These are my favorite Snippet days. I like when it’s author’s choice. I don’t generally have to think too terribly hard when it’s totally up to me…lol. And since it’s generally early morning or late night when I’m working on this post, the easier the better.

In a few weeks, August 14th to be exact, there will be a release from Cleis Press called Cowboy Lust. It’s a collection of erotic stories from 15 authors, myself included, along with Delilah Devlin, Cat Johnson, Randi Alexander, Cari Quinn, and Charlene Teglia. My snippet today is from my story in that collection called Small Town Famous.

“What’n the hell were you thinkin’, Bethann?”

“I was thinking that little bitch better keep her hands off of my man.”

Tommy sighed and tried so hard not to smile. He needed to be and stay stern with her. “You can’t go ‘round town totin’ your shotgun like that. You shoulda known the sheriff would lock you up.”

“He only caught me ‘cause it was his precious little princess I was aimin’ at. Well that and someone called him. When I find out who, you better believe I’m gonna to tan their hide. ‘ll be lucky if I don’t fill with it buckshot.”

Tommy shook his head at the woman on the other side of the black iron bars. She was sitting on the bench on the far side of the cell with her arms crossed over her chest and her right leg crossed over her left, just a swingin’. She was spittin’ mad.

He’d been in love with her all his life and she with him and never once in all their eighteen years together had she ever acted like this.

He slid his arms through the bars and linked his fingers. “Why are you so jealous all of a sudden?”

“Jealous? You think I’m jealous?” Bethann stood faster than lightning and stomped her way across the concrete floor to stand nose to nose with him. “Jealous ain’t got nothin’ to do with it Tommy Martin.”

“Then what does it have to do with? What has gotten into you?”

She tilted her chin in defiance, but it was just for show. “You like her and I’m tired of her sniffin’ around what ain’t hers. Time for her to go back to wherever she came from.”

If Tommy hadn’t seen it for himself, he would’ve never believed it. Bethann Pritchard was pouting. “I like ever’ body, baby.” That wasn’t going even come close to appeasing her.

“But I see how you look at her.”

Tommy reached up and pushed his cowboy hat back on his head a little. He wanted to make sure he got a real good look at his woman during this conversation. He wanted to also make sure she could look him in the eyes without any hint of shadow or obstruction. “And how do I look at her?”

Bethann dropped her gaze to the floor and dug the toe of her scuffed up boot into a divot in the floor. “Like you want her,” she mumbled.

“Uh huh. Is that all?”

Her head whipped up so fast Tommy nearly had to take a step back. “Is that all? Ain’t that enough?”

“Well, in all honesty here, I was expecting a little more than that. That’s not enough for you to go carryin’ your daddy’s double barrel down Main Street in the middle of the day, scarin’ the nice folks.”

“Every single person in this town knows me and I didn’t scare anyone. Well, except for her. I don’t like the way you look at her ass in those little cut off shorts and those tiny shirts. It’s a wonder she wears anything at all. There’d be more left to the imagination if she were naked.”

“So, is it that you’re jealous because I look at her ass which is kinda hard to miss when she puts it in my face, or is it because you wish you were still that young?” He’d have never said something like that to her if there hadn’t been bars between them.

“You son of a bitch.”

“Your eyes are a bit more green than usual, babydoll.” From the look on his lover’s face, Tommy was pretty damn glad to have the jail cell bars separating them. Where Bethann’s temper was concerned, he knew a blessing when he saw it and her not being able to get a hand on him when he made his confession was a definite one.

Before he opened his mouth again, he made sure to take a few steps away from her grasp. “I called the sheriff.”

“You what?”

He would pay for this when she got out and they got home. The narrowing of her eyes told him that, but he’d already known it the second he placed the call. “I called him and told him he needed to come get you.”

“You had him put me in jail?”

He wouldn’t show fear and he wouldn’t back down. “I did.”

“Why?”

“It’s his daughter you’re jealous of and his daughter you brought the shotgun outta hock for. You’re out of control.”

She sneered. “You don’t know the meanin’ of out of control, but you just wait. When I get outta here, I’m gonna-”

Yeah, he knew, but maybe, just maybe… He shook his head. “No. This will be resolved while you’re in there. I’m done walkin’ on eggshells with you whenever another woman is in the same three feet of space I am. We’re gonna settle this here and now.”

I hope you’ll all give the book a try when it comes out. I know I’m excited… But while you’re waiting for the release, please give the following blogs a read.

Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Leah Braemel
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Shiloh Walker
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Shelli Stevens

Have a great weekend. I’m headed out to meet a friend for the day… A writer needs to get out once in a while. LOL

~lissa