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Snippet Saturday: Celebration (Contest)
Saturday, December 1st, 2012

It’s been a while since I participated in Lauren Dane’s Snippet Saturday, but I’m back! And won’t you be glad? 🙂  I’ll admit it, I’ve been busy. So busy I forgot my Random Act of Winning Contest ended on Thursday! I’ll post the last winner tomorrow, so you still have a chance to win that one!

Today’s theme is celebrations, and since I haven’t written a family occasion like Thanksgiving or a Christmas, I had to think about what I could offer. Well, what better way to celebrate the happiness of a new trio than an orgy? Enjoy!

And if you enter a comment today, you’ll be entered to win a free copy of one of the two prequel books: Five Ways ‘Til Sunday or Fournicopia! (And if you win and already have these stories, we’ll work something out!)

“Wow! A very hot story… This author definitely knows how to pen a scorching and stimulating tale… A very entertaining (and eye-opening) addition to the series.” 5 Stars and Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews

Playing with pain can put you in a world of hurt…or bliss.

Playing switch in front of a La Forge BDSM club audience was supposed to be a one-time fling. A favor for a friend. Instead, when Craig Eason realizes he’s caught the attention of an enigmatic, powerful Dom across the crowded room, he senses this could be the man he’s been looking for to test the boundaries of his own sexuality.

Firefighter Aiden Byrne is a very private man with strong S&M longings he keeps in check for everyone else’s safety. His sub, Jennifer Callum, thinks she likes it rough, but he can’t let go the way he’d like to. Until one defiant stare from the handsome cop on the La Forge stage causes Aiden’s most dangerous needs to uncoil from the deepest, darkest part of his soul.

With the blessing—and active involvement—of his sub, a seduction is set in motion that ends in a scene that shakes them all to the core…

Product Warnings: Contains a powerful, burly firefighter who plans to take everything a hot cop thinks he knows about himself and send it up in smoke. Please replace the batteries in all your smoke detectors before reading this book. Contains scenes with m/m/f, m/m, spanking, flogging, restraints, and one wild orgy of pleasure.

Craig opened the apartment door and stood back while his friends entered—which they did very slowly since every one of them had to do a double take at how he was outfitted this night.

At Aiden’s insistence, Craig wore a studded black collar. His chest was bare, as was the rest of his body except for the leather straps encircling his balls and the base of his erect cock.

Marti pushed past the men, gave Craig’s accoutrements a long stare, then burst out laughing. “Good thing I dressed for this party,” she said, slipping out of the raincoat she wore. Beneath it, she was dressed in a short PVC dress with cutouts around her nipples, which sported two shiny hoops.

Craig glanced down and grinned. “Love them.”

Marti leaned close. “As soon as they’re fully healed, Jackson’s gonna lead me around La Forge by chains attached to my titties.”

Craig’s smile widened and his gaze swung to Jackson.

His friend rolled his eyes. “Her idea. I promise.”

Craig laughed and reached down to pull her close for a hug. His hand clamped on her bottom. “No undies either?”

“Never know what’s gonna happen during one of these initiations.”

“Isn’t that the truth,” Ash said, striding past them, Gus following two steps behind. Although his head was bent, he turned his face and winked. “New rules,” he said in an exaggerated whisper.

“Come on in. Get comfortable. There’s finger food in the play room.” He said it with a waggle of his eyebrows, which had everyone trooping inside quickly, Beau and Mondo entering more sedately since they would be without partners tonight. Or so they thought.

Craig grinned, leading the way, aware of Mondo’s deep chuckles as he followed his naked ass. No doubt he’d noted the plug. Craig didn’t mind being the butt of their jokes for a while. Aiden’s orders. Craig and Jenn were eager these days to be dutifully obedient.

They trailed through the bedroom to the playroom, where soft blues guitar played. Inside, votives covered the ledges of the windows. The room was well furnished. The St. Andrew’s cross they’d installed yesterday, built of gleaming mahogany, drew more than one appreciative stare. However, it was the table in the center of the room where they all gathered.

