Our Sexy Man
Welcome to the 98th week of My Sexy Saturday.
This week’s theme is Our Sexy Man and need we say more. This is all about the sexy men in our books. The young ones, the old ones, the middle aged ones, the ones who turn us on like no other. It’s all about the sexy, hot romance they bring to the pages of the books we read and the books we write.
Again, this theme has no genre, no rules except that the characters we’re talking about are male and sexy beyond all belief. They are great lovers, great fathers, great at everything they do. They may be rich, poor, or the boy next door. They could be a spaceship captain, a cowboy or the billionaire seeking to find that special significant other. The one thing we do know is that they are hot, hot, HOT!
He turned into his driveway. Smoke trickled through an open window sent a rush of adrenaline though him.
Inside the garage, the fire alarm shrieked, and he ran into the house. Olivia fanned the
device on the ceiling with a piece of cardboard. Windows and the back doors stood wide
open. Gray smoke poured out of the oven and hung in the air, choking him with the
stench of burned food. Milo bounced and laughed with all his might around the chair she
stood on.
The wooden seat tipped and she flapped her hands. Tom wrapped his arm around her waist.
Surprise flashed on her face as he steadied her. “You’re home already.”
He raised his voice to be heard over the ear-splitting sound. “I’ll take care of the alarm, step down. Milo, will you please close the back door?”
“Yes, Daddy.” The boy skittered away, leaving the space around the smoke alarm free for Tom to work.
At the press of the button, the shrill ceased. Olivia’s expression relaxed and she
slumped. Tears welled in her eyes. “I’m the world’s worst mother and wife.”
Laughter tickled the roof of his mouth, but he pressed his lips hard to keep it from
bursting out. She was getting better in the kitchen. At least her attempt hadn’t brought on
the local fire department, like the last time. He wrapped his arms around her. “Honey,
you’re too hard on yourself.”
Brushing a tear from her cheek, she cut him a guilty glance. “Hard? You have no idea.
If you didn’t arrive when you did, the house would’ve burned down. I almost forgot Milo
and then I ran out with Rosie in my arms and didn’t have time to dress her for the
outdoors. There, I confess, I’m useless.”
“You’re not useless. At the end of the day, everything’s fine, we’re all accounted for
and we survived.” Tom kissed her hair, catching a whiff of smoke. “Let’s see if dinner is salvageable.”
He opened the oven door a crack, but at the sight of charred meat he slammed it shut.
At least the smoldering from the stove had ceased, but the smell would no doubt stay for days. “Nope.” He grabbed the phone. “Chinese food?”
She took a seat at the kitchen table and shrugged, her face crumpled. “My appetite is
gone. I wanted to surprise you, but…” Her voice trailed off and turned into another sob.
The small buttons on the phone’s dial pad played their soft tones as he dialed the
restaurant. “It’s all right. I wasn’t in a mood for chicken fingers and fries.”
She laughed through tears and his pulse quickened. His love for her bubbled up, the
need to make her happy a driving force. “See, no harm done. Shall I order our usual?”
She nodded. “Chop suey, wonton soup, and egg rolls.”
Tom winked, but the fact she knew “the usual” unraveled the knot in his guts. For a moment, even he’d suspected she really was his wife’s double sent from some parallel world. Her mishaps almost convinced him of the theory he refused to believe.
Rosie’s cooing came in through the baby monitor. Olivia stood. “I’m surprised the alarm didn’t wake her. I’ll go get her.”
“She’d sleep through any clangor.” Tom turned his attention to the phone as someone
finally picked up his call. “Yes, can I’d like to place an order for delivery?”
“Where’s Mommy’s big girl?” Olivia’s soft voice filled the kitchen through the
monitoring device. He had a hard time concentrating on the menu in front of him.
With dinner taken care of, he placed his iPod on the docking station and shuffled through the songs in his library. He picked Song Tied Us. The band joined in with the mandolin after an intro, the male singer’s deep voice sang in perfect harmony with a female vocal. Tom couldn’t resist and he cranked up the volume.
