Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

****

For this month’s Excerpt Monday here’s a excerpt from my newest release, Midnight’s Ghost.

****

Chapter One

Whoever said karma was a bitch wasn’t kidding. I wondered what cosmic entity I had pissed off this time in order to earn this particular boot in the stomach. I mean that literally, by the way. There was a size twelve-wide currently planted in my stomach. He kicked with such force that I couldn’t stop myself from being thrown back against one of the trade carts in the outdoor market.
The capillaries in my lungs fought for oxygen as my heart tripped over a few beats in shock. Panic turned my stomach sour and warning sounds screamed in my brain as my body fought a war with itself. I needed to move now and I wasn’t sure even then would be soon enough.
Doubled over in pain, I struggled to push myself off the ground. I managed, but the results left me standing with my arms clutched tightly around my midsection as I fought the vertigo that was causing the ground underfoot to tilt wildly out of control. I couldn’t help but notice the Lunata who attacked me had backed up enough to allow me to stand. He just wanted the pleasure of being able to kick me down again.
Bastard.
A loud cheer went up from the gathering crowd as I regained my footing and I mentally corrected my assessment.
Bastards.
Leave it to a disgruntled Lunata to pick a fight in the busiest seller’s alley in Blood City. Business was booming for the vendors trying to hock their wares today and I had no doubt Dalen had picked this particular venue to ambush me since it was so busy. The residents of Blood City on the planet Nogal were historically loners who tended to turn their keen eyes away at the first sign of trouble.
That didn’t seem to be the case this time.
You would think a lone female who was currently getting her ass beaten by a Lunata, a species physically superior to mine, would cause someone to think twice about helping. But alas, no.
I shook myself, inhaling deeply as if it would help me gather my courage. It was my own fault for coming here. I knew better than to strut in like I owned the place with a chip the size of Earth on my shoulder. Broadcast that attitude long enough and someone would surely decide you needed to be knocked down a few levels.
Apparently, Dalen had decided I needed to be removed from the game completely.
In my defense, with my line of work, your ego had to be able to take the hits. Being a woman in the male dominated business of running cargo meant my confidence had to be rock solid. When it wasn’t trying to pick itself up off the ground, it usually was.
“You’re getting soft, Whittier,” Dalen, sneered. He definitely had the upper hand in catching me off guard, but leave it to him to simply gloss over that little nugget. The majority of legal, and illegal, star runners would cross their family members without thinking twice if enough money was involved. Why else would someone run cargo on shitty shipping routes with star-freighters that were twenty years past their prime?
It sure as hell wasn’t for the health benefits.
“The only thing soft around here is that mini-sausage you call a penis,” I shot back in annoyance. He had gotten the best of me, I would give him that. But anything else, he was going to have to work for.
I had decided to take an R and R day as I was between jobs at the moment. It was a rare opportunity that I got such a break, and Reece, my trustworthy co-pilot, had goaded me into it when I’d been reluctant. I was supposed to take a nice, leisurely stroll through Blood City and maybe pick up a few incidentals before I made the run to Verisium. I had then planned on ending the night at Caldera, my bar of choice whenever I had found myself in this sector.
Known as a star runner’s bar, Caldera’s clientele were the very dregs of intergalactic society. Being a star runner played well for me. That I was a woman did not. That I was a human woman from Earth just upped the level of disgust. To them, I was no better than common dirt and just as useless in addition.
I’d long since gotten over cursing my parents for my looks. As if being an Earthling already didn’t help my case, add in blonde hair and blue eyes—once the twentieth century’s idea of the perfect looks for a woman—and the salt just poured into the wound. Needless to say, I had long since gotten over being sneered at just based on my looks alone. I let my work speak for itself and since some of my clients regularly passed over the other top ranked star runners in favor of using me, I’d say that I’d done pretty well for myself.
For the most part, however, everyone left me alone and that was the way I preferred things. I hadn’t become a star runner because I enjoyed being surrounded by people.
I hadn’t expected Dalen to find me so quickly, even though I knew his temper would be white hot after he discovered I snagged a job right out from under those massive feet of his. It was his own fault for celebrating early with the sex companions over in Ferraculs, a city on Nagol that was even more disgusting than Blood City.
