LIVE 

Excerpt

 

     By early afternoon, she had a comfortable buzz from the rum and fruit juice she'd been drinking, enough so that her intense pain from losing Aunt Mary, her namesake with a different spelling, was blunted. Enough so her unreasonable jealousy of her best friend spending time with her new baby rather than Merrie was dimmed.

     Enough so that she no longer wanted to rip the balls off her boyfriend who had decided to choose celibacy over her. She was so over him. In fact, she was feeling so happy she was on the verge of giggling.

     Giggling she didn't want to stop when the band that had been setting up started to play a reggae version of White Christmas. Nice to have music in the afternoon, she decided. Traditional reggae songs followed, one after the other.

     The beat was infectious and she tapped her foot to the rhythm. Others were dancing, so she walked to the small dance floor and joined in, swinging her hips, dancing in place.

     As she watched the band, the conga player caught her attention. His short dreadlocks bounced in rhythm as he played. The muscles underneath the caramel skin of his forearms flexed tantalizingly. His hands danced over the drum, creating a pulsing beat that sang in her blood.

     She caught him watching her. Looking directly at him, she danced more suggestively, slowing the movement of her hips.

     Sparks sizzled in her blood in a way they hadn't with the useless ex nor when she'd ogled the guys on the beach. Now, she imagined his long fingers dancing over her body, plucking her nipples, stroking her breasts. As she danced, she slid her palms down her sides, imagining he was touching her.

     When he smiled, white teeth gleamed in contrast to his toasty skin. She tossed her head so her hair swirled, then she grinned back. His eyes widened and he skipped a beat. He quickly averted his gaze and attended to his drum, but the smile still curved his firm, sensual lips.

     Her movements more languid now, she imagined those lips kissing her ...