Humpday Hump

Excerpt from the third and final installment in the Beautiful Music series at Changeling Press, Colour Haze, for Marteeka Karland's Humpday Hump blog hop. Enjoy!


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He saw Randy’s neck darken before the flush rose to his face to settle along his cheekbones. The sight of it made Tom’s cock press hard against the zipper of his jeans. He wanted to drag Randy to him, bend him over the kick drum…

Right. That’d be a great way to get him on board with this whole concept. Just grab him by the hair and bugger him senseless. The thought appealed, but as ideas went, it was a very, very bad one.

Just hold still. It’ll go away. It didn’t though, and before he could stop it, his hand lifted, reaching toward Randy’s face. His fingers landed gently on the arch of Randy’s cheekbone. At the contact, Tom’s dick jumped, pulsed inside the increasingly tight confines of denim. “Tom…” Randy started, but then stopped, swallowing whatever else he might have said. Tom’s fingers slid down, tracing the line of Randy’s jaw.

“You knew this was going to be part of the deal,” Tom said. God, he should shut up. He needed Randy. The band needed him. Without Randy there was a good chance they’d have to scrap this tour altogether. But his hand and his mouth and his body seemed determined not to listen to his brain, and to commence with doing whatever the hell they wanted.

“Tom,” Randy said, his voice tight, not quite a protest. But he didn’t pull back, didn’t push Tom’s hand away.” “Tom… I didn’t… I don’t…”

“Part of the deal,” Tom repeated. “Not to say yes or no. Just to try. See where it goes.” His fingers tilted Randy’s jaw up, and before Randy could protest, Tom leaned in and kissed him.

God, he tasted good. And the moment his mouth pressed against Randy’s, Tom felt a surge of… something. Something warm and invigorating flowing from the kiss down into Tom’s chest, like a hit of caffeine or the jolt he’d gotten from nicotine back when he used to smoke. Randy’s mouth opened under his -- did he feel it too? -- and Tom pressed his claim further, sliding his tongue into Randy’s mouth. Claiming him. Moving closer, careful of the drums, he reached out and let his hand fold gently on the bulge -- the very hard bulge -- between Randy’s thighs.

Randy jerked back, nearly falling off the drum stool. Awkwardly, he regained his balance and came to his feet.

“Tom, I just… I can’t…”

Tom didn’t know what to say. Sorry seemed appropriate, but Tom wasn’t sorry at all. So he just watched as Randy, an agonized look on his face, took two backward steps across the floor.

“I gotta… I need something to drink,” he said, and fled the room.

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Excerpt: Beautiful Music: Finding the Chords--Erik

Every time Erik made love to Kayla on his own -- and he was well aware he was about to enter double digits, which thrilled and amazed him, but made him ashamed he was counting -- he faced the same dilemma. He wanted to make it last, make it good for her and savor every moment in case it turned out to be the last time. But his body wanted everything he could get, as quickly as he could get it. Wanted to pound into her hard and fast, animal, mark her as his, take Jason’s smell off her skin.

He wasn’t proud of his body in those moments.

This time, though, he felt a little different. She’d actually said it -- told him she loved him. He’d been resigned to always being second choice for her. He knew she loved Jason, and had since probably the first time they’d locked eyes. He was just… extra.

But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was more to her than the guy she could have sex with when Jason wasn’t around, or Jason’s second dick when the three of them were together. Yeah, he’d thought about it that way before, more than once. Now he felt bad about it. Not that he hadn’t felt bad about it before, but he felt even worse now.

She loved him. He could swear he could almost taste the change on her skin as he let his tongue explore her nipples, the space between her breasts, the indentation at the center of her collarbone. She arched her body up toward his, bringing her belly against his, bringing her sex up to rub hot against the front curve of his pelvis. Her legs went around him, and he could feel the heat and the wet where she was so ready for him he could smell it.

“God,” he murmured, and she opened her eyes to look at him, one hand brushing his cheek.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He said it automatically, but it wasn’t what he wanted to say. “No, not nothing. You’re just…” He looked her in the eye. “I love you.”

Her smile melted him. She leaned up to kiss him gently, on the mouth, then on the forehead. It could have been patronizing, but it wasn’t. It was sweet, tender, and he closed his eyes at the flood of feeling that moved through him.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to say it.” Her voice was quiet.

He just shook his head. He didn’t want to tell her it was okay, although it was, and he didn’t want to say anything that would make her feel bad. Instead he cupped her breast and pressed his hips between her legs, bringing her a little closer to him.

Short Story: Beautiful Music Series: Shotgunning

A short story about early days between Jason and Erik, before they began to realize what their relationship meant, and far before they met Kayla, the woman who changed everything.


Shotgunning

It wasn't the first time they'd shared a spliff. It wasn't even the first time Jason had leaned over to Erik, a small smile curling his mouth, and offered to share the smoke he'd just inhaled.

But it was different.

Jason's lips whispered against Erik's as Erik leaned forward and drew in the sweet, heady smoke. But Jason didn't pull back. He stayed where he was, lips just brushing Erik's, ever so soft, and when Erik breathed out, Jason breathed in again. Then back out, his lips still, just breathing. The sweet, grassy taste of the weed had faded from the breath that passed back into Erik's mouth. Now it was mostly just warm, alive, and tasted like Jason.

Something in Erik wanted to pull back, thinking this was too strange, not right, and maybe Jason didn't want him lingering there. The rest of him just wanted more.

