This month our only prompt is to post a piece of your writing, be it a short story, or an excerpt from a book. Since it's the holiday season, I'm posting the beginning of Veronica's visit with Raul out at his mansion in LA. She's never been to California, but his studio commitments won't allow for him to visit with her in Grand Marais, MN. Against all odds, they've fallen in love. Will it last? That's the big question. Note: this is the first book in the Minnesota Romances series.
This book will be available for FREE Dec. 18th through Jan. 1st, only by ordering it here: www.smashwords.com/books/view/1012003
Blurb:Can a sexy Hispanic action movie star find himself in the BWCA of upper Minnesota? Will the local woman he grows to love believe someone who "lies for a living"? Can their relationship progress beyond its rocky start? And can Raul discover what is really important in life?
When she got off the plane she knew not to look for Raul. He told her that if he were to be seen in a public place like that on such a crowded day, the resulting publicity would force them to run to dodge the paparazzi. Instead, he had a young boy about ten years old waiting for her, holding a sign with her name on it.
She smiled at the boy as she got close to him, and he nodded at her. "He showed me your picture, señorita. You are much more bonita in person," he said shyly.
She followed him out to the madhouse of cars pulling in to pick people up, and they waited until he saw the right limo and waved it over. He opened the back door for her and she reached for her wallet to tip him.
"Oh, no, señorita," he exclaimed. "Señor Roderick has taken care of the payment! ¡Felices Navidades!" And he darted away into the holiday crowd.
She looked into the back seat to where her love was waiting for her. She sat down and pulled the door closed behind her. "Raul! I'm so glad to be here," Veronica began.
Raul answered by pulling her close and covering her face with kisses. "I've missed you so much!" He said in-between pressing her lips with his and licking at her face as if he needed to taste her.
"Um-hm," she moaned as she opened her mouth and their tongues dueled with each other.
Neither of them noticed how long the ride to his house took, since they were so busy touching as much of each other as possible, while still keeping their clothing on. At one point Raul slipped his hands under her shirt as if he would pull it off, but Veronica was mortified, nodding her head to indicate the driver might see.
"He's been told not to open the partition, so we have privacy back here," Raul began.
"I don't care! I'm not going to risk having someone snap a picture of my boobs that might make it onto social media! I'm not famous like you, so I'm not used to having to think about things like that. But I'm also not about to flash anyone with internet access. I'd never be able to face my family and friends again."
Raul smiled as he removed his hands from under her shirt. "Okay, my shy señorita, But once we are in my house, you aren't allowed to wear anything except lingerie."
"Agreed."
The limo stopped and the driver opened the door for Raul, who held his hand out for Veronica to take as she slid across the seat to get out with him. She looked beyond him and gasped. "That's your house?"
He grinned at the shocked look on her face. "Actually, I have one of the more modest houses on this block. You should see my neighbors' mansions."
"How do you find your way in that? Do you have to drop breadcrumbs so you can find your way back to the bedroom if you get up to pee?"
The limo driver coughed to cover up his laughter.
Raul paid him then picked up Veronica's bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on, Cinderella. Welcome to the castle of your prince."
She stuck her tongue out at him but followed him up to the giant porch that wrapped all around the house. He knocked and a butler opened the door for him, officiously bowing to Veronica. "Welcome, señorita." He flashed teeth that looked very white against his dark skin as he smiled.
She nodded, staring around at the opulence of the foyer.
"Is everything ready, Edilberto?" Raul asked quietly.
"Sí, señor."
"Then you are dismissed for the evening. And remember to share my greetings to your family for the holidays. Enjoy your week off."
The man nodded vigorously. "Gracias, señor." As he left the room, he turned at the doorway on the opposite end. "¡Felices Navidades, y buenos nueve año!"
Raul turned back to Veronica, who was standing shock-still in the same place. "Don't you like my house?"
She shook her head. "I'm in shock. I've never even seen a house this big except in magazines. Now that I'm in it, I really think I'll have to drop pebbles or something, to find my way back if I wander around."
