For Throwback Thursday, one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite stories. This scene was so much fun to write...This is from chapter 3--my hero isn't used to being turned down, especially by a woman he knows wants him...
The Model Man by Nicole McCaffrey
Earlier this
morning he’d decided to forget about Kelly; she’d made her lack of interest
clear enough last night. Somewhere along the way he changed his mind. “I sent
roses, dammit.”
He reached
the atrium. Looking relaxed, happy and gorgeous, Kelly chatted with her fans.
He was struck once more by her fresh-faced beauty and mesmerizing blue eyes,
especially with the sun’s glow on her pale blonde hair and her face alight with
humor.
The memory of
her in that red dress and the soft, sweet smell of her perfume rushed back to
him. The way her nipples stood at attention when she removed his jacket. He
knew he’d affected her, every bit as much as she had affected him.
“If she isn’t
interested, she can damn well tell me why.”
Behind him,
Frankie warned. “Derek, don’t do anything stupid.”
He never
slowed his pace. As he made his way to Kelly’s table, an audible hush followed
in his wake. She was so engrossed with the fans she didn’t seem to notice the
change in the atmosphere.
At the table,
the women waiting in line stepped aside for him. Bright sunlight streamed
through the glass walls and ceiling, casting his shadow as he loomed over her.
She stiffened before she looked up. He heard a slight hitch in her breath when
he shoved a book beneath her nose.
Without a
word, she quickly scrawled her name, then handed it back to him. “Who’s next?”
He stepped to
the side, blocking her view. “Why?”
Her gaze
flickered over the loincloth he wore since that was at eye level. A delicate
flush crept over her face as her gaze slowly moved upward. When at last their
eyes met, he was fighting the stirrings of an erection—and she seemed barely able
to speak.
“I—I told
your...” she waved a hand in circles, “zoo keeper, or whatever she is, I have
plans.”
He folded his
arms over his chest, uncaring if he sounded like an arrogant ass. “Change
them.”
“I can’t.”
She peered around him and gestured for the next person to come forward.
He leaned
closer, covering the books spread out before her with both palms. “Why not?”
The glance
she spared him was as prim and proper as a schoolteacher. “Because I don’t want
to.”
“Then meet me
afterward.”
“No.”
Knowing he
was invading her space, he moved even closer, his face inches from hers. “Don’t
make me beg, you won’t like it.”
“Then go away
and stop asking.”
A wicked
thought came to mind. Before he even had time to second guess it, he moved
around to her side of the table and scooped her up in his arms.
“What are
you—?”
“You left me
no choice.” He lifted her high, tilting her toward him until she had to put her
arms about his neck to hold on.
“Ladies,” he
said, turning to face the room of startled onlookers. “Don’t you think if a man
spends the night making love to a woman, the least she can do is have dinner
with him?”
“Oh God,” she
moaned. “Don’t do this...”
“I warned you
you wouldn’t like it,” he said in a low voice.
****
Single mom and romance novelist Kelly Michaels has no time for a man in her life. But when mega-famous cover model Derek Calavicci puts the moves on her at a romance writers’ conference, she succumbs to temptation. Common sense prevails, however, and after a few passionate kisses she turns him down; she has impressionable teenagers at home, after all, she doesn’t need a one-night-stand with a much younger man, no matter how hot he is. When photos of their passionate moonlight kiss hit the tabloids, her agent has to do some fast footwork to save her reputation. Will the notorious bad boy go along with her scheme?
Derek rarely hears a woman say “no” – it’s been that way his entire life. If Kelly isn’t interested, he’s not going to push her-- even if she does melt like ice cream on a hot sidewalk every time he touches her. But when an unexpected opportunity falls into his lap by way of Kelly’s scheming agent, he jumps at the chance. Pretend he’s in love with Kelly Michaels for two weeks? No problem. After all, the lady may say she’s never going to sleep with him... but he's got two weeks to convince her otherwise.
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