Sunday Snog #171: Exposure

So, nobody figured out what book last week’s Sunday Snog came from. The answer is Exposure, my erotic noir thriller featuring feisty Greek-American stripper Stella Xanathakeos. Given the fact that my readers don’t seem to know about this book, I thought I’d feature it for this week’s kiss.

After you’re done here, head back to Blisse Kiss central and sample some of the other luscious kisses on offer today!

Blurb

Sex, blood and betrayal: it's all in a day's work.

Stella is just minding her own business and having a bit of fun, working as an exotic dancer at the Peacock Lounge. Through no fault of her own, she witnesses a double murder and gets pulled into a shady dance of deceit with political bigwigs, mob bosses, dirty cops and scheming widows. Now she's everyone's target; her only chance is to sift through the lies and expose the truth.

The birds wake me at dawn. I’m surprised how alert I feel. Jimmy lies on the pillow next to me, dead to the world. Relaxed in sleep, his face looks even more boyish than usual. I remember him in high school, the skinny kid who was friendly but so shy he could barely talk to me. I never realized that he was secretly lusting after me, imagining incredibly lewd things.

Of course, his boyhood fantasies might be after the fact. Did we even know about oral sex, back in high school? Probably not. Back then, the guys didn’t do much but grope and poke. Still, it’s kind of flattering that Jimmy’s been using images of me to jack off to all these years. It’s strange to realize that if it hadn’t been for Tony’s murder, I might never have known.

I lean over and brush my lips against Jimmy’s. His mouth curves into a smile before he even opens his eyes.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Ah...” Before he can reply, I kiss him, a deep, wet kiss that I hope conveys my affection and my gratitude. He tastes good to me, even first thing in the morning. He grabs me and pulls me to him. His hands begin to wander over my bare butt cheeks. His tongue dances in my mouth. He’s still fully dressed, but I can feel the iron bar of his erection, pressed against my belly. My sex immediately melts; my juices make damp spots on his trousers as I grind my crotch against him.

“Mmm...I was going to make you some breakfast, but it seems as though you want an appetizer first.”

“Stella...Damn, what time is it?”

“Relax, it’s barely seven. Plenty of time to fool around a bit.”

I try to hold onto him, but he pulls away. “Damn, damn. Now I’m never going to catch the guy who threw that brick. The trail’s already cold. I should never have fallen asleep.”

“You didn’t have much choice, Jimmy. We were both totally destroyed. Speaking of which, how’s your hand?” I peel off the bandage and check the damage. It’s a long, nasty cut, running across his palm from his ring finger almost to the base of his thumb. However, it’s closed now, and looks clean, a bit red along the edges but not puffy. “You should stop off in the emergency room. That might heal better with a few stitches.”

“No time. I’ve got to get back to the station and see if we can find out anything about who did this.”

“Let me make you something to eat. I cook a mean feta omelet...”

“Sorry, Stella. I can’t.”

“Well, at least take a shower. You can’t go back to work smelling like pussy!” I show him the wet areas on his wrinkled pants. “I can probably find some clothes of my dad’s that would fit you. There are extra toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet. And you’d better borrow my razor, too.”

I point him to the bathroom. “Go, make yourself presentable. I’ll brew up some coffee for you to take with you.”

Jimmy grins apologetically. “Thanks, Stella. I’m sorry. This isn’t at all what I had in mind for our first time sleeping together.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.” He gives me another kiss, more sweetness than passion. “When this is all over, let’s go away somewhere. Ever been to Atlantic City? I hear it’s a lot of fun.”

I hug him, thinking that I really would like to spend some serious time with him.

“How about Greece?”

I’ve always imagined myself there alone, independent, exploring the landscapes of my dreams. Walking in the footsteps of my ancestors. But now I have a sense of how good it might be to have somebody special, somebody like Jimmy, there by my side.