Okay here’s the deal, I signed up for today, which is Scary/Horror and I knew it was this theme and I’m not sure why I did because my stuff that’s scary isn’t finished so I can’t post it and the rest is thriller-ish or sort of horrifying, but not scary.

Anyhoodle, after like twenty minutes of cycling through my books I just said, “I should just admit I got nothing and put up something else.” So that’s what I’m doing. I figure since I didn’t follow the rules, I can give you an uber sneaky peek from INSIDE OUT.

This is rough, I’m revising now to turn in to my editor, but I hope you enjoy it. Oh and don’t forget to visit today’s other snippeters who probably signed up and had stuff on topic, LOL!

INSIDE OUT by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2010, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, Berkley Publishing Group
Releasing November, 2010!

“My kid is smart. Everyone knows that.” Brody tried to sound tough, but Cope heard the pride and love in his voice. “She was pretty damned proud of herself. Elise and I told her if she kept it up, we’d go to Disneyland next summer.”

A burst of laughter and chattering rose and then faded again. Todd came in the front door with a few more of their friends. Cope half listened to them, taking the beer handed his way, nodding his head. But his attention was focused on that hallway.

The door opened and the sound level rose high enough that the men silenced, their attention snagged as they turned toward the noise.

Elise came first, her pale, elegant beauty highlighted by a deep red sweater and a black skirt that came to mid thigh. The woman had spectacular legs, no doubt. Brody’s mouth curved into a smile as he took her in. Envy crept into Cope’s heart, he wanted that. Wanted to look at a woman and know she was the one.

Erin looked pretty and damned pregnant in a high waisted dress with big red roses on it. Ben sighed happily. Cope would skip telling his brother about the conversation he’d had with their sister earlier that day. Despite Ben’s happiness and success, their father and sister had walled Ben out of their life. It galled Cope to no end. Ben had been the golden boy, the kid who rarely got in trouble in school, got great grades. He had been a good cop, a good friend and no doubt, he was a great brother. Their father’s reaction was stupid and it split their family in half.

When Erin went into his arms, Cope was happy Ben had that connection, thrilled for his brother that he’d built something unexpected and wondrous with not just one person, but two.

But he wasn’t looking for them. He turned his attention back to the hallway. Waiting. Anticipation and then a punch to the gut followed as Ella followed, her normally sleek, short red hair was tousled and curled. Her usually bare of makeup face bore just a bit, but enough to line those spectacular eyes. Her lips were stained dark, calling to his gaze, wondering for the millionth time what she’d taste like.

She wore pants, she usually did, he’d wager it had to do with the scarring on her legs. But she wore them well. Tight, with boots on her feet, showcasing legs that went on and on and on. Damn. The shirt, shit, if you could call it that, it was more of a corset with enough fabric to cover her areola. Her breasts, usually not on display though she couldn’t hide their size, even in a t-shirt, heaved up, mounds of creamy flesh, freckles sprinkled across the luscious curves.

Christ.

“Wow. You ladies look gorgeous.” Brody got up, moving to Elise and no one else existed for the two of them for long moments. Their connection was palpable and staggeringly intimate to see. Cope couldn’t tear his attention away.

In that connection to Elise, Brody had gained a whole new level to his identity, a new layer that Cope wanted for himself.

“You guys just going to hang out here all night?” Elise asked, blushing as she broke her gaze from Brody.

“Maybe.” Brody grinned and kissed his wife to be quickly before turning to his sister. He touched the belly and kissed the top of Erin’s head. “You better take care of yourself.”

“You can’t smoke indoors anymore so the air will be clean of that. I have no plans to drink and I have enough energy to sit at the table and watch everyone else dance while I eat a few of the red velvet cupcakes Ella brought.” Erin smiled sweetly at her brother. “Anyway, we all know you’ll show up in an hour or two, so I’m sure Ben and Todd will take care of me once that happens.”

“I like that color on you.” Cope moved nearer to Ella so he could speak just to her. “Sets off your skin and hair.” The shirt was deep blue with just enough purple to compliment her skin outrageously. The breasts helped, in the way breasts always did. But this was more and he let himself drift a little closer.

“Thanks. It was Erin’s idea. I don’t normally…” She waved around her breasts. “You know, show this much boob.”

He was sure his grin was wolfish because she was ringing his bell like it was dinner time. Christ what she did to him without even knowing it. “Ella, I must dissuade you from that policy. You have beautiful breasts. They’re a delightful addition to anything you wear. Trust me, please.”

Her laugh was sultry. On a lower register than her speaking voice. Which wasn’t that hard given her normal voice. And beyond sexy. He was sure that was her sexually interested laugh. She’d finally reacted to him as a woman did to a man she was truly flirting with. Victory flushed through him, and hope that things could move forward with her at long last.

“I’ll um, keep that in mind.” Her lips quirked up in one corner.

“You know, you’re like a cartoon character. Like a quirky superhero.” Holy shit, did he just say that out loud?

TJ Michaels
Ashley Ladd
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Vivian Arend
Mari Carr
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro