Happy Thanksgiving, Canada. Enjoy this #Holiday-ish excerpt from #ParanormalRomance Autumn's Healing

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope you are enjoying the day with family, friends, food and fun! 

In honour of the day, here's a snip from Autumn's Healing. 

Former serviceman, wounded in the line of duty, Salem Aames, and his all-veteran construction crew take on a renovation job for a single-mom. 

Kaylah MacDonough is not only dealing with an empty nest for the first time, she has also purchased a creepy old house that needs some serious TLC... and maybe an exorcism!

A single mom... 

A haunted house... 

A wounded vet starting over... 

A secret...

 

Rarely do we get to pick our battles… Often, they choose us...

Single mom Mikaylah MacDonough and her only daughter Autumn have been on their own a long time. So, when Autumn goes off to school, it seems only natural for Kaylah to pull up stakes and follow, though with some clear-cut boundaries, of course. She’s determined to give Autumn space to enjoy the whole college experience but remain close enough for emergencies, meals and laundry. But when the closing date of the current house overlaps with taking possession of the ‘new’ house, along with orientation week, Autumn has to go it alone. From that moment on, Kaylah’s dreams of a new beginning turn into a complete and total nightmare.

When former serviceman Jerusalem Aames drives up to the century-old Cleary house, he sees dollar signs for himself and his all-veteran crew. The rundown, old place would finally put his fledgling construction-renovation firm in the black. But the moment he meets the gorgeous homeowner who had been duped into buying the money-pit, his attraction is swift and instantaneous.

However, there’s something very strange going on in the dilapidated, old house that has nothing to do with rotting timbers or shoddy wiring. Whatever it is, it’s affecting Kaylah’s state of mind, and Salem soon finds himself in a battle he’s not sure he can win.

Excerpt: 

As expected, once the crew began to renovate and upgrade the house, more problems came to light besides the wiring, foundation and plumbing, but, weeks into the project, slowly but surely they were beginning to make some headway. Though everything that could possibly go wrong seemed to. 

Today, the team was replacing windows. The one in Autumn’s room needed extra work. As they’d done in all the upstairs bedrooms, Salem had torn out the old plaster and replaced it with the more modern drywall sheeting. Though they were going to try their best to keep the plaster walls intact on the main level, if possible, it wasn’t really an option on the second floor. 

After replacing some wood support, Salem and Fray hefted the new window into the freshly framed-in rectangle. 

“Careful. We don’t want to eff this one up, too,” Fray cautioned. 

“Fourth time’s a charm, Fray,” Salem replied, shoving a shim between the vinyl and the wood. 

“This is the third freakin' pane, not to mention the week we spent fixing the rot and replacing the strapping and drywall. Don’t ya think it’s weird, Salem? We put windows in all over this house but never had the problems we’ve had with this one.” 

“Well, the first one was obviously my fault. I must have measured wrong.” Though he was certain he hadn’t. Or perhaps the measurements had been recorded wrong on the order with the glass manufacturer. “The second one, though the right size, arrived broken, and we had to send it back. The third one, Thompson and Kraft broke putting in,” Salem recapped. 

“But, seriously, boss, it’s not just this room. Almost every part of this reno has been a nightmare. Everything that possibly could go wrong, has. We’ve never had problems with the distributors like we’ve run into on this job. From late supplies or discontinued product to backorders and material arriving either warped or completely wrong… I just don’t get it,” Fray ranted. 

“I know. It’s like we’re never supposed to finish this house or something.”  

“I think we’ll be done remodeling the rest of the entire place before you get this one room completed. Everything you’ve done in here has gone to sh*t. What else could possibly go wrong?” 

“Shhh. Don’t say that out loud,” Salem cautioned, while eyeing the window. Though every time they hit a snag with the refurb—whether it be structural or a delay in getting materials—Salem was secretly pleased. Anything that would keep Kaylah near him longer was a welcome setback. He was in love with her. There was no getting around it. She’d wound her way into his heart 

“Ya got this?” Fray asked. 

“Yeah, thanks, I’ll finish shimming it up, spray in some foam to seal it, then it’s trim time.” 

“You gonna get Kaylah to paint all the trim in here, too?” 

“Probably.” 

“She’s really gotten into the swing of it, eh? Painting and peeling off all that gaudy wallpaper. I swear every room on this second level had it. I never thought she’d get it all off. She doesn’t mind gettin’ her hands dirty.” 

“Yeah, she seems to be getting into the process. She learns quick, too. Did you check out that powder room downstairs? Kaylah did all the tile work and the grout.” 