Craig leaned down and gave Jenn a kiss.

“Stop it,” she said under her breath. “I’m supposed to be furniture. Do you kiss wood?” Read the rest of this entry »

One day to A PERFECT TRIFECTA!
Monday, November 12th, 2012

NaNo Day 12:
SS-2—0 words (vacation)

Sometime today, I’ll be rolling into my driveway, exhausted after my whirlwind trip to the DC area. But no rest for the weary, here. I have to knuckle back under to catch up on all those NaNoWriMo pages I didn’t write while I was gone. Send me good wishes that I can pick right up where I left off!

In the meantime, I’m sharing another little excerpt from the newest book in the Delta Heat series. This one releases sometime after midnight. Be sure to order it now so you won’t have to wait a minute to read it once you power up in the morning! I love this series. I plan two more stories to finish my 5-4-3-2-1 countdown. Bet you can’t guess who I’m saving for last…

This time, you’ll meet my easy-going cop, Craig Eason. He’s quick with a smile, charming as all get-out, but just a little confused about what else he might be. Be warned! This scene is not for the faint of heart! And I had fun with it, because this same scene is depicted in the prequel book, but from totally different points of view. Here you find out there was a heck of a lot more going on than you thought. 🙂

Playing with pain can put you in a world of hurt…or bliss.

Playing switch in front of a La Forge BDSM club audience was supposed to be a one-time fling. A favor for a friend. Instead, when Craig Eason realizes he’s caught the attention of an enigmatic, powerful Dom across the crowded room, he senses this could be the man he’s been looking for to test the boundaries of his own sexuality.

Firefighter Aiden Byrne is a very private man with strong S&M longings he keeps in check for everyone else’s safety. His sub, Jennifer Callum, thinks she likes it rough, but he can’t let go the way he’d like to. Until one defiant stare from the handsome cop on the La Forge stage causes Aiden’s most dangerous needs to uncoil from the deepest, darkest part of his soul.

With the blessing—and active involvement—of his sub, a seduction is set in motion that ends in a scene that shakes them all to the core…

Product Warnings: Contains a powerful, burly firefighter who plans to take everything a hot cop thinks he knows about himself and send it up in smoke. Please replace the batteries in all your smoke detectors before reading this book. Contains scenes with m/m/f, m/m, spanking, flogging, restraints, and one wild orgy of pleasure.

Craig Eason stood in the shadows, his stomach tightening with a mixture of dread and excitement. He cracked his neck from side to side, then stepped toward the rear of the crowd gathered around the stage, his hands on hips, waiting for his cue.

Where minutes ago techno music had blared through the door of the changing room while he’d donned a thin pair of black cotton sweats, Club La Forge was now eerily quiet.

Lights from the crystal chandelier that lit the large main salon were dimmed. A spotlight shone above one stage, drawing all gazes.

The pretty little redhead who stood in the center of the raised stage looked poised and confident, but Craig knew the Domme was a quivering bundle of nerves, and he couldn’t help but smile. One of his best buds, Gus Taggert, was about to receive a hell of a sexy beating from his very own doughnut girl—a woman the big guy hadn’t stopped talking about since he’d been conned into buying doughnuts at her shop. Gus had fallen as hard as a stack of bricks the moment Aislinn Darby had told him to face the pastry shelf and spread ’em—and then firmly gripped his junk.

