| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler, 2008
| Animal Attraction |
| Available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid! 2009 EPPIE Finalist! |
“Anything else I can get for you folks?” the waitress
asked.
Eliza glanced down at the table before looking up at
the waitress again. “Ketchup?”
The woman nodded. “There’s a bottle on the table
right behind you, sugar. Enjoy your dinner.”
Eliza had expected the woman to bring her a new
bottle of ketchup, or at least grab the one off the
other table for them, like waitresses in most
restaurants would usually do. Maybe it was a diner
thing, Eliza thought. Or an Alaska thing. Either way,
it seemed she would be going to get her own bottle
of ketchup
Taking her napkin off her lap and placing it on the
table, Eliza pushed back her chair and got to her
feet. When the waitress had told her that there was a
asked.
Eliza glanced down at the table before looking up at
the waitress again. “Ketchup?”
The woman nodded. “There’s a bottle on the table
right behind you, sugar. Enjoy your dinner.”
Eliza had expected the woman to bring her a new
bottle of ketchup, or at least grab the one off the
other table for them, like waitresses in most
restaurants would usually do. Maybe it was a diner
thing, Eliza thought. Or an Alaska thing. Either way,
it seemed she would be going to get her own bottle
of ketchup
Taking her napkin off her lap and placing it on the
table, Eliza pushed back her chair and got to her
feet. When the waitress had told her that there was a
bottle of ketchup on the table behind theirs, she had naturally assumed it was unoccupied,
so she was surprised to see a man sitting there. And not just the average, run-of-the-mill guy
she’d expect to find in a diner either, but a mouth-watering specimen of a man. Her breath
caught as she found herself stopping right there in the middle of the diner to stare at him She
had read in Cosmo once that there was something different about Alaskan men, that living in
the great white north made them more masculine and sexy. Staring at the man seated at the
table, she could well believe it.
Thank goodness he was intent on whatever he was reading on the laptop in front of him,
because he would surely think she was a freak standing there staring at him with her mouth
hanging open. But good heavens, with that thick, dark hair, chiseled, hair-roughened jaw,
and wide, sensual mouth, how could any woman not be mesmerized?
Abruptly realizing how idiotic she must look just standing there, Eliza finally forced her feet
to move. As she neared his table, the man looked up from his laptop and she felt her breath
hitch as his gaze met hers. She’d never seen eyes like his before. Not quite brown, but not
really hazel, either, the only way she could think to describe them was gold. And the sexiest
pair of eyes she’d ever seen. The heat from them mesmerized her, pulling her into their
depths, and suddenly she found it very hard to breathe.
When he lifted a brow in question, she finally managed to break out of her trance. “I, um, was
wondering if I could steal your ketchup,” Eliza stammered, her face coloring. “We don’t have
any,” she added, glancing back at her table.
The man followed the direction of her gaze, his gold eyes settling on the photographer for a
moment before he gave her a smile. “Sure.”
Picking up the bottle, he held it out to her. As she reached for it, her fingers brushed his and
she almost gasped as the most amazing sensation swept through her. It was like she’d just
gotten completely and thoroughly kissed. Her knees felt weak and there was a delicious little
flutter in her tummy that left her breathless.
It was then that she realized she hadn’t actually taken the bottle of ketchup yet. She was just
standing there touching him like a dufus. She tried to cover her bizarre behavior by grabbing
the bottle, but all she did was almost knock it out of his hand. They both fumbled with the
thing for a moment be-fore she finally gained control of it
Could she be any more lame? She could already feel the heat rushing to her face.
“I think your boyfriend’s waiting for the ketchup,” he said when she continued to just stand
there.
Eliza’s brow furrowed in confusion at the word “boyfriend,” but then she realized he must be
refer-ring to the photographer. She forced her attention away from the pleasant warmth that
still swirled between her thighs and gave him a smile. “Oh, you mean Andy. He’s not my
boyfriend. We just work together.”
One eyebrow rose. “Really.”
Oh God. Did he think she was trying to come on to him? Crap, she really needed to go back to
her table before she did something else to embarrass herself. But she couldn’t seem to make
her feet move. She had a crazy urge to reach out and touch him again to see if that same
sexual spark would happen. Resisting the impulse, she instead reached up to tuck her long,
dark hair behind her ear. “But you’re right. He is probably waiting for the ketchup.”
Giving the man another smile, she forced her-self to turn and walk back to her table. Halfway
there, however, she couldn’t resist glancing over her shoulder to take one more look at him.
He was re-garding her with those incredible golden eyes of his, and her pulse fluttered wildly
at the intensity in his gaze.
What was going on with her? She’d never experienced anything like this in her life. She had
to get control of herself. Giving him one more look over her shoulder, she turned and
stumbled back to her seat in a daze, clutching the bottle of ketchup in her hand.
