Jan Graham Beckons Romance
I love the name of Paloma’s blog - Romance Beckons - so when I agreed to be a guest author I wanted to write a post that would fit in with the imagery of the site. I decided to write about romance, more specifically being romantic. For me if a person is romantic, then they do things like spoil someone with flowers, give gifts, do something nice for another person to show them they love them. It seemed like a fair assumption that my definition was right, until I went to the dictionary.
Most definitions for romance or romantic that I found involved…wait for it…sex. Statements like - a love affair that’s brief and intense, sexual love especially if the relationship is idealized, a fascination with someone, and my personal romance deflating favorite…to treat someone in a special way while having an affair or as a means to get into one. What??? I don’t think someone being nice to me just to get into my pants is romantic. I mean it would be flattering, but it’s not romantic. Obvious my online dictionaries were written by men.
*Ponders the name…Dic-tionary.*
In my mind, being romantic toward someone shouldn’t have an underlying motive or agenda. It’s an act of showing love, affection, and expressing the emotion you feel for another person.
The only definition I found that went close to making sense was this one - ‘romance’ a novel, story or fictitious account of love. Well at least that definition rang true, I do write romance. Actually I write erotic romance, so maybe the first definitions about sex play a part as well. In my books, even though my heroes are strong, dominant, alpha men I like to show that they have a romantic side.
So, given that I disagree with the many definitions I discovered, I’d like to ask you all a question. What do you think romance or being romantic means and do you have an example of someone doing something romantic for you?
My example of being romantic comes in the form of an excerpt from one of my books, Healing a Cougar’s Heart.
Mark picked up the tiny package from the passenger seat and stepped out of the car. He was actually nervous, which both surprised and worried him. He never got nervous on a date; he always walked into them with confidence. He made sure he and his date were more than satisfied with the evening and returned for a repeat performance if they both decided that was what they wanted. No pressure, no expectations, no nerves.
This date was different, though, particularly in relation to expectations, which concerned him. He wanted to impress her, woo her, make her feel so special she saw him as an option for more than a casual friend to date and maybe have sex with. He didn’t understand how, in one meeting, she had imprinted herself into his heart and mind so that he wanted her in his life permanently. It didn’t make sense; he didn’t believe in love at first sight. Lust at first sight, yes, but love? Love was different. Love usually took time.
He glanced at his watch and found out he was fifteen minutes early. He knocked on the door, and when she answered, Mark’s breath hitched in his chest. Even with the shocked look on her face, she was stunning.
“Oh shit, I’ve underestimated the time and I’m late. I’m so sorry.” The words seemed to spill from her mouth in a panic. “Come in. I’ll just throw on my dress and shoes and I’m ready to go.”
Isabelle went to dash away from the door, but Mark took her hand, halting her escape. Without shoes, she was much shorter than he had first suspected. She seemed so delicate, petite.
Even her loose mass of red, springy hair didn’t add to her stature. He wondered what the short, silky robe she wore was covering. He could see her stocking-covered legs extending out from under the robe but nothing more. His mind immediately added a sexy lingerie set, with matching garter belt, in the same red color as her hair. Damn, he was hard just looking at her without adding a visual that made his cock throb.
“Don’t rush away, and you aren’t late. I’m early.” He raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “I apologize for causing unnecessary panic. And you look beautiful as you are, so the dress and shoes can wait.”
Her anxious expression eased as he placed the little package in her hand. She gave him a questioning glance, then her gaze returned to the gift-wrapped black box with gold ribbon.
“You didn’t need to buy me anything, Mark. You already gave me the flowers.”
“I wanted to give you something a little more personal than flowers.” She blushed then reached up and kissed his cheek. He barely heard her whisper a soft “thank you” as she pulled away.
That was the sexiest response to gift giving he had ever experienced.
Mark Dean loves being a cop. He also loves the hot redhead he rescued from a creep’s unwanted attention at a local nightclub. Mark knows that before he can gain Isabelle’s affection he has to convince her of something. Being a cop has nothing to do with her reluctance to date him. Isabelle’s heart never healed after the death of her husband and Mark makes it his mission to help heal this feisty Cougar’s heart.
Buy Link for Healing a Cougar’s Heart
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