Craig understood how a moment like that could change a man. He hoped to have a moment like that of his own one day soon. Maybe it would happen here at the club. Maybe it would happen tonight, but he wasn’t holding his breath. Tonight was Gus’s night. Craig was only here for support, or so Aislinn had said. Although exactly what kind of support he wasn’t a hundred percent sure after she’d grilled him over the acts he’d be willing to perform, like a menu of spicy dishes, some so hot he’d gotten instantly hard. When she’d finished, he’d asked what exactly she had in mind. Read the rest of this entry »

Two Days to A PERFECT TRIFECTA! (Contest)
Sunday, November 11th, 2012

NaNo Day 11:
SS-2—0 words (vacation)

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be starting my looooong journey home. The trek from the DC area to my Arkansas home is about 17 hours! While I’m still away from my desk, I’m tempting you again with a snippet from the second book in the Delta Heat series, Fournicopia. Yeah, I love that title too, and I love, love, love Ash and Gus, the two central characters in this story. What’s not to love about a pint-sized Dom and the giant of a cop who wants to be her one and only…sub.

Come along as the two meet each other for the first time. And if you leave a comment here today, you’ll be in the running for a free download of the book. Yeah, yeah, if you already have it there’s got to be something from my backlisted, downloadable Samhain books you might want instead.

 Forget the sugar. Send her the spice.

Delta Heat, Book 2

Gus Taggert knows a setup when he sees one. The doughnut shop his police officer buddies have sent him to, Cornucopia, is too frilly. Too pink. Then the woman behind the counter serves up a mini-lesson in submission that leaves him ready and willing to obey her order to see her tonight at La Forge BDSM club.

The large, burly cop is exactly the kind of alpha guy that newly minted Domme Aislinn Darby has been dying to tie up and spank. Yet after she puts him through his paces, she finds herself eager to let him take control—something she’s never before enjoyed with a man.

Determined to find out once and for all if she has what it takes to control a scene, she orders him up for one more go. Only this time, she intends to ensure he remembers who’s in charge. She’s even willing to offer a little bribe: accept her dictates, and his reward is her—any way he wants her.

Except when it’s time for payback, it comes with several twists she never saw coming.

Product Warnings: When a male sub decides to turn the tables on his pretty Domme, he calls for backup from his best friends. Contains scenes with m/m/f, m/f/m, f/f, spanking, restraints, and an orgy of pleasure no woman can resist.

Gus Taggert knew it was a cliché. A cop in a doughnut shop. The officers waiting for him to arrive for the sergeant’s morning meeting didn’t like making the run because of the inevitable roll of the eyes or smartass grin they’d get standing in line.

However, he didn’t mind being the “doughnut guy”. The plus for being the brunt of any jokes was that he ate for free. That was okay with him. He took any pointed looks or lame jokes in stride. He was an affable guy. Hard to rile.

He’d learned long ago to stifle his anger and look for the good in people, even when they messed up. Being oversized and strong, he’d always had to be more careful throwing his weight around. People could get hurt, and that wasn’t why he’d been drawn to law enforcement. He wasn’t a bully in a uniform.

Gus liked being a cop. Liked what it stood for. Loved the dark navy uniform and the camaraderie of his brother cops. He didn’t mind that his closest buds were all moving on to bigger and better things. He liked being a beat cop. Liked patrolling the neighborhood he lived in and getting to know the people he protected.

His father had been a small-town cop, and his father before him had been the sheriff of their little Arkansas berg. But then his mom had moved to Memphis—not because she’d wanted to, but because when his mom and dad divorced, she’d wanted to start fresh where everyone didn’t know her business and didn’t whisper to her ex about who she was seeing next.

Gus had missed his old school and friends, but had a natural gift for making new ones. That he was big and brawny, quick on his feet despite his size, had made him a natural for the football team.

And that’s where he’d met Jackson Teague and Craig Eason, who surprisingly enough wanted to be cops, too, when they graduated.

They’d all gone to college together, applied for the police academy and been accepted. That’s where they’d met the remaining members of their current posse, Beau McIntyre and Mondo Acevedo.

So, Gus was never lonely. He had his peeps, a job he loved, a city that kept him on his toes. And today, he was on his way to explore a new doughnut shop.

Mondo, although now in vice and no longer attending the station-house morning meetings, had given him a roll of bills the night before. “Treat the guys to doughnuts. On me.”

