I'm thrilled to welcome author C.A. Szarek back to my blog. Not only is she sharing an excerpt from her new novel
The Tartan MP3 Player but she's also answering a few questions for my feature, One Last Time. If you're curious about C.A.'s last celebrity crush or the chore that makes her go Ewww, keep reading!
1. Last person I kissed...
Hmmm, I am pretty sure hubs gets this one. LOL.
2. 2. Last time I said "I love you"...
Today! When I said goodbye to some good friends from attending a conference hosted by my writer group. I told my hubs the same when I got home. J
3. 3. Last celebrity crush...
There are too many to count. I adore The Rock. A more recent one that has come on to the radar is Tom Mison, from Sleepy Hollow. Gosh he’s hot. And I adore Alex O’Loughlin from Hawaii 5-O.
4. Last chore I did...
Took out the trash. Ewww. But necessary.
5. Last thing I do before bed...
Read usually. It’s my time to unwind before I sleep. I love it. Me time in a different way than writing is.
6. Last time I cursed...
Lol. Probably today. I kinda have a potty mouth. Those who know me well can attest…
7. Last time I had fried food...
Hmmm…Friday. Chicken fingers, and they were yummy! LOL!
The Tartan MP3 Player excerpt
Claire gets sucked
into 1672, naked and scared. Duncan rescues her only to realize she's the key
to finding his brother who was kidnapped by the Fae. Can they work together and
both get what they want? Will sudden passion for each other change their goals?
“I’m going
with you.”
A week had
past and neither of them was closer to what they wanted.
Home
for Claire and Alex for Duncan.
She still
couldn’t remember anything before ‘waking up’ on the beach of Skye. Or how
she’d got to his time. Even though he was convinced she’d travelled through the
Faery Stones.
And Duncan
was supposed to leave in the morning to continue his quest for them.
He laughed
long and hard. “A lass on a pirate ship. Sorry, but it’s not a pleasure cruise.
I’ve told ye what I seek. We’ll figure out another way ye can help.”
“Right.”
Claire took a deep breath. “Your purpose is my
purpose. You want to find your brother, and I want to get home.”
But did she?
Claire was
already fond of this huge Highlander.
More
than fond?
Her heart
stuttered, but she ignored it. Duncan had been nothing but kind and honorable
with her, even if his whole clan—his whole family—assumed she was sleeping with
him.
Sleeping
yes—as in his bed.
Every night.
Sex?
Not so much.
God, I wish.
Duncan said
nothing, but he stared at her like he always did.
Claire took
a step toward him, closing the distance between them in his office—ledger
room—he’d called it. “We’ve talked about this. You need my help, and I want to help. Besides, maybe I can sense
something, or something will jog my memory. And I can figure out how I got to
that beach. It’s worth a shot.”
His massive
chest rose and fell as he let out an audible breath.
Claire was
holding hers.
Duncan was
her familiar in this very foreign
land of the past since she’d been here. She couldn’t imagine being left in the
castle while he was gone for possibly months.
She adored
his sister, liked his father all right, and of course little Angus, but… the
thought of Duncan leaving her churned her stomach.
Historical
romance novels hadn’t covered just how difficult life in this time was. Hard work, and boring with no TV,
movies, not even her damn MP3 player. What was worse, she couldn’t read or
speak Gaelic or Latin, so the books here were out, too.
No
automation. Everything was manual
labor, even cooking and laundry. Being a guest, she wasn’t expected to help
Janet and the female staff with the castle day-to-day, but she didn’t want to
sit around and be useless.
So Claire
had been scrubbing floors on all fours, using a washboard to clean clothing and
bed linens. Even smacking the dust out of tapestries.
She was a
decent cook, so the previous night she’d helped in the kitchens, preparing a
stew the men had seemed to enjoy, but she’d drawn the line at killing, even if
she’d cooked and eaten the meat.
The archaic
defined roles of the sexes were irritating but not a surprise.
On the other
hand, the simplicity of life here appealed. And smiles meant the same. Love was
the same.
Duncan’s
people were kind and had welcomed her. Not even questioned her presence at Dunvegan,
or in his rooms…in his bed.
“I see yer
wisdom there.” He crossed his arms. “I don’ like it. My men…are ruffians.”
His thick
brogue, leaving off the t whenever he
said ‘don’t’ still made her heart
beat harder. The man was pure sex.
Claire took
two more steps. She could feel the heat coming off his body. “You’ll protect
me.” She wanted to inch even closer. If he reached for her, she could be in his
arms in seconds. A tremor shot down her spine.
“Will I
now?” One corner of his mouth shot up. Amusement wrapped Duncan’s words and
Claire’s heartbeat kicked up another notch.
“Aye.” She
winked as she said his word.
Duncan
smiled, and her stomach fluttered. “How’s that?” He bent his head low.
She gasped.
His lips
hovered over hers.
Please, God.
Let it happen finally.
Please kiss me.
“Because
you’re going to tell them I’m yours.”
Duncan
growled—honest to God growled. Then his mouth crashed down on hers.
Claire
moaned and moved into his chest as well as into his kiss.
He forced
his tongue into her mouth, but she had no intention of fighting him. She
slanted her lips under his and kissed him back as Duncan wrapped his arms
around her.
She’d not
bothered with a chemise that morning, and the stupid wool of her skirt made her
thighs itch as it brushed her skin.
His massive
hands cupping her ass and lifting her scattered Claire’s thoughts and she
whimpered into Duncan’s mouth.
He slammed
his pelvis into hers and she melted, pushing right back.
God,
she wanted him.
Burned for
him.
Sleeping in
his bed, but not in his arms just left her with blue balls, especially the two
nights he’d held her instead of avoiding contact.
Was it
finally going to happen?
The
Highlanders in her damn books never had as much control as Duncan MacLeod.
Unless he
didn’t want her—scratch that. An erection was pressing into her stomach.
Claire
rocked into him, kissing him harder and squeezing her arms around his neck.
“Jesu,
lass.” Duncan yanked away from her mouth, resting his forehead against hers.
His hard chest pushed into her breasts as he panted. His high cheekbones were
flushed with color.
“Duncan, I
want you.”
Buylinks for the Tartan MP3 Player:
Where to
find C.A.:
Twitter: @caszarek
.jpg)
