Dog Days of Summer - Absolute Write Blog Chain July 2013
/This post is part of the July 2013 Blog Chain at Absolute Write. This month, the prompt is Dog Days of Summer, aka the trigger for a massive writer's block. As such, I'm experimenting with a slightly different style this time. Let me know if it's a complete failure. Summer hated dog days in July. It wasn't that she had anything against the month in particular. There was a time when she enjoyed it very much.
She only wished it wasn't so damn hot.
No one in the right mind would want to traipse around in seventy percent humidity covered in a fur coat. She was sweating so much her usually silky mane had clumped together, making her resemble an angry perspiring white porcupine. There wasn't anything wrong with porcupines. In cartoon form, she found them rather cute. She just didn't look very endearing in her current state, and she would very much rather be lounging by the pool sipping a Bellini.
Instead, she was forced to come out and attend this stupid meeting. She had never understood the obsession with the woods as a gathering place. So the grass was green and there were lots of trees--big deal. It didn't make the location any less boring. Summer was a city girl through and through, and this whole one-with-nature business didn't float her boat. Especially not when the sun was blazing down at close to a hundred degrees farenheit.
And it would be, of course, on this exceptionally miserable dog day that she would be forced to run into her ex, who was the idiot who had called this stupid meeting in the first place. He never looked anything like she did on a dog day in summer. No, the damn male always managed to appear gorgeous despite the oppressive heat. It was the short hair--she was certain of it.
Sweat didn't seem to have the same effect on his appearance as it did with hers. The shiny coat of moisture amped up his masculinity, which, in her opinion, was already on overdrive. It was one of the reasons they broke up.
Compatible males seemed to be born with overbearing genes. Her ex came with an extra couple of doses. He couldn't back off to save his life. As an only child, Summer was used to doing whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. She did not need some guy telling her horseback riding was too dangerous--especially when he rode horses himself. Hooking up with the man had been the crown jewel on her list of adulthood mistakes.
So why the heck did his presence make her drool? She placed part of the blame on the dog day. Animal instincts were taking over, and the man's testosterone was palpable in this heat. His jet black hair glittered in the noon day sun as he ambled toward her. His dark gray eyes were particularly mesmerizing in the sunlight.
He also looked smug enough she was tempted to bite his nose of. He made a show of sniffing the air--hinting that he could smell her arousal. Well, of course he could. She was a female in her prime who hadn't gotten off since they broke up six months ago. The cover of Men's Health would have that effect, let alone being a few yards away from Mr. Alpha.
What was taking everyone else so long? Summer usually arrived fashionably late to these gatherings, and this time was no different. Something didn't feel right.
The moment she realized what was happening she broke into a fast run. No way was she going down that road again. It took forever for her to get over him, and she had no desire to repeat the process.
She could hear him gaining on her, getting closer with each breath. It was the damn heat. It was too hot for her to be running. Her heart was beating too fast. Her body felt as if it were about to burst into flames.
He must have planned this. While he was bigger and stronger, she had always been faster. He had never been able to outrun her. But with the sun beating down, and the air hot and heavy, her muscles refused to cooperate. She felt lethargic, tired, and extremely thirsty.
Sniffing the air, Summer followed the scent of water deep inside the wooded area. There was a small stream close by. She could feel the particles of moisture in the light breeze as she raced through the brush. It was cooler under the shade, and her gait automatically sped up. The distance between them widened. If she could just cool off, she might be able to escape.
She approached the stream and almost breathed a sigh of relief. She was nearly there.
But a split second later, she saw a large shadow on the ground just in front of her. Before she had time to react, she felt his crushing weight on her back. His jaw closed down on her neck, demanding her submission.
Refusing to give in without a fight, she kicked her back legs up and launched him forward using his own momentum. She heard a growl as he flew through the air. The best defense was a good offense, so she snapped her teeth and pounced. She landed on top of him only to have him flip her onto her back.
With his paws on her neck, a low guttural command erupted from his throat. Since he was her Alpha, it was instinctive for Summer to comply. Rainbow colored lights shimmered around them as their bodies morphed.
"That wasn't fair," Summer hissed as his lean naked body covered hers. In human form, he was even more breathtaking--hard muscle, long limbs, broad shoulders, and eyes she could lose herself in. "We agreed to take some time off."
"We did," he replied in a low husky voice. His large hand circled her neck. He lowered his head and bit her just behind the ear. "Time's up."
Summer shivered. The reaction had nothing to do with the fact that she didn't have a stitch on her. It was still oppressively hot, and her ex's body radiated heat. When he lowered his hand to cup her breast, a soft moan escaped her lips.
"Do you want me to stop?" His voice was an invitation steeped in temptation. She didn't have the fortitude to resist.
How bad could just one summer day be?
And that, folks, is my first ever attempt at a shifter romance. What do you think?
Don't forget to check out this month’s other bloggers, all of whom have posted or will post their own responses:
Participants and posts: orion_mk3 - http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com (link to post)
Ralph Pines - http://ralfast.wordpress.com (link to post)
articshark - http://www.drslaten.com/blog (link to post)
Sunwords - http://susannedoering.wordpress.com (link to post)
Diem_Allen - http://mindovermistakes.blogspot.com (link to post)
U2Girl - http://ancatdubh.org (link to post)
robynmackenzie - http://www.iwanttobeawesomewhenigrowup.com (link to post)
Lady Cat - http://radomwriterlythoughts.blogspot.ca (link to post)
MsLaylaCakes - http://www.taraquan.com (YOU ARE HERE)
pyrosama - http://matrix-hole.blogspot.com (link to post)
Angyl78 - http://jelyzabeth.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
SuzanneSeese - http://www.viewofsue.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
Diana_Rajchel - http://blog.dianarajchel.com/ (link to post)
Elvin-Bala - http://elvinbala.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
Bumped: HistorySleuth - http://historysleuth.blogspot.com/ (link to post)
AshleyEpidemic - http://www.soipondered.wordpress.com/ (link to post)
SRHowen - http://srhowen1.blogspot.com (link to post)