He began to walk in the same direction that Edilberto had gone. "Come on back here, my love. Let me show you what I have planned to welcome you here."
As she entered the dining room in the back of the house, her nostrils were assailed by various smells of delicious foods. She stared in awe at the table that held platter of tamales, grilled meat and vegetables, and a round covered bowl shaped to hold tortillas.
"What is all of this?"
"A traditional Mexican-style feast for us to celebrate being together for the Navidad." He went over to a punch bowl and used the ladle to fill two glasses with a red liquid. He walked back to Veronica and offered her one of the glasses. "Edilberto makes an excellent sangria. And his wife made the food. Between them, I am very well-fed. I asked them to make a meal that would let my señorita know how much she means to me. Even the salsa is home-made."
"Do we serve ourselves?"
He nodded. "Yes. I've given both of them the entire week off. I figure that you know how to cook, and we want to be naked for most of the time. I'll worry about cleaning everything up after you leave. For this whole week, I want to focus only on you and how much I love you. You have changed my life, Nica, and for the better. That alone, is worth celebrating."
As they ate, they talked constantly, updating each other on what had been going on in their lives, and sharing anecdotes. Once they had both eaten all they could, Raul got up and brought two coffee cups and an urn over to the table. "I hope you don't mind that we had to eat first," he winked at her. "But Edilberto and Laura both felt so guilty that I'm paying them for their week off, that they insisted on having all of the food at eating temperature when we walked in the door. Laura left when I headed out in the limo. She had to get started on cooking for their family. But I didn't want to insult them by telling them we wouldn't be eating until after we had wild monkey sex in the foyer. So I agreed that we would eat as soon as we got back."
Veronica smiled as she sipped the coffee."Umm! Delicious! What's in it? Cinnamon?"
"Yes, and a hint of chocolate. If you think all of this was good, wait'll you try Laura's flan!"
She rubbed her belly. "Flan? I'm already going to need to digest for hours!"
He winked at her. "We can go relax in the Jacuzzi out by the pool. I'll bring the punch bowl out there, and we can continue to celebrate by the light of the moon. No stars, of course, since there's so much damn light pollution here. But we can pretend we see them like up by you."
As they sipped their coffee, Veronica asked, "Is everyone who works for you Hispanic?"
Raul nodded. "Yes. I try to spread the wealth around to my fellow Hispanicos. In a state where there are so many of us, most don't make even minimum wage, since they're agricultural workers or day-laborers. That's why Edilberto and Laura were so insistent that they make so much food for us before she went home to make their family's feast. Neither of them have ever had a paid vacation before, even for the holidays. I didn't have the heart to tell them it's because I'm too selfish to share you with anyone else."
Veronica smiled. "But you didn't have to offer to pay them, just to give them some time off."
Raul shrugged. "What can I say? I met this woman--a beautiful blonde goddess, and she has touched my soul. I'm not the man I used to be. I feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge, after all the ghost have visited. In any small way possible, I want to help other people like you helped me. Besides, they are such hard workers, and they have six kids. They can use the money, and I know they'll appreciate being able to celebrate without having to come and clean up after me, for a change."
"And the limo driver? And the kid at the airport?"
Raul nodded. "As I said, I'm learning to like spreading my wealth around." He noticed her empty cup. "Are you ready for the flan, or just for more coffee?"
"I think I can fit a little bit of flan into me. Then we need to get all of this food put away, so we can reheat it for the next time. Getting up and moving around will help my digestion."
"Then we can head out to the Jacuzzi?"
"You just want to see me naked," she teased.
He nodded vigorously. "Why yes--yes I do. But then you already knew that."
She giggled. "Bring on the flan."
After the first spoonful, Veronica sighed. "Oh my! This is the creamiest, sweetest thing I've ever had on my tongue!"
Raul shook his head. "It's a close second. But you are the creamiest, sweetest thing I've ever had on my tongue."
When Veronica blushed, he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Why Nica, mi cariña. You're blushing. Quite a nice shade of pink, I might add. The same shade of pink your whole body turns when you come hard."