His client wanted the job done sooner and I’d been right there to step in and offer my services. Of course, that client only realized his need for expediency after I pointed out the fact I owned a ship that could run circles around The Spectral Scribe, Dalen’s transport ship.
Never let it be said I wasn’t above creating opportunities for myself.
Being in this profession, I had to work twice as hard as the males and make certain that I was afforded the very same opportunities they were. Since those same men were the ones who would just as soon screw me over as look me in the eyes, I wasn’t above returning the favor.
Dalen whipped out a fist towards me again, but I was only going to be caught off guard once. He wasn’t going to make a fool of me again. I had an ace up my sleeve he was unaware of. Whoever had tipped him off that I was here, hadn’t told him everything about me.
Faster than he could register, I whipped one of my gloves off and spun out the way so I could clamp my hand over his wrist as I went. The momentum caught him off guard and he shouted in protest. I wrapped my hand around his neck like a collar and used the force to slam him against the cart I’d been leaning against just seconds ago. The already off balance cart toppled over and I refused to let go as we both fell to the ground.
I firmed my grip on his neck and the flashes of his life started flipping through my mind. I had to fight against the wave of nausea as vertigo lashed out at me again, but this time for a different reason. I steadied myself as I focused on one singular image he kept filing back to and realized the image was of his mother. For such a brute asshole, I would have never taken him for the momma’s boy type.
I bet he screamed like a little girl.
Through the haze of images, I picked up another female form. The lithe and acrobatic body was radically different from his mother’s overly plump bulk. Judging by the feeling of adoration I sensed, he felt the same emotions for this woman as he did his mother. The flash of them rolling around in bed was too much to take, however, when he superimposed his mother’s face on the naked woman. His voice thundered into my head at the same moment he began chanting for his mother with ritualistic rhythm.
I wrinkled my nose up in disgust as the sound of wet flesh slapping together joined the mix. “You’re one sick fuck.”
His eyes went wide with the realization I could see inside his mind. He began struggling with me and knew I needed to act fast. Thanks to my mother’s contribution to my genetic structure, I was more than just your average human. I shifted those vile thoughts, manipulating his theta brainwaves so the images altered in his mind. He let out a high-pitched squeal as raucous cheering erupted from the crowd. They had no side in this scuffle, they just wanted blood.
There was a reason it was called Blood City.
I released my grip and as he fell to the side, I drew myself up to my full height so I was looking down at him. He panted as he tried to draw a full breath and groped out with a hand, searching for something to anchor himself to. His eyes were on mine and I could tell from the far away glazed look he was somewhere else. Unfortunately, his mind had been weaker that I expected, and for a moment, I debated sticking around to see if he was alright.
I heard the hiss and pop of a blaster and looked up in time to see the vivid streak of blue light fly past me before it exploded into Dalen’s chest. Blood, guts and other things I didn’t want to think about flew through the air and the crowd who had gathered around to watch the fight scattered.
Wiping the purple blood from my face, I turned to see who was responsible for the killing shot. As the tallest of the remaining group of onlookers, he was the easiest to find. He shot a casual smile in my direction as he flipped his shirt over the illegal weapon he was sliding into the waistband of his pants. My brain blared a warning and my feet started moving before I was even aware of it.
I ran like the wind.
I knew I needed to get away because he was the last person I wanted to see, especially right now. There was a loud crash followed by a riot of curses behind me, but I knew I would waste precious seconds if I looked over my shoulder to see what the commotion was.
“Reece, fire up the engines. I’m coming in hot and heavy,” I shouted into my holowatch as I pushed my way through the burgeoning crowds that were suddenly filling up the market alleys.
Didn’t these people have jobs to go to?
“Stirring up the natives again I see, Captain.”
“Just do it, dammit.” I flicked off the open line with my thumb and slid the glove I removed earlier back on my hand as I decided to risk a glance over my shoulder to ensure I still held the advantage.
My pursuer was weaving his way expertly though the mingling crowd and he was making far less of a disturbance doing so. Even at this distance, I could see one side of his mouth was quirked up in a lopsided grin.
Damn, he was actually enjoying this.
My attention momentarily distracted, I ran full tilt into a trader’s cart and watched the horizon tilt wildly as I went head over heels. For the second time today, I was fighting for air as I stared at the dull cerulean sky. A few careful blinks assured me the dimming light was because of the triple sunset and not my spinning equilibrium.
