Wicked Hot releases!
It’s official Wicked Hot release day. I have my copy. I read it last night, and am still re-reading it. It’s fun to see the real thing, the finished product, and remember when I was figuring out this scene or that scene, and how I was sure I’d never get away with that part…I really like reading Edana’s journey, and I hope you will, too. And also I really like the two hot guys. *g*
I’m guest blogging about the interwebz; read more at May K and Lorelei James‘ blogs.
I’ll leave you with this snippet…
Wicked Hot
copyright 2008 Charlene Teglia
St. Martin’s Griffin, all rights reserved
Eli lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me as if it was a prelude to battle and a sensual declaration of war. His lips ravaged mine, payback for the brutal kiss I’d given him. I tilted my head back to offer him a better angle and opened my lips under the bruising pressure of his. He made a low, growling sound and sent his tongue probing in search of mine.
We circled, tested, and parried with our tongues, the actions more reminiscent of a duel than a kiss. Opponents feeling each other out, taking each other’s measure, gauging skill and style. Each searching for an opening in the other’s guard.
Eli ended the skirmish of lips and tongues and drew back, his forehead touching mine, our mouths the smallest space apart. A gap either of us could close easily. “You’re not an amateur.”
“Neither are you.” My voice was a little breathless and it wasn’t done for deliberate effect. Eli had made me work to keep up with him in the kiss, just like he had walking, and I hadn’t expected it.
“I didn’t have to hold back with you.” Eli stated this as if I shouldn’t have had to have it explained. It was like an echo of my conversation with Dal.
I thought about the implications of a being with enough sex drive to go through a hundred women not holding back and felt almost dizzy with sexual greed. Maybe the experience would be worth the risk. Almost immediately I wanted to smack myself. Worth risking eternal banishment? Lust makes everybody stupid.
On the other hand, Eli was treating me almost like an equal and that was…interesting. Unique in my experience. I had the funny sense that it was the closest thing I’d get to a compliment for him to spar with me on my field of battle. Like he thought I could give him a challenging fight.
“Do you really want me here, on this beach?” I asked Eli. “All those rocks under us, digging in and making things uncomfortable?”
“You wanted to come here,” Eli reminded me.
“Yeah, well, there’s historical precedent to temptation in the wilderness,” I said. “Also, I thought the beach would be softer. Sandy.”
“There’s sand when the tide’s further out.” Eli looked dead serious, but I had the distinct impression he was laughing at me inside.
Rolling around on the beach sounded sexy, but not if it included hitting my head on a rock. Of course, having my skin scoured off by sand probably wouldn’t be much more fun. A job was a job, though. I steeled myself for it. “Fine. Let’s do it, then. I get to be on top.”
“I’m not scraping my ass on these rocks for you.”
I bit back a laugh that turned to a gasp as we transitioned, from the beach below to the forested cliff above in a blink.
“This is more like it,” Eli said. “A soft bed of moss and ferns.”
I clutched at him and looked around. It was like being in a primeval forest, the trees were so ancient, tall and moss-covered. Soft, filtered light came from the canopy high above us, making our little spot seem dim and intimate. The roar of the surf below filled the air with a surging rhythm and the air had a tang of salt that mixed with the green scent of forest. A place out of time. Out of the modern world. A place that sat just on the cusp of two realms, the world of water and the world of woods.
“Yes,” I agreed. My voice sounded hushed to my own ears. “This is more like it.”
Eli lowered me to the forest floor. The moss under us felt surprisingly soft and springy. It beat being backed up against a nearby tree, especially since the ones I could see had a tendency to sprout shelf lichen all around their trunks. He arranged us side by side, facing each other. One of his large hands rested on my hip. The other arm went under me, making a sort of pillow for me. His long hair spilled over my shoulder, and somehow that felt more intimate than the kisses we’d exchanged.
Eli looked into my eyes, and I felt my breath stop. “Laying down, we’re the same height,” he said, his voice rasping with an edge of hunger that called to my own.
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