Showing posts with label contemporary romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary romance. Show all posts

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Can two best friends admit their feelings and fall in love?- Fall for You (Featured in the All You Need is Love Boxed Set) by Valerie Ullmer #NewAdult #MM #Romance



All You Need is Love

A Limited Edition Romance Collection

•••

Featuring stories by

Tamsin Baker, Jess Buffett,‎ Kristine Cayne,‎ Adriana Kraft,‎ Cate Farren,‎ Valerie Ullmer,‎ Kai Tyler,‎ Lexi Thorne,‎ Izzy Szyn,‎ Aeryn Jaden, Dana Kenzi, Celia Fay, and Dani Gray

Romance Collections is proud to present these fourteen stories of love that knows no boundaries. Like rivers flowing through the canvas of earth, these stories will run deep, touch softly and leave you breathless.

No matter who it is with, passion is magnificent, desires are bold, and love is beautiful.


BLURB




Genre:  New Adult M/M Romance

Ethan Sutton had come to the stunning revelation that he’d fallen in love with his best friend, Sebastian Young.  Although friends since childhood, Ethan vowed to keep his feelings for Sebastian under wraps and live the rest of his life with this one secret between them rather than risk a lifelong connection and never see him again.  But when they move into their own apartment at the start of their third year of college, can Ethan keep his feelings from showing when they live so close together?

Sebastian Young had an epiphany about Ethan at the end of last year and arranged for the shared apartment he’d found over the summer to be closer to Ethan and see if a relationship could develop between them.  But as they settle into their lives in a new place with such close quarters, ex-girlfriends, nosy downstairs neighbors, and Sebastian’s own doubts, their relationship could be in jeopardy before it even begins.

Can two best friends admit their feelings and fall in love?

Ethan realized falling in love with his best friend had been easy.  Keeping his feelings a secret from Sebastian as they move into a one-bedroom loft and deal with decisions from their past might prove a bit more difficult.


EXCERPT

Sebastian beamed at him and managed to quickly change the subject.

“Ready to see our new place?”

Ethan nodded.  He felt a loss when Sebastian squeezed his hand once before he let go.  Sebastian opened the driver’s side door and Ethan copied the movement on his side, wondering if he would survive living in a space with Sebastian and be able to keep his feelings locked down deep inside.

“Let’s get our stuff after.  I want you to see it first.”  Sebastian’s excitement made Ethan smile.

Sebastian reached for Ethan’s arm and led him to the side entrance of the modern building Ethan hadn’t noticed before.  Ethan was surprised when Sebastian kept his warm hand on his arm, underneath his grey tee, skin on skin.  As Sebastian turned to shoot him a smile of reassurance, walking backward toward the door, Ethan couldn’t help but noticed how the blue of Sebastian’s tee brought out the hazel of his eyes.  Thinking that he might have been staring a little too long, he glanced down and back up at Sebastian, who still smiled at him.

Reaching back to open the door, Sebastian moved his hand out of the way in time to avoid the door that was pushed open from the inside.  Darting his gaze to the opened door, Ethan barely contained his groan when he spotted the pretty blonde exiting the building.

Well, it was good while it lasted.

She was exactly Sebastian’s type.  Blonde, slender, and wearing a tight white tank and shorts.  He knew Sebastian wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to flirt with her.

Ethan tried to pull his arm from Sebastian’s grip, wanting to go inside and avoid the inevitable, but found himself trapped when she turned and smiled at Sebastian.  With a quick glance to see what Ethan had been looking at, Sebastian turned back to Ethan and raised a brow.

“Hi, I’m Sarah.”

Ethan was stunned silent when Sebastian gave her a quick nod in greeting and dragged Ethan through the door and up the short flight of stairs.  With one last glance behind him to make sure Ethan hadn’t bolted, Sebastian unlocked the door to their flat.

“What?”

“That was the first time I’ve witnessed you not flirt with a woman.  And she was blonde.”

Sebastian laughed and shook his head, opening the door.  “I’m partial to dark hair and olive skin.”

“Since when?” Ethan blurted.

Sebastian’s smile grew wider.  He turned and walked inside the flat, leaving Ethan to follow.
As if on autopilot, Ethan walked in behind Sebastian, keeping his eyes on his wide shoulders, waiting silently to see what he would say.

“After Amber, and others that came before her, I realized that I needed some time alone to think about who I want to be with.  I’ve figured out a lot of things after I quit serial dating.”