“I did. You’d better watch it, boss. I think Thompson had a bit too much fun teaching her that stuff.” 

“I know it. But I think half of you guys would push me off the roof if ya thought you had a chance with her.” 

“And I think you’re underestimating,” he said, as he disappeared down the hallway, his evil laugh fading as he went. 

“Loyalty’s a lost quality,” he mumbled to himself. “Now what did I do with that level?” He’d thought Fray had leaned it against the wall. “And where’s my f*ckin’ tape measure?” Reaching into the leather pouch slung about his hips, he also came up empty. Salem looked around the room then started bellowing, but as usual, no one heard him. 

After carefully navigating the stairs, he made his way to the living area where the majority of the work was centered for the moment, but the room was empty. “Does no one work around here, anymore?”  

He snagged the first tape measure he saw then followed all the noise and commotion to the kitchen where he found Piquet and Thompson carrying groceries in the back door. The counter was littered with fresh vegetables, fruit and a massive turkey. 

Soon the other guys followed with more. 

Salem set the tape measure on the sideboard and grabbed an apple from the big bowl in the middle of the table. 

“What’s all this?” Salem asked, as Kaylah entered with several bags in her arms. 

“Fixin’s for Thanksgiving dinner,” Piquet crowed. “And this is just the first wave.”

 

“The first wave?” 

Kay set the bags down then picked up a pencil. “I still have to go out and get baking supplies for the pies—coconut cream for you.” She eyed him as he devoured the seasonal Empire. He was about to make a totally inappropriate comment about Kaylah-cream. As if she knew exactly what he was about to say, she talked over him. “Pumpkin for Piq. Blueberry for Thoms.” Salem tried not to roll his eyes, as she’d affectionately begun to call Thompson ‘Thoms,’ for f*ck’s sake. 

“Cherry for Kraft and Fray.” 

Fray flexed his muscles when she said his name, though Kay didn’t even notice. Instead, she jotted another list on a notepad by the phone as she spoke. “And butterscotch for Tagg.” She gnawed her lip for a second. “Though he said he’d get me his gran’s recipe, he hasn’t gotten back to me yet. I’ve never made one of those before.” Kaylah bounced the eraser end of the pencil on her lip, distracting him. 

“Tagg?” Salem questioned. 

Kay’s lovely baby blues lit as she focused on him. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. The other day when Tagg called to speak to you, I invited him, and he agreed to come have supper with us.” 

“Huh?” Salem choked in surprise. “He swore not to set foot in this house.” 

“Well, there’s the catch. We’re going to eat outside.” 

“Like the pilgrims,” Piquet chimed in. Salem had never seen Piq so excited about anything. He was a big kid. 

“The guys and I are going to set up tables in the front yard,” Kaylah explained. 

The guys and I? 

“Weather permitting?” Salem asked. 

“Weather won’t matter, bossman,” Thompson added. “You know first-hand we can set up a ten by sixteen tent in two minutes-forty seconds flat.” 

“You’ve got this all planned out, huh.” He was impressed. “You know you don’t have to do all this, Kay.” 

“I know, but I want to. I want everyone to have that little taste of home, and I want us all to be together.” 

Salem poked the turkey. “That baby has to be a twenty pounder, at least.” 

“You’re close. Twenty-five,” Kaylah replied. 

“Holy crap, woman. Are you planning on feeding the entire neighborhood, too?” 

“Nope.” She looked around at the men. She softened her gaze and grinned. “Just my own little army.” 

If possible, at that moment, Salem fell a little bit more in love with her. 

Perhaps she didn’t have Autumn to mother on a day-to-day basis for the time being, but she certainly made up for it by taking care of his motley crew. And they lapped it up. But the caring was mutual. 

“I can’t wait.” Kraft rubbed his hands together. “Kaylah makes the best roast chicken I’ve ever had. Makes my mouth water to think what she’ll do with that ginormous bird.” 

“Well, I for one can’t wait to meet Autumn,” Salem said. “When do you expect her in?” 

Kaylah’s expression drooped and she looked down at the floor. “She’s not coming home,” Kaylah murmured in a whisper. 

“What do you mean, she’s not coming?” He frowned. “This is the first big holiday since you two have been separated—the perfect opportunity for her to visit. The pair of you need to see each other.” 

“She’d have to spend the entire holiday traveling. She has class until Wednesday at four. It’s a ten-hour drive. She’ll sleep, eat, then be back on the road for the trek back. It’s just not practical, Salem.” 

