In light of the fact that my Florida State Seminoles beat the pants off the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday night, I thought we should celebrate with an excerpt from my upcoming Samhain Publishing release, Cracklin’ Rosie.

I know you’re wondering why I feel this victory is worthy of celebration more than any other victory the ‘Noles have had so far this year, but damn y’all… Do you know how LONG we ‘Noles fans have been waiting to beat Miami again? And to beat them GOOD!?!

That’s not to say that we don’t still have a long, long, long, LONG ass way to go to get back to where we have a better than great shot at beating whomever we play, but it’s a step in the right direction. So, every victory is worth some sort of celebratory fanfare.

I figure that most of you could care less about my ‘Noles winning, but for those of you that are looking forward to the release of Cracklin’ Rosie, I thought it would be a good gift from me to you! I have to say, as well, that I appreciate the way you, my friends and readers, indulge me with my college football, my NASCAR races, my coffee, my baking, my everything. And as much as I cherish my FSU wins, I cherish all of you.

So, let me find a sexy part of Rosie’s book for y’all…

Excerpt:

Dinner wasn’t cold. Not many things were worse than cold chicken and dumplings. The company on the other side of the table wasn’t cold either. The looks he sent her were nothing short of sizzling, and she couldn’t keep from squirming in her seat.

Maybe she needed to sit on her hands again.

She really shouldn’t balk at things like that with him anymore. She knew he’d win. He knew he’d win. She liked when he told her to do something for her own good, and she was getting used to it in bits and pieces.

“What are you thinking?”

“Wondering why you didn’t order dessert first.” It wasn’t what she was thinking but he didn’t need to know that.

“Liar.”

Okay so maybe he did know. He seemed to know everything she was thinking and wanting and needing at any given time, and she couldn’t figure out how he did it. “I was thinking you win.”

There. She said it. He wouldn’t drop it. He’d probe and prod and order it out of her, but at least she’d said it. Admitting it was the hard part, right? Only then can you hope to move forward.

“What do I win?”

“Whatever you want. Me.”

“Yes, I do want you. Though I wasn’t aware you thought this was a game to be won or lost.”

“I’m not sure what this is, Decker. All I know is that you win. You’re right. Always right.”

He lifted his hand to get Betsy’s attention. “It’s not about being right, Rosie.”

It didn’t help matters that the older woman was so sweet on Decker. Since he’d arrived in town, Betsy had been after her and after her to make a move on him before someone else did. Betsy didn’t know Rosie’s proclivities and at the time, Rosie hadn’t known Decker would understand them. Thankfully, she hadn’t had to really tell him about them. He’d sort of figured them out on his own.

How was she to stop herself from looking at the man’s jeans and belts when he looked so damn hot wearing them? He sure knew how to wield a belt too. Was that only this afternoon? Or rather yesterday afternoon as it was now after midnight? Still… It seemed so long ago, yet she felt it as she sat there in the booth, had felt it when he’d told her to sit on her hands. There were marks, there’d be bruises, and she’d love them. She always loved the marks after the harder spankings.

“Then what’s it about?”

“It’s about you accepting yourself and not hiding anymore. It’s about letting someone in. It’s about not having to go to Atlanta to get what you need just because you’re afraid to find it closer to home.”

“Did you ev—”

“What can I get you, darlin’?”

Betsy was pouring on the charm and honestly, Rosie couldn’t blame her. Decker might look a little rough and tumble around the edges, but… Well, he was rough and tumble, more than around the edges too. He was also a very nice man, a good man.

“Do you have any more of that cherry cobbler?”

“Actually, I have one rather large bit left. You want some ice cream on it?”

“Maybe on the side?”

“You got it.” She looked over at Rosie’s plate then back up into Rosie’s face. “Something wrong with your food?”

“What? No, I just guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought.”

“Uh-huh. Well, no dessert for you until you eat some more of it.”

Decker laughed while Rosie sat there with her mouth hanging open. Had Betsy, the hired help, told the owner and a paying customer that she couldn’t have dessert until she finished her dinner? “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Well, believe it.” Betsy turned on her heel and headed back to the counter where the desserts were kept.

