Hump Day Hook - Week 2

My Hump Day Hook for the week  comes from my January 1 release, Message from Viola Mari, published by Extasy Books. Meteorite scientist Marissa Jones is presenting her latest research at a conference in Prague. After her session, she decompresses with a stroll through the historic city.

I explored the narrow cobblestone streets, stopping first at Old Town Square to see the Orloj, a medieval astronomical clock. Gathering crowds gazed up the face of Old Town City Hall’s ancient stone wall, waiting for the top of the hour, when the Apostles and other moving sculptures stepped out of the clock. Every street in Old Town offered a different surprise. Above arches, beneath pillars and along many of the buildings’ ancient rooftops, shirtless men with rippling muscles flexed and dresses draped fleshy, curvy women. All the statues looked like superheroes—the men’s chests and abdomens were perfectly chiseled and the women’s dresses looked like capes or wings. I admired their fortitude. I imagined myself standing on top of a building, the wind rustling my wings, rather than my jacket. Now my reality is fantasy. A blissful laugh escaped my lips and echoed through the narrow cobblestone corridor.

I walked back to the hotel and ventured into the noisy hotel bar, slipped off my jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. I ordered a Chardonnay and glanced around the smoke-filled room. A moment later, the bartender set a wine glass down in front of me with a clink and asked if I’d like to start a tab.

“Let me pick this one up.” A broad-shouldered blond man plunked down in the chair beside me and leaned in my direction. “And please bring me a glass of Schnapps.” He straightened his dark gray jacket and gazed at me.

“Have we met before?” The Nordic man with the sexy bass voice looked vaguely familiar.

“Stefan Andersson. We met briefly last year at the Stockholm conference.”

“Oh, yes. I recall your fascinating presentation on SNC meteorites.” I noticed how his muscular thighs pleasantly filled out his tweed slacks.

“Well, thank you, Miss Jones. I’m quite flattered. But I didn’t come over to discuss meteorites.” His gaze dropped down toward my breasts and he licked his lips.

“Really?” I sat up a little straighter in my chair, pulling my jacket lapels in toward each other. “So what did you want to discuss, Mr. Andersson?” I tugged my skirt down a little lower when his blue eyes drifted from my bust line to my calves.

You can read Hump Day Hooks by other authors by following this link. If you enjoyed this excerpt from MESSAGE FROM VIOLA MARI and would like to read more, you can order it on Amazon.