Sunday Guest Smooch, with Anne McAllister

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today Bronwyn Jameson hosts a Guest Smooch from the fabulous Anne McAllister but first an announcement...

The winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Laura Russell. Congratulations, Laura. Can you please contact yvonne (at) yvonnelindsay (dot) com to receive your signed copy of Arranged Marriage, Bedroom Secrets.



And now for today's Smooch from Cowboys Don't Cry, by Anne McAllister.

Don’t Fence Me In!

When Wyoming cowboy Robert Tanner promised to help out the new owner of the Three Bar C, he didn’t expect to have to teach a city girl schoolteacher how to run a ranch. Worse, Maggie MacLeod was a beautiful feisty redhead with flashing eyes and kissable lips — a woman who could tempt a saint.

Tanner was far from a saint. He didn’t do permanent, he didn’t do relationships. The smart thing would be to leave. But a man was only as good as his word. Trouble was, the longer he stayed, the more Maggie got under his skin…

While showing his new boss around the Three Bar C, ranch foreman Robert Tanner notices a cow having difficulty calving. With Maggie’s help and some difficulty, he delivers the new baby calf...


Maggie dropped the rope and knelt down beside it. "Is it—" her voice was hollow, her face ashen.

Tanner didn’t answer. He hunkered down over it and cleared its mouth, waited. Nothing. He bent and blew in it, forced air down into its lungs once, then again. Again.

It gagged, then choked. All four legs twitched. One eye opened, then the other.

“It’s alive!” Maggie exulted. She laughed. She crowed. She crouched down and planted a kiss on its messy head. Then she looked at Tanner, her green eyes sparkling. "You did it! Oh, Robert! You did it!”

And then she launched herself at him and kissed him, too.

The force knocked Tanner flat on his back. His arms came up and went around her all of their own accord. All the breath went right out of him.

The warmth and the weight of her robbed him of whatever coherence the sheer impact hadn’t. Only his body responded, and his lips. Hers were warm and wet. His were starving. He couldn’t help himself. Desperation could only protect him so far. Common sense simply fled.

When her lips touched his, he kissed her.

It had been years since he’d kissed a woman like that. Fourteen long, hungry, lonely years. There had been women in his life since his divorce from Clare. But they had been few, and none of them had promised more than a night’s satisfaction.

Maggie did—as he’d known she would.

The notion terrified him. He jerked his head aside, then grasped her arms and tried to shove her away.

Maggie pulled back, her face flaming. But still she straddled him and he could feel the press of the juncture of her legs against him. He shoved himself up, but that only made matters worse.

"Oh!" She scrambled off him and he got to his feet, turned his back, adjusted his jeans.

"I’m...sorry," Maggie said in a tiny voice.

"It’s all right." It wasn’t. It was awful. It had felt so good having her on top of him, her breasts pressing against his chest, her lips on his. He reached over and snagged his hat out of the muck and jammed it on his head.

He hoped to God she hadn’t noticed the way his hands had gripped her waist, hadn’t felt the instinctive masculine response of his body to her touch.

He got to his knees and ducked his head, reaching for the calf and hauling it up next to the cow’s head.

She lifted her head, put out her tongue and gave it a tentative lick. The calf made a noise and nuzzled against her. Her eyes, rheumy and lacking luster, brightened. She licked again, nosed her child, licked some more.

"Mother love," Maggie said softly. Her voice sounded a little bit hoarse.

Tanner nodded. He didn’t answer because he knew his would have been a whole lot hoarser. He didn’t look at her either, just gathered up his rope, tugged his hat down harder, then got to his feet and moved toward his horse. Maggie started to follow him, then turned back.

"Look, Robert, just look at them," Maggie said. "Isn’t it wonderful?"

She was dirty and slightly disheveled and with just a hint of embarrassment still in her cheeks, she looked positively radiant—the most beautiful woman he’d seen in his entire life, Clare included.

"Wonderful," Tanner croaked and turned desperately back to his horse.

Excerpt from Cowboys Don't Cry, the first in Anne McAllister's THE TANNER BROTHERS trilogy, published in March/April/May 2016 by Tule Publishing.

Best-selling author Anne McAllister has written nearly 70 romance novels—long and short, contemporary, time travel, and single title.  She has won two RITA awards from the Romance Writers of America—for Cowboy Pride and The Stardust Cowboy—and has had nine other books which were RITA finalists.

A former editor once told Anne that she wrote "died-with-their-boots-on cowboys", meaning  rugged, realistic, down-to-earth cowboys who don’t own multi-national corporations on the side.  She likes her cowboy heroes to be honourable, tough, competent and generous.  Tall, dark and handsome also helps.

