Mouth 6 (Photo credit: Bernard DURET)
In light of the fact that I have finally found my new book cover, I’d like to share one of my favourite excerpts from my debut novel TWISTED. Read on for a sample of the relationship between Abigail Jenkins and Edwin Santora.
Here goes…
Being inside his personal space was incredibly awkward. It wasn’t exactly the place I had expected to be this morning, but there I was, wearing nothing but a barely there bra.
My eyes flashed away from his glimmering aqua glance and landed on his luscious smiling lips. Lower yet, my eyes focused in on his smooth chest peeking out of his crisp white, mostly unbuttoned shirt. Damn it. He looked like a tasty morning treat, his shirt fully tucked into those black slacks hung handsomely from his masculine hips.
I swallowed the lusty lump from the back of my throat. “Sorry,” I said softly. I didn’t even know whether I was apologizing for getting in his face or eyeing his body like a piece of man candy.
It didn’t seem to matter to him. He took my chin in his hand and looked right through me with his piercing gaze. “You can feel sorry for a lot of things, but this shouldn’t ever be one of them.”
His lips covered mine, his drugging kiss long and slow, as I struggled with myself to make him stop. I should have. But I couldn’t. I didn’t.
Edwin stopped first and smiled at my carelessness. I stood there a little stunned and a lot disappointed with my lack of judgment. With fists bunched at my side, I forced a stern look to make its appearance. It was hard to keep it together.
“What do you think you’re doing Eddie?”
“I couldn’t help myself, and you didn’t stop me. What do you expect? I’m only a man.”
How could I argue with that? I loosened my fists and took a deep breath, relaxing my tense muscles. “Well maybe you can give me some notice next time,” I said sarcastically.
“I didn’t plan for this. It just happened,” he insisted.
“I’m sure. You’re lips just bumped into mine.”
“Like you just happened to rush out of your door at the exact time I was passing,” he challenged. His arrogance was starting to make me angry, but I was relieved to feel any emotion other than sadness and despair.
Agitated, “Wait a minute: that really happened,” I argued. “Don’t try and turn this on me.”
“Mmm, hmm,” he replied, pressing my every button.
“Well I hope you enjoyed yourself, because I’m not gonna let you take advantage of me like that again.” I backed away, more for me than for him. He smelled so good. Too good.
He laughed and just stood there, shaking his head, staring at me. His fresh aftershave and fragrant cologne mixed with his arousal in an enticing aroma. It had a terrifying effect on me, heightening my senses and messing with my mind. After being so dangerously close to him, I was desperate for some privacy to regain my composure. But his eyes never left mine and I worried that he was magically deciphering my thoughts. Nerves getting the best of me, I did what any reasonable woman would have done in the circumstances: I bolted for the washroom.
“I was just going to brush my teeth,” I announced, trying to prove my innocence. I ducked into the washroom, feeling safe once I was out of the fathomless aqua force field he was wielding.
“Oh really?” he replied, following after me. “Funny. Because that’s exactly what I was coming to do.”
My grass coloured eyes grew wide with anxiety and as soon as I noticed, I glared at myself in the mirror. Time… space… I need…
Edwin appeared nonchalantly in the reflection behind me. I tore my eyes from his firm chest and confident stare, and fixed them on my toothbrush, as I shakily applied the paste. I put the tube down and pressed both of my hands against the cold marble countertop to support my weight, stop the shaking and avoid his mystical eyes.
Continuing with his casual lack of concern, Edwin reached around me and under my outstretched arms to retrieve the toothpaste and his brush. I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent, totally disarming my anger and arousing my budding curiosity.
I took a deep breath. “What are you doing?” I asked, as I ran my brush under the water.
“Brushing my teeth. Obviously.”
“Hah!” I replied, with a mouthful of paste.
Edwin began to fight me for the sink bowl, playfully hip checking and trying to shove me out of the way. I defended better than a seasoned veteran, boxing him out with my hips and rear-end.
“I better warn you,” Edwin mumbled, with paste foaming around his lips. He nudged me aside and emptied his mouth full into the sink. “I may try and kiss you again when you’re done brushing.”
I sputtered into the sink, reacting to his terrifying words. “Don’t even think about it!” I squealed, extremely uncomfortable with the notion.
“You asked for notice and service is effective,” he taunted, dipping his mouth to the tap. He slurped up some water and swished it around in his mouth as I took a mouthful of water myself.
I rinsed out my mouth and dried it on the towel as Edwin spewed out the last of his mouthwash. I wanted to be mad. I tried to be mad. But how could you be mad at that handsome face?
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said, winking.
There was no denying that spending time like this with Edwin made me feel a lot better about everything. Playful was doable, and I was pleasantly surprised that he was being so good about it so soon. Taking my good old time, I flossed every tooth and gargled with mouthwash. Edwin watched me intently.
I acknowledged his presence, but tried to act emotionless. It was extremely difficult. An overpowering inquisitiveness hung thick in the air between us as I dried the wetness from my mouth. I found myself in desperate need of oxygen, the room entirely starved of it as Edwin stepped up beside me.
So what did you think?
Christa Simpson 