His words, while doing nothing to clear up why he hadn’t flirted with Sarah downstairs, struck him as sincere and completely serious.  His heart beat hard and his hands went numb, unable to stop his thoughts from presuming that Sebastian felt more for him than friendship.  And as quickly as they’d come, he dismissed his crazy notions that Sebastian would fall in love with him after all their years of friendship.



BUY LINKS

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078PZR8HY
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/all-you-need-is-love/id1330261438?mt=11
B&N:  https://m.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-you-need-is-love-tamsin-baker/1127753593?ean=2940154950586
Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/all-you-need-is-love-27


ABOUT AUTHOR

Valerie writes paranormal and contemporary romances with strong alpha males and brilliant, beautiful heroines. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her wonderfully supportive husband and their funny and wise black lab. She's addicted to coffee, crime shows, and reading and writing character driven romances.

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK ~ TWITTER ~ PINTEREST ~ INSTAGRAM ~ GOODREADS ~ AMAZON

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Sated by Lucy Felthouse- Sex With A Vampire Is Everything You’d Expect It To Be Now Add One More- #Erotic #MFM #Romance #Paranormal

A human, a vampire and a werewolf walked into a bar. Sexy is what happens next.



Blurb:

Since getting together with her vampire boyfriend, Ace, Aneesa is enjoying a sex life she could never have with a human. Ace has skill, strength, stamina…and is massively adventurous. Aneesa is checking things off her sexual bucket list at a rate of knots. However, she hasn’t even come close to experiencing the ultimate item on her list. So when Ace beats her to it, proposing a threesome with his werewolf friend, Barton, Aneesa’s definitely up for it.

Barton is attractive, smart and sexy—almost too good to be true, in fact. Aneesa decides not to jump straight into things, but makes sure it’s what she truly wants. However, it turns out Barton’s not so easily dissuaded.

Will Aneesa get the ultimate erotic experience she’s desired for so long? Will she be truly sated, or is the plan doomed to failure?


*****

Excerpt:

A human, a vampire and a werewolf walked into a bar. Sounds like the start of a bad joke. I can assure you it isn’t. And telling you that, actually, the human and the vampire walked into the bar together, and found the werewolf already there, probably doesn’t make it sound any better. Well tough, because that’s the way it went down.

Ace and I met at a Halloween fancy dress party. I know, I know—cliché of clichés. And yes, he was dressed as a vampire—Albeit a horrendously exaggerated one—all slicked-back hair, über pale skin and visible fangs. In real life, he actually looks no different to you or I. Okay, he is a bit pale. But at the time, I’d laughed at him and asked if he thought vampires weren’t a bit overdone—it was when Twilight was at the height of its popularity—all angsty teens and stalkerish behavior.

He’d laughed right back, a joyous, melodious sound that had heat pooling in my groin—then as suddenly as it had arrived, his mirth disappeared. Then he’d said, “Overdone or not, we’re here to stay. And I don’t fucking sparkle.”

My heart had been pounding, and my mouth had gone dry. Somehow, I’d known he wasn’t joking. And, although my conscious brain had shut down, my subconscious had had my back, because I’d heard myself say, “Well, thank fuck for that, because I’ve never been a fan of glitter.”

He’d laughed again, the sound tugging at my very core. And—apologies for yet another cliché—we’ve been together ever since.

Several years later and we’re still as madly in love as ever, and still fucking like rabbits. Sex with a vampire is everything you’d expect it to be—energetic, powerful, finessed, mind-blowing and packed with stamina. Providing you can keep up, that is.

In addition to our unquenchable lust for each other, Ace and I have engaged in bondage, sex toys, spanking, anal, pegging—almost an A to Z of things to do in bed. Some we’ve tried and discarded, others have been a regular part of our sexual repertoire.

And yet, our latest adventure was the most exciting yet. You see, after mine and Ace’s initial meeting, I was given an almighty education in everything it meant to be a vampire. Myths were dispelled, other beliefs were confirmed—he definitely didn’t sparkle—and yet more things I’d never even thought of were seared into my brain.

So when Ace announced he had a friend who was a werewolf, I didn’t even bat an eyelid. It was the follow up information that surprised me.

“He wants to what?” The tone of my voice by the end of the sentence was so high that probably only dogs could hear me. And yet it was genuine surprise, rather than disapproval, that fuelled my reaction.

Raising his eyebrows, Ace gave me that sexy smirk that always gets my blood pounding through my veins and my pussy aching to be filled. “You heard me, Aneesa. My friend Barton would like to screw you. With me present, of course, and actively taking part.”