“I guess you should eat some more. I was going to feed you some ice cream but I don’t think Betsy will let me. She’d probably yank the spoon from my hand if I tried.”

“Probably.” And with that, she picked up a piece of chicken and a dumpling loaded with gravy and ate it. The chicken was tender and the dumpling was the perfect consistency. In the diner they made the rolled dumplings and not the biscuit dumplings which she usually preferred. The customers however, loved these and she’d grown to like them.

“Did I ever what?”

“Huh?” She paused with another forkful of her dinner halfway to her mouth.

“Before Betsy came over, you started to ask did I ever. Did I ever what? What else were you going to say?”

“Oh. Did you ever stop to consider that there wasn’t anyone local for me to get involved with that would understand what I liked? I mean, it’s not like I go around town advertising it and I didn’t stop to ask anyone if they were into it either.”

“You got me there. It’s not something one would normally bring up in conversation over say, dinner. Except for me, of course.”

Rosie smiled. She couldn’t help it. “Of course.”

“But did you ever try? To find someone local?”

“No. I hadn’t.”

Decker nodded. “Not that you have to worry about it anymore.”

“Why do you say that?”

“’Cause, you’ve got me now, and I know your secrets.”

Again, Betsy chose just that moment to come by their table and drop off Decker’s order of cobbler and vanilla ice cream. Rosie had to admit it did look amazingly good.

Decker picked up the spoon and scooped some ice cream onto it and held it out to her. “Open up.”

She did so without hesitation and the vanilla bean ice cream melted on her tongue the second she closed her mouth around it. It was so sweet, so full of vanilla flavor, so rich with cream. Though overall, chocolate ice cream was her favorite, the vanilla that the diner kept on hand was the resident favorite, even for her.

Decker fed her ice cream and cobbler until the dish was empty. He used the spoon to wipe drips from her chin that she was sure he let happen on purpose. Except the last one. The last one, a mix of melted vanilla cream and cherry goodness, he leaned across the table and got with his tongue. She tensed, braced for the stares she knew were coming their way, but the second his tongue touched the dimple in her chin and licked straight up to her lips, she melted as much as the ice cream had and didn’t care about anyone else.

Her lips parted of their own accord, and her brain didn’t protest. But he didn’t take the offer. He didn’t kiss her, just sat back in his seat and lifted his hand, signaling that he was ready for the check. His gaze never left hers, and she couldn’t have looked away from him if the diner had blown up all around them. He held her captive with nothing more than his gaze and the still-wet trail left from his tongue. She wanted him. Right here, right now and she didn’t give a damn who saw it, who knew it.

The best and worst part of that…he knew exactly how she was feeling. She could see it in his stare, in the small smile on his lips, in the flush of red in his cheeks. He wanted her too and it was taking everything he had not to take her on the table. Or, maybe he’d come over to her side of the booth, lay her back and fuck her on the worn, soft vinyl.

In her mind it didn’t matter that both of them were wearing clothes. She squeezed her thighs together and as it always did, it just made the need worse. Her nipples pressed against the bra and ached, begging with every breath to be let out, to be touched, to be pinched and pulled and sucked. Betsy came by and laid the check on the table and Rosie barely managed a cursory glance in the older woman’s direction.

Decker took out his wallet. “Rosie, why don’t you go on out to the truck. I’ll be there in a minute.”

She nodded and slid out of the booth without having to be told twice. The lust was such that she felt as though she were in a trance, seeing herself walking out of the diner and climbing up into the cab of his truck. His scent surrounded her, and it only made her pussy throb and pulse. Her hands rubbed against her jeans then curled into fists. When he opened the driver’s side door and slid in behind the wheel, she turned her head and watched through hooded lashes.

“Want it?”

His voice was low, scratchy, heavy with the same raw desire that was weighing her down, tugging her under. “Yes.”

“Get those jeans ready to come down then.”

*Lissa sets out cups of ice water for everyone in case they got a little warm while reading…*

So, what’d y’all think? Okay?

I am looking forward to this release. It’ll be a busy week for me, that week, starting October 26th, what with an interview, a chat, a release party at The Romance Studio. Hope y’all will join me…

For now though, have a good Monday!

~lissa