Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

The theme for this week is bad dates. I’ve chosen a snippet from The Bottom Line, my Samhain Publishing release where the heroine and her friends attend a speed dating event.

The Bottom Line by Shelley Munro

“I’ve been looking forward to this all week, but now that I’ve seen the men I’m not so keen,” Susan said in a glum voice.

Privately Maggie agreed with her, although it wasn’t right to judge by appearance. “There are a couple of guys who look okay.” And one of them was Connor. She’d noticed the way some of the women had looked at him, like a dieter studied a chocolate bar.

She tried to tamp down the jealousy blooming inside her. No reason for it, she told herself. They’d both agreed they were free to date others.

A bell interrupted her jumbled thoughts. “Ladies, the gentlemen are ready for you. If you’re a bit lost and not sure where to go, look for the ladies wearing the bright yellow T-shirts. They’re stewards and will help with directions.”

“I’m starting to feel like I’m at school,” Christina said. “And look how the women outnumber the men. I feel like I’m in a competition and that makes me nervous.”

“You and me both,” Susan agreed.

“I’m going to need drinks after this,” Julia said. “Anyone else want to hit a bar with me?”

Maggie nodded. “I’m in. We can discuss our dates. Good luck. Something tells me we’re going to need it.” There were some beautiful women present tonight. Old insecurities surged back to haunt her. If they couldn’t find dates, what hope did she have?

She slipped into the seat opposite her first date and forced a smile. “Hi, I’m Maggie.”

“Stewart,” he said. “I like stamp collecting and reading Superman comics.”

“That’s nice.”

“Can you cook?”

“Yes, I like cooking,” Maggie said.

“Good, I need a woman who can cook. My mother said that’s important.”

Maggie stared, shocked. In her worst nightmares she hadn’t thought the men would be this bad. She glanced at her watch. Another hour. A drink was looking good, and she’d barely started. “What else are you looking for in a woman?”

“I want a woman who is a good cook, does a good job of housework and won’t mind looking after my mother.”

“I’m not very good with sick people.” Maggie had no experience with ill people and didn’t want to learn unless it was for someone she cared about. “Maybe you should hire a maid?”

His mouth dropped open.

Just then the bell went.

Saved by the bell. Surely the dates couldn’t be all as bad as Stewart?

She slipped into the next seat and smiled a welcome. To her relief he wasn’t as bad. He just wasn’t very interesting either. Her mind drifted to spanking and her blog.

“Is there anything you’d like to know about me?” he asked. “Maggie?”

“Yes, what do you think of the idea of spanking in a consenting adult relationship?”

The man’s mouth opened and closed before he replied. “Spanking? During sex, you mean?”

“That’s right,” Maggie said in a crisp voice. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

“I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “Er…I suppose I could try it. What would you spank me with? Would it hurt?”

“That wasn’t quite what I had in mind,” Maggie said, the need to laugh out loud taking her by surprise. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The bell went and she moved on to her next date. She grinned and took her seat. “Hi, I’m Maggie. How do you feel about spanking?”

The man stared at her, his mouth curling into a delighted grin. “I haven’t been naughty.”

“But you’re thinking about spanking. Surely that’s worth a swat or two.”

“And I came tonight under protest,” he said. “Where have you been all my life?”

Purchase The Bottom Line

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:

Vivian Arend
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
Lissa Matthews
Helen Kay Dimon
Delilah Devlin
Shelli Stevens
TJ Michaels
Jody Wallace

The theme for this week is birthday celebrations. I’ve picked an excerpt from one of my Samhain Publishing contemporaries, Tea For Two. It’s the heroine’s birthday. She had intended to stay at home, but her friend persuades her to go to a party. At the party Hayley meets the hero, Sam.

Tea For Two by Shelley Munro

On the dance floor, he swept her into his arms, their lower limbs brushing with exquisite slowness. Hayley swallowed, trying to control her excitement. She’d made her decision when she’d given him a false name. A one-night stand. Dare she? With a determined playboy? At least that’s what the papers reported. Sam Norville was a dedicated playboy.

And she was considering…oh, dear. She was bad. Even thinking about a one-night stand. Hayley pressed her cheek against his leather jacket and smiled dreamily. Could a secretary be a bad girl during her off-duty hours? Maybe, maybe not. Well, she’d see how the night progressed. She ignored her conscience screaming about impulsiveness and consequences. The memories of her parents’ lectures… Couldn’t a girl have a little fun on her birthday? Maybe he didn’t feel the same sexual currents she did. Perhaps she was making a huge fool of herself, providing a little entertainment for the playboy.

