Where are you, Spring?

I’ve got it bad. Seriously, really, really bad. Staring at all the snow and sleet on the ground has given me the itch for warm weather. Sure, I love winter, but there’s a point at which enough is enough Mother Nature! I’m over it, where are the flowers and singing birds?

I’ve gotten into organic gardening and spring means I get to play in the dirt, breathe fresh air, and work on my farmer’s tan. Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, potatoes, greens, herbs, and a few other goodies that make my mouth water just thinking about them. Nothing compares to fresh veggies right out of your very own garden, though it can be hard frustrating work, and I’m ready to start planting. When I see the ground again. Whenever that’ll be. *big sigh*

Are you a gardener? What do you like to plant? Leave a comment with email and you might win an ecopy of my 1NS paranormal release Dirty Love!

DIRTY LOVE

Buy Links HERE

BLURB

Kat goes on the prowl looking for a one night stand to rile up her new friends. A little shock and awe to keep her sane in a life no longer hers. When she’s matched with Jared through 1Night Stand, he seems perfect for her plans. Conservative, sweet, and sexy as sin, she’s ready for one hell of a ride.

But Jared is more than she bargained for—much more. And when her plans for amusement turn dangerous will the two find a way to stay alive?

EXCERPT

"Come on.” She winked. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

"I thought these things were urban legend. I never imagined I’d see one in real life.”

His date’s gaze glimmered with mischief. “There are lots of big hairy surprises out there for those brave enough to search for them.”

“Like you, for one.” He cleared his throat. “Except for the hairy part. I hope, anyway.”

A slight blush colored her cheeks, and he brushed his knuckles over the soft skin there. Shadows marred the smoothness beneath her eyes. Had she been sick? Or maybe her party girl lifestyle drew out too much. She stepped back.

“Cowboy up, sugar.” She grasped his hand and pulled him forward, again surprising him with her power. Under the softness of her curves lay a fair amount of muscle. He swallowed. She could ride him without tiring, take his maddened pounding for hours. It’d take all night to spend the pent up energy boiling in his veins. He’d passed the point of return; jerking off wouldn’t satiate his needs. Without sex, and soon, he’d run howling through the streets, a crazed animal.

After taking an elevator to the basement level of the parking garage, she led him to a red door and rapped on its freshly painted surface. Dark corners closed in on them. The hairs on his arms and neck rose. He sensed being watched. More cameras. Were as many inside? And maybe a live Internet feed his family could run across in some improbable way?

Don’t create imaginary monsters. He squared his shoulders.

A partition slid open. Dark eyes narrowed, focusing on Kat who lifted a pale brow. The panel slammed closed, and Jared let a small sigh slip. Could he be off the hook? This night had turned out to be more than he’d bargained for, leaving him ready to tuck tail and run. Find somewhere else to indulge his feral wants with his date. The door swung open, and the odor of incense assaulted him. His escape option evaporated.

Cool Treat and Hot Reads!

Available HERE

 

   We’ve had our first snow of the season here in southern Missouri. About of foot of the white stuff, and since I’ve got no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow J

   I lived in northern Colorado for a few years and people were shocked that I knew what snow was. I’m not sure if they had the impression Missouri was a tropical climate, but I can tell you it’s not. Not even this far south. I will admit, we’re more prone to ice storms than snow storms, so snow is truly a wonderland to enjoy. I’ve had great fun playing with my snow friendly dog Penelope, she adores it.

   When I was a kid I’d make ice cream whenever we had a decent snow fall. I still love the stuff, but I wasn’t willing to drive to the store for milk. *sigh*

The simple version of the recipe is:

a big bowl of clean snow

sugar

milk

vanilla extract 

Mix in milk until the snow has a soft serve consistency, add sugar and a bit of vanilla to taste. 

My grandmother made a chocolate version using cocoa powder. I’d recommend only making enough for however much you can devour in one sitting, it doesn’t take to the freezer well.

   If you get a chance give it shot!

Olivia Starke  

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Blurb:

   Kat goes on the prowl looking for a one night stand to rile up her new friends. A little shock and awe to keep her sane in a life no longer hers.    When she’s matched with Jared through 1Night Stand, he seems perfect for her plans. Conservative, sweet, and sexy as sin, she’s ready for one hell of a ride.
   But Jared is more than she bargained for—much more. And when her plans for amusement turn dangerous will the two find a way to stay alive?

