Samhain Publishing

As many people know, I lived in Hawaii for three years. I have been back twice and it is now becoming a yearly (or more than yearly) visit for me. Why?Since the HARMLESS books are set in Hawaii for the most part,  I can write part of the trip off of taxes. This time, though, I got to do something extra special. I love going with my family and enjoying Hawaii, don't get me wrong. Our youngest was born there and such as military life, she was only 27 months old when we left, so she only has hazy memories and pics we show her. So the spring of 2010, that trip served the purpopse. This time, though, I got to take my best friend and personal assistant, Brandy Walker. We were on a mission, ya see. A mission to get some HAWAIIAN GOODIES.

It was definitely a different experience going to Hawaii with someone who had never been there.  I could show her all the different places that locals go, places I have mentioned to her, and just enjoy the beauty of the islands. I actually wish we had at least two weeks there so we could island hop, but that just wasn't going to happen cuz I think our hubbies would revolt, lol. One of the greatest things on the trip, and i think Brandy agrees with me, was the trip to the Aloha Swap Meet. It is THE place on Oahu to visit for all the Hawaiian goodies you want to take home. Entry fee is 1 buck per person and it is worth it. Brandy and I came home with so much stuff to give away, including my Big Giveaway for the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction. And, when I meet up with the Harmless Addicts in New Orleans for Authors After Dark, I will have a bunch of goodies to give them straight from Hawaii. I am now convinced I need to do this once a year, but Mr. Mel is very skeptical for some reason. Check out Wayde's World Video on it. Safe for work and definitely a great overview!

But, beyond the goodie shopping, I wanted to show Brandy what I talk about in my books. Hawaii isn't just a place on the map. Not for the people who live there–just like Aloha is not a just aword. It is a state of mind, one that you can only appreciate if you take the time to pay attention. Along with the hustle and bustle that makes up Oahu, and it has 800K+ on that little island, there is an underlying state of mind. No one is really in a hurry, and you should always help your neighbor out.  One of the things I like to always point out, though, is that they are people. They are just you and me, and everyone else you know. They have the same problems, the same issues with family and work, but, there is that spirit there that just makes it so much easier to handle.

Another great thing is I got to show Brandy my favorite drive, a few of them in fact, and we even went to the Dole Plantation. I also stopped by my old stomping grounds of Hickam AFB where lived when Mr Mel was stationed there. A trip to Hawaii is not complete for the Schroeders unless we hit up one of the bases for Mongolian BBQ. It was a little crazier than normal this time, but for those of you who have never been, there is a table filled with fruits, nuts, veggies, and extras (brown sugar, ginger, etc) then you add whatever meat you want and they cook it for you. It is SCRUMPTIOUS. It also allowed us to stop by the Missing Man Formation on base. 

But as they say, all good things must come to an end. I am already trying to plan another trip back later this year so that I can pick up goodies for the next AAD, and I am really looking forward to it. It is one of the few places we lived where I feel the need to get everyone to love it…because there is so much there to love.

And, if you want to keep up with all things Hawaiian and Harmless, make sure you are an ADDICT.

Aloha and A hui ho,

Mel

Hey, everyone! As many of you know, my newest Harmless book released this week, woo hoo! If you haven’t read them, the last two books, A Little Harmless Pleasure and A Little Harmless Obsession, have been set in Hawaii. I have had many local Hawaiians say that I write Hawaii as a local would see it and that is because I lived there for three years when my husband was assigned to Hickam AFB. I will be honest, it wasn’t my favorite assignment. There are bugs and if you know me, I HATE bugs. Hate them. Really. Also, there are no seasons and I love the changing of seasons. But there were things I loved about it. I loved taking the ride into Honolulu from Hickam on H1. I LOVED the views from H-3 once you got through the tunnels. Once a month we tried to make it to the Swapmeet at Aloha Stadium early in the morning(the only time to go) and I lost count of the times we went to the Arizona. I loved that my oldest had a class on Hawaiiana so she could learn about the culture. I have often said that I would love to do a reader trip to take people around to the places I mention in the Harmless books.
And of course I loved Luaus, lol. What is not to love about them? Great food, great drinks (LAVA FLOWS) and half nekkid men dancing. I mean, PLEASE. My favorite was at Paradise Cove. The show was fabulous, the drinks plentiful, and the food was YUMMMY. One of my favorite things to eat there was Kalua Pig. Hawaiians LOVE pork (I will not go into their fascination with SPAM right now, but it was interesting lol. Ehey serve this on a lot of things, sandwiches, pizza, rice…the list goes on and on. This is the pig that is dropped in the ground, covered with banana leaves and cooked overnight. Of course, I think the people we rent out house from might get upset if we did that, lol, but I played with a few different recipes to come up with something close. My favorite way to eat it is over sushi rice with a nice salad on the side:)