Their bodies swayed. Barely moving, their limbs brushed and bumped together when they collided with other laughing dancers. His nearness, his intoxicating citrus scent overwhelmed her, kept adding to the daring thoughts already dancing through her head. She tingled all over, the heat from his touch pulling her nipples to tight beads beneath the cups of her silky bra.

They continued to dance, holding each other close, hands wandering and lazily exploring. She felt the hard ridge of his erection brushing against her stomach. Gradually she let herself believe that this attraction, this thing between them went both ways.

“What would you do if I danced you into a dark corner and kissed you?” he asked during a break in the music.

“I’m not sure.” Liar, her subconscious taunted. Her body warmed and her limbs became heavy, her pulse skittering alarmingly out of control. She glanced up at him and winked. “Why don’t you try it and find out?”

He could do just about anything to her, if he kept talking in that low, husky voice.

He stared at her for a long second, and she swallowed, her nerves doing a real number on her knees. His sudden smile sent her pulse lurching madly and her stomach fluttering. Those margaritas were tricky little suckers, sneaking up on a girl without warning.

“Come on,” he whispered. “I want to see if my imagination is good.”

Hayley’s breath whooshed out in a gusty sigh, her conscience shrieked at her, but she accepted his hand and, after collecting her bag, let him lead her through the crowd of laughing people and downstairs to the main pub. It was an old one with lots of small nooks and cozy private areas within the main building.

“How far away is this dark corner you’re talking about?”

He winked. “Later. How about grabbing us a seat while I buy drinks?” His dark gaze caressed her face before settling on her lips. The impression felt almost physical and set tiny starbursts of sensation dancing inside her stomach.

Hayley found herself nodding in agreement. “An orange juice for me please.” She watched him prowl to the bar, her attention shooting to his world-class backside. She licked suddenly dry lips and fought with her chiding conscience.

This. Was. Not. A. Good. Idea.

She had time to flee—if she wanted, before things went too far. That was the crux of the problem. If she wanted. She liked Sam, or what she knew of him so far, despite his playboy reputation. Maybe she’d shove the good angel sitting on her right shoulder off and see where her naughty self took her. Yeah, maybe that’s what she should do. After all, it was her twenty-fifth birthday. If she didn’t celebrate, who would?

Purchase Tea for Two

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:

Leah Braemel
Vivian Arend
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
Lissa Matthews

The theme for this week is humor and making readers laugh. Most of my books contain an element of humor. It finds its way into my books without me doing anything. Pick up any of my books and I hope you’ll find an entertaining read (with a plot!), some hot love scenes and the characters interacting and laughing.

I’ve chosen a snippet from my first Talking Dogs book, Talking Dogs, Aliens and Purple People Eaters. Both of the other two Talking Dogs books, Never Send a Dog to do a Woman’s Job and Romantic Interlude have elements of humor as does Fancy Free, which takes place in the same town of Sloan and some of the Talking Dog characters have supporting cameo roles.

Talking Dogs, Aliens and Purple People Eaters by Shelley Munro

“We’re gonna crash. Buckle up.”

“What?” Janaya spun around to gape at her aunt, Hinekiri. One look told her the truth. Hinekiri wasn’t teasing.

Janaya gulped and scowled out a porthole at the rapidly approaching blue planet and muttered a succinct curse, trying to halt her escalating panic. Tendrils of icy fear curled around her insides. Her worst fear come to life. “I thought you said this…this antique had plenty of life yet.” She fumbled with the harness straps and another weak curse slipped out when the ship plunged into white, fluffy clouds sending her stomach swooping toward her toes.

“Ah, good.” Her aunt’s voice held satisfaction, despite their impending doom. “You worked your way through the Earth-speak tapes.”

Janaya stared at her aunt, speechless for an instant, before her gaze slid past the porthole once more. She swallowed and imagined shaking Hinekiri until her teeth rattled and good sense reigned. The image didn’t ease her panic any.

“We’re gonna bloody crash,” Janaya shrieked. “Pay attention. What do I do? I don’t know anything about flying this bucket of bolts. I’m a bodyguard.”

“Yes, dear, and I’m very proud of you.”

“Hinekiri!” The only reason she’d boarded this ship was because fear for her aunt’s life was greater than her dislike of flying. She was beginning to regret her impulse big time.

“I said we were crashing,” her aunt said. “I don’t believe I mentioned death.”

“You… When we land, I’m going to damage you,” Janaya gritted out.

“Tsk-tsk.” Her aunt waggled her forefinger while she nonchalantly maneuvered the manual steering controls.

The ship groaned in loud protest and if anything, they picked up in speed. “I thought you stowed away to protect me from the bad guys.” A teasing grin flashed, lighting up her lined face. “Not do their dirty work for them.”