My pursuer’s face came into view overhead with a smile so wide it nearly split his face in two. Leave it to Wallace to find pleasure in tormenting me.
“Going somewhere?” The smug expression on his face made me want to reach up and slap it to the next galaxy. He would probably have some sick fascination about seeing my red hand print there later as it marked his perfectly sculpted jaw and decided against it.
“Stuff it, Wallace,” I spat out and winced at the level of effort it took to do so. With the combination of the fight with Dalen and the tumble I had just taken, everything hurt. I wasn’t too proud to admit that either. What I was too proud to do was take the hand Wallace was offering me. I rolled away from his extended hand, purposefully refusing his gesture as I gathered the effort needed to push myself up to stand.
A frown darkened his features and his hand fell uselessly to his side as he watched me. Based on our history, he had known that I wouldn’t take his hand or accept his assistance, but that didn’t mean it stopped him from offering. A few years ago, I would have taken it without hesitation.
My holowatch chimed, a signal Reece was trying to contact me. I sighed heavily and tapped the acknowledgement button. “Power down, Reece.”
“You imply I powered up in the first place, Captain.” His mechanical voice was hollow and flat, but filled with sarcasm all the same. Wallace cocked an inquisitive brow at me and I wanted to release my inner child by sticking my tongue out at him.
I resisted the temptation, but just barely. “I’ll be there in a few minutes, Reece.”
Wallace didn’t wait for me to depress the off button before he started scolding me. “You know you broke about five laws back there.”
He was the one that fired the gun and was telling me that I broke several laws? “I was defending myself,” I offered with a defiant tilt of my chin.
He inclined his head in acknowledgement, knowing full well I would never attack if I hadn’t been provoked. I wasn’t a big fan of engaging another person in hand-to-hand combat and Wallace knew it. If I was involved in any way, someone had screwed me over first. “That doesn’t negate the fact Dalen is now a useless mass of goo.”
I lifted my shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “Have to admit, it’s an improvement.”
I could tell Wallace was fighting back a smile and he visibly shook himself before he continued.
I saved him the effort. “Look, if you’re going to arrest me then get it over with so I can leave.”
A pained expression erased any amusement that had been lingering. “You know I don’t do that sort of work anymore.”
“Only because you just spent the last two years in lock-up at Widow’s Bay.” I folded my arms in front of me in a defensive posture and noticed his surprised expression. “Despite the fact that I do spend a heck of a lot of time up in the stars, I am fully aware you broke out. Or were the news vids wrong and they let you just walk right out of there?”
Despite the tension in the air between us, he threaded his hands behind his neck and bounced a little on the balls of his feet. “Saw that did you?”
The pride lacing his voice was unmistakable.
I’d forgotten what a smug son of a bitch he could be.
There were very few cases where it happened, but in this particular instance, I couldn’t blame him. He deserved whatever arrogance he showed since he was the only person to escape what was touted as the most perfect prison in seven galaxies.
“Most downloaded vid for the past six months from what I hear. You know—the one the IGP doesn’t want everyone to see.” IGP vowed to arrest anyone found with the vid but with it as viral at it was, that was hard to police. The Intergalactic Patrol gave up after a few months and I think now they just saw it as their personal mission to capture Wallace, especially since he had once been one of them. He had never technically been an official member of the force, but he had enough dealings with them to know how their distorted minds worked.
I flexed my hands, making sure the fabric was still tight against my skin as I waited. As he stood there looking pleased with himself I did my best to not notice that, despite his time in the prison, the years had been good to him. Fugitive status aside, his tanned skin glowed with life. Evidently, for him, there had been no hiding in a cave somewhere in order to lay low for a while. Not that I would have really expected anything of the sort from him since he would consider it the coward’s way.
His dark hair was cut close to his head, a stark difference from the fall of thick hair I’d once loved threading my fingers through. His age was starting to show a little at the corners of his eyes, but it just further enhanced his looks instead of detracting from them. Taller than I was, he managed to somehow not seem imposing while taking up the space around him with determined authority.
Wallace was Ilium, a race that was as close to human as you could get without actually being an Earthling. Ilium had actually been the first race to make contact with humans back in the twenty-third century. It was a tense relationship now after Rieynold’s Conflict had taken place and Earth had lost to a race of technologically superior beings. That arrogance had cost Earth several more galactic wars and now the entire planet was content with their place. They were just as happy being left alone as I was.
