Teaser

This is indulgent a blatant plea for reassurance, but damn it I love this story and this is my own personal corner in cyberspace - so here's a teaser from chapter one of Paying For It

The door opened, revealing a long legged goddess with red hair. His stupid heart accelerated. He told himself to get a grip. She wasn’t Joanne. Her eyes were big, but they were more a sea green and she had way fewer freckles. A fast glance south revealed perky breasts rather than melons. Not that he considered size the only mark of a good breast, not at all, no ma’am. Further south, a narrow waist, a sweet curve of hips, and great legs. Up until that moment, he’d never really been a leg man, but those were the kind of long stemmed beauties that he could imagine wrapped around his hips. Suddenly, his initial disappointment was nothing but a bitter memory and the evening took on new possibilities.
“Hi. You must be Zane.” A sweet voice issued from a plump little mouth, touching zones he’d thought permanently frozen. He tore his gaze away from that x-rated mouth only to fall into those green eyes glimmering with sexy secrets.
“I’m Ciara, a friend of Shania’s.” She sounded tentative; almost as if she wasn’t sure he’d believe her. She had a point; she was way too beautiful and normal to be one of his sister’s hopeless cases.
He liked her name. It sounded soft, feminine like the rest of her. A horrible thought hit him; she was probably someone’s date, not one of his sister’s pathetic friends. Nah, sea green eyes wouldn’t be dateless.
If she were available, then Shania would’ve introduced her to him before. Or maybe not. When it came to women, he didn’t have a clue, not even about his sister. Most of the time she was as rational as the next guy but then she had all this subtext stuff going on. Hopeless.
“May I take that for you?” She held out her hand, presumably for the wine.
It dawned on Zane he wasn’t holding up his end of the conversation. Shania’s entrance saved him from making more of a drooling fool of himself than he already had.
“Hi, you made it.” Shania smiled as she moved toward him and the redhead with the amazing eyes.
“I see you’ve already met Zane.” His sister smiled at the gorgeous redhead. “Come on in, Nick’s here too.”
Zane stayed close, acting casual, while impatiently waiting to learn more about her.
“Nick, you remember my friend Ciara. January couldn’t make it, sorry guys you’re stuck with the b list.”
“I came for the food and the soft shoulder. Another beautiful woman would’ve been overkill.” Nick smiled, casting sad eyes in Shania’s direction.
“Pretty, but it won’t get you out of kitchen duty.” Shania gave Nick’s arm a pat.
“Can I help with anything?” Ciara asked.
“No, I think Nick and I’ve got it covered.” Shania smiled again, this time over her shoulder, as she towed Nick toward the kitchen.
“Can I get you something? A glass of wine? Soda?” Zane finally found his voice as he headed toward the small bar.
Zane itched to touch Ciara. She looked fresh, clean, and entirely edible in a dress that was fluttery and floral. She smelled as good as she looked, like summer, warmth, and woman.
There were rules that govern men in their sister’s house, or else she’d have been slung over his shoulder and on her way to his place.
Thank god, he had a face that didn’t reveal his thoughts. He could tell he was making her nervous. She was as easy to read as a rap sheet. As he stared at the pulse beating in the hollow of her throat, color raced up her slender neck to light up her face. Maybe his thoughts weren’t as hidden as he’d believed.
Big green eyes met his, locking. A primal recognition, definite - but on some level he couldn’t access or explain - washed through him, etching her into his heart.