#MySexySaturday No. 91: Sexy today

by with One Comment Bethany & CodyExcerpts

LynnSexySaturday_bannerIt’s Saturday … and for the first time in weeks, I’m NOT in the middle of packing and/or moving. That means I have time to put up a post. Hooray!

Hard to believe this is week 91 for My Sexy Saturday. Can’t say I’ve participated every week, but I do what I can.

I’m not sure I have anything that fits this week’s theme, so instead I’ll serve up a sexy moment from a work in progress. Bethany and Cody — the couple who got more wedding night action than the bride and groom — are back TROUBLE IN PARADISE, the second of my “Reality (TV) Bites” books.

Arlene_Paradise72dpi750x1200In this scene, Beth and Cody are getting ready to film a video essay application for Romance TV’s new show, “Invitation to Sin.” Beth wants to test their relationship because she’s worried Cody’s getting bored; Cody reluctantly agrees to apply because he figures there’s no way in hell they’ll be picked. Romance TV lightning won’t strike their circle twice, right?

***

Cody sauntered into the room a few minutes later, wearing his new green and orange swim trunks and a big grin. He pointed at his pale white chest, then at Bethany’s equally pasty midriff. “Think we ought to do some self-tanning first?”

Bethany giggled. “Are you kidding? Pasty white skin will be the Romance TV execs’ first clue that we need this trip more than anyone.”

“Where do you want me, then?”

She waved at the chair. “You sit there, and I’ll sit in your lap.” When he didn’t move, she shot him an impatient look. “What are you waiting for?”

“You think it’s such a good idea for you to be wiggling around on my lap when we’re both wearing next to nothing? This video is for Romance TV, not the Porn Network.”

Bethany stifled another giggle so she could answer him with a straight face. “Don’t worry. I won’t blow your cover.”

When she saw the mischief dancing in his golden-brown eyes, she knew she’d just opened herself up for a doozy of a comeback. She held her breath until he delivered it. “Sweetheart, you can blow whatever you want.”

TROUBLE IN PARADISE, an indie release, is coming soon … hopefully this fall.

#MySexySaturday: Are You Sexy?

by with 2 Comments Excerpts

I won’t waste time with a long introduction. This week’s My Sexy Saturday snippet is from my newest release, Just Right, which came out on Tuesday. Callie, who’s pretty handy thanks to her handyman father, has volunteered to help the Behr brothers work on her house. Ty, the hero of the story, has asked oldest brother Will what she can do.

***

Just Right | Arlene HittleShe felt Will studying her, sizing her up. She narrowed her eyes and drew herself to her full height, five feet, four inches. At times like this, when dealing with judgmental men who looked at her and saw nothing but a helpless female, she’d gladly give up stardom for six inches of height and ten pounds less hair.

Finally, he spoke. “You know how to swing a sledgehammer?”

“I think I can manage.” It couldn’t be much harder than swinging a twenty-pound kettlebell, right? She could do that in her sleep—and sometimes did, when premiere parties ran long and interfered with her workouts at four in the morning with Gunnar Glory, personal trainer to the stars. She’d completed more than a few sweat sessions less than half awake.

He nodded. “Good. You can help Ty knock out the kitchen cabinets.”

Ty looked worried. Probably afraid she was going to clock him with the sledgehammer.

His words confirmed her suspicion. “Isn’t there something…easier she can do?”

Perhaps clocking him was a good idea. Might knock his sensibilities into the new millennium.

Like what you read? Just Right is available now at Turquoise Morning Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, All Romance eBooks and Smashwords. Or add it to your TBR list on Goodreads.

#MySexySaturday: A Long, Sexy Time

by with 3 Comments Dave & MelindaExcerpts

Welcome to this week’s My Sexy Saturday blog hop. The theme, “A Long, Sexy Time,” is designed to spotlight love that has been around for a while:

“… It’s all about those who have loved another for a long time. This love could have started when they were kids, when they were dating or even from afar.”