Gus had glanced at the roll. “This is too much.”

“Not for the place I want you to go.”

He should have known from the gleam in Mondo’s dark brown eyes that something was up, but Gus liked to think the best of people. Maybe Mondo really did just want to treat the guys to something special.

Well, it was special all right. Not like any doughnut shop Gus had ever seen before. He stood on the street in front of the small store front, eyeing the painted glass window with its pink awning, and felt the first rumbles of misgiving.

Cornucopia. He’d had to Google it the night before to get the address and see what the name meant. A horn of plenty. A familiar Thanksgiving ornament. But there weren’t ears of corn or squashes spilling from the dark pink horn painted on the glass. Doughnuts looking like Christmas presents, painted with ribbons and sparkling with stars, spilled from the mouth of the horn.

All the pink and frothy cuteness made him itch. However, he’d been given a wad of cash and a mission to buy a couple dozen doughnuts from this specific shop. For once, his face burned at the idea. Read the rest of this entry »

Three days to A PERFECT TRIFECTA! (Contest)
Saturday, November 10th, 2012

NaNo Day 10:
SS-2—0 words (vacation)

Yes, I’m still out-of-pocket. Happily visiting with family somewhere in Virginia, just outside the capitol. Since I didn’t have any guests lined up for the weekend, I’m going to take a little time to seduce you into loving my Delta Heat series. The third book comes out on Tuesday, A Perfect Trifecta. Today, I’m going to give you a glimpse into the first book, Five Ways ‘Til Sunday. And since you know I love giveaways, post a comment today, and you’ll win a copy of the book! If you already have this one, take a look at my Samhain backlist. There has to be something there to tempt you. 🙂

I know some of you love series because you love those glimpses of characters you meet along the way. Marti and Jackson are featured in every story. You meet them for the first time here…

“FIVE WAYS ‘TIL SUNDAY was an awesome read…” ~4.5 Stars, Night Owl Reviews 

“Delightfully quick read, you are so consumed in the story it is difficult to put it down…” ~Sensual Reads

Sometimes a man’s just gotta call for backup…

Marti Kowalski is all wrong for Officer Jackson Teague—he just won’t listen to reason. She didn’t finish high school, runs a bar. Has a tattoo and a blue streak in her hair. Yet he still wants to marry her? She can’t say she’s not tempted, but she’s got a bucket list to complete before she ties the knot.

Not just any bucket—more like a fifty-five-gallon drum of sexual wishes so explicit, there’s no way one man, even Jackson, can fulfill them all.

When Marti turns him down again, Jackson doesn’t give up, he insists on knowing why. That’s when she shows him her list. He takes it, thinks about it—and calls on the only men he can trust: four buddies from his academy graduating class.

Between the five of them, he’s sure they can come up with a plan to check off every item on her list in one wild, wicked weekend. That is, if she has the nerve to follow through—and if he can bear to share her.

Warning: Five men on a mission to break down the resistance of one determined woman. Author suggest readers keep their significant others on speed dial. Not responsible for accidental 911 calls.

Marti Kowalski waved a hand blindly behind her at her desk, swiping the inventory sheets she’d slaved over for two days, and her telephone, to the floor. She didn’t care about the mess—or by the crunch—the loss of her phone. Right this moment, she had Jackson where she wanted him—too far gone with want to worry what damage he might cause.His body was hard; his expression carved to a lustful edge, which promised the kind of sexy interlude she preferred—something spontaneous and surprising.Even after all the months they’d been seeing each other, he managed to surprise her. Like now. He’d pulled her from the door of the ladies’ restroom and goose-stepped her with her arm bent behind her back to the manager’s office, growling menacingly into her ear about the wicked things he’d do to her.

Ma’am, keep quiet and I won’t hurt you.

She’d shivered at the menace in his voice, but he’d rubbed her hip gently to remind her this was just a game.

She had to hand it to him. He knew what made her hot.

