Staking His Claim

[Author Stephanie Morris]

TITLE: Staking His Claim
AUTHOR: Stephanie Morris
AUTHOR URL: http://www.stephaniemorris.webs.com
GENRE/THEME: Contemporary Interracial Romance
URL TO THE BUYING PAGE: http://www.sugarandspicepress.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&...

HEAT LEVEL: Sensual

Blurb:
Leslie Thompson’s life is spinning out of control. She is pregnant, broke and alone. She moves back to Casselton, ND to be closer to her family and friends because she needs their support. Upon driving to her parents’ home, her car breaks down and she gets stuck in an impending Blizzard. She sees a former neighbors home in the distance and makes the decision to seek refuge. When she arrives at the house, she receives another shock. The man standing before her isn’t Mr. Johnson. He is Blake Eaton, and he is sexy-as-sin. He is also twenty-years her senior. Yet, she has more impending troubles. Her water breaks.
Blake Eaton had no idea how much his life would change the moment Leslie showed up on his doorstep. He doesn’t even realize she is pregnant until she is in his home. He can’t figure out what would drive a woman to such extreme measure’s to make a trip in her condition. When he discovers the father of her child has abandoned her he is astonished. Still, he is shocked to find himself so attracted to a woman pregnant with another mans child. He doesn’t know if he is going to survive being stuck in his home with her while a Blizzard is raging outside, because there is another storm brewing inside. Blake wants her and he doesn't plan to let her go.

Excerpt:
It was the total opposite with Sean. Everyone else wanted to write him off, but she had been the only one who wanted to give him a chance. Maybe going out with Blake wasn’t such a bad idea. She had already come up with numerous ways in which they were similar.

“So you are interested in dating me?”

He nodded. “Yes I am.” He paused, looking down at Alison. “I think she is finished.”

Leslie stood up and looked down at her daughter. She was nestled snuggly in Blake’s arms. Her eyes were closed, the bottle empty. She took the bottle from Blake.

“Do you want to burp her?”

He nodded, gently bringing Alison up to his shoulder. Leslie touched her daughter’s back.

“I’m going to get her carrier. She is going to be out for the night.”

She went into the kitchen, picked up the carrier before bringing it back. She sat it on the sofa. Once Blake had belched her, Leslie took her and placed her into the carrier. She stood there and watched her daughter sleep.

“She is beautiful, just like her mother.”

She looked up at Blake and smiled. “Thank you.”

“Is she sleeping through the night yet?”

Leslie nodded. She was thankful that she was. Although Alison still had the tendency to wake up early. It wasn’t an inconvenience unless it was the weekend. She wanted to sleep in late if she could on those days. But Alison wasn’t always willing to cooperate. If she was hungry or wet, she made it known. No matter what time it was. Yet once her needs were taken care of, she would usually go back to sleep.

Leslie sat down on the couch, not wanting to disturb Alison. She looked over at Blake as he came over and sat down beside her. He placed his arm around her. She leaned into his embrace. He ran his hand up and down her arm, making her shiver. His touch, although simple, was unlike one she had ever felt before.

“You know what I would really like to do right now, Leslie?”

She looked up at him. “No, I don’t, but I’m sure you will tell me.”

He leaned down and nuzzled her neck, making her quiver. “I want to kiss you.”

Her eyes widened. It had been a while since she had kissed someone, excluding the little peck he’d bestowed upon her at the bakery earlier this week. A kiss that she didn’t think really counted. It had been months, the last person being Sean.

Her gaze fell on his lips. She wondered what it would be like to feel his lips against hers. She had a feeling the last kiss they’d shared was nothing compared to what was about to happen. Having the urge to feel his lips against hers in a real kiss, she stretched upward. He met her halfway. She sighed. Her heart pounded hard in her chest the moment their lips touched. And when their tongues began mating with an intensity that shook every nerve in her body, she had to fight the instinct to break the connection for fear of losing control. In that moment, she wasn’t aware of anything but the feel of his tongue stroking hers, the feel of hers stroking his, the rush of sensations flooding and overpowering her. She was also aware of the dampness between her legs increasing, of the way her body was beginning to ache with need.

If he hadn’t been holding her, she was certain she would have floated away. Opening her mouth slightly, she allowed him to slip his tongue further inside. She leaned more into him, mating her tongue with his. She moaned as a strong surge of desire rolled through her. Her nipples hardened into tight little peaks. She shifted to ease the sensation. When it didn’t work, she leaned even closer to Blake, until her aching nipples brushed against his chest. Slowly, he pulled back, their lips reluctantly separating. She felt a tremendous sense of loss. He was breathing as heavily as she was.