I'm also excited about the launch on Monday of Fatal Flaw, book 4 in the Fatal Series. In honor of the upcoming release and the formation of my new company, I thought it would be fun to post a new excerpt today and offer a giveaway copy of the book to one lucky commenter. What I'd like to know is this: What is your all-time favorite Sam & Nick moment? Please include your email address with your comment! I'll use a random calculator to pick a winner tomorrow morning.
Without further ado, here's a glimpse at Flaw:
The
front door swung open. “Hey, babe,” Nick said. “You coming in?”
Celia
had promised to call if she needed help, so Sam tore her eyes off the house
down the street and let her husband usher her into their home, a renovated
double-sized townhouse he’d bought so she could be near her dad and work. Of
course its Capitol Hill location put him in close proximity to his office too.
“What’s
the matter?” he asked, taking her coat and hanging it in the closet when Sam
would’ve tossed it over the sofa. Why hang it when she’d need it again in the
morning?
“I
think my dad is sick. He’s all congested and wheezy sounding, and he has a
fever.”
“What
did Celia say?”
“She’s
on it, but I’m worried about pneumonia.”
“And
what’s this?” Nick asked, gesturing to the garbage bag full of wedding cards
that sat on the floor next to her.
“More
well wishes that went to Dad’s house—at least I hope they’re well wishes.”
Nick
kissed her forehead and then her lips. “My poor wife’s first day back to work
was far more stressful than it should’ve been, wasn’t it?”
She
nodded. “And now this with my dad. Maybe I should go back over there. Just in
case.”
“If
that’s what you want to do, I’ll go with you. We can sleep over there tonight.”
“Really?
You wouldn’t mind?”
“I’d
rather have you there where you can be near him than watch you wear out a path
in the carpet over here worrying about him.”
Sam
hadn’t realized she’d been pacing as they talked. She stopped and looped her
fingers together, filled with nervous energy. “Sorry. Anything with him totally
freaks me out. We’ve been so lucky to get two pretty good years since the
shooting. All that time we’ve known how precarious his health is now. A simple
cold is anything but for him.”
Nick
came to her and put his arms around her. He unclipped her long hair and combed
his fingers through her curls. Breathing in the scent of Nick, the scent of
home, Sam closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. At times like
this, she could no longer remember what it had been like to live without him.
“Sometimes
I feel guilty because I’m so grateful he survived the shooting even if I hate
the way he has to live now,” she said.
“I
think he’s come to terms with it. In his own way.”
“Yeah,
but it still sucks.” What really sucked was the case remained unsolved more
than two years later, despite ongoing effort by Sam and all of Skip’s former
colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department. “I’m beginning to give up on
ever solving his case.”
“You
will.”
Sam
drew back to look up at him. “You sound awfully sure of that.”
“I’m
awfully sure of you.” Keeping his eyes firmly on hers, he lowered his head and
captured her mouth.
Sam
linked her hands around his neck and teased him with her tongue, making him
groan.
“This
was the longest day,” he said. “I
spent most of it missing you and daydreaming about Bora Bora.”
She
kept her lips close to his. “Me too.”
His
hands found their way to her bottom and squeezed. “How soon until we can go
back?”
Sam
laughed. “Not soon enough.”
He
surprised her when he suddenly lifted her and arranged her legs around his
waist. “No reason we can’t relive some of the magic right here at home.”
“Is
that so?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
His kisses became more urgent as he lowered them to the sofa. “I feel like I’m
going through withdrawal or something.”
“Just
think,” she said, running her fingers through his hair, “we get to stay on this
drug for the rest of our lives.”
“Do
you promise the same number of daily doses I received in Bora Bora?”
Sam
laughed and brought him down for more of those heated kisses he was doling out.
“So
that’s a ‘yes’?”
“You’re
rather persistent this evening, Senator.”
His
hands were busy divesting them of clothes. “I’m rather horny too.”
Normally,
he was the epitome of finesse, but tonight he was all about urgency. The moment
they were both naked, he surged into her and dropped his head to her chest.
“God, I needed this.”
She
loved watching his legendary control waver and then break as he took fierce
possession of her. Sweat dampened his back and brow. Sam gave herself over to
him, loving him more than she’d ever imagined possible.
“Babe,”
he whispered. “Can’t…” He moaned and tightened his hold on her.
“It’s
okay.” She ran her hands down his back and clutched his backside, which seemed
to send him careening completely out of control.
His
face was tight with tension as he came hard. His fingers gripped her arm and
shoulder so tightly she suspected there would be bruises, not that she cared.
“Sorry,”
he said, breathing hard.
“For
what?” She brushed the damp hair off his brow.
“You
didn’t come.”
“You
can make it up to me next time.”
“And
I will. I promise.” He ran his hand down her arm and linked their fingers. “I
wish we’d never had to leave Bora Bora.”
“Is
that so?”
“They
were the best days of my life. I could’ve stayed there with you forever.”
“You
would’ve missed work and your friends and your life here after a while.”
“I
had everything I needed right there with me.”
“You
would’ve gotten fat and lazy and slovenly.”
He
chuckled and brushed his lips over the side of her breast, sending a shiver of
sensation rippling through her. “We found a good way to burn off calories.”
“We
certainly did.”
“More
than anything, I liked having you all to myself.”
“You’ll
have me all to yourself every night.”
“Not
the same. Not nearly enough.”
Sam
placed her free hand on his face, urging him to look at her. “What’s this all
about?”
Hesitating,
he looked away for a moment before he brought his gaze back to meet hers.
“Having you all to myself showed me how little time together we get at home.”
“It’ll
be better now that we’re officially living together.”
“It
won’t be better. We’ll always be competing against a million other demands for
time to ourselves.”
“True,
but as long as we make our relationship the top priority we’ll work it out.”
“I
told Christina today that from now on I’m only giving two nights a week and one
weekend day to the campaign.”
“Can
you do that?”
“I
have a sixty-five-point lead over my Republican opponent, so I’m willing to
risk it.”
“Is
that an unusually high lead?”
“I
guess so,” he said modestly. “We got a nice bump out of the wedding.”
“Glad
to be of assistance.”
That
sexy grin of his made her go weak in the knees even when she wasn’t lying naked
in his arms. “Anyway, since we’ve got a pretty solid lead, I don’t see the need
to spend so much time campaigning. Especially,” he added, kissing her, “when I
have so many other things I’d rather be doing.”
“You
won’t get any argument from me.”
“I
had a feeling you might approve.” He propped his chin on her chest. “So do you want
to go over to your dad’s?”
Sam
thought about that for a minute. “Celia said she’d call if anything changes, so
I guess we can stay here.”
“Want
some help going through the cards?”
“Sure.
The faster I get that done, the faster I can go to bed.”
“Why
do you think I offered to help?”
“And
here I thought your offer was entirely unselfish.”
“Oh
no, babe. Not entirely.”
Copyright 2012. Marie Sullivan Force. All rights reserved.
Go forth and comment on your favorite Sam & Nick moment! Remember--to be entered into the drawing--you MUST list your favorite Sam & Nick moment HERE ON THE BLOG, not on Facebook, and you must list your email address. Thanks!
Have a great weekend and GO PATS!!!!!!
Have a great weekend and GO PATS!!!!!!