Kalua Pig
1 5-6 pound pork shoulder roast
1-2 T of Liquid smoke
1 1/2 T sea salt

Rinse off the pork roast and stab it all over with a fork. Place it in a slow cooker. Rub it with salt then pour liquid smoke on it. Cook on low for 12-18 hours. You can cook it on high for 6-9 hours, but it is better to let it cook longer.

When the pork is done, shred it and serve it with the liquid from cooking. This will keep it moist.
As I said, I LOVE it over rice, but my husband and oldest daughter love to put BBQ sauce on it too.

Enjoy!

Since A Little Harmless Obsession is releasing today, I thought I would do a little interview with Evan for y’all!

Evan Chambers and I met at one of my favorite places to eat on Oahu, Bravo’s Italian Restaurant. It’s situated right by Pearlridge Center in the Aiea area just west of Pearl Harbor. He’s a tall man, but far from skinny. He’s built more like a lean swimmer. Blond hair and gray blue eyes, and the type of smile that makes every woman—not to mention several men—melt. His accent is surely southern, deep south like the Carolinas. As we sipped Kona coffee and shared a piece of cheesecake, I asked him about his life, his business and his love, May.

Mel: I understand that you have a contracting business. How did you get into it.

EVAN: I never finished high school. I was in juvie from an early age after my mother died, so I didn’t get much of an education. One job I could get easily, especially in Atlanta and then when Micah and I moved to Vegas, was in construction. Lots of work in that.

Mel: Since you brought up Micah how did you two meet. And how did you decide to open up a BDSM club together?

EVAN: We met in juvie. Or as Micah says, when he saved my butt in juvie. I was kind of a scrawny teenager and there were lots of time I took on someone I had no chance of beating. That’s where Micah came in. He was far from skinny and he saved me more times than I can count. As for the club, we tried one in Vegas, didn’t work out. Micah used to bounty hunt and he had a case that brought him to Oahu. He would not shut the hell up about wanting to open a club here. So, we moved over, started working, and opened the club.

Mel: You both are Doms.

EVAN: smiles Of course darlin’.

It takes me a moment to gather my thoughts. Whenever he shoots that killer dimple in my direction I can’t seem to think straight.
Mel: Do you think that anything in your life made it important for you to have control in the bedroom?

EVAN: There are things in my past that make me need control, but they are personal and I would rather not discuss it.

Mel: So, you make money off your needs?

EVAN: chuckles No. I actually make money off the needs of others. By providing them a place to explore their desires without worry. Rough ‘n Ready isn’t cheap, but it is safe.

Mel: So, May Aiona, tell me about her.

Evan smiles and this one reaches his eyes, lightening them, taking away some of the cynical edge. It is hard not to sigh when you see a man this in love.

EVAN: She’s all that is good in my life. Hard working, loving, caring, all around good egg. There was a time I thought her too good for me.

Mel: What made you change your mind?

EVAN: May. She beat me upside the head a few times so I could get it right.

I laugh.

Mel: Thanks for the interview. I really enjoyed it, and the cheesecake.

EVAN: takes my hand and kisses it. I do love to share pleasure with a pretty woman.

Check out May and Evan’s story in the new release A Little Harmless Obsession. And be sure to check out Micah’s Interview on last Thursday’s Chatty Characters and the TRAILER for ALHO.

