Today I woke up to news that Laid Bare and Taking Care of Business have been nominated for RT Reviewer’s Choice Awards! With this news I also learned many of my friends and favorite authors have also been nominated in various categories!

Congratulations to Erotic Romance lifetime achievement nominees Joey Hill and Beth Williamson! To other RT Reviewer’s Choice award noms I know – Maya Banks (twice!), Larissa Ione, Megan Hart, Vivi Anna, Kimberly Kaye Terry, Joey Hill, Alison Kent, Kate Davies, Allyson James, Kate Pearce, Charlene Teglia, Lili Feisty, Livia Dare (otherwise known as Sylvia Day), Victoria Janssen, Shiloh Walker (twice!), Alyssa Day, Nalini Singh, Lorelei James, – and to ALL the nominees – YAY! See you all in April at RT.

How about an excerpt then? To celebrate? A snippet of Brody and Elise’s first kiss in COMING UNDONE, the follow up to LAID BARE

COMING UNDONE by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2010, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Berkley Group
Releasing January 5, 2010!

Her smile melted as she cocked her head. “Aren’t a whole lot of men like you. Too bad.”

“All the more of me to share.” He grinned and shrugged.

She laughed, the sound delightful. He liked her. His other neighbors he enjoyed, some he tolerated, some he disliked, but he didn’t really seek out any of them to hang with. It didn’t hurt that she wasn’t a chore to look at either.

He and Adrian hung out for another hour or so before standing to leave. Rennie had gone upstairs, and Adrian scampered quickly back to Brody’s place, leaving Elise alone with Brody on her porch.

“Thank you for dinner.”

She smiled up at him. “Thank you for coming to dinner. It was nice, having company. Rennie had a great time too.”

He stepped closer as they stood in the shadows, a broad column near the steps shrouding them from the street. “Elise, I think I’m going to have to kiss you because I can’t stop thinking about it.”

She blinked up at him and nodded. “I think you should.”

He wanted to lay her out on the grass, the stars above, the scent of lilacs heavy around them. Wanted to kiss her long and slow for hours, until he could do nothing more but slide into her body as she welcomed him.

But that was not going to happen. Not that night, at least. Instead, he bent his knees as she tiptoed up. With no more than fingertips cupping her chin, he leaned down those last glorious inches and took her lips with his own. He’d meant to slide into it, to take it slow and give her a sweet smooch.

Instead, the moment her taste met his lips, a fire banked within him. He needed more and settled in, coaxing her mouth open, sliding his tongue along hers, only barely resisting his desire to cup one of her breasts, though his palm felt the phantom press of a wanton nipple.

Her breath chased her tongue into his mouth, her hands, small and soft, lay palm open on his chest. So fucking good, the kiss was so good he wanted to do it for hours and hours. Instead, he heard Rennie call her mother’s name and she stiffened.

He stepped back with great regret. “Thank you again, Elise. Good night.”

She nodded, looking sort of stunned. Which was good, because it meant he wasn’t the only one feeling totally punched in the gut by desire. He walked down her steps and waved, catching her eye as she went back inside. She smiled, returning the wave, and then closed the door.