Friday, February 1, 2008

Flashback Friday - Liaisons in Jubilee

Sometimes, Pepper and I are a little...pragmatic in how we approach our writing schedule. A little over a year ago, we had only sold two titles - Chasing Silver, which we knew wasn't going to come out until Fall 2007 (and then got bumped), and Craving Kismet, which was scheduled for Summer 2007 (and then got bumped). We hadn't even dreamed up The Master Chronicles yet, and we really had no idea how quickly we'd be writing/publishing collaborative titles.

But we knew we wanted to get our name out there, because we wanted Chasing Silver to do well. So when the call for submissions for Samhain's summer Heat Wave came out, we decided to write a short story to try for a slot. If we made the cut, we'd have two summer titles then.

That's how Liaisons in Jubilee was born.


Sometimes the truth is the greatest aphrodisiac.

Katie Mayes is the Executive Manager for a large, east coast beach resort. Unfortunately, her boss has discovered her one secret – her seasonal flings with Caleb Beckett, the Entertainment Director for the resort. Company policy dictates no internal fraternization, especially between managers and their subordinates, so her boss gives Katie a choice. Caleb or her job.

She avoids personal encounters with Caleb, until one fateful night a week before the resort’s big summer launch. Then, she runs into him at a local nightclub. When Caleb approaches her, she tries to give him the cold shoulder, but he follows her onto the dance floor where the music, her desire, and his persistence break her will. She claims it’s only one more night before they break it off completely, but Caleb insists on more. Far from an ending, he views the summer as their true beginning.

EXCERPT

Twisting in his arms, Katie meant to walk away, but his searing gaze kept her pinned against his chest, just as effectively as his hard hands. She leaned forward, her breasts crushing to him with a familiar ache, and settled her mouth at his ear. It took a moment to say the words. His scent made her mouth go dry and she had to swallow more than once in order to find her voice again.

“Quentin knows,” she breathed.

“So? Is he the jealous sort?” Caleb joked. When she didn’t smile, the light in his eyes dimmed, and he managed to look like he might be taking this seriously. “What did he say to you?”

“He gave me an ultimatum. You or my job.” She couldn’t resist. It only took turning her head the scantest of inches to trail her mouth along his jaw. “You think anything else could’ve kept me away?”

Caleb wrapped his arm around her, rotating his hips and grinding against her. His other hand slid between her thighs to brush along her pussy, before moving up again to cup her ass and hold her closer to him. Tilting his head, he brushed his lips over her neck and said, “That’s a very serious threat. Maybe you should go.”

“Maybe I should.”

But now that his arms were around her and it wasn’t just his hands holding her in place, Katie was having a hard time remembering why she couldn’t at least enjoy the dance with him. His body was strong and warm, his mouth sinful, and following his lead was as easy as breathing. She closed her eyes to let the music wash over them, her fingers threading through the long strands of his hair, and when she felt him kiss her neck again, Katie shivered.

“Miss me?” she murmured.

“Yes.” He kissed a trail along her jaw. “I missed your mouth, and I missed your ass, and I missed the way you shout my name.” He rested his lips on the corner of her mouth. They swayed to the music, not even an inch separating their bodies. “I think about you, think about holding you like this. Do you think about me?”

“Maybe.” Yes. “Maybe there’s nights when I get done with work and my feet start heading for your place before I can tell them to stop.” Maybe I get to your door before I talk myself into turning around. “And maybe when I’m lying in my bed at night, the only way for me to come using my vibe is to pretend it’s you.”

The music stopped, but Katie didn’t move. His breath fanned across her cheek, and she parted her lips to let her tongue dart out and taste the texture of his skin. The soft rasp of his moustache tickled, making her mouth water, and she exhaled, long and soft and slow as the need for him shuddered through her. “Maybe I should tell Quentin to mind his own fucking business.”

Caleb began guiding her off the dance floor, but not quickly. “I think that’s exactly what you should tell him. Come up to the balcony with me. I think we can find a private spot there.”

She couldn’t delude herself into thinking that staying at the club would keep her hands off him, but at the very least, it would keep their fucking to a minimum. And really, she hadn’t sought Caleb out. She couldn’t be blamed for it. They were colleagues who had run into each other in a public place, and if they were seen together, it was easily explained as coincidence.

But she was going to make sure they weren’t seen. And maybe this would slake her thirst for him, at least temporarily.

Lacing her fingers through Caleb’s, Katie shot him a wicked grin when he glanced down at their hands. “Someplace dark,” she agreed, hoping he would take the hint. “I’ll let you lead the way.”


For more information, visit Samhain Publishing.

4 comments:

Caffey said...

I'm enjoying myself here reading about all the books here! I'm too awed with so many books of yours coming out now too! Were there some that were previously ready to be released? Too how does it work for you to all communicate and do your books? Is there parts that some of you do only?

This is going to be good! I haven't read a contemp title in a while! I love how Katie reacts to him just through the touch but too love how strong she tries to be too! Love the name Caleb! He's so good in that excerpt!

Cathy M said...

Haven't read this one yet, but it sounds like a great short and sexy story.

Jamie said...

Caffey, we do all our writing through IM. The way it usually works is Pepper takes a character and I take a character and we go back and forth. There are scenes sometimes that only require one of us to write, but probably 80% of the time, they require both of us.

And we're fast when we're in the groove. This is what we love, and this is what we want to make careers, so we treat it like we would a regular job and dedicate as many hours a day as we can to it. Everything coming out in the next few months is a product of us working so hard last summer and fall. Things slow down for us when Pepper starts school again, but this is her last semester. After she graduates, she's all mine. :)

Vivien

Jamie said...

Oh, we love Katie and Caleb, Cathy! They are hot as hell, and strong without infringing on the other.

Vivien