Through the past few years, there seems to be a rise in natural disasters being reported. I’m really not sure if there has been a rise, or now with the 24 hour news cycle we just hear about them more. But, most people have not lived through a major natural disaster. Yes, lots of people have had tornado warnings, or lived through some hurricanes, but I am talking about something that changes the entire makeup of your city. I went through that at the age of 10 but it wasn’t until I was much older that I realized the impact it made on my life.
I spent a huge part of my life in Germany. My dad was stationed there for 4 1/2 of my 9 years by the time we got to Texas. I didn’t remember anything about Ohio or NC, so my basis of severe weather was…well not something that would prepare me for my first spring in Texas.
If you mention Terrible Tuesday to most weathermen, they know what you are talking about. On April 10th, 1979, we were living on Sheppard AFB. I don’t remember anything extraordinary about that day before the sirens went off. By the time it was done, 42 people were dead in my small city, and 20,000 residents were left homeless. The major stadium, several schools and the one and only mall all sustained damage. In 1979 dollars, there was $400,000,000 worth of property damage.
I remember living without power, boiling water, and not having a phone. We were lucky though. We lived on base on the opposite side of the city, safely away from the damage. My father helped clean up the city. I cannot even imagine what that was like.
I talk about it because it did have some impact on me as an adult and as a writer. The need for control, to never allow any person or event control how I live is big for me. Granted, it is odd for a military wife to say, but I do find ways to deal with that. I also hate living in an area without sirens. I do not sleep easy during bad storms and many times, you just don’t find me out if there is any kind of bad weather in the area.
But it plays into my writing sometimes too. I know how it feels to be completely cut off from the world. To know, that no matter what you do, you cannot change the things of the past, and someone or something else has control over you, your body, and your mind. I am using that while I start spending time with Jocelyn Dupree, the heroine in A Little Harmless Addiction. She is dealing with being attacked and the aftermath of it. It was odd to tap into my old feelings about a tornado to deal with her emotions, but I found myself doing that this past weekend. I realized that I do that a lot when dealing with these emotions. That tapping into the feelings of fear, panic, and the sense that you no longer control of anything always go back to my feelings in the days after that tornado. Of course, that makes you pull into yourself and try to control other things, the small things. But it is that little bit of control you gain that allows you to deal with And I hope I show that with Jocelyn.
When I heard of the flooding in Tennessee, it really hit me. I know exactly what it feels like to lose that control, to feel absolutely powerless to stop the suffering of friends, family…strangers. It is devastaing to see the pictures and video. This one video stands out to me and just mesmerized me. If you would like to help, please contact The Red Cross or The ASPCA.

I tend not to make New Year’s resolutions. I rarely even try to keep them and I was raised an Italian Catholic. We do guilt well and I was sick of irritating myself by feeling guilty. Also, why do you have to wait until then? I mean, what if right now, I see what I need to do. Can’t I have a July resolution? And why can’t it be something like, live life better, or see Paris again? Of course, I am a military brat and wife, so I will admit I need some kind of event, something to keep me on track for goals, so I came up with a new outlook. Follow me after the jump to find out what it is.
I needed a new way of branching out, stepping out of the safe box where I had been residing for the past few years. See, I had this great idea, but lacked the skill and the drive to get it done. I’d been playing with it, won a few contests with it, but I hadn’t done what I needed to do, and that was write it. As many people know, my personal life in 2007 resembled a train wreck. Even after I promised myself that I wouldn’t do it after the last hospital stay with my youngest DD, I fell right back into those patterns, pleasing other people, not looking out for myself. I believe in helping people, but when it comes at your expense, either in your career, health or personal life, you need to take stock and change directions. And I decided I would try my best to do that.
I wanted to do something once a month, one small step. It started with little things, taking delight in time spent with my kids—I’d missed that-and OMG, watching movies and TV. It is still a minimum but I do get some entertainment in my day to relieve stress. I adopted another dog daughter(I’d lost my 15 yr old baby during the YEAR FROM HELL) and started walking. But then came the big one, and that had to do with my career.
That box I was sitting in was taped up with that extra tuff packing tape that takes a sledghammer to get rid of it. And worse, I helped with the tape. I wasn’t taking chances, and that wasn’t like me at all. So, my resolution was clear. I had to take back control of my career and doing that, I had to decide just what I wanted.
There is a particular series that I have been working on and off for about two years, and finally, with the help of some friends, I forged ahead. It has been difficult, and not to mention mentally painful. I haven’t written a 90K book in awhile and the whole feel of it is different. And, when I really started in on it, I realized this was one of the reasons(although there are a few others) that I had not been able to really write in the last few months. These characters are ready for their time and I just have to give it to them.
I also discovered that I had been doing what everyone else wanted me to do with my writing, but me. I’d been the big ol’ donkey girl scout that I have always been, and tried to please everyone but me. Now, though I know that without listening to my inner creative spirit, I could kill it off.
So, my new system is easy. Whenever I feel suffocated, I take a day and figure out why. When I do I work to get rid of it, to please myself and my family. If I feel I am losing touch with the kids, I schedule a day of fun for us. If I think I’m to stressed, I take a day to get a pedicure or read a new book. And if my husband—who deserves a medal for helping me through the last year—feels ignored, I try and do something to…er…for him.
It seems simple, easy even, but it isn’t. It means letting some people down, it means not always meeting THEIR goals. But, if you live your life by someone else’s standards, you will never be happy.
So, if there is one thing you wish you could do let me know in the comments. It could be write a book, take a trip, spend time with friends or family, take an hour out for a pedicure…big or small. Everyone who answers gets a choice of anything in my backlist, STILL IN PRINT, in download. I will pull a name tomorrow morning at 9 am Eastern(so alls you all overseas get a chance).