Genre: Paranormal, erotic romance, suspense/thriller, shapeshifters, vampires/werewolves

~Excerpt~

“Come on.” She winked. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“I thought these things were urban legend. I never imagined I’d see one in real life.”

His date’s gaze glimmered with mischief. “There are lots of big hairy surprises out there for those brave enough to search for them.”

“Like you, for one.” He cleared his throat. “Except for the hairy part. I hope, anyway.”

 A slight blush colored her cheeks, and he brushed his knuckles over the soft skin there. Shadows marred the smoothness beneath her eyes. Had she been sick? Or maybe her party girl lifestyle drew out too much. She stepped back.

 “Cowboy up, sugar.” She grasped his hand and pulled him forward, again surprising him with her power. Under the softness of her curves lay a fair amount of muscle. He swallowed. She could ride him without tiring, take his maddened pounding for hours. It’d take all night to spend the pent up energy boiling in his veins. He’d passed the point of return; jerking off wouldn’t satiate his needs. Without sex, and soon, he’d run howling through the streets, a crazed animal.

 After taking an elevator to the basement level of the parking garage, she led him to a red door and rapped on its freshly painted surface. Dark corners closed in on them. The hairs on his arms and neck rose. He sensed being watched. More cameras. Were as many inside? And maybe a live Internet feed his family could run across in some improbable way?

 Don’t create imaginary monsters. He squared his shoulders.

 A partition slid open. Dark eyes narrowed, focusing on Kat who lifted a pale brow. The panel slammed closed, and Jared let a small sigh slip. Could he be off the hook? This night had turned out to be more than he’d bargained for, leaving him ready to tuck tail and run. Find somewhere else to indulge his feral wants with his date. The door swung open, and the odor of incense assaulted him. His escape option evaporated. 

Dirty Love

DIRTY LOVE

A 1Night Stand story by Olivia Starke

Buy Links HERE

With Decadent Publishing’s popular 1Night Stand series, the most unlikely pairings are put together by Madame Evangeline, 1NS owner. Though her clients originally plan one hot night of passion, she has other ideas for a happily ever after.

I can’t pin down what inspired Dirty Love. I was blessed to have come up with a title first (nothing’s more frustrating than drawing a blank on a title!) and I wrote the story around it. I’ve thrown in some vampire and werewolf fun BUT I don’t let on who is what in the beginning, you have to read to find out.

I admit Kat and Jared are an odd couple, and even more so as you move through the story. I enjoyed throwing together two people who shouldn’t have ever met, and playing with their lives. It’s the author sadist in me. Kat is a fiery woman with a devil may care attitude, while Jared is conservative and cautious. Party girl meets computer nerd, or to paraphrase Jared, a fireball meets a wet towel.

Don’t get me wrong, Jared is hot. Physically fit, with a libido which can rise to meet any challenge, he won’t disappoint.

BLURB

Kat goes on the prowl looking for a one night stand to rile up her new friends. A little shock and awe to keep her sane in a life no longer hers. When she’s matched with Jared through 1Night Stand, he seems perfect for her plans. Conservative, sweet, and sexy as sin, she’s ready for one hell of a ride.

But Jared is more than she bargained for—much more. And when her plans for amusement turn dangerous will the two find a way to stay alive?

EXCERPT

  “Come on.” She winked. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “I thought these things were urban legend. I never imagined I’d see one in real life.”

  His date’s gaze glimmered with mischief. “There are lots of big hairy surprises out there for those brave enough to search for them.”

  “Like you, for one.” He cleared his throat. “Except for the hairy part. I hope, anyway.”

  A slight blush colored her cheeks, and he brushed his knuckles over the soft skin there. Shadows marred the smoothness beneath her eyes. Had she been sick? Or maybe her party girl lifestyle drew out too much. She stepped back.

  “Cowboy up, sugar.” She grasped his hand and pulled him forward, again surprising him with her power. Under the softness of her curves lay a fair amount of muscle. He swallowed. She could ride him without tiring, take his maddened pounding for hours. It’d take all night to spend the pent up energy boiling in his veins. He’d passed the point of return; jerking off wouldn’t satiate his needs. Without sex, and soon, he’d run howling through the streets, a crazed animal.

  After taking an elevator to the basement level of the parking garage, she led him to a red door and rapped on its freshly painted surface. Dark corners closed in on them. The hairs on his arms and neck rose. He sensed being watched. More cameras. Were as many inside? And maybe a live Internet feed his family could run across in some improbable way?