“Is it money? I’ll buy her a plane ticket myself.” Though, he was more than confident it wasn’t a financial issue. Every time he needed more supplies, the money was there and every installment they’d agreed upon had been paid on time and in full, which was more than he could say for any other job he’d ever taken. 

“We’ll chip in, Kay,” Piquet piped up. “The guys and I can’t afford much right about now, but we’ll take up a collection, see what we can scrounge up.” A tear ran down her cheek as she slowly reached out and squeezed Piq’s wrist. If he wasn’t mistaken, Piq’s eyes glazed as he watched her. 

“That’s lovely of you to offer—all of you—but it’s not the money. That’s not a problem. It was her decision not to come. Besides, she’s already made other plans with her friends, even if she could secure a ticket at the last minute.” 

“Well, we know what to save up for Christmas, fellas, ’cause this ain’t happenin’ again,” Thompson ranted. “I don’t care what her excuse is, that girl is coming home for December twenty-fifth, come hell or high water, even if we have to go up there and get her ourselves.”

All the guys nodded. 

“I love you guys,” Kaylah murmured, her lips trembling. 

Well, it wasn’t quite what Salem had imagined the first time she said the words, including his whole company and all, but he’d take it. And, by the gentle looks on all their goddamn ugly mugs, they would, too. 

“Get back to work,” Salem said, in no uncertain terms. 

After a round of ‘yes sirs,’ they did as commanded. 

“They are an amazing group of men, Salem,” Kaylah said, hugging him. 

“I know it. But did you say annoying? ’Cause I heard ‘annoying,’” he tried to joke and lighten her mood. 

Even through lessening tears, she giggled. The sound reverberated in his chest. 

“Ya need any help putting all this stuff away?” 

“No, thank you. I’ve got it.” 

“Then I’ll get back at it, too.” 

Salem went to retrieve his tape measure. 

“Piq, did you steal my f*ckin’ tape measure again?” With the noise, no one heard him. “I was sure I left it on the sideboard,” he grumbled. 

As he limped back up the stairs, he wondered about Kay and Autumn’s relationship. The more he hung around, the more he wondered if things were not as rosy between the two of them as Kaylah wished him to believe. So, Autumn had plans with friends for Thanksgiving. He could accept that, he supposed. But, he’d also suggested Kay take a week and go up and visit her, if she missed her daughter so much. There had always seemed to be an excuse. Next time he had that girl on the phone, he was determined to get to the bottom of it. Yet even her phone calls were becoming fewer and farther between. 

As soon as he entered Autumn’s room, he spied his measuring tape on the new window sill. 

He sighed and picked it up. Most of the other paranormal activity had calmed, as Tagg had advised. No more banging doors at six a.m. or popping bulbs or disembodied footfalls. The lost or moving objects were another matter altogether. The men were forever misplacing tools and, as Kaylah had mentioned, finding them in the most confounding places. 

“It’s gettin’ old,” he mumbled to no one in particular. 

BookBub

Goodreads

Totally Bound

Amazon

Universal Link

Thanks for stopping by

Happy Thanksgiving

#MySexySaturday Sexy Holidays - a sneak peek to an upcoming release! #happythanksgiving

Welcome to the 168th week of My Sexy Saturday

This week’s theme: My Sexy Holidays

We've already celebrated our Thanksgiving back in October here in Canada. I'd like to wish all my American friends and readers a Happy Thanksgiving coming up this week. 

Today I'm sharing a snip from a military romance story that will be released in 2017 with Totally Bound. Don't have any artwork yet and the snip is unedited, I'm not even going to share the title just yet, though it's on my 'coming soon page' 😉 But this excerpt fits right in with the theme, since it's Thanksgiving in the story. 

"The guys and I are going to set up tables in the front yard," Kaylah explained. 

The guys and I?

“Weather permitting?” Salem asked.

“Weather won’t matter, bossman," Thompson added. "You know first hand we can set up a ten-by-sixteen tent in two minutes forty seconds flat.”

"You’ve got this all planned out, huh.” He was impressed. “You know you don’t have to do all this, Kay.”

"I know, but I want to. I want everyone to have that little taste of home and I want us all to be together.”

Salem poked the turkey. It had to be at least twenty-five pounds. “Holy crap, woman, are you planning on feeding the entire neighborhood too?”

“Nope." She looked around at his men. Her gaze softened and the corners of her mouth lifted. “Just my own little army.”

If possible, at that moment, he fell a little bit more in love with her.