Wallace cleared his throat, obviously noticing that I was blatantly checking him out and I saw the spark of something mischievous in his amber colored eyes.
Damn.
I smothered the heat that had bloomed somewhere deep inside me, deciding to deal with it later. There were other, more important matters that needed my attention than my sex drive. What I needed to do right now was to get out of here as one Lunata meant more would undoubtedly follow.
“I’d head off planet if I were you. IGP will get wind of this no doubt.” I jerked my chin in the direction we had just come from. “Something tells me you’re going to become even more of a hot commodity soon.”
I rolled my eyes at the knowing look he gave me in return. Leave it to Wallace to think with his dick. I expected him to voice that opinion, but he surprised me.
“They can look all they want, I’m actually here looking for you.”
Oh no, we were not going to start down this path again. I was still picking up the pieces from the last time I had dealt with him. I turned on my heel, my eyes now searching the twilight sky above us for signs of any vidbots who could have recorded all of this to report back to IGP headquarters.
“Taran, wait.”
“Go away, Wallace,” I forced out his name in bitter disgust.
“Let me explain.”
I stopped mid-stride and he walked a few paces past me before he realized I had stopped. He swung around to face me and the urge to slap him rose within me again. Luckily for him, I suppressed it just like before. “You want to explain why you’re carrying? Why you just killed a Lunata? Do you realize how stupid that was?
He settled his hands on his belt loop, his hands now strategically close to the handle of the very same weapon he’d used to kill Dalen. “Actually, I was going to explain why I’m looking for you.”
“I am not in the mood for one of your schemes, Wallace. I’ve already been fucked by you, so go find someone else.”
The amber of his eyes darkened a little, a change that I noted when he allowed emotion to show through his expression. It was only ever around me he let that happen. “Taran, I need your help.”
If I didn’t know him better, know how easily he could manipulate a situation to his advantage, I would think he was actually being sincere. “You?” I questioned. “You want my assistance. You’re asking me for my help?”
He winced at little at the sound of my escalating voice. “I know it sounds odd.”
“Odd doesn’t even begin to cover it. It’s completely insane.” I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm, gripping it tightly so I couldn’t go anywhere. I glared at him and he released his hold reluctantly, obviously afraid I was going to bolt the moment he wasn’t restraining me. “Find someone else.”
We stood staring each other down for a few minutes before he gestured to the narrow alley to our right. I reluctantly complied, knowing I wasn’t going to get rid of him anytime soon. “I would have, but there isn’t anyone else.”
“So, I’m your last choice.”
I swore I could hear his teeth grinding in frustration. “Not that it matters, but you’re the first one I’ve talked to. I need the best and you, unfortunately, are it.”
What a way to woo a girl. I smirked and leaned against the building behind me, one knee bent with my foot pushing against the wall for leverage in case I had to run again. “Wallace Gabriel Grey, the once shining beacon of IGP’s security is going to trade his law breaking ways to take up with the likes of me. Again.” I couldn’t believe he had the gall to come ask me for my help after what he’d done. “Why should I help you after you’ve done so much for me?”
My head began to spin and I realized the extent of all the excitement. A wave of dizziness washed over me and I grabbed for the wall behind me. I missed, pitching forward into Wallace and the last thing I saw before I blacked out, was his stricken expression.
Warm amber eyes, the exact color of my father’s favorite brand of whiskey, stared back at me as I regained consciousness. I was not going to remind myself how much I’d missed seeing those eyes on a daily basis right now.
“Nice to see you finally join us again.” Concern weighted his words as he looked down at me and it was then I realized he had embraced me in his arms. The firm set of his mouth indicated he was trying his best to not scold me about overexerting myself, but he appeared to be failing miserably. That fact is what kept me from snapping at him.
“What do you want, Wallace?” With him, there was always a reason. Once, it had been because he had done whatever the hell he wanted Now, however, since I hadn’t seen him in a number of years, I didn’t know what his motives were. It was safer to go under the assumption of what I knew.
“You attacked a Lunatian in a very public place.”
I scowled since we already covered this. My body was revolting on me, not my mind. What I did understand was that Wallace needed to be reassured that I was really okay and starting a fight with me was his twisted way of showing it. “That’s bullshit and you know it. He attacked me, I told you that already. What was I supposed to do, curl up into a ball and take the beating?”
“Did you think to ask for help?” Even though his voice was quiet as he asked, I could hear the underlying frustration in his voice.
“Who was I supposed to ask, Wallace? It wasn’t as if anyone jumped in to help me, except for you of course and I’m beginning to think I would have preferred getting my ass kicked by Dalen.”
His eyes softened and he lifted one of his hands to brush at a stray lock of hair that had fallen in my eyes when I’d tumbled unconscious into his arms. “Why are you here, Taran?”
I squirmed in his arms, sure I could function under my own power now and he released me. Plus, I was past the point of frustration in dealing with him. I noticed he watched me closely to see if I wavered even just a millimeter and I fought to not let him see how unsteady I was. It passed a moment later and I gingerly pushed myself up to stand, using the wall for support.
His voice was tight as he repeated his question.
“I have a job originating out of Kalia, tomorrow. I thought I deserved some downtime, not that it’s any of your business.”
“What’s the haul?”
“Now that’s really not your business,” I scoffed and started to push away from the wall. Everything spun wildly and I leaned heavily against it again.
He rolled his eyes, shifting so he leaned against the wall next to me so we were eye level with each other. It didn’t escape my notice he had also positioned himself within arms distance in case I took another tumble. “While you were busy tussling with Dalen, IGP received an anonymous tip and picked up a dealer in Kalia. Hauled him in for questioning and promptly arrested him on suspicion of transporting stolen goods. Something tells me, your calendar just opened up.”
I smacked the wall behind me with the flat of my hand and relished in the pain radiating up my arm. That haul would have pulled in enough credits that I wouldn’t have to make any more runs for the rest of this year. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew just where that anonymous tip had originated and he was currently standing next to me making a huge annoyance of himself.
“Coincidentally, I’m in the market for a ride to Delphin Five.”
Somehow, it didn’t surprise me to hear him say that. I did a few quick calculations in my head. “That’s five days out, if you’re lucky.”
“Then I’m feeling damn lucky I found you because I need to get there in three.”
I did my best to not laugh in his face. “That’s suicide. There isn’t a ship in four galaxies that can manage that.”
He gave me a knowing look that told me he knew better. “Good thing for me that I’m looking at a pilot whose ship isn’t registered in any of those four galaxies.”
“You’re insane.”
“So they tell me.”
He wasn’t kidding either. He really had been told he was insane by the court that sentenced him to jail time. “You just cost me a paying job, Wallace. Find someone else to hassle.”
“But I enjoy hassling you.”
After blasting his way back into my life, Wallace was the last person I wanted to deal with in the confines of a starship. “Stuff it. I’m not in the mood for your cutesy bullshit. I have debts to pay now because of you, so go find someone else that can actually stand the sight of your face.”
“There you go assuming again.” He pushed away from the wall to twist himself around so he stood in front of me and I suddenly felt closed in. I knew all I had to do to get him to move is strip off one of my gloves and let some part of his exposed flesh brush against my hand. He bracketed my arms against the wall to take that option away and I could feel his warm breath against my face. “I never said I wouldn’t pay you.”
“You haven’t paid for a ride in your life, at least not with credit chips.”
He stepped into me, closing the distance between us. I could feel every inch of him through his tan colored pants and shirt. For the breath of a moment, I thought he was going to brush his lips over mine. “I never heard you complain once about my method of payment. You were very vocal however, if memory serves me correctly.”
A wave of heat scorched through my veins at the combination of his words and the feel of him pressed against me like this. He was saying things he knew would get my juices flowing and it was actually working. Wallace knew exactly what got me riled up.
Despite the fact I wanted to give in to the rich layers of arousal weaving their way through me, I knew Wallace was trying to manipulate me. He was blatantly using my attraction to him against me and wasn’t making any apologies for it. Unfortunately for him, while I remembered what it felt like to give in, I also knew I would hate myself in the morning. Since I was all that I had, hating myself wasn’t an option.