That pretty much leaves my couples out. They tend to meet and experience love  — or hate — at first sight, and then overcome whatever obstacles are in their path to happily ever after. Dave and Melinda from DIVA IN THE DUGOUT are the closest I have to a couple who’s known each other for a while … and that’s only if you count a one-night stand, nearly five years ago, as knowing one another.

In this scene, Dave and Mel are trying to get along for their daughter’s sake. He’s just landed in Amarillo so he can meet Mel’s parents — something she’d denied him years earlier by not telling him she was pregnant. Keeping Tara a secret was a decision she had what she thought were good reasons for, but is now starting to regret.

Enjoy!

***

Diva in the Dugout by Arlene HittleMel bounced from foot to foot in the arrivals area of the Amarillo airport Wednesday afternoon. The steady flow of travelers slowed to a trickle before Dave strolled through the gate.

Damn, he looked fine. He walked tall and proud, his shoulders impossibly broad in a burgundy suit jacket. He carried a duffel the same color as his coat—his team colors.

When, for once, her smile didn’t feel forced, Mel realized she was glad to see him. “Welcome back, Muscles.”

He studied her for a moment before dropping his bag at his feet. Then he stepped up and folded her into a hug. His arms circled her waist, pressing her tightly against his flat stomach and broad chest. Her nerve endings started to sing, especially the bits of her rubbing all that hard muscle. Mmm.

“You feel even better than you look.” The thought popped out of Mel’s mouth before she could stop it. Her cheeks burned, and she could only hope the words were too muffled by his jacket for him to hear.

No such luck. His chest shook with laughter. “If I’d expected such a friendly greeting, I’d have come back sooner.”

Mel flattened her palms against his shoulders and he let her go. What the hell had she been thinking, falling into his arms like that? Just because he was trying to build a relationship with Tara didn’t mean he wanted one with her. After what she’d done, she was probably the last person he’d consider getting romantic with.

DIVA IN THE DUGOUT, the first book in my All Is Fair in Love & Baseball series, can be found at Turquoise Morning Press, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes.

P.S  If you liked this snippet, my friend Lizzie Shane is giving away a copy of DIVA on her Facebook page this weekend. She’ll draw a winner Monday morning. Click here to enter.

#MySexySaturday: Their Sexy Talk

by with No Comment ExcerptsVan & Allyson

LynnSexySaturday_bannerSince dialogue is my favorite, this week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is right up my alley! I’ll share a snippet from my new release, BREAKING ALL THE RULES.

In this scene, Van and Allyson are having dinner together for the first time. (She won’t call it a date because he works for her.) They’ve been drinking, and the alcohol loosens her tongue to the point that she tells him her deep, dark secret: She’s still carrying her v-card, thanks to an overprotective father who scared off any potential boyfriends.

Happy reading!

***

Breaking all the Rules | Arlene HittleA rueful smile replaced the challenge that had flashed in her eyes a moment ago. “I didn’t go out much in college, either. Being dateless all through high school, I was still pretty socially inept. I stayed in most of the time, studied hard and graduated in three years.”

Van absorbed the information, which gave him a new perspective. Maybe Allyson was stuffy and uptight because social situations were uncomfortable for her.

Before he could probe the topic any further, the waitress arrived with their dinners. When the woman slid their plates in front of them, Allyson eyed his dinner with more interest than her own.

He playfully shook his finger at her. “Ah-ah-ah, Ms. Red Meat on Tuesdays. You missed your chance.”

She gave him another pretty pout. At the same time, beneath the table, she squeezed his knee. “I sure hope not.”

Van reached for their margarita so fast that he knocked over his almost-empty glass of water on the way. Water dribbled across the table toward Ally’s boring-looking chicken and veggies, but he needed a drink more than he needed to save her meal. He polished off the rest of the drink in one gulp.

Thus fortified, he was prepared to respond. “I might be willing to renegotiate.”

Find BREAKING ALL THE RULES at Turquoise Morning Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, Smashwords and All Romance eBooks.

