EXCERPT: Scratching Post - Terri Pray

The smell of the bar hit her before the noise did, but combined, they acted like a brick wall, striking her senses full force.

Why the hell do I put myself through this every month?

Because it was the only safe option.

Emmie Byron had already learned all too well that ignoring the call of her body was dangerous. It couldn't be shut down, and hunting close to home would've been a mistake. Here, amongst the one-night stands, the men and women looking for little more than bump and grind, she would be able to find a man who would take what she offered and be thankful for it. Her body ached for the touch of a man, any man. Just enough to take the edge off the hormones that now wracked a devastating path through her body.

Here, in the city, amongst the anonymous, she had a way of dealing with the cycle her body endured each and every month. Her home had been carefully chosen, away from the throngs of people, and for the most part, she had been able to stay hidden away from the males of her kind. Only now and then did she catch a faint hint of their presence, their travels bringing them close to town but never fully into it.

She'd been lucky. Just how much longer that luck would hold out, she couldn't be sure. But, for now, she pushed that thought to one side and gave in to the call, the demand for sex her body screamed out for. She'd find the answer here. A man to sate her needs, to bring her body through the fires that even now threatened to push her into the depths of insanity.

Emmie lifted her head up and turned, walking into the bar. Their aroma hit her. Men. Men hungry for sex. Yes. God, yes.

Her body reacted before she could prevent it. Her nipples tightened beneath her dress. Her core clenched, pulse quickening as she entered the bar. Her skin tingled, anticipation building with every breath. She knew what it was they saw in her. She was the walking answer to their hunger, a way of sating their needs, if they could only get her to pick one of them. Or two. Most of the men there wouldn't have minded sharing, just as long as they had their turn with her sweet, pliant body.

A dozen sets of gazes turned her way as Emmie walked into the bar. They stripped away the thin, short dress, peered at the thigh-high boots, and wondered just what it would take to get into her panties. They saw her as the prize, little knowing that one amongst their number would become her prey.

Twin desires battled instantly within her. She needed this. But her human side demanded that she leave, find a man who would be with her always. Not one who would simply sate her needs but once and then be abandoned.

Her core rippled, clenching. Her body was tight, thrumming with a hunger that would no longer be denied, and with that, the small human voice within her found itself gagged. Emmie lifted up her head and let a long, sensual roll claim her hips as she walked farther into the bar.

"Hey, darlin'! Can I get you something?" The blond, tall, well-built man who stepped into her path smelled of concrete dust and sweat. Delicious. Yes, that was a fitting term for him. He looked like every woman's dream, one who could easily delight a partner.

She took a half step toward him, inhaling deeply, a slight frown creasing her brow. Something else there. A smell she had come across before. Sickness? Yes, one that would be passed on if he was the careless type. No, not a risk she was willing to take, even though the risks of it being passed on to her were slim. "Thanks, but no, thanks."

"Not to your taste? Come on, girl, I can change your mind if you give me a chance. You don't know what you're missing." He grinned, reaching out for her arm. "I'll rock your world, and you'll never look back after a night with me."

Emmie leaned forward, her lips almost touching his ear. "I know what I'm missing out on, and believe me, a case of the clap is not to my taste."

http://www.loose-id.com/detail.aspx?ID=659

Terri Pray
I am a spinner of dreams, come enter my web
www.terripray.com
www.underthemoon.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UndertheMoonChatters/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TerriPrayReaders/
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sassy Brit
Alternative-Read.com
"The Inside Story" as told by Sassy Brit and her Gang! Lively and Spirited Reviews
MyBlogLog.com, GatherMe, Shelfari, Sassy's MySpace, AuthorsDen, 360Yahoo, Flickr, YouTube, Facebook, StumbleUpon, Sassy does Jumpcut, Visit our UK Shop, Visit our USA Store,

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*