Smokin' Hot—Hot and Bothered: Lover's Day

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

Greetings!

This week we're tasked with sharing a scene with sexual tension to leave us hot and bothered. Nice! Especially if you live in a cold climate… like Ohio in February. LOL

For my feature, I'm posting a scene from my upcoming Fireborn Publishing release, Lover's Day.

For a little background, here's the tagline:

On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

Bring on the tension…

He'd draped his tee over his shoulder while he downed half the contents of a water bottle. When she approached, he held the bottle in her direction, silently offering her the rest. Maxie let her fingers stay on his longer than necessary when she took the container. Then she tilted her head back to drain the remaining fluid.

Maxie grinned when Nate appeared to be transfixed on her actions. "You know, I'm gonna start getting ideas if you keep doing that."  Wiping her lips with the back of her hand, she tossed the bottle in the recycling bin.

Looking a little sheepish, Nate responded, "I would apologize if I didn't think I was doing exactly what you wanted." He slowly closed the short distance between them. "Am I wrong? Wanna fill me in on what's going on in that head of yours?"

Do I ever. And Nate's curiosity pushed her momentum up a notch, thank the cosmic alignment of the universe.

Maxie flashed a quick smile. "Noooo…you're not wrong." She leaned in close, pitching her voice low. "I've got my last six favors all picked out. I just needed to know if you'd be…" Her gaze dropped for a moment, the tip of her tongue wetting her top lip. "Um, up for them." Her stare lingered on his groin.

Nate's held tilted back in understanding. "Ah, I see." He returned her bold perusal. "I'm pretty sure I can be 'up' for anything." Invading her personal space, his head lowered, his lips just a whisper away from hers. "What's the first favor, Maxie?"

His raspy tone, sinful and sexy, sent a blaze of need coursing through her.

~*~

Coming February 13

Fireborn Publishing

~*~

Book Blurb: Nate Northampton and Maxie Yearns are pilots on the Apus and have been dealing with the loss of their best friend, Martin Comico, who died in a crash due to a technical flaw. After Martin's death, the dynamic changes between Nate and Maxie. Nate pulls back, a little lost without Martin to act as a sounding board. Maxie notices the distance and feels like she's lost two friends instead of one.

Maxie becomes a woman on a mission. She wants things with Nate to go back to normal—and beyond—but without Martin to act as their buffer, she's not sure how to proceed. With Lover's Day fast approaching, and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

Nate struggles with the new signals Maxie throws his way, but he goes with the flow, something Martin always recommended. Nate can't go wrong if he heeds his friend's advice and the reward may see his wildest dream become reality.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Lover's Day #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a series of excerpts from Lover's Day, my upcoming release from Fireborn Publishing, arriving on February 13. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Maxie and Nate.

This week, we see Maxie tease Nate a little to test the waters.

Book Tagline: On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

~*~

Two days later, Maxie caught up with Nate when he carried a tray of food from the galley toward the mess. Falling into step with him, she walked along by his side until he got settled then she plopped down across from him. He didn't even get a chance to take his first bite before she snagged the tray and slid it in front of herself.

At his questioning glance, she shrugged. "I'm hungry… and you still owe me some favors." She twirled his fork in the pile of noodles then pursed her lips to suck the long strand into her mouth.

Nate sat watching her, mesmerized by her sensuous display. Maxie didn't know which made her hotter, the spicy noodles or the spark of interest in Nate's eyes. She ate three more mouthfuls of the pasta before she couldn't stand it anymore and switched to the ripe, sweet fruit in the dish next to the plate. Blessedly juicy and cool, the chunks of watermelon took the edge off the zesty tang of the sauce.

Savoring the flavor, she chewed slowly then swallowed. "You know… I could use a drink. The noodles seem spicier than usual." She speared another piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth, talking while she chewed. "And this fruit won't last long. They never give you enough to go with the noodles." She held back a grin when Nate sighed and rose, ready to procure her requested beverage. "You should get yourself something while you're up."

Watching him leave, a twinge of contrition hit for what she planned to put him through. He'd think her a pain in the ass, but if he continued to be such a good sport, she had a feeling he'd be okay with her remaining list of favors.