“Find yourself some other star runner, Wallace. Leave me alone.” I jerked forward with my hips, and was surprised when he lost his balance. I expected him to reach out for me again, but he let me go as I brushed past him. His voice drifted to me as I started to walk away and the seeming desperation in his voice had me stopping in my tracks.
“I can’t get anyone else, Taran. I need the best.”
I sighed heavily and closed my eyes as I stood with my back to him. Damn, I hated how he could still say things that let him get under my skin. I was supposed to be angry with him for what he had done. Although, angry was probably putting it too nicely.
I dipped my hands into the pockets of my shorts still splattered with Lunatian blood and shrugged my shoulders. “Stony and Webster or, hell even Jett, find one of them. They’re just as good.”
He shook his head in desperation as I turned to face him. I knew, just like he did, the names I had ticked off were good haulers, but they weren’t what he was looking for. None of them had the same level of equipment I did. They couldn’t get him where he needed with that type of speed.
“Good, but not the best. Taran, whatever our screwed up history together is, can you just put it aside for right now and let me hire you? You and Eidolon are the fastest in the star runner’s fleet. Like I said, I need the best,” he added when he saw the skepticism I was fighting with.
That ghost of something was back on his face, but this time he didn’t do anything to disguise it. I saw it as clear as the darkening sky overhead and it made my stomach do a slow, lazy slide. He seemed to genuinely believe that I was the only one who could help him.
Wallace had even played the right cards in telling me that I was the best and the fastest. It wouldn’t have even taken that because he also knew I had never been able to say no to him, but it certainly sweetened the pot. I couldn’t ignore the fact that even though we hadn’t spoken in three years and had an abrupt breakup hanging over our heads, he had sought me out. That meant there was something more in this than just him. He wouldn’t have come otherwise because that was just the kind of guy Wallace was. While he could be selfish, the look of desperation on his face told me that this was something beyond him. Something he couldn’t handle alone and that’s what I found so damn intriguing.
For him to let me see it was an enormous concession for him.
I rubbed my hands over my face and blew out an exasperated breath, chastising myself for what I was about to do since I knew I would end up regretting it. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this. You need to be there in how many days again?”
“Three.”
“I can do it in four, maybe three and a half if I push her hard enough.” I made the offer, knowing I could deliver him in the time he requested, but wanted to have a little room to play in case things didn’t go as planned.
His voice was low as he spoke and I recognized the tone he used when he knew someone was trying to pull one over on him. “Don’t bullshit me, Taran. Those upgraded transwarp drives have GreySec stamped all over them. The ones no one else knows about, the ones I helped you install? I know, just like you do, that you can make the run with time to spare. How much?”
He was right, Eidolon did have upgraded transwarp drives no one else but him knew about. She was technically too small of a ship to possess that size of a jump core, but then again, there was a reason her name was Eidolon. Being a ghost in space was definitely advantageous when you ran legal, or illegal, goods to distant planets.
I should have known better than to try to feed him a line. If there was anyone who could spot a lie at two paces, it was Wallace. He, on the other hand, could slide one effortlessly off his tongue without batting an eye. There were times when I was jealous of that talent. Resigned that I was going to do this whether I liked it or not, I fired off an exorbitant amount, assuming he’d be put off by it and forget this whole conversation happened.
“Done,” he said tightly and stepped away, gesturing for me to lead the way out of the alley.
I nodded once in a silent agreement. “Eleven hundred hours. Archer’s Post,” I rattled off the slot where I had docked Eidolon and immediately starting running through a list in my head for things I would need before then.
“Still a late riser, I see,” he said as I moved around him.
I ignored his comment about my being tardy when he was notorious for making people wait. Never looking back, I disappeared into the crowds, ignoring the stares at the blood still staining my shorts and legs.
Let them stare. I had a job again.

Enjoy!

Whoever said karma was a bitch wasn’t kidding. I wondered what cosmic entity I had pissed off this time in order to earn this particular boot in the stomach. I mean that literally, by the way. There was a size twelve wide currently planted in my stomach. He kicked with such force that I couldn’t stop myself from being thrown back against one of the trade carts in the outdoor market.
The capillaries in my lungs fought for oxygen as my heart tripped over a few beats in shock.

