Excerpt for One and the Same
Beginning of the conflict between Kate and Matt; sexual tension
Set up for scene: Kate was awakened by a strange phone call telling her Matt’s mother was in danger. (This is her elderly next door neighbor). Without thinking she races over to make sure everything is okay.
“Mrs. Hunter?”
Nothing.
“Are you here?”
Her question was answered with only empty air.
“Mrs. Hunter?” Kate held her breath, letting it out slowly before stepping into the living room and stopping at the edge of the flower-patterned sofa near the fireplace. She grabbed up the closest thing to use as a weapon—one of the large brass candleholders from the top of the fireplace ledge. Her fingers tightened around the cool object, and she felt strength flow into her body. The weapon-like apparatus gave her a bit more security and she tightened both hands hard around the heavy stick as she walked through the living room toward the hallway leading into the bedroom area.
Stopping at the first door, she stood silent and listened to the quiet around her. No sound could be heard in the room beyond the door so she removed her left hand from the makeshift weapon and placed it on the door handle.
A sharp noise at the front of the house froze her near the half-opened bedroom door and she swallowed her breath. Real fear erupted in her system now. Sleuth-like sounds of a person moving through the living room sent her heart racing in her chest, her breath burning hot in her lungs, and sent her frozen body into slow slide through the opening.
Soft footsteps sounded closer, loud in the quiet house.
She slid her trembling body into the space between the wall and door and closed her eyes tight, clutching the weapon in sweaty hands. She pulled in a quiet breath, forcing her heartbeat to slow to a more manageable level. If she didn’t start controlling her heart beat and erratic breathing, this intruder would easily find her. She needed to calm down so she could think through this dangerous situation. Where was Mrs. Hunter? Was she hiding, fearful of the intruder too?
Oh, why had she come running over here on her own? What a stupid thing to do, Kate thought. She should’ve ignored the whispery voiced command not to call the cops, and let the professionals take care of it.
A creak then a second one sounded close—probably just on the other side of the door. She closed her mouth on empty lungs and a racing heart. Too late to change things now, she thought tucking her body tight to the wall. The door moved slowly toward her, threatening to trap her against the hard surface in a deadening embrace. Side stepping a stealthy inch at a time to the opened closet area half a wall length away, she slid into the darker interior of the small closet and crouched down.
A familiar outdoorsy scent assaulted her first. Mere seconds later a large hand reached in, took hold of her arm, and jerked her out of the crouch. She felt herself being twisted around. And suddenly she was pinned against the footboard of the twin bed.
She screamed, slamming her hands up hard into a wide chest and striking her bare foot against the side of a pair of loafers. Her assailant only tightened his grip on her forearm. She thrust forward and leaned away from him before raising the candlestick holder with both hands. She pointed it like a knife toward the dim chest area and stabbed hard, grinning at the groan and harsh swear word coming from the man’s mouth. With all her might, she heaved the object at him. Then she jerked free of his grip and raced into the living room.
“Damn it.” A deep bass voice roared, stopping her near the sofa and loosening the beats of her heart into a rapid rush of a thundering waterfall. She recognized that voice.
“Matt,” she whispered. “No!”
He lifted her off her feet and threw her down on the red and green flowered sofa, capturing her hands high up over one of the armrests. She whispered his name again, feeling the heat burning off his body like rays of a tanning bed in the middle of a Seattle rainstorm.
“Matt.”
“Kate?” Mint scented breath breezed over her face, sending her heart rate once again dangerously out of control. “Damn it, I could have hurt you.”
Jerking up off her melting body, he moved to the nearest lamp and switched it on before twisting around to face her. Nothing showed on his impassive face. “Sit up.”
“Matt.”
“Get up.” Dark eyes glared at her, focusing on the exposed expanse of her tiny middle. “And you might as well cover up, it won’t work on me.”
“What won’t work on you?”
“I don’t care how sexy you are, how beautiful you look laying there in the dim light, TopNotch Security is not going to finance that damn television show.” He glared harder at her. “I don’t know what Erin was trying to do, bringing you here, but it won’t work. My answer is still no.”
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Month & Year: March, 2009
Buy it:: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/one-and-the-same-p-1167.html
This post was submitted by Theresa Stillwagon.