"I think it's time to put away the food. I need to move around to digest my dinner. Otherwise I'm going to jump you right here in the dining room and force you to make good on all of these promises of wild sex you've been making."
"Ah--my Nica. Woman of my dreams. The kitchen's in that direction." He inclined his head.
They spent the next half-hour cleaning up after their feast. Then Raul carried the punch bowl with the ladle in it, and Veronica carried the glasses. When they got out to the pool area she pointed and laughed.
"A Christmas tree out by the pool?"
Raul nodded. "It's how we roll out here in LALA-Land. Remember, we never get any snow. Notice the white flecking on the branches? It's similar to the stuff we used on the set when we were supposed to be trudging our way through four feet of snow. It looks real, but like mostly everything out here, it's fake. It's made of sugar and plastic."
He put the punch bowl down and held out his arms to pull Veronica into them. He inhaled deeply with his nose buried in her hair, before it traveled down to her neck. He nibbled at her ear lobe, making her squirm.
"Now, querida, it's time for you to give me what I want the most for Christmas this year--you, naked and at my mercy."
"As long as I get you naked also, señor. I like to look as much as you do!"
"On the count of three? One. Two. Three!"
They both stripped and climbed down into the Jacuzzi that was sunken into the tile next to the pool. Raul had put the punch bowl within easy reach, and he ladled some sangria into each of their glasses. They clinked their glasses together.
"A toast. To our first Christmas spent together. And to having a whole week of you to myself, with no jobs or family to interrupt."
Veronica nodded. "I've never been away from my family at Christmas before. It would feel weird if I wasn't so happy to be with you."
Raul smiled. "You are my family now, Nica."
* * * *
Blurb:Can a sexy Hispanic action movie star find himself in the BWCA of upper Minnesota? Will the local woman he grows to love believe someone who "lies for a living"? Can their relationship progress beyond its rocky start? And can Raul discover what is really important in life?
When she got off the plane she knew not to look for Raul. He told her that if he were to be seen in a public place like that on such a crowded day, the resulting publicity would force them to run to dodge the paparazzi. Instead, he had a young boy about ten years old waiting for her, holding a sign with her name on it.
She smiled at the boy as she got close to him, and he nodded at her. "He showed me your picture, señorita. You are much more bonita in person," he said shyly.
She followed him out to the madhouse of cars pulling in to pick people up, and they waited until he saw the right limo and waved it over. He opened the back door for her and she reached for her wallet to tip him.
"Oh, no, señorita," he exclaimed. "Señor Roderick has taken care of the payment! ¡Felices Navidades!" And he darted away into the holiday crowd.
She looked into the back seat to where her love was waiting for her. She sat down and pulled the door closed behind her. "Raul! I'm so glad to be here," Veronica began.
Raul answered by pulling her close and covering her face with kisses. "I've missed you so much!" He said in-between pressing her lips with his and licking at her face as if he needed to taste her.
"Um-hm," she moaned as she opened her mouth and their tongues dueled with each other.
Neither of them noticed how long the ride to his house took, since they were so busy touching as much of each other as possible, while still keeping their clothing on. At one point Raul slipped his hands under her shirt as if he would pull it off, but Veronica was mortified, nodding her head to indicate the driver might see.
"He's been told not to open the partition, so we have privacy back here," Raul began.
"I don't care! I'm not going to risk having someone snap a picture of my boobs that might make it onto social media! I'm not famous like you, so I'm not used to having to think about things like that. But I'm also not about to flash anyone with internet access. I'd never be able to face my family and friends again."
Raul smiled as he removed his hands from under her shirt. "Okay, my shy señorita, But once we are in my house, you aren't allowed to wear anything except lingerie."
"Agreed."
The limo stopped and the driver opened the door for Raul, who held his hand out for Veronica to take as she slid across the seat to get out with him. She looked beyond him and gasped. "That's your house?"