For those new to this, the rules are simple:

1) pick a project – a current Work in Progress, contracted work or even something readers can buy
2) pick six sentences
3) post ‘em on Sunday

See? Easy. Want to play? If you have a Twitter account it’s easy. Just add the hashtag #sixsunday to your tweets when you tweet a link to your Six Sentence Sunday post. You can see who’s participating in the widget on the right. If you’re a writer (regardless of published/unpublished) come join us.

An anchor website will be active in a few days.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published
books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t
have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to
share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday
site! or click on the banner above.

****

Normally, I just give short excerpt blurbs for whatever it is that I feel like pulling for the month (for instance, last months selection was the first kiss from Flash of Dark), however, this month I decided on something a little different. This is the entire first chapter of a current WiP which is untitled at the moment as it’s only about 1/2 complete, but will be a full length Fantasy novel once complete. Do keep in mind this is in its early stage and any errors/mistakes are to be blamed on my cats.

The music was rough but practiced as the band undeniably knew what it was doing. They weren’t novices at this and judging by the screams from the crowd, it wouldn’t have mattered if they were. All eyes were focused on the man standing center stage, microphone just a few inches from his mouth while his fingers danced over the strings of a guitar. His throaty voice swept over the audience as they undulated in time to the bass pulsing through the amplifiers.
He was free here, standing in front of the audience. Yet, it wasn’t something that was a part of him any longer. He didn’t pour his soul into the lyrics – not anymore – but he did sing with every last breath he possessed. His eyes scanned the sweaty crowd as he sang one of his best friend’s favorite songs about how he wanted to have sex with every woman he came across. Just because Nathan didn’t share the sentiment, didn’t mean he couldn’t give the crowd what they wanted tonight.
Above all, Nathan Flynn knew what they public wanted. Unfortunately, the public took and took until there was nothing left and didn’t bother to give anything in return. That particular soul draining attitude is what caused him to leave the spotlight after the accident. Forgetting who he was wasn’t an option.
As the song was nearing its finish, he nodded to that best friend, Tanner Compton, who was responsible for the rhythm guitar. They timed a smooth transition to the next song so the two blended seamlessly together. Nathan swung his guitar around his shoulder, pushing it behind him so he could pull his microphone away from the stand. He intentionally missed his normal cue for the band’s most popular song in order to get a few additional breaths and the band automatically adjusted. The rhythm of the music grew more feral as the song progressed and the addition of his voice added another layer to the sexual vibe swelling through the audience.
The song was upbeat and intense as the lyrics spoke about how no matter what, sex could solve anything. He took a few steps forward and tapped one of his security guards on the shoulder with the toe of his boot. It had long been a signal the show was wrapping up for the night and security could let a few of the screaming fans through to the stage so they could spend the rest of the concert on the stage with the band. Despite the fact Nathan wasn’t regularly performing any longer, the rules hadn’t changed.
A few of the typical rock band fans, all female, trickled through the line and bounced their way on the stage. Considering the performance was outside under the mid-summer stars on Glass Beach, their bikinis were skimpy and nearly non-existent. The way the women looked was never something Nathan was attracted to, even when he’d been riding at the top of his fame. Everyone in the hard rock music business however seemed to expect it and it had become a regular staple of their show. Since everyone here was a paying attendee for the annual – and only – concert they gave anymore, Nathan didn’t want to disappoint.
His tastes always ran the opposite of what everyone expected despite the myriad of tats winding their way up both of his arms and down his back and the few piercings he had. He’d always gone for the more natural type of woman who didn’t look like she needed to spend four hours getting ready for a trip to the grocery store.
Nathan tapped the security guards’ shoulder as another signal the few women on the stage were enough and he pushed up and away from the edge of the stage. The women surrounded him almost immediately, each vying for their moment with hom. He continued to sing, even grinding his crotch half-heartedly against two of the women’s hips in time with the music and lyrics.
One of the women made a grab for the zipper of his tight pants and he spun around to duck away from the group. Their pouts only last a few seconds as Tanner stepped into Nathan’s place and the women were allowed to freely grab whatever they wished. It was a long standing arrangement Tanner and Nathan had to accommodate each of their wishes and one that worked for both of the men.
The song continued on uninterrupted and Nathan’s sharp eyes continued to scan the crowd. As he sang, he made eye contact with someone in the crowd who didn’t appear to be the sort who was a typical fan. She wore a simple white t-shirt and her caramel colored hair was pulled back into a ponytail while a pair of sunglasses sat perched on the top of her head.
