Teaser Tuesday-Friends & Lovers

​It's Teaser Tuesday and I'm sharing a scene from Friends and Lovers. Enjoy.

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The gym was dark when they got there, but Wes had his own key. He let them in, locked the door behind them, and flipped a switch. A single fluorescent fixture flickered on way up high, providing just enough light to navigate by.

“Instead of boxing tonight I thought we’d practice some self-defense moves since I can’t seem to get you to drop by my class.”

“Because I already took a class,” she said for the umpteenth time.

“Then you’ll have no trouble showing me what you know.”

Lauren went back to the putrid green dressing room and changed into shorts and a tank, then cut through the large musty main gym. The entire space was dark now. Whatever light escaped through the connecting door to the smaller gym was sucked up into the high rafters and neutralized. Lauren screwed up her face at the smell of stale sweat mingled with years of accumulated dust. Circling around the boxing ring she headed right for the only light in the place and took a peek inside the door. There was no sign of Wes. She took a tentative step into the room.

“Wes?”

A hard arm clamped around her so suddenly Lauren screamed. Her feet left the floor, and a heavy hand covered her mouth, cutting off the sound. Mute and immobilized, she fought to squirm free, but when that failed, she shifted to inflicting damage instead. Unfortunately her arms were pinned in such a way that she couldn’t even bend her elbows. She was just short of outright panic when she was thrown down on the mat and pinned.

“That was pathetic, Lauren.” Wes scowled. She tried to free her hands, get him off of her, but couldn’t. “You’re coming to class or you’re taking private lessons—you decide.”

She glared up at him and tried to buck him off using her hips but he was serious weight. It was useless.

“Get off of me.”

“Fight back.”

“I’m trying, damn it.”

“I thought you said you knew this stuff.”

“I thought I did.”

“And now you’ve lost your purse. Shit, you’ve probably been raped. Maybe you’re bleeding down some dark alley while your attacker drives off in your car with your pin number written on his hand. That’s if you’re lucky. He’ll probably just kill you rather than risk letting you live to identify him.”

“If you’re trying to scare me, it’s working. So give me a clue.”

“Hell no. Your life is on the line, Lauren. Do you care enough to fight back?”

Lauren threw her knee out to the side and brought the inside of her foot up to smack Wes in the back of the head with it.

He laughed at her. “Is that all you’ve got?”

“Screw you!” She was getting seriously pissed off now.

“Take me down.”

“Oh, you’re going down,” she grumbled testily. She wanted to punch the smirk right off his gorgeous face. Twisting and writhing, she fought to free her hands but his grip was like iron. “You’re going to pay for this,” she snarled.

“I’ll make it easier for you.” He transferred her right hand to his left, and holding both of her wrists tight, he used his free hand to stroke down the center of her chest, the heat of his hand taunting her. To Lauren’s annoyance her nipples bloomed, ripe for the picking. Wes smiled and raised his eyebrows. “Something on your mind?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Ignoring her irritated taunt, he circled first one then the other with his index finger, lightly tracing the faint impressions of her areolas. All the fight went out of Lauren and Wes relaxed. His face was just as serious only now in a different way as he covered her breast with his hand and squeezed gently. She moaned with pleasure and arched into his palm. Wes found the bottom of her shirt and hauled it up, exposing her bra. With a flick of his fingers the front clasp gave way and now it was Wes’s turn to groan.

He shifted back to take a nipple into his mouth. Distracted, he made it easy for Lauren to wiggle one hand free. It was less easy to keep her own mind focused since her body was humming like a harp, but somehow she managed it. She teased her fingers down his shoulder and ruffled the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Wes shifted to the next nipple, releasing her other wrist in order to support himself while he massaged her with his newly freed hand. Lauren’s eyes narrowed, and with a feline smile, she combed through his hair, lulling him into a comfort he shouldn’t take for granted.

Without warning, she yanked his head back and cut him across the throat with the sharp edge of her locked hand. Wes rolled to his side and coughed, trying to draw air. He was staring at her in disbelief as she leaped to her feet and took a defensive stance.

“What the hell was that for?”

“You challenged me to get free. I found a way.” His eyes locked on her jiggling breasts and he grinned.

“Works for me. Nice breasts, by the way.”

“Are you serious?”

“Well, I like them.”

“Aren’t you mad?”

“No. You used what you needed to. I respect that. Fight dirty when you have to. You distracted me, it worked. No fault in that.”

“You’re amazing.”

He gave her a cocky smile. “Word gets around.”

She snorted, not even remotely prepared when his leg kicked out and swept her feet right out from under her. Lauren crashed to the mat and they were right back where they’d started only now he was kissing her for real and her hands were free to roam where they willed. Wes scooped up Lauren’s breasts and pressed them together, nuzzling and nipping both.

“Beautiful,” he said with a reverent sigh.

No longer interested in hurting Wes, all Lauren wanted to do was touch him, anywhere and everywhere she could reach.

“If you’re going to stop me, you better do it now,” Wes warned.

Lauren flashed a naughty smile and pushed his head down to her jutting nipple. “Not when I’ve got you right where I want you.” Her eyes fell closed as his warm mouth sealed over her.

*Get caught up in this gripping and intense romantic suspense today.
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