CRAVING – excerpt

To tempt you, here’s a short excerpt from CRAVING (Talisman #2) – due out on the 10th June 🙂

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Dante placed his helmet on the floor, took off his boots, and lined them neatly beside it. Padding round the room in his socks, he peered at the photographs adorning the walls and shelves, eyeing the trinkets and ornaments. Even here, in an alien environment, he still acted as king of the jungle. His mid-length, brown hair fell roughly around his face, several days of stubble graced his jaw, yet he looked delicious. God. I’d been too long without a real boyfriend if I thought he was attractive. He was a thug! He wasn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks—he was the wrong side. No fixed address, according to Tristan. No regular employment. Tattoos. Piercings. Motorcycle. God’s-Gift-to-Women attitude. Get a grip, Katherine.

Funny how I forgot all that when he smiled at me.

He nodded toward the bedroom and fixed me with a teasing grin, the silver eyes glittering. “You’re sleeping in there?”

I nodded.

His lip curled again. “And you’re sure you want me to sleep here?” He gestured at the sofa. “It’s awfully close to your bed.”

“You won’t try anything. You’ve not been paid yet.”

“Touché.” He looked highly amused, little crinkles appearing in the corners of his eyes. “You’ve got balls, you know.”

“Oh?” I injected a bored tone.

I stood rigidly as he sauntered to stand mere inches away, close enough to smell his breath. Minty. “You’re afraid of me.”

I kept my face still. My heart was racing, but it had nothing to do with being scared.

“Yet you invite me to stay. And you came waltzing into the tower when you thought you heard someone inside.” His voice dropped. “Just you and a flashlight. There could have been anyone inside.”

“I’ve studied self-defense. I know a few moves.”

“Yeah?” Like a cat playing with a mouse, he extended one arm to the side of my head and rested his hand against the wall. He stood a few inches taller than me, and I shifted my eyes to meet his, intrigued by his posturing. “Are you playing games with me, Kitten?” His voice a sensuous whisper.

As his left arm slowly rose, moving to box my head on both sides, I smiled. And moved. Years of practice made for an easy grab and twist maneuver. I took him completely by surprise. One hand on his left forearm, I ducked under his elbow and spun around as I dragged his arm down. My left arm shoved at his shoulder, forcing him round.

A second later, with his face pressed to the wall and his left arm twisted behind his back, he laughed. It sounded genuine. I leaned on him a fraction longer, exerting just a little more pressure, then released.

He spun around, laughing, rubbing his wrist. “Well done, Kitten, that was awesome. Are you afraid of anything?”

I allowed a grin. “I’m not afraid of you.”

 

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And if you haven’t seen it yet, do go and check out the FABULOUS trailer, from The BookChick:
http://vimeo.com/89876177