Please note that this excerpt is from an unedited, unpublished piece. It may change or even be discarded by the final draft. It is shared here in a spirit of fun–to show a glimpse into the world I’m writing and the characters who live there. Enjoy this first look at Tirzah and Teka from Solomon’s Passage.
“Teka…” She breathed. “You’re beautiful.”
His eyes closed and he sat back up, cupping the back of her head in his hands. When his eyes opened, they were full of the haunting she’d noticed earlier. It plucked at her heart and she crooned, a soft shhhhing sound as she stroked her hands down his arms.
“Tirzah, may I see you too?” He asked. She shuddered. She knew this would happen eventually if she accepted his invitation into his quarters. Her body urged her to throw caution to the wind and just do it. His body urged her as well, pulsing against her in hot, hard thrusts. But the little voice in her head, the one that was still afraid, it had pounced on this moment like a dog on a bone. You’re ugly. Damaged. Disgusting. No one wants to see that.
“I can’t.” She whispered, scrambling to get away from him. She stood, her chest heaving with interrupted desire and fear.
“Pixie, please.” He stood, reaching out to her. “Don’t be afraid of me.”
“I’m not.” She said, shaking her head, but holding her arms out protectively between them. The fear was dancing for joy in a tight little circle on her heart. “I’m not, I’m not afraid.” Yes you are and you always will be. Walter made sure you’d know your place.
A sob escaped her then. “No. I’m not.” She reached behind her head and began gathering her hair, twisting and tucking it back into place. Teka was bending over the table, collecting her hair pins. Quietly, slowly, he came to stand behind her and helped her secure them. Clearly their interlude was over.
“Are you okay?” He asked, his voice tight.
She nodded as she turned to face him, nibbling on her lip. “Do I look okay?”
“You look beautiful.” He said. He touched her hair. “Very proper.” His hand skimmed down her heated cheekbones. “The perfect shade of pink.” A finger stroked her bottom lip, coaxing it out from between her teeth. “Like you’ve been kissed by a lover.” He cupped her chin, tilting her head up so he could look in her eyes. “Forgiven.” He smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips before gathering her into his arms in a hug.
“Oh god, Teka.” She breathed. “I’m so sorry.” A sob racked through her as he held her gently, rocking her in his arms. He shushed against her hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Tirzah, I don’t know what you’ve endured. But I can see, clearly, that you aren’t ready to engage in a simple no strings affair. You’re not ready to trust me with your body.”
“I want to.” She confessed.
“I think there’s a bit of a disconnect right now between your brain and your libido.” One corner of his lips turned up. “Do you want to talk about what scares you?”
“God, no.” She shook her head. “I was hoping to forget what scares me.”
“Well, sex can definitely make you forget things that are bothering you, but I think what’s going on here is tied to sex for you.”
“I thought you were an archealogist, not a psychologist.” She mumbled, resting her forehead on his still-bare chest. She felt the chuckle rumble through him.
“Pixie, it doesn’t take a psychologist to see that you’re uncomfortable getting naked with me.” He held up his hands when she began to protest. “It’s okay. You just met me. Lust at first sight isn’t the same thing as trust.”
“I came in here willingly. I knew that you were attracted to me. When we sat down on that chaise, I wanted you so much.”
“You changed your mind.” He shrugged. She stared at him in disbelief.
“You can’t be for real.” She felt the words spill from her mouth.
“Because I’m not mad at you for changing your mind?” He looked confused. “Tirzah, I would rather go to bed with blue balls every night for the rest of my life than harm a hair on your head. I don’t know what your husband did to you, but if he made you think that…” He swallowed.
She saw a vein throbbing in his forehead and she inched away from him. He was mad.
“I’m not mad at you.” He whispered. “I just can’t believe what a waste of skin your husband was.”