Stephanie Vaughan

Excerpt: "Saving Will"

She would absolutely not be charmed. She refused.
Hunky-as-all-get-out or not, she had more sense than to let a
monosyllabic, grease-stained, über jerk get to her. Nope. Uh-uh.
Wasn't gonna happen, no matter how enticing the package. No
matter how much his perfectly sculpted cheekbones and sleekly
muscled body got her juices flowing-and she'd have had the damp
panties to prove it if she'd been wearing any.

"Well, damn. A man doesn't get an offer like that every day. Don't
mind if I do."

Uh oh. Those clear brown eyes captured hers and suddenly she felt
like Hello Kitty trying to stare down the Big Bad Wolf as he caught
her gaze and held it. She had a feeling those lips-that must surely
know a thing or two about pleasing a woman-still carried a hint of a
smile. But she couldn't look away from those whiskey-brown eyes to
check.

Time seemed to grind to a halt and Will Bruschetti's tired-but still
perfectly beautiful-face grew larger in her field of vision. She sensed
warmth on the back of her neck and something pulled her inexorably
closer. Those eyes were almost point-blank now and she could see
male heat, with just a touch of wariness in them, and something
else all mixed up and fighting the exhaustion that showed through it
all. Finally, there was no safe place to retreat to and she felt her
eyes closing, shutting out all that she read in those eyes.

His mouth settled softly over hers and she had a moment to wonder
what he'd been doing that left him so tasting so wonderful. He
tasted like peppermint and something else. He tasted like
eve-rything she'd ever hoped a kiss would be and never found. He
was strong, but not overpowering. His kiss was warm and persuasive
and it drew her in like a guilty pleasure. She felt herself sigh and
lean into him.

She was enthralled by the ease and naturalness of his kiss. She
would have expected some awkwardness, some hesitation,
per-haps. Goodness knew she'd been the recipient of enough clumsy
first attempts but he kissed her like he'd been doing it for years. It
stood to reason that a man who looked like he did surely didn't lack
for opportunities. He'd probably had a lot of practice at first-kisses
and...and then he took it deeper and reason shut down.

Lips moved firmly against hers and strong arms drew her closer. Her
arms were locked behind his neck as she tried to squirm her way
closer to that taste…that heat.

His tongue swept into her mouth and she opened for him be-cause
not to was never an option. She'd found the most seductive taste
she'd ever imagined behind that kiss and she needed more. She felt
her blood rushing through her veins and her pulse pound-ing in her
ears as though she were just finishing a long run. More. Closer.
Urges combined and drove her higher. More. Now.

© 2007, Stephanie Vaughan

All Rights Reserved