In 2013, Huguley, an English professor and romance novelist, was up for a Golden Heart Award. But six years earlier, fellow RWA member Piper Huguley had experienced something remarkably similar. It was the kind of small ugliness that would be tempting to brush away as a one-time incident coming from a single bad actor. “I didn’t know we needed two token winners.” “Oh,” she says she heard one of them say. She was still basking in that joy when she overheard another group of attendees talking. “It was this great culmination of all this work that had been done for authors of color to finally get recognition, especially for these two,” Malone says. Malone (no relation) were winners that year - the first black authors to win RITAs - and all three were celebrating the milestone. Malone, who is black, was there for the reception for the RITAs, the annual awards ceremony for published authors. It was the summer of 2019, and Malone was attending the national conference for Romance Writers of America, romance publishing’s powerful trade organization. Romance novelist Nana Malone felt like she was back in high school - surrounded by mean girls. With his other hand braced on my back to keep me from falling, he carries me the short distance to the bed, lays me gently in the center, and continues to feast on me, never missing a beat.Part of the Romance Issue of The Highlight, our home for ambitious stories that explain our world. “I can’t, babe.” Dear God, I’m losing my balance.
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I whimper, and my breath comes in shallow, short pants. I plant my hands in his hair and hold on as an urgent wave of pure lust consumes me. “I just need one taste.” He leans in and places his lips over mine and sucks gently. “Trust me on this one,” I reply and gasp when his fingers spread my lips, opening me up to his hot gaze and warm breath. He kneels before me, yanks my panties down, pulls my leg up onto his shoulder, and with reverent hands, touches the insides of my thighs gently. “… but I feel like I’m going to die if I don’t taste you.” I whip my cami over my head just as he reaches behind me to unclasp my bra and am now pinned against the wall in my plain pink panties. “I told myself that once I finally had you like this, I’d take my time and explore every inch of your gorgeous little body… “ He pushes his hands inside them, glides them down my ass, and lowers my jeans down my legs until they’re pooled around my ankles.
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He pulls my shrug off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor, and reaches for the button of my jeans next, deftly unfastening them with one hand. The door slams shut behind him and I can only cling to him as he kisses me almost desperately, as though I’m a mirage that will disappear. He swoops in, pushes me deeper into the room, cups my face in his hands, and devours me with his mouth. “Won’t you come in?” I step back and open the door wide. “Grace, I’m on a very precarious ledge right now.”
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“Another one of those gentlemanly things?” I ask softly. I find his gaze with mine and simply say, “You.” “I don’t want you to leave,” I whisper, and watch his lips as he licks them. He marches back to me and gazes down into my face with bright green eyes. I yank the door open and stick my head out into the hallway, just in time to see Jacob press the call button for the elevator.
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I’ve never done an impulsive thing in my life. I close the door behind me and lean against the wood, panting, aching, wanting with all my heart to call him back here.