Surprise!

Can't say as I have a truly scary scene in any of my stories ... I just don't write that way. But I did have my heroine in "Shut Up and Kiss Me" surprised in the first scene.

Kasey Davenport struggled to keep her eyes open. After a full week of flying all over hell and back, she wasn’t sure she had it in her to stay alert much longer. But, since she’d dropped by her brother’s place without warning, using his spare key to get in, she didn’t want to startle him when he walked in the door. She also hoped he wouldn’t mind her impromptu visit.

God, what if he brought some girl home? How embarrass-

The sound of a key scraping in the lock jolted her completely awake. Still a little fuzzy, she rubbed her gritty eyes and prepared to yell “surprise!” as soon as Michael walked in and flipped on the light.

The door swung open and a tall, shadowy figure entered, closing the door behind him. She smiled and sat up, but before she could announce herself, he tripped over her flight bag, next to the couch and tumbled on top of her.

She grunted and gave him a hug. “Surprise, big brother.”

The man jerked and then pulled away. “What the—”

Not Michael’s voice. It sounded like—”Cole?”

Oh, God, this couldn’t be happening. He was the last person in the world she’d want to see while wearing only a T-shirt and looking like last week’s leftovers. She scooted back on the couch until she was hunched in the farthest corner.

“Who...?” In one swift move, he closed the small distance between them, leaned into her and reached for the light on the end table behind her.

Much to Kasey’s dismay, the moment his hard, warm chest touched hers, her nipples puckered. Clearly, she’d been celibate too long if she got this hot over a guy who typically treated her like she had leprosy.

Still, his body was firm and, as she took a deep breath, she decided she was a huge fan of whatever musky cologne he wore. She had no trouble at all picturing him pressing her back deeper into the cushions, slipping a hand under her shirt, flicking a thumb across one nipple, and taking her lips in a hot, moist kiss.

Heat pooled in her gut at the fantasy. When the light flickered on, she looked up at the handsome face that haunted her every day and night. And met his suspicious gaze.

“Hey! Get off,” she sputtered and tried to wriggle free, to no avail. She didn’t want to be turned on by her brother’s best friend, and her nemesis since grammar school. Damn her body for betraying her.

Not that she could blame herself for that physical reaction. After all, he was tall. Sexy. Built. A Nordic God. But he was still the creep who’d snapped her bra straps and pulled her braids. He had stuck a “kick me” sign on her back the first day of her freshman year, as if she wasn’t geeky enough with braces and gangly legs. And yet, she’d had a crush on him for years...an innocent crush that had eventually graduated into some incredibly hot daydreams and night sweats. She’d even named her battery-operated boyfriend after him.

And he’d never given her a second glance.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at poor Kasey's misfortune (or was it?) today. Let me know what you think!

If you'd like to learn a bit more about the story, please visit this page at the Menagerie Authors website for a sexy excerpt, the book video and more.

Happy Halloween!