Enticing Emma (13 page)

Excerpt from Lily’s List

Keep reading for an excerpt from

the next book in the

Summersville Secrets series,

Lily’s List
,

coming soon!

Chapter One

His callused fingers brushed the side of her breast, sending goose bumps racing down her arm. She sucked in a breath as his hand cupped the soft mound. “I want you.” His voice, low and deep, made her shiver.

“Here? Now?” She couldn’t restrain her shock. She’d never made love in a public place before, where anyone could come upon them at any moment. Yes, it was secluded here in the area they’d chosen to picnic, but they were still in full view of any passersby.

“Here.” He nuzzled her neck with his lips. “Now,” he whispered as he circled the sensitive curve of her ear with his tongue.

Angie wasn’t sure what to do. Part of her was appalled by his suggestion. The other part of her . . . Well, there was no doubt that she was aroused. Her panties were damp and her breasts felt heavy. A low, throbbing ache began between her thighs and her hips moved of their own accord, seeking his hardness, his heat.

His large palm cupped her ass and he tilted her hips, bringing her pelvis snug against his. “This is what I want.” He pushed his erection against her mound and she parted her legs, trying to bring him closer. Even through the layers of their clothing, she felt the heavy pulse of his cock. She wanted him too. Right here. Right now.

“Yes.”

He froze, his eyes almost black in the dim light of the oncoming evening as he stared down at her. “You’re sure?”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life.”

His wicked smile set her senses whirling. She had no idea what would come of their relationship, but she was more than willing to find out . . .

• • •

Lily Summers lifted her fingers from the keyboard, sat back and reread what she’d just written. She liked the premise of this book—young woman discovers her sensuality through a series of experiences with an older man. Sighing, she rubbed her forehead, trying to ignore the headache brewing there. The trouble was she was running into a roadblock of sorts with this project.

Although her fortieth birthday was knocking at the door, she didn’t have much sexual experience. She’d married young and had her one and only child, her son Ethan, at the tender age of nineteen. By the time she was twenty-two, she was divorced and had joined the ranks of single motherhood.

Not that she regretted it. Not for even a single second. Her son was the biggest joy of her life. It had been good riddance to her cheating ex-husband, but she hated the fact he’d not only left her behind without a backward glance, but he’d left his son as well.

But that was so many years ago, she rarely thought of her ex-husband anymore. Ethan had grown into a fine young man and was now attending college. She was proud of him and proud of the job she’d done raising him.

Which brought her back to the problem at hand.

No one in the town of Summersville knew she wrote erotic romance under the pseudonym of Ms. Lillian. They all knew her as the quiet and conservative woman who owned and ran the local flower shop. Her store, Lily’s Blossoms, was as much her baby as Ethan was. She’d built it from nothing, starting it on a wing and a prayer more than fifteen years ago.

She’d made a good life for herself and her son, but as he’d gotten older and the prospect of college had loomed, she’d worried about the cost. Books had always been her escape from the daily grind, and she’d read thousands of them. So she’d decided to try her hand at writing one. It had been awful—filled with bad prose, faulty grammar and a plodding plotline—but she’d persevered, writing and rewriting until what had finally emerged was something she was proud of.

It had taken her another six months to get up enough nerve to send out a query to a prospective publisher. She’d been shocked when she’d been asked to submit the entire manuscript and totally overjoyed when they’d accepted it. All the money she’d made from her writing had been channeled into a savings account for her son’s education.

Her books were filled with many of her own daydreams and desires—things she’d never had the nerve to speak aloud to anyone. It had been almost cathartic to write them down and watch her characters experience them.

The problem now was what to do with the next book. She wanted to do something different but wasn’t sure quite how to proceed. She glanced down at the glowing screen of her laptop. The blinking cursor mocked her. She gave a sigh, picked up her cup of tea and sipped. The tea was cold, but because it was herbal peppermint, it was still drinkable.

Today was Wednesday—typically the slowest retail day of the week for her shop—and she was off for the day. Her assistant was running the store, her son was no longer living at home—she ignored the pang of loneliness that accompanied that thought—and she had all day to make a big dent in her next project. She was hoping to get anywhere between ten and thirty good pages done, but so far her progress had been slow.

Lily leaned back in her chair and glanced around the kitchen in search of inspiration. She’d brought her laptop out here to work today for two reasons. The first was that, as a woman now living alone, she no longer had to worry about anyone stumbling onto her work. Her son had no idea she had a second career, and she wasn’t quite sure how to tell him that she wrote erotic romance novels. Christmas, she promised herself. She’d tell him when he came home for the holidays. Since it was only mid-September, that gave her three months to figure out exactly what to say to him. She ignored the fact that she’d told herself the same thing last year.

The second reason she’d chosen to work in the kitchen this morning was that this room was her favorite in the entire house and got the morning light. She loved the rustic hardwood floors, the cinnamon-colored walls and the white cabinets. The large window overlooking the backyard was filled with pots of herbs, their rich scents perfuming the air. Now that she no longer had to write in her bedroom at night she much preferred to work here.

She plucked a paperback book off the table and traced her fingertip over the name embossed on the cover. Ms. Lillian. It was still strange to see her name in print, and even now it sent a thrill rushing through her. The package had been delivered yesterday, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to pack away her author copies of her third book. Not yet.