“Tell. Me. What. To. Do.” They were gonna die. Janaya was sure of it. She’d never live to set foot on Dalcon again. She’d never get the captain’s promotion she was aiming for, the promotion she’d earned by sheer hard work. And Santana would find someone else.

“Harness up and let me concentrate.”

Tension seeped through Janaya’s body, finding an outlet in her white-knuckled grip, as she watched her aunt calmly prepare to crash.

“I thought you said most of the Earth’s surface is water,” she blurted, her gaze darting from the porthole on her right to her aunt and back.

“That’s right, dear.”

“Are we going to land in water?”

Her aunt looked up from the panel of controls and frowned. “Can’t you swim?”

Janaya bit her bottom lip to keep the curse that trembled on her tongue contained. “Yes, I can swim.” The quirk of Hinekiri’s top lip gave her away, and Janaya’s shallow breaths eased out with a relieved hiss.

Chances were good that her aunt was…ah yes…pulling her leg. When she stood with both feet firmly on the ground again, she’d feel more in charge. After an aggrieved glare at her aunt, she amended the thought. Maybe not.

Purchase from Ellora’s Cave in ebook or print or from Amazon in Kindle or print.

To read more excerpts follow the Snippet Saturday links below:

Leah Braemel
Vivian Arend
Delilah Devlin
Sasha White
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Helen Kay Dimon
Mari Carr
TJ Michaels
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace

The theme for this week is a sad excerpt — tissues required. Several sad scenes come to mind, but they’re all pivotal scenes that slot in toward the end of the story. I don’t want to give any spoilers. The two stories I have in mind are Leticia’s Lovers and CatNap. In the end I decided to give you a quick scene from a recent release, Blue Lady. Blue Lady is the latest addition to my Middlemarch Mates series.

Blue Lady by Shelley Munro

Saber Mitchell prowled across the tussock in feline form, gradually picking up speed until he was galloping at full strength. His mind seethed with turmoil. Anger. Helplessness. Pain. He felt it all.

The emotions roiled inside him, combining into doubt and panic. Something had to change between him and Emily before it was too late and their marriage imploded under the strain. His muscles strained. His lungs labored as he fought the stiff breeze roaring over the brow of the hill. Running didn’t help. No matter how fast his sprint, he couldn’t outrun his fears.

He was losing Emily.

Anguish swelled inside him and he slowed, realizing he’d instinctively headed for the spot where he and Emily had made love during the heady days of their courtship. He’d known what he’d wanted then. Confidence had filled him as he’d pursued his goals. He’d wanted Emily and done his best to both seduce and woo her to his way of thinking. Officially bestowing his mark on Emily and mating with her was the best thing he’d ever done.

He loved her.

It might seem laughable to some, but Emily really did complete him. Her presence made him a better man. She pulled him and his brothers together, making them into a big, happy family, one full of love and laughter.

Hell, he didn’t know what to do, how to make things better or how to fix the yawning hole between them. Because there was one thing he knew for sure—he couldn’t survive without Emily. They were mates, meant to live out their lives together.

Saber came to a halt in the shelter of a large pile of schist, his sides heaving from the exertion. The scent of dried grasses and the underlying, more pungent aroma of the soil, damp from recent rain and cattle filled his lungs. He’d come out here to think, but his mind couldn’t get past the fact he was losing Emily and the reality—he’d never felt so helpless in his entire life.

It didn’t help that he hadn’t been there for her and their unborn daughter when they needed him. That’s what killed him most of all. He’d promised to look after Emily and hadn’t. He’d failed her.

The ache of failure intensified, hurting his chest. Despondently, he padded back into the wind, heading for his vehicle. This time self-sufficiency wasn’t going to work. He needed help.

Half an hour later, he walked into Gavin Finley’s surgery, halting just inside the door. Gavin was both doctor to the local feline shifters and vet for the human part of the Middlemarch community. Kiran, Gavin’s assistant, was with him as they worked on a golden retriever.

“Gavin, I need to make an appointment,” Saber said. “Can you fit me in?”

“Is there a problem?” Gavin watched Kiran carefully stitch the wound closed.

“No. Yes.” His hands curled to fists at his sides while he struggled to ask for help. He was the one who fixed problems. He didn’t need help. His shoulders slumped forward a fraction.

That was a lie.

He and Emily desperately required help.

Purchase from Ellora’s Cave, Amazon or All Romance eBooks.

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:

Leah Braemel
Lissa Matthews
Vivian Arend
Delilah Devlin
Sasha White
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Helen Kay Dimon
Mari Carr
TJ Michaels

The theme this week is spooky, which is a suitable topic with Halloween tomorrow. But, the thing is we don’t really celebrate Halloween in New Zealand and, as it happens, I couldn’t think of a single spooky scene in any of my books. Note to self – write a spooky scene or two!

