reviews_and_ramblings | Excerpt Day: Hidden Hands by Shayla Kersten

Hidden Hands by Shayla Kersten
Release Date: Apr 3, 2009
ISBN: 9781419921131
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Publisher Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-7115-hidden-hands.aspx

Blurb: Detective Jeremy Lawson doesn’t expect anything from his one-night stand except sex. What he gets is a shooting, a mystery, plus some of the best sex he’s had in a long time. Somewhere along the way, he also finds some tenderness for a lost soul in need of rescuing. David March has let his troubled past blind him to any kind of happy future. But when a one-night stand turns out to be a cop in shining armor, David begins to think differently about his life. As in, he wants one. But to have one, he has to stay alive. Note: For maximum reader enjoyment, we suggest reading Hidden Force(David) and A Helping Hand (Jeremy), where our two heroes were introduced.

Excerpt:

David leaned into the warmth of Jeremy’s stomach. Shock shivered through him as much as desire. He’d never taken anyone so deep. Something about the sympathetic wistfulness of Jeremy’s words set David off like nothing had before. Now his cock ached for the stranger’s touch, but his boldness got up and went without him. He wasn’t sure where he had gotten the nerve to ask Jeremy out to his truck.

After the incident with his wife, David wasn’t sure he’d ever manage the nerve to get out again. Much less hit the clubs.

Gentle fingers combed through his hair. David could almost curl up right where he was and stay there—cramped as he was—fall asleep and forget his crappy existence. Maybe he could sleep without nightmares for a change.

“So damn good.” Jeremy’s breathless words tickled David’s almost-forgotten sense of humor. The fingers tightened in David’s hair, tugging him up from his awkward position. Strong, calloused hands framed his face.

As Jeremy’s face tilted toward him, David pulled back. Not hard but enough. Jeremy hesitated.

Instead, Jeremy’s thumb teased across David’s lower lip then back across the upper. “I want to kiss you.”

David’s throat clenched at Jeremy’s soft words. Kissing wasn’t something David did. Not often. Kissing was too close, too personal. Kissing meant something. Sex didn’t. David ran his tongue across his lips, following the path of Jeremy’s thumb. Instead of shaking his head, David surprised himself and nodded.

Too dark to see much more than the outline of features, David tried to focus on where Jeremy’s lips would be.

One hand slid down David’s face then curled around his neck. A little pressure, not enough to qualify as a tug, eased David forward until their lips met.

Softer than David would have thought. Sweeter than he wanted. Warm lips met and caressed. A wet tongue did a silken slide across the seam of David’s mouth.

He opened his mouth slightly, just to test the texture. Then a little more. His tongue chased the feeling of heat and wet. The back of his throat tickled with the memory of Jeremy’s flavor. The residual taste of come mixed with the tang of Jeremy’s beer and David’s whiskey.

Need welled up and pushed David closer. His arm looped around Jeremy’s neck, sealing their chests together. His other hand gripped the dark hair, pressing it tight to Jeremy’s scalp.

“Oh…” A small moan slipped out from where David hid his emotions. Too much. Too much.

Breaking away, David scooted back to his side of the truck. His fingers gripped the steering wheel in a tight clench. He was surprised his knuckles weren’t glowing white in the darkness.

“What’s wrong?” Jeremy leaned across the open space between them.

“I…ah…” David’s mind sought an answer, one that wouldn’t appear too stupid, like he doesn’t kiss. “Thought I saw someone coming.”

“Oh.” Jeremy’s fingers tucked and zipped as he glanced around. “So, you want to take this somewhere else?” His hand drifted across the pale seat until it rested on David’s thigh. “We aren’t exactly finished.” Sliding across David’s crotch, Jeremy palmed David’s aching cock.

“Where?” David’s mind flew to different choices—his office, a hotel. His apartment wasn’t an option. Or just somewhere away from here. Or nowhere at all. He should tell Jeremy not to worry about it. It’s been fun and all… Walk away.

Pressure from Jeremy’s hand changed his mind. “We could go to my place,” Jeremy interrupted David’s desperate thoughts.

“Your place?” David’s voice cracked.

“Unless you prefer yours. Or a hotel?” Jeremy’s hand kept rubbing, fingers tracing the outline of David’s cock through tight denim.

“Your place. Good.” David took a deep breath and exhaled hard. “Which way?”

Jeremy kept his hand in David’s lap as his other motioned toward the street. “Take a left out of the parking lot.”