Up to Me Teaser #4

EXCERPT 4:

I dig around in my purse for my key as I approach the front door.  I’m distracted as I slip it in and unlock the knob, turning to wave to Cash. But he’s not on his bike at the curb. It’s resting on the kickstand, motor idling. He’s charging up the sidewalk toward me.  Before I can even blink, my back is pressed to the cool metal of the door, Cash’s lips are on mine and his hands are in my hair.

I melt into him.  Relief that he was feeling the same way battles for dominance with the desire to drag him into my bedroom, shut the door and pretend nothing and no one exists outside it.

But before I can give in to that urge, Cash is pulling back, giving me room to breathe and giving rational thought the tiny crack it needs to wiggle back into my mind. 

His eyes, darker than the night around us, search mine as his hands move from my hair to my shoulders and down my arms to grip mine.  “Do me a favor,” he whispers, curling my fingers over the back of his and bringing them to his mouth.

“What?”

His eyes never leave mine as he brushes his lips over my knuckles.  “Dream of me tonight,” he says softly.  He watches me, waiting for a response.  I have no words, so I simply nod.  He doesn’t need to know that no one else occupies my dreams. No one.

“Dream of my lips, teasing you.”  Straightening one of my fingers, he kisses the tip.  His voice is like velvet and his words are like an aphrodisiac.  “Dream of my tongue, tasting you.”  His tongue sneaks out to flick the end of my finger.  A surge of desire rocks my core. “And I’ll dream of you.  Of what it feels like to be inside your warm, wet body.”  As if to show me what he feels, Cash sucks my finger into his mouth and pulls it in and out of his mouth, back and forth over his tongue.  I can barely breathe. 

He pulls it out, but before he lets it go, he gives it a gentle bite. I feel a burn in the pit of my stomach, a drop of lava in a boiling volcano.

“Good night, Olivia,” he says quietly.  And then he turns and walks away.  

Welcome to 2013

HAPPPPPPPPPPPPPY NEW YEARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!  *throws confetti*

May the best of 2012 be the worst of 2013.

Love to you all!!

Up to Me Playlist

One more week, y'all!  One. More. Week.  Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep  In the meantime, get in the mood with some tunes from the Up to Me playlist.  It's right over there----> on my sidebar.  I'll come back and match up the scenes after the book releases, although some of them won't need any further explanation.  *winks*  I hope you enjoy it:)  Also, have a happy and safe New Year's Eve tomorrow.  2013, here we come!  Yippppeeeeeeee

Up to Me Teaser #3

How about a little visual aid to go with this one?  Just picture Charlie Hunnam, my celebrity Davenport, with sinfully dark brown eyes.  *sigh*  Delicious!

EXCERPT THREE

Cash’s back is to me. I see him run his fingers through his hair and I hear him sigh again.  “I’m asking you to trust me, Olivia.”  He turns to face me.  “Trust in what you know about me.  Because I know, if you stop listening to your fear, you know who I am.  Deep down.  You know me, Olivia.  You know me.”

His voice is sincere. His expression is urgent.  I close my eyes against his face, his handsome face, the face that haunts both my waking and my sleeping world.  I open them again when I feel warm hands cup my cheeks.  Cash is a breath away, his eyes oceans of midnight, drawing me out into the deep.

“It’s me,” he says softly.  “Stop listening to everything else.  Remember the way you feel when I’m kissing you and touching you.  Don’t think with your head.  You know me.  And when my lips are on yours, you trust me.”  As if to make his point, he dips his head and brushes his mouth over mine.  Sparks fly between us.  As always.  “You trust me, when my hands are on your skin.”  He runs his palms down my arms and then over to my waist where he pushes them up under the edge of my shirt.  Chills break out down my back.  “You trust me when you turn your mind off, when you just feel.”

ALERT:  Down to You will be available for only $0.99 until the release of Up to Me on January 6th! If you haven't read it or know friends that you'd like to recommend it to, take advantage of this low price:)  And I'd love you forever if you'd help me spread the word.  <3   Thank you!!!

Christmas, Leighton style

I hope y'all had an amazing Christmas!!!  Mine was...different, but it all turned out well, which means I couldn't ask for more.

It all began on Sunday as I was packing my car.  I was wearing heels and the grass was wet.  When I came through the front door and hit the hardwood, my feet flew out from under me and I fell.  I thought I broke my arm and possibly my ankle, but, after much tender moving, decided I hadn't.  I was happy to avoid the ER and feel terrible for all those out there who weren't as fortunate.  ER before a holiday SUCKS!

The next day, I got to go to an alpaca farm to shop for some authentic alpaca wool scarves and hats.  They're named after the animal from which the wool was obtained.  There are "Coco Chanel" colors, "Nugget," "Roosevelt," "Granny," "Star," and many, many more.  59 more to be exact.  And they're all different and beautiful!  Even better than that, though, I got to meet some adorable alpacas!  Aaaaaaaaaaa, they're so cute!  One of them tried to nibble my fingers and kept following me along the fence.  She was so freakin' precious, I thought for an instant of bringing her home.  As I studied her, however, I realized she wouldn't fit in my car and my dog might have a heart attack.  Plus, when I got a whiff of her...farmy smell, I figured she'd clash with all my perfume.  hehe  So, I left her with her family. I'm sure she was relieved.  LOL

After that, I spent the evening with my family.  The next day as well.  I ate way too much, collected far too many presents and then traveled home early to avoid tornadoes in the area.  All in all, though, it was a wonderful Christmas, my family and the alpacas being the highlight.  That AFTER, of course, the birth of Jesus.  Without Him, there would be no Christmas:)

I hope y'all had much less drama and at LEAST as much fun and happiness to fill your holiday.  I'm posting pictures of some of my new friends.  Tune in tomorrow for the third Up to Me teaser and a little surprise;)

Much love!!!

Finger nibbler. So sweet!

I'll call this one "stink eye" since that's what he was giving me.

I love the dark brown one with the black face.  Gorgeous!

This is Star, the father of all the others in these pictures.

See?  She's already watching me, getting ready to follow me and my fingers.

And here she is for a little more Leighton.  Her muzzle is soft like a horse's.  Seriously, she almost got  alpaca-napped;)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I hope y'all have a happy, safe, wonderful Christmas!  It's my sincere desire that you have an overwhelming amount of blessings to count:)  *big huge hug*

Day 1

Welcome to Day 1 of my Christmas celebration, called THE 12 DAYS OF M. LEIGHTON.

To enter the giveaway, the only thing you have to do is tweet the following phrase:

Haven't read Down to You by M. Leighton? Get it now before Up to Me comes out January 6th. http://tinyurl.com/ceu8zkt #12DaysOfMLeighton 

You get an extra entry for tagging me with this phrase on Facebook.  You must be 18 or older to win and the giveaways are open to international participants.

I'll announce the winner right here on this post tonight at 9 pm EST.  You'll have 24 hours to respond to me via e-mail (m.leighton.books@gmail.com) with your mailing address and any particulars I need (sizes, inscriptions, etc).

DAY 1:  A signed set of all my paperbacks!  That's 11 of my books that are published in print, including Blood Like Poison books 1-3, Madly books 1-3 (books 1&2 combined), Gravity, Fragile, The Reaping, The Reckoning, The Wild Ones and Down to You.

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

DAY 1 WINNER IS

KATHRYN GRIMES