This weeks theme is the authors favorite scenes and wow is that one hard. There are so many scenes that I love. However, most of my true favorites are when I get the opportunity to reveal a new twist. So to post one of those here would be tantamount to spoiling the book.

I really love the scene in Awaken when Abby sings to Caleb. But I have offered that one here more than once every time the subject music comes up so I won’t do that one.

Instead I am turning to my latest in the Black Cougar series, Kane. The heroine of this book spends a great deal of time being angry, stressed, chased, or fighting the pull of Kane. But there is one small scene where she comes face to face with him in cougar form and I think it shows a softer more vulnerable side of her.

So without further ado:

Excerpt:

Lara hurriedly dressed in shorts and a tee before making a grab for her running shoes. Staying cooped up in this house for one minute more was out of the question. With little regard to whom or what she mightencounter around here, she was going for a run. She opened the front door and ran headlong into Kane. Fuck.
“Running away isn’t an option.”
“I’m not running away, I’m just running. I need to get out of this house and away from you for a while. Things are out of control.”
“The perimeter of the property is five miles, stay within it and you shouldn’t have any problems. Go outside it and you’re on your own.”
“Yes, Sir.” She gave him a mock salute to go with her smart-ass response and sprinted off the porch. Her legs were cold and unstretched so the first few minutes were a challenge, but once she warmed up she got up to full speed. Something about going for a run in nature always cleared her mind and lifted her mood.
The colors of the plants and trees exploded around her as she ran through the unfamiliar grounds, making sure to keep track of her distance as much as possible. The fresh scent of earth and wildlife perked up her senses as she made her away across a shallow stream. Tension and anger eventually gave way to the loose and lax sensation freedom always gave her. It had been far too long since she’d given herself a chance to stop and think. After a while of running the sweat soaked through her clothes and her energy began to wane, but the setting sun lured her to keep going and enjoy it for as long as possible.
She slowed to a stop and movement from the corner of her left eye caught her attention. She spun around, catching a quick glimpse of a large dark animal behind a stand of trees. A grizzly?
No, this was no bear, but she was being followed. “You can come out now.” She waited to see if he’d show himself.
The huge black cat bounded out from behind the tree and ran towards her. For a minute she held her breath and worried whether he would attack her. She presented him the perfect opportunity to carry out her death sentence. Without her magick she had nothing to protect herself. Damn, he really is humongous.
It slowed a few feet in front of her and stared at her with his golden eyes. This was the first time she’d gotten more than a fleeting glimpse of one of the black cougars. Malcolm had never shifted in front of her, and when she’d had to fight them there hadn’t been time to really look at them.
Seeing him like this twisted her up. He edged forward and nuzzled her hand and she scratched him behind his ears, loving the soft silky sensation of his fur. This complicated things. He complicated things. Hell, the whole situation did. Life had seemed simpler when her only goal had been to kill. Kill or be killed had been her whole life, even when she worked with Malcolm in her attempt to find a weakness.
She crouched down on her heels, bringing herself to eye level with Kane. “I didn’t need you to protect me out here, you know. I can take care of myself.” He purred under her hand and some of her anger dissipated. Apparently she was a sucker for a pretty face and a sexy purr. Who knew?
“You know, a little purring isn’t going to get us out of this mess.” She said her words through a smile and he nuzzled against her cheek, and lord help her, she nuzzled him right back. She couldn’t resist cuddling up with a sexy, sleek black cat whose sole purpose in life was killing. Or so she’d thought, but the more time she spent with Kane the more she came to realize he had a human side, too, not to mention a human body that made her scream so loud she would likely disturb anyone for miles.
All the emotions of the day crashed in on her, mixing in with this inexplicable draw to the cougar in her arms. She wanted him and she wanted peace. Her eyes slid closed on the thought and the air around her changed as he shifted back to the Kane she was beginning to know well. They looked at each other but neither spoke for a minute, reluctant to break the mood. He nudged at her neck again, this time with skin instead of fur. His lips traced across her neck and chin to her mouth where he probed and licked the inside.
With a certain weakness for his kisses she suddenly couldn’t remember why she was mad at him. It would come to her later. How could anyone be expected to think straight when her clit throbbed like a musical instrument? When his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her off balance, she fell forward, feeling much of his naked body pressed against her. Fuck, he feels good.
“You shouldn’t do that.” “Do what?” She wickedly licked a nipple, taking him by surprise. “Get aroused around a naked man who can smell you.”

Don’t forget to follow the trail and enjoy the rest of the wonderful snippet authors.

Jody Wallace
Mari Carr
Vivian Arend
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
Shelli Stevens
TJ Michaels