Jackson bent her over her desk and shoved up her blouse. His head ducked to pluck a nipple with his lips, and then he bit it.

“I wasn’t expecting you,” she gasped, her fingers digging into the rigid Kevlar armor he wore beneath his dark shirt. “You’re on duty. Thought you didn’t cross that line when you’re wearing the uniform.”

His head reared back. His dark eyes flashed. “Shut up, ma’am. You draw any attention, and I might have to get rough.” Read the rest of this entry »

A Dirty Snippet from A PERFECT TRIFECTA
Saturday, November 3rd, 2012

NaNo Day 3:
SS-2—3037 words

FYI, I’ll announce the winner of the gift certificate tomorrow. So there’s still time to enter. See details on my Contest page. ~DD

A Perfect Trifecta

Bet you thought I was never comin’ back. Well, I have been busy. I just wrapped up the “super alpha” antho and shipped it–and no, I can’t tell anyone who made my final cut, because the wonderful folks at Cleis still have to give it their blessing. They have been known to kick a story.

Now, I’m joining NaNoWriMo to slam pages on the Shattered Souls sequel. I don’t know how to tell you folks how much I love this series. I hope you’ll give it a chance. I hope you’ll pre-order SS to give it a chance for others to find it, I believe in it that much. That being said, do you know I have a book coming out in just 10 days? The next Delta Heat story? That’s right. Have you heard me say the story’s all about sex? Yeah, for some reason my fireman and his pretty little sub can’t manage to be in the same room and not get busy. When Craig the cop was added to the equation all hell broke loose. I have a scene I plucked from pretty far into the book. What’s the lead up? Let’s see. Aiden, the fireman, is a Dom who’s a frustrated sadist. He can’t let go with his little subbie the way he wants for fear of hurting her. Enter Craig who gets off on pain. A menage made in heaven? You’ll have to wait and see. Here, Craig’s dealing out a little punishment to a very sorry Jenn. 🙂

Excerpt:

Jenn didn’t find Aiden’s car at the usual places—the apartment building or La Forge—so she drove to the firehouse. There, she found his black pickup parked outside. She pulled in beside it then let herself out. So she’d found him. But she still didn’t know yet what she’d say.

Hoping she hadn’t completely fucked up their relationship, she walked through the bay, down the hallway to the rec room. She peeked inside, noted the TV blaring and gave a wave to one of the men who started to stand. He knew her and eased back into his armchair.

The clank of weights dropping drew her attention. Moving farther down the hall, she stood at the door of the small gym room. Several other firefighters were inside, mostly sitting on benches and talking. One of them noted her appearance, slapped the man next to him, and suddenly they were trailing past her, leaving her alone with the man who pretended she wasn’t there.

The barbells he lifted in rapid succession were heavily weighted. He was sweating. Shirtless. Wearing just a pair of plain gray sweatpants and sneakers.

Her mouth watered because she wanted to lick at the sweat. But she shook herself. Aiden needed something from her.

Trying not to think about what she was doing, she went with her instincts. Her submissive heart. She strolled slowly inside, dropped her purse beside the door and closed the door before she stripped to the skin. Naked, she walked toward him and knelt beside the bench where he reclined.

Aiden continued to ignore her.

For her part, she ignored the hardness of the polished concrete floor beneath her knees. Other things weren’t so easy to push out of her mind as she waited. His body was so beautiful. So strong. A study in rippling, übermasculine muscle.

Every flex heightened her awareness of the things she loved about his body. The strength of his embrace. How safe he made her feel. The sheer power he kept tightly controlled every time he touched her. Aiden didn’t trust that strength. Not when it came to her. And she’d resented it.

But that restraint was a testament to his desire to protect anyone weaker than he was. Proof of his deep feelings for her. How selfish had she been to want to push him into losing his control for her own pleasure?

He settled the weights into their bracket then jackknifed to sit with his legs straddling the bench.

