Slow Burn for a Hot Summer

I know I’m not the only one trying to juggle real life and writing, and this summer has kept us all on our toes, hasn’t it? I’ve had a couple of releases at Midnight Showcase—– including an anthology called Slow Burn

Here are the blurbs of the stories contained inside and a couple of excerpts. I hope you enjoy them

Old Friends
Evie and Gibb have known each other for more than a decade. It’s about time for these two longtime friends to negotiate a new relationship—hopefully, it won’t be at the cost of the rest of their old friends.

~~~~
Amazing. Blown away. Overwhelmed. And they’d just barely touched. What would happen when they made love? And they would…were going to, were minutes away. The idea of it made Evie’s knees weak and she stumbled over the threshold.

“You still with me?” he rumbled, his arm around her back.

They were on the stairs now, she could make it that little bit further. “Fine,” she agreed, moving on automatic, eager like she’d never been before.

And then she was under him, the soft down of the comforter against her back, his hard body above her, her fingers searching through his shirt, making short work of buttons.

His mouth covered hers, devouring, sucking, her hands tracing his angular face, the sky blue fire of his eyes looking into her, finding, keeping what he wanted. More, just more, his long thin fingers flicking away buttons, parted fabric, searched, and found smooth, warm skin.

“Gibb,” she breathed, not sure what she was even saying as she tugged at his jeans, kicking out of her brief skirt with his help, straining toward him like a flower seeking the sun.

“Oh, yeah,” he groaned, scooting them both up the bed and leaving his jeans and shorts behind.

Skin on skin, sliding against each other. Evie stroked up Gibb’s leanly muscled ribcage loving the sleek powerful feel of him. His thick erection prodded her hip as they rolled again on the bed so that she rested on top of him, his hands cupping her rear.

“You feel so good,” he murmured, mouthing against her throat.

“You, too,” she husked, one leg falling between his as she angled her neck so that he would have better access. “Oh, god, I can’t believe how good you feel.”

“Mmm, and it’s about to get even better.”

One hand covered her breast, kneading and rolling a nipple, only to slip down over her taut belly, combing through the tight curls over her mound. His fingers parted her labia, pressing lightly against her engorged clit, then a little harder, back and forth, leaving her gasping.

His lips covered hers, wet and warm, his tongue caressing her palate as they rolled one more time. With his free hand, Gibb pulled her knee up, over his hip, guiding the tip of his cock to her hot center.

“Gibb,” she panted, trying to say something, not sure what.

He dragged the wide head between her slick folds-once, twice, and then pulled back.

“Condom,” he rasped, almost choking on it.

“Oh.” Yes, that’s what she’d been trying to remember. A condom. Safe sex. Very important. For some reason…

~~~~

Teacher, Teacher
Krayton Vance and Vivian Talon had several things in common. They both worked for the public education system, they both decided to spend their Spring Break in Spain, and they’re both looking for a fling. The question is, what happens to them when the break is over?

~~~~
Pretty soon, the time for talk was gone. Both seemed to understand that this was a vacation fling. When Spring Break ended and they left Playa de la Rada, they would go back to their lives.

“If we leave here together, Vivian, we’ll be going to bed.” He looked into her eyes.

He wanted no misunderstanding. He could still walk away. So could she. “I want to be clear. I am going to fuck you as many times as I can before our little interlude in Spain is over. Do you understand that?” She nodded. “Say it,” he ordered.

“We will–have sex–repeatedly, if we leave here together.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, I agree.”

He threw some bills down on the table and took her hand.

As they walked along the beach toward their hotel, Krayton stopped and turned Vivian into his arms. He leaned down and placed his lips on hers.

He bit gently on her lower lip and tugged. When she opened her mouth, he invaded it with his tongue. He devoured her mouth with his, intent on taking what he wanted.

When he was sure of her surrender, he turned her toward their hotel.

~~~~

Dinner for One
What could be lonelier than dinner by oneself? Many things, as it turns out. Join Maura for a memorable evening of dinner, drinks, and meeting new people. It’s a meal she will always remember.
~~~~
Maura followed the stuffy maître‘d into the dim room populated with sedate diners seated primly at carefully stationed tables covered in flowing white linen.
Conversation was hushed, the clatter of silver cutlery against fine china a soft background music as she followed the tuxedo clad gentleman to a small, square table off to the side.

A curt nod from the austere man brought a white-jacketed busboy scuttling up to whisk away the extra chair. “Would Madame care for an aperitif?” the maître’d inquired stiffly, adjusting the tablecloth discreetly to hide the emptiness vacated by the missing chair.

“Please,” Maura smiled. She felt the center of attention and wanted nothing more than peace and a lovely glass of wine. “A dry red wine if you will.” Sweeping her loose skirt under her, she sat carefully on the padded chair, allowing the gentleman to scoot it in for her.

“Michele,” he said and turned to a swarthy young man, Mediterranean, no doubt. “See if you can find a nice Pinot Noir for the lady.” Turning back to Maura, the older man promised her, “I shall leave you now in Michele’s capable care.”

I wish, she thought, her eyes sweeping the sexy young man. Aloud she said, “Thank you, Michele.”

With a wicked wink, Michele leaned down to her ear, ostensibly adjusting her chair. “Anything for a beautiful woman.”

Maura shook her head with a smile. For those words alone, Michele had earned his tip tonight.

~~~

Anything
Intoxicated by a beautiful voice and a meaningful song, centuries old vampire Amedeo Di Calibria searches to find the singer. He finds beautiful but emotionally frozen Alexa. Can he melt the ice around her heart?

~~~~
Goosebumps chased up Alexa's spine when Andrei's palm settled at the small of her back. When he leaned in close to lead her down the corridor and around a gathering of people, it was all she could do not to press herself against him.

He smelled so good and something about him, some nameless magnetism, affected her in a way she'd never before experienced. Did she really want to get away from him or did she want to move in closer?

As if he knew what she was thinking, Andrei stepped next to her in the elevator so that her hip brushed the top of his thigh. It was a small space and she supposed five people did create very close quarters.

Upon arriving at her door, the only other penthouse in the hotel besides his own, it turned out, Andrei tapped a number on a keypad causing the door to open. He murmured the number in her ear as he did it but she knew she'd never be able to repeat it should he ask.

"I'll be right back," she mumbled as soon as the small party had assembled itself. Janie followed her into her room.

"He's handsome, isn't he, honey?" Janie giggled, pulling out a loose pair of silk lounge pants and top. They were a very stylish dark red with a v-neck and long sleeves.

"I can't wear my pajamas out there, Janie!" Alexa gasped. "I don't even know that man!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Alexa," Janie chuckled. "They're much less revealing than that dress you're wearing now. Pull these on and you'll be fine," she said, handing her a pair of soft, black leather ballet slippers. "Bernie and I might go down to eat in the restaurant," she added as Alexa shimmied out of her stockings and pulled the slippers on.

"And leave me alone with that man?" Alexa squeaked. "What if…"

"Now you hush being silly," Janie laughed. "He's a fine, upstanding man. He's not going to ravish you…not unless you want him to," she snickered. "I can't say I'd mind it too much."
~~~~


There's more, of course, but you'll have to read the stories in the book. :)

J.J. Massa

www.jjmassa.com