Wednesday, October 24, 2012

There's a Man In My Bed by Brenda Whiteside

The most surprising scene for my heroine, Abigail Martin, in my latest novella, The Morning After, is the first scene of my book. Poor girl wakes up with a sexy redheaded cowboy she doesn't know - or does she?

The throb behind Abigail’s eyes scraped at her temples like chiseled fingernails. She squeezed her lids tight. Was the sheet twisted around her? She patted her waist. No, it was her dress, the purple flowered sarong. One hand moved across her chest while the other slid down her hip. Strapless bra gone, no nylons. What the hell?
She inched the covers down, so her head didn’t jar, and eased her feet to the floor to sit on the edge of the bed. Last night’s mascara weighed heavily, stinging her eyes when she opened them. How disgusting. She hadn’t gone to bed without washing her face in fifteen years. With a hand to her forehead, she raised her gaze to the reflection in the full-length mirror on her closet door.
Her breath caught in her throat and Abigail froze. Another body, partially covered, came into focus behind her.
Think. The headache got in the way of last night’s memories, the strain not worth the pain. And this was exactly why she never had more than a glass of wine. A bad headache and now a strange man in her bed. Her stomach lurched.
What have I done?

And moments later:
A moan.
The man rolled to his back, kicking off covers.
Abigail gasped. Her gentleman visitor wore only a bow tie and black socks.
She crept to the edge of the bed. His face was turned away, further hidden by red curls hanging down the nape of his neck and onto his cheek. A visual sweep of the attractive body brought a smile to her face when she paused on his more than ample endowments. A true redhead. An encounter of this magnitude should be easy to remember.
Abigail smiled in spite of her throbbing temples. Inching closer, she nudged his boots aside with her foot and leaned over to see his face. Mmm. He smelled good, like rich leather and fresh cut wood. As she bent to get a closer look, Kirby, her sixteen-pound Siamese cat, entered her room and announced his hunger.
The visitor stirred, grasped her arm, drawing her down across his hips.
He rose up on his elbows and looked at her. “So, Abby, you’re a morning person, are you?”
Abigail launched off the bed, trying not to come into contact with anymore of the warm body than she already had. Tripping over the boots, she ended up sprawled on the floor. “Who…” She gulped. “Who the hell are you?”
“Who am I? “Darlin’ I know I told you, you’ve got to believe it’s true.” He paused his singing. When she sat speechless, he sang out again, slightly off key. “Real love comes along once, and that real love is you.
“You sure as hell aren’t Lance Dugan.”
He sat upright, feet to the floor, and Abigail found herself eye level with embarrassment. With hands to her face, she pleaded in a quiet voice, mindful of her head still adjusting to sobriety.
“Please, cover yourself. You look ridiculous.”
“Why, there’s a blow to a man’s ego. I hope you mean the bow tie, darlin’, and not my prodigious
maleness.” The sheets rustled. “You can open your eyes now and greet your husband with a little more enthusiasm.”

Buy Links:
http://tinyurl.com/6s99a8r

Visit Brenda at www.brendawhiteside.com.
She blogs on the 9th and 24th of every month at http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com
She blogs about prairie life on her personal blog http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/


 

9 comments:

Margo Hoornstra said...

As I've said before, this is a definite in my TBR list. What a hoot!

Jannine Gallant said...

Talk about an opening hook! Way to capture your reader's attention, Brenda.

Brenda Whiteside said...

Thanks, you guys. Sorry I am just now live! Got stuck out of town where the Internet was so slow I couldn't post.

Mackenzie Crowne said...

The Morning After is a Great story, Brenda. Very grin worthy. I loved it.

Regina Marie said...

Definitely cold shower reading,,,thanks Brenda!!!

Brenda Whiteside said...

Thanks, Mackenzie. Glad it brought a smile to your face.

LOL, Nancy!

Jody Vitek said...

A fantastic story! For those who have it on the TBR list, move it to the top. It's a quick read, as Brenda draws you in.

Linda Engman said...

Whoa! Love this story! Can't wait to get it on my ereader for the weekend. Another great read, Brenda!
Linda

Brenda Whiteside said...

Thank you, Jody. And thank you, Linda.