Menu for Murder - excerpt

Since the second book will soon be released (I hope), I'm posting a small snippet of the first book as a teaser. You don't have to read this one before the second but I hope you do!

The mayor set his glass on the coffee table with a loud clink. He stood, and I saw him sway slightly. He took three rapid steps in my direction, and before I could move away, he was all over me like hot fudge on a sundae. He grabbed at the front of my shirt and thrust his other hand into the tangle of my hair, clenching a fistful. Yanking me to him, he plastered his lips on mine trying to force his tongue into my mouth.

Reflexively, I wrenched my head back and, in the process, accidentally flung the cocktail glass across the room where it shattered violently.

"Ewww," was all I could manage.

“Come on, baby. Just one little kiss.” He slurred his words, and I felt a drop of spittle hit my face.

“I’d rather kiss the backside of a mule.”

“I like it when a girl plays hard to get.”

My fingernails were bitten to the stub so I couldn’t scratch his face, but I wore my size-nine heavy-duty work shoes. I stomped down as powerfully as I could on his foot, which was just enough to make him release his grip.

“I’m not hard to get. I mean, I’m not playing hard to get. I’ll walk home.” I reached only as far as the kitchen before he grabbed my shirt from behind.

“That wasn't the least bit nice. But if you want to play rough, I like that, too," he breathed into my hair.

I thrashed about, trying to get free of his grip, knocking a heavy ceramic platter on the floor where it exploded into dozens of pieces. Dragging him with me, I lunged toward the phone perched on the corner of the marble countertop, but only managed to knock that on the floor as well. His fingers made indentations in my arms as he turned me around and jammed his body against mine. I gagged as I tasted the scotch from his hot breath, and his red-rimmed eyes held the look of a man accustomed to getting what he wanted.

          "Please let me go," I begged.
          "Don't be so uptight."
          He forced his mouth over mine and, letting go of my arms, he pawed at my shirt trying to grab my breasts. I clawed at him, managing a small scratch on his cheek, and tried to get my knee up to his groin, but his weight kept me from moving enough to maneuver into position. My left hand scrambled over the countertop, desperately searching for anything I could use as a weapon. Ignoring the pain as my fingertips sliced across the sharp blade of a paring knife I grabbed it and jabbed it at him, drawing blood from a small puncture to his arm.


I hope you enjoyed this sample.


Happy Trails,

Leslie

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