Are you a fan of the cowboy hero? What qualities do you admire in them?  

Leave a comment and you will be included in the draw to win a digital copy of your choice of Anne's TANNER BROTHERS.

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced and a smooch from The Bridesmaid's Baby Bump by Kandy Shepherd will be posted!

Smooch Graphic by WebWeaver

Sunday smooch with Louisa George

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Louisa George, but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Pam Swain!

Pam, can you please email Barbara DeLeo -  barb (at) barbaradeleo (dot) com (dot) to receive your copy of The Bouquet List!

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Louisa George's new medical romance, Tempted By Hollywood’s Top Doc

Back cover blurb:

Behind the scenes… 

Top-of-his-game neurosurgeon Dr. Jake Lewis has thrown himself into work in a bid to forget the past. Now, used to high-octane medical emergencies, he's furious to be temporarily assigned to pander to LA's biggest diva! 

Yet when he meets headstrong assistant-to-the-stars Lola Bennett, their instant chemistry makes his new job much more tempting! He's working with her on set in the sultry Bahamas, and it's just a matter of time before that chemistry reaches boiling point…

Kiss Scene:-  Set up: Lola Bennett is the PA to one of the most famous and beautiful actresses in the world. Consequently, she’s a little suspicious of people wanting to get close to little old Lola instead of her amazing boss.

Jake caught her up and pulled her to a complete halt. ‘What…? You think…? Me? With Cameron? Are you for real?’

‘It wouldn’t be the first time that has happened to me.’

‘Hell, no. You’ve totally got this upside down. Not at all. Not at all…Has that happened before? A guy has taken you out so you could introduce him to Cameron?’

‘Yep. One too many times.’ Lola closed her eyes briefly at the memory, the sharp sting of betrayal. How gullible she’d been…and was continuing to be. Would she never learn? ‘But she is very beautiful and rich and famous and on another level. Why wouldn’t anyone be attracted to her?’

Conversely, then, why would anyone be interested in Lola?

Jake’s jaw stiffened, his eyes blazing in the streetlight, his grip on her arm firm. ‘I am not attracted to Cameron Fontaine.’

‘Then you must be blind.’

Strangely, out of nowhere a smile formed on his lips. ‘Oh, no, my vision is perfect.’

‘Then you must be gay.’ Please, for the love of all women, including Cameron Fontaine if absolutely necessary, do not be gay.

‘No way.’ He stepped closer, so she could see his chest rising and falling, could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin. Could smell the most exquisite scent of man and medicine and spice.

‘Then what…?’

‘Then this.’ And he was suddenly too close. Not close enough. He pulled her to face him and his fingertips lifted her chin. ‘This, Lola.’

His mouth pressed against hers, gently at first, and her body responded in a flush of heat that pooled deep in her core. Every part of her craved him, craved to touch him, to kiss him, to feel him against her.

Initial instinct told her that she shouldn’t kiss him back, but something deeper, something intense had her opening her mouth and tasting him. And he tasted good. So good. She felt as inquisitive as the doomed teenagers stepping into the dark basement, and as filled with adrenalin. Knowing, like them, she was headed to disaster but doing it anyway.

She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer as his tongue slid past her lips, stoking the furnace that had lit inside her. She moaned at the pleasure of him filling her mouth, of the curling clench in her gut, at the sensations that ran up and down her spine, just being in his arms.

Leaning her against her car door, his hands cupped her face and he pressed harder against her, kissing her open-mouthed and wet and hungry. She could feel how much he wanted her. How much he wanted something from her.

And like listening to an old-fashioned vinyl record scratching to a stop, she felt a visceral catch as her body stiffened. She put her hands on his chest and pushed a little away from him. ‘Stop. No. This…this isn’t…’

‘What is it? What’s wrong?’ But he didn’t let her go as he hauled in deep ragged breaths, kissed the top of her head and stayed close.

‘I can’t stop thinking about Cameron and there are too many questions racing in my head. Too many reasons not to do this. Please, I think you should just go.’

‘Lola, believe me, this is not about Cameron. She is the furthest thing from my mind. I don’t want to go. I want to stay right here, doing this.’

Louisa is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky commenter!  So her question to you is:

Who would play you in the movie of your life- and why?

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from Kate Hardy's Holiday With The Best Man will be posted!

Sunday Smooch with...Stefanie London

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Stefanie London, but first 

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is Savannah Blaize!

Can you please contact louisageorgeauthor at gmail dot com to receive your copy of book!

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Stefanie London’s Entangled Lovestruck novella, The Rules According to Gracie.

