FOR KICKS excerpt

FOR KICKS - Black Lyon Publishing - March 1

Breeze opened the door slightly, standing in the gap. “You know it’s after midnight?”

“We need to talk.” Logan pushed her door open with his hand, but stayed on the landing.

“You’re not coming in. I’m not someone you can call at midnight and think coming over means…that we’re going to…” She waved her hand through the air, trying to make her point and push away the erotic scenes unfolding in her mind.

“To what, Breeze? What is it you think I want to do?” He stepped closer, his toes on the edge of her welcome mat. He expected her to step away, but she held her ground and his gaze.

“I don’t care.” She lifted her stubborn chin.

He dropped his voice to a deep whisper. “Oh, but you do. You want to know if what I had in mind matches up with what’s running through your thoughts right now.”

Her skin flushed a telltale pink, letting him know he was right. He knew he had one shot to get her to open her mind to the possibility, before she disappeared for a month. A month of non-stop going sure to stifle the little progress he’d made with her. He needed her to agree to let him call, and visit. Though his brief glimpse at the schedule Mendelssohn’s faxed showed little room for fun.

“You want me to go?”

She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. He reached for her hand, pulling it to him while she stayed still as a statue. He raised her wrist to his lips, feeling the pulse point thrum.

“You don’t want me to leave yet.”

Her eyes fluttered open, the icy color melting into a blue like the center of a flame. His temperature rose at the sight, heating his blood to simmering.

“Let me in, Breeze.” He clutched the stack of promotional photos tighter in his hand and considered throwing them to the ground.
She stepped aside, each breath deep and labored. He stepped into the room and she backed against the door closing it. The only light in the room came from the glow of a large fish tank filled with greenery and gurgling softly.

She watched him intently, eyeing the photos as he set them on her suitcase. “I thought I might need a cover. You don’t really need them.” He stepped to her and she pressed herself tighter against the door. He lifted a hand to her cheek, sliding his fingers along the smooth skin.
Her eyes opened wider, showing so much emotion he couldn’t guess what it all meant. Stunned, mesmerized, frightened. Wanting to calm her he didn’t move closer, but instead indulged his curiosity and slid his fingers into her thick curls.

There wasn’t a tangle in the silken strands, just tight smooth ringlets. Her hair intrigued him. It was so beautiful, yet she kept it twisted and hidden most of the day. The smooth glide of his fingers held an erotic effect he hadn’t counted on, but then so did most things about her.

“Logan?” she whispered, peering up at him.

“No one will know, not unless you want them to.”

“I can’t risk it. I’m so close to getting everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Me too.” Fisting his hand in her hair, he tipped her face to him, looking in her eyes so there would be no mistaking just what he meant. And then he lowered his lips to hers, and showed her.