He grinned at the shocked look on her face. "Actually, I have one of the more modest houses on this block. You should see my neighbors' mansions."
"How do you find your way in that? Do you have to drop breadcrumbs so you can find your way back to the bedroom if you get up to pee?"
The limo driver coughed to cover up his laughter.
Raul paid him then picked up Veronica's bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Come on, Cinderella. Welcome to the castle of your prince."
She stuck her tongue out at him but followed him up to the giant porch that wrapped all around the house. He knocked and a butler opened the door for him, officiously bowing to Veronica. "Welcome, señorita." He flashed teeth that looked very white against his dark skin as he smiled.
She nodded, staring around at the opulence of the foyer.
"Is everything ready, Edilberto?" Raul asked quietly.
"Sí, señor."
"Then you are dismissed for the evening. And remember to share my greetings to your family for the holidays. Enjoy your week off."
The man nodded vigorously. "Gracias, señor." As he left the room, he turned at the doorway on the opposite end. "¡Felices Navidades, y buenos nueve año!"
Raul turned back to Veronica, who was standing shock-still in the same place. "Don't you like my house?"
She shook her head. "I'm in shock. I've never even seen a house this big except in magazines. Now that I'm in it, I really think I'll have to drop pebbles or something, to find my way back if I wander around."
He began to walk in the same direction that Edilberto had gone. "Come on back here, my love. Let me show you what I have planned to welcome you here."
As she entered the dining room in the back of the house, her nostrils were assailed by various smells of delicious foods. She stared in awe at the table that held platter of tamales, grilled meat and vegetables, and a round covered bowl shaped to hold tortillas.
"What is all of this?"
"A traditional Mexican-style feast for us to celebrate being together for the Navidad." He went over to a punch bowl and used the ladle to fill two glasses with a red liquid. He walked back to Veronica and offered her one of the glasses. "Edilberto makes an excellent sangria. And his wife made the food. Between them, I am very well-fed. I asked them to make a meal that would let my señorita know how much she means to me. Even the salsa is home-made."
"Do we serve ourselves?"
He nodded. "Yes. I've given both of them the entire week off. I figure that you know how to cook, and we want to be naked for most of the time. I'll worry about cleaning everything up after you leave. For this whole week, I want to focus only on you and how much I love you. You have changed my life, Nica, and for the better. That alone, is worth celebrating."
As they ate, they talked constantly, updating each other on what had been going on in their lives, and sharing anecdotes. Once they had both eaten all they could, Raul got up and brought two coffee cups and an urn over to the table. "I hope you don't mind that we had to eat first," he winked at her. "But Edilberto and Laura both felt so guilty that I'm paying them for their week off, that they insisted on having all of the food at eating temperature when we walked in the door. Laura left when I headed out in the limo. She had to get started on cooking for their family. But I didn't want to insult them by telling them we wouldn't be eating until after we had wild monkey sex in the foyer. So I agreed that we would eat as soon as we got back."
Veronica smiled as she sipped the coffee."Umm! Delicious! What's in it? Cinnamon?"
"Yes, and a hint of chocolate. If you think all of this was good, wait'll you try Laura's flan!"
She rubbed her belly. "Flan? I'm already going to need to digest for hours!"
He winked at her. "We can go relax in the Jacuzzi out by the pool. I'll bring the punch bowl out there, and we can continue to celebrate by the light of the moon. No stars, of course, since there's so much damn light pollution here. But we can pretend we see them like up by you."
As they sipped their coffee, Veronica asked, "Is everyone who works for you Hispanic?"
Raul nodded. "Yes. I try to spread the wealth around to my fellow Hispanicos. In a state where there are so many of us, most don't make even minimum wage, since they're agricultural workers or day-laborers. That's why Edilberto and Laura were so insistent that they make so much food for us before she went home to make their family's feast. Neither of them have ever had a paid vacation before, even for the holidays. I didn't have the heart to tell them it's because I'm too selfish to share you with anyone else."
Veronica smiled. "But you didn't have to offer to pay them, just to give them some time off."
