Saturday, January 1, 2011

No Kiss Blogfest

It's a blogfest-a-palooza! Yesterday was the Eye Candy Blogfest, today is the No Kiss Blogfest, and tomorrow is the Show Me Yours Blogfest.

Today's blogfest, the Second Annual No Kiss Blogfest, is hosted by the lovely Frankie Diane. I'm impressed that it's the second annual and as I recall I participated in the first this time last year. But today I've got a new near kiss entry from the sci-fi novel I'm working on.

Here's the setup: Jaska is somewhat of a rogue. He's a convicted intergalactic thief on a mission to win his freedom. He has met - and crossed - Amie, who is a research consultant from Earth. They've stolen a map and are on the run, but have taken a side trip to a tropical planet where Jaska has just made a very sensual show of flirting with an old flame. (Amie is a redhead, that's why Jaska calls her Red).

So here's the near kiss:

**********
Red joins me on the porch. “Mmmmm,” she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath of the breeze. “This place is gorgeous. The air smells like ripe fruit! The ocean and the beaches and these cabins, it reminds me of Fiji on Earth.”

“I assume that’s a tropical paradise?”

She nods, then turns and focuses on me. “So, what’s with your friend?”

I smile to myself. She can’t help but ask. “Why? Jealous?” I ask.

She scoffs at me, “Are you kidding me? I still haven’t ruled out strangling you in your sleep. I’m just wondering if one of those is going to show up everywhere we go,” she says, playing at nonchalance.

This is too much fun. I take a step closer and notice she must have showered, too, because her hair's still damp in places. I breathe her in and she smells fresh like flowers.

“Smell something you like?” She asks, her head tipped up just a bit so she can see me, exposing a long expanse of tantalizing neck. I lean in to taste her skin, the heat of it warming my face as I get near, but the smirk on her lips stops me dead. I mean, she’s a beauty, that goes without saying, but she’s not like any woman I’ve met before. She’s not flirting back. And gods if she’s not the moodiest one I’ve ever met.

I pull back just a little and clear my throat. “What’s not to like?” I catch some of her hair between my fingers and take a whiff, casually. “You’re a woman, aren’t you?”

Anger darkens her gray eyes for just a moment, then they clear. “Is that all it takes? Just being female is enough to turn you on? Because for a moment there you looked pretty smitten.”

“Smitten? Pffft. I don’t think so, Red. I don’t get smitten. Don’t you think you’re giving yourself a bit too much credit?”

She grins and turns, “Methinks he doth protest too much...” she says over her shoulder as she heads back inside. What does that even mean? I have no idea how that conversation got away from me, but I follow her inside anyway. We need to focus. My time is running out quickly.

************

It's kind of on the non-traditional side, but still fun, no? Now go check out the rest of the near kisses at Frankie Writes!

15 comments:

Jessica Silva said...

I LOVE the girl here :) She's strong and independent. I love that I'm not in her head, for some reason, so awesome POV choice here.

Thanks a bunch for sharing. This seems like a sci-fi even I'd read (I don't read many, but the ones I do are always fantastic).

Sarah Ahiers said...

ooh i love this! I love that the guy is kind of an ass on the surface, but underneath, not so much

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

I like these characters and the way they play off each other. This scene is fun and tantalizing and fresh. Good work!

Dominic de Mattos said...

I love the tease here. Two people who think they are so in control and are so not!

Excellent writing.

Amparo Ortiz said...

"And gods if she’s not the moodiest one I’ve ever met." LOVE this!!

I also think your girl can whip his boo-tay, so he'd better watch himself. Great ending to the scene, btw. Love how she just brushes him off and he's trying to convince himself to do the same.

Thanks for sharing!

Kelly Lyman said...

I love how the girl is strong, take charge and ready to dish out verbal jaunts with him. Great job. I loved this line: "Are you kidding me? I still haven't ruled out strangling you in your sleep..." Nice!

Michael Di Gesu said...

I like the cliche phrase "Methinks he doth ...." knowing full well not knowing it.

Playful and believable.Well done.


Michael

Jemi Fraser said...

Very nice - love the byplay between the two of them - lots of simmering going on!! :)

Unknown said...

Love it!!! Very nice no-kiss scene!! ; )

And I really want to read more of this, you know that, right?

Devin Bond said...

I like this. Definitely get the sci-fi feel and I love that she's strong. I don't think the scene could've had the same impact if it were from Amie's POV.

I hope I get to read more of this in the future! It sounds great.

Dawn Embers said...

Nice work. It really shows the characters without trying to force information on the reader. Well done and I enjoyed that it was from his point of view.

Raquel Byrnes said...

I like your character's voice. His personality comes out really well as an arrogant, yet enticing rogue.
Edge of Your Seat Romance

Frankie Diane Mallis said...

Oh this was so much fun with great characters! Thanks so much for posting and being in the fest both years:-)

Amalia Dillin said...

hahaha. Amie is great. She's got such a strong voice. And Jaska is exactly the kind of guy you like seeing a little humbled by a woman like her! I love that he thinks he's in control and then realizes belatedly that things have not gone the way he planned.

Loralie Hall said...

This was great to see both characters playing it cool, but not completely. Good build-up.