Mid-Week Tease – WIP – Panther’s Ridge – #MWTease

Life is crazy! Life is especially crazy this time of year when you have children in school. Trunk or Treats. Halloween costumes to purchase and/or create. Parties. Special events at school. Days off school. Half days. Splashed with the occasional cold or strep throat and you’ve blown right through the month of October. And we all know nothing is going to slow down! We’ve still got Thanksgiving and Christmas ahead of us, so it’s full steam ahead. Onward and upward, I like to say.

It’s been a few weeks since I participated in Author Sandra Bunino’s Mid-Week Tease. You all know I love this feature and it was fun for a few weeks to see everyone else’s posts while I lurked quietly (haha) in the background. But I’m back to share with you a little piece of a piece that I have been working on. Those of you that know me, know I write contemporary erotic romance. I’m one of those authors that typically writes what I know. But my latest WIP, which has been submitted (cross your fingers), is a little story about a Florida panther shifter. His name is Nathan Thorne and he’s a firefighter in a small Florida farm town. Nate’s a loner, keeping to himself since his mama died. But when Ciara Black walks into his favorite hangout, the Watering Hole, Nate’s entire world is tipped upside down.

“Are the mugs chilled, sir?” Nate asked. It had been at least a month since he’d copped a squat at the Watering Hole. Though he didn’t expect things to change, his mama raised him right to be polite.

The thought of his mother caused his chest to tighten. She had brought him to Panther Ridge when he was just a little cub, having left south Florida because the hunters had targeted the already endangered Florida panther and had killed his father. He’d never forget the yowling his mother made when they’d witnessed his Pa shot. The hunters might have come after both of them had his Pa not fought them even in the throes of death. His mother and he had made the trek over the swamplands of the middle of the state to the west coast and north to an area where nobody had known them. And she raised him in this conveniently named town until her death two years ago.

“You betcha,” Jack replied, reaching into the cooler behind the bar and pulling out a frosty beer mug. Nate shook his head in an attempt to get the old memories out of his head… for now.

“Then pour me a Budweiser, please,” Nate said smiling. After fighting the fire, he ventured home to his little ranch house to shower and sleep, in that order. He’d slept for twelve hours straight. Waking up in the late afternoon, he threw on his worn out jeans, a dark blue t-shirt and his Reef flip flops and jumped in his black Silverado. He craved an ice cold beer and knew the Watering Hole was just the place.

Jack tipped the mug under the keg spout and Nate watched the amber liquid fill the frosty mug. His mouth salivated. Nate didn’t drink beer to get drunk. He drank it because he loved the taste of beer. If he wanted to get drunk, he’d tap into some of that moonshine from Myakka that he kept in his pantry. Though there had been moments while fighting the fire last night that Nate thought drowning in the moonshine would ease his sore muscles, he wanted to relax not numb himself.

“It’s on the house,” Jack said, smiling at Nate. “You’ve earned this one.” He slid the beer in front of Nate, who gripped it in his hand and brought the cold mug to his lips. Because of his crazy shifts at the firehouse over the last few weeks and all the wild fires keeping them on their toes, it had been at least a week since Nate had even sipped a beer. He had to be “on” constantly. Jack was right. He’d earned this beer. And he planned to enjoy every sip.

“Thanks,” Nate said, spilling some beer into his mouth and savoring the cool sharp flavor as it rolled over his tongue and down the back of his throat. “Ahhh, that’s great.”

The door to the bar creaked open and light from the late afternoon filtered into the dreary cinder block building. The hair on the back of Nate’s neck stood on end and his nostrils flared at the scent that wafted around him. It was a tangy scent like citrus fruit with a hint of spice, but it was all female. He’d never smelled it before but it caused every muscle in his body to tense.  His fingers grasped the beer mug in a death grip and his cock instantly sprung to attention. What the fuck? He hadn’t even seen the individual that entered the Watering Hole, but his instincts and senses already indicated that he liked her.

“Hiya, Uncle Jack,” the sweet voice cascaded over the soft volume of Johnny Cash on the jukebox. Nate’s body flexed at the sound of her voice, it slipped over his body like silk. Jesus Christ! What was wrong with him?

“Hey Ciara,” Jack said, smiling at the female behind Nate as he wiped the bar top down with a white towel.

Nate slowly turned his head. He had to get a look of the woman that caused his entire body to go on alert without even seeing her. Walking towards him in a pair of cut-off jean shorts that highlighted her tanned and toned limbs and a red tank top was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid eyes on. His cock bulged against his jeans, begging for release… release inside her body. He’d never had such an immediate physical reaction to a female.

Her long wavy blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and her big blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm when she eyed him. She might have been five foot five… maybe, and her body was rocking. Full tits with cleavage that peeked out over the top of her tank. Thighs that Nate could only imagine wrapped around his hips as he buried his cock inside her sweet pussy. And he knew it was sweet. He could smell it. There were some advantages to his keen panther sense of smell! Now his mouth watered over tasting her sweetness on his tongue. Before this night was over, he needed to be between her legs.

“Ciara, this is Nate Thorne,” Jack said as she bounced behind the bar and dropped her brown bag in the cupboard. “He’s one of our local firefighters. He’s had a rough couple days fighting that wild fire further east, so make sure his mug is full.” Nate watched as she fastened her long mane in a ponytail. Her tits bounced with each pull through the band.

Clearing her throat, Nate’s attention raised to her face. A sexy smile spread across her lips telling him she knew exactly what had caught his attention.

“Hi Nate,” she said, holding out her hand to him.

“Ciara,” Nate said, wrapping his hand around her delicate one. A bolt of electricity shot up his arm and by the look on her face, she’d felt something too. “Good to meet you.” She pulled her hand from his, her eyes wide with wonderment and a hint of fear about what just happened between them.

I’ll keep you posted on where Panther Ridge ends up! Hope you enjoyed the snippet.

Click on the link below to find the amazing authors that are participating with me in this week’s Mid-Week Tease! Enjoy!

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