I like humor. I know, it’s hard to believe that a woman who uses the tagline, erotic romance with a slap and a tickle, likes humor, but I do. It has been something that has comforted me during my life and helped get through some extremely rough times. I used it at every new school I went to during my father’s AF career, and still today, when we get to a new base. I think because of this, I rarely can write without a little humor. Follow me after the jump to read how it helped me personally this year.

2007 was a hard year for the Schroeders. It started on Dec 31, 2006 with my mom in the hospital and went downhill from there. During the year, I lost my two remaining grandparents, my 15 yr old dog had to be put down, my youngest broke her finger, I spent 10 days in the hospital, my father had a couple of surgeries, my mother-in-law had one surgery and we ended the year in the hospital with the youngest kid again, this time pneumonia, and during Christmas week no less.

You try and keep it together for the kids, but throughout the year, I found myself slipping into depression, sometimes going weeks without being able to write. The kids were more important than my career, so I had to focus any good feelings I had on them. Friends, editors and other authors were dismayed by by the way I disappeared at times, and when I was around, I wasn’t always the kind of person you want to be around. Two, three days tops at conferences is all I could handle. After that, I felt a need to rush home, reassure myself that everyone was okay, and then hide myself away. It seeped into my writing. Humor, something that had been easy for me before, became something that I just couldn’t write, and don’t even talk to me about the deeper writing. I know one professional relationship will never be the same because the other party could not accept that I wasn’t being a loafer, or difficult. I was trying to keep it together. That one problem relationship also fed into my derpession, making me think that I had never really been a good writer, that all my success had been a fluke.

I hadn’t gotten to the point that I needed chemical intervention, but I think I was on the way. It took me a few months to come up with the solution to it. It was so simple, I felt like an idiot.

While I was in the hospital—the first time, one thing that I asked for was my News Radio DVDs. And it was remembering that later in the year, that had me moving away from anything serious. I just couldn’t take dramas or tear jerkers. Watching something like that could send me spiraling down. So I went through my own keeper shelf and pulled out books by Jenny Crusie, Susan Andersen, Christina Dodd, and many of my favorite authors who use humor in their romances, and kept those front and center. Any time I felt myself slipping, I would have an Arrested Development or Scrubs DVD marathon, watch Comedy Central all day, or pop in my copy of Dodge Ball. I didn’t have to think, didn’t have to even contemplate my problems, all I had to do was enjoy. I found myself working through the nasty tempers(because when I get depressed and cry, I get angry about it) and not spending days wondering just why the hell I was an author. Using that, I truly think I saved myself from medication.