Jenn didn’t dare glance up. Not until he said something. Gave her permission.

“Why are you here?”

She closed her eyes. What was the right thing to say? Rather than the apology she wanted to give him, she whispered, “I’m here to be punished.”

After a long, pregnant silence, he asked, “Did you even lock the door?” Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday Snippet: Dragon’s Desire
Saturday, September 29th, 2012


Enjoy the excerpt from my latest self-pub release! And if you post a comment today, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a download of my last dragon story, Arctic Dragon!

An ancient, cursed creature, Drago, Lord of Drakkenberg, dreads the anniversary that marks the moment he must devour a virgin or visit a plague of destruction on the world around him. Once every century, he becomes a dragon…

Angela has been blindfolded…

Angela shivered at the delicious growling texture of Lord Drakken’s voice. So he wanted to taste her? She didn’t think he was talking about a kiss. And despite how strange this whole interview was, she wasn’t really afraid for her virtue. He seemed willing to seduce her. And yet, a “taste” sounded so depraved. If the liquid heat wetting her panties was any clue, her body certainly wasn’t in opposition to the idea.

Yes, she was a virgin, but she wasn’t entirely clueless. “A taste, then you’ll give me what I want?”

“Entrée into a dungeon? Yes.”

She swallowed hard, intrigued, but wasn’t ready to fold without making sure of just what would be expected. “What do you want me to do?”

“Not a thing. Let my man prepare you.”

His man. The handsome “knight” she’d approached in the first place. He had plied her with a drink while he charmed her into relating her life story. How had he guessed she was a virgin? Was she that bad of a kisser? Or was it the ring on her finger?

He’d smiled. And then told her a bit about himself. Or only the bit about who employed him. She’d likely lit up like a Christmas tree, telegraphing her excitement. After that, she hadn’t paid close enough attention to the conversation because her mind had been abuzz with the possibilities. Entranced with who he worked for, as well as his handsome face.

For twelve long months since her aunt’s death, she’d waited for the chance to write something other than ads selling washing machines and yorkie-poos. She’d hired on because of the carrot the editor had held out, promising her a shot at feature writing. Excitedly, she’d accepted the minimum wage job to get her foot in the door, sure she’d be writing features in no time, and not caring about what. Even if all she got was a chance to cover the local high school game or a spread for the Sunday paper with pictures of the winner of the Garden Club’s Best Rose contest, that opportunity would be her start.

But she’d languished in her cubicle. She’d led such a sheltered life, she didn’t know the town or the people. Unfortunately, she’d never learned to mingle, preferring to spend her time after work alone at home, reading. Truthfully, she didn’t possess the necessary knowledge to make the connections she needed to find just the right story to launch her career.

On occasion, she’d dabbled with the idea of writing fiction. A stumbling block was knowing where to begin or whether her imagination was big enough to dream up the grandiose stories she preferred of vampires seducing innocents for the blood, of demons finding redemption when they found true love.

Sure, she knew about desire, had felt it a time or two, inspired by the heroes in her favorite stories, but she’d never been tempted. Not like she was now. Two men surrounded her while she was blindfolded. So much like the naughty BDSM scenarios she’d read with shock, then growing arousal. But she hadn’t known where to go to sate her curiosity.

A large hand cupped her shoulder again. “Are you brave enough?” Guy whispered beside her ear.

A fresh quiver shook her body, and she understood that what was being asked was something dark and sensual. Lord Drakken spoke of being satisfied simply by attempting to seduce her. It was up to her to remain strong—or to give into her curiosity. Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday Snippet: Summer’s End
Saturday, September 22nd, 2012


Two HotSad, sad, sad… Summer’s over. No more pool time. How about one last taste of sweet summer heat before you unpack your sweaters?

Post a comment today, and you can win a free copy of this short story!

Afraid to spoil their friendship, Emily had been reluctant to act on her attraction to the two sexy men next door. However, when she’s caught spying on them, the men decide a little punishment is in order…

From National Bestselling Author, Delilah Devlin, comes a sexy little story sure to become one of your favorite one-handed reads!

