It’s Excerpt Monday again! Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.
Today we have another little excerpt from Clear As Day, the contemporary romance I’ve been working hard on to finish for submission. This story has developed so nicely over the past months ever since I dragged the little original short story out to play around with. I’m really delighted with how my characters have grown and in the last week a nagging little plot bunny has been productive for two of the secondary characters from Clear As Day. It will be interesting to see how that plays out for them in the future.
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Kay lurched out of the dream with a gasping cry.
Nate woke sharply and leaned up on one elbow. “Kay, what’s the matter?” The tent shadowy in the gray predawn.
Dizzy from sitting up so fast, she flopped back down against the pillow. “Weird dream. Sorry.”
“You’re okay?”
Aside from pounding heart and that really unwanted, unreal picture of Nate wrapped around Olivia in her head? Fine. Not. Her stomach churned like she had a knot of night crawlers in there. “It was just a weird dream. I’m fine now.” Her voice came out calm and cool. She took some deep, steadying breaths.
Nate propped his head on one hand and reached out the other to brush hair away from Kay’s face. He smiled in the shadows, as he rhythmically stroked her hair. “I get those weird dreams. Alice in Wonderland stuff–like I’m at an important shoot, and all I have is my granddad’s Brownie camera, or I’m back in school and it’s the final exam and I realize I’d forgot I had the class and missed every single lecture.” He chuckled. “I dreamed once my film canisters were hopping all over the darkroom. Full of tree frogs instead of film.”
Kay laughed, relaxing under his gentle strokes.
He traced his fingers over her cheek and down to her lips in the same rhythmic pattern.
Outside the sanctuary of their tent, morning steadily eased out of the night. A Red-winged Blackbird sang out its first warm-up notes. The peace of the morning, and Nate’s soothing touch eased the anxious tripping race of her heart and with concerted effort she finally shoved the ugly false dream image away and focused on Nate’s face in the early morning gloom. Just Nate, steady and loving, his smile making those little crinkles by his eyes. She turned her face to his hand and kissed his palm, grateful for his easy presence.
“I need you.” She arched against him, needing the press and weight of him. Needed the way he made her feel alive and weightless and free from troubles.
“Whatever you want of me, you’ve got.”
With those simple words, all the hot desire wrapped around her again. He slid his hand over her shoulder and brought his lips to hers. She shut her eyes and sank into the long, warm lazy kiss, relaxing as the massaging motion of his hand along her arm eased the strain out of her muscles. The puzzling, unending need for him rose, the warm happiness in being with him. The writhing knot in her belly unwinding, flowing away. Why did she hold him at a distance so much when he was so good for her?
She opened her mouth to his and tugged him down to her. A cold wake of desperation rolled through her. Maybe he would be able to make them all go away. Nate wasn’t Dad, Kay wasn’t her mother. Nate wasn’t R.J. He wasn’t JoAnn’s ex. He wasn’t her brother-in-law.
She caught his shoulder and tugged him closer to her. The kiss unbroken as he moved over her and the lovely weight of him against her as she cradled him between her legs and they moved slow and easy together as if they had all the time in the world to just kiss and be. Nothing but the sound of breath and the creaking cot and the wash of water over the beach. She stroked her hands along his back, savoring the flex and strength of bone and muscle under smooth warm skin beneath her fingertips, down over his waist to hips and rear where she clasped him firmly.
Nate flexed firmly against her with a pleased groan into her mouth and he cupped her face between his hands and the kiss deepened. And he said, “Kay,” rough and needing and she said, “Yes,” and she drifted and drowned in the lush pleasure of touch and caress and kiss and taste, needing him fill her and hold her and help her believe.
This feeling safe in his arms, feeling safe claimed by him. . . why couldn’t she just believe in this?
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Links to other Excerpt Monday writers: Click on the banner
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.
A
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)
Danie Ford, Contemporary YA (PG 13)
Rachel Jameson (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical Paranormal (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Debbie Mumford, /Fantasy (PG13)
Ryan, Mystery (PG 13)
Madison Woods, Fantasy (PG 13)
Stephanie Draven, Dark Fantasy (PG 13) |
Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)
Kendal Corbitt(R)
Ali Katz, Historical (R)
Vivian Jackson, Paranormal Erotic (R)
Rhiannon Leith, Fantasy (NC 17) |
A
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Photo: mentor
babettejames.com 
Love everything but the word ‘rear’!
Lovely excerpt.