EXCERPT - DESCENDED~Jett
“Why
do you wear that stuff on your face?”
Haven’s
hand jerked, dragging a stripe of eyeliner across her temple. She ground her
teeth.
“I
apologize.”
“I
could have poked my eye out! And you aren’t supposed to look in the bathroom
when I’m in here.” She wiped away the smudge with a corner of tissue.
“These
are not your quarters, and the door is open,” Jett answered. “So, why do you
paint yourself up like that?”
“It’s
a mask.” She threw the answer out flippantly, but knew it was the truth.
“What
are you hiding?”
She
shrugged. “I guess the real me, same as you.”
“You
don’t hide the real you.” Annoyance tinged his voice. “You’re the most open
person I’ve ever met.”
Haven
set down the pencil and shifted her feet. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said
that.” He didn’t answer and she sighed. “I guess I wear it out of habit.
Growing up, girls are told they need to be thinner, prettier, sexier. It sticks
with you. The world isn’t a very encouraging place. I just want the outside to
be more appealing.”
“You
couldn’t be more appealing.”
She hesitated, blinking while her skin heated.
“Thank you.”
Jett
cleared his throat, evidently as surprised by the compliment as she. “So where
are you going, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“A
movie, then dinner. You know, traditional.”
“This
is a date, then?” Bewilderment and a definite touch of hostility colored his
voice now.
The
guilt was back, the same niggling self-reproach she encountered every time she
thought of Chris and Jett in the same timeframe. “Yes.”
“And
is this the young man you were with the night Paris went missing? The charming
Christopher Andrew Pembroke?”
Haven
turned to see him, which of course she couldn’t. “Don’t you respect anyone’s
privacy?”
“I’m
concerned.”
“You’re
nosy. You could only have found that out by poking your nose in where it
doesn’t belong. He isn’t an employee. And how did you know his full name? I
didn’t even know it.”
“There
is much you don’t know. Shall I enlighten you?”
“Don’t
you dare!” She jabbed a finger in the air. “And I mean it!” She took a deep
breath, gripping the front of the vanity with both hands. “Is there going to be
a problem if he wants to come in when he brings me home?”
“Problem?”
“Yes.
You said I could have people here. Are you are going to behave yourself and
keep out of my business?”
“What
you do with your date is your affair. I won’t intrude.”
She
smacked a hand on the counter. No matter what he said, she could tell his teeth
were clenched. “You aren’t my guardian or my husband. You have no right to try
to make me feel guilty for seeing a nice guy. I’m not going to sleep with
him—and if I were,” she added quickly, “it would be none of your business. You
and I are friends.”
“Is
that what we are, Haven? Friends?” His words rang with a peculiar strain.
She
swallowed. “Sure.”
“Very
well. But if you think you can feel free to express to me your desire for
another man, I hate to disappoint you. Our friendship will never extend that
far.”
Emotions
were escalating, his and hers, and she seemed unable to help it. “Great, just
great.” She should shut up, but she shouted instead, arms flailing. “A
friendship with conditions. Great. Tell you what? Why don’t you take your
friendship and—”
“Ah,
ah, ah. Don’t say something you’ll regret.” His voice held a clear warning.
Haven
stopped and dropped her hands in surrender. “You’re right. So with that in
mind…” She swung the bathroom door closed with a satisfying bang.
Excerpt - DEBSCENDED~SEBASTIAN
Natalie could become a significant
hindrance to moving forward, especially now that he found himself suddenly
filled with the beat of her heart. It thudded in his chest, a perfect
accompaniment to his. He was breathing, finally, but it was her rhythm, faster,
more shallow than his own. He blinked and pulled back.
“I know this isn’t the time for
this....” He shook his head. “Forget it.”
“No, what?” she asked.
It was insane. Nuts! “Can I kiss you?”
he asked. Natalie stared back. “Just once, for my own personal reference. I
have to see if I’m off my nut or not.”
