Romantic excerpt from my holiday novel, CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS (m/m/f interracial romance)
*Winner’s Choice* for the Fall Into Romance Blog Hop
On Christmas Eve, Tranell Merdock finds herself in one of the most romantic countries in the world. Yet, she is stuck slaving over work. She steps away from her demanding job as a successful management consultant to seek a little respite at a local restaurant and draws the attention of Stephan, a very attractive Frenchman.
He lures her in with promises of a passionate rendezvous, but Stephan has a secret he neglects to tell her.
Will Tranell shy away from a night guaranteed to be filled with forbidden pleasures or allow Stephan to take her on a journey she will never forget?
Stephan emerged dressed in all black and garbed in an ankle-length leather coat, whistling softly. He winked at them and made his way to the door. “Be back.”
Since it didn’t appear Fernand was going to ask, she did. “Where ya’ running off to?”
“I left something in car.”
“Right. Sure you wanna leave a sex-deprived woman alone with your hot boyfriend?” she called out as he disappeared into the foyer.
Wow, did I just say that out loud?
Throaty laughter sailed from around the corner. “Fern, make sure Tranell still here when I return.”
“Oh, she’s not going anywhere,” Fernand assured him.
“Whateva. Like you can keep me here against my…” She turned back to Fernand and suddenly lost her train of thought.
The glimmer of sensual longing in his gaze quickened her pulse. A shudder ripped through her. “Uhmm…” Dammit, this is twisted. The look in those starry-blue eyes made her want him. Made her want the both of them.
“Sex deprived?” he asked softly. “Really?”
Breath caught in her throat, she ripped her eyes away. For the sake of doing something with her hand, she retrieved the small spoon from the tray and swirled it around in her coffee.
What to do when you set yourself up for a mortifying conversation? Change the subject.
“Soooo, you uh…you know where he’s going?”
“My guess is to get you a Christmas gift.”
She perked up and dared a look at him. “What, why? He doesn’t have to do that.”
“He doesn’t, but he wants to. I told you; he likes you. He only uses the left something in the car ploy when he needs to sneak out and purchase a gift. It’s not for me because my gifts are under the tree.”
She shook her head. “Aw, that’s very sweet, but noo, not for…tell him not to do—”
“You asked me a question earlier. I want to answer it but before I do…”
He rolled onto his stomach, pushed up on his hands and knees, and crawled over to her.
Reflexively, she scooted away until her back met the couch.
He laughed. “Trying to get away will do you no good.” He grabbed her legs, pulled them from under her hips, and attempted to reach beneath the hem of her skirt.
Tranell quickly slid her cup onto the side table and slapped her hands over his. “Whoa, buddy. Wha’cha doing down there?”
He nodded toward the hearth. “The heat is starting to get to you.” He caught the tab of the zipper to her right boot and dragged it down her calf. “You’re still wearing your jacket and boots. Sweat beads are starting to pop out on your pretty face. You have to come out of all these clothes, girl.”
“Ha! The hearth’s not what got me sweating.”
“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
“You should,” she managed to breathe out. “Look, I’m okay, really.”
“Sure you are. Once that alcohol kicks in, you’re going to be melting all over everything.”
She tucked away a grin. “Is that such a bad thing?”
“Not going to answer that,” he sang beneath a chuckle. He sat her boots next to the couch and started rolling down her socks. “Damn, girl, you have the smoothest skin I’ve ever felt. Feels like silk.”
“Thanks. Exfoliating and daily moisturizing pays off.” God, that was so lame. Sounds like I’m advertising some skin product. She watched him steadily, noting the attentiveness of his slow actions. “For a gay man, you’re really good at undressing a woman.”
“Ha-ha…” Grinning bashfully, he straddled her legs and unbuttoned her fitted jacket, starting at the bottom and working his way up. “Not like I haven’t done it before.”
“I can do this myself, ya know.”
“Really? You’re not making any attempts to stop me.”
“Didn’t say I didn’t like it.”
Copyright © Yvonne Nicolas 2013
CLICK THE IMAGE for your chance to win CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS and many other steamy romance novels, as well as an Amazon Gift Card.