Instead I’ve picked a scene from Tiger By The Tail, book nine in my Middlemarch Mates series just because I like it. You have my promise to try to do better next year when spooky comes around again.

Tiger By The Tail by Shelley Munro

“Rohan. Rohan!” Ambar stomped into the house she shared with her brother and his mate Kiran. The scent of freshly brewed coffee made her turn in the direction of the kitchen. She burst through the doorway and glared at them both before focusing on Rohan.

“I asked you to do one thing. One thing! And did you do it? Oh no.” She threw up her hands in disgust, her scowl intensifying.

Kiran took one look at her face and stood. “Maybe I should go.”

“Sit,” Ambar ordered. “Rohan, you didn’t cancel the marriage broker.”

“I did so.” Rohan met her gaze without a hint of deceit. “I cancelled the contract with the marriage broker and told him his services were no longer required.”

“Then why did a man turn up in the store this morning and tell me he’d come to marry me?”

“What man? Where is he?”

Ambar glowered at both men. “I pushed him out of the store, slammed the door in his face and hightailed it straight here.” She twisted the golden band on her right hand, the ring she’d inherited from her mother and wore to remind herself of her desire to live an independent life. While men were lots of fun, she didn’t need one to survive. She did not need a mate to complete her life.

“Why didn’t you bring him here? Or ask him to wait at the store and call me so we could sort it out?”

“I’m not marrying him, and you can’t make me.” She wrenched on the gold band again, trying not to think about him. Hari.

“Rohan doesn’t intend to force you to marry anyone,” Kiran said, handing her a mug of coffee. His unruffled manner went a long way to restoring her calm.

“I can’t believe you closed the store,” Rohan muttered. “How are we going to grow our business with you shutting shop at the slightest provocation?”

“Provocation? You call this provocation?” Ambar snapped, the fragile hold on her temper fraying again. “I supported you and Kiran. I expect you to tell this…this man to leave Middlemarch and never come back. I told him, but I expect he’ll only listen to a male.”

Rohan pushed back his chair and stood, circling the table to stand at her side. For a moment Ambar wanted to deck him then she saw the concern on his face. All the fight drained out of her. Deep down, she didn’t think he’d arrange a marriage for her. He knew she valued her independence, but he didn’t know of her desire to travel. She hadn’t confided her list of dream destinations to anyone.

“Finish your coffee and we’ll go back to the store together.”

“But what if he’s gone?”

Kiran chuckled. “Isn’t that what you want?”

“He was actually quite nice,” Ambar said, recalling his tentative manner. “He had an awful scar on his face. I’d hate for him to think I acted like a boor because I couldn’t bear to look at him. I think he was nervous.”

“Where was he from? Did he say?” Rohan asked.

“I didn’t give him a chance.” Ambar frowned, trying to recall his face in detail. Apart from the scar, she didn’t remember much. “He wasn’t from India. He sounded English to me.”

Rohan took a sip of coffee. “I wonder if Dad used a broker over in England as well as the one in India. There’s a large Indian community in Manchester and a smaller one in London. I didn’t find anything in the paperwork in the office. Did he ask to speak with me?”

“Of course he did. I was consigned to the little woman box straightaway,” Ambar said, her top lip curling in disdain.

“Why didn’t you just tell him to piss off?” Kiran sipped his coffee, studying her carefully like one of his animal patients. “Why did you flick your tail and run away? You know a male tiger’s typical response is to chase.”

She winged him a glare. “I did not flick my tail. I’m not interested in another man. You know I’m going out with Jake.”

Rohan’s brows rose and his lips quivered as if he was trying not to laugh. “But you did run away.”

All the hot air whooshed out of her at the challenge. Heck, they were right. Why hadn’t she told him to take a hike?

Purchase from Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle

Check out the recent review of Tiger By The Tail at The Book Binge

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:

Shelley Munro
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
TJ Michaels
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle

The theme for this week is secondary characters. I love writing stories with secondary characters. They can say and do things the hero or heroine can’t. Secondary characters are also great for comic relief. Since I’m currently writing a follow up story to Fancy Free, this seemed like an obvious choice for my Snippet Saturday this week. And, for those of you who aren’t familiar with this story, Fancy Free is the story of Alice who inherits a condom factory.

Fancy Free by Shelley Munro

“Are you really all right, dear? You look a little flushed.” The knitting lady again.

Alice jerked back to the present to find every one of the six board members staring at her again plus the admin lady, and worst of all, the manager James Bates. He wore a grin, almost as if he knew what she’d fantasized about and relived only seconds ago.