“A th-threesome?” I stumbled over the word—not because I was horrified. Quite the opposite, in fact. Being fucked by two hot guys at once had long been on my sexual bucket list—a list that, since meeting Ace, had had items checked off it at a rate of knots. I was going to have to start thinking of some more shit to put on it. I was way too young to have completed my bucket list—sexual or not—for Christ’s sake!

*****



Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/sated/ 
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25950736-sated 



Author Bio:

Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over 100 publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include several editions of Best Bondage Erotica, Best Women's Erotica 2013 and Best Erotic Romance 2014. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies, and also edits for a small publishing house.

She owns Erotica For All, is book editor for Cliterati, and is one-eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9





Friday, October 28, 2016

Our Options Have Changed by Julia Kent & Elisa Reed -- Having It All Is A Fantasy Now All Their Options Are About To Change #Romantic #Comedy #MF #Contemporary

Release date: October 5, 2016
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance


Description:

Having it all is a fantasy, right?

Chloe Browne knows all about fantasy. Fantasy is her job.

And she’s very, very good at what she does.

As director of design for the O Spa chain, a sophisticated women’s club that is trending its way into being the Next Big Thing, Chloe’s ready to take on the world.

One baby at a time.

Her home study’s done, and she’s about to adopt, a thirty-something single mother by choice. Who needs to put her life on hold for the right guy when the right baby is waiting for her?

Besides, talk about fantasy.

The right guy?

Pfft. Right.

And then in walks Nick Grafton, with those commanding sapphire eyes and wavy blonde hair and a sophisticated mouth that only smiles for her.

He’s perfect.

But the last thing Nick wants is to start fresh with a new baby as his college-age kids fly the coop. A single father for more than fifteen years after his wife walked out on her family, Nick finally tastes freedom.

But he likes the taste of Chloe more.

* * *


Excerpt

“Chloe, I’m Nick Grafton. I handle branding for Anterdec properties. It’s critically important for a new brand like O to carry the same recognizable image throughout all locations. Can you tell us a bit more about how your design will do this while at the same time bringing in the unique atmosphere of New Orleans?”

Even seated, I can tell he’s a tall man. All the time I spend with seven-foot-tall Henry has skewed my perspective a bit, but Nick must be over six feet. His hair is thick and a little on the long side for a corporate guy, light brown with a hint of silver. I admit it: I have a total weakness for long hair. Not man buns, but a little over the collar… something to grab and maybe pull at intimate times...

Ice blue eyes.

But what really gets my attention is his dark navy blue suit. Crisp shirt. Cotton madras plaid tie. When you spend every work day surrounded by mostly naked men, a fully-dressed guy gets your attention.

Sexy. Makes you wonder what’s underneath.

Not that I’m objectifying him. Ahem.

Did he say his last name is Grafton? My turn to look closely at him. My first boyfriend—we’re talking age fifteen here—was Charlie Grafton. Not an unusual last name, though, right?
His question is easy, really. I answer, he thanks me, no one else has a question.

I signal Carrie to lower the room lights. Showtime.

“O is never ordinary,” I begin. “We’ve created another O for you, and I think it’s our most exciting space yet.” The faces around the table are mildly surprised, not expecting anything else from me.

I click a button to lower the screen and another to start the slideshow.

“This is our first gO Spa.” I flash to a picture of a full-size RV. “This vehicle could be the beginning of a fleet. In every city where O has a presence, the gO Spa can go beyond the physical location. The gO Spa can be booked for private parties and weddings. It can travel to concert venues and theaters for services to big-name performers.”

The next slide is an interior view of the gO Spa. Three small showers. A bank of four hair washing and styling stations. Small closets filled with curated professional clothing.

“But it has another important purpose. The gO Spa is how O will give back to the communities that have welcomed us and made our success possible. A way to demonstrate our commitment to the idea that peace and pleasure are vital to everyone.”

Nick Grafton is giving me his full attention. I like it. I could get used to it.

***

Buy links:

Nook: http://bit.ly/2b24Ol8

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2b5n785

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2bjzV9C

Amazon Canada: http://amzn.to/2bnRU3d

Amazon Australia: http://amzn.to/2aWxoGe

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2bnRf1K

iBooks: http://apple.co/2b0fHR6

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2byDbyX




Our Options Have Changed is a full-length standalone contemporary romance, the first in the On Hold series by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent and journalist-turned-fiction-writer Elisa Reed. It is a loose spinoff from Julia Kent’s Shopping for a Billionaire series, with cameo appearances from favorite characters.