Hop on through the linky list below for this week's MSS participants

Cranberries and Spice Thanksgiving #Bloghop and #Giveaway hosted by @Nblackthorne

Welcome to the Cranberries and Spice Thanksgiving

 Blog Hop and Giveaway!

I'd like to wish my southern neighbours a Happy Thanksgiving. Up here in Canada we celebrate our Thanksgiving in October so any reason to have another feast sounds good to me.

To celebrate I'll be giving away a $10 Amazon card (or if the winner prefers a GC from All Romance eBooks) as prize #1 and readers choice of my backlist to winner #2. I'll choose the winners at random on the 5th of December and announce them on the 6th. Please leave a comment and an email address so I can reach you if you are chosen as the winner.

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks to Natasha Blackthorne for being such a wonderful host. There's also a FACEBOOK EVENT where several of the authors will be popping in intermittently sharing excerpts and more flash giveaways.

Don't forget to checkout all the other Cranberries and Spice Blog Hoppers and authors, for more great prizes, giveaways and excerpts. The entire Blog Hop Linky list is at the bottom of this post. Be sure to hit them all.

Speaking of excerpts, let's heat things up a little bit. 
Although air conditioning is the last thing we need to think about with the snow on the ground out there and the dreaded wind chill, this excerpt features the deliciously handsome Billy Maas—AC repairman extraordinaire from erotic romance Hard and Fast. I hope it warms you up. 

Here's the blurb:

 Josslynn Rossdale has dedicated the last ten years of her life making her sister’s dreams come true, and happily so. But now that Pasha is on the cusp of taking the fashion world by storm, Joss realizes she needs some time apart from Pash to find her own direction. Temporarily breaking away from the fast-paced modelling industry, Joss returns to their hometown and decides that opening her own agency is the way to go.
 
An overly hot and humid summer season has kept repairman Billy Maas more than busy. But when he attends a routine service call, he doesn’t expect the most beautiful woman in the universe to answer the door, let alone allow him to service more than just her air-con unit.
 
But Joss isn’t looking for a simple fling. After seeing how happy her sister, Pasha, is with her husband, Lot, she wants some of that. Billy is fun and exciting, but their lives and interests are very different. So when Joss begins to have real feelings for the adorable Billy, she sees no alternative but to distance herself from the younger party boy—leaving the bewildered and lovelorn repairman with a crisis he can’t fix.

Chapter Two

Joss woke up early the next morning, too sticky and hot to remain in bed and called the superintendent about the air conditioning. She’d been trying to get it to work since she’d returned and now that she needed it, it wouldn’t even turn on.

This apartment had been hers and Pasha’s for years. They’d kept it even while they’d been stationed in LA, so they’d have a place to stay when they were in town—or a place to come back to if things hadn’t worked out.

On the way to the kitchen, Joss paused to open Pasha’s bedroom door. It was bright and beautiful just like Pash. Joss took a deep breath. It even smelled like Pash.
 
After taking a cool shower, she put on a thin tank top and a pair of sleep shorts as she puttered around, unpacking from the trip to Hawaii and her sister’s wedding that she’d been neglecting.
 
There was a knock at the door. She expected it to be the super. Her building was a secured one, so folks couldn’t come and go without being buzzed in. But when she opened the door, it was most certainly not the manager. Instead she met the amazing blue eyes of the man that had occupied her thoughts all night long.
 
His handsomely rugged features showed surprise as well. The corner of his mouth turned up boyishly. His gaze skimmed over her scant clothing, heating her up again. In a smooth, smug gesture he leaned against the doorjamb.
 
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Joss commented, amused.
 
“Did you call for a service, ma’am…?”
 
Joss snorted at his choice of words and he turned five shades of red then began to back track and trip all over his tongue to correct himself.
 
“I meant a service man, ma’am. Er…aw, fer fuck! Oh, shit, again, I’m sorry.”
 
Finally he just hung his head. Joss waited until he peered up at her through his lashes. He was too cute.
 
“Did my friends put you up to this? You’re not like a male stripper or something on the side, are you?””

“No. I’m here to repair your AC unit. Your super let me up. I had no idea who lived here.”
 
Shaking her head at the impossibility of it all, she stepped back and let him in. 

“This way,” she said, very aware of him at her back. Visions of him doing the most delicious things to her body invaded her mind, as they had last night while she’d tried to sleep.
 