Oh my. Steven was right. Her morals had fallen by the wayside. She was a wicked woman and was going to hell. Realizing she had yet to answer, Alice blurted, “Fine. I’m…ah…focused on the business.” And how. If she concentrated on sex and condoms any harder, she’d self-combust. An X-rated version of Alice in Wonderland. Who’d have guessed?

“How’s the security?” Richard Morgan asked. “Have we had any more breaches since we installed the security cameras on the roof?”

“The alarm hasn’t been tripped, but we’ve had a lot of problems on the production line recently. Missing supplies, and Scott, the floor manager, discovered someone had changed the settings on the packing machine. Most of the boxes packed this week went out one condom short. Of course we only found this out after they’d left the warehouse. We’ve had to recall them.”

“More money off the bottom line,” Sam Glengarry muttered, fingering his chin in a thoughtful manner. “Not good.”

“We’ll have to set up covert cameras on the floor.” Richard frowned. “I didn’t want to do that.”

“We’ll do what we have to,” Katarina stated. “Besides, I want to buy a red coupe with my next payout. Can’t do that if we don’t have profits.”

“Red?” Ben asked. “I’d get a black one. I heard on the radio today that the most desired car color in Britain is black.”

“Humph,” Katarina said. “It’s a bugger to keep clean. Fingerprints all over the paintwork. There’s nothing worse.”

“Can we get back to condoms?” James demanded with a trace of impatience.

Joseph Craig nodded, even though his mind was clearly on bonuses. “That’s a bit rough. Too much money invested in the X-100. We must sort out our security problems before the public gets wind of it. Can’t have the consumers’ confidence in the integrity of Fancy Free’s products dented.”

Everyone around the table nodded. The board moved on in discussions.

Rita Jamieson, the admin lady, produced a life-sized penis made of fiberglass from a padlocked wooden box, placed it on the table and competently rolled on a teal green condom with purple dots. Harriet Te Whare glanced up from her lime green and canary yellow knitting. “I’m not sure about the color selections.”

“Rubbish,” Ben Kumar stated. “Purple is the new black. I suppose we could have black dots since that color is so popular on cars.”

“Of course we’ll have several colors,” James said. “A matching palette. These are just two examples.”

“I’m more worried about the design.” Joseph Craig accepted the model from Rita and surveyed it from all angles. “And I’m still not sure about these dots. What have the people in the trials said about comfort?”

“The raised dots are fine. Do you have another one there, Rita?” Rita rolled a condom on a second penis model and handed it to James. He ran his fingers over the dots. “I’ve used it myself. See the way they move when I touch them? It’s like a mini massage when it’s in use.”

“But they’re much bigger than our regular raised dots model,” Joseph argued. “We need to use extra latex in the design because the dots are larger.”

“No. We have the right amount of latex. Pretend my hand is the woman’s vagina. See how the dots fan outward like tiny brushes?”

Alice stared, her mouth pursed in astonishment and partial shock as he showed the rest of the board how the new condom functioned. His fist acted as the woman’s vagina while he used his other hand to thrust and demonstrate how the raised dots worked. They didn’t bat an eyelid but paid close attention and asked intelligent questions. Alice leapt from one shock to another and learned more about the theory of sex and the practical application of condoms in the course of the day than she’d soaked up in all her twenty-five years.

But she managed to make it through the day. Just. It felt as though the heat controls of her body were firmly stuck on hot and fiery. Her mind drifted in the gutter with her supremely conscious of James Bates. Big and male, his crotch seemed level with her face for a good deal of the time while he stood to demonstrate various things for the board members. She had never felt so conscious of her body in her entire life. Her nipples felt more tender than normal, brushing with exquisite friction against the sturdy cotton bra she wore. She would never think about condoms and sex in the same way again. Never.

Purchase from Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:

Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
Lissa Matthews
TJ Michaels
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace

The topic for this week is “In Between” and I immediately thought of Leticia’s Lovers. Leticia had a rocky road to love and her story remains one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy this snippet from Leticia’s Lovers.

Leticia’s Lovers by Shelley Munro

Morning came all too quickly. They shared a quick shower with only mild groping before they both dressed for work.

“Will you come and stay tonight?” Gavin asked.

Charlie tossed his damp towel aside and strode the two steps needed to reach Gavin. “The idea of not being with you hadn’t occurred to me.” He dragged Gavin into his arms and kissed him, not roughly but slow and gentle, pouring every writhing emotion inside into his kiss. When he lifted his head they were both breathing hard.

“Damn, I wish I didn’t need to go to work,” Gavin said with a glance at his wristwatch.

“I know the feeling. Do you have time for a coffee at the café?”

“No, I have a patient arriving in half an hour. I’ll have to prepare the surgery.” Gavin lifted his head, glancing toward the surgery with a frown. His shoulders tensed beneath Charlie’s hands. “Fuck.”