  Don’t create imaginary monsters. He squared his shoulders.

  A partition slid open. Dark eyes narrowed, focusing on Kat who lifted a pale brow. The panel slammed closed, and Jared let a small sigh slip. Could he be off the hook? This night had turned out to be more than he’d bargained for, leaving him ready to tuck tail and run. Find somewhere else to indulge his feral wants with his date. The door swung open, and the odor of incense assaulted him. His escape option evaporated.

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BIO

Olivia Starke calls the Ozarks home. One of the most beautiful areas in the country, she loves hiking trails with her dogs, kayaking on the numerous waterways, and enjoying southern Missouri's fresh air and sunshine.

She's also 'Mom' to four dogs, a growing number of kitties that show up at her door, and four VERY spoiled horses that do little to earn their keep. Not that she'd ever hold that against them.

She's a HUGE fangirl of Doctor Who and to a lesser extent, Supernatural, and has a pretty interesting love triangle (or square?) going on in her head between the Doctor and the Winchesters.

** SALE **

Buy Dreaming in Blue on AMAZON

Only 99c on Amazon until 08/20!

Who doesn’t love a good sale? I personally hate shopping *gasps* UNLESS I run across a really good sale.

Dreaming in Blue continues to be my best seller, even after a year. It has fabulous reviews, and I’m so happy others have taken to the storyline. I have to admit to a bit of trepidation in the beginning—a blind heroine, a physically scarred hero, maybe readers couldn’t connect to either. But I believed in the story and my characters, and I risked it. I’m happy I did! From the feedback I’ve received, readers are happy to find imperfection in romance heroes and heroines. We’ve all dealt with huge struggles in life, and finding characters who can relate is a refreshing change.

I hope you’ll give Dreaming in Blue a shot if you haven’t yet. I love this story, it touches me in a way none of my other stories have. It has a softer edge than what I usually write, though still retains the spice you’d expect from a 1Night Stand story.

BLURB

Blind since childhood, Sierra is satisfied with her success as a relationship therapist. Contacting 1Night Stand is an outlet for her physical needs, or so she tells herself. When she meets Daniel, the chemistry is definitely there, but a single parent with a child has the terrifying potential to disrupt her orderly life.

After losing his wife in a fire three years before that left him terribly scarred, Daniel has focused on raising his young daughter and little else. Meeting Sierra through 1Night Stand is a way to step back into the world. And he definitely can’t deny the instant attraction.

Madame Evangeline has a sweet surprise for them as they discover one another…

EXCERPT

“So tell me, what do you see outside?” A fresh rush of desire burned through her. She wanted to extend this moment, the wait its own form of foreplay.

“The lake, with some geese and ducks.”

“You see more than that.”

“Hmm, the moon is out, full and silver. The water reflects it, and the birds swimming on the lake look almost ghostly. Dark trees outline the bank to the north.”

He gently tugged her against his solid body. His lips brushed the outer rim of her ear. “A mated pair of white swans swims close by.”

Hot breath fanned her earlobe and she melted into his arms. A hand stroked down, settling against her lower back. She tipped her head up, anticipating the pressure of his lips against hers. His knuckle nudged beneath her chin.

He removed her sunglasses. “I want to see your brown eyes.”

Her breathing grew shallow, making her lightheaded.

“You’re so beautiful, sweetheart.”

His mouth touched hers and the world fell away.

Daniel’s nature dictated he take a slow pace, but the fire building in his groin threatened to overtake common decency. Sierra’s lips tasted of sweet wine, and he wound his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer. Her soft body did obscene things to his imagination, and the idea of taking her hard and fast tempted him.

Instead, he dragged his mouth from hers. “We can’t let the dessert go to waste.”

“I thought this was dessert.”

He sat on the bench and tugged her onto his lap. Flipping the lid of the container open, he pinched off a bite of chocolate cake.

“Open up.”

Starving Authors

by Olivia Starke

Okay, so I’m not starving, but I’ve been dining on my fair share of Ramen noodles lately (throw a slice of American cheese on ‘em and they are yummy, so I like them regardless.) Thanks to my annual winter time blahs, I haven’t been a productive writer these past couple of months. My Muse has been hybernating, and the Writing Drones off on some tangent I can only assume involves the Bahamas and I wasn’t invited. Jerks.