Back cover blurb:

Gracie Green has a shopping list for men. Career, financials, family...and a long list of rules to determine a guy's suitability. She's already disappointed her socialite mother once—now Gracie needs to find Mr. Perfect. Too bad she keeps getting distracted by her super-sexy, six-feet-of-tattooed-hotness friend, Des, who is so many shades of Mr. Wrong…

Bar owner Des Chapman has vowed never again to get involved with society girls. Yet he's irresistibly drawn to Gracie—those lush curves, those lips, and her ridiculous ability to date the wrong guys. As Gracie's discouragement grows, Des realizes it's time to show her what she reallyneeds in a man—and it has nothing to do with a briefcase and generous bank account. He'll teach Gracie the Rules According To Des…even if it means breaking his rule in the process.

Set Up

Sick of seeing Gracie be disappointed with the guys she dates, Des offers to take her out so she can find the kind of guy who’s going to make her happy and get out of her rut. Only he secretly wants Gracie all for himself.

At the end of the night it’s clear that there’s a spark between them, but Gracie is resisting her attraction to Des. Luckily, he’s not the kind of guy who’s afraid to make the first move.

“What are we doing, Des?” It wasn’t something he could answer, but she had to fill the void of silence before it sucked her in. Before it consumed her right there on the spot.

“I’m not sure what you’re doing, but I’m going out on a limb.”

“I don’t like the sound of that.”

“I’m breaking my rule.”

“I thought you didn’t have any.” A smile quirked on her mouth.

“I have one…had one.” He grabbed her hand and closed the last of the space between them. 

Her fingers were knotted with his; heat raced through her veins.

As his mouth met hers, her mind went blank. There was nothing but the insistent press of his lips as he opened her, tasted her. She should have resisted. For a split second she wanted to resist, but his hands moved to her back, crushing her to him. She was powerless.

He kissed like he meant it, like he wanted to savor every second of it. His tongue delved gently into her, teasing, taunting, coaxing. But it wasn’t until he moved his hips against her, the evidence of his arousal jutting into her belly, that she sagged into his chest and let him in.

“Gracie,” he moaned into her mouth. His hands slid down her back, cupping her ass and lifting her slightly. Each subtle movement of his hips shot flames through her. She was unravelling. Fast.

“Des, I think—”

“Don’t think.” It was a command, without room for negotiation.

His lips were at her cheek, her temple, her hairline. She slid her hands into his hair, tugging him so his lips came back to hers. A tremor ran through him, a tremor she’d caused.

Excitement danced like fairy lights behind her eyelids. Her world was tilting; solid ground shifted beneath her feet.

“Come home with me.” The words were whispered like a secret in her ear, an invitation to undo her laces and break down her boundaries.

“I can’t…” If she did then she would never be the same. Des would ruin her for other men. After experiencing him, her world would be gray. It was too risky. “We’re not right for each other.”

 

Gracie is stuck in a dating rut and Des is the one to help her break out of that. What's the most interesting, unusual or downright weird date that you've been on?

Leave a comment and you could win a ebook copy of The Rules According to Gracie.

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

Sunday smooch with...Louisa George

Welcome to another LoveCats DownUnder Sunday Smooch!

Today we have a smooch from Louisa George, but first ...

the winner of last week's Sunday Smooch Giveaway is -Savannah Blaize!

Savannah, can you please contact Michelle Douglas on michelle (at) michelle-douglas (dot) com to receive your copy of Snowbound Surprise For the Billionaire!

And now for today's Sunday Smooch from Louisa George's Medical Romance, A Baby On Her Christmas List

Back cover blurb:

Nurse Georgie Taylor has just one thing on her Christmas list: a baby! But she never expected her best friend, Dr Liam MacAllister to offer to be the father. Liam keeps his heart strictly off-limits, but seeing Georgie pregnant ignites feelings he just can’t ignore…feelings that could destroy a beautiful friendship- or result in so much more!

 Kiss Scene:-  Set up: Liam and Georgie are in a dessert-only café discussing the attraction between them and what to do about it…

 ‘I’ve a feeling it’s already a little late to worry about things changing between us. Don’t you think? I’m not the only one here wondering what it would be like if we kissed again.’ Pricking some vanilla cheesecake onto her fork she offered it to him across the table. ‘Don’t you get just a little tired of being so saintly?’

‘Yes. Every single moment I’m with you.’ He leaned forward again and she was transfixed as he closed his mouth over the morsel of food. Heat shimmied through her as he very slowly chewed then swallowed, the movement of his Adam’s apple dipping up and down was strangely and compellingly sexy. Her eyes slid from his throat to his mouth, a guarded smile in a face filled with dips and curves she knew so well but had never really explored. How she wanted to trace her finger along those lips, to run her hand across his cheek and feel the rasp of his stubble against her skin. To scale the furrows of his cheekbones.

