Really Random Wednesday: The Art of Love Cover Reveal

Okay so today's post isn't really all that random, but that's okay. I got the cover for my new book, The Art of Love: Hedon Falls 2 and I'm so excited about it that I don't want to wait another minute! So here it is! This gorgeous cover was designed by artist and author, Harris Channing. She also did the cover for Landing the Big Ones. I've also included excerpts below. Enjoy!

Blurb

Melanie Hynes owns the brand new art gallery in Hedon Falls. When she decides to make erotic art the theme of her opening exhibition, she goes in search of artwork.

Justin Gauthier creates a unique blend of painting and photography. Melanie finds his youth and vigor intoxicating. David Hannah can sculpt provocative pieces from ordinary materials. And Melanie discovers that he is very good with his hands. Garrett Anderson’s paintings of BDSM are shocking and arousing. When Melanie asks about the lifestyle, he teaches her.

Three men, each with their own distinct talents, and she falls hard and fast for all of them.

When David finds out she is seeing other men, he is hurt and angry. Confused by her attraction to three men, she doesn’t know who to choose. Justin and Garrett show her the joys of sharing and she thinks that may be the key to her dilemma. Can she convince David to consider a ménage?

Story Excerpt

They continued their trek through the woods, Melanie telling Serena about some of the other artists she liked, and Serena telling her stories of her kids. When they got back to the cottage, Melanie made coffee and opened her files on the artists she was considering.

“This is great!” Serena exclaimed as she looked at the Body Canvas work.

“I know,” said Melanie. “That’s why I’d love to get some of those photos.” She clicked open a few more folders. “This artist does sculpture with found or recycled objects. He reuses all kinds of things.”

“That’s not made out of pop bottles!” Serena said, pointing to the caption beneath a sculpture of a man and woman embracing.

“It is,” Melanie said. “He warms the plastic up so he can remold the bottles. Then he covers them with other materials to make it look more realistic.”

“You know,” Serena said as she looked through the other artists’ work, “I’m sensing a theme with the artwork you like best.”

“What theme?” Melanie asked, frowning.

“Sex,” Serena said. “Or eroticism is probably the better way to put it since a lot of the sex is just implied. Like the nudes in the Body Canvas stuff, or the sculptures.” She pointed to some paintings by an artist named Garrett Anderson. “And those are very blatantly sexual.” Most of that artist’s work featured people involved in some sort of BDSM activity.

“Sex? No. I just—” Melanie broke off and thought about it. “Oh, my God! You’re right!”

Serena laughed. “I think you need to get laid, my dear.”

Melanie went red. “Everyone is going to think I’m a sex-crazed nympho!”

“So make it work for you,” Serena said. “Why don’t you make that the theme of your opening exhibition? Erotic art.”

Melanie tapped her fingers on the table while she thought. “You know, that may just work. Though it would mean there wouldn’t be a lot of families coming through.”

“Do many families even go to galleries these days?” Serena asked.

“Good point. Maybe I will do that.”

“And maybe one of those artists will be a gorgeous hunk who will fall madly in love with you and sweep you off your feet,” Serena said with a wink.

They laughed and talked for a little longer before Serena left to relieve Liam from looking after the twins. Melanie went through the files again, looking intentionally for erotic work this time. She decided on the Body Canvas artist, the found art sculptor, and the painter who did the provocative nudes and BDSM pictures. She sent e-mails to the three of them, telling them about the exhibit and requesting an appointment to come and select some work she felt would suit the theme.

The phone rang again and Melanie saw the contractor’s number on the display. “Hey, Andy,” she said when she answered. “Have you got an estimate?”

“We’ve gone over everything,” Andy said. “You’re looking at around thirty thousand.”

“Dollars?” Melanie exclaimed. “That’s triple the original plumbing estimate!”

“It’s a ton of extra work and materials,” Andy said. “Everything needs to be replaced. I warned you that this could happen with old buildings.”

Melanie closed her eyes and rubbed her temples again. “Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Do what you need to do, but if there are any ways you can keep the costs down, please try.”

Melanie went to work on the budget, looking for an extra twenty thousand dollars somewhere. The only place she could see to save that kind of cash was in the apartment she had planned for herself. She wanted to be able to live and work in the same building. As a child she had dreamed of living in the art gallery and being able to visit the art whenever she wanted. She had hoped to make that dream a reality, but now it would have to wait. If she put the apartment on hold and continued renting, it would save her a lot of money. She called Andy back to explain her plan.

“I’ve been looking at the numbers,” she said. “We’re going to have to put the apartment on hold in order to pay for the extra plumbing expenses.”