Though I recently contracted my third 1NS work, a paranormal erotic romance titled Dirty Love, really I should have more to show. After all, I left retail hell to become a full time author last October, only to spend my days fangirling, stalking Doctor Who on Pinterest (okay that goes with fangirling), and other dead end avenues of wasted time. Which in all honesty mainly involves stalking Doctor Who on Pinterest. And to a lesser extent the cast of Supernatural, so I’m not totally a one trick pony.

He’s only here because I ran across him in my clipart and thought he was a cutie pie J

To those with author Pinterest accounts, this is SOLELY why I don’t have an author specific Pinterest or invite to my personal, because you’d be spammed daily with Doctor Who and the Winchesters, along with a Cumberbitch fix from time to time. I’m sparing you, really, just ask my longsuffering friends.

Yup, there you go, that’s how author Olivia Starke spends her precious writing time. But I have made improvements. I have another F/F erotica submitted, I have a list of 13 WIPs in my WIP file on my whiteboard listed with the publishers I want to target. I’ve finished up 2^nd drafts and fully on my way to cleaning up the last bits and pieces. I’ve made plans to hit up bigger houses. I’m officially making an effort! Because, let’s face it, that Ramen noodle train’s gonna get old.

I’m also looking to follow more author/writing blogs, so if you have any to recommend list them below J If you leave an email, I’ll enter you into a chance to win something from my Decadent backlist!

Blind since childhood, Sierra is satisfied with her success as a relationship therapist. Contacting 1Night Stand is an outlet for her physical needs, or so she tells herself. When she meets Daniel, the chemistry is definitely there, but a single parent with a child has the terrifying potential to disrupt her orderly life.

After losing his wife in a fire three years before that left him terribly scarred, Daniel has focused on raising his young daughter and little else. Meeting Sierra through 1Night Stand is a way to step back into the world. And he definitely can’t deny the instant attraction.

Madame Evangeline has a sweet surprise for them as they discover one another….

Happy Birthday to Me!

by Olivia Starke

(No, that’s not me btw. I don’t look nearly as good in pink tulle.)

Today is my 36^th birthday, a commemorative day in world history. Bloody hell why?you may ask. Because for ONE we survived that whole Mayan Calendar thing (enjoy your 2051 rolls of toilet paper suckers! I invested that money wisely on Beanie Babies, those suckers will come back into vogue soon and I’ll make a fortune!)

Lots of interesting things happened on this day in history, and I’ve dug some out to present to you! Calm down now, I can hear your war whoops of excitement over the sound of my own. No, wait, that’s the four dogs barking like rabid idiots because a cat sneezed on the porch.

1620: 103 Mayflower pilgrims land at Plymouth.

1970:  John Lennon releases an album that contains songs with the word f*ck.

Okay, short list, but other than blah blah king being arrested, blah blah bank starting/closing, that’s it. So December 11^th isn’t monumental—being nestled snuggly between Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and Christmas day, can you blame it?

But it’s an honest day, my day to celebrate my arrival into this world, kicking and screaming in protest. An icy winter day where Mom almost had to deliver me herself—Dad would’ve passed out. And I was kind enough to give my mother a hard 20 minutes of labor before I popped out. I was a freakishly long baby, squished inside a tiny woman, so I imagine it being something like a spring uncoiling with a loud *POP* at the end.

So enough of my ramblings, I’m giving away a free ecopy of one of Decadent releases! To be entered, leave your email and a comment!

Blind since childhood, Sierra is satisfied with her success as a relationship therapist. Contacting 1Night Stand is an outlet for her physical needs, or so she tells herself. When she meets Daniel, the chemistry is definitely there, but a single parent with a child has the terrifying potential to disrupt her orderly life.

After losing his wife in a fire three years before that left him terribly scarred, Daniel has focused on raising his young daughter and little else. Meeting Sierra through 1Night Stand is a way to step back into the world. And he definitely can’t deny the instant attraction.

Madame Evangeline has a sweet surprise for them as they discover one another… 

My Latest Addiction

Buy Dreaming in Blue HERE!

by Olivia Starke

I’m ashamed to say I’ve got it pretty bad for the social media site, Pinterest. I blame my good friend, Erin, for my shameful fall. I remember thinking, “This seems silly, I don’t get it. You look through pics other people like?” Then the drug takes hold. Slowly at first, you don’t really see what’s happening until it’s too late, and you’re spending hours of useful time on Pinterest.

Humerous memes, mason jar crafts, recipes, fashion, cute animals, it’s all there. Got something fun to add? You can, and share and share it with all your friends. Even now I’m fighting the urge to jump on and see what new things I can find to dull my senses to the outside world.

A gem I found and immediately pinned, because it’s true dammit

The fun thing about Pinterest is the gold mine it represents for those of us prone to hoarding.

There’s even a meme for it!

With a limitless capacity, we can stash away as much crap as we want and  never run out of space :D And show all of our friends how OCD we are.

Plus, thanks to Pinterest I’ve discovered how unstylish I am so I’ve pinned an entire closet of clothing that someday I may or may not own. Just imagining myself wearing them and not the eight year old holey PJs I’m donning now, makes me feel better about my fashion sense. Hey, obviously I have taste, just check my “My Style” board!

And don’t EVEN get me started on the million and one uses for mason jars. You can use these things for bloody EVERYTHING. Hell, I’m sure there’s a way to birth a baby with one if you look hard enough.

A mason jar to go cup! Flippin’ genius. I’ll even ignore how difficult it is to carry, and that it doesn’t fit in my car’s cup holder. And that it’ll shatter into a thousand shards of splintered glass the first time I drop it.

If you’re looking for a new addiction to replace smoking, heroin use, or working, I invite you to Pinterest. And any subsequent support group that’s bound to evolve from it.

Olivia Starke

Comment with an email for a chance to win 

something from my Decadent backlist!

And be sure to check out my latest 1NS story, Dreaming In Blue.

Blind since childhood, Sierra is satisfied with her success as a relationship therapist. Contacting 1Night Stand is an outlet for her physical needs, or so she tells herself. When she meets Daniel, the chemistry is definitely there, but a single parent with a child has the terrifying potential to disrupt her orderly life.

After losing his wife in a fire three years before that left him terribly scarred, Daniel has focused on raising his young daughter and little else. Meeting Sierra through 1Night Stand is a way to step back into the world. And he definitely can’t deny the instant attraction.

Madame Evangeline has a sweet surprise for them as they discover one another… 

Facing the Unknown

By Olivia Starke 

When writing Dreaming in Blue, I loosely based it off a favorite movie/book Patch of Blue. My heroine, Sierra, is a strong woman who has overcome what we would perceive as a horrible loss—she’s blinded after a tragic childhood accident. My hero, Daniel, has had to deal with the loss of his wife and horrendous scarring, a reminder of the accident that took her from him.

While it may seem Madame Eve set them up, because a blind woman wouldn’t care about physical appearances, this isn’t the case. Both characters have to face the unknown, survive after great loss. Then upon meeting one another, they again have to face an uncertain future with each other and learn to trust their hearts. Something great lays ahead for the two of them, if only they believe in themselves.

Facing the unknown is frightening for anyone, especially for me. I’ll endure terrible jobs and equally bad pay, too scared to see what may lie outside of them. Like my heroine/hero I’ve decided to take a leap of faith. I’m resigning from my retail job of over two years. Placing my faith in my writing is terrifying, especially since I am my sole provider. With meager savings backing me, I’m jumping into the unknown and facing what may come.

Wish me luck everyone!

Leave a comment with EMAIL for your chance

to win a free e-copy of Dreaming in Blue

Olivia Starke

Blind since childhood, Sierra is satisfied with her success as a relationship therapist. Contacting 1Night Stand is an outlet for her physical needs, or so she tells herself. When she meets Daniel, the chemistry sizzles, but a single parent with a child has the terrifying potential to disrupt her orderly life.

After losing his wife in a fire three years before that left him terribly scarred, Daniel has focused on raising his young daughter and little else. Meeting Sierra through 1Night Stand is a way to step back into the world. And he definitely can’t deny the instant attraction.

Mind blowing sex isn’t the only thing these two share. And when they find out what it is, it’ll change their lives forever.

Excerpt ***ADULT CONTENT***

Daniel’s nature dictated he take a slow pace, but the fire building in his groin threatened to overtake common decency. Sierra’s lips tasted of sweet wine, and he wound his fingers in her hair, pulling her closer. Her soft body did obscene things to his imagination, and the idea of taking her hard and fast tempted him.

Instead, he dragged his mouth from hers. “We can’t let the dessert go to waste.”

“I thought this was dessert.”

He sat on the bench and tugged her onto his lap. Flipping the lid of the container open, he pinched off a bite of chocolate cake.

“Open up.”

She did as asked, and he placed the morsel on her tongue. Her murmur of approval toyed with him and he nuzzled her neck, craving the soft feel of her skin. He brought another bit to her lips. This time she caught his finger between her teeth, sucking it, taunting his resolve to keep his pants on for at least a few more minutes. He slid his free hand over the silky material of the blouse, until he cupped one of her full breasts. Her head fell back, exposing her pale throat to his lips. Kneading the firm mound, he kissed a trail to the hollow of her throat then traced her collarbone with the tip of his tongue.

No longer in control of his impulses, he slipped his hand slipped between her thighs pressing them apart, needing to know if she was wet. He wanted to taste her juices, know how she responded when he sucked her clit. Her palm came to his cheek, and her sharp intake of breath cut through the fog of lust.

“What happened to you?”

The scarring.

“You don’t know?”

Sierra shook her head. “Your profile didn’t mention....”

He squeezed his eyes shut—Sierra’s rejection would kick him in the gut. 

Why do sane adults make New Year's resolutions?

by Olivia Starke

This is the question I ask myself each year, and each year I make a list which I’ll most assuredly break within a week. I’ll eat more of this, less of that, be nicer to people who are showing they only have two active brain cells, blah, blah, blah.

And as I puzzled over a new list to break for ‘12, the light bulb went off—resolutions are the positive promises of the year to come and not a way to set ourselves up for immediate failure.I hadn’t seen it in that light before, and this gives me hope. So I racked my brain trying to think of what resolution I could make to keep that positive outlook for the year.

I watched the Nutcracker ballet in December, and was astounded by the grace in which the dancers moved. Effortless, their bodies non-resistant in any way they chose to use it. Even after a dancer took a hard fall, she was back on her feet in a heartbeatand danced on in perfection with the rest. All were simply the most beautiful poetry I could imagine moving in human form.

With that I thought grace! I’m making my resolution to learn grace. Okay, grace isn’t something that comes naturally to me. I plow through life. And when I say I plow through life I mean—if there’s a wall I’ll plow into the corner of it, if there’s a low table I’ll plow into the corner of it, if there’s an open door I’ll miss and plow into the corner of it. You get the idea.

Yes, I hope to attain some sense of where my body is in proportion to the space around it, but I’d like to take grace farther. I want to keep that effortless view with the world, despite all the turmoil and drama it holds. Sure there are hard falls out there, but whether I run off stage and except defeat or continue to dance and bring beauty to my own world—and the world around me—is up to me.

And in ’12, I plan on dancingJ

Share your New Year’s Resolutions with an email for a chance to win Sweets & Swag (contest if for US residents—darn those customs but I love you all!)

Olivia Starke

www.authoroliviastarke.comhttp://romancingthepentoday.blogspot.com

Familiar Desires

Blurb: 

Ashley Adams signed up with the 1NightStand service in hopes of stirring up some cougar passion in her lackluster life. When she meets tall, dark, and oh-so-sexy Justin, the sparks fly. But something deeper lies in their magical connection, something she isn’t prepared for. Will a casual one-night stand change her life forever?

Excerpt: “You’re more beautiful than your picture.” He reached past her shoulder and hit the emergency stop. Her breath caught in her throat when the elevator jolted to a halt.

 “What are you doing?” She darted a glance up at the security camera.

 The way his mouth curved at the corners made her knees knock. “Your profile said you liked to be adventurous.” The tip of his tongue stroked over his bottom lip as he watched her through heavy-lidded eyes.

“I—I meant trekking through the wilds of Africa, sky diving, that sort of thing.” Her heart beat so loudly, surely he had to hear it. He stepped forward—his finger traced her jaw line before he tipped her chin up. She swallowed.

“Skydiving?Can’t say I’d have the guts to try that, though I’d love the chance to kiss a pretty girl in an elevator.”

A corny come-on line if she’d ever heard one, but spoken with a whiskey-smooth Kentucky drawl—damn, it works for me. That’s what she’d come for, to have an unforgettable night with a hot hunk to stir up her humdrum life. After all, she’d dished out the funds for the flight, half the price of the hotel room, and the 1Night Stand fee.

He moved in close, and a wonderful, heady mix of musk and spice filled her nose. Her insides somersaulted in anticipation, wicked intent written all over his perfectly chiseled face. They could be kicked out of the hotel, or worse—arrested and appear on one of those dumbest criminals shows. The elevator wall pressed into her back, but when he leaned forward and touched his lips to hers, all the reasons they shouldn’t be doing this in the elevator evaporated.