Excerpt Monday
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Monday the tenth brings something new to Romance in Writing. Excerpt Monday. What's an excerpt? A snippet of something bigger. This blog-round runs the gambit--works in progress, short stories, blurbs, and even poetry. One Monday a month [I think] to share a bit of the craft with other writers, friends, family, readers.... If you're here because you like to read, please take another minute to visit one more blog! Links to other Excerpts will be listed after mine.
~Shake the Sugar Tree~
They slept together in his king-size bed.
Thad woke early, shifted, and pulled her close to his chest. She took a deep breath, knowing she should probably get up instead and put some space between them. Damn reasonable and safe, though. She'd waited too long to let go, even if for just a short moment in time. She traced the Celtic cross that covered the smooth expanse of skin at the top of his arm. This symbol meant something to him.
“Morning.” His voice a gravelly whisper in her ear, she shivered against him, wondering if she could take it when he finally left. If. If he left. The thought was a warning of what happened when she placed too much hope in expectations. She pushed it aside. She didn't want to dwell on the what ifs this morning.
He kissed her in that soft spot under her ear, before sliding out from beneath the covers. She hid her smile when he turned and brushed her hair off her face. She stretched at his touch. “What are you doing,” she whispered.
“I'm getting up to go to church.”
She frowned, her senses coming alert and her heart pounding. Would he leave her behind? Did she want that?
He smiled and shrugged. “I won't be long.”
“You don't want me to go?”
“You don't have to go.”
Her frown deepened as she evaluated her reactions—disappointment, relief, apprehension. He crouched in front of her so they were face-to-face. “Do you want to go?” he asked, taking the blanket on her shoulder and pushing it down to expose her back. His magical fingers traced circles from the top of her spine to the small of her back.
She would have sighed if he hadn't caused desire to override the tenderness of the gesture. “If you keep doing that, we won't be going to church anytime soon.”
He kissed the slight indentation of her shoulder blade. “So, you'll go?”
Burrowing her face in the pillow, she nodded her head with a groan.
“Well, hurry up. I want to get there early enough to talk to Father Stephen.” He swatted her backside as he crossed to the bathroom.
She yelped then laughed. “I'm up,” she muttered. “Gotta go to church. I found the only man in all America who goes to church every Sunday. I'm sure of it.”
© 2009 Bethanne Strasser
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*I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.
Mel/Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)
and
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)
Joining us this week:
AJ O'Donovan, Poetry (PG13)
Stephanie Draven, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Heather S.Ingemar, Dark Fantasy/Poetry (PG13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Romantic Suspense (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Ansha Kotyk, Middle Grade Adventure (PG13)
Adelle Laudan, Contemp orary Romance (PG 13)
RF Long, YA Paranormal (PG13)
Caitlynn Lowe, Epic Fantasy (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Crista McHugh, Contemporary Erotic Romance (PG 13)
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG)
Leigh Royals, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Megan S., Paranormal (PG13)
Dara Sorensen, Historical Paranormal (PG 13)
Bethanne Strasser, Contemporary Romantic Suspense (PG13)