His voice was an octave dirtier when he spoke. ‘My mind is working overtime thinking of the things we could do together. But I’m sure it’s just a passing phase. All interest in the new curves and stuff. I just want to touch you. It’s a man thing- feral and protective and instinctive, we can’t help it. Nature’s a bitch sometimes. If we act on these instincts and then it doesn’t work out then that’s a lot of friendship down the drain. We need to co-parent on a platonic and sensible basis, not give in to rash lust and then have regret to deal with too.’

‘Oh, so you mean the bigger boobs are distracting you? Interesting…’ She very slightly arched her back as he lowered his gaze to her breasts. A powerful need zinged through her. She wanted him and was resorting to seduction of the clumsiest kind. But she couldn’t get him out of her head. She needed to know what it would be like to be with him. If only one time. Just to hold him as lovers, unlike the way they touched each other now as friends. She wanted to stroke him, kiss every part of him. And if she didn’t do it soon she’d go completely mad.

One day they’d look back on this and laugh- if they were still speaking to each other. ‘So it’s nature that’s making you look at me like that?’

‘Like what?’

‘Sex.’

His pupils flared at the word. ‘It’ll wear off.’

‘I sincerely hope not.’ She finished the last bit of dessert in one big almost-but-not-quite satisfying mouthful. She had a feeling there was only one thing that could satisfy her right now, and it wasn’t cheesecake. ‘We should give in to our natural urges sometimes, it’s bad for us to repress all the time, apparently.’

‘It’s even worse to break something that’s pretty solid.’

Their friendship. But that was true and lasting and proven. ‘Why would it break? It doesn’t have to break, not if we don’t want it to. We can do whatever we want. It’s our choice.’ She couldn’t resist stretching her fingers across the table towards his. For a few seconds just their fingertips touched. Then, without looking at her he slid his fingers across hers, intertwined them, stroked his hand across hers. His skin was rough but his touch was soft. His heat spread through her, up her arms, to her back, down to her belly.

After a moment of such an excrutiatingly sexy caress he turned her palm over and lifted it to his mouth. His kiss was hot. He licked a wet trail to her forefinger. She snatched her hand away before the moan erupted from her throat. Even so, her voice was filled with need, ‘We should be getting home.’

‘We? Is that an invitation?’ His face cautious and turned-on at the same time, he scraped his chair back to go.

Finding him her sexiest smile she whispered back, ‘Honestly, Macadoodle-doo, since when have you ever needed an invitation to my house?’

‘I think maybe this time I do.’

She hadn’t answered him in words, but she’d taken his hand and led him out of the cafe like a woman on a mission. Thank God she lived only a short drive away because he couldn’t have waited many moments longer. Liam didn’t know when he’d ever been so burnt up about a woman.

They by-passed the living area and made it to her bedroom without words, without kissing. He went in first, held open the door and she walked straight in and turned to face him, a question on her face. A dare. A promise. There was space between them. It would only need one step.

Just one.

He faltered. For a few moments neither moved as they stared at each other. This was happening. Really happening. The step from friends to…to whatever this was. Lovers might have been doubtful, but the trajectory from restaurant, to street, to bed was unstoppable. The air in the room seemed to still. One second. Two. With every lingering moment heat spread through his body like a raging fire, threatening to engulf him. If he touched her now there would be no going back.

This could have been a time to leave. He almost took a sideways step, his hand lingering on the door handle, but faltered again.

As she watched him a slow sexy smile appeared on Georgie’s lips; and if he’d had any flicker of doubt that she didn’t want this it fled right then. And that was when, he supposed, he should have drawn that line, the one they shouldn’t have stepped over. Or where they should have agreed what this meant. But he was too consumed by her, by this need to utter a word.

In the end he didn’t know who made the first move but suddenly she was in front of him, or he was in front of her and his mouth was hard against hers. This time there was no hesitation, no coy shaking. This was pure need and desire, an equal feasting. She tasted of chocolate and vanilla and every flavour in between, her mouth was wet and hungry and it fired a deeper, hotter want within him. Jaws clashed, tongues danced, teeth grazed. There was nothing sophisticated about the kiss, no gentle sucking or tender caress. It was messy. Dirty. Hungry.

You can find Louisa’s book at Amazon and in book stores now!

Louisa is giving away a copy of her book to one lucky commenter!  So her question to you is:

A Baby On Her Christmas List is one of my favourite romance tropes: best friends to lovers. Which is your favourite trope and why?

Come back next Sunday, when the winner of today's giveaway will be announced -- and a smooch from The House at the Bottom of the Hill by Jenny Jones will be posted!