Touching Lace Excerpt:
Nick reached a hand across the scarred wood table and just barely touched her fingers. "Did you love him, Lace?" He nearly got sick at the thought of her wasting those kinds of feelings on a loser like Evan. But he needed to know what he was up against.
Lacey's easily given kindness shone in her gorgeous eyes as she stared at him. He knew she was seeing her best friend in the whole world sitting across from her. She probably saw the worry he was feeling staring back. Her sweet smile was the same as it always was and had the same impact to his libido as ever. Like usual, Nick hid his unfriend-like reaction and he hated it.
"No I didn't love Evan." She wrinkled her nose as if in self-depreciation. "I guess that's the saddest part. I didn't even feel the slightest bit hurt when I caught them sponging each other up." She laughed and his body reacted to the throaty sound. "Oh, Nick, you should have seen them. Their ridiculous expressions, so shocked, and all I could think was 'oh well, saves me the trouble of dumping him'." She tried to laugh again, but sobered instead. Her expression beat at him.
His Lace was feeling a cruel stab of insecurity and he hated it. She looked down at her cobbler, like him, she'd all but forgotten it.
"What's wrong with me that men find it so easy to dump all over me?" Lacey's question surprised him. She dropped her spoon in her bowl and it made a loud clang, then crossed her arms over her chest and continued her angry outburst. "Why can't I seem to hold a guy's attention for more than a few pathetic months?"
First, Nick wanted to shout in glee that she hadn't loved the idiot. Second, he wanted badly to shake her and rattle some sense into her. She'd damn well held his attention for a lot longer than a few meager months! But he'd only scare her away.
"You're not to examine yourself over this guy, Lace." He dropped his own spoon, pulled her arms apart and entwined their fingers. "There isn't a damn thing wrong with you. It's the men you date. They aren't worth the air you breathe, baby."
Lacey only shook her head in denial. "No, Nick, that's not true. They can't all be losers." She gave him a half-smile. "Though I appreciate your undying loyalty."
"It's not loyalty." She didn't look convinced, so he changed tactics. "You say it's you, right?" She shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. "Then explain to me what it is you think is wrong with you."
Nick began to stroke his thumb over her wrist and he could feel the quickening of her pulse as it jumped wildly in awareness of him. As if uncomfortable, Lacey slowly took one of her hands back, and he very nearly groaned aloud.
"It's a little complicated."
Nick frowned. She was keeping something from him. He could always tell. Lacey was never very good at deceit. She gave herself away every time by looking down towards the ground. "Uncomplicate it for me then."
She tilted her head. "Is that even a word?"
"Don't change the subject. Explain why you think it is that every man you date ends up bored."
A pretty bloom of pink filled Lacey's cheeks at his personal question. Even as close as they were, he was still a guy, thus making such a conversation uncomfortable. This time he wasn't going to let it slide. Nick wouldn't allow her to bury her head. Lacey knew him like no one else, which meant she knew deep, meaningful conversations didn't scare him off the way they did most men. Hell, with Lacey, going deep was a damned pleasure.
"I don't think I'm very good in bed. There, is that plain enough for you?"
Lacey's words were so rushed Nick would have missed half of what she said if he wasn't so attuned to her. Luckily for him, Lacey couldn't lose an eyelash without him taking notice.
Of all the reasons for her sudden lack of confidence that had never once crossed his mind. Now he knew for sure she was picking the wrong men. Lacey's feisty attitude and easy sensuality would make her nothing short of explosive in bed. Hell, a man would have to be blind not to see the passion and fire that simmered just beneath the surface. It would take years for a man to get bored with a woman like her. He couldn't be certain, but Nick suspected she didn't have a single problem, but how could he prove it to her?
It was true a sensual and uninhibited woman like Lacey could intimidate someone like Evan. Even cause him to turn to a woman like the overblown and too obvious Christy. The loser probably needed to be in control to stoke his ego. Yep, the guys Lacey chose were clearly wusses. Otherwise, they'd know what to do with the dark-haired beauty who fairly shouted: Flaming Hot Sex!
Her sexual confidence had been shaken and it pissed him off enough to want to pay a little visit to Evan the Dickhead. And that's when a plan began to form.
She didn't think she could heat up the sheets worth a damn. Well, who better to teach her how completely wrong she was, than a man she already cared for and trusted? This was Nick's opportunity and he was going to jump on it with both feet. He mentally squashed the little voice in his head, which vigorously shouted to him just how wrong this plan of his could go. Now, to convince the stubborn and hardheaded Lacey Vaughn that her good buddy always knows best.