**BONUS ALL-NEW NOVELLA** from Julia Kent's New York Times bestselling Shopping series! Read Shopping for a Billionaire's Honeymoon. This 100-page bonus comes at the end of Our Options Have Changed. When Shannon can't get workaholic Declan to give her the sexy honeymoon time she wants, she takes matters into her own hands -- with hilariously disastrous (or disastrously hilarious?) results.


Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire). She lives in New England with her husband and three sons in a household where the toilet seat is never, ever, down.

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://jkentauthor.com/ 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor/ 

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jkentauthor 


 


Sunday, July 12, 2015

Sneak Peek Sunday- WIP Untitled Shapeshifter Romance



Excerpt from the first book in my M/M erotic alternate universe shapeshifter romance....

Jaime shivered as the rain came down in torrents.  His body and hair soaked made him cold to the bone.  He pulled his drenched jacket closer to his body, cinching it across his chest instead of zipping it close hoping to conserve as much of his body's heat as possible.  He would have zipped it, but since the clasp to the zipper was broken, holding it close with his hand was about as good as he could do.  He glanced at his car one last time.  The small four door, looked like it belonged more in a junk yard than on an open road.  Rust ate holes through the front and back panels, while bald tires made the car sit squat on the gravel road.  A little over fifteen years old, the metallic blue sedan looked like it was on it's last leg.

“Just keep it together a little while longer,” he said stroking the hood. “And we'll be home free. I promise, I'll let you live out your remaining years in a coach-lot where you can hang out with the rest of cars, driving people around for a couple hours at a time.  You'll make new friends and will get cleaned up too.”

He stared at the rusting heap.  If he didn't know better, he would have thought it was shaking it's head in disbelief.  Of course, he didn't even believe that lie himself.  A hand-me-down from his parents, it had seen better days and was almost past salvaging.  He just needed for it to work a little while longer, just until he could get to the next province.  Then he'd give it to whomever would pay him the most for it.  It's not that he didn't care about the old car, he just desperately needed the money.

Large trees swayed in the wind as they canopied the winding drive that led away from the street.  Grabbing a small bag from the back seat, he locked the car door hoping to find help in the castle at the far end of the drive.  As he trudged through the mud, puddles in the road dirtied the hems of his pants further adding to his misery.  Jaime looked up at glanced at the castle in distance.  Resting on a hill overlooking most of the valley, it imposed its importance on the area.

He paused and scratched his head.  “I wonder if the Lord of the Manor is open to stranger's in his lands.”

Ever since the dividing up the territories between human and were's, each were weary of visitors in their lands.  They had been known to stir up trouble between the various provinces either to provoke a land war based by illegal squatting then by making false claims of ownership.  It's not that the various Lord Proprietor's didn't encourage emigration to their domains, the problem was some had grand notions of merging provinces that wanted to remain separate as in no were in his or her right mind wanted to be joined to a human province also known as a Free Land.  Called that by the early territorial governors now called Lord Proprietors just like the weres, their areas were deemed free because they were humans governing humans free from the were monsters who ran most of the regions around the world.




Thursday, February 19, 2015

Gavin Races To Find His Mate And Save Their Egg- Dragon's Egg by Rennie Leigh


[Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Consensual BDSM Romance, M/M, shape-shifters, capture, sex in partially shifted form, spanking, flogging, cropping, sex toys, HEA]

Blurb 

Life is simple. The only thing Sebastian Michael needs is a steady paycheck. Sebastian values his independence too much to let his secretive brother, Ed, pay his bills. He tried selling his paranormal romances with little luck. Looking for a steady job, he soon stumbles into a dragon's den pretending to be a BDSM club. Gavin Thorvald, the dragon lord and club owner, recognizes Sebastian as his mate and begins to woo the sweet human. Gavin worries about how to explain a dragon's reproductive cycle while Sebastian fears his past is catching up with him.

At the same time, hunters are attacking and Ed is taking an interest in Sebastian's new life. Just when Gavin has everything he wants, Sebastian is taken from him by the hunters. Gavin fears the worst as he heals from the hunters' attack. Once healed, Gavin begins a race against the clock to find his mate and save their egg.


A Siren Erotic Romance

----

Buy Link-- http://www.bookstrand.com/taken-leigh

Sunday, February 15, 2015

An Imprint That Is My Guilty Pleasure And A Few Books That Are Within It Written By Natalie Acres

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My guilty pleasure is the Love Xtreme Imprint from Siren Publishing....

