Tuesday Tales: From the Word STONE

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. I’m pleased to say that spring appears to be here to stay! This week, our word prompt is STONE. I’m continuing with my contemporary paranormal romance, Beneath the Ashes.

Lucie stared at the man whose voice caressed her like a lover even if his appearance didn’t seem familiar. The remnants of his cologne, a cedar-based one that she’d always found appealing, tickled her nostrils and touched her memory.

Pull yourself together, Lucie. This isn’t the time to go off again.

He’d made an overture of friendship. The next step was hers.

“Thank you, Dr. Tedesco. The picture was taken after a day on the site. I’m sure I still had dirt on my face.” She moved closer to his and held out her hand.

Instead of shaking it, he took it gently, raised it to his lips, and kissed it, his salt and pepper beard as soft as silk, stroking the area where it touched her skin, sending lava racing through her veins to pool in her core. She shuddered, swaying slightly, and caught her breath audibly. He released her.

The pulse at the base of his throat, clearly visible since the shirt was unbuttoned at the neck, throbbed hard enough for her to see. Had he felt something, too?

“Please, you must call me Mario, and like Trent, I’ll call you Lucie. We’ll leave the titles to the students. We’re equals here, and speaking of here, are you ready to peek into the abyss?”

She was certain he meant more by his words than what he was saying. The heat of desire filled her. She swallowed. What was wrong with her? This man wasn’t her type—far from it. She forced herself to calm down and behave the way she always had when out of her element, drawing on a stoicism she’d mastered long ago when her parents had divorced.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” Was that breathy voice hers? Damn. As off kilter as she was, it was a miracle that she could frame a cohesive thought, let alone speak it. How could this stranger’s touch illicit such a powerful response? She swallowed, searching for words. “I wasn’t aware that there was much to see from up here, but yes, that would be great.” It would give her a chance to prepare herself for what might come, to try and figure out what game fate was playing now, and design a response to it. For every action, there was a reaction. All she needed was to know which one would be the right one. Moving closer to him, she crossed the uneven ground, littered with rocks and stones. She stumbled, and Mario grabbed her before she could fall, the heat of his touch burning its way through her.

That’s it. Stay safe, and don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.