Jesus Christ, this could have been the fantasy he’d imagined in bed last night, except for the idiotic things coming out of his mouth. In his dreams he was the coolest. But as he followed her down the hall, he forgot all about his flub when he became entranced by the sway of her hips and her long tanned legs. Not to mention the severe cut of her shorts, barely covering the most shapely arse he’d ever had the pleasure of pursuing. His dick twitched. God, she was absolutely stunning. Luscious, he thought, and that wasn’t a word, he’d ever applied to any chick.
 
“Right in here.”
 
“Whoo, it is warm in here. How long have you been without it?” he asked concentrating on what he knew calmed his nerves.
 
“I noticed it when I arrived home and have been complaining to my super since. I’ve been out of town until recently, as you know. I’ve missed most of the heat wave, but now that I need it, nothing.” She twisted the dial to demonstrate.
 
“Hmm, the last couple of days about every one I’ve seen to has been frozen up. 
The problem stems from being cranked on full bore for so many days straight. But that’s obviously not the case here.” Billy popped off the casing exposing the inner workings.
 
The phone rang.
 
“Excuse me.”
 
Billy watched her leave and chuckled at himself. When was the last time he’d made a fool of himself over a woman?
 
As soon as he heard her answer the phone, he got back to work, diagnosing the problem, by process of elimination, the most common problems with that particular model first.
 
“Sure, I’ll send them to you right away, Tom,” she said, re-entering the room with a mobile phone to her ear. She then sat her amazing arse in an office chair in front of a desktop computer and turned it on. It started to boot up, but then the whirring sound came to a grinding and abrupt stop.
 
“Oh, shit! What happened?” She looked over at Billy.
 
How should he know? But he went over to see if he could help anyway.
 
“Here, try to reset,” he suggested, pushing the tiny button below the power start.
 
“Who’s that?” Billy was close enough that he heard the man on the other end of the phone. She must have known it was overloud too. Her gaze shot to his. He wondered if it was a boyfriend and belatedly he checked her left hand for a wedding band. It was bare.
 
“The AC repairman is here.” When the computer made no attempt to re-boot she said, “Ya know anything about computers too, Tech-Co?”
 
Billy viewed past her lovely bare legs and replied, “Maybe you have a loose connection or something?” Intentionally he placed his hand on her bare knee as he ducked under, taking his penlight out of his shirt pocket.
 
“I’ll let you go for now, Tom. If we can get this stupid thing up and running, I’ll send you those documents. If not, I’ll drop off the hard copies round to you tomorrow.”
 
Billy checked all the cables and connections. Everything seemed as it should be.
 
“Uhh, no, that’s not necessary.”
 
Billy noted a change in her voice. Not so cordial now.
 
“I said it’s fine. No. I can handle it. I’ll get those to you as soon as I can. Goodbye.” She ended the call abruptly.
 
Billy made sure to brush against her as he came out from under the desk. “All looks good down there.”
 
She held his gaze as the double entendre hung between them. He hit the power button again, but still nothing.
 
“Well, what’s next I wonder? They say these things happen in threes. The air conditioning, now this?” She rolled her eyes.
 
“Well, let me at least get your AC going. You’ll be cooler in no time and then all these other mishaps will be easier to contend with.”
 
“Thanks.”
 
Billy went back to the unit and tested the main power with his handy voltage detector. Then on a hunch he passed it over the wall outlet. The stick beeped, indicating it had power.

“It would seem the unit is fried.”
 
“What? How? I haven’t even been here.”
 
“Here, let me check your computer.” Again, the outlet had juice but not the computer. Even though it had attempted to start, it was dead now.
 
“Have you used any of your other appliances since you’ve been home? TVs? Is your fridge working?”
 
“The fridge is, but I haven’t watched any television.” She got up and Billy followed. She had a nice place—all high-end stuff.
 
In the kitchen, Billy suggested the microwave. She poured a cup of coffee and placed it into the machine, then hit start. It also did not work.
 
Baffled, she looked to him.
 
“That bad storm we had a week ago, maybe?”
 
“I was at a wedding out of town.”
 
“Oh, well, the power was out sporadically all over town. I’d say there was a power surge when the utilities came back on and some of your appliances got zapped. You should really unplug things if you’re not using them. Especially when you’re going to be away. There’s no need for them to be plugged in. You should also invest in some surge protectors. Especially for your computer.”
 
“Oh.”
 
“I have ‘em. It’s not a big deal and they’re not expensive. Not compared to what it’ll cost you now to replace all this stuff. You got content insurance?”
 
“Yes. So all my stuff is junk?”
 
“Sorry.”
 
“Well, the air conditioning unit came with the place. At least that’s not my problem.”
 
