First Meeting from Technically Love by Dellani

Honoria McCormick has just started a new job at a small, regional theatre in Tennessee. Most recently from Orlando, Florida, she's finding adjusting a little more challenging than she thought. However, she met the apprentices at the theatre, and had dinner with them at their house. Late at night, she gets back to the cabin, where she's staying, and gets ready for bed.

Once in her nightshirt, Honoria dashed to the bed, turning off the light in the bathroom as she passed. It was chilly in the house and the thought of warm blankets and soft pillows was appealing. Jumping in the bed, she flung the blankets over her head, cuddling up for warmth. Suddenly, she became aware of the fact she wasn't alone. A warm, hard bodied form snuggled up behind her. A heavily muscled arm flopping over her waist. It was obviously a male body and he was very warm, alive and in her bed!

Screaming like Lisa had when the lizard jumped on her, Honoria launched herself out of the bed, holding the coverlet around herself for warmth and protection. The lamp beside the bed came on and a frowzy looking man with dark hair and a goatee sat up, staring at her.

"Who the hell are you?" she screeched.

"Who are you?" he inquired calmly, scratching his chest.

Honoria shivered, unable to ignore the muscular form under the sheet.

"Ted Bundy," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh, be serious."

"Jeffry Dahmer?"

"Seriously. Who?"

"Groucho Marx."

"Who the hell are you?" She picked up her shoe, ready to hurl it at him. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was all she had.

He seemed to be amused and trying hard not to laugh at her. "I have to admit, this is the chilliest reception I've ever gotten from a woman. I wonder if my feelings should be hurt." He lay on his side, eyeing her as much as she was him.

"I'll call the cops if you don't tell me who you are and how the hell you got in my room!"

"Freddy Prinz. Freddy Mercury? Al Gore. Bill Clinton?"

"Dammit! Tell me!" She threw her shoe at him.

He watched it clatter on the other side of the room, missing him by a yard or so. "Maybe you'll do better with the other one. It's about six inches stage right."

Honoria glanced down to see her other shoe. She left it there. "You're insufferable! I keep asking who you are!"

"I asked you first," though he hadn't. "Tell me who you are, I'll tell you who I am. That's how it works. An even exchange of information." He pointed to her, then himself.

"I'm Honey."

"Sweet," he smirked, laughing openly at her. "Chester," he replied, holding out his hand without getting up. "But you can call me Chet. Hell, you can call me anything you want, just get back in bed."

"What are you doing here?"

"I work here."

"I mean—here—here." She motioned wildly with one arm, indicating the room and the bed.

"Oh. This is my room. Why are you here?"

"I work here too. This is where Martha told me to put my stuff."

"She probably meant the other bedroom," he pointed across the room and down the hall.

"Other bedroom? I didn't know there was another one."

"Yeah." He pointed again. "So, are you coming back to bed?"

"No!"

"Your loss." He shrugged, his eyes doing a long sweep from her head to her toes. A slight leer twitched his mouth. "Okay. Well, I need the blanket back. It's chilly in here. Turn out the light when you go."

Honey tossed the blanket at him, grabbed her clothing and toothbrush, walking across the hall in a snit. The second bedroom was much smaller, but comfortable. She closed her door with a bang. There was no lock on the doorknob, so she dragged a chair in front of it, shoving it under the knob with a clatter. She could hear Chet laughing as she crawled in the bed, pulling the blankets over her head. It was nearly 2:00 before she finally fell into a troubled sleep where shoes with dark hair, goatees and disconcerting eyes taunted her.

© 2017 Dellani Oakes

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Sexy Without the Sex - Honoria

This novel is a work in progress and hasn't got a proper title. I named it after the main character, Honoria (call her Honey). Hired as the new Technical Director of a small, regional theatre, Honoria finds herself involved with one of the owner's sons, Chet. He's hot, he's jacked and he's crazy about Honey.

Every summer, Chet's family has a huge barbecue out at their home in the country. Chet and Honey have been dancing around their desire, mostly because she's concerned about a workplace romance. Finally, she throws caution to the wind and tells him how much she's attracted to him. However, after introducing her to his sisters, he's afraid she'll try to run his life like they do.

"If you can't make up your own mind and wipe your own ass, I don't want you. Even if you have the hardest abs in the state."

"Do you really think so?" He raised his shirt, examining his abs.

"Chet, you are so jacked, it's not fair! I want to rub my hands all over you! You have to know you're the sexiest thing around here. Don't you?"

He shook his head, a puzzled grin on his face. "Not really. I guess I hadn't thought about it. I don't look all that much better than I they do." He jerked his thumb behind him.

Honey stopped and faced him. They were near a large, spreading tree. She pushed him up against it, kissing him hard and deep. She had never kissed a man that way, like she wanted to eat him. He responded in kind, pulling her to him as he leaned against the tree. His strong arms were unyielding, his mouth demanding hers. His hands explored the curves of her body. She felt his desire growing and throbbing in his pants. He wanted her as badly as she wanted him. They worked together and that should have stopped her, but she had finally decided that she was tired of playing safe. She was sick of worrying about what might happen and wanted to concentrate on what would probably be the best sex she'd ever have in her life.

His lips moved to her neck, then down to her breasts as she pressed against him, bringing his head to her chest. She clutched his hair, pulling his mouth back to hers. They groped and struggled in the confines of the tree, doing everything but the actual deed. Fully clothed, they molested one another, fiercely kissing, their foreplay almost violent in nature.

"Honey, I want you."

"I know," she gasped as his lips found her nipples. "I want you too."

"Let's go back to the guest house. We can grab a quickie before dinner."