He took her silence for permission and
leaned toward her. She met him half way.
He couldn’t say there were fireworks.
There was heat, and light, but instead of quick, random bursts of energy and
color, there was one long, white hot blaze.
This was bad. This was so bad.
As his lips pressed more firmly onto
hers, as hers softened beneath his, his mind tumbled through time and space.
And though he’d never felt anything like this—ever—he recognized the white
light for what it was—an emergency flare. Not to signal the forces of nature to
run to his rescue and prevent disaster, only a marker, to pinpoint the wreckage
of his former life.
Was it insane to believe this single kiss
changed the course of his life? Because he did. He knew that even in these
bizarre circumstances, something had just clicked into place and he was exactly
where he was supposed to be. It felt right.
He was having such a hard time coping
with his own overwhelming reactions that he almost missed hers. She was
emotionally engaged, yes, nearly as much as he, nearly as confused, and holding
back. Sensible. And necessary at this moment. One of them had to keep a firm
grip on reason, and it wasn’t him. His thoughts ran to carrying her to the
couch and indulging his fantasies until the sun rose.
But, the very next
thought made his eyes pop open, his hands ball in his lap, his head lift. Jett
could be watching.
THE COVERING
At
the top of the stairs she heard a low groan and hurried to find Gunnar sitting
up with her sheet pooled
at his waist.
One
large bicep flexed as he kneaded the back of his neck. He looked like a man
stumbling out of a dream, and she watched his expressions change, knowing he
was trying to piece together the past day’s events. After a few seconds, he
glanced down, peeked under the sheet. “Where are my clothes?”
“My
aunt has them,” Tessa said, stopping inside the door.
“Why?”
“You
were sweating. She wanted to keep you—oh.” Tessa quickly covered her eyes when
Gunnar started to throw back the sheet.
He
stopped. “Give me a break. I don’t have anything you haven’t seen before.”
Tessa
let her hands fall to her sides, but her cheeks warmed.
Gunnar
cocked a brow. “You’re kidding. You’ve never seen a naked man?”
Tessa
tipped her chin. “Of course I have.” On TV.
He
snickered. “When?”
When
she didn’t answer right away she watched that magnificent face go through
several more
transformations
before coming to the logical conclusion.
“Don’t
tell me you’ve never—”
“I
don’t sleep around.” Intellectually she comprehended there was no reason to be
embarrassed.
Quite
the opposite. Yet…
“Never?”
He pulled the sheet tighter around him.
“Ever?”
Tessa
exhaled sharply. “Why does it matter?”
“Our
patient is up?” Elaine asked, pushing past a grateful Tessa.
“Where
are my clothes?” Gunnar asked her.
“In
the wash. You’ll have them back soon enough.”
“I
have other clothes in my room.”
Ignoring
him, Elaine sat on the edge of the bed and gave him a pat on the cheek. “You
had some nap. Do you feel any better?”
Gunnar
moved his face away. “I don’t nap.”
“I
suppose not. I’d say it was closer to a coma, since it’s Saturday,” she
countered.
“Saturday?”
Gunnar watched Tessa move to the window. “Saturday,” he repeated.
Elaine
regarded him with cool eyes. “Tessa is convinced you have the flu, but I’m not.
Are you into anything you shouldn’t be?”
“What
are you asking me?” he demanded.
Unruffled,
Elaine smoothed the sheets under her hand. “You’ve been basically unconscious
for almost a full day. Don’t you find that odd?”
“It’s
exhaustion,” he said.
“Tessa’s
very worried. She watched over you all night.”
“You
didn’t have to do that,” he told Tessa.
Elaine
cocked a half smile at him. “Do you need anything?”
“Yeah,
my clothes. I want to get up.”
She
nodded and pursed her lips. “Well it’s a shame to hide all that, but suit
yourself.” With an
appreciative
lift of brows she walked out, with Tessa following close behind.
