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Love In The Making Finalists

BFF Ann and I deliberated long and hard about the entries to this month’s contest and we gotta say, a whole lotta you bitches are talented. For real, for real. I was blown away and had a hard time choosing (which is why I asked BFF Ann to help out). Here are the three we picked out, in no particular order (except, hey, that’s how they came in on the comments section!):

The Lovely Bettie:

Ingrid’s gin-and-tonic sat in a puddle on the scarred table—sweating, like everything else. The ice had melted in minutes; nothing could stay cold in this place, nor dry. When she tried to sleep, the sheets and mosquito netting stuck to her skin like wet tissue.

The radio hiccoughed. Duke Ellington became noticias; lights flickered, the fans slowed. The generator must want petrol.

She’d the tin in her hand when she got outside and heard the generator’s well-fed chug over the jungle’s nighttime chatter.

A match flared in the shadow of the pump-house. Ruiz appeared in lantern light, leaning against the steel wall like he’d never left. He’d three days of black stubble, and a sheen of sweat that she wanted to lick off him.

Hot breath and hot mouths; he tasted of Scotch, she of gin. Her hands slid from his sweat-slick skin – he’d always been hard to hold onto.

“Why’d you return?”

Silent, he undid her shirt, baring her body to the thick night air and his dark eyes.

She struggled against the heat of his hands. “It’s too hot.”

He reversed their positions, pressing her naked skin against the cool steel wall. She sighed.

“Better?”

“Oh, yes…”

The Extremely Talented April:

He couldn’t believe it; she was his. So close to her moist lips, her small hand in his, her lower back against his palm, and her summery skirt about his khaki covered knees–if he’d had to choose, he’d have passed her by just to spare himself the torture. But the instructor had said, “Kate will dance with Robert,” and that was that. Kate’s dewy dark eyes sought his, and his heart stopped. He couldn’t remember how they closed the space between them.

The scent of vanilla rose like warmth from her skin, and he seemed hyper aware of every goose bump and tiny hair along her cheek and jaw, like pale down on a smooth surface. The pink curves of her ear fascinated him, her wisps of hair a distraction. Unable to fight his racing pulse or the rising heat of his body, he swallowed to moisten a throat gone dry, willed himself to breathe.

Then she rested her cheek and chest against him and stole his breath.

Her hair smelled like strawberries–his last coherent thought before he felt her heart pounding against his, her soft mouth slide along his sensitive neck.

Oh, God.

He forgot to dance.

The delightful Meredith:

He pushed up on one elbow, leaning over her, blocking the sun. “Can I ask you a question?”

She stretched, arms reaching above her head, fingers caressing the soft grass beyond the ancient quilt. She opened her eyes, his face inches away. “Sure.”

He touched that strong, roman nose to hers, briefly, before tracing it down her cheek and stopping under her ear. A hint of a nuzzle. “Why’d you change your mind?”

She reached up, one lazy finger meandering above the neck of his t-shirt. “Curiosity, I suppose.” The finger dipped, outlining his shoulder, running down his bicep. His skin was hot. A little sweaty.

“About what?” He pulled away, met her eyes.

“There’s this rumor…” Her exploring finger traced the edge of his jeans. She paused briefly before allowing the finger to touch the top of his zipper. “I’m usually more interested in style than substance, but I’m mighty…curious.”
He put a hand over hers, pushing the finger—all her fingers—slowly down the front of his pants, pressing the hardness just behind the denim.

“Curiosity’s a dangerous thing. The cat….”

Her fingers moved, found the zipper, pulled. “I’m willing to take my chances.”

Please vote for the best one. The entry that garners the most vote will win a $50 gift certificate from Amazon. Winner will be announced on Friday. Thanks for joining us, friends! Please be sure to enter the contest next month ’cause the winner will get $50 GC from Amazon and a copy of Skin to Skin, my novella which will be released by Samhain on August 17, 2007!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 at 10:10 pm and is filed under Contests and Free Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

32 Responses to “Love In The Making Finalists”

  1. Samantha
    Posted: Jul 4th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
    1

    They were all three so good, but I’m going with April - it’s just so sweet and unexpected in ways.

  2. Tumperkin
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 2:14 am
    2

    Very good all three. I’ve struggled with this one. I’m going with Bettie because I think she meets Bam’s brief the best. Sexual tension? Check. Hero and heroine aching to take each other’s clothes off? Check.

  3. Carrie Lofty
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 4:37 am
    3

    Tough call! I gotta go with April, if only because, after a super hot day, I think the steel wall in Bettie’s piece would have been uncomfortably scorching!

