GUEST POST/ EXCERPT: Sunburn by Rosanna Leo

A big thank you to the lovely Jodie for allowing me to appear today!

I’m here to tell you a bit about my newest paranormal romance Sunburn, my take on the story of the Greek god Apollo and his decidedly human love interest Patience. You might expect that I set this story in Greece, but I strayed from that idea. Sunburn is actually set in Mexico, one of my favourite vacation locales.

Why Mexico? Well, I wanted to use a setting that was not only romantic but sensually stimulating. After all, Sunburn is a tale of lust burning out of control, flaring into passionate love. To me, Mexico is the perfect place to fall in love.

Firstly, the scents are gorgeous there! Who wouldn’t feel a little titillated when enveloped in the perfumes of cocoa butter sunscreen, exotic flowers and spicy foods? When in Mexico, my nose is in love! It’s all I can do not to walk around sniffing everything and everyone.

Secondly, think of the incredible tastes at a luxury resort. The food is gourmet. There are fruity cocktails to be had at bars every few feet. Don’t even get me started on the sinful desserts.

Touch is also an important factor. Think of the things one might touch in such a place. Soft skin, slathered in suntan lotion. The warm waters of the Caribbean Sea. Colorful, friendly fish swimming between your legs. The feel of the sun warming you through.

Add the sound of the crashing waves and the sight of nearly-nude bodies lounging on the pool deck and you’ve got a setting just made for romance! I hope you’ll get a chance to check out Sunburn, and that Apollo and I manage to stimulate your senses for a while!

SUNBURN BY ROSANNA LEO

Sunburn blurb

Patience O’Conner is a travel blogger who lives for her work. Her dedication to her readers brings her to the famed Helios Resort in Mexico, a locale that stuns her with its beauty but at which she suffers from some very strange accidents.
Luckily, hunky resort bartender Apollo Delos is always there in the nick of time, a malcontent guardian angel. Apollo stuns Patience again and again with his life-saving abilities, to say nothing of his smoldering looks and apparent desire to keep her alive.
Before long, Patience wonders if there is more to the sexy bartender than mixed cocktails and insane first-aid skills. Something strange is happening at Helios and Apollo doesn’t want to talk about it.
Can Patience open herself up to this enigmatic man, even though she is terrified to be vulnerable again? And can Apollo recover from an eternity of hurt and learn to trust once more? They must both decide before Death comes calling.

She put her hand on his arm to get his attention. A sensual shiver ran up his spine.
“You do understand why I can’t drink, right? I come from a family of addicts. The addictive gene is in me. I can’t slip up even once. I’m terrified I’ll fall into the same patterns.” She paused, her eyes haunted and dark. “I was addicted to something, to someone, once. And I didn’t recognize myself by the end. I can’t go back there again. I have to stay strong.”
His head spun. Who was this person to whom she was addicted? He had to know.
Was she married before? Was it a boyfriend?
Who hurt her?
He had to know, but there’d be time to find out later. Right now, she looked ready to crumple. Damn. Their conversation had struck a nerve in her.
He rushed out from behind the bar, knowing only he had to make her feel better, and pulled her into his arms. She yielded, all warmth and softness against him. She laid her head against his neck, and a tear dripped onto his skin.
Shit.
“Patience,” he whispered into her hair. “Please don’t cry. I won’t let him hurt you.” Apollo with all his heart was making a vow. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her; not the demon, and certainly not the little shit who’d hurt her once before.
She looked up, tears streaming down her face and her chest rising and falling with shaky breaths. “I’m sorry. It’s not like me to cry. I don’t know what came over me!” “By all the gods,” he murmured, in a trance. Even in pain, she was mesmerizing.
There was a healthy sheen to her skin. Her cheeks were rosy with emotion. Stray hairs had escaped her ponytail, ornamenting her face. “You are so beautiful.”
Her lips parted in a welcome she probably didn’t even realize she was extending. She sighed, and her breath poured over him, heating him to the core. He had to kiss her.
There was suddenly no option but to kiss her.
He brushed his lips against hers, feeling no resistance. He moved slowly, bestowing feather-light kisses all over her mouth. And then, shocking and exciting him, her tongue slid into his mouth. Penetrating, seeking more.
Hungry.

Inflamed, he held her tighter, moving his body between her legs as she sat on the bar stool. Their kiss deepened as their tongues played and probed. He bit her lip, none too gently, and she moaned.
Oh, sweet Pandora’s box!
But as quickly as the kiss had crushed them, it was over. Patience pulled away and out of his arms. Dazed, his heart palpitated as she scrambled off the stool. And before he could recover to stop her, Patience ran away down the wooden path toward the lobby.

Sunburn is available at http://www.lsbooks.com/sunburn-p743.php

You can find Rosanna Leo at www.rosannaleo.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/rleoauthor1
www.twitter.com/LeoRosanna
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826852.Rosanna_Leo

 

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