***As always, excerpts are raw and unedited – just for you! Begin snip…***
“Halt, bespectacled woman,” a deep male voice called out from behind me.
Since I happened to be wearing glasses and also recognized that particularly uptight and far too authoritarian voice, I knew stalker-guy was hot on my heels. Again.
To confront him, or have him tailing me all day? That was the question.
He was awfully pretty to look at. Especially certain parts. My face warmed as I remembered that not-so-circumspect pat to his tush. In my defense, the guy had been a statue at the time.
“Woman! I’m speaking to you.” The commanding voice was getting closer, which meant the hunk attached to it was as well.
Right. Looked like it was deal with my stalker or deal with a public scene. I spun around—and planted my nose in a very firm chest. With a shove, I pushed him back. I hadn’t intended to cop a feel, just to give myself some space, but my palm might have lingered for a split second on his (very nice) pec.
I looked up into his amused eyes. Yep, maybe more than a split second. One quick step back, then another—and maybe a third to be safe—and I started to breathe again.
“Is that how you always talk?” Not what I meant to say. I’d intended something more along the lines of “get lost” or “stop stalking a girl.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“You sound like an evil villain from an old movie.” And the words, they just kept a-coming. “A really old B movie.”
He stretched to his full height. “I do not.”
At which point I completely gave in to my inner critic. How could the man have no clue? “See, no one talks like that.” Mimicking his stilted tone, I said, “I do not,” then shook my head. “I don’t. Use contractions like a normal person, buddy, and people will take you more seriously.”
“They will?” He cleared his throat and seemed to melt. Okay, not melt, but he wasn’t so rigid and stiff. “I’m not really like that.”
I grinned at him, because this more relaxed guy, he was better than hot. He seemed like he might be kinda sweet.
And surprise, surprise, he grinned right back at me.
Extending my hand, I answered the question he’d asked when last we’d met, “Kayla Coleridge. Nice to meet you.”
He grasped my hand, engulfing it in his much larger one. “Kayla.” He seemed to savor my name as it passed his lips. It was actually weirdly hot. But then he said, “Abaddon, Prince of Darkness and Destruction, but, ah, Don works, too.”
Well, hell. That I hadn’t anticipated.
***End snip***
Keep an eye out for the October 2018 release of Luck of the Draw!