“You okay?”

“Yeah.” Gavin didn’t sound very certain.

Charlie heard the tap-tap of shoes and turned to the door. “Your patients come to your bedroom? Is there another door I should have locked last night?”

“The one to the surgery waiting room,” Gavin muttered. “I forgot to check it. I had other things on my mind.”

“Gavin, I thought I’d—” A decidedly feminine form skidded to a halt in the doorway.

Leticia—the woman from last night. Today she wore tight jeans and a formfitting T-shirt in pale blue. She wore a cap on her head, her blonde hair poking through the back in a long ponytail. What little color she had in her face flooded away when she took in both Gavin and Charlie. They both wore trousers but neither had donned shirts and they stood way too close to try the casual friends ploy. The scent of sex hung on the air and the rumpled bed gave more than a hint of how they’d spent their night.

Leticia’s brown eyes swept over Charlie, coming to rest on the mark. His skin prickled as if she’d physically touched him and he automatically covered the raised site with his fingers.

“You marked him?” The pain in her voice had Charlie wanting to comfort her. He noted it had the same affect on Gavin. Collectively they took a step toward her.

Leticia slapped her hand over her mouth and backed up, her eyes wide with panic and betrayal.

“Leticia, it’s not what it looks like,” Gavin said.

“Oh yeah?” Bitterness filled her words. Her eyes swept over both of them, skimming their bare chests and the obvious marks on their shoulders. “He bit you too. You can’t—I thought we…oh hell.” Leticia turned and fled.

Purchase from Ellora’s Cave or Amazon Kindle or All Romance eBooks

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the links below:

Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
Lissa Matthews

The theme for this week is last loves. Since we’re free to interpret the topic in any way we want, I’m going to give you a love scene from The Bottom Line. This book is very much on my mind at present because I’m reading through the print galley. Connor suspects Maggie is the women for him almost from the start but, like all romances, they fumble their way along until they reach their happy ending.

This is a love scene so under eighteens read no further!

The Bottom Line by Shelley Munro

“No thanks. I’ve had enough wine tonight. If I have any more I’ll fall asleep.” She loosened the belt on her black and red coat until it dropped free and unfastened the buttons. “I wouldn’t want to waste this on sleep.”

Connor froze. His mouth dried of every trace of spit.

“Do you like?” she asked in a saucy tone, cocking one hip with sexy attitude.

“Hell, yeah,” he croaked, staring at the wee bit of nothing she wore “I think red is my new favorite color.” He prowled across the distance separating them and pushed the black and red coat off her shoulders. It fell down her arms and dropped to the floor with a whisper of crisp fabric.

She might as well have been naked because the lacey bra and panties she wore didn’t cover much. They were all enticement rather than functionality. He tucked a lock of her dark hair behind one ear, still trying to take in the transformation from Maggie to siren. He ran his hand over her collarbone and across her shoulder, his attention on her beautiful breasts. The red lace was translucent and he could see her nipples. As he touched and skimmed his hands across silky skin, her nipples hardened, pulling to tight crests that just begged him to kiss.

“Come to bed,” he said, his voice husky and full of desire.

She smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

He grabbed her hand, wanting to go slow despite the urgency thrumming through his veins. Even so, he couldn’t prevent a surge of impatience when he grabbed her, swinging her into his arms and striding for his bedroom. He tossed her on his bed, part of his mind thinking how right she looked there. His. He couldn’t muck this up between them. Not when it felt so damned right.

Connor followed her down to the bed and plundered her mouth, nipping. Tasting. Seducing.

“I want you so bad,” he muttered.

“So, what’s stopping you? Take me. I’m all yours.”

If only she really meant that.

He licked the sweetness of her mouth, pushed his tongue in at the corner of her lips until a choked, breathless sound came from her. His hands mapped her body, committing her to memory while he continued to make love to her mouth.

When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathing hard.

“This lingerie is more thought than covering,” he said, tugging on one of the shoulder straps.

“Yeah, great, isn’t it? It makes me feel sexy and feminine.”

“Newsflash, you are sexy and feminine, babe.”

“Prove it.” Her tone was a lazy invitation and it lit a match under his libido. The urgency took over and he removed the bra in seconds flat, latching onto a nipple and sucking hard. His cock started to throb and he ground his erection against her leg, groaning softly around her nipple at the resulting surge of pleasure. So damned good.

Maggie whimpered, and he would have stopped, but she grasped his head in her hands and arched into him. With his control at breaking point, he tried to go slow, but her silent encouragement urged him on.

He dragged down her panties, the sound of ripping of lace making him freeze. “Hell! I’m sorry. I’ll buy you some new ones.”

