Maryse's Book Blog

Here’s an exclusive teaser for what I’m currently reading (Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1)! Karina Halle has just written a gritty romantic suspense story (should be available this weekend), and when I saw her hero (“Camden”), I… well.  Just LOOK at him!! You all KNOW he’s right up my hero alley. *swooooooon* I can’t wait to start… but first. I gotta tease! Karina told me it was a “… very sexy excerpt…a scene of him dressing her.”

Oh boy. With those looks, and this scene, and well… you know how Karina writes her heroes… I think he just may give Dex a run for his money. Wait! WAIT! I take it back. I still *heart* you Dex!!! I’m sure after I’m done this book I’ll still like you best! *side-eyes my fellow readers*… shhhhhhhhh 😉 *giggle*

Ready for that teaser? I AM!!!

“Do you mind turning around?” I asked, making the motion with my hands.

He ruffled his hair with amusement. “I don’t think I will. I bought you the clothes, I get to see the show.”

He stood there in front of me, surrounded by boxes and bags, the two beds on either side of us. Though the smile on his lips was playful, the look in his eyes was not. It wasn’t a mean look but it wasn’t soft, either. Each of his features stood out in their beautifully masculine way, all hard edges and second chances. This wasn’t the time to be bashful and he knew it.

Seeing as I was already in my underwear, a black pair that had cheeky coverage, I lifted my tank top above my head and let it drop to the carpeted floor. His gaze intensified, like a heat-seeking missile. I brought my hands behind my back and, as elegantly as possible, undid the clasp and slipped my bra out of my arms, tossing it to the bed.

Though his gaze, his pose, his very being, reminded me of a wolf about to pounce, he didn’t move. I felt his eyes roam up and down my body like silk, sending shivers down my back. He was turning me on without laying a hand on me.

It wasn’t necessary for the dress, but I shimmied out of my underwear and stepped out of it. Now I was absolutely, completely nude, save for my bandaged leg. To anyone else I would have looked a bit silly. But not to Camden. I could see in the way he regarded me that I was nothing short of the phoenix coming out of the ashes, just like the one inked on his side. I had become his tattoo.

I slowly walked over to him, owning my body as I never had before, shoulders back and head high. I gestured to the dress. “Will you help me?”

He licked his lips; it was probably involuntary but it caused heat to flare between my legs, my own lips to part open. He reached over and picked the black dress up in his hands and leisurely unzipped the side of it, his eyes never leaving mine.

I raised my arms above my head, my bare breasts raising as I did so, surrendering to him. Our gaze never broke, the heat only built, connecting us. He took the dress and carefully slipped it over my arms and pulled it down. His knuckles brushed against my nipples and I clenched my jaw, suppressing the shudder that wanted to roll through me.

He dragged it down over my breasts and over my stomach, slowly, so slowly, like the fabric was an extension of his hands and lips. Every hair on my body was raised, my skin tense and wanting. He came closer to nudge it over my hips, letting his fingers rest on them as gravity took the remainder of the dress to the ground.

Now fully clothed, I lowered my arms. He was so close to me, too close. His hands burned on my hips.

“Thank you,” I whispered, breaking his heated gaze and looking at the ground.

*sigh* I can’t wait to get started!!!!