#MySexySaturday: Sexy Me Up

by with 3 Comments Excerpts

Every time I think I’m going to start posting here more regularly, something happens to throw me back off track. I get busy writing…working…doing sinks full of dirty dishes. Even these My Sexy Saturday posts don’t happen as regularly as I’d like.

LynnSexySaturday_bannerThis week’s theme is “Sexy Me Up,” and the way I read it, it’s pretty much author’s choice.

Remember, our sexiness can happen anywhere, anytime, day or night. People fall in love in many different ways. It could be on a date, at a school dance, on a hike, with the boy or girl next door, just anywhere two or sometimes more people or beings are drawn together because of that feeling called love.

Let’s do this. I’m sure I can find a nice moment between Van and Allyson, the hero and heroine of BREAKING ALL THE RULES, to share.

*Returns after perusing the manuscript*

Breaking all the Rules | Arlene HittleFound one! In this scene, Van has talked Ally into having dinner with him. He tries to order for her — a mistake she quickly corrects. 😀

Enjoy!

***

After the waitress left, Donovan frowned at her. Surprisingly, his frown, too, did funny things to her insides. Or maybe the culprit was the delicious margarita she sipped.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

His eyebrows drew together. “You’ve wanted to eat here for eight years and you order the boring chicken?”

“I never said I wanted the steak. I came for the show.”

“But I brought you here for steak.”

“You came for steak,” she corrected before taking another small drink. The margarita was delicious—a perfect blend of salty and sweet. She’d have to be careful not to overindulge, because it’d be too easy to drink the whole thing. “I only eat red meat once a week—and it’s not on Friday night.”

Donovan’s lips twitched into a not-quite smile. “When, exactly, do you eat red meat, Allyson?”

BREAKING ALL THE RULES will be available this month from Turquoise Morning Press. Can’t wait to share all of Van and Allyson’s adventures with you!

#MySexySaturday: My sexy addiction

by with One Comment ExcerptsOSNB

With BREAKING ALL THE RULES coming out in a few short weeks,  I should probably be giving you a teaser from it.

LynnSexySaturday_bannerBut when I saw this week’s My Sexy Saturday theme was “My Sexy Addiction,” I couldn’t resist. I simply had to pick a scene starring Mike James.

You see, Mike is probably MY sexy addiction. Don’t get me wrong: I love each and every one of my heroes—all for different reasons. However, if I were pressed to pick one, it’d have to be Mike, the sports reporter/stripper/inveterate flirt who captures the attention of not one but two women of Willow’s Grove.

In OPERATION SNAG MIKE BRAD, education reporter Erin starts out lusting after Mike but soon learns life is what happens when you’re making other plans. Mike, who has what he thinks are good reasons for flirting the way he does, secretly longs for the kind of girl he uses his reputation to hold at bay—until a drunken night with coworker Breanne forces him to face his demons once and for all. (That’s OVEREXPOSED, the third Willow’s Grove book.)

These seven sentences are from near the end of Erin and Brad’s story, in which Mike plays a big part. He’s a third POV in the manuscript—a departure for me, since I usually stick to just the hero and heroine POVs.

See? I know Mike better than any other character I’ve created, so he’ll always have a special place in my heart.

***

She followed her roommate’s finger to the couch, where a shirtless Mike snored. A blanket rode low on his hips, exposing the flat, tan plane of his stomach — and hinting at a bottom half as naked as the top. Erin quickly looked away, finding the cat that belonged to the cat condo in the corner of the room. A big, gray furball watched them from its perch on the back of the couch. She suppressed a nervous giggle and jabbed her elbow into Cassie’s ribs. “Maybe he really does sunbathe in November.”

“Maybe,” Cassie replied, appreciatively ogling the sleeping sportswriter. “I’m beginning to understand what you two see in him.”

“Not me. Not anymore.” Sure, Mike’s … umm … man candy was worth admiring. But she meant it when she added, “I prefer something a little — lot — more real.”

Cassie snickered. “Bree doesn’t share your sentiment.”