I am still not 100%. With a move next month, other stresses are going to come into play. Moving with kids is never easy, but this time we are doing it with teenager and all her hormones along with the ride. We also don’t know what to expect out of the job my husband is starting, and professionally, I am still having problems writing although they are not as bad as they were. I still have to work through them every day, and sometimes I don’t win. But, I have learned to take a step back and find something light hearted to remind me that life isn’t always about being the tough person and forging ahead. It is sometimes about stopping to hear the laughter, and remember it is more important to enjoy life.

Now, I want to hear from you. What do you do to keep yourself upbeat during hard times? Do you have a favorite author? How about a favorite show or activity? All you have to do is tell me and your name goes in the hat for a GC from mybookstoreandmore.com!

Officially, Lessons in Seduction comes out the 29th of January, but it is already on Barnes and Noble and Amazon not to mention on many bookstore shelves. Follow me after the jump for an excerpt and the trailer.

This is the second book in the Once Upon an Accident series. Book one was The Accidental Countess I will be signing both of them on Saturday, Feb 9th at Barnes and Noble Highland Village and on Sunday, Feb 10th, at Barnes and Noble here in San Antonio on San Pedro.

Here is a saucy excerpt:

Cicely’s heart stuttered at the deep sound of Douglas’ voice.
Oh, no. No. No. No.
She closed her eyes against the sudden press of tears and fought the urge to stomp her foot—which would have been difficult since she was sitting. Besides, the barefoot stomp was never as satisfactory as a heeled one. The heeled one made a very satisfying thump. She allowed a frown to disfigure her face. It was dark, what did she care? Douglas thought she was that Lady Tremount. Or some other trollop. She would almost think the situation humorous, if she didn’t find it so horribly painful. She’d done nothing so hideous in her life as to deserve this.
Cicely didn’t open her eyes when she felt him sink next to her on the sofa. The cushion flexed under his weight. She waited for Douglas to realize he’d mistaken her for another woman as he slipped his hand over her cold, clenched fist.
“Awfully quiet, my lady. I’ve never known you to be so reserved.”
She opened her eyes. She was positive any moment he would guess her identity and his horror would be too much to bear. But she would, just as she had a few nights before, face it. It was best to confront his disgust for her and use it as a weapon to remind herself what he thought of her. She turned her head, drawing back when she realized he’d moved closer. She blinked, then blinked again.
With the drapes closed, the room was near pitch black, and it was understandable he didn’t know who she was. He expected someone else.
Douglas trailed his incredibly warm hand up her arm, his fingers gliding over the side of her bound breasts then farther up to cup her face. Gently, he pulled her closer. His heat surrounded her, warmed her, mesmerized her.
When she was just inches away from pressing her lips to his, he paused to say, “I’ve never known you to play reticent before. I have to say, I quite like it.”
His breath warmed her face as he spoke. Guilt held her tongue. She should tell him and end this embarrassing façade. A moment later, he brushed his lips against hers and every thought of righting his misconception dissolved. A liquid-silver thrill shot through her, sending her heart beating out of control, her head spinning. Sighing, she leaned into him. This was a fear she could learn to love.
Apparently thinking it an invitation—because truly it had been—Douglas raised his other hand to frame her face completely and deepened the kiss. She twined her arms behind his neck and returned the kiss with all the passion in her heart. The feel of his tongue against her closed mouth caused her to gasp. Before she knew what he was about, his tongue was inside, tasting her…tempting her.
God help her, she was putty in his large, capable hands.
She moaned. He slipped his hands down her body to her waist then lifted her, placing her on his lap. Warmth seeped into every pore, her flesh heating her body vibrating. This wasn’t proper, that she knew. Still…
She felt his heart beat through his shirt and jacket. That he thought her someone else didn’t matter. All that mattered was that at this one moment, the man she desired—and God help her, loved—desired her in return. Her, a nobody who barely turned the head of even the most boring of men. But this man, a gorgeous, seductive charmer, was kissing her as if his life depended on it. Somewhere in the back of her mind a bit of her better judgment prodded. With determination, she pushed the doubts away. She just wanted to be touched…to feel, to be felt.
He slid his hands to her back, urging her to him. She shifted her weight, rubbing her chest against his. Even through the fabric of her gown and the layers of her binding, the friction hardened her nipples. Her bones melted as he moved from her mouth to the delicate skin just below her jaw. His lips felt so good. They burned a trail wherever they touched and when they slid from one spot to another, the fire lingered, pushing deep past her defenses, ingraining in her memory. Wanting—needing—more, she tipped her head to one side allowing him better access to her throat. He murmured something against her skin that she couldn’t grasp, but it thrilled her just the same. He moved on to her ear as she began to shift against him. The scrape of his teeth against her lobe had her moaning his name and threading her fingers through his hair.