“No, but it might be hard for your super to replace at the moment. There’s not an air conditioner to be had for miles. Every time there’s a heat wave people buy them up.”
 
“Well, shit! At least the coffee maker and the fridge made it and I can use my laptop.”
 
“Let me see what I’ve got in the van. Maybe I can help you out.”
 
“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.” She wiped her forehead.
 
“You seem like you can tolerate the heat better than most.”
 
“Ha,” she laughed softly. “It’s all smoke and mirrors. I’m just as hot as the next person.”

“I’ll say.” Billy grinned. “I’ll be right back.”

* * * *

Joss buzzed the smoldering repairman back in. He let himself into the apartment, a cell phone to his ear.
 
“The two-four-AC-B-seven. I’ll need a condenser and maybe a fan. Let me know.” He ended the call. “He’s gonna get back to me. I’ve got my trusty power detector.” He jiggled it between two fingers.
 
“It looks like a flat pen.”
 
“I guess it does,” he agreed.
 
”What does it do?” she asked, eyeing it.
 
“When you touch it to a live wire or something that has power running through it, it will light up and beep. You want to see what else isn’t working. Maybe make a list, then when you call your insurance company, you’ll be prepared?”
 
“Sure,” she said, dejected. It was one more thing she didn’t want to deal with right now. “Want a cup of coffee?” she offered, taking hers out of the microwave.
 
“Isn’t it a little hot for coffee?”
 
“Yes, but I need it.”
 
“Sure,” he decided with a shrug.
 
Joss poured him one then joined him in the living area. She passed him a cup. 

Once he’d accepted it, he looked directly at her, sending her pulse pounding again.
 
“Thanks. The TV in here is cooked too.”
 
“Great,” she said in a clipped tone.

 Following him to the next room, she couldn’t help but watch the play of muscle as his blue shirt pulled across his broad shoulders. Continuing her bold perusal, she admired the slim cut of his waist, down to the tight roundness of his butt. Oh yeah, he was built. Other than some tension-filled awkwardness as he went through her bedroom, they made it back to Joss’ office.
The repairman was about to set the coffee cup down on the desk but he fumbled it. The cup hit the keyboard, bounced, splattered hot coffee all the way up his chest then fell to the floor.

“Shit!” he cursed.
 

“Take your shirt off,” Joss yelled in a panic. She ran to the kitchen for some paper towel and a dishrag. But when she got back to the room and saw him without his shirt, cleaning up the mess was the furthest thing from her mind.
 
After tossing the roll of paper onto the desk, she took the towel and began to blot his chest, wiping the sexy black swirling tribal tattoo that began on his upper arm, spread to his left shoulder and ended on his chest. He was jacked—muscles bulging and flexing everywhere. With a body like that he must work out like a mad man. Belatedly, she realized she’d wrapped her other hand possessively around his bicep as she dried him off with the other.
 
Billy seemed to relax, the tension leaving his body. With deliberate slowness, he splayed his fingers low on her back, almost touching her bum.
 
All of a sudden he seemed to tower over her. She felt small. Her breathing turned shallow and co-mingled with his.
 
“Are you all right?” she asked, but it came out as a whisper.
 
Placing his free hand on her opposite hip, he then bent his head as if he might kiss her but hesitated, silently asking permission.
 
Joss wanted it more than anything.
 
“How old are you, Tech-Co?” she asked, her voice still evading her.
 
“It’s Billy.”
 
The new husky timbre to his voice went right through her. But she was aware enough to realize he’d sidestepped her question. She waited him out.
 
“Twenty-eight.”
 
“Don’t lie to me, Billy, that won’t help your cause.”
 
“Twenty-five. Josslynn,” he added, letting her know that he’d already learned her name, most likely from the super.
 
“Just Joss,” she responded distractedly.

Anything over twenty-two was good enough for her. She leaned toward him and he captured her lips in a searing kiss. A mewling sound escaped her as his grip tightened and he pulled her body into his. He was so hard, all over. She molded her front to his, boldly rubbing her pelvis against his erection. The gesture dragged a growl from deep in his chest, thrilling her.
 
Joss dropped the towel so that both of her hands were free to explore his incredible body. Going under her shirt, Billy spanned his palms across her back. He exhaled hotly into her mouth as he tangled his tongue with hers. He was now fully aware that she was not wearing a bra, but instead of exploring her breasts as she expected, he slid his palms over her skin and dipped into her sleep shorts. He cupped her bum before angling her even more securely to his hard cock. They rocked and ground into one another until their harsh breathing filled the room.
 
All of a sudden everything went very fast. They fought over his zipper.
 