Sure enough, Bree’s gaze was still riveted to Mike’s bare midsection. Her eyes glittered with interest. Knowing what it was like to lust after something she couldn’t have, Erin took pity on her. With very little effort, she might be able to get the blanket to shift a little lower.

“Close your mouth, Bree. You’re starting to drool,” she muttered under her breath. Then she cleared her throat — loudly. “Yo, James.”

Bree squeaked with alarm. At the same time, Mike smacked his lips and rolled onto his back. The blanket moved a fraction of an inch higher. Crap. “Not what I was aiming for.”

Operation Snag Mike Brad is still unpublished — for now. But if you liked this snippet, check out my Amazon author page for my published stories.

LynnSexySaturday_banner

My Sexy Saturday — Valentine’s special

by with 3 Comments Excerpts

It’s Saturday — and you know what that means. Time for the My Sexy Saturday blog hop.

I’m in a bit better headspace to pick a sexy scene now than I was a few hours ago. Then, I’d just discovered that when you Google “Arlene Hittle Author,” the first link that comes up (purportedly to my site) misdirects people to some spam site hawking cheap NFL jerseys. I’m still trying to get the mess straightened out, so until then, type “arlenehittle.com” into your browser instead.

This week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is “a sexy Valentine.”

LynnSexySaturday_bannerUmm … I don’t think ANY of my books has a Valentine’s Day-specific scene. Most of the action happens in summer and fall. BEAUTY AND THE BALLPLAYER is set in March, after the big V-day. And my novella, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, happens in winter, covering the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Luckily, I have an out:

” …Share all those sexy moments that you have between your characters even if your story doesn’t exactly fit the theme this week…remember every relationship is important!”

That I can do!

Let’s go with a moment from my upcoming March release, BREAKING ALL THE RULES. BREAKING is the story of a by-the-book health care administrator who finds herself in need of a Klingon interpreter. Of course, the main candidate for the job is a sexy man who’s never met a rule he didn’t want to break. In this scene …

Enjoy!

***

Breaking all the Rules | Arlene Hittle

He pressed his lips together and suppressed a sudden urge to kiss her senseless. One of them had to maintain a certain sense of decorum—and apparently tonight, he’d have to appoint himself to the task.

That’ll be a switch.

He tapped two fingers against each knee. Every strike reinforced the message: This is your boss, dumbass. The woman who signs your paycheck.

Okay then. Time to change the subject. Unfortunately, his mouth had other ideas. “What happened to by-the-book Allyson?”

She pouted. “You don’t like the new me?”

“It’s not that.” He gulped again. Maybe air would magically restart the flow of blood to his brain. “I think maybe I like the new you a little too much.”

That scared her. He saw the moment old stuffy Allyson regained the upper hand. She turned back to the mirror and began taming her hair. With every pin that went in, she stood straighter, stiffer—more like herself.

BREAKING ALL THE RULES is set for release the week of March 19. Visit my Turquoise Morning Press author page for already-available titles.

My Sexy Saturday: You’re so sexy

by with No Comment Excerpts

Long time no blog, eh? So much for those weekly posts I was supposed to be writing after coming home from San Antonio in July.

LynnSexySaturday_bannerJanuary has been a busy month. I started a new job in a new city. I’m still looking for a permanent place to live. I have to pack up 13+ years of crap that’s accumulated in the Flagstaff house.

I’m getting back into the rhythm of working days. Spoiler alert: It’s really cutting into my writing/editing time at Starbucks.

Since I’m fresh off the blog tour for BLIND DATE BRIDE, I’ve decided to share a moment from Kari & Damien’s story for this week’s entry into the My Sexy Saturday linkup.

In this scene, the reluctant bride and groom have just completed a couples’ yoga class — an intense experience that brings them closer than ever. In fact, it brings them so close that Kari’s willing to take a chance.

****

Blind Date Bride | Arlene HittleTentatively, Kari traced the muscles of his shoulders and back. Slowly, her hand trailed to his rear end and then around front to flutter over his now-raging hard-on.

