Wednesday 13 August 2014

I'm going to kiss you now #MidWeekTease #MWTease #ASMSG Making Scandal

Yay! It's Wednesday and time for a Mid-Week Tease, thanks to the lovely Sandra Bunino who organises the weekly meme for writers to share excerpts from their works-in-progress or published books.

I'm so happy the Making Scandal manuscript is now with my editor. Finally. I can have a breather. So I'm going to share one final teaser before the book comes out.

This scene describes itself. It is the unedited version so pardon any errors. Enjoy.

***


Stepping into the cool, dark interior, her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the gloom as the driver shut the door. The shadows gave Mark an air of danger, like a lion in his den. A shiver ran down her spine. Male spice scented the air, triggering the instinct to sink into his strong arms. He always had that effect on her. Enough. She shook off the sensation and stiffened her back.
"Hi, sweetheart."
Opening his arms, he reached for her shoulders. She tilted to the left, dodged his questing fingers and swung her arm. The slap connected with his bristly jaw.
"Don't call me sweetheart."
"Aww."
One hand clutched his left cheek, the other  pressed a button. The tinted driver partition slid upwards, returning the back interior into shadows with minimal sunlight filtering through the darkened windows. Gentle vibrations beneath the soft luxurious dark leather seat indicated the car was moving.
"You lying sonofabitch."
Her right palm stung but she swung it a second time. Firm fingers grasped her wrist mid-air in a vicelike grip.
"Perhaps I deserved the first one, Faith. But you don't get to slap me again unless you want one in return."
Her head ached. She grunted and tugged her arm. His grip didn't loosen.
"Let me go, Mark." Her body vibrated, anger popping in her veins in mini-explosions.
The whoosh of a ragged breath drawn in and out filled the air. He let her hand go. Pushing back in her seat, she sought as much distance as possible between them. Averting her gaze, she stared at the traffic lights at the junction as it counted down to green. Except at the moment, red mist tinted her vision.
"Faith, what is going on?" His demand had an edge of concern.
She whipped around, facing him. A spotlight highlighted his striking profile. He must have turned it on. Dark eyes bore into hers, scrutinising, yet alluring. The urge to let go and get lost in them—in him—flared, heat flushing her body.
She shook her head, dismissing her body's response to him. "Are you really going to ask me that after the stunt you just pulled in the boardroom?"
Horizontal lines marred his forehead, his eyes narrowed into slits.
"I didn't do anything I haven't been doing since I started running Apex Financials. It was a business decision and we agreed to keep business separate from our personal relationship."
"Well, you made it personal when you decided to buy City Investments. For goodness sake, you know how much this job means to me."
"I told you I wanted you to work for me." His voice gentled, soft as honey, enticing, matching the lazy smile on his face. His warm palm covered her bare lower arm, fingers caressing.
Her skin tingled, nipples beaded, and a slow ache built between her thighs, adding to her already choppy breathing. She lowered her eyelids, took a slow, deep breath and shook his hand off.
"And I said no. I haven't changed my mind." She met his gaze again.
His eyes marbled, glinting cold and hard. The line of his jaw stiffened, the hard-nosed business man replacing the charming playboy.
"Then that's a big shame because I'm not going to give up a great opportunity like City."
She flinched, hearing the unspoken words "not even for you." The pain in her chest announced her shattered heart.
She shut her eyes tight, fighting the tears behind her eyeballs waiting to spill. Why did she ever think their relationship was special? That she was more than just a notch on his bedpost? Foolish woman.
 She should've known that he would remain ruthless as far as business was concerned. Was that partly why he'd started dating her? Had she inadvertently given him the ammunition to take over her firm?
"How long have you wanted to buy City? Is that why you asked me out, so you could get information from me?"
Her stomach clenched and nausea rose as she asked the question. But she had to know if she'd been a pawn in her own downfall.
"Stop this nonsense." Frustration laced his words.
"Our relationship is the nonsense." Opening her eyes, she glared at him.
"Do not belittle what we have."
"You did that already when you decided that acquiring City was more important than what we have."
"I never said that." His fingers gripping the seat side-rest showed taut knuckles.
"You didn't have to," she replied, her throat dry.
His loud growl reverberated inside the car. It should've been her cue to back off. She didn't. "How long have you wanted City?"
The space between them disappeared as he loomed over her, her back pressed into the corner of the seat.
"Mark, what are you doing?" Her heart thudded loudly, her breath caught in her throat.
"There one sure way of shutting you up." The huskiness in his voice melted her outrage, arousal taking over.
Lean, hard, masculine muscles pressed against her soft flesh, the fabrics separating them inconsequential. The hard points of her nipples chaffed against the lace of her bra. Her body trembled, her hands moistened as her lips parted. But no words came out.
Long fingers curled around the back of her neck, pressing her head forward. "I'm going to kiss you now."

Copyright Kiru Taye 2014

Here's the blurb
Sassy, successful Faith Brown has earned her place in the boardroom through hard work and sheer ambition. Making family is not on her agenda when there are businesses to develop and competitors to outdo. So when a casual affair with smooth and irresistible tycoon Mark Essien leads to an unplanned pregnancy, she’s determined not to make the mistakes her mother made by living with a man just for the sake of her child.

For Mark, personal matters have no place in the boardroom. Spotting the perfect opportunity, he ruthlessly launches a takeover bid for Faith’s Investment Brokerage firm. Finding out he’ll soon be a father, he knows he can’t let the indomitable and sexy Faith go through with her plans of single parenthood. All gloves are off. He’ll seduce her by any tactic necessary if it means his child doesn’t suffer the same stigma he did as a child.

With the media dogging their affairs in the boardroom and the bedroom, they find that making family is harder than making scandal.

Release date: ebook - 29 August 2014 / paperback - 18 September 2014
 
***

I hope you enjoyed it. What do you think? Leave me a comment.
Remember to check out the other fabulous mid-week teasers too.

Happy hump day!
Kiru xx


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