Honey giggled, kissing him deeply. "I refuse to grab a quickie. When we make love, we will savor every moment, not hump like a couple of horny teenagers in the backseat of a car."

Chet moaned as she rubbed her hand up his thigh and between his legs, feeling his size and firmness.

"I'm going to love you so hard it hurts," she promised.

"Do you like it rough?" He looked rather surprised.

"No, it will be so sweet it's painful."

Suddenly, the ferocity dissipated. They were left with the intoxicating sultry desire they had before when they first kissed. Honey was filled with a warm certainty that this was a man she could grow to love in a very short time. She really liked him, and was sure that it could be more.

"We shouldn't rush," she whispered.

Chet moaned with disappointed frustration. "You just had your hands all over my dick and now you're telling me we should wait? I'm so hot for you now, I'm going to have to jump naked in the pool just to cool down!"

"I know. I'm sorry."

"No, no. Sorry isn't good enough, Honey. I want it all. I won't be satisfied with anything but all of you." His kiss got more emphatic.

Honey lost herself in passion once more. They clung to one another, kissing and touching. Just when Honey was afraid her resolve was about to crumble, a loud dinner gong sounded, spreading the news that the food was ready.

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I Love Dialogue! - Excerpt from Honoria

This novel is still a work in progress and hasn't got a proper name. I simply named it Honoria after the main character. Honoria (call me Honey) is a the new Technical Director for a small, regional theatre in Tennessee. She meets Chet, the son of the owners, late one night, when she accidentally gets in bed with him, then proceeds to scream and throw her shoe at him.

The next day, she meets his twin brother, Ed, who joins them at a start of the summer barbecue hosted by their parents. The Lighting of the Grill is a big deal at their house. Ed and Honey sit back to watch. I like this scene because, although it has some humorous elements, it's not all funny. Ed is an interesting and complex character. He's a support role, but a very interesting one, who fortunately didn't try to take over the book.

Ray was already at the main house working outside with his father and Chet's, struggling to light the grill. It was really more like a fire pit. A huge brick structure, about three feet square. It had vents and an area for wood and charcoal under a grill made from metal grid work.

"You still don't have that lit?" Chet walked over to help.

Eddie took Honey's elbow, steering her to the large back porch and deck area. There were several coolers around. He led her up to them.

"Blue is beer, red is soft drinks," he explained. "White is ice. Name your poison."

"I'll take a beer."

She rarely indulged, but tonight was special, she didn't have to drive home. He handed her a cold Heineken, dropping the cooler lid with a thump. Pointing to the men at the grill, he chuckled.

"They'll be at it awhile. Each has a very distinct opinion as to how it should be lit. It's a long debate every time."

"Who wins?" Honey was interested despite herself.

"Whoever actually lights the sucker." Eddie led her to a picnic table under a tree. "So far this year Chet and Uncle Ed are tied at two, Ray's next at one and Dad's zero. Dad's usually at zero."

"Bummer. What's your score?"

"I don't actually enter the debate," Eddie explained. "I sit around and make caustic, biting remarks, throw in my two cents and make a complete pain in the ass of myself."

"I see. So you don't offer anything constructive?"

"I function best in an advisory capacity. Excuse me for a second." He walked over, looked at what they were doing, clucked his tongue and shook his head. "If you do that, you'll set yourselves on fire."

"Shut up, Eddie," they chorused.

"Don't say I didn't warn you when the paramedics arrive."

Saluting with his beer, he sat back down languidly. He stretched out his long legs, crossing his ankles as he leaned an elbow on the table. Honey stared at his profile for a full minute before she realized she was staring. Blinking rapidly, she dropped her gaze.

"It's all right," he said without looking at her. "I don't mind if you stare at me." His dark eyes flickered toward hers. "I rather like it." He smiled, so like Chet it was disarming.

"I'm sorry. I was noticing similarities," she stammered. "You look so much alike."

"We're not identical," he explained. "But we look it."

"There are a few differences," she stammered, glancing at Chet by the grill.

"Like what?"

"Your eyes aren't as dark as his. And the shape of your mouth and jaw, not quite the same." She pointed indistinctly, feebly motioning with her finger at her own lips.

"I'm not a lot like him," he commented in a flat tone. "I'm not the warm, cuddly type he is. I'm actually rather a cold, sarcastic bastard."

"I think that's for show." Honoria observed quietly. "I think you're really incredibly insecure and use sarcasm to protect yourself from getting hurt."

He took a long pull at his beer. "Interesting observation." He wouldn't look at her.

"And I'm right."

"I didn't say that." His eyes cast angrily her way.

"You didn't have to. The expression in your eyes changed. I hit it right on the head. But admitting it would mean I'd gotten too close and you don't like that."

"I'm not disagreeing with you. Go on, Dr. Freud."

"I have to wonder what hurt you so much that your confidence is that damaged. Pardon my stating the obvious, but you're totally gorgeous. You're intelligent and you have a funny, if scathing, sense of humor. So why do you try so hard to keep people away?"

"No, really. Is that what you think? Do go on." His voice was cold, his manner terse.

"Sorry. I've offended you."

"Actually, I'm fascinated. I never knew all this about myself." His dark eyes flashed dangerously. "Don't think that because you've said all this that we'll be bosom buddies for life."

"I never thought. . . ."

"You're so sure you have me figured out. I'm not saying you're right, but I'm not disagreeing either. Life's short and full of shit." He shrugged. "People fall in love, they die, such is life." He knocked back the rest of his beer.

The fire in the grill started suddenly, making the four men around it jump back with a startled yell. Honoria's attention was directed toward them for a moment. When she turned back, Ed was gone.

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