I'll just say it is very naughty with a whole bunch of true love thrown in together.  I've lurked on a couple of romance author sites before who have really ripped on the imprint up one side of the internet and down the other side but you know....

All of the books within the Love Xtreme Imprint are about one person finding true love with their soul-mates.
With that said... Here are a few books by Natalie Acres.



Beautiful Trouble (LoveXtreme)
Trouble, Tennessee 1 

[Siren LoveXtreme Special Edition: Erotic Cowboy Ménage Romance, M/F/M/M/M/M, HEA]

Nicholas Speed, Harley McCall, Doc Andrews, Trevor Lamb, and Mac McCall venture off to a neighboring town in search of a good time. What they find is a beautiful young woman looking to fool around.

Sable Samms is a scorned woman ready to do whatever it takes to permanently sever former matrimonial ties. Separated from her previous husband, Sable can’t escape her former spouse’s claims. She can almost feel his abusive hands tightening their squeeze so she puts a plan in motion and arranges to meet some of Trouble, Tennessee’s founding fathers.

After one night of passion, the men search for the woman who left them with unshakable memories. They’re almost ready to give up when they’re summoned to Trouble’s front gates to assist with a new arrival. Unbeknownst to them, Trouble’s latest resident is none other than Sable Samms, the woman they shared and lost. Now, they’ll have their second chance at happiness and maybe even love.

-------

Here Comes Trouble (MFMMM)
Trouble, Tennessee Prequel

Ellie Hunter wasn’t looking for a protector, but she definitely wanted a place to lay low and hide. Divorced from her abusive husband for over six months, Ellie goes to Trouble’s gates as a last resort after her ex pays her a "final" visit.  

Allister McCall, Ryan Thomas, Derek Swinney, and Bradley Powers have known Ellie for the better part of their lives and the memory of sharing her is stamped in their minds. When Ellie arrives in small town Trouble, the men jump to all sorts of illicit assumptions.

Once Ellie reconnects with Allister, Ryan, Derek, and Bradley, Ellie’s life is seemingly complete, assuming her ex-husband will let her live in peace. With Navy SEALs training behind them, Ellie’s men are confident Ellie’s ex will finally let her go but if he refuses there will be hell to pay. One way or another, four men will ensure Ellie is protected, loved, cherished, honored, and adored.

--------

More Trouble Tennessee Novellas

Heap of Trouble is Coming on March 16th

Unofficial Blurb

One wrong turn in life lands Heather Powers in the heart of danger. Recognizing an opportunity to break free of captivity, she sends out an urgent cry for help. Soon, Trouble’s founding fathers are gathering round in hopes of saving one of their own, but the clock is ticking as they sneak up on Heather’s captors in a creepy forest.

Attempting to pull Heather out of a bad situation, Curt Caldwell, Justin Dare, and Gabe Reynolds uncover an evil family with a deadly agenda. Desperate to save an innocent victim, Trouble’s men march straight into the heart of spine-chilling danger. Soon, they’re forced to face off with the occult and a haunting wickedness far more sinister than anyone could ever imagine. The stakes are high as these men risk everything for love, including the very safe haven they affectionately call their home.

-------

Monday, February 9, 2015

City Nights: One Night in Madrid by JD Martins



Blurb:

Danny left Dublin for Madrid two years ago, but still scans the crowd in the Irish pubs for the face of someone from home. Though doubtful he'll ever recognise anybody, one evening he sees Aisling, a girl he'd known - or wished he'd known - at university. Beautiful but haughty, she'd always ignored Danny, and though he'd fantasised about making love to her, she'd never so much as smiled at him.

To his amazement, Aisling is extremely friendly when she meets him all these years later and away from home. She is still snobby and condescending, but Danny decides to make her night as enjoyable as he can, hoping for one last chance to impress her and make his teenage fantasies come true. As the sultry Madrid night progresses, mere lust grows into affection, and Danny begins to see her snobbery as something else entirely. Will Aisling see Danny as more than just a way to pass her night in Madrid?

Purchase links for all formats:

 http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Martins_JD/one-night-in-madrid.htm

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/15OOFtu 

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/161xgxx 

Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00RY328RY

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00RY328RY

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/508086?ref=cw1985 

iBooks US: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/one-night-in-madrid/id955923487

iBooks UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/one-night-in-madrid/id955923487

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/one-night-in-madrid

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-night-in-madrid-jd-martins/1121018278




Excerpt:

Draining the glass, Danny placed it on the bar, debating whether to have another pint, or stroll home and have a glass of wine while he prepared dinner. The plan was just one pint, but he needed to tell himself that twice; once when he went into the bar and again when he'd finished the drink.