Olivia strolled in, Rosie in her arms. “I like this song. What’s it about?”
He wrapped his girls in a bear hug, leading Olivia to follow his steps. “The refrain
tells how we are tied together through song in good times and bad, giving us happiness no matter who we are.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I’m not one for poetry, but those are beautiful lyrics.”
“Yes, they are. Unfortunately, much of the beauty is lost in translation.”
Milo ran up to them and joined them in their slow dance. Tom hummed along with the
song as it came to an end with the chime of xylophone. Three songs later, the doorbell announced the arrival of their dinner.
“Let’s eat.” Tom carried the bag to the kitchen and set in on the table.
Milo climbed onto his chair next to Olivia. “After, can we dance again?”
“It’ll be your bed time by then.” Tom sliced up a portion of chicken into bite-size
pieces, dished out a spoonful of vegetables and placed the plate in front of the boy.
“Mommy will get you into your pj's and I’ll read you a story.”
“Not fair.” With a pout, Milo buried his face in his hands. “Rosie gets to stay up.”
“She won’t stay up for long.” Tom raised his finger and stopped his son’s attempt at
another complaint. “You know who’s coming to town and he sees you when you are
sleeping and knows when you’re awake.”
The boy’s eyes widened and he returned his attention to his plate.
Olivia’s fork hovered mid-air, a piece of broccoli speared on the tines. “That song gave me creeps when I was a kid. To think some old guy from North Pole watches while you’re sleeping and knows if you’re good or bad.”
A low chuckle rolled Tom’s stomach. “It works wonders on kids. Speaking of the big guy, the kids should have pictures taken with Santa.”
Milo’s fork clunked on the plate and he raised his arms over his head. “Yay!”
Olivia’s chewing ceased and she swallowed hard. “I never had my picture taken with him.”
Milo blinked and his mouth dropped. “Why not, Mommy?”
She turned to Tom, an awkward smile on her lips. “I shouldn’t say it in front of Milo.”
“You can tell me later.” Tom picked at the food on his plate. Her confession knotted his stomach anew. Milo was just a baby then, but they had a picture taken with Santa at Tom’s office party.
With dinner behind them, Tom cleaned the kitchen while Olivia took Milo upstairs.
By the way the boy’s feet dragged on the tiles, Tom suspected the good night story would
not be needed.
The multicolored dragon in Rosie’s hands crinkled as the baby kneaded the toy’s ears.
Tom placed the last of the leftovers in the fridge, and picked up his daughter from the high chair.
He turned the kitchen lights off and carried Rosie to the living room. He sat her on his lap. “And how was your day?”
The baby reached for his nose. He chuckled when her little hand squeezed, blocking his airflow.
“You have one too. Right here.” He tapped the tip of her nose.
Rosie’s grin prompted Tom to kiss her. “You may be Daddy’s girl, but you resemble your mom. And you’ve got her willpower.”
At a soft laugh, he turned to see Olivia standing in the threshold. “It’s the truth, look at her. She’s a copy of you.”
Olivia’s hips swayed as she strolled to the couch, making Tom gulp. “And Milo’s all you.”
“Yes, he resembles me, but he loves his mommy.”
Blurb: Olivia Owen, a busy, single, high-functioning,
corporate executive officer, is not afraid to die a spinster for the sake of
her career. But in an alternate reality world, bridged by the angel of her
Down’s syndrome sister, she meets Tom Medar, a dedicated, Croatian defense
attorney who dreams of the right woman, but never has time to find her.
Together they foil an adulterous murder plot while discovering there’s room for
love and family in their busy lives—but not before they are separated again.
When they awaken from their alternate
world, will they be able to cross countries to find each other again?
Pick
up a copy for your
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Wow...I so feel her frustration and Tom is a wonderful man who knows just how to sooth her. Great Excerpt
ReplyDeleteDakota