Warning: This 6800-word short story contains elements of voyeurism, m/f/m ménage sex, oral sex, and light BDSM.

Beads of condensation, glittering jewel-like in the sputtering candlelight, ran in rivulets down the sides of Jason’s ice-cold beer.

Detail I shouldn’t have been able to note, given the fact I was thirty feet away.

As I lowered my nephew’s toy binoculars, I reflected that I had indeed sunk to a new low. You see, my bedroom window conveniently overlooked Jason and Robert’s backyard. A fact that probably never registered with the previous tenants, but one that proved too delicious to ignore after the arrival of the handsome duo. Privacy fencing, which ran down to the pier that jutted into the lake, separated the row of houses where we lived. It was high enough the neighbors on either side of ours couldn’t see into their yard, but lucky me—I had the perfect view.

Upon discovering this, I had began a furtive surveillance. One that had me cringing in embarrassment each time I greeted them in passing and feeling even more ashamed when we struck up a friendship.

We’d shared meals, drinks, late afternoon swims, watched football games together on their wide-screen TV. And still, I peeked into their backyard, waiting for those moments when they popped outside to mow the lawn or catch a few summer rays. Their bodies gleamed with sweat while raw lust warred inside me, along with the fear that I’d mess up our relationship if I let the guys know how I really felt.

My convenient perch on the windowsill afforded me a window into their private lives, and from the very beginning, I was hooked. They’d become an obsession, one frustrated by the fact they treated me like a kid sister, rather than a woman one of them might desire.

And therein lay another problem. I’d resisted the urge to seek a deeper relationship because then I’d have to choose. My libido was completely fickle, lusting after Jason’s muscled physique, then sighing over the possibilities of what Robert’s tall, bony frame and large feet hinted at. That their personalities were perfect bookends, fierce and funny, confused my heart as well.

Lucky, lucky me. I licked the sweat gathering on my upper lip while this night one of the handsome men living next door tilted his bottle and took several long sips. The look of pure bliss that softened his otherwise stern features made my chest ache.

I watched the movement of Jason’s throat as he worked it down, imagining him sipping at my overheated flesh. My skin began to tingle. My nipples beaded, crowding uncomfortably against my lace bra. My thighs clenched as a delicious wash of arousal seeped to wet the crotch of my plain panties.

The sigh he emitted as he set the bottle on the table was echoed by my own painful groan. Watching either of them had never caused my heart to skip a beat like that hint of a moan sliding on the tail of Jason’s long exhalation.

Sure, it was hotter than hell out there. I too felt the effects of the enervating heat. Record temperatures had strained the region’s resources and planned service interruptions began that night. But something about that sigh felt…un-subtle, exaggerated, maybe even dramatic. And Jason was too straightforward a man for that.

I blotted sweat from my forehead, asking myself again, What am I doing?

Only this time, my peeping hadn’t been deliberate. I’d rushed home from work and showered quickly to beat the scheduled brown-out. Then I’d stripped to my underwear, pulled back the curtains, and opened the window, hoping for a breeze to cool my skin. Sitting limply on the sill, I waited for the world to flicker into life again.

That’s when I’d noticed him, sitting in a lounge chair alone in the dark.

He wore his usual work “uniform”—khaki trousers, white shirt and a tie. Tonight, the tie hung loosened and askew, his collar opened beneath it.

Despite the lack of electricity, I could see it all. Moonlight silvered his dark hair and reflected bright as a beacon against the white shirt. The golden light from the large Citronella candle leant warmth to his skin and the amber bottle he held between his hands.

As always, he was lovely to watch, but tonight, his expression drew my attention more than his breath-stealing features. A sullen slanting of his brows, a bit of pout plumping his masculine lips, an edgy energy to his slight movements—he was either irritated or aroused. Read the rest of this entry »