And then he saw her.

She stood quite near, surrounded by a tight knot of people at the edge of the dance floor that had parted momentarily. She wore a cotton summer dress that showed the sweep of her shoulder blades and spine. The dress was floral, red with splashes of black and dark blue. She wore soft brown leather sandals that were almost invisible against her tanned feet. Her toenails were painted red but her fingernails were French polished. A silver or white-gold bracelet hung from her right wrist, and on her left she wore a silver wristwatch, which a discreet look later told him was a Patek Philippe. In her ears she had diamond stud earrings, and on the ring finger of her right hand was a silver ring with a blue stone he couldn't identify.

He didn't see her face straight away, yet something deep inside him said it had to be her.
In college, he'd often stared at this girl's long blonde hair from a few seats behind in the lecture theatre, while far below them a maths professor droned on about matrices. He knew the shape of her head and neck, had observed her tie up that hair, amazed at the beauty of the fine, straight filaments, the way the strands slid like silk over one another, yet held as one tight rope. When she was an infant her mother had clearly decided ever cutting such hair would be a sin, and she’d concurred. She plaited it, put it in a ponytail, tied it up around a clip made of what seemed to Danny like a piece of wood and two chopsticks, or simply a spare pencil. Sometimes it splayed out across her shoulders like a cascade of spun gold. Now it was pulled up in a silver clasp, to reveal the nape of a long, fine neck, and soft-skinned shoulders.

Those shoulders had been bared before, in a hot September of their freshman year, and later, during the intense study month when the cherry blossoms bloomed and fell across the lawns of campus. Danny had fantasised about slipping off that shoulder strap, letting the silky string fall down along her arm, trailing his fingers along her collarbone and ribs and pushing aside the top to expose her breasts.

When she turned around in the bar and he saw her face, Danny instantly searched through his memory to match her visage, and see all six numbers of recognition. It came out a winner. She stared back at him, her brain no doubt doing the same. Although still early, and most—apart from the pre-marriage revellers—were only on their second or third drink, Danny thought she must have been fairly merry already, because as she recognised him she smiled.

She’d never smiled at him before—not in four years of college. Then again, they’d not interacted much. They'd never really talked, never attended the same classes after second year. He'd always told himself she’d never smiled at him because she didn’t know him. Once or twice, of course, she'd turned around, casually, and seen him. But she'd seen lots of others sitting behind her, too. The back rows of the lecture theatre were filled with Danny's friends, who'd varying levels of interest in her hair and the maths lecture; from zero to all-absorbed.

The chance to get to know her had never come around. She'd majored in chemistry, Danny in computer science. He had taken a chemistry class in second year, but she'd always seemed to sit on the opposite side of the theatre then. His gaze had often paused upon her face as he searched through those assembled in a lecture the way he did through the throng of a bar.

She was stunning. Her frame was that of someone who was fit without effort. A swimmer or a gymnast at some point, she had a fine body, breasts the way Hemingway described, wide womanly hips and a behind that eyes or hands could never tire of. She had crystal blue eyes like deep Antarctic ice, and a button nose. Her mouth was perfect. Her teeth had had money spent on them, but her lips were natural; she had a dazzling smile. But before that moment in a Madrid bar, Danny had only received the coldness of those glacial eyes.



Bio:

JD Martins has been called Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Philippine and English and Australian. He is none of these.

He's lived in four cities in three countries on two continents, but he doesn't feel like he's travelled very much. His life in each city was rather mundane and he didn't get out much - tending to move his pen more than his body.

He still aspires to see much more of the world - probably when his wife becomes rich enough to let him retire from day jobs.

He would like to live like Ernest Hemmingway: periodically sending novel manuscripts to his publisher from various far-flung corners of the world, though he's not sure the quality will be quite the same. Until then, he has contented himself with living like Robert Graves - in a pleasant part of Spain with a quiet life - and being able to do some things that Hemmingway did - trout fishing in Spain, game hunting in Africa, watching bullfights and running with the bulls, - and a few that he did not get to do - surfing, skydiving, bungee jumping, and getting erotic stories published.   


links: 

http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Martins_JD/index.htm 

https://www.facebook.com/JDMartinsauthor

Google+   https://plus.google.com/u/0/113993899494442135197/about/p/pub

email: jdmartinsauthor@gmail.com