Monday, January 02, 2012

No Kiss Blogfest, Year Three

It is the Third Annual No-Kiss Blogfest today, hosted again by the fabulous Ms. Mallis. Be sure to check out all the other participants for a no-kiss festival of fun.

My unkiss comes from my Pirithous book (I really have to come up with a title for this thing) wherein Pirithous, son of Zeus, is finally released from the Underworld and the chair of forgetfulness 3000 years later, and finds himself in upstate New York on a mission for the goddess Persephone. After acquiring English (by the grace of Hermes), he makes it his business to get to know Thalia -- the reckless woman who has so foolishly offered him a couch to sleep on.
Thalia seemed completely herself again, pulling him by the hand through another door and down a staircase that led to some kind of storage room beneath the main rooms above. He studied the wood beams of the ceiling, admiring the craftsmanship, but Thalia tugged at his hand again and he followed her into a smaller chamber, ducking his head to pass through the doorway.

“What would you like? Red or white?”

Rows of glass bottles lay on their sides within a shelf purpose-built into the wall. He freed one, the dark liquid sloshing gently inside. A strange way to keep wine, in such small vessels. But it seemed as though they did not drink it by the krater, what with that other foul-sweet substance she’d offered him earlier. Coke? His mouth still felt coated by it. Why would she drink that foaming liquid when she had wine in this quantity?

“Red it is, then.” She took the bottle from his hand, then wrinkled her nose. “But not this one. My brother will kill me. Um.”

She slipped in front of him, rising to her toes and reaching up to put the bottle back. He inhaled the scent of her hair, felt the warmth of her body as it brushed against his. He gripped the shelving to keep from grabbing her, but his head dropped and he couldn’t quite stop himself from nuzzling the place behind her ear.

Her breathing hitched, and she froze, her fingers wrapped around a bottle above her head. He kissed her beneath the ear and she made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a squeak. He grinned and tasted her skin again, creamy with just a hint of salt from a long summer day.

That time, the noise she made was closer to a moan. And it was formed around his name. His body hardened, responding as much to the call as it did to her warmth, and the soft skin of her neck.

Thalia ducked under his arm, dragging the bottle with her. “One bottle of red wine, and I think we’d better find you something to eat that you like more than pizza.”

“I can think of something I’d like very much,” he murmured, watching her dance back to the door.

She flushed. “Yes, well, I don’t think that would be very filling for either one of us.”

“No?” He didn’t dare take his hand off the shelf or straighten. If he moved at all, he’d take her against the wall and he didn’t think her father would appreciate it when he found out.

Then again, if her father left her alone in the woods, with no guards and no protection, perhaps she had already been used by someone else, and he wouldn’t know the difference if Pirithous made himself at home. It was, perhaps, too tempting a thought, because it did nothing to ease the rush of his blood. Filling, indeed.

“Nope,” and now that she was in the doorway, beyond the reach of his arm, she grinned, her gaze traveling over him in a way that made his whole body burn. “Besides, I don’t sleep with men I pick up off the side of the road on the first date.”
This is my first attempt at writing just a plain old ordinary(ish) romance, and honestly, I don't know what I'm doing. Pirithous doesn't really cooperate for no-kisses, either, being an all-in kind of guy. 

Have a fabulous No-kiss day!

22 comments:

  1. Wow. and Wow! You've done a great job of capturing the difference in cultures, and Pirithous' thoughts. Loved this ^_^

    ReplyDelete
  2. You totally know what you're doing. I LOVE this even if it was SUPER hard to get Pirithous to not jump in there.

    :)

    <3 <3 <3

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think her really wants to bring back the RA! in ravished! :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOL, calling me Ms. Mallis makes me feel old. But that was sexy! I was so waiting for him to make a joke about "filling" her. I always loved coming here for the mythological spins. Thanks so much for participating!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very well done for someone who has no idea what they are doing. I love mythology. I'll be back.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the mythological spin. I think you did a fantastic job. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Well, whether or not you know what you're doing, this is a romance I'd pick up and read, so well done!

    I loved it! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the mythogicalness with the modern day ness.

    Heart.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pirithous is not subject to your rules, Amalia. Sorry. #statingtheobvious

    ReplyDelete
  10. ooh i really liked this. Especially the "made himself at home" comment.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This was fun! I'm curious to hear their backstory and see where this goes from here.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my, he is an all-in guy. Poor girl. I loved the way he just nuzzled her behind the ear so naturally. It clearly is what he does.
    wonderful scene, Amalia.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh my, that was one sexy excerpt. I love the wine cellar setting. This line especially got me, "That time, the noise she made was closer to a moan. And it was formed around his name."

    ReplyDelete
  14. Holy wow. This was awesome. Great descriptions. I'm hooked. Nice job!

    ReplyDelete
  15. *fans self* Oh my. That was awesome. And hot. And awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Now that's an enticing read! I'd be interested in knowing what ends up happening with these two. Thanks for visiting me, today! : )

    ReplyDelete
  17. Amalia, this is crazy good! I agree, yes you DO know what you're doing. Love your characters and your writing is delicious.

    ~ that rebel, Olivia

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wish he would have gripped her instead of the counter ;D Good job! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yep, definitely an uncooperative fellow ;) Can't fault his taste in beverages, though ;)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Love the last line! And I liked how you incorporated wine into the scene...makes the whole thing somehow more intimate ;) Great blogfest entry!

    ~TRA

    The Red Angel Blog

    ReplyDelete

Comments are Love!

(Nota Bene: During #NAMEthatBUTT season, all comments are moderated and your guesses are hidden until after the butt is revealed!)