Across from her, Andy lifted a brow as if to ask, what the hell is wrong with you? When she
didn’t say anything he prompted, “You just going to sit there and hold that all night or can I
use the ketchup?”
She blinked. “What? Oh, yeah. Sorry,” she mumbled, handing it to him.
Eliza watched as the photographer dumped ketchup on his onion rings, and then began to dig
into his meal. She knew she should be doing the same, but she couldn’t stop thinking about
what had just happened. Her heart was still racing as if she’d just come back from a run. Or
had just gotten done having some really great sex. Good heavens, and all of that was from a
mere brush of the fingers. She couldn’t keep herself from wondering what it would have been
like if he really had kissed her.
It was a long time before Eliza could focus on her food, and by then, she realized she wasn’t
really hungry anymore, at least not for food anyway.
so she was surprised to see a man sitting there. And not just the average, run-of-the-mill guy
she’d expect to find in a diner either, but a mouth-watering specimen of a man. Her breath
caught as she found herself stopping right there in the middle of the diner to stare at him She
had read in Cosmo once that there was something different about Alaskan men, that living in
the great white north made them more masculine and sexy. Staring at the man seated at the
table, she could well believe it.
Thank goodness he was intent on whatever he was reading on the laptop in front of him,
because he would surely think she was a freak standing there staring at him with her mouth
hanging open. But good heavens, with that thick, dark hair, chiseled, hair-roughened jaw,
and wide, sensual mouth, how could any woman not be mesmerized?
Abruptly realizing how idiotic she must look just standing there, Eliza finally forced her feet
to move. As she neared his table, the man looked up from his laptop and she felt her breath
hitch as his gaze met hers. She’d never seen eyes like his before. Not quite brown, but not
really hazel, either, the only way she could think to describe them was gold. And the sexiest
pair of eyes she’d ever seen. The heat from them mesmerized her, pulling her into their
depths, and suddenly she found it very hard to breathe.
When he lifted a brow in question, she finally managed to break out of her trance. “I, um, was
wondering if I could steal your ketchup,” Eliza stammered, her face coloring. “We don’t have
any,” she added, glancing back at her table.
The man followed the direction of her gaze, his gold eyes settling on the photographer for a
moment before he gave her a smile. “Sure.”
Picking up the bottle, he held it out to her. As she reached for it, her fingers brushed his and
she almost gasped as the most amazing sensation swept through her. It was like she’d just
gotten completely and thoroughly kissed. Her knees felt weak and there was a delicious little
flutter in her tummy that left her breathless.
It was then that she realized she hadn’t actually taken the bottle of ketchup yet. She was just
standing there touching him like a dufus. She tried to cover her bizarre behavior by grabbing
the bottle, but all she did was almost knock it out of his hand. They both fumbled with the
thing for a moment be-fore she finally gained control of it
Could she be any more lame? She could already feel the heat rushing to her face.
“I think your boyfriend’s waiting for the ketchup,” he said when she continued to just stand
there.
Eliza’s brow furrowed in confusion at the word “boyfriend,” but then she realized he must be
refer-ring to the photographer. She forced her attention away from the pleasant warmth that
still swirled between her thighs and gave him a smile. “Oh, you mean Andy. He’s not my
boyfriend. We just work together.”
One eyebrow rose. “Really.”
Oh God. Did he think she was trying to come on to him? Crap, she really needed to go back to
her table before she did something else to embarrass herself. But she couldn’t seem to make
her feet move. She had a crazy urge to reach out and touch him again to see if that same
sexual spark would happen. Resisting the impulse, she instead reached up to tuck her long,
dark hair behind her ear. “But you’re right. He is probably waiting for the ketchup.”
Giving the man another smile, she forced her-self to turn and walk back to her table. Halfway
there, however, she couldn’t resist glancing over her shoulder to take one more look at him.
He was re-garding her with those incredible golden eyes of his, and her pulse fluttered wildly
at the intensity in his gaze.
What was going on with her? She’d never experienced anything like this in her life. She had
to get control of herself. Giving him one more look over her shoulder, she turned and
stumbled back to her seat in a daze, clutching the bottle of ketchup in her hand.
Across from her, Andy lifted a brow as if to ask, what the hell is wrong with you? When she
didn’t say anything he prompted, “You just going to sit there and hold that all night or can I
use the ketchup?”
She blinked. “What? Oh, yeah. Sorry,” she mumbled, handing it to him.
Eliza watched as the photographer dumped ketchup on his onion rings, and then began to dig
into his meal. She knew she should be doing the same, but she couldn’t stop thinking about
what had just happened. Her heart was still racing as if she’d just come back from a run. Or
had just gotten done having some really great sex. Good heavens, and all of that was from a
mere brush of the fingers. She couldn’t keep herself from wondering what it would have been
like if he really had kissed her.