“You want me to scrap it completely?” Andy asked.

“Put up the outermost walls to keep it separate, and run all the plumbing, heating, and electricity up there so it’s roughed in when I’m ready to finish it, but don’t do anything else.”

“You sure?” Andy asked.

“Yes,” she said with a sigh. “I can keep renting until I can find the money to finish it.”

She hung up and clicked on an e-mail that had just popped up from the Body Canvas artist, Justin Gauthier. He was asking her to stop by his studio the next day at one in the afternoon. She replied immediately that she would see him then and noted the appointment in her calendar. It was the end of the day before she heard back from the others, but she managed to arrange appointments with them for later in the week. Satisfied that something was headed in the right direction, Melanie put her work away for the day and began making her dinner.

Adult Excerpt

Melanie watched as he stroked the nipple of the statue, flicking the tip with his thumb and then pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. Watching him fondle the statue was incredibly erotic, and she found herself imagining his hands on her breasts, squeezing, pinching, and pulling at her nipples, which were now incredibly hard. Her breathing was speeding up and her heart was beating faster as she became more aroused. He watched her quietly as he worked his hand over the statue’s stomach and around to caress its ass. Melanie gave a slight moan as she squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to appease her throbbing clit. David’s smile grew larger.

“Would you like to see something else?” David asked her.

Melanie swallowed. “Yes, please.”

“Follow me,” he said. He led her a little further along to a small sculpture which resembled a wooden dildo. He reached out and grabbed the shaft, stroking it up and down. Melanie couldn’t help the cry that came out as she watched him hold the phallus in his hand, squeezing and stroking it. Her eyes dropped to his crotch and she clearly saw the bulge in his pants. He was just as aroused as she was. Could this be happening again?

“What is it you like about the erotic art?” David asked her as he moved a little closer.

“I…” Melanie couldn’t speak. The rushing had returned to her ears and she had a tingling sensation all over her body. She shifted slightly and felt her back arch as she remembered Justin touching her there yesterday.

“Does it arouse you?” he asked, moving closer still.

Melanie nodded.

“Did you like watching me touch that statue?”

She nodded.

“Do you want me to touch you like that?”

Melanie closed her eyes, swallowed, and made a decision. “Yes.”

David was standing directly in front of her now, and the heat between them was incredible. She stood still and looked into his eyes as he reached up with both hands. He lightly cupped her breasts, and a sigh escaped her. This was what she wanted. He gently stroked the sides of her tits, the bottoms, all around, getting closer to the nipples but not quite touching. He brought his fingers almost to the tight, aching peaks but would then move them away to stroke the sides some more. Melanie groaned in frustration as he teased her again and again, always coming close but not quite touching the spot she needed him to. When she could stand it no more, she reached up and grabbed his hands, pressing them firmly against her breasts and squeezing them over her flesh. He moaned and at last began rubbing his thumbs across her rigid nipples.

“God!” Melanie cried out. “Yes!” Sensations ripped through her body from the pressure of David’s fingers on her tits. It was amazing, but she wanted to feel those hands against her bare flesh. She pushed his hands away and quickly pulled the sweater up and over her head. As she lifted her arms, David deftly released the front clasp on her bra and her boobs popped out into his waiting hands, which he used to continue his sensuous stroking. She looked up into his eyes, dark with desire.

“Kiss me,” she whispered.

He bent his head down and slanted his mouth over hers, those beautiful full lips coaxing hers apart. She had to taste him, and she darted her tongue quickly into his mouth. He captured it between his lips and sucked on it, causing her to moan into his mouth. He released her tongue and kissed her again, and this time it was she who pulled his tongue between her lips. They took turns sucking and tasting each other, all the while David kneaded and pinched gently at her breasts.

Melanie wanted more. She tugged his T-shirt out of his waistband and slipped her hands underneath it, running them up the smooth, hard skin of his chest. When her fingers grazed his nipples, she pulled them between her fingers, pinching and rolling them, mirroring his actions on her body. He groaned as she teased him, his mouth becoming more insistent over hers. He slid his hands around to her back and she arched against him. One hand slid into her jeans and cupped her ass, the squeezing rhythm alternating with that on her breasts. David lowered his hand to the button on the front of her jeans and unbuttoned it, pulled down the zipper and then pushed her pants down just past the bottom of her ass cheeks. He slipped a hand between her legs, cupping her mound and applying pressure. He rubbed slowly back and forth. On each stroke his hand pushed a little further between her legs.

“You are so fucking wet,” he growled into her mouth.

“I’ve been dripping since you opened the damn door,” she replied.