Characters who refuse to leave you alone

On Monday I was trying to do a little writing in my latest novel when this darn character kept popping into my head, waving his hands in the air, and saying, "Me! Me! Talk about me!"

You think I'm kidding? You think that the imaginary characters are stick figures with no personality?

I got news for you. Characters are real! They may not be flesh and blood, but they do come to life. Many times on their very own.

In this case, a character by the name of Caleb Jones kept nagging me. He has this wry smile, twinkling sapphire eyes, and a body that just won't quit. He knows he's sexy, he loves to keep secrets, and he loves a woman by the name of Alexandria (Alex for short). Caleb wears faded blue jeans and a black T-shirt and wears them well.

Check out what I ended up writing instead of working on my WIP. I'm thinking I really like Caleb! But he needs to wait his turn.

Alex nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a loud, persistent rap on her door.

“Hold on, Garth. Someone is at the door.”

With the phone pressed to her ear, Alex moved toward the insistent and now irritating sound. She twisted the knob and jerked the door open. The hand that held the phone dropped to her side. Her heart jumped into her throat and she blinked rapidly in utter amazement.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

The grin the spread across Caleb Jones’ too handsome face heated the old fury that she thought she had buried. Her jaw tightened and her gaze narrowed. She imagined daggers shooting out of her amethyst-colored eyes and landing in his heart. Oh, wait, Caleb didn’t have a heart.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

She instinctively took a step forward, blocking his way into her home. Invite him in? Her brows furrowed and she rubbed her hand across her forehead to smooth away the lines of frustration and irritation.

The sound of a yelling voice penetrated her mind. Without taking her eyes off Caleb’s blue gaze, she pressed the phone to her ear and spoke. “I got to go, Garth. I’ll talk with you later.” Alex shut the flip phone and cut off Garth’s response. She made a mental note to call him back later and apologize. After she got rid of the nuisance that stood on her front porch fouling her crisp, clean, country air.

Planting her fists on her hips, Alex took in the man who had once been her lover. He looked as rakish as ever, standing there in his faded and well-worn blue jeans and black T-shirt pulled tight across a broad and muscular chest. Quit staring at his chest!

She pulled her gaze upwards. His sapphire eyes glittered with heat. The slight upturn at the corner of his lips indicated his sardonic grin. It was as if he had a secret and wouldn’t share until he was ready.  Well, he could keep his secrets. She no longer cared what they were. He could take his secrets and shove them…

“Are you going to let me in? Your neighbors will start to wonder.”

She lived in a rural area where the nearest neighbor was a half mile away. “No.” She crossed her arms over her breasts. “What do you want?”

Caleb took a step forward entering her personal space and bent so his eyes were level with hers. His blue gaze narrowed and she would have sworn she felt heat burn her. Alex sucked in a breath and thought to take a step in retreat when her spine stiffened with stubbornness. This was her house. I’ll be damned if I let him intimidate me. Holding her breath, she held her ground and asked her question again, enunciating each word. “What—do—you—want?”

He smiled and his eyes lit with something devious yet sensual. Alex swallowed. Her heart hammered inside her chest. She wanted to close her eyes, but she found she couldn’t. She was caught in his spell.

“You.”