It was a long time before Eliza could focus on her food, and by then, she realized she wasn’t
really hungry anymore, at least not for food anyway.
| Reviews! |
| Simply Romance Reviews Calls Animal Attraction an Outstanding Read! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION by Paige Tyler is one of those books that you just can't put down once you begin reading it, it is just that good. The story is very entertaining: the pace is fluid and the characters are extremely engaging. It is by turns fun, amusing, steamy and nail "biting" – no pun intended. There are quite a few twists and turns in the story, elements of the paranormal intermingle with the erotic and they are all rounded out with a very nice surprise ending to that mysterious werewolf plaguing the town throughout the entire book. Ms. Tyler knows how to paint a scene and prolong the anticipation, and the chemistry between Eliza and Hunter make turning each page a special treat. This is an exceptionally good story, one guaranteed to provide hours of enjoyment for its readers, and one that I can definitely recommend!" - Mickey at Simply Romance Reviews To read the complete review, click here! |
| Dark Angel Reviews Gives Animal Attraction 4.5 Pixies! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION is a fun, lighthearted and humorous werewolf romance. The pace is quick, something is always happening and the humor just bubbles underneath everything. Eliza, our heroine, is bright, funny and yet wonderfully prosaic. Hunter, our hero, is handsome, educated and sincere. There are also some wonderfully quirky secondary characters as well as some very serious ones. Ms. Tyler does a great job of bringing her characters and setting to life. The romance between our hero and heroine develops quickly and the sex scenes are seriously hot. Attraction leads to heat, then to love and the emotions are very vivid in this tale. There are some surprises towards the end and I loved how things came together for the ending. ANIMAL ATTRACTION was a very enjoyable read and I hope to see more from Ms. Tyler!" - Sandi at Dark Angel Reviews To read the complete review, click here! |
| Scroll down the page to see what reviewers are saying! |
| Night Owl Romance Reviews Gives Animal Attraction 4.5 Hearts! It's a Keeper! "I found this work by Ms. Tyler to be well thought out and developed. It contained plenty of humor to go with the mystery, and some smoking hot sex scenes. I even wanted a cigarette after a couple scenes, and I don't smoke. How will Eliza the skeptic and Hunter the werewolf have any kind of future together? Well you'll just have to read this wonderfully witty work to find out. You won't be disappointed you did!" - Angi at Night Owl Romance Reviews To read the complete review, click here! |
| Romance Junkies Gives Animal Attraction 5 Blue Ribbons! A Real Page-Turner! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION is one hot read. Ms. Tyler knows how to mesmerize an audience, she certainly kept mine. I’d love to have this in print so I could keep it always. My favorite paranormal subject housed perfectly. Scene changes were as smooth as silk. The characters richly defined. I find nothing to complain about!" - Robin at Romance Junkies Reviews "Paige Tyler is a wonderful author and this book shows off her talents. Hunter comes off at first as serious and the typical professor. Under the sheets however, it is a totally different story. Eliza is a woman that takes no prisoners. She is truly a match for Hunter in every way. The suspense comes in with the rogue werewolf that's out to kill her and his reasons are a complete mystery that the reader will enjoy uncovering. I recommend this book if you love paranormal stories that hook you and hold you captive until the last page." - Angel at Romance Junkies Reviews To read the complete review, click here! |
| Wild on Books Goes Completely "Wild" for Animal Attraction! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION by Paige Tyler is scorching hot. More than once I blushed watching and being witness to the sheer animalistic attraction shared by Eliza and Hunter. Speaking of Hunter, he was a werewolf after my own heart. His complete infatuation with Eliza shined through and I wanted him so very badly to tell her that he was the very creature that she was looking to find. Eliza’s character made me smile more than once. While she took the job as a reporter of a paranormal magazine because she had to and even scoffed at the possibility of werewolves, I loved watching her opinion on the possibility of werewolves change. The love scenes between Eliza and Hunter were erotic but romantic, forceful but sensual, and naughty but playful. The feelings and depth of emotions Eliza and Hunter felt for each other, almost immediately, were believable and so very sexy. After reading ANIMAL ATTRACTION I will never again look at a hot tub without remembering this risqué but thoroughly entertaining novel. Paige Tyler is now on my list of authors to watch for and I know that other readers will feel the same way!" - Natalie at Wild on Books To read the complete review, click here! |
| Joyfully Reviewed Says Animal Attraction is Paranormal Romance At Its Finest! "ANIMAL ATTRACTION is paranormal romance writing at its finest. I really loved the interaction with Eliza and Hunter. They have this initial attraction that sizzles. Paige Tyler is an author with a knack for creating a werewolf who is sinfully sexy and she kept me totally engrossed right from the beginning. I am hoping for an additional story featuring Hunter’ s brother Luke. I also look forward to more offerings from Ms.Tyler in the very near future. I would recommend Animal Attraction to anyone who enjoys stories of werewolves and shifters!" - Vivian at Joyfully Reviewed To read the complete review, click here! |
| Check Out the Exciting Sequel ANIMAL INSTINCT! |
