No Excuses

I blew it recently. I was supposed to share an excerpt for Tantalizing Tuesday and completely lost track. Summers are crazy busy for me, still, it would help if I got up to my desk to read my notes -- not to mention checked my emails on a daily basis so I'd see my calendar reminders. I'll try to do better. Promise.

However, there is a silver lining to my oops. It made my choice of what to share a lot easier once I dreamed up the name for this blog post. No Excuses. The Nike catchphrase automatically suggested fitness. Voila! I had my scene. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Wes and Lauren at the gym. Let me set this up. They've just come from an impromptu stroll in the city park where Lauren vented her anger and frustration to him. Wes suggests a safe outlet for her aggression. Neither has fessed up to their attraction yet. It's still simmering between them.

  “Hold out your hand,” he directed, standing in front of her.

Lauren gave him her right and stared like a hypnotized idiot at his sculpted chest, his lean ribs, and his firm abs while he hooked a loop over her thumb and proceeded to wrap her wrist and knuckles.

She finally looked down at what he was doing and asked, “What’s with the tape? I thought I was going to wear gloves.”

“You’ll need both.”

“Oh.”

He secured it with Velcro then looked at her expectantly. She handed him her left next and he went to work, wrapping that one too.

Squatting down for a second, he picked up the gloves and held them out for her. She fought her hands inside and he snugged up the closures around her wrists.

“How does it feel?” he asked.

“How’s it supposed to feel?”

“No pinching? Can you make a fist?”

“It’s good.”

“Then you’re all set. Come on.” He brought her over to the bag.

Wes took up a position in front of the bag and directed Lauren’s attention to his feet which, he pointed out, were shoulder-width apart.

Mmm, so they are.

“Are you paying attention?” he asked.

Lauren jumped, ripping her eyes away from his amazing shoulders.

“Yes,” she said with a blush.

“Don’t lock your knees. Are you right or left handed?”

“Right.”

“Okay, so you’re going to want your left foot forward and your right foot back, toe somewhere between twelve and two. See?”

“Yes.”

“Another thing, don’t plant your right heel.”

She looked and nodded.

“Keep your hips right under your shoulders and don’t lean. Your body should be one solid unit.” He moved aside and waved her forward. “Reach out with your arm.”

She raised her glove and he moved her closer to the bag.

“Good, you don’t want to overextend. Balance is important.”

Lauren’s body temperature climbed several degrees once he started positioning her. His hands followed her legs and took hold of her feet, turning them out. When he caught her at the hips she nearly melted, but thankfully he didn’t seem aware. By the time he released her shoulders she was almost dizzy, but he wasn’t finished yet. Wes stepped directly behind her, his solid body pressed right up against hers, and his arms came around her as he took hold of her wrists to demonstrate how to throw a punch. At that point, she didn’t care if she ever threw a punch, she did not want this moment to end.

But they did punch and jab as one being until he felt confident she understood how to strike without injuring herself. Then he walked around to the other side and took hold of the bag, facing her. His smile was like a narcotic—tough to overcome once hooked.

“Center of the bag, Lauren. Hands tight, wrists strong.”

Her first two hits careened off the sides, and she blushed because she wasn’t concentrating. Not that she was going to explain herself. It was hard enough having to ignore how intently he was watching her without admitting he was unraveling her.

“Come on, focus,” he said.

Easier said than done, but somehow she managed it and he cheered her on. “Give me more.”

Give him more? The man didn’t know what he was asking. She laughed and struck again, and again, and again, using her sexual frustration, her close proximity to the man of her dreams, and her long standing cowardice to pummel the innocent bag.


Available in eBook and paperback. Buy it now from Beachwalk Press, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon AU, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, Bookstrand, Coffee Time Romance Bookstore, Books A Million, BookU, Exclusives,
Waterstones (UK), WHSmith (UK), and Kobo.

***Wait, wait, wait, wait. ***

Before I head out of here, I wanted to share the news. Beachwalk has dropped the prices on a bunch of titles and three of my full novels have gone from $5.50 to $4.99! 
Have a wonderful and romantic weekend. Be sure to put a Beachwalk title in your bag.