Excerpt Tuesdays-Amanda McIntyre

Coming this fall from Amanda McIntyre

Mr. December

I’ve had such fun writing and expanding on the original Kinnison brothers trilogy (Rugged Hearts, Rustler’s Heart, Renegade Heart) From the stories showcasing the guests in the Last Hope Ranch  stories (renamed by the Kinnison brothers in honor of their step-dad) to the tales of the delightfully quirky secondary characters who live in the small-town End of the Line, Montana, it’s been a blast to meander about the town and tell their stories! Romance, cowboys, small-town humor, drama, danger, intrigue, and of course, Betty’s comfort-food all await those who visit!

I hope you enjoy this FIRST Kiss scene from my upcoming End of the Line novel I call; MR. DECEMBER. Featuring Sheriff J.C. Nash, and accomplished photographer, Olivia Evans, it’s a story of misconceptions, second chances, and small-town meddling at its finest. Enjoy!

~Amanda

First Kiss scene: Mr. December (Fall 2019)

J.C. cleared his throat and focused again on his priorities. This was business. For charity. For the library. For the kids.

“So, I’m thinking, we’ll start out and just take a few shots. Get you used to the camera.” She looked up as she walked over to stand toe-to-toe with him. “And get used to me.” She lifted one dark brow somewhere between mischief and challenge and it nearly did him in.

He stood still, caught under her narrowed scrutiny, her hands her hips. He, too, did some studying—in particular, of how her thin, dark brown T-shirt accentuated her eyes and other attributes further down.

“I’m thinking sexy Sheriff.”

You’ve no idea how right you are, he thought.

She tipped her head when he didn’t respond. “Can you do sexy?”

J.C. opened his mouth to ask if she was blind, but reeled in the snappy comeback.  He licked his lips, holding firm her gaze. “I can give it a try.”

She stared at him an instant longer than he guessed she intended. “Okay then, we’ll give it a try and see what happens.”

She turned away and J.C. looked to the heavens for added strength.

“Why don’t you stand over by the stall and we’ll get started,” she said. “I just need to decide what I want to use on you.”

His brain tweaked at the comment, a purely involuntary reaction that cause him to stumble.

Blaming his over-active sexual idiocy, his boot then caught one of the light-stands, bringing to the floor in a loud crash. In an attempt to catch himself, he knocked loose the wreath from its mooring and it shot with the speed of a rubber band across the barn , taking down another light in the process. His ankle twisted and he went down hard,  smashing her set of perfectly stacked hay bales to smithereens. 

Somewhere in the chaos, he heard a high-pitched squeal and watched as Olivia dove toward another light, saving what no doubt would've resulted in a  disastrous domino tumbling of the lights. Sprawled now on the battered hay bales, arms and legs askew akin to a rag doll, he looked up at caught her horrified expression.

“That’s your idea of sexy?” she asked, righting the light stand to its feet.

J.C. sighed. “Can you give me a hand, here?” Yeah, he didn’t really need her help, but he figured it was damn time he got something out of his system, or this wasn’t going to work.

She offered her hand and he took it hauling himself to his feet. Not letting go his grip, he held her hand  in his and breathed in the scent of her perfume--exotic, floral--conjuring images of moonlit nights and tangled sheets.

“You okay? Did you hit your head?” she asked, eyeing him.

He swallowed hard, certain she heard the pounding of his heart. This whole thing could go sideways fast in this day and age, he wanted to be sure she was maybe as curious as him. “There’s one thing that’s bothering me,” he said. His gaze dropped slowly to her tempting mouth. “Really, it’s more about you. You’re...what’s bothering me.”

She frowned, but he caught the spark of interest in her beautiful eyes.

“Me?” she asked. “How am I…wait, is this about what happened—”

He softly traced the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, pleased when he felt her shiver. “I think you have a pretty good idea what I'm talking about.”

Her hand slipped from his. She rested it on the front of his shirt, the heat from her body causing his heart to race She leaned up on tip-toe, her eyes meeting his. Her breath, hot and sweet, smelled of peppermint.

“Is this maybe your idea of sexy, cowboy?”

Her seduction stirred a powerful reaction below his belt. J.C. cupped her face capturing her mouth in a fierce kiss.  Soft, endless, savoring every angle-he explored the sensation, the taste of her lips. Her soft moan urging another kiss, unleashing a powerful, burning hunger inside him. He slid his arms down the gentle slope of her back and drew her close, deepening the kiss.  Dark, sexy images began to play in his brain.

With an audible sigh, she pushed away and took a step back. Her cheeks flushed, her mouth in an adorable well-kissed state, she licked her lips and averted her gaze from his. He knew she’d felt the heat between them. For him, it had been years in the making. An unrequited crush that frankly, he’d thought was completely out of his system. He glanced down, noting the discomfort in his jeans.

Apparently not.

“That—is what’s bothering you?” she asked, finally looking at him.

He lifted a shoulder. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about it,” he said, allowing a grin to slid up one side of his mouth.

“That must have been painful,” she said and her cheeks deepened with color.

“You’ve no idea.” His answer was honest. And that little test only proved that, to at least some degree, reality was much better than his fantasy. Problem was--now he wanted more. Perhaps given enough time, he'd take up where they’d left off and show her exactly his idea of sexy.