Romancing a Cause (plus excerpt!)

Samhain author Ciar Cullen (who writes lovely books, by the way - I highly recommend KEY WEST MAGIC) has organized an auction to benefit a writer who's recently lost her home due to the sad slow-down of the employment market. Items up for auction include romance titles ranging from sweet to erotic, books both in print and electronic format, and more, including a partial critique by Cassandra Curtis and a bit of graphic design by other donors.

If you're interested in throwing some of your book money directly to an author in need, and receiving books in exchange (!) please stop by Ciar's site for details.

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And as special thanks for reading this far, a naked-and-wet excerpt from my novella "Unwrapping Amy" (A ROSE OF ANY COLOUR: MALEDOM October 2007):

Amy eventually stopped watching the door and reaching for the telephone. She showered so she could pretend she wasn’t crying, but she couldn’t trick herself…and she couldn’t fool Mac anymore, either. Now he knew, too, that she wasn’t the same woman he married.

He wouldn’t have betrayed her by marching her out in the middle of the street and calling her on her ability to love him. She’d committed a grievous wrong by doing that to him. Needles of water dashed over her skin, punishing her for such vast stupidity.

The bathroom door opened, interrupting her self-pity. The shower curtain swayed close and sucked against her soapy skin.

“Do you still love me?” He asked.

Yes caught in her throat. She struggled to force the word to her lips. Why was it so hard? What if she said yes and he didn’t love her anymore? Then what defense would she have? Silent moments slipped through her fingers like soapy water, escaping and swirling down the drain. The bathroom door closed and for a single, terrifying moment, she thought he’d given up and gone away.

“You have to answer me, even if the answer hurts.” He paused, and asked, “Do you? Yes or no.”

She pulled the curtain back a few inches. Mac’s reflection in the steamed up mirror was only a blur, devoid of facial features or texture or color. His hand came out of nowhere, folding over hers. The simple touch shook “Yes” past the block in her throat. She said it again to be sure.

“Yes. I still love you.”

Mac blew out a breath that she could hear even over the patter of water on the shower tiles, and his relief gave her anxiety permission to pull back. The tight knot in her stomach eased.

“Your hand is cold as ice,” she said. “There’s still hot water. Do you want the rest of it?”

He pulled the curtain back, removing her plastic wall of defense. Cold air rushed over her wet body. She shrank up to the wall, covering her chest.
Mac was a mess. Rain plastered his hair into a dark, dripping cap. She could see through his shirt, which was so cold his nipples pressed hard against the transparent fabric. He had two buttons free, but he stopped on the third, and narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t ever hide yourself from me again.”

Amy reluctantly uncrossed her arms. She didn’t know what to do with her hands, or, for that matter, her body’s responses. He had never stripped her of every single hiding place before now.

“What are you thinking?” she ventured. He peeled the sodden shirt from his shoulders and dropped it in the sink. His pants followed and he climbed into the tub, pulling the curtain into place.

“That there’s no way I can be gentle with you right now.”

His erection reached her first, hot and heavy as it nuzzled the cleft between her thighs. He ducked his head, burying his face against her throat and biting. At the same time, he grasped her bottom and lifted her. The grout between the tiles, jagged in places, scraped her shoulders as he slid her up the wall. Amy automatically wrapped her arms around his neck and spread her legs.

Her eyes closed against the deluge of hot water raining over them and she rocked her head back against the wall. Gentle or brutal didn’t matter; she exulted in the physical contact, the solid assurance that he still wanted her. She hiked her legs up high around his waist and dug her heels against the small of his back, ensuring that he couldn’t rescind his claim.

He pumped hard and fast half a dozen times and growled “Mine” in her ear as he came. After, with the water pounding cold over their heads, he whispered “I love you.”