“Do you have a condom?” Joss panted.
 
“Wallet, back pocket,” he said, his square jaw tight.
 
Joss reached into his back pocket and held up the billfold for him to retrieve it. She wasn’t about to rifle through his wallet.
 
He produced the foil packet. Joss snatched it from his hand then ripped it open. As she fitted it over the swollen head, Billy pushed her hands away and rolled it the rest of the way on.
 
In a hurry now, Joss backed him toward the loveseat behind them, his trousers around his ankles. The moment the backs of his knees hit the cushions, he toppled downwards. Joss pushed at her shorts and let them fall, then straddled Billy’s lap. He scooched down, holding his distended cock in position for her to just lower herself onto it. But first, she took hold and rubbed it against her wet pussy, spreading the lush moisture around. Then she sank down slowly, allowing her inner walls to become accustomed to his size. She placed her hands on his shoulder for support.
 
Joss watched Billy’s face as she filled herself with him, his features a combination of ecstasy and pain.

Billy couldn’t believe this was happening. He was buried to the hilt in this

gorgeous woman who he’d just met. It was likely he’d get fired over this—fraternizing with the customers was strictly forbidden. But this was worth it! God, she was so hot and tight, he wasn’t going to be able to make this last. She tossed her head back and rode him frantically. The raspy mewling sound coming from the back of her throat was just as much of a turn on.
 
In an attempt to slow things down, he gripped her slim hips, but a tiny spasm rocked them both. Joss clamped her knees to his hips and ground her pussy against him. His balls tightened, just as her cunt began to quiver and squeeze him.
 
“Ohhh, Billy, ohhh…” she cried.
 
“Fuck! Hunhhh, Josslynn. Oh, baby!” he responded, his hips bucking, he emptied into the rubber.
 
Josslynn collapsed, burying her face into his neck. Glorious little ripples of latent arousal gripped her and transferred to him, hugging his deflating cock. It felt incredible.
 
But those amazing aftereffects soon gave way to awkwardness. Yes, they had some major sexual chemistry going on between them, but they knew next to nothing about one another.
 
Josslynn leaned back and regarded him for only a second before her gaze skittered away. She extricated herself from his lap and bent demurely to pick up her shorts then she raced from the room. Giving him an excellent view of her highly toned bare arse.
 
“Jesus! That’s nice. Let’s hope that wasn’t the one and only time I get to see it,” he said to himself, scanning the room for a trashcan. She didn’t seem like the tryst in the afternoon kinda girl to him. What if he never saw her again after this?
 
Spying a tissue box, he pulled the condom off and wrapped it up in the tissue then tossed it in the can.
 
When she returned, he was fully dressed and re-attaching the faceplate back onto the air conditioner. She went straight to the spots of coffee on the carpet and blotted and sprayed them. She was dressed in the same top but had put on a pair of light capris. They outlined her form perfectly.
 
“Can I help, there?” Billy asked.
 
“No, I’ve got it. Thanks.”
 
“I think I might owe you a new keyboard, too.”
 
“Wouldn’t it have burnt up too, probably?”
 
“Yeah, I guess. It may have.”
 
“Then don’t worry about it. I’ll have to replace the whole thing as it is.”
 
“I’m sorry.”
 
“It’s okay.”
 
Billy’s phone vibrated. “Yeah,” he answered tersely, then listened. “All right. I’ll be there.” He ended the call.
 
“Another repair call?” she asked, standing. She began to wipe down the desk.
 
“Yeah, sorry.”
 
“That’s okay. Not much you can do without parts, right?” She smiled then looked away again.
 
After collecting his gear and tools, he made his way to the exit. She followed behind.
 
“Can I”—he shrugged—“see you later tonight, maybe?”
 
“I have plans tonight.”
 
Did she? Or was she blowing him off?
 
“I’ll, uh, I’ll be back in touch then when I get my hands on some parts.”
 
“Thank you.”
 
After opening the door, he crossed the threshold into the hallway then turned back. She searched his gaze, seemingly uncertain, just as he was.
 
A small smile pulled at her incredible mouth and a twinkle flashed in her dark eyes. “Well, thanks for the service,” she said cheekily. Two pink patches appeared on her cheeks.
 
Heat climbed up the back of his neck.
 
“Well, you’re welcome, ma’am. Any time. I’m here to serve,” he returned with a grin.
 
She bit her lip as he turned from her and made his way to the elevator. When he cast a glance back, she’d already closed the door. 

