9781618857293WhisperSweetNothingsHunter (6 page)

"When
you started to walk off the stage I felt a tug in my heart, but I didn't know
what to do. Then you came back and sang that song…our song, sort of and I knew."
He lifted her hands to his lips, first turning them over before placing a
gentle kiss in each palm, sending warm ripples of pleasure through her entire
body. She shuddered.

"I
wanted you to know the truth before I left that stage…"

The
warmth of his smile filled her heart. "God, your voice is beautiful,
Sarah…as beautiful as you
are…
inside
and
out. I savored every word of every
letter you sent me and I didn't even know if it would be possible, but I prayed
I'd have one chance to meet you and make a good enough impression to…" He
let go of one hand, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

"To what?"

"Good
enough that you'd consider turning our
pen
pal
relationship into something more. I hope I didn't screw it up. I didn't
come back the way I left so I don't have much to offer." Putting her palms
against his cheeks, he closed his eyes for a moment before looking at her. "I
didn't want to disappoint you."

When
she saw tears glistening in those blue depths, a surge of emotion came over
her. Moving her thumbs over his cheeks, she traced the strong outline of his
face and felt him shudder beneath her touch, igniting a spark of desire within.
"You could never disappoint me."

Without
warning, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, holding her to
him as if he were afraid to let go. "Sarah…"

The
way he said her name stirred the embers of desire and she hugged him back,
pressing her cheek against his as a fierce ache settled into her very core.

"I've
dreamt about this moment…holding you in my arms…looking into those gorgeous
green eyes…kissing you and…"

A
deep longing overtook her. "I know." She'd had the same dream and
told him as much with her unwavering gaze.

Cupping
her face within strong hands, he swooped down, capturing her mouth in a
ravenous kiss that took her breath away with its intensity, a kiss immediately
passionate and vulnerable.

Her
sharp intake of breath stilled him. "I'm sorry…that was out of line and—"

Placing
a finger against his lips, she silenced him. "Stop apologizing and kiss me
again."

His
smoldering gaze held hers for a long moment before he granted her wish, dipping
his head and kissing first her top lip, then her bottom lip, drawing against
them before seeking entry to the warmth of her mouth. Wrapping her arms around
his neck, she melted into his embrace, certain for the first time in a long
time she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

Breathless,
she pulled back a little, drawing against his bottom lip playfully. "You
understand WSN has a strict non-fraternization policy," she managed to
state between ragged breaths.

"So
if you
fraternize
with me, you'll
lose your job?" He leaned in, smiling mischievously before claiming her
mouth in another sweet kiss.

"Yes."
The answer whispered across his lips. "I can't afford to do that, Sam,
unless—"

"Unless
what?" He pulled back, a hopeful look upon his face.

"I
take Donovan up on his offer the other night to become the part-time assistant
manager of
Crossroads
," she declared
coyly, tapping her bottom lip with her finger as if the decision were a
difficult one.

"And
you call
me
trouble?" He
laughed, wrapping her up in his arms and hugging her tightly.

"With
a capital T…"

"Sarah
Cole…would you do me the great honor of fraternizing with me?"

Grinning,
she snuggled into the welcome warmth of his embrace. "Of course you
understand such a request carries a long-term recurring fee, which I cannot
guarantee will not increase in the very near future?" Glancing up, she
tapped her bottom lip with her index finger, inviting him to kiss her again and
promising so much more.

"Not
a problem.
Definitely worth going into debt for."

*THE END*

About the
Author

Layla's
Hunter's love of romance began at age eleven
when her Nanny (referred to lovingly as '
Nanns
')
slipped her a couple of True Romance comic books, along with her first romance;
and it was love at first sight. Before long, she was writing her own stories
and has been doing so for over two decades.
 
Along with erotic romance, she enjoy writing fantasy/paranormal and contemporary
as well.

As a full-time
associate at a recovery management firm, wife, and mother to a seventeen-year old
daughter, finding time to write can sometimes be a challenge, but it is always
a priority.

A
New Jersey
native, she currently resides in
an 1890 Folk Victorian that she and her husband are slowly returning to its
former beauty. They share this century-old home with their daughter and a bevy
of delightfully comical cats. Oh, and let’s not forget the ‘ghost mice’ …
unseen to the human eye, her cats dutifully chase these invisible intruders
throughout the house at three o’clock in the morning.

Although the siren
call of writing commands most of her time, she also enjoys reading, photography,
ghost hunting, belly dancing, shooting sports, movies, music, and actively supports
several causes near and dear to her heart.
 

Layla
has published several erotic shorts in an
online magazine, as well as had one of her short stories included in a recent
anthology.
 
Romance and a deep emotional
connection between her characters are integral to her writing, as is giving her
readers a chance to escape into her character's world for a little while,
assuring them of a HEA. She loves hearing from her readers and is happy to
answer all e-mails.

She is a member of
RWA, NJRW, LSFW, Passionate Ink, FF&P RWA, Elements RWA, IWWG, Erotic
Readers & Writers Association, Savvy Authors, Absolute Write, Romance
Divas, GoodReads.com and Romance in the Backseat, where she entered and won the
2010 New Year’s Writer’s Rumble with her entry Karma (which she is in the
process of completing), and has several WIP's.

www.secretcravingspublishing.com