Raul shrugged. "What can I say? I met this woman--a beautiful blonde goddess, and she has touched my soul. I'm not the man I used to be. I feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge, after all the ghost have visited. In any small way possible, I want to help other people like you helped me. Besides, they are such hard workers, and they have six kids. They can use the money, and I know they'll appreciate being able to celebrate without having to come and clean up after me, for a change."
"And the limo driver? And the kid at the airport?"
Raul nodded. "As I said, I'm learning to like spreading my wealth around." He noticed her empty cup. "Are you ready for the flan, or just for more coffee?"
"I think I can fit a little bit of flan into me. Then we need to get all of this food put away, so we can reheat it for the next time. Getting up and moving around will help my digestion."
"Then we can head out to the Jacuzzi?"
"You just want to see me naked," she teased.
He nodded vigorously. "Why yes--yes I do. But then you already knew that."
She giggled. "Bring on the flan."
After the first spoonful, Veronica sighed. "Oh my! This is the creamiest, sweetest thing I've ever had on my tongue!"
Raul shook his head. "It's a close second. But you are the creamiest, sweetest thing I've ever had on my tongue."
When Veronica blushed, he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "Why Nica, mi cariña. You're blushing. Quite a nice shade of pink, I might add. The same shade of pink your whole body turns when you come hard."
"I think it's time to put away the food. I need to move around to digest my dinner. Otherwise I'm going to jump you right here in the dining room and force you to make good on all of these promises of wild sex you've been making."
"Ah--my Nica. Woman of my dreams. The kitchen's in that direction." He inclined his head.
They spent the next half-hour cleaning up after their feast. Then Raul carried the punch bowl with the ladle in it, and Veronica carried the glasses. When they got out to the pool area she pointed and laughed.
"A Christmas tree out by the pool?"
Raul nodded. "It's how we roll out here in LALA-Land. Remember, we never get any snow. Notice the white flecking on the branches? It's similar to the stuff we used on the set when we were supposed to be trudging our way through four feet of snow. It looks real, but like mostly everything out here, it's fake. It's made of sugar and plastic."
He put the punch bowl down and held out his arms to pull Veronica into them. He inhaled deeply with his nose buried in her hair, before it traveled down to her neck. He nibbled at her ear lobe, making her squirm.
"Now, querida, it's time for you to give me what I want the most for Christmas this year--you, naked and at my mercy."
"As long as I get you naked also, señor. I like to look as much as you do!"
"On the count of three? One. Two. Three!"
They both stripped and climbed down into the Jacuzzi that was sunken into the tile next to the pool. Raul had put the punch bowl within easy reach, and he ladled some sangria into each of their glasses. They clinked their glasses together.
"A toast. To our first Christmas spent together. And to having a whole week of you to myself, with no jobs or family to interrupt."
Veronica nodded. "I've never been away from my family at Christmas before. It would feel weird if I wasn't so happy to be with you."
Raul smiled. "You are my family now, Nica."
* * * *
Also free from Dec. 18th-Jan. 1st, Secret Lover, first book in the Female Secret Agents series.
Blurb: Sheena has spent 12 years saving the world, one assignment at a time. She enjoys the work, but is getting bored. She tries her usual cure; a new man. What starts out as a hot affair with a famous action movie star becomes serious--she develops feelings. And in her world, even having feelings is dangerous. Indulging them by falling in love can be deadly--for both of them.
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1016428
* * * *
What are the other authors on the blog-hop gifting us with? Find out!
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-29F
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
Blurb: Sheena has spent 12 years saving the world, one assignment at a time. She enjoys the work, but is getting bored. She tries her usual cure; a new man. What starts out as a hot affair with a famous action movie star becomes serious--she develops feelings. And in her world, even having feelings is dangerous. Indulging them by falling in love can be deadly--for both of them.
www.smashwords.com/books/view/1016428
* * * *
What are the other authors on the blog-hop gifting us with? Find out!
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-29F
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Margaret Fieland http://margaretfieland.wordpress.com
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