Maggie groaned. “I don’t care. I want you inside me. Now.” She struggled to kick the torn panties off her legs and puffed out an exasperated breath when she failed.

“Let me.” Connor grasped the flimsy material and ripped them right off. Maggie parted her legs and he moved over her, surging inside her with one quick thrust of his hips. Her snug walls gripped him.

Hot. Tight. So perfect.

Fire exploded in his groin, forcing him to move. Clenching his butt muscles, he plunged into her sex, sheer need driving him. He surged, retreated, stoking the pleasure that fired his body, his famous control history.

Maggie bucked and moaned beneath him, arching and taking every one of his hard thrusts. The slap of flesh against flesh filled the air along with the tart, spicy aroma of arousal.

Primitive hunger gripped him, and he couldn’t stop the plunge into pleasure. His balls lifted and suddenly his climax took him. He thrust hard then stilled, his heart hammering against hers as he gave into the firestorm in his body.

Connor came back to himself and realized he’d placed all his weight on Maggie. Cursing under his breath, he lifted onto his elbows. Then he realized a couple of other things. One, he’d just taken her like a Neanderthal without care for her pleasure and two, they hadn’t used a condom.

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To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:

Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
TJ Michaels

The theme for this week’s Snippet Saturday is first love. I looked at all my titles and couldn’t find one that would fit. After some thought, I decided I’d post an excerpt from Make That Man Mine. Jack is the first man Emma falls for and she’s determined to make him the last.

Make That Man Mine by Shelley Munro

Emma marched into the offices of George Taniwha & Co. the next morning, a woman with a mission. After spending her twenty-fifth birthday with her girlfriends and not one man in sight, she’d come up with a resolution. With the help of her tipsy friends, she’d decided to go for it.

Get Jack Sullivan to notice her or bust.

A smile—was that too much to ask for? No, dammit, it wasn’t. And that would be just the start. She intended to progress from there—from a smile and good morning to down and dirty sex. Her breasts tingled at the thought and a swooping sensation spiraled through her lower belly. Of course, she wouldn’t go as far as stalking the man, but she wasn’t going to be a shy little wallflower either. Emma Montrose was coming out of the shade and going after the man she wanted. She was going to act like the fictional taniwha on George Taniwha & Co.’s letterhead—formidable and determined, ready to scare Jack into thinking her way. By the time she was finished, he was going to know she was interested. Then he could take the next step.

She drew herself up. No. That wasn’t right. She wasn’t letting him slide out of her sights without a fight. She’d take the second and third steps and as many other steps as the situation required.

Emma pushed aside several possible scenarios, concentrating on and visualizing the one she wanted. A secret smile curled across her lips as she fluffed her short curly hair.

Two lovers.

Emma and Jack.

Horizontal dancing.

Heat seeped into her face at the thought. Emma yanked out her office wheelie chair, plonked her butt on it then grabbed up a pile of envelopes off the desk to fan her face. This brave new Emma might embarrass her a little, but she’d try to keep up.

The front door of the office opened, and Emma straightened abruptly, her backbone hitting the back of the chair. Well. No time like the present to put her plan into action.

Emma put her best receptionist manner into practice and flashed a smile. “Good morning, Jack.”

The man froze like a possum in headlights, giving Emma the opportunity to look her fill. He was tall and built like a rower with powerful shoulders, slim hips and a butt that she’d really like to get her hands on. His hair was shiny black, halfway between short and long and in need of a cut, making her fingers itch to smooth the messy strands away from his face. A dreamy sigh squeezed past her lips. The man was blessed with sun-kissed skin, no matter what the season. She often wondered what he looked like beneath the layers of clothing. Did the gorgeous olive tones that were a legacy from his Maori ancestors extend all over his body?
Hopefully she’d be in a position of knowledge soon.

“Morning.”

The word came out as a grunt, but it was a definite improvement on being treated as part of the office furniture. Emma forced away the sudden surge of nerves and looked him straight in the eye. “Are you here to see George?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Emma’s breath caught, her lungs filling with his seductive scent—something that reminded her of the mystical Orient with hints of orange and patchouli and a healthy dose of masculine musk. Emma found herself staring. Holding his gaze felt like poking her finger into a hot fire. Dangerous. Crazy. A challenge. Sorta made a girl wonder what it would feel like to have him thrust deep in her womb. A sensuous shiver swept through her body and arousal soaked her panties without warning.

Emma gulped and licked lips that were suddenly dry. All that from merely passing pleasantries. What would happen if they were naked? Together? Get a grip, she thought sternly as her hormones went haywire. A cough cleared her throat. “I’ll let him know you’re here.”

Hmmm. Not bad for the first time. She’d do better with the next meeting.