Jason's mouth shifted a little against his, and Erik took it as a signal to back off. But he'd barely moved his lips a millimeter from Jason's when Jason reached up and cupped the back of his neck, holding him in place.

Erik shifted again, suddenly self-conscious, unsure what Jason wanted. But Jason just held him still, their lips barely brushing, and breathed Erik's quickening breath.

They weren't kissing, not really. They were both very still, no soft movement, no tongues. Just the warm column of air moving between them, Erik's mouth to Jason's, Jason's back to Erik's. It was just breath now, none of the smoke left in it at all.

Jason moved a little, not enough to jar his mouth from Erik's. A moment later, Erik felt warm fingertips on the narrow strip of skin between his shirt and his jeans. Jason's fingers settled there, a soft yet firm touch. It wasn't a caress, nothing teasing about it. His fingers just pressed against his skin, as if to remind Erik he existed. He almost needed the reminder, the moment of orientation. He was high and floaty, and by now he wasn't sure if it was from the weed or from Jason himself. It could easily have been just Jason, the musky, male taste of him, the smell of sweat and metal and near-sleep.

Erik's hand moved of its own accord to cup Jason's cheek. Just to hold him there, to anchor himself. He shifted a little closer, the better to taste Jason's mouth, and breathed him.
Shotgunning

It wasn't the first time they'd shared a spliff. It wasn't even the first time Jason had leaned over to Erik, a small smile curling his mouth, and offered to share the smoke he'd just inhaled.

But it was different.

Jason's lips whispered against Erik's as Erik leaned forward and drew in the sweet, heady smoke. But Jason didn't pull back. He stayed where he was, lips just brushing Erik's, ever so soft, and when Erik breathed out, Jason breathed in again. Then back out, his lips still, just breathing. The sweet, grassy taste of the weed had faded from the breath that passed back into Erik's mouth. Now it was mostly just warm, alive, and tasted like Jason.

Something in Erik wanted to pull back, thinking this was too strange, not right, and maybe Jason didn't want him lingering there. The rest of him just wanted more.

Jason's mouth shifted a little against his, and Erik took it as a signal to back off. But he'd barely moved his lips a millimeter from Jason's when Jason reached up and cupped the back of his neck, holding him in place.

Erik shifted again, suddenly self-conscious, unsure what Jason wanted. But Jason just held him still, their lips barely brushing, and breathed Erik's quickening breath.

They weren't kissing, not really. They were both very still, no soft movement, no tongues. Just the warm column of air moving between them, Erik's mouth to Jason's, Jason's back to Erik's. It was just breath now, none of the smoke left in it at all.

Jason moved a little, not enough to jar his mouth from Erik's. A moment later, Erik felt warm fingertips on the narrow strip of skin between his shirt and his jeans. Jason's fingers settled there, a soft yet firm touch. It wasn't a caress, nothing teasing about it. His fingers just pressed against his skin, as if to remind Erik he existed. He almost needed the reminder, the moment of orientation. He was high and floaty, and by now he wasn't sure if it was from the weed or from Jason himself. It could easily have been just Jason, the musky, male taste of him, the smell of sweat and metal and near-sleep.

Erik's hand moved of its own accord to cup Jason's cheek. Just to hold him there, to anchor himself. He shifted a little closer, the better to taste Jason's mouth, and breathed him.

More about Jason, Erik and Kayla at Changeling Press:
Beautiful Music: Daze on End
Beautiful Music: Interlude in C (Coming 10-8-10)

Great Review for Daze on End!

Just got a great review for Beautiful Music: Daze on End from Love Romances and More.

"Ms. Talbot delivers a story so erotic it will leave you panting when the last page is read. With intriguing characters, scorching sex scenes to heat things up and a mystery that will keep you glued to the pages just to see what happens next. I absolutely love this story. I found the characters to be multi-dimensional, the sex scenes were tastefully done and even though they were very erotic, it enhanced the story instead of taking away from it."

Thanks, Dawn, for the great review!

Nice Review for Mara by the Sea

I just received a very nice review for my debut Changeling story, Mara by the Sea, from Whipped Cream.

"Though short, Mara of the Sea is a beautifully written story that features a ménage that takes place mostly – interestingly enough – in the ocean. Mara's attention is first grabbed while she’s watching the men lather each other up on the beach, but soon enough the three officially meet and share not one but two very unique underwater experiences."--Dandelion at Whipped Cream.

Thanks so much for the great review!

New Book on the Way!

On Sunday night, I turned in the manuscript for my next book with Changeling Press. Beautiful Music: Daze on End, will kick off a series following the hijinks of a rock band...or two...maybe three...

In the first book, our trusty heroine Kayla hooks up for what she thinks is a one-time encounter (okay, twice...in one night) with a much younger man who turns out to be the lead singer for Daze on End. But she can't leave Jason behind--he needs her. Literally. And, apparently, so does Erik, the band's bass player. It quickly becomes apparently that these are not ordinary young men, and Kayla must decide if she can abandon the life she knows for the most intense--and strangest--relationship she's ever had in her life.

Beautiful Music: Daze on End is schedule for release on May 21. In the meantime, find out more about the band and the boys at the Daze on End blog, as well as in A Cheeky Changeling and the Changeling Insider.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! It's not much yet, but there'll be announcement and such as things progress. I'm publishing my first novella with Changeling Press in December--December 6, to be exact. It's called Mara by the Sea, and it's about a woman whose life is dramatically changed by two men she meets on vacation in Cancun. I hope you'll check it out, and I hope you'll come back to see what's coming next!