We talked earlier about destiny and soul mates, so I thought you might like to see how Melissa and Jason, the main characters in Whirlwind, meet.

I mentioned earlier they met at a wedding.  Our heroine, Melissa, isn’t very sure of herself when it comes to men, so she’s completely unprepared when she first lays eyes on one very handsome groomsman [Jason].  How I wish I were in her shoes!

The Excerpt

With a wistful sigh, I checked out the group of ushers at the door. Maybe I should’ve taken her up on her offer to introduce me — would it be so bad to have someone to talk to?

I’d worried that seeing so many men dressed in black would bring back unpleasant memories of my last trip to church, but instead I found myself drooling over the group like the rest of the women around me.

Chase looked great, but he was only one of an entire herd of GQ-worthy, immaculate men — a stunning sight in their matching tuxedos. One of the guys I recognized as Mitch’s classmate, and a couple more were from the rodeo team, though I’d never seen them this clean before. The rest were anonymously good looking. They whispered to each other, play­ing with their ties or cuff links while they waited for their turn to show someone to their seat.

It was my first and only high school dance all over again.

Chase caught my eye and pointed to his neat bow tie before he ques­tioned the guests in line ahead of me. I gave him a thumbs up, happy I could contribute something to Mitch’s big day. I stepped forward, expecting the I-got-stuck-with-her look from the next piece of eye candy.

A tall, lean stranger approached, stealing my breath.

He didn’t look directly at me at first, so he missed my Exorcist-like double take. I had two heartbeats to collect myself — and to shut my gaping mouth. The guy I’d seen with Chase earlier moved toward me so smoothly he seemed to skate across the carpet.

I recognized his movie-star hair immediately, the molten-chocolate waves just touching his collar, divided by a soft part just right of center. My previous assumption had been correct; he was exceedingly handsome. I drank in his flawless face, tracing his bold cheekbones and square, strong chin with my eyes, trying to find a suitable description for what I was wit­nessing. The word that came to mind wasn’t stunning or exquisite, though both were appropriate; it was familiar. This animated David reminded me of someone. Before I could put a name to his doppelganger, he turned to look at me, and all thought vanished. His eyes were the brightest blue I’d ever seen, and when our gaze met, time stopped.

They say that in the moments before death it’s common to experience a lifetime’s worth of memories. As I drowned in the sapphirine depths of his eyes, what I saw wasn’t the past, but the future. My vision blurred. In my imagination, his vibrant blue eyes appeared inches from mine, and his arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly against his perfect body. I felt every sculpted muscle, every virile heartbeat as he bent down and gently kissed me. As my tongue sought his, the scene shifted and we lay in a darkened room, wrapped in each other’s embrace, wearing nothing but the sweat of ecstasy. We panted together in perfect rhythm, and a single strained word left my lips: “Yes.”

The scene changed, and he was at my elbow, guiding me into a long black car. Cameras flashed in our faces, and specks of rice crunched under our feet. His azure eyes twinkled as he brushed the white veil away from my cheek and whispered, “My wife.” The image darkened again; he nuzzled my ear as his hand slowly stroked the skin of my swollen belly, sending a shiver through me. The pictures flew by faster and faster, flipping like pages in an imaginary scrapbook: we sat on a couch, surrounded by toys, his arm wrapped around my shoulders; we stood in a crowd and watched mortar boards fly into the air; he held my hand as we cut a cake decorated with the words 25 Years and Counting.

Woven through the fast-forward of my life were kisses, touches, and intense releases of passion — all shared with this unknown, gorgeous man. Decades of life, love, and lust passed before my eyes in just two long seconds. I didn’t even know if he liked girls, but I could see myself giving everything I was to him.

He smiled tentatively at me, and as fast as it had appeared, the vision vanished. I blinked, breaking eye contact with him, and inhaled, channeling all my strength to my rubbery legs. He stepped forward, and I realized his lips — his perfect lips — were moving. When I didn’t respond, his face fell.

I tried desperately to regain my composure. I’d never experienced a fantasy like that before. It must be lust at first gawk.

He tried smiling again, and I was able to respond in kind this time.

“May I show you in?” he asked slowly and extended his arm.

Unable to speak, I imitated a bobblehead doll instead.

“Bride or groom?” The plush baritone of his words washed over me like the incoming tide, and I had to concentrate on voicing my answer.

“Groom,” I choked out. I placed my hand in the crook of his arm, easily noting the hard definition of his bicep through his tuxedo jacket.

He laughed lightly, and I actually stumbled, recognizing the inviting chuckle. Why was the sound so familiar?

“Do I know you?” I blurted. The answer had to be no. There was no way I could’ve met this amazing creature and forgotten.

He looked down at me, carefully inspecting my features. His eyes sparkled when they met mine again, and his mouth turned up in an uneven smile. “No, I’m sure I would remember you,” he said, echoing my thoughts.

I blushed and looked away. This was foolish. With my luck, this guy was some actor Ann had hired to seat the guests. The thought he could be even remotely interested in me was absurd — and hadn’t I decided I didn’t need a date?

I carefully controlled my breathing, resolving to enjoy the few mo­ments I had with this living piece of art. He led me gracefully down the aisle, and I couldn’t help but notice how we’d become the center of attention.

Feeling the stare of so many people smothered my determination, and I tugged on his arm after only a few steps. “Here is fine,” I said. We’d stopped just three rows from the door.

“But I can’t see you back here,” he said, looking toward the front of the church. His eyes creased together as he seemed to measure the distance to the altar.

“What did you say?”

My escort swallowed quickly. “I said I don’t think you can see back here.” Before I could comment, he grinned, and I lost myself in his blin­dingly white teeth. Were they as smooth as they looked?

He led me down the aisle, his smile never wavering, and I startled when he finally stopped. We were only a few rows from the front.

“How about here?” he asked.

I couldn’t say no; another guest was being seated right behind me. “If you say so,” I said, my voice squeaking.

He chuckled and handed me something.

I turned into the pew, scolding myself for being such an idiot. At least I’d provided him a laugh.

~~~

Whirlwind is available directly from Omnific Publishing, on Amazon, and even in the Coffee Time Bookstore. Comment on this post and you might get your copy FREE!