was going on a holiday to Santorini in Greece, I was surprised by how many people told me it was their favourite destination. “Heaven on earth” and “the most beautiful island in the world” were some of the descriptions. Santorini had a lot to live up to!

Santorini did not disappoint!

I just got back and have to say I loved it too! I went not only to enjoy the ambiance and see those famous white-washed buildings with the blue roofs but also to swim in the Aegean waters of the caldera or volcanic crater from which the clifftops of the islands rise. It was the third swimming holiday I’ve done with the swim tour company*. This means going out on a boat and swimming around the islands of the caldera with a group of open water swimmers—we even swam around the (still active) volcano, where the water was suddenly warmer from the sulphur springs.

Swimming around the live volcano! I'm the second swim cap from the right.  (Photo by The Big  Blue Swim.)

 I did the first two swims with my husband, this time we were joined by our twenty-five-year-old daughter. She loved it just as much as we did. Each time, we have swum with an amazing group of swimmers, this time was no different. Disclaimer: I am no athlete but love to swim and it is a joy in the buoyant, shark-free waters!

Yummy Greek food

My daughter is a dietitian and she really enjoyed observing the healthy Mediterranean diet at first hand. On the days we swam we ate at small, family run tavernas offering home-style cooking that was absolutely delicious. My favourite? The wonderful Santorini ways with the locally grown white eggplant (aubergine)!

We saw much of the islands from the water, the white buildings looking like frosting on the cliffs. When the swim ended, we braved the local buses to see as much as we could in our remaining few days on Santorini. The white and blue buildings did not disappoint in their elegant simplicity and the blue roofed churches were magnificent. And always there was the vista of the beautiful blue sea. 

Just walking the stone-set streets of the towns of Fira and Oia was wonderful, soaking up the atmosphere, admiring the contrast of hot pink bougainvillea against blue doors and, of course, browsing the gorgeous boutiques. Then there was the archaeological excavation at the site of the ancient town of Akrotiri—engulfed by lava and ash from the volcano explosion some 3,600 years ago. It was fascinating to see the evidence of such an advanced civilisation—right down to the efficient plumbing systems.

Those pots are more than three and a half thousand years old!

 I’ve written three books with Greek heroes. Will there be another set on Santorini? Watch this space!

Have you been on a trip that met your expectations? What about one that disappointed? Or perhaps one that is on the bucket list? We’d love to see your comments!

*For the people who’ve asked me about The Big Blue Swim, click on the name. 

Sunday Smooch with Kandy Shepherd

Welcome to our first LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch for 2018!


Today we have a smooch from Kandy Shepherd 








And now for today's Sunday Smooch from STRANDED WITH HER GREEK TYCOON


Blurb: One night to win back his wife! Can Hayley resist Cristos’s seductive charms?

After the demise of her marriage, Hayley fled to nurse her broken heart. Now she’s back to ask her husband, Cristos Theofanis, for a divorce—but he has other ideas! When a storm hits and they’re stranded together, Cristos has one night to prove himself. Can Hayley resist the temptation of Cristos’s kiss or will she find herself back in his arms?

Scene set-up: Hayley hasn't seen her husband Cristos for more than two years when she travels to his family’s private Greek island to deliver divorce papers. She finds herself in the middle of a family celebration and Christos asks her to keep quiet about the divorce so as not to cast a shadow over the festivities. His large family are in a fervour of speculation about the unexpected return of Cristos’s estranged wife. His grandmother, who had always been hostile to Hayley, confronts Hayley about her intentions. Hayley doesn't want to make a scene—it's bad enough that she's having to fight the flood of feeling that has enveloped her on seeing Cristos again and the rush of attraction that has never gone away. 

Smooch: She looked up to him in mute appeal. In response, Cristos looked deep into her eyes and smoothed the flyaway hair from her forehead with gentle fingers. Her breath caught at his touch, so familiar and yet so startlingly new, and she could not break her gaze from the deep green of his.

 ‘I am so happy to have my wife back with me,’ he murmured in that deep, rich, lightly accented voice that had always thrilled her.

Hayley knew he didn’t mean that. It was a message for his grandmother—a subtle way of defusing the situation. But it felt anything but subtle to her as shivers of awareness rippled through her. Her body had not forgotten the pleasure his touch could bring.

It had been so long.

She lifted her face and closed her eyes to better savour the sensation as he made the act of smoothing her hair into a caress. She was so lost in the feeling she was totally unprepared when he kissed her.

Oh!

His mouth firm and warm on hers, the roughness of his chin, his scent, spicy and male. Her own lips soft and yielding under his. His hands sliding around her waist, pulling her closer. This felt so good. Too good. Her eyes flew open.

She didn’t want this. Not this languorous warmth overtaking her. Not this feeling of being lost in his possession. Not this surge of awakening when she’d worked so hard to suppress her

longing for him. She didn’t want him. The marriage had been all on his terms—and in loving him so desperately she had lost herself.

She tried to pull away. ‘We have to make this look believable,’ he murmured against her mouth.

Why? She had agreed to play along with the charade of reconciliation so as not to disrupt his cousin’s festivities. Not to kiss Cristos. She did not welcome the whoosh of long-banked-down embers igniting into flames. Because of a kiss. A simple—you could almost call it chaste—kiss.

‘Don’t kiss me again,’ she murmured back against his mouth.

Question: Cristos and Hayley are stranded together on a snow covered Greek island. If you were to be stranded for the night with the man (or woman!) of your dreams, where would you like it to be? 

Your comment will go into the draw for a free copy of STRANDED WITH HER GREEK TYCOON. 

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