Tempt Me Tuesday

What could be more tempting than an excerpt from my work in progress:  Seduced in the Dark (Book 2, The Dark Duet)? I'm gonna say nothing. =P

This excerpt comes from Chapter 2. It's told in Caleb's point of view and takes place the morning after their sexually charged encounter at the end of Captive in the Dark. Caleb is naturally very confused about the state of his relationship with Livvie and the impending visit from Rafiq. He decides to take a shower and clear his head...

There was a knock on the door and Caleb’s head whipped toward it. Kitten had stepped inside, announcing herself with a knock, but not waiting for his answer. Shock assailed him. He couldn’t keep it from his face and without thinking he scrambled to turn the cold water on. This was private!

She could get out of bed on her own after all.

Well, at least she didn’t run. But where would she have gone like that anyway?

Kitten looked at him…everywhere. Even through the intense amount of steam, he could he see her fierce blush. Blushing virgin or not, her eyes did not deviate from his person.

Their eyes finally met.

“I…,” Kitten cleared her throat and began again, “I’m sorry, it’s just that I heard you in here and I –“

“Did you need something,” Caleb snapped. His emotions were scattered by her interruption. He felt exposed somehow, vulnerable, and he didn’t like it. But she was also naked, never having dressed again last night and that was confusing as well. Beneath his hands, his cock stirred and he wanted to wince at the stinging sensation of his punished flesh stretching and expanding.

Kitten straightened her spine and narrowed her eyes. “Yes. I need something. Lots of something’s. Where do you want me to start?”

More shock! Had she really just said that? To him? He knew he should be angry, but instead he turned his head to hide a smile. He spoke to the shower wall and tried to keep the amusement from his voice, “Well, can it wait until I’m at least out of the shower?” And because he couldn’t help himself, he added, “Unless you’re looking to climb in here and return last night’s favor?”  He hazarded a glance in her direction.

She blushed heatedly, but still held herself high, “Actually? Sort of. I mean…no, but….” She huffed, “I would like to take a shower too and since I’m practically crippled, I could use your fucking help. But not if you’re going to be an asshole about it.” She nodded, as if to say: There, I said it.

Aww, Livvie - so feisty!

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you already know that I've been diligently working on SITD. Well, I'm happy to report that I'm through Chapter 3 and today, I will be working on Chapter 4.

I'm very excited about this burst of inspiration because my writing process leaves a lot to be desired, in that I don't really have one. I write very organically, which is a very fancy way of saying, 'I write when I feel like it'. I've done some outlining, but when I sit down to write, more often than not, the characters take me where they want to go and not always where I had planned. It's nice, because I'm always along for the journey, experiencing each word as the reader might, but it also presents a host of problems.

For starters, I have a tendency to get ahead of myself. This has certainly been the case with Seduced. Between you and me, I have thousands and thousands of words written for this novel, but the horrible fact is - I probably can't use them. 

Why?

Because they belong to my original manuscript. In the beginning, The Dark Duet was envisioned as a single book entitled: Dark, a Tale of Capture and Seduction. It was beyond gritty, it was obscene! Unfortunately, it was also an awful mess of disjointed chapters that didn't paint a smooth picture. Thank God, I had someone to tell me how awful it was before I put it out there. Note to you beta readers: be brutal, but constructive! Lord knows the public will be (minus the constructive bit).

Thus began the editing process, this time, with the help of two very amazing ladies I met online (yes - online).

Slowly, my characters emerged  - not the story, but the people behind the story. Caleb, who wasn't originally such a key player, suddenly swept in and started running the show. He sucked me into his web of tragedy, pain, sex and revenge and I followed him eagerly. Like Livvie, I was drawn to him for reasons I didn't understand. I wanted to know everything about him. I fell in love with my villain and I became determined to make others love him too.

Caleb and Livvie's fucked up love story was born and they swept me away.

Captive in the Dark is a story about pain, longing, and denial of ones self. Caleb doesn't know who his is and neither does Livvie. This is the tie that binds them. So, toward the end, it became evident to me that this story would need a sequel, one that focuses on the rebirth of these characters. Guess what? I never wrote that story.

I'm writing it now. I've gotten ahead of myself, because these characters no longer belong to me. They belong to the readers. They belong to the fans and that's something I didn't quite plan on. It's a great responsibility to do these characters and their followers justice - I don't take it lightly.

I will do my very best to catch up to these run away characters. I'm especially looking forward to tackling Caleb's sexy ass to the ground. ;)