* * * *

Joss leaned against the door then placed her face in her hands, silently berating herself. What had she been thinking? She’d just banged the Tech-Co repairman!

Oh, stop acting like you’re mortified. Embarrassed, maybe, but face it, you’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Yes, she would. He was hot and the hurried sex was too. So, why had she panicked and lied to him about having plans for the night. She might have enjoyed spending more time with him? Perhaps because she didn’t want him to think she was too easy?
 
“Oh, no, why would he think that when you jumped him after only knowing him a few minutes?” she admonished.
 
Mopping her forehead, Joss pulled herself together and called her insurance company.

Happy and safe Thanksgiving! 

An InLinkz Link-up

#MySexySaturday The Thanksgiving Edition

Welcome to the 69^th week of My Sexy Saturday.

This week’s theme is our sexy Thanksgiving. We know what you’re thinking. Thanksgiving is about families. What’s more sexy than family?  After all each started with a story about a man and a woman finding each other and deciding on a family. Think of all the wonderful romances that happen at this time of year. 

You know the ones we’re talking about. Sister brings home friend, brother falls for friend and on and on.

So this week show us all the characters love family. Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t have one and suddenly they find themselves with one. It could be about someone who has always looked in and wanted a home with all the trimmings including a family. There are many ways to be thankful and we’d love to hear some of those wonderful stories.

This snip blends with the spirit of family and two people who are eternally grateful and thankful for each other. Always.

Blurb : Always Cambridge Book One

The Always Cambridge Series chronicles the life of Holly Cambridge through her tumultuous childhood and violent teen years and the consequences that stem from being the daughter of mob boss, Bill Cambridge.

* * * *

Holly Cambridge is just a typical kid, or so she thinks, until one day, she takes a good look around and realizes her friends don’t have bodyguards dogging their every step.
 
At the age of sixteen, Holly is assigned a new bodyguard, Randy Phillips. He is a tall, muscular, God-like force in the young, impressionable and lonely girl’s life. He is her friend, her confident, her conscience, and the older man she adores beyond reason.
 
Randy Phillips is fully aware of his young charge’s adolescent crush on him. Although he is flattered by the adulation, he maintains a safe distance and professional demeanour until Holly is wounded in a rival family blood feud, and the course of both their lives is changed forever.

Excerpt:  

 As the door closed I saw her shoulders slump. She covered her face with her hand. She wiped away a tear. I stood to go to her, but Paddy reached her first. He opened up his arms and she dove into them. He held her and talked to her softly. I couldn't hear his words but occasionally, I saw her nod. Then finally she giggled. She parted from him and he wiped her tears away. Just like I had seen him do for her when she was little. He unwrapped a candy from his pocket, handed it to her, and she popped it into her mouth.

“That’s my girl. Now, come on, let me help you get those dead birds out. There’s no way these tiny little spaghetti arms can lift those twenty-five pounders. Randy!” Paddy called. “We need some help with some dead bird carcasses.” He was just trying to be silly now to make her happy.
 
“Eeewww,” she replied wrinkling her nose. “I think I just lost my appetite.”

Holly laughed as I approached but I could see her eyes were still glistening and sad. It made me hate Cambridge even more than I already did. He didn’t deserve her tears.

Holly took Paddy’s hand and they walked through the kitchen door together. “I love you, Paddy.” I heard her say.

He patted her shoulder awkwardly. But I knew he loved her too, even if he couldn’t say it.

Though, I had to hand it to her. She left her own sadness at her father’s rejection behind and she threw herself, like only Holly could, whole-heartedly into the role of perfect hostess. She made every wise-guy there feel comfortable and at home. She served and fetched for everyone. I found myself watching her everywhere she went. She laughed and she joked. She knew individual things about every one of these guys so that she could hold a conversation with each of them. She knew all of their kid’s names. And more stuff about them that I didn’t even know. These guys were not just here to protect her. We weren’t just employees to her. She cared about us. She made us her family.

A family. That was what she wanted, a family to love and to love her in return. She craved it from her father and her sister. From me. She wanted to be cared about. She wanted to look after people and have them look after her out of mutual feeling. I knew what that was like. To feel alone, like no one cared. There was no one to take care of her. Maybe that was why she and I had always clicked. Even when she was so young, we just wanted desperately for someone to give a shit about us. I ached for her.

Follow the saga from the beginning... Always Cambridge 

I hope you enjoyed this week's snip. Don't forget to check out the other MSS authors from the linky list below. 

Have a Sexy Saturday 
and for those celebrating, enjoy a Happy and safe Thanksgiving!