#lovewritechat Flash Fiction- September 16, 2014

Welcome to my site, Making Romance Magical! If you've joined me from Gemma Brocato's site, I'm sure you enjoyed her piece. If you missed her, be sure to hop back. She's awesome!
This week we are challenged to write a short story of 300 words or less based on this gif.

This is from a work-in-progress I started years ago, but I love the chemistry so much between the characters that I dug up the manuscript, stripped the scene down to bare bones to get it to 301 words. I love Jake (former naval officer who now owns a bookstore in the Keys). A man accustomed to violence who chooses a life filled with books, friends, and relaxation, a real Renaissance man. A hero in every way.

           Jake was way out of Brooke’s league. And dating him would break rules three and seven: five years younger and he had facial hair.

            Dark hair shorn short but stylish with a perfectly trimmed goatee lent a dangerous edge to the handsome bookstore/coffee shop owner. His gaze settled on her, making her reconsider how deeply in stone her rules were etched.

            Business slowed and he joined her at her table. Heat raced through her and her pulse stuttered with the rub of his thumb over the back of her hand. 

            “Have dinner with me tonight.”   

            Just like that, the rules crumbled to dust along with her power of intelligent speech.

            She shucked off her nagging insecurities. “Okay.”

            “Okay what?’

            “Okay, I’ll have dinner with you.”  She laughed, more relaxed. “When and where?”

            “Seven.  I’ll pick you up.” 

            “I’d just as soon meet you wherever we’re eating.”

            “So you can dump me if it doesn’t work out?”

            “You know me so well.”

            “Not as well as I’d like to.”  He leaned toward her, his breath caressing her chin. His mouth hovered a whisper from her lips. He dropped a kiss, delicate as a butterfly, at the corner of her mouth, drew back. She forgot to breathe.  Shivers ran down her spine when his fingertips stroked her jaw, trailed down her neck.         

            Dragging in a breath, she could do no more than stare into his molten brown eyes. Another butterfly kiss brushed her brow and broke her from her reverie.

            Unable to keep the lingering doubt at bay,  she blurted, “Why do you want to go out with me?”

            “I like you.  I like spending time with you.  You’re sweet, smart, intuitive. You have a sexy body and soft lips.  And I want to drown in your eyes while we make love.”



Whew! Taking a moment to cool off with ice water. Keep on hopping to J R Richardson, writer of contemporary, paranormal, mystery, thriller. Ah, hell, if it's some sort of romance, chances are she's writing it. And beautifully!