She should have said yes when he offered her a hand. She should have let him in here and sat him down. Would he be as good with gift-wrap as he was with his consoles? Or would he have just sat on the bed making smartarse remarks while she cut into the paper and ribbon?
That message would have come in. She would have let it go unanswered. Maybe she still would have spilled her cider and he’d sit there, watching while she got her kit off.
Maybe he’d offer her a hand and, this time, she’d say yes. He’d pull her top down—all the way down, not stopping at the waist. With a hand on his shoulder for support, she’d step out. She’d feel his breath on her thighs—that’s how close his face would be. Warmingly close. Awkwardly close.
Except, it wouldn’t be awkward. He’d crack a joke. She’d laugh and fire one back. They’d banter like they always did, but she’d be smooth instead of nervous. They’d collapse on the bed and he’d kiss her—softly at first, then deeply—while his hand traveled up her leg.
Celeste dropped her sodden garment on the desk and slid to the floor, remembering that time they spacewalked together to replace a row of lights. Afterwards, they changed together in the locker room. He hardly looked at her except in passing mid-chat, but she sure noticed him. That was the first time she’d seen him without a shirt on. Off had come the shellsuit, exposing his toned physique. She had no idea he worked his body so hard. He’d only gotten fitter and better looking since.
It was warm in her room now. Had the heating kicked in?
Her fingers moved between her legs while her other hand clutched at her breast. He was bigger than she was, and no doubt, his skin would feel warm on hers. That was the charm of thermodynamics. He’d lie on top and the artificial gravity would pull him into her as it pulled them both onto the bed. She’d reach for his cock and find it hard and waiting.
But he wouldn’t force it onto her. He wasn’t like that. He wasn’t forward like Martin or sexist like that guy who hit on Katie just after she started. He wasn’t sleazy like that temp or gross like Carl or a corporate bull like David Blythe. No, Owen Larson was a real, down-to-earth nice guy. If she wanted his cock inside her, she’d have to look him in the eye and ask for it.
It Starts with a Kiss by JL Peridot
Celeste is a talented engineer who doesn’t realize her job’s going nowhere fast. She’s a little naïve. She’ll cut code and solder cables forever as long as Owen’s around. Owen, on the other hand, knows exactly how badly things suck—he just doesn’t care. Sure, his skills aren’t what they used to be, but they’re still better than what Halcyon Aries deserves.
Then it happens. The company’s toxic management team finally cross the line. As both techies race to upgrade the station and to free the team from their oppressive contracts, they come to learn that life—and love—can only ever be what you make it.
Strap in for a steamy office romance in space, because sometimes It Starts With a Kiss!
Available now from e-book retailers.
Content warnings: Depictions of toxic office management practices, workplace harassment, and harassment in a customer service context. Depictions of workplace romance (with consent). Strong language. Explicit sexual content including self-pleasure and MF sex.
“A perfect mix of romcom, romance, and sci-fi.” (Goodreads 5-star review)
“The scifi elements feel real, I'd say especially to anyone that's worked in IT, and the romance and suspense ebbs and flows so nicely. Really gorgeous and fun, really recommended.” (Goodreads 5-star review)
“JL didn't create characters, she wrote real people. That's how they read on the page and I loved it.” (Goodreads 5-star review)
JL Peridot (sometimes credited as J.L. Peridot) writes love letters to the future on devices from the past. In her spare time, she nerds out over cryptic crosswords, calisthenics, and mechanical keyboards. She currently resides in Boorloo (Perth, Australia) on Whadjuk Noongar country.
Visit her website at jlperidot.com for the full catalogue of her work.
Website: https://jlperidot.com
Newsletter: https://jlperidot.com/#dotclub
Thank you, Lisabet, for having me on your blog 💜
3 comments:
This sounds great, JL.
Engineers in love LOL! That could describe my latest, too.
Hope the book does really well.
you had me at the title line - gotta love thermodynamics! Sounds like a steamy hot read.
Thank you for having me, Lisabet!
Post a Comment
Let me know your thoughts! (And if you're having trouble commenting, try enabling third-party cookies in your browser...)