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Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
Ashley Ladd
Mari Carr
Shelli Stevens
Lissa Matthews

The theme for this week is villains. I think bad guys add an extra dimension to a story. Often they’re very similar to the hero. They’re dynamic and handsome and sexy, but they’ve made different choices, often the wrong ones, which bring them into opposition with our hero or heroine, sometimes both.

I’ve picked a villain excerpt from The Spurned Viscountess.

The Spurned Viscountess by Shelley Munro

“Hawk, the lookout sighted two people up on the cliff. Man and a woman.”

Hawk turned to stare at the wizened man who’d called out. Beneath the loose black mask, his mouth firmed to a thin line of irritation. Damn inconvenient. He wanted to shift the cargo inland today, but that wouldn’t be possible with strangers around.

“Did they see the lookout?” His low voice held authority. Power. It breached the distance between them easily.

Whiting raised his lantern to navigate the uneven, slippery floor of the cave until he stood in front of Hawk. “He said they did.”

Hawk bit back his impatience. Damn idiot. Did none of them understand how the return of the long-lost heir threatened them? Hastings must have a guardian angel looking over his shoulder. A snarl built deep inside Hawk’s chest, fighting for release. He refused to give in to the luxury, the loss of control. Hastings might have escaped death at his hands twice, but it wouldn’t happen a third time. On this occasion he had a plan—a foolproof strategy that would allow him to taunt Hastings before the final deathblow. Thank God he’d had the foresight to clear the tunnels leading beneath the castle. No more spur-of-the-moment attacks.

Instead, he looked forward to weeks of enjoyable entertainment before the culmination of his scheming. The tension inside him eased at the thought.

“Tell him to take an empty sack and collect seaweed. Once the sack is full, tell him to carry it up the path.” His words held enough bite to make the older man shuffle uneasily. Good. A little fear was a healthy commodity.

“Aye, Hawk.” Whiting doffed his hat, half turned away to carry out the instructions, then hesitated. “And if they question him?”

Hawk shrugged, his mind already busy with alternative plans to transport the cargo. “They won’t. If he carries the bag, his purpose will be self-evident.”

“Right you are.”

Whiting moved stealthily toward the mouth of the cave with a minimum of noise. The best of a dim-witted lot. At least this group carried out orders without question. Hawk heard the low hum of speech as Whiting relayed his message to the lookout.

A dull thud sounded from farther up the passage followed by a curse. Long strides took Hawk to the source of the noise. He surveyed the barrel on the cave floor. Brandy trickled from the cask, the fumes filling the air.

“Whiting will deduct that from your share. Do it again, and you’ll deal with me.” Hawk’s voice lashed out, leaving the man pale in the flickering light of the lantern. “Understood?”

The man cowered but managed to meet his gaze for a brief moment. “Aye.”

Hawk noticed the silence in the cave, and his gaze leaped to the rest of his workers. “Back to work. I want this cargo shifted by the end of the day. Move.”

A flurry of activity greeted his order as the men put their backs into the job at hand. When Hawk was satisfied the work was progressing, he stalked to the mouth of the cave, passing Whiting on the way.

“Watch the men. I want this finished today.”

“Today!”

“Today,” Hawk reiterated, his voice hard. “Supervise the men. I’ll keep watch on the cove. Go.”

“Aye,” Whiting bit out. “Sir.”

Hawk remained still until Whiting’s footsteps faded. But under the mask, his face tensed, eyes narrowed. Whiting’s attitude had changed over the last two months. He’d started to question orders. Damn, he didn’t have time for a power struggle. Not when everything he’d worked for looked as if it might be wrenched from his grasp, making all his plans for naught.

Hawk peered outside, along the shoreline. A man was leading a horse, followed by a woman. Hawk snorted. He would recognize that brute of a horse anywhere. Hell fire and be damned.

Hastings.

His hand itched to reach for his gun. He could finish this now. And solve each of his problems in one fell swoop. One shot would do the trick. His hand moved without volition to caress the pistol on his hip. One shot at close range, and Hastings would be gone.

Except that would make things too easy. Hawk stilled, frustration making him frown. He wanted Hastings to suffer for all the wrongs he had inflicted, to know who killed him and why. Hawk wanted to see his enemy’s face as his life ebbed away so he could savor his victory.

He intended to dance on his enemy’s grave.

Purchase The Spurned Viscountess from Carina Press, Amazon or All Romance eBooks

To read more Snippet Saturday excerpts follow the trail below:

Shelley Munro
Vivian Arend
Taige Crenshaw
McKenna Jeffries
Lauren Dane
TJ Michaels
Ashley Ladd
Mandy Roth
Mari Carr
Shelli Stevens
Jody Wallace