Happy Wednesday! Today I’ve got another sneak peak at one of my Black characters, from my paranormal erotic romance Rough Weather.
Blurb
A fated encounter. A familiar stranger. A storm of passion. Can Ondine release her fear, surrender to Marut’s power, and claim her own?
Marine biologist Ondine Ambrose has always felt at home in the sea. Orphaned at birth and raised by her grandmother on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, she has never really questioned her extraordinary affinity for the watery world.
When she encounters an attractive but arrogant engineer on her private beach, surveying the site for a prospective off-shore wind farm, anger is her first reaction. A casual touch, however, transforms that emotion to incomprehensible, irresistible, terrifying lust.
Ebony-skinned Marut has his own talents—aside from his uncanny ability to swamp Ondine with desire. He can control the winds and summon storms. When he insists that they are both more than human, and that she is his destined mate, Ondine responds with skepticism. She tries to resist the charismatic Haitian, but ultimately she cannot deny the evidence of her senses—and her heart.
The
Hook (Rated R)
Marut released a heavy sigh. He opened his hands and stared at his pink-brown palms. “I know you, Ondine. The instant we touched, I remembered.”
“Remembered what? I’m sure we’ve never met.”
“Not in this life. But before.”
Uneasy doubt stirred in her chest. There had been something about him, in that first instant when their eyes met, something hauntingly familiar. She pushed the thought away, focusing her attention on her bandaged knuckles.
“Nonsense. You’re an engineer. I’m a scientist. How can you say such things?”
“There is much in this world that science cannot explain. You know that as well as I do. I saw you out there, diving and surfacing like some flying fish. Incredible.”
He was watching me? Did he see me masturbating, too?
She shrugged, pretending indifference she didn’t feel. “I’ve always been comfortable in the water. I was born right here on the edge of the Atlantic. I could swim before I could walk.”
“Does that explain why you can remain below the surface for ten minutes at a time? That’s not normal, Ondine. No human swimmer could hold her breath that long.”
“Human abilities cover a wide range.”
His hand covered hers. Fluid heat washed through her, rippling from the point of contact to flood her pussy and turn her nipples to stone. “You’re not human, pitit, not completely. And neither am I.”
“I told you, don’t touch me!” She sprang to her feet, wrenching herself from his grip and backing away, not only from his ever-so-tempting presence but from what he was trying to tell her.
“Okay, okay, if that’s really what you want.” His bushy brows knotted together as he shook his head. “Though I can sense your desire—even across the room. But listen to me, woman. I’m telling the truth. You’re not just some sexy girl I caught skinny dipping. You’re special. Powerful.”
She’d always taken her abilities for granted, figuring that perhaps they were some compensation from the universe for having snatched her mother at birth. Nevertheless, she didn’t flaunt her differences. When she dived with the other scientists from her team, she donned the unnecessary wetsuit, tanks and regulator. No point in encouraging idle speculation.
“So? What the devil does that have to do with you? With us?” Her harsh tone was a deliberate attempt to hide her uncertainty.
“I’m like you. Human, but with extra-human gifts. And you are my destined mate, Ondine—no matter how hard you try to deny the fact.”
Marut rose from the table, imposing despite the shabby robe that hung from his powerful frame. The garment gaped open, revealing the smooth ebony swell of his chest. Belted at Marut’s narrow waist, the faded terry hid his groin, but Ondine didn’t have to see the man’s magnificent cock to know it was swollen with desire, the same desire that had soaked the crotch of her sweatpants.
His mate. Ridiculous! And yet there was something mysterious and inevitable in her attraction to this stranger. Determined to fight that inexplicable desire, she turned towards the back door.
“I’ll go fetch your clothes,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
The Wedgwood-blue morning sky and brilliant sun had disappeared to be replaced by masses of lead-gray cloud. The muggy air was thick as syrup, so heavy it was practically an effort to breathe. Marut’s jeans and shirt hung limply on the line, along with the laundry she’d hung before heading for the beach. With the humidity, Ondine feared they’d still be damp, but the earlier sun appeared to have done its work. Both articles were dry enough for her unwelcome visitor to wear. He could leave as soon as he dressed. Relief mingled with regret as she squeezed the clothes pin holding the T-shirt.
A sudden, brisk wind sprang up, tugging at her hair and whipping the stiff denim of the suspended jeans against her belly. Startled, she dropped the white cotton onto the sandy soil. The breeze caught the garment and whisked it away, a tumble of white, until it caught on one of the points of the picket fence. With a sigh, she padded barefoot across the yard to retrieve it.
“Ondine.”
She whirled to face him. She hadn’t heard the squeak of the old screen door hinges, yet there he was, tall and dark as a thunderhead—gloriously naked. His piercing eyes pinned her in place. His noble forehead arched up to the explosion of frizzy curls that framed his skull. His skin gleamed as though it had been oiled. He stood before her—no, loomed above her—his muscled legs parted, his arms crossed over his chest, sniffing for her all-too-obvious scent. His nostrils flared like a thoroughbred racehorse and his prominent lips curled into a confident smile.
Find the buy links at https://www.lisabetsarai.com/roughweatherbook.html
Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks event!
