As the final, jazzy strains dissolved from the airwaves, the sound of enthusiastic applause rocketed Rose back to Bidler. “Good gravy, Mr. Fender! You scared me half to death!” Clutching her chest she spun around to glare at her boss, but Mr. Fender wasn’t there.
In the doorway stood the most handsome man
Rose had ever seen. Rain dripped from a well-pinched camel fedora and matching
trench coat hanging on the cherry hat rack. His slick, jet-black hair and tan
complexion accentuated strong features. He could have seemed intimidating, but
at the moment, the edges of his mouth curled in a sweet smile, exposing deep
laugh lines. “Sorry, miss.” The baritone voice fit him perfectly. “I didn’t
mean to alarm you.”
Stunned silent by the surprise audience, Rose
gawked as if she had never seen another human being in her life.
His midnight eyes, amused and sparkling, held
Rose’s wide-eyed stare. He crossed the room in long, easy strides. “You are
amazing—” Pulling his eyes from hers, he read her name tag. “Rose.” He brushed
aside a stray lock of her hair before lacing his fingers into the shiny,
brunette ribbons surrounding her face. His thumb made lazy circles along her
cheek. “Beautiful.”
Completely captivated, Rose couldn’t move.
His heavy-lidded gaze followed his caress as
it lingered under her chin, traveled down the soft curve of her neck, and
played in the magnetic hollow of her collarbone. Her hand trembled in his as he
raised it to his lips. “May I have this dance?”
Somewhere in the hazy background, Rose heard music. His left arm snaked around her tiny waist, his hand nestled in the arch of her back. He pulled her closer. Like two pieces of the same puzzle, they swirled across the floor in an effortless rhythm.
He crooned softly to the music, the deep
timbre of his voice igniting every nerve ending.
Rose caught a glimpse of her reflection in the
store window. In this dark stranger’s arms, she appeared radiant, sensuous…wanton.
Suddenly frightened, she stiffened against him and pushed away.
“Uh-uh, Rose.” His lips grazed her ear, and he
strengthened his hold on her. “Dance with me.”
She shook uncontrollably as if all at once
every cell became aware she was locked in an embrace with a very strong,
total stranger. Her breath came faster and faster in panicked waves as she
pushed on the solid wall of his chest. “Please, leave me alone.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?”
The simple question caught Rose off guard. She
honestly didn’t know. Her body, heart, and soul wanted to dance with him
forever, but her brain insisted. She nodded. “Let me go.”
He released her and placed his hand over his
heart. “I’m a passionate man, Rose. If I’ve frightened you, please accept my
humblest apologies.”
2 comments:
Thank you for posting about Road to the Mansfield, the synopsis and excerpt have intrigued me and I am looking forward to reading this story
This sounds like a great book and I am really looking forward to reading it!
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