Best Erotic Romance 2014

Just got word from editor Kristina Wright that my story, "Professional, Knowledgeable and Very Thorough" will be included in Best Erotic Romance 2014! I'm totally thrilled—this is a great series, and I'm so pleased to participate in it.

My story is about an auto mechanic and a hot man who questions her about a timing belt—far more respectfully than she's used to being questioned. Here's a snip:

Randal Dean might not be the kind of sexist jerk she’d been expecting, but he was a piece of work in his own right. “With all due respect, Randal, it took me a long time to learn how a car works. I want to answer your questions and make sure you feel comfortable about how you’re spending your money with us, but at a certain point, you do have to trust my professional opinion. I’ve got a lot of other cars to fix. I can’t give you a long lesson right now.” She sighed, summoning a phrase from her customer service training. “What can I do to help resolve this issue?”

“Can I come back later?” he asked, and something about his tone heated Tamara’s cheeks. “When you’re less busy and you can spend a little time?”

She bit the inside of her cheek. Her day was booked solid, and this wouldn’t be quick. To accommodate his request, she’d definitely have to stay late. Still, something inside her hesitated to tell him no.

“Five o’clock,” she said. “Lucy will be closing up. The car will be ready by then, and I’ll walk you through everything I did, show you the parts I replaced, the works. We can just hang out in the garage until you’re satisfied.” She stumbled over the last word of her sentence. It conjured an image of a different sort of satisfaction, sweaty and messy and delicious. Tamara envisioned straddling Randal and running a grease-stained finger across his smooth, high cheekbone, leaving a smear behind. She wondered what it would be like to get him dirty.

Hot times ensue, as I'm sure they do in the other stories in this collection. In case you haven't yet found the preorder button, here's the table of contents, which includes many lovely writers whose work I adore:

Foreword by Lauren Dane
Introduction: A Perfect Combination
The Shortest Day by Nikki Magennis
A Competitive Marriage by Victoria Blisse
Professional, Knowledgeable and Very Thorough by Annabeth Leong
Rules by Emerald
More Light by Laila Blake
Stay with Me by Crystal Jordan
A Singer who Doesn’t Sing by Jeanette Grey
Show Me by D.R. Slaten
A Perfect Place by Catherine Paulssen
Something New by Giselle Renarde
Over a Barrel by Tamsin Flowers
Tuscarora by Anja Vikarma
Big Bully by A.M. Hartnett
Going it Alone by Lucy Felthouse
Closing the Deal by Kelly Maher
Whatever it Takes by Kristina Wright

The book is available for pre-order here, and should be out early next year. :)