And don’t forget to check out the trailer:

Since I first discovered historicals in the late 90’s, I’ve heard they would surely die out soon. That the genre wasn’t going anywhere, and that soon, it would die a slow agonizing death. But, I think all indicators point to a resurrection. The market is always changing, evolving and I think the next big thing is historicals. Follow me after the jump to find out why.

As a reader, I complained constantly about the lack of historicals. Oh, sure, there were a few, but nothing compared to the contemporaries that are released, in every cross-genre under the sun. I found an Amanda Quick novel, not knowing it was Jayne Ann Krentz, and fell in love. The history nerd in me was in HEAVEN, and there was enough fantasy in it for the romance lover. But, when I went to my first writer’s conference I was told that the genre had a terminal disease and would never recover.
Fast-forward to 2008. Wow, gee, someone got it wrong. We have Julie Garwood having her first historical release in years and there was news this week that Catherine Coulter just signed to write another historical, something she hasn’t done in a few years. There are signs everywhere that the historical is on its way back. I know from my own experience that sales are increasing. When my two Samhain historicals, The Accidental Countess and Lessons in Seduction, were first release approx 12 of the top 20 books in romance on Mobipocket were historical romances. Westerns, regencies, suspenses, medievals…you name it.
And one thing I am glad to see is that these are not your mama’s historicals. They have strong women, real life characters(Celeste Bradley’s Spy books are hilarious and include real life characters who interact within the plot), and they cross genres. I be before long there will be more vamps, weres, and paranormal creatures popping up. But, even just the regular historical has had a makeover. The westerns are grittier, sexier, and a lot more realistic. The Victorians are starting to truthfully reflect what society was like at that moment in time. And, one thing that I like, more places, times and social classes being covered.
All of this new blood is good and will add a resurgence to the genre that has been needed for a few years. As a writer, and especially as a reader, I look forward to it:)
What do you all think?

All things Mel can be found at her site: MelissaSchroeder.net

I am so excited that The Accidental Countess is finally going to be back in print. This is one of my favorite books, especially since it was my very first historical. Thanks to a lot of help from my editor Sasha it is now 10K longer with more sensuality and more depth in character development. Follow me after the jump for a blurb and the trailer:)

Recommended Reads from Joyfully Reviewed and Fallen Angel Reviews, HRC Reviewer’s Choice and FOUR Stars from Romantic Times Magazine.

A reluctant spinster, a seductive rake, and a marriage that is anything but convenient.

Book One in the Once Upon an Accident series.

Colleen MacGregor doesn’t like rich men, especially rich titled men. Still, her guilt won’t allow her to leave Sebastian passed out in the snow. Before he can leave, they are caught in a compromising situation. Under an agreement he will leave and never bother her again, Colleen marries a man she barely knows to save her reputation. Before she can really stop anything, she is whisked to London, where she is transformed into an Original and captures the attention of the ton—not to mention her husband.

Sebastian Ware thinks he’ll never see the sharp-tongued spinster again. He never planned on becoming the next Earl of Penwyth…or on falling in love. But before he can declare his feelings, he must protect her from an enemy who wants them both dead. Racing against the clock, Sebastian strives to save them both so he can turn their accidental love into a love for eternity.

This book was previously published, but has been substantially revised and re-edited for Samhain Publishing.

Warning this title contains the following: somewhat explicit love scenes, drunken earls, irritating relatives and bathing activities that leave the floor wet and the hero and heroine exhausted.

It is already on preorder at Amazon B and N, but My Bookstore and More will have it this Tuesday!

