Welcome to another
LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!
Today we have a smooch from
Losing Control by Robyn Grady, but first ...
the
winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is --
Bn100!
Congratulations, Bn! Can you please contact Anna Hackett at
anna (at) annahackettbooks (dot) com
and she'll send you a copy of
Time Thief.
And now for today's Sunday Smooch from
Losing Control by
Robyn Grady ...
Taking charge comes naturally to workaholic media mogul Cole Hunter. That
includes dealing with headstrong TV producer Taryn Quinn. Cole may not like her
idea for a travel show, but Taryn intrigues him. Enough for Cole to join her on
a location-scouting trip to an isolated Pacific island, despite the family drama
at home.
Soon the tantalizing Taryn makes Cole forget about everything…except making
love to her in the moonlight. But once reality intrudes, will he risk losing all
he's worked for to keep this woman in his life?
(
set up: Cole Hunter has
invited himself along on his new producer’s location
survey. Earlier they’d fallen into a close encounter of the kissable
kind. Now, lying together propped against a sand dune in the moonlight and
waiting for a nest of turtles to hatch, the mood changes...)
Excerpt:
When Taryn’s gaze dropped
and grew distant, he asked, “What’s on your mind?”
“Muffin and her big
belly,” she admitted.
In the mix of moonlight
and shadows, she looked so thoughtful, Cole wanted to reach over and squeeze
her hand for support, even if her concern was only over a cat.
“She’ll be okay.”
Remembering her philosophy on strays wanting a home, he asked, “Have you got families
picked out for the litter?”
“Are you interested?”
She gave a playful smirk. “Oh, that’s right. Real men don’t own cats.”
“I do like the fact
they can look after themselves. Independent characters.” He winked. “Like you.”
“There’s no better
feeling than knowing you can make your own way in life.”
“So you don’t dream
of marrying a rich man who’ll shower you with every luxury for the rest of your
decadent life?”
“Guess you’ve met a
few women who want to settle down with a wealthy tycoon stroke tyrant.”
He pretended to preen
a tie. “Gee, you make me sound like such a catch.”
She surrendered to
a smile. “To answer your question, no. I’ve never wanted to marry for money.”
He quipped. “Me
either.”
“If you ever had
the time to marry.”
“Perhaps I’d make
time if the right person came along.”
When her eyes
widened and suddenly neither of them had anything to say, Cole wished he’d
thought before he’d come out with something that had sounded like a bad pick-up
line. He didn’t use pick-up lines - good, bad or anything in between.
She jerked upright
and looked ahead. “Was that some movement?”
He glanced around. “Not that I saw.”
“Oh.” She reclined back, pulling the blanket extra high.
Cole exhaled. He really had made her uncomfortable. Best to let that
thread drop and talk about something inane. Non-personal. But, truth was, he wanted
to get personal. Whether it was the moon or the water or maybe even that delicious
pink nectar, suddenly another twenty-four hours alone with Taryn didn’t seem
long enough.
“Taryn, I didn’t mean to make you anxious.”
Still looking dead ahead, she shrugged. “Why would I be anxious?”
Oh, let’s try because you’re alone on a secluded beach with a man who
is not only your boss but is also dying to kiss you.
“I’m not anxious,” she went on. “I’m not...anything.”
He mulled for moment.
“You’re not.”
She was winding her fingers deeper into the blanket, lifting the
cover high around her neck. “Not in the least.”
“And if I were to do this?”
He leaned toward her but stopped a heartbeat before his mouth met
the sweep of her neck...when she’d be able to feel the warmth of his breath on
her skin. “Are you anxious now?”
He heard her swallow. “That’s not the word that springs to mind.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t worry about words.” Giving in to the spell, he
breathed in her intoxicating scent then brushed his lips over a pulse that beat
erratically at the side of her throat. He felt her quiver, almost heard her questioning
her own resolve. But she didn’t ball him out. Didn’t move away.
Rather, still looking ahead, she lifted her chin and said, “I think
we should go back.”
“Anything you want.” His lips brushed a line up to her lobe. Anything
at all.
Her neck rocked slowly back. He imagined her eyes drifting shut...the
hormones in her system heating and sparking just like his own.
Gently he turned her head until they were gazing into each other’s
eyes, noses touching. She shivered, but not from the cold.
“Would it surprise you to know,” he said, “that I’ve always wanted
to make love on a beach under a full moon with a batch of turtles ready to
hatch?”
A smile touched her eyes. “What a coincidence.”
He twirled his nose around hers, stole a feather light kiss from one
side of her mouth.
“Cole, when I said something might happen, I didn’t mean this.”
His hand on her arm, he brought her closer.
“I did.”
To be in the draw to win a signed copy of
Losing Control, let us know the last time you were truly anxious! Going for your driver's license? Being interviewed for your ideal job? Or when you were about to kiss the man of your dreams?
Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from
Bella's Impossible Boss by Michelle Douglas will be posted!
While I love the idea of being picking up a book I might not
have discovered otherwise, after a few months of delving into dry biographies,
or gripping literary tomes, the love always lost its glow. Till I’d find myself slinking into book
group, feeling guilty at not having finished the book. I mean how could I? What if a new Rachel Gibson or Lisa Kleypas
was out that month? They got priority, always!
You know what we do otherwise? We read.
We each read what we want to
read, what we love to read. And then we each talk about the books – what
we liked, what we didn’t, whether or not we think others might love them too.
We have women who love to delve into the Booker Prize long
list. Others who are first in line for
the next Liane Moriarty or JoJo Moyes.
We have women who keep on top of new Australian literature. Others who read YA like its going out of
fashion. And we have me.
