... the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is
Franca Poli !!
Can you please contact yvonne@yvonnelindsay.com to receive your copy of Contract Wedding Expectant Bride!
And now for today's Sunday Smooch from LOUISA GEORGE
BLURB: Something old. Something new…?
When Chloe Cassidy is jilted at the altar it’s all her nightmares rolled into one. Her mother is convinced she’s the victim of the family curse. Her sister believes she just hasn’t found The One yet. But Chloe’s not listening; she’s too busy taking her humiliation out on the infuriating best man, Vaughn Brooks. Three months later, Something Borrowed—her wedding planning business— is failing. In a last ditch attempt to save it, Chloe is forced to swallow her pride, and work with the enemy: too-hot for his own good, award-winning chef Vaughn. She soon realizes the sparks flying between them are nothing to do with their dubious past, but from something else altogether…
Scene set-up: Vaughn is teaching Chloe how to make bread in his state of the art restaurant kitchen. After one very lovely kiss, he's told her why he can't get involved in a relationship and she agrees wholeheartedly, and yet...
He tore his gaze away and groaned. ‘Right.
Er… Are you hungry?’
‘Why
are you always trying to feed me?’
‘Because
you look too thin, and it’s the best thing I do. I’ll have you know, people pay a fortune to be fed by me.’
Her
eyes flicked toward the huge stainless steel fridge. Her food-porn dream. Words
got stuck in a dry mouth. She swallowed as she thought about sex by the light
of the open fridge door. About hand-feeding each other food. Then she reminded
herself that this scenario was very different from her dreams. For one, they’d
agreed that neither of them was prepared to actually go there and do that.
‘Yes. Er… Okay. What have you got?’
‘Whatever
you want. Come here.’ He took her hand and tugged her to the fridge. Opening it
up, he lifted out containers of cooked meat. ‘See, there is everything you
could possibly want to eat. Olives? Cheese? Finest prosciutto, from Friuli in
northeast Italy. Try some.’ He ripped a piece off and held it out to her.
He wanted to give her food because it was a
distraction from the need that simmered in his eyes, she knew damned well. Because
he wanted her as much as she wanted him, but he was hell-bent on fighting it.
And that was his choice. But it didn’t mean he wanted her any less.
He
was Mr Non-Committal; he was going to leave as soon as she found a decent
manager for him. There was no future for
them. Whatever they did next would not only be a mark on her heart but on her soul too. She was playing a
dangerous game.
But,
despite everything, she still wanted to play.
Because
not playing this game with Vaughn Brooks would mean a lifetime of regret, of
wondering what if? Of wishing she’d had the guts to take something she wanted.
So for once in her life, she was going to put herself first.
She leant forward and took the prosciutto from his
outstretched fingers—with her teeth. She didn’t know who was more shocked, her
or him. So, rather thank thinking about where they were heading, she concentrated
on eating the delicious meat. ‘Oh, God, that is amazing. You want some?’
‘Aha.’
There was a subtle shift in his voice, one that told her he wanted more than
food. And that stoked the fire in her gut, made her bolder, braver.
She
took a piece of the ham and held it to his lips. Without taking his eyes from
hers, he leant forward a fraction and took it into his mouth. Then he gave her
a smile that was half sexy, half tease and all sin.
‘Anything
else?’ She tore her gaze from his and looked in the fridge. ‘Ah… strawberries.
Did I ever tell you how much I adore strawberries?’
‘Chloe—’
No kissing. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to. It was there in the
silence.
But
this was eating. Right? Just strawberries,
and they weren’t exactly sinful. Unless…
‘I mean, I really,
really, adore them. Just irresistible. They remind me of summer… and sunshine…
and…’ She ran her tongue over her top lip, then caught her bottom one in her
teeth and gazed up at him. His eyes flickered red-hot need and he reached for
the container of scarlet fruit.
Flicking
off the lid, he lifted a strawberry out and held it to her open mouth, running it
over her top lip, then on to the bottom one. Slowly, he placed the fruit
between her teeth. She sucked it in, bit down and tasted the intensely sweet
juice.
‘Delicious.
You try one.’ She did the same to him, watching his throat work as he
swallowed. ‘I’d like another, please.’
‘Yes,
m’lady.’ Breathing fast, he took another out and ran it again over her lips,
then put it in his own mouth. ‘You taste like heaven.’
‘How
would you know?’
‘Because
I’m pretty damned sure that Heaven would taste of strawberries and wine and sunshine. Like you probably do.’
‘Want
to check? Just to be sure?’ Then, unable to resist any longer, she tiptoed and
cupped his face in her palms. With no hesitation, she licked a trail across his
lips. ‘You taste pretty damned good yourself.’ Then she licked a trail down his
throat.
Still
no kissing. Not technically.
‘Do
that again and I won’t be able to hold back any longer,’ he groaned against her
forehead, but still he didn’t kiss her.
So,
achingly slowly, just to prove her intent, she licked again, first his bottom
lip, then the top.
He
edged away a fraction, holding her shoulders as he growled, ‘I mean it, Chloe.’
‘So
do I.’
His
eyes flickered closed. ‘We should stop.’
‘Why,
when I know you want it as much as I do?’
His
voice was gravel and stone. ‘Because this isn’t a game, Chloe, and I just can’t
give you what you want.’
Something Borrowed is set in Notting Hill, a place I used to live a long time ago and also the setting for one of my favourite movies, Notting Hill. Have you ever been to a movie set/setting? Did it live up to your expectations?
Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from Helen Lacey will be posted!
Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver
