| Thursday, September 6, 2007 |
| CONTEST DAY 4 |
Wow, we're almost done. Wish I had another week to do this, but I'll settle for my one. Here is the fourth excerpt and trivia question.
Remember, the rules are really easy: Read the excerpt below and answer the question posted after it. See, that's as easy as it can be. Send the answers to my email cerihebert@comcast.net and all correct answers will be put into a drawing to win an autographed copy of Finally Home. I'll be posting an excerpt a day until Friday and the drawing will be on Saturday morning.
Today's excerpt is from Sweet Forever, now available in ebook at Samhain Publishing.
Good luck!
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“Gran is looking much better,” Hayden remarked, grasping for a safe topic of conversation.
Ben nodded. “She’s doing very well. I think she likes the attention she’s been getting. Amelia just loves to take care of people. She and Lu have been friends for years.”
“Well, if I haven’t said it before, I really do appreciate all your hospitality,” Hayden said earnestly. “I hate to have put you out.”
Ben turned his gaze back to her.
How can such ice blue eyes look so hot?
Hayden shoved the thought from her mind, though her desire for Ben pushed at the hastily thrown up emotional barricade.
“How many times do I have to say it? You’re not putting me out at all. It’s a pleasure to have Lu here. I’d never be able to relax if she were back at Sweet Prairie, no matter who was with her there. I prefer to have the two of you here.”
“And not Sally?” Hayden teased.
“Ah, Sally,” Ben said with an exaggerated sigh. “Let’s not talk about her. The day is too beautiful. I’d rather talk about you.”
Hayden sobered quickly. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Truthfully, when are you going to let me show you the sunset? We’ve missed several perfect ones this past week.”
“Ben, please,” she protested a little too breathlessly. “We’ve already decided not to do this.”
Ben shook his head, a little smile playing on his lips. “Nope. You may have decided that. I don’t recall ever agreeing to it.”
Hayden wasn’t sure how to respond to his statement. She didn’t want to have to plead with him not to get too close. It was too hard not to give into the feelings that pushed and tugged relentlessly at her heart and body. It would be far too easy to close the distance between them, precious inches that were the only walls that could keep her safe.
It wasn’t going to be enough though. As soon as she let her eyes lock with his, she knew it was going to be a losing battle. Somewhere along the line, his will was going to overtake hers and she’d find herself falling hard and fast for him. And what good would that do?
“What do you want from me?” she whispered, laying down her pencil on the open tote. She wouldn’t be getting any more drawing done. Her concentration was shot. She pushed the sketchpad carelessly from her lap.
“Do I have to spell it out?” he replied, his own voice little more than whisper too. He leaned toward her and like some kind of magnet, she was pulled in, closing the distance between them with sweet leisure.
Yet he didn’t touch her. He paused just centimeters from her lips. It was as if he waited for her to close the remaining gap between them, having met her more than halfway. Hayden’s gaze dropped down to his lips, parted expectantly, and then raised her eyes back up to his. They were hooded and smoky.
She had to kiss him. Despite all her best-laid plans to keep their relationship at arm’s length, she knew right then and there that there was absolutely no squelching the need to touch him.
Yet she didn’t move in, not just yet. She paused for a moment and breathed him in. He smelled like leather and hay, just a hint of his cologne and hard work. There was a scent of coffee on his breath and something sweet. She inhaled his essence and breeched the remaining space, touching her lips to his.
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TRIVIA QUESTION: What doesn't Ben want to talk about?
Good luck to everyone and please come back tomorrow for an excerpt from Sweet Forever. And please remember to email you're answers to cerihebert@comcast.net. Don't put them in the comment section. Feel free to comment about other things however. |
posted by Ceri Hebert @ 2:06 AM  |
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