Nick reached a hand across the scarred wood table and just barely touched her fingers. "Did you love him, Lace?" He nearly got sick at the thought of her wasting those kinds of feelings on a loser like Evan. But he needed to know what he was up against.
Lacey's easily given kindness shone in her gorgeous eyes as she stared at him. He knew she was seeing her best friend in the whole world sitting across from her. She probably saw the worry he was feeling staring back. Her sweet smile was the same as it always was and had the same impact to his libido as ever. Like usual, Nick hid his unfriend-like reaction and he hated it.
"No I didn't love Evan." She wrinkled her nose as if in self-depreciation. "I guess that's the saddest part. I didn't even feel the slightest bit hurt when I caught them sponging each other up." She laughed and his body reacted to the throaty sound. "Oh, Nick, you should have seen them. Their ridiculous expressions, so shocked, and all I could think was 'oh well, saves me the trouble of dumping him'." She tried to laugh again, but sobered instead. Her expression beat at him.
His Lace was feeling a cruel stab of insecurity and he hated it. She looked down at her cobbler, like him, she'd all but forgotten it.
"What's wrong with me that men find it so easy to dump all over me?" Lacey's question surprised him. She dropped her spoon in her bowl and it made a loud clang, then crossed her arms over her chest and continued her angry outburst. "Why can't I seem to hold a guy's attention for more than a few pathetic months?"
First, Nick wanted to shout in glee that she hadn't loved the idiot. Second, he wanted badly to shake her and rattle some sense into her. She'd damn well held his attention for a lot longer than a few meager months! But he'd only scare her away.
"You're not to examine yourself over this guy, Lace." He dropped his own spoon, pulled her arms apart and entwined their fingers. "There isn't a damn thing wrong with you. It's the men you date. They aren't worth the air you breathe, baby."
Lacey only shook her head in denial. "No, Nick, that's not true. They can't all be losers." She gave him a half-smile. "Though I appreciate your undying loyalty."
"It's not loyalty." She didn't look convinced, so he changed tactics. "You say it's you, right?" She shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. "Then explain to me what it is you think is wrong with you."
Nick began to stroke his thumb over her wrist and he could feel the quickening of her pulse as it jumped wildly in awareness of him. As if uncomfortable, Lacey slowly took one of her hands back, and he very nearly groaned aloud.
"It's a little complicated."
Nick frowned. She was keeping something from him. He could always tell. Lacey was never very good at deceit. She gave herself away every time by looking down towards the ground. "Uncomplicate it for me then."
She tilted her head. "Is that even a word?"
"Don't change the subject. Explain why you think it is that every man you date ends up bored."
A pretty bloom of pink filled Lacey's cheeks at his personal question. Even as close as they were, he was still a guy, thus making such a conversation uncomfortable. This time he wasn't going to let it slide. Nick wouldn't allow her to bury her head. Lacey knew him like no one else, which meant she knew deep, meaningful conversations didn't scare him off the way they did most men. Hell, with Lacey, going deep was a damned pleasure.
"I don't think I'm very good in bed. There, is that plain enough for you?"
Lacey's words were so rushed Nick would have missed half of what she said if he wasn't so attuned to her. Luckily for him, Lacey couldn't lose an eyelash without him taking notice.
Of all the reasons for her sudden lack of confidence that had never once crossed his mind. Now he knew for sure she was picking the wrong men. Lacey's feisty attitude and easy sensuality would make her nothing short of explosive in bed. Hell, a man would have to be blind not to see the passion and fire that simmered just beneath the surface. It would take years for a man to get bored with a woman like her. He couldn't be certain, but Nick suspected she didn't have a single problem, but how could he prove it to her?
It was true a sensual and uninhibited woman like Lacey could intimidate someone like Evan. Even cause him to turn to a woman like the overblown and too obvious Christy. The loser probably needed to be in control to stoke his ego. Yep, the guys Lacey chose were clearly wusses. Otherwise, they'd know what to do with the dark-haired beauty who fairly shouted: Flaming Hot Sex!
Her sexual confidence had been shaken and it pissed him off enough to want to pay a little visit to Evan the Dickhead. And that's when a plan began to form.
She didn't think she could heat up the sheets worth a damn. Well, who better to teach her how completely wrong she was, than a man she already cared for and trusted? This was Nick's opportunity and he was going to jump on it with both feet. He mentally squashed the little voice in his head, which vigorously shouted to him just how wrong this plan of his could go. Now, to convince the stubborn and hardheaded Lacey Vaughn that her good buddy always knows best.