Available February 13

~*~

Brand Blurb: Sexy Short—complete stories sized just right for a satisfying read

Book Blurb: Maxie Yearns is a woman on a mission who wants things with Nate Northampton to go back to normal. Without Martin Comico to act as their buffer, they struggle to find their footing again, but with Lover's Day fast approaching and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.

Smokin' Hot—Hot and Swoon-Worthy: Lover's Day

Welcome to the Hot for Friday blog hop!

Readers: Enjoy posts from authors with fun weekly tasks or a cool question.

Authors: Get in on the fun and join here.

After a forced hiatus where I descended into deadline hell, I finally get to rejoin my fellow authors with a new Hot for Friday blog post. YAY!

This week we're tasked with posting a piece of dialog where our hero gets to take center stage and deliver a swoon-worthy line to the heroine. I can't wait to read some smooth moves from our hot men.

For my feature, I'm posting one of my favorite bits from my upcoming Fireborn Publishing Valentine themed release, Lover's Day.

For a little background, here's the tagline:

On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

And the swoon-worthy dialog…(from Maxie's point of view)

Nate shifted and sat up, leaning against the pillows. "Where are we going with this, Maxie? I mean, is this just an easy lay? Is that why you picked Lover's Day?"

Leave it to Nate to get straight to the heart of everything.

Maxie sat up, facing him. "That's more than one question, Nate." Her lips twitched. "But the honest answer is yes, I picked Lover's Day to give us an out, if we needed one."

Nate shook his head. "We don't. Or at least I don't." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not a one and done kind of guy. You should know this about me, Maxie."

~*~

Maxie is quite happy Nate's got staying power—in and out of bed. :D

Coming February 13

Fireborn Publishing

~*~

Book Blurb: Nate Northampton and Maxie Yearns are pilots on the Apus and have been dealing with the loss of their best friend, Martin Comico, who died in a crash due to a technical flaw. After Martin's death, the dynamic changes between Nate and Maxie. Nate pulls back, a little lost without Martin to act as a sounding board. Maxie notices the distance and feels like she's lost two friends instead of one.

Maxie becomes a woman on a mission. She wants things with Nate to go back to normal—and beyond—but without Martin to act as their buffer, she's not sure how to proceed. With Lover's Day fast approaching, and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

Nate struggles with the new signals Maxie throws his way, but he goes with the flow, something Martin always recommended. Nate can't go wrong if he heeds his friend's advice and the reward may see his wildest dream become reality.

~*~

Thank you for stopping by.

Please feel free to drop by my website

And don't forget to enjoy the other Hot for Friday posts!

A Gift from the Stars—The SFR Brigade Showcase: Lover's Day #sfrbp

Welcome to the Science Fiction Romance Brigade Presents, a weekly sneak peek sampler hosted by the SFR Brigade.

Readers: enjoy brief glimpses of currently available, soon to be released books, or works in progress. Authors are sharing short excerpts for your enjoyment. Please have fun and spread the joy.

~*~

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I'm sharing my upcoming themed release, Lover's Day, coming February 13 from Fireborn Publishing.

Book Tagline: On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

~*~

Nate Northampton couldn't believe his rotten luck. His four on a quad had been trumped by Maxie Yearn's full ride. He pulled the most incredible hand he'd had in years and his best friend, otherwise known as the new bane of his existence, topped it.

Seriously, how did she do it?

Maxie had a nasty habit of always ending his hot streaks. Until she'd entered the game, he'd been up over everyone. At least he'd achieved his main goal of letting off steam. And then some. The fact that Maxie now had every last bit of his bounty couldn't take his accomplishment away.

He watched her scoop up her winnings, accept a round of congratulations, and down a freshly poured shot. Nate decided to take his leave before she started crowing about coming out on top. With as much as they'd had to drink, the innuendo wouldn't stop if it got started. And sexy banter could take them places they didn't need to go.

They didn't have Martin—has it really been almost a year since we lost him—to keep them on the straight and narrow anymore.

He'd learned his lesson a long time ago. Never get started with Maxie if Martin didn't have his back. Too bad Nate hadn't remembered the other important bit—never, ever bet against Bombshell… no matter how great the cards in his hand.

The woman had more good fortune at wagers than anyone he'd ever met. Whatever looked out for her in the universe did a damn fine job. Nate almost wished she didn't have a butt load of skill to back up the rest.

He'd almost escaped to the hatch when Maxie cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey Slapshot… you still have to pay up."

~*~

Blurb: Nate Northampton and Maxie Yearns are pilots on the Apus and have been dealing with the loss of their best friend, Martin Comico, who died in a crash due to a technical flaw. After Martin's death, the dynamic changes between Nate and Maxie. Nate pulls back, a little lost without Martin to act as a sounding board. Maxie notices the distance and feels like she's lost two friends instead of one.

Maxie becomes a woman on a mission. She wants things with Nate to go back to normal—and beyond—but without Martin to act as their buffer, she's not sure how to proceed. With Lover's Day fast approaching, and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

Nate struggles with the new signals Maxie throws his way, but he goes with the flow, something Martin always recommended. Nate can't go wrong if he heeds his friend's advice and the reward may see his wildest dream become reality.

Arriving February 13 2015

Please visit my website 

~*~

Thank you for reading!

Gift yourself with more great sneak peeks!

Visit the other participating authors

Get Hooked: Reel in a Great Book—Lover's Day #MFRWAuthors #MFRWHooks

Welcome to Book Hooks, the weekly smorgasbord sampler hosted by the MFRW Authors Blog.

Readers: get hooked and reel in some great books. Authors are sharing short excerpts from their work. Please enjoy and consider picking up the full book by clicking on the buy link.

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, I wanted to share a series of excerpts from Lover's Day, my upcoming release from Fireborn Publishing, arriving on February 13. Over the next few weeks, I'll post a few pivotal scenes between Maxie and Nate.

This week, we meet Maxie.

Book Tagline: On Lover's Day, an exchange of favors puts Maxie and Nate back on the right track.

~*~

Maxie grinned at Nate's retreating back. She could have so much fun with the wager. Poor Nate. He'd bet against her with a kick ass hand and lost. How she ended up with a full ride, she'd never know. Possibly some type of divine intervention.

Chuckling, she waited until someone topped off her glass again and Nate had just reached the exit before delivering a parting shot. "Be prepared, Nate. Remember, you have to do anything and everything I ask." He raised his hand in acknowledgment, but didn't look back.

Maxie tossed the shot down, growing thoughtful. She and Nate had been doing a slow tug of war for equilibrium since they'd lost a third of their trio—to a stupid mechanical flaw in a plane. Martin Comico acted as a balance beam between her headstrong impulsiveness and Nate's stubborn fastidiousness. Without him, she now tended to bump heads with Nate and didn't like it.

They'd lost the intimacy they used to have. Sure, they were still friends. Not like Nate went out of his way to avoid her. But he held back and Maxie missed having fun with him. She'd given him ample opportunity and openings for the banter they used to toss back and forth, but he didn't even nibble at the obvious bait.

And she knew why. Martin wouldn't be there to rein them in. He'd always kept her and Nate from saying, or doing, anything truly stupid or irrevocable. But there had to be a way to draw Nate back, get closer with him again. She hated the feeling of losing two friends, instead of one.

She wouldn't be above giving Nate a big ass nudge. But she'd have to use a soft touch. Nate didn't appreciate a hard approach. No, he always went for subtlety if he could. Finesse, he called it.

Not really her thing, but she could probably pull it off.

Ten favors wouldn't be a bad way to start.  

Available February 13

~*~

Brand Blurb: Sexy Short—complete stories sized just right for a satisfying read

Book Blurb: Maxie Yearns is a woman on a mission who wants things with Nate Northampton to go back to normal. Without Martin Comico to act as their buffer, they struggle to find their footing again, but with Lover's Day fast approaching and a lucky draw at the card table, Maxie has just the plan to test the waters with Nate.

~*~

~*~

Please stop by my website

Reel in more great books! Visit the other participating authors.