Becka Goings and Beth Williamson honored me by allowing me to write a western for the Leather and Lace Anthology. Beth knew I’d been wanting to write a western and so she gave me the opportunity—plus, this way I couldn’t weasel out if it. Follow me after the jump for an excerpt and the trailer.

An Older Woman. A Younger Man. A love that cannot be denied.

Excerpt:
© 2007, Melissa Schroeder

“Seth, this can’t go anywhere. I already told you—”
All of her thoughts halted and her hormones danced when he nuzzled the side of her neck just below her ear. “I heard ya.” He nipped at her lobe. “I just decided to ignore ya.”
She huffed in annoyance and he chuckled. His chest vibrated against her back. Her nerves jumped before a burst of energy slipped over her skin, causing her to shiver. As he kept one hand splayed across her stomach, he skimmed his other up to her breast. She should pull away from him and order him from her room. Seth would go if she were serious, if she really wanted him to leave. That was the problem. Propriety insisted that he leave, but she couldn’t seem to get the words out through her lips. Not with his teeth grazing her earlobe, his hand caressing her breast.
“Ahh,” he whispered as his thumb grazed her nipple. It tightened under his attention. “Now, I would say that was more than a good sign.” With one last little nip, he pulled away, the action so fast she almost lost her balance. She bit back the irritated sigh that rose in her throat.
He turned her to face him, then backed her up against the post of the canopy bed. When Jamie looked up at him, she drew in a quick, loud breath. She had known him for years and had probably seen just about every human emotion from him except this one. Desire etched his facial features. The arrested look in his eyes deepened their color as he drew her near. Slipping one hand around her waist, he stepped closer. Gently, almost reverently, he brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek, then allowed his fingers to play along her jaw.
“Seth.” Her tone no longer held the stern reprimand it had earlier. Even she could hear the change in her pitch and the way her voice caught on his name.
But he said nothing. He trailed his hand down to cup her untouched breast. Her breathing hitched when he rubbed his fingers over her nipple. Everything seemed to slip away. As he held her gaze, it was as if they were the only two people in the world.
Jamie wanted to close her eyes, wanted to slip into a blissful daze. But he would not allow it. Instead, he leaned in and brushed his mouth over hers. The sweetness of the gesture, the simple touch, had her mind whirling. Jamie sighed, shutting her eyes and losing herself in the pleasure of it. He groaned in reaction, wrapping both his arms around her waist. She lifted her hands to his shoulders as he pressed his lips against hers. This was no longer the gentle caress but a kiss full of desire and passion. His tongue thrust into her mouth and she welcomed it with a moan. The taste of him was beyond anything she had ever experienced. Before she was ready to stop, he pulled away. Their harsh breathing was the only sound in the dark room.
“Tell me now.”
He was talking. She saw his mouth move but she didn’t work through what he said. Her brain was melting, and he wanted to have a conversation?
“Wh—what are you talking about?”
When he spoke, his voice was harsh and abrupt. “Tell me now you don’t want me. If you don’t stop this now, there will be no going back.”
She should tell him to go. Doing this, taking him as her lover even if for one night, would not be a good idea. The ghost of her marriage would never disappear. It wouldn’t solve her problems. But none of those things truly mattered to her at the moment. What did matter was the heat blazing through her blood, the way her body responded to his every touch, and she never wanted that feeling to go away. It would in the morning because this would never be anything but a one-night affair, but she needed this. She craved to experience one little taste of heaven.
“Jamie?”
“God help me, I know I shouldn’t want it, or even think about doing it.” She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “But I can’t seem to refuse you.”
He rested his forehead against hers and released a sigh of relief. She thought she heard him say, “About time.”
After he gave her a kiss, Seth tugged her away from the bedpost and pushed her back on the bed. With a laugh, she bounced on the mattress. Before she could adjust to her new position, he was slipping his body over hers and stealing her breath again. This time there was no sweet interlude, no wooing.
Possessively, Seth settled his mouth on hers. Spearing her fingers through his thick hair, she held him closer, wanting nothing more than for this feeling to continue. He pushed himself up to his hands and looked down at her. The smile he gave her made her curl her toes into the bed linens.
“I knew you had passion in you, Jameson.” He gave her a quick, forceful kiss. “And I intend on enjoying it.”
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