Setting the paperback down next to her laptop, she brought herself back to the task at hand. She had poor Angie and Simon poised on the edge of making love for the first time. She could hardly leave them that way. She tucked away the nagging doubts as she read the page yet again.

Her notes sat beside her, listing possibilities for scenes—sex in a public place, phone sex, roses, whipped cream, a striptease . . . they were all things to consider. Right now it was sex in a public place. Problem was, she’d never had sex in a public place before. But she could imagine the fear coursing through Angie’s veins. There would be excitement as well and the anticipation of what was to come.

Putting her doubts aside, Lily began to type. The keys clicked in the quiet kitchen, punctuated by the occasional pause or sigh. She jerked when a knock came on the back door, yanking her back to reality. She cursed under her breath as she lost her train of thought. It had been going so well. Hitting the Save button, she glanced toward the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone.

When she got up from her chair, she groaned. A quick glance at the kitchen clock told her she’d been sitting there for two hours. No wonder she was stiff. Her stomach growled, reminding her that it was almost time for lunch. She’d make a sandwich as soon as she dealt with whoever was at her door.

She closed the cover of her laptop, tossed her notes over the book on her table and made sure the flaps were down on the box containing the rest of them. Stretching her arms over her head, she padded to the door and peeked out the window. Summersville was a quiet, safe town, but it still paid to be cautious.

A broad set of shoulders and a well-muscled chest came into view and she groaned. There was no mistaking this gorgeous body for any other. Carson Granger, her son’s ex-boss and the subject of many of her sexual fantasies, stood on her back steps. Taking a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her face and opened the door.

“Hi, Carson.”

“Morning, Lily.” The deep rumble of his voice feathered over her skin like a caress, making her shiver.

“What can I do for you?” She was proud of the fact her voice sounded normal when all she wanted to do was moan.

“I was wondering if you had Ethan’s address at college. I wanted to send him his final paycheck and a letter of recommendation. He called me and asked for one. Said he’s looking for a new part-time job.”

That had been a bone of contention between her and Ethan. She wanted her son to concentrate on his studies. He wanted to help pay for his schooling. She was proud that he wanted to do his part, even though she wished he’d just worry about his college courses. During his first year, he’d held down a part-time job throughout the school year and come home to work full-time during the summer. So far it hadn’t affected his grades. He’d just started his second year and planned to work this year as well.

“Come on in and I’ll get it for you.” The quicker she could get Carson out of her house, the better for her peace of mind. They’d known each other for years. It was inevitable living in a town like Summersville. Given the fact that he ran a landscaping business and she ran a floral shop that sold a limited selection of herbs and bedding plants during the summer months, their paths had crossed many times.

Lily had been drawn to Carson the first time she’d seen him more than five years ago. What woman wouldn’t notice him? He wasn’t overly tall, about five-ten, but he was built. His body was lean and strong from years of physical labor. He wore his sun-streaked dark blond hair down to his shoulders, keeping it tied back at his nape when he worked. He had an easy smile and pale blue eyes that invited a woman to smile back.

The problem was he was a good seven or eight years younger than she was. He was in his early thirties and her fortieth birthday was in a few months. She’d ruthlessly squashed the frisson of desire he stirred within her and concentrated on being friendly and professional. It hadn’t been easy, but she’d managed.

It had gotten even harder when Ethan had gone to work for Carson several summers ago. Her son had not only enjoyed the outside work and the physical labor, but he’d also saved enough money to buy a used car and put away some money for college. She’d seen a lot more of Carson the past two years or so and it had gotten harder and harder to hide her reaction to him.

When he cleared his throat, she realized she was just standing in her kitchen like an idiot staring at the man. “I’ll just get that address for you.”

“No hurry.”

He had no idea just how much of a hurry there was. The longer he was here, the more she wanted to run her fingers through his hair to find out if it was as soft as it looked. And let’s not even talk about his lips. They were so firm and full, she wanted to kiss them to see what they felt like against hers. There was every need for her to hurry. She needed this man out of her house before she did something stupid.

• • •

Carson watched Lily scurry out of the room and swallowed a curse. The woman was always running from him and he didn’t know why. He knew she was attracted to him. There was no way to miss the physical signs she gave off—the way her pupils dilated and her cheeks flushed—even though he didn’t think she was aware of them.

The way she looked at him, as if she was starving and he was lunch, always made him hard, which was unfortunate in public settings. He’d always been attracted to women with plenty of curves until he’d laid eyes on Lily. She was slender and athletic in build, with what his experienced eye told him was a B cup. Her face was slightly rounded, her chin stubborn. She had blue eyes that were almost the color of violets and peered at the world with a sense of good humor and calm. Her brown hair was chopped off short, with bangs falling lightly against her forehead. His hair was longer than hers, yet the style suited her.

All in all, Lily was attractive, but not a knockout. Yet every molecule of his body cried out for her. There was something about the woman herself, something intrinsic that reached out and grabbed him by the balls and refused to let go. He’d fought it the first few years he’d known her, recognizing the “keep away” vibes she sent out. He’d respected the fact she was a divorced woman raising a child on her own and wasn’t interested in dating.