It was Damien’s turn to groan. Even that featherlight touch through the fabric of his yoga pants was driving him wild. Roughly, he yanked her pants down over her hips and cupped the mound of her sex.

When she made a soft sound of protest and pushed his hand away, he groaned again. So, she wasn’t quite ready yet. He captured her lips again, stroking her face, shoulders and thighs as his tongue plunged in and out of her mouth in an imitation of the sex act he wanted to be engaged in.

Slowly, he felt Kari’s resistance melting. Sending another thank-you into the universe, he pushed down his pants and positioned himself between her thighs.

Bright light flooded the Element.

“What the—?” Damien spat a curse.

A split second later, he had his answer. Sam’s voice announced cheerfully, “Found ’em.”

Find BLIND DATE BRIDE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo, and in print at CreateSpace or Amazon. 

My Sexy Saturday: Sleigh Ride

by with One Comment Excerpts

LynnSexySaturday_bannerThis week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is “A Sexy Sleigh Ride”—MSS’s “hats off to the holidays,” so to speak.

Sadly, none of my characters take a literal sleigh ride. However, in HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, there is a sexy Porsche ride that will suffice. In this scene, Cher and Derrick, best friends in high school, are getting reacquainted a decade later when she reluctantly returns to her hometown for some much-needed R&R. They’ve just kissed, and Derrick asks “What was that?”

Enjoy!

***

Home for the Holidays | Arlene HittleCher pressed her back against the Porsche’s passenger door, hoping Derrick wouldn’t notice her heart still thrummed too fast. He’d been the star of some of her wildest fantasies over the years, but that kiss of his was more potent than any she’d conjured up in her imagination.

Maybe it was a good thing he’d rebuffed her in high school. She wouldn’t have known how to handle that kind of passion back then.

Like you do now?

She brushed aside her conscience. Of course she did: Humor was always her best defense. Her only defense, really. She found a few jokes were a much more effect way to get her way than tantrums or stony silence.

With that in mind, she tipped her lips into a grin. “I think it was you taking advantage of my resistance, weakened by extreme hunger.”

He chuckled. “That your way of saying I should quit flapping my gums and start driving, your diva-ness?”

“You got it.”

Home for the Holidays is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and in print through CreateSpace.

 

My Sexy Saturday: Too sexy?

by with 2 Comments Dave & MelindaExcerpts

LynnSexySaturday_bannerThis week’s My Sexy Saturday theme, “I’m too sexy,” necessitates a trip back through time…way, way back to October 2013, when my first book came out.

Okay, so it was only a little more than a year ago. Not long at all in the big picture.

DIVA IN THE DUGOUT’s hero, Dave, is arguably the sexiest of all my heroes. Whether he’s on the field or on the playground with the 4-year-old daughter he just met for the first time, the Arizona Condors’ bad-boy shortstop is smokin’ hot.

Because, really, what’s sexier than a man who obviously loves his child?

Need proof? Google “Chris Hemsworth with baby.” An ovary explosion is guaranteed.

***

Diva in the Dugout by Arlene HittleWhen they got to the park, Melinda hung back with her camera phone, documenting daddy-daughter time. She wanted Tara to have a reminder of this day in case Dave hightailed it out of here, never to be seen again.

It amazed Mel how easily Tara had accepted Dave. The sheer joy on Tara’s face every time she looked at her father made Mel wonder if she’d done her baby wrong by not looking for him.

But she wasn’t ready to concede the point. He could be a jerk…he could be a pervert….

He waved away a fly that landed on Tara’s head and then ruffled her hair as she chortled at something he’d said.

He could be a fantastic father if you give him half a chance.

Melinda swallowed hard. She owed Dave that much, just as she owed him more than a couple of hours with Tara…if he wanted it.

She crossed the playground to the curly slide Tara was clambering up. Dave shadowed her, ready to catch Tara if she started to fall. Regret squeezed her heart again. Maybe keeping him in the dark hadn’t been her wisest choice.

Find DIVA IN THE DUGOUT at Turquoise Morning Press, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes.