Today’s topic is food. I always think food scenes are a lot of fun and love writing them. I think they’re fun for the characters too. My scene today is taken from Assassin, book four in my Middlemarch Mates series featuring feline shapeshifters.
Assassin by Shelley Munro
“I’m feeling fine. You don’t need to treat me like an invalid.”
“But you were unconscious.”
“I’m not now. Do you have something sweet to eat in the picnic basket?”
“Probably,” Leo said.
“Good. Then that’s all I need to get my blood sugars up again. If you have coffee, that would help.”
Leo studied her closely. She certainly looked all right now with a definite sparkle in her eyes. After a brief hesitation, he decided she probably knew best. He stood and strode over to the picnic basket. When he checked the contents, he found two portions of a rich chocolate gâteaux. That should do the trick. He pulled out the gâteaux plus a spoon and returned to Isabella’s side. She’d arranged the blanket to screen her body and Leo smiled inwardly. Too late. He’d already had a good look.
“Here you go.” After he opened the plastic container for her, he held out the dessert and spoon, knowing Isabella would need to loosen her hold on the blanket in order to eat. Difficult to rake up even the faintest hint of guilt when he couldn’t wait to stare at her luscious body some more. “Eat as much as you need. I don’t mind sacrificing my portion for a good cause.”
Somehow Isabella managed to rearrange the blanket and accept the gâteaux without a hitch. While he watched, she dug into the dessert and lifted a spoonful to her mouth. Her eyes closed briefly when she tasted the gâteaux, and she let out a faint moan when it hit her taste buds. Fascinated, Leo couldn’t take his eyes off her. He watched her swallow and saw her tongue come out to rasp against a piece of icing sticking to the spoon. She quickly spooned more into her mouth, the sheer carnality of the move and the tiny sounds of appreciation she made, jolting his body to full awareness.
“Are you going to share?” The husky cadence of his voice grabbed her attention immediately.
Her brows arched. “Do you want some?”
Oh yeah, baby. He wanted some big time, but for now he’d have to make do with gâteaux. “Please.” Suddenly Leo stilled, panic stirring inside. Every muscle in his body tightened, his bones ached, his body instructing him to shift. A fine time for his feline senses to tell him to pounce. Wouldn’t that just cap off his day? After sending his date into an unconscious state, he turned feral and jumped her. They’d probably hear her screech of horror in Middlemarch if he gave in to the impulse to shift to cat.
Leo strained for control, a fine tremor passing through his muscles. He sucked in a deep breath and gave his feline a mental push. Down kitty.
“Here you go.”
Leo glanced up to see a spoonful of chocolate gâteaux float in front of him. Instinctively he opened his mouth and closed his lips around the sweet confection. His pulse rate jumped like a startled rabbit when the chocolate flooded across his taste buds. His gaze met Isabella’s and he was lost.
Leo pounced.
Available from Ellora’s Cave: Purchase link
Follow the Snippet Saturday trail and read other excerpts:
Cynthia Eden
Lauren Dane
McKenna Jeffries
Michelle M Pillow
Moira Rogers
Sylvia Day
TJ Michaels
Taige Crenshaw
Vivian Arend
Victoria Janssen
Marissa Scott
Maura Anderson
Shelley Munro
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Kelly Maher
Lacey Savage
Mark Henry
Shelli Stevens
Related posts:
Down kitty.
LOL, good snippet, Shelley. Especially how you ended it. Talk about a cliff hanger.
by Leah Braemel June 27th, 2009 at 6:47 amOh yum. I crave some gateaux and Leo now!!
by Christina Phillips June 27th, 2009 at 7:28 am[...] Jeffries Michelle M Pillow Moira Rogers TJ Michaels Taige Crenshaw Vivian Arend Victoria Janssen Shelley Munro Jody Wallace Eliza Gayle Kelly Maher Lacey Savage Mark Henry Shelli Stevens If you enjoyed this [...]
by Food | S y l v i a D a y | The Official Website - Blog June 27th, 2009 at 9:09 amThat was delicious, Shelley!
by Fedora June 27th, 2009 at 9:49 amAll I can say is YUMMM….
by Connie B June 27th, 2009 at 10:34 am
What a luscious excerpt I can almost taste the chocolate! 
by Susan L June 27th, 2009 at 1:35 pmLove that book, but had forgotten that scene. I’d go read it again but it’ll just make me sad that I have to wait FOREVER for the next one. LOL!
by Amy W. June 27th, 2009 at 4:39 pmHugs!
Thanks, Leah. I definitely had a lot of fun with Leo and Isabella. My editor suggested I do a follow-up story for them – all I need is some time to write it.
Christina – Shh, don’t tell hubby but I’d be happy for Leo to pounce in my direction.
by Shelley Munro June 27th, 2009 at 11:30 pmHey, Fedora. I’m glad you enjoyed the snippet.
Connie – thank you!
Susan – LOL – chocolate is my favorite.
by Shelley Munro June 27th, 2009 at 11:32 pmHey Amy – September isn’t that far away. Really it isn’t.
by Shelley Munro June 27th, 2009 at 11:33 pmthat is a freakin hot cover
by Beverly G June 28th, 2009 at 3:03 amLove the snippet and now I have to read the rest! Amazon ,here I come!
by Peggy Gorman June 28th, 2009 at 3:51 amDon’t shifters have a little more control? Chocolate shouldn’t send them over the edge.
by Patricia Barraclough June 28th, 2009 at 5:54 pmThanks, Beverly. I like the cover.
Peggy – thank you. Unfortunately none of my Middlemarch series is available in print as yet. Soon, I hope.
Patricia – LOL no, it’s not the chocolate that plays with Leo’s control. It’s Isabella. Definitely Isabella!
by Shelley Munro June 29th, 2009 at 12:54 am