My blog tour for Password is winding down. There’s only one post left (if I’ve planned correctly). Until that goes live, I thought I’d post an excerpt of the novel here.
Finally, he came out. When he saw her staring at him, he turned off the light.
She could still make him out in the dim moon-glow filtering through the curtains. Somehow, his silhouette seemed even larger, and she ached to run her hands over every square inch of muscle.
But he didn’t come to the bed. Instead, he crossed the room to the window and drew the curtain with a brisk snap of the material, plunging the room into total darkness.
“Don’t worry.” His voice was deeper, huskier, than usual. “I’ll sleep on the floor. Is it okay if I take a pillow?”
She rolled her eyes. His willpower was impressive. But she wouldn’t give up so easily. “Share the bed, Danny. You need a good night’s rest, too. And God only knows what’s on that floor. I’d be afraid to look at a sample of the carpet under my microscope.” Besides, if he wasn’t in bed with her, then she couldn’t entice him to take things beyond the platonic level.
“Fine. I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman and stay on my side.”
She’d see about that.
But damn it, he was true to his word. She tried acting like she was asleep, rolling over and draping her arm over him. Tried it twice. But both times he gently rolled her back to her side. He hadn’t even taken off his jeans and shirt.
Braelyn finally gave up. But his proximity, and his rejection, made sleep nearly impossible.
She took small comfort in feeling him toss and turn all night. Seemed he couldn’t sleep, either.
At seven o’clock, assuming the clock was correct, she gave up trying to rest. “Are you up?”
“Up? I haven’t fallen asleep yet.”
Braelyn smiled in the darkness. Those curtains blocked the sun, but they couldn’t block the frustration in his tone. She rolled over again and reached for him.
He jumped off the bed. Soon the curtains slid across the rod with a swish, and the room flooded with light. He yanked them so hard, she was surprised he didn’t rip the damn things right off the rod.
Some passwords protect more than just secrets.
Danny Caruso was glad to be back in the United States, back to his regular job. Back to his comfortable routine of all work and no play. But when his friend Mac asks a favor of him, he can’t refuse. He owes the guy everything. So he accepts the job, even though it means a twenty-four/seven protection detail guarding a particularly exacerbating—and beautiful—woman.
Braelyn Edwards is careful to stay out of the spotlight, preferring to hide in the background and skip the trappings of a vibrant social life. But her privacy is threatened when there’s an attempt on her life and a bodyguard is foisted on her. Compounding problems? He doesn’t just want to protect her. He wants to investigate every detail of her life, starting with her top-secret job.
Danny casts his sights on Charlie Park, her coworker, her partner… the one man who knows all Braelyn’s secrets. She’s frustrated by the distrust until she realizes jealousy fuels Danny’s suspicions as much as instinct and proof. One of them is right about Charlie—but by the time they figure it out, it may be too late to save their relationship. And Braelyn’s life.
Password is the first story in the Nightforce Security Series. A sequel is already in the works. The next installment will be a novella released in March as part of Susan Stoker’s Special Forces Kindle World. So if this series interests you, you won’t have long to wait.
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A woman on a mission – I bet she succeeds eventually!
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Ahhh… I can’t tell. 😉
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Great passage to share. I agree with Jaquie. Although I’m not opposed to reading steamy sex scenes, I like to give the reader just enough for them to use their imagination. Love the chemistry between Danny and Braighlyn.
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Thanks, Joan.
I wouldn’t say I’m opposed to reading them. I just find myself skimming these days. They’re all starting to sound the same to me. In my writing, I’m starting to veer away from the physical and more toward the internal/emotional response, and in my next series, I don’t think I’ll be writing those scenes at all.
I guess it goes to show that tastes can change over the years.
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I agree. By getting into the character’s emotional responses, I feel readers can more easily identify with them.
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Well said.
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Ooh, lots of heat without the need for slot a into tab b, love it!
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Thanks, Jacquie. I’m getting tired of the slot A/tab B thing. I still write it (because my readers expect it), but I’m veering in a new direction in some of my other work, and definitely toning down those scenes in this series.
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Me, too. As a romance reader I find scenes like the one above much more satisfying. Most sex scenes I skim past. Maybe it’s an age thing, lol
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I’ve become a skimmer, too. The way I look at it now is if they want to read it, I’ll write it for them. And if they don’t want to read it, they can just skip past that part. But even when I include the scenes, they’re far less steamy than they used to be. (I guess I’m getting old!)
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Neat little bit of tension that doesn’t involve life or death.
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Thanks, Craig. There are all kinds of ways to add tension between characters, but the will-they/won’t-they is one of my favorites.
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Yeah, that one I may never write is based heavily upon that idea. Plus some witch doctors, wildlife, and loot.
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Based on that description alone, I’m afraid I must insist you write that!
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Great excerpt, Staci! It’s on the TBR. ☺
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Aw, thanks so much, Felicia!
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What a great excerpt to share. I loved the magnetic friction between these two. Fabulous characters in an excellent book!
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Thanks, Mae. Your enthusiasm warms my heart.
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Love the frisson here, Staci – two terrific characters and so much is brilliantly revealed even in this short extract…it races along ..rather like their heart beats, I imagine! 😀
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Ooooh! Frission. That’s an awesome word, and it’s exactly what I was going for. Thanks, Annika!
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This excerpt really showed the tension between them. Made me really interested to know what happens. I am looking forward to reading this:)
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Thank you, Denise.
Fiction is always about tension, don’t you think? I’m glad it’s conveyed here. These two? There was definitely tension between them. (And that’s the fun of it!)
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