The work below
is from Book 3 of my Women of Valor series. I really need a title, but in the
meantime, Book 3 will have to do. It’s a hot encounter between Aviva and Jason.
They’re on a date at the bowling alley—Chelsea Piers, to be exact. I hope you
enjoy it.
“You’re up.”
He jumped, not
realizing how lost he’d been in his thoughts. “Sorry.” He looked up at the
scoreboard. “You’re beating me.”
She smiled. Was
it his imagination, or did she stand a little straighter, preen a tiny bit? In
her heels, she’d only come up to his chin; now, in the ugly bowling shoes, she
barely reached his shoulder. Her eyes twinkled and with her short hair, she
looked like a pixie. A mischievous one at that.
“Yes. Yes I am.”
Jason rose, on
his way to get his ball. “I’m not sure my manliness can handle this.”
She lowered her
gaze from his face, down his body to his feet and back up again. Jason’s neck
heated and he shifted from one foot to the other.
“Oh, I don’t
know. I think your ‘manliness’ will survive. Flourish, even.”
His breath
hitched and he reached for the bowling ball. Her smile broadened and although
her gaze never wandered from his, he’d swear she knew what was happening to him
physically.
Two could play
this game.
His gaze swept
from the top of her short-cropped, pixie haircut, down to her chest, where he
lingered for a moment. He continued past her waist and hips, down her legs to
the tips of her ugly bowling shoes. When he finally returned to meet her eyes,
her face was bright red. He leaned toward he, his bowling ball between them. He
could feel her breath on chin, warm and unsteady. A lock of hair fell across
her forehead and he pushed it back in place with one finger, one finger that
drew across her smooth skin and traced her fine boned skull. She bit her lip
and he pulled slowly away, even though he wanted to do more.
“Oh, yes, I’ll
flourish,” he said. “But first, I’m going to win.”
He winked,
walked to the foul line, adjusted his address, swung his arm back and let the
ball go. It spun down the lane and at the last moment, hit the gutter. Jason’s
jaw dropped. He shook his head, turned and stopped.
Aviva tapped her
fingers on the table as she stood and watched him. “Interesting strategy you’ve
got there.” Her eyes sparkled and her tone told him she wasn’t being mean. He’d
liked her sense of humor before; he couldn’t decide not to like it when it was
turned on him.
He nodded in
acknowledgement, turned and took his second turn. The ball knocked down seven
pins. It was her turn.
She grabbed her
ball, patted his arm and took her shot. Strike. She didn’t move. Jason couldn’t
figure out why she stood so still, until he saw her shoulders begin to shake.
She was
laughing. At him.
She turned
around and he saw tears running down her face. She took a deep breath. “I’m so
sorry. I swear I have no idea how that happened.”
“Sure you
don’t.” He tried to keep a straight face, but couldn’t manage it. He grinned at
her, then folded his arms and did his best to look sad. “What a way to get a
guy when he’s down.”
“You’re not
down, you just challenged the bowling gods and they don’t like being challenged.”
She took a step toward him and looked at him expectantly.
“Bowling gods?”
“Of course. How
else do you think recreational bowlers manage it?” She took another step toward
him. Her green eyes were wide with fake innocence.
“Bowling gods.”
“Exactly. And
you challenged them.” At this point, they were toe to toe. Her floral scent
wafted around him and he refocused on her words.
“To imitate you,
Aviva, technically I challenged you.”
“Yes, but with
bowling skill, so you actually challenged them too.”
She looked
supremely satisfied with her circuitous bowling logic and Jason had an urge to
kiss her. Her lips were full and pink and tantalizingly close. How would they
taste? How would they feel? He was dying to find out. He rested one hand on her
waist and clasped the other hand behind her neck. She leaned toward him. This
close, he could see gold flecks in her eyes. Her pupils widened. He tilted his
head, leaned down and softly kissed her lips.
She sighed and ran
her hands up and down his biceps. His skin tingled through his sweater and he
didn’t want her to let go.
With a groan, he
pulled her tighter and kissed her deeper. She tasted sweet and he was hungry
for more. But it was their first date and they were in a bowling alley. Things
he’d blocked out as he focused on her lips returned—voices around them, fried
aromas from the snack bar, blinking lights—reminded him how public this place
was, and he pulled away.
“Looks like
we’re challenging each other,” he whispered.
For more hot encounters, hop on
over to http://www.bookboyfriendscafe.com/2015/04/hot-for-friday-hot-encounters.html
and check out the other entries.
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