My upcoming anthology One Week in Wyoming releases tomorrow! To celebrate, I'm giving my blog readers an exclusive look at my novella "Seduction in the Snow." On Friday you met Lydia, my heroine. Today, take some time with Evan. Enjoy!
"Seduction in the Snow"
- Part 2 -
Evan hated spreadsheets on a good day. Now, trapped in a flying tin can next to a woman with kissable lips who oozed sex, they officially topped his "Things That Suck" list.
He pushed his glasses up and squinted hard at his computer. He would conquer this inventory list. He would deal with his bursting inbox. He would not think about the way that this Lydia woman’s boots climbed up strong, lean legs, or how they would look wrapped around his waist. He wouldn't imagine plunging into her warmth and losing himself…
Fuck.
He didn’t even know her last name—she hadn’t bothered to tell him—but when the two of them touched, his pulse kicked up and his cock swelled. Just from touching her hand. Suddenly he was back in a high school nightmare, awkward and uncertain of what to do around a pretty girl.
What the hell is wrong with me?
He wasn’t seventeen anymore. He was a decent-looking guy with a great job. He could talk to a woman without his mouth going dry. He’d even picked up women before.
Okay. One or two, but who was counting?
I’ve got this if I want it. I just have a lot of work to do.
Of course, the first email he’d gotten when he pulled up his inbox was a note from his partner, Kyle, asking him why the hell he was checking email on vacation. He couldn’t help but grin. Before he left, they’d bickered about whether he’d log some hours in Wyoming. Even though Kyle made him promise to disconnect, Evan couldn’t help feeling guilty for dumping the entire operation on him. Broken Ridge Winery was growing fast, and both of them were stretched to their max trying to keep up with everything.
The problem was that emails and spreadsheets just didn’t hold his interest with Lydia sitting next to him. She was more striking than pretty, with a long, oval face, wide eyes, a strong nose, and a generous mouth. Her mahogany hair fell in loose waves around her face and down her back. He wanted to bury his nose in it and breathe her in.
He nearly groaned at the wave of longing that crashed into him. He itched to see if her olive skin was as soft as it looked. Those bright, clear eyes made his heart pound every time he caught her glancing over. But it was her legs that were the main problem. She sat with them crossed, her iPad leaning on her knee. Every once in a while she’d shift and re-cross them, sending all of his hardwiring sparking in his head.
She was giving him enough green lights to floor it, but he couldn’t. Between work and his ski vacation with the guys, he had zero time for anything else. Getting involved with a woman on a trip was not part of the plan. Besides, soon she would walk down the plane’s gangway and out of his life. It was better that way.
But Evan’s decision didn’t make it any easier to keep his imagination PG, and by the time they touched down he was desperate to put some distance between him and this beautiful stranger. The fasten seatbelt sign dinged off, and the cabin filled with the sound of dozens of buckles unsnapping. He packed his laptop away and hauled himself up to reach for the overhead bin. Then, even though he knew it would cost him a sliver of his sanity, he asked Lydia, “Can I help you get your bag down?”
She eased into a tight spot next to him in the aisle. Her breasts brushed his arm, and the floral scent of her perfume drifted up to him. He breathed deep and hoped that he could restrain the urge to grab her by the waist, bend her backwards, and find out exactly what that wide mouth tasted like.
“Thank you,” she said in the husky voice of a black-and-white movie star—more Bacall than Monroe.
He maneuvered her bag out of the overhead and set it down between them. Then she turned those soulful brown eyes on him and stole every word from his tongue. All he could do was grunt as the people in the rows ahead of them began to shuffle off the plane. He scrambled for something to say—anything that wouldn’t make him sound like a sixteen-year-old with a crush.
Nothing.
When Lydia pulled her purse higher on her shoulder, she stuck out her other hand for him to shake. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Evan Sullivan.”
Something about the way her eyes sparkled told him she was testing him—teasing, even. He gripped her hand and fought the urge to prove he could play this game, too. It was just the weight of his laptop in the bag hanging off his shoulder that anchored him to reality. He had just five days in Wyoming.
Really? That’s what’s stopping you?
But before he could do anything else, Lydia turned up the aisle.
Thanks for reading! If you liked what you read, One Week in Wyoming is available for exclusive preorder on iBooks for $0.99 and will release wherever ebooks are available tomorrow. You can check out more from all of the authors in the anthology at our series website.