The Secret to Romance

by Brenna Zinn

Buy GOING DOWN HERE

Romance, love, and great sex.  The perfect trifecta.  The triad we all desire, whether we admit to it or not.

There really is a secret to creating this all powerful trinity.  I believe, innately, we all know what that secret is, though in the heat of the summer, we tend to forget about that pearl of knowledge.

What is the secret?  It's effort.  Yep.  Pure and simple.  Effort is the secret ingredient to creating romance, finding love, and intimately (hallelujah!) great sex. 

But wait.  Are you skeptical of my answer? Need some food for thought?  Then chew on this.  What is the most romantic day of the year?  Valentine's Day.  The day when everyone is aware there's a level of expectation from one's love interest.  This level of expectation is what prods us all to perform.  To go forth and put in additional effort into our relationships.  The effort may materialize in something as small as a thoughtful gesture, say holding the door or pulling out a chair for the one we love.  Maybe something a bit more symbolic like offering a special someone a single, long-stemmed rose.  Perhaps the effort is more of a grander scale. Picture a candle-lit bedroom, champagne chilling, rose petals covering a plush bed, and what's this?  A mask, a length of satin sash, and a French tickler?? Oh you naughty, naughty boy.

I think you get my point.  In February, the month dedicated to love, romance, and (shhh, don't tell anyone) sex, we generally put more effort into our relationships, enriching them.  But why wait for one month in twelve to put the effort into your romance?  Why not do it every day?

How do you think your loved one would feel if they found an unexpected card professing love in his/her car?  To have a cup of coffee waiting by the shower while your loved one gets ready for the day?  To come home and find you naked under a trench coat and a bed prepared for amore?   If you think they would feel the spark of romance, the electricity of love, and the desire for great sex, then you're probably right.

Give it a try and let me know how this works out for you.  As a married woman with almost twenty-three years of marriage under my belt, I can tell you I do this myself - daily - with much success. 

And if you're looking for a little of the Valentine's Day spirit to inspire you, consider reading Going Down, my sexy (and I mean SEXY) story from The Edge series.  If this doesn't get your engine revving, then seek emergency medical help because you might be dead. *grin*

Once the door closed, Steven reached over me to push the Ground Floor button on the control panel, pressing his huge, six-foot something body against mine. For a crazy moment I wanted to poke at his stomach. Nobody really had rock hard abs. Surely the wall of steel pushing into me was a result of wearing a bulletproof vest, not spending hours in a gym.

“I don’t think we’ve ever been introduced. I’m Steven Cayden.”

Little did he know, I not only knew his name, but thanks to the internet and the insignia on his military uniform, I had also figured out Steven Cayden was actually Lieutenant Commander Steven Cayden, a member of the United States Navy Seal team. A highly decorated Lieutenant Commander that.

Heart pounding enough blood into my brain to cause a seizure, I verbally stumbled over my own name. “I...I’m Michelle Bishop.”

He lowered his lips to my ear. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Michelle.”

Hearing him say my name with his captivating voice had my stomach doing more flip flops than an Olympic gymnast on the uneven bars. The crazy way my body reacted, he may as well have said, “I know you’re wearing nothing but a bra and panties under that coat of yours. I’m going to rip that sucker open and tear your thong off with my bare teeth.”

But before I had a chance to utter a word, the lights went out and the elevator came to a screeching, bone-shattering halt. Suddenly the world was quiet and pitch black.