  4. Crystal B.
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 5:04 am
    4

    My pick is April.

  5. CJ
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 5:18 am
    5

    I loved all three of these, but I have to go with Bettie. She took time to set a nice steamy mood, there’s tons of salacious suggestion even before we get to the naked bodies. Plus, my senses were involved - I could feel that sweating glass, the skin, the cold metal wall. Ruiz.

  6. Shiloh
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:01 am
    6

    I’m going to say April.

  7. clare
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:34 am
    7

    They’re all really good but I’m going with April I just love his absorbance in her

  8. Kismet
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 8:49 am
    8

    I’m voting for Bettie.

  9. Linda
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 9:10 am
    9

    This was hard to pick just one LoL. They were all very good. My pick though is for April. Goodluck all.

    Hugssss
    LindaH

  10. danette
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 9:53 am
    10

    April *g*

  11. Bettie
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 9:55 am
    11

    “after a super hot day, I think the steel wall in Bettie’s piece would have been uncomfortably scorching”

    Hi Carrie. I must protest! The old homestead actually has a well shed with scrap metal walls. When it’s hot and humid, the shady side of that thing cools off faster than anything else. Which is not to say it’s “cold” just cooler than everything around it. Don’t know why. Maybe cause it’s not in the sun all day?

    On a humid night, when the moon is so bright it’s casting shadows on the ground, you can lean your back against that wall and count the stars. Not that I do that often. This city mouse prefers air conditioning and cell service, but I’m not above getting a little creative mileage from my rare encounters with rural life ;o)

  12. Carrie Lofty
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 10:00 am
    12

    Rural life? That’s the woodsy stuff I read about in books, right? But I’m glad you have good reasoning. I was feeling a little ouchy on behalf of your heroine :)

  13. Ann(ie)
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 10:03 am
    13

    Bettie ftw.

  14. Shannon
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 11:16 am
    14

    I like Meredith’s, actually

  15. Julie
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 11:28 am
    15

    I vote Bettie. I love the image of the hot skin against the cool steel wall.

  16. Caitlin
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
    16

    Meredith.

  17. Ginomotron
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
    17

    I think Bettie should win. her entry conveys the proper mood, atmosphere, and feeling of the “summer time”. I thought that bit about the steel wall was brilliant.

    Bettie for the win, indeed.

  18. Anadaslu
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
    18

    Bettie.

    Alcohol, night, sweat, stubbles. Hm.

  19. Katie Ann
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
    19

    Bettie!

  20. Yseult
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
    20

    Bettie–she’s such an amazing writer.

  21. k
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
    21

    Meredith! Made me laugh and super hot as well.

  22. Nakia
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
    22

    Bettie!

  23. Josie
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:14 pm
    23

    I’m voting for Bettie too.

    BTW Carrie Lofty, I really loved your entry also!

  24. Carrie Lofty
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
    24

    Kisses to Josie! Thx!

  25. April
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
    25

    My vote’s for Bettie, too, actually. I keep itching to edit mine.

  26. Az
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
    26

    Wow, this is some wonderful righting. I’m torn between Bettie’s and April’s. April’s is sweet, charming, while Bettie’s is simply…hot. April’s has such a great ending, though. I think April’s. Yeah. It reminds of that movie “All I Wanna Do” with Kirsten Dunst (good film).

  27. Az
    Posted: Jul 5th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
    27

    *writing Ha.

  28. Katie
    Posted: Jul 6th, 2007 at 12:12 am
    28

    I vote for Meredith!

  29. Darragha
    Posted: Jul 6th, 2007 at 6:47 am
    29

    April!

  30. Laura
    Posted: Jul 6th, 2007 at 7:35 am
    30

    Meredith

  31. Molly
    Posted: Jul 6th, 2007 at 9:49 am
    31

    Bettie!

  32. BevL(QB)
    Posted: Jul 6th, 2007 at 10:32 am
    32

    Here’s your original assignment, Bam “I want something nuclear. And I want it hot… like summer-hot. I want to be able to feel the heat (as in the weather) and smell the sunblock lotion. But that’s just the background. On top of that, I want sexual tension and your hero and heroine (or hero and hero or heroine and heroine) just aching to tear off each other’s clothes off.”

    So, even though all three entries sucked me right in, I’ve got to go with the first one, Bettie’s, because it completely fulfills all your criteria.

    Phew! *wipes the dew off my brow after reading that one*

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