He marked her as summer tourist immediately.
Compared to the way she was dressed, she made the women around her seem practically nude in their skimpy bathing suits. While she was certainly drawn into the music, it seemed to be fueled more by the crowd she was surrounded by instead of the actual knowledge of the music and lyrics. Her startlingly clear blue eyes met his and she stopped dancing around long enough to give him a slight smile with a tilt of her head. The lyrics stopped to allow for Tanner’s guitar solo and Nathan knelt behind Pete, his personal security guard during these concerts.
“Straight ahead. White shirt, ponytail – looks completely lost.”
Pete nodded and dove through the crowd without asking any questions. A roar went up from the crowd as Nathan stood and encouraged the crowd to make even more noise. He turned his attention back to the stage, picking up the lyrics when the refrain was over and kept his distance from the gaggle of women writhing around Tanner as he played. No doubt, he would hear of his best friend’s exploits with a few of those women in the morning. Freely flowing beer after a day spent in the sweltering sun often had the female summer tourists regularly stripping themselves of their clothes for the chance to say they’d bedded Tanner.
Nathan belted back into the lyrics, his voice flowing from the tall speaker next to him as he sang about sex in the back of a classic muscle car.
The woman from the crowd appeared at the far end of the stage to Nathan’s left and he worked his way over to her. He thought she’d looked lost out in the crowd before. Up here, she appeared positively petrified. He offered a comforting hand to her and she hesitantly took it as she let herself be pulled to the middle of the stage. She stood awkwardly, her hands making jerky movements as if she didn’t know what to do with them before she clasped them behind her back. Nathan circled her a few times as he sang lyrics better suited for what was happening with Tanner on the other side of the stage.
Not one to give up easily, Nathan knew he’d seen her enjoying herself out in the crowd and he was determined to see if from her again. After all, that was what the summer concert benefit was all about and she had paid for the opportunity to see the band.
The song slowed and Nathan’s voice dropped to a low growl as he sang the bridge. He circled around, stopping behind her and pushing against her with his hips as the music and lyrics dictated. Nathan expected her to just stand there, but as the music swelled, she let herself get caught up in the moment and began rotating her hips in time to his. The crowd roared in response and approval and she began moving even more with their encouraging screams.
Nathan let himself be swept away as well, finally succumbing to the powerful vibe swelling through the crowd. The woman in front of him spun on the balls of her feet and knelt, her hands gripping his hips and moving them as he sang about blow jobs. He arched back for the long note that would melt into the end of the song and felt her hand slide over his abdomen and chest as she slowly pushed herself up to stand.
Her finger brushed over the ring through his nipple and he felt a rush of adrenaline spear through him when she began writhing against him in time to the music. He finished the note and the crowd went wild as he grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her mouth to his.
She responded at once and he pulled her tighter against him and let his tongue slip past her teeth. The band continued to play, ending the song without him even though he missed the last three bars of the song. Nathan felt the woman’s voice vibrate in her throat and chaos erupted around them as timed fireworks went off behind the stage and about two hundred yards off shore. The celebration continued for the next seven minutes both in the sky and on the stage.
Nathan couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her and end a kiss, but she did nothing to stop him and seemed to be encouraging him to continue with arms clutched tightly around his waist. He felt a stirring deep inside him that spread like lightning and flash white hot to heat the blood racing through his body.
The bright light vanished as the entire area was plunged into darkness and he finally, and reluctantly, pulled away from the woman he held in his arms. He studied her face in the fading light of the finale for the pyrotechnics and felt as if he would drown in her eyes.
The spotlights lighting the beach flared to life and he blinked away the haze he’d been lost in as he realized there was still a job to be done. Nathan waved to the crowd with one hand as he held the woman he’d just kissed with the other. His attention was fully on her still and he marveled at the fathomless blue eyes he was staring into. She laughed as well and joined the small crowd on stage when they bent over for the closing bow.
A din immediately flooded the area as the buzzing crowd began filtering in off in all directions to visit the various booths and vendors set up for the last night of the Glass Beach Summer Festival. Most of them were tourists vacationing for the summer on the island and never passed up the opportunity to shop.
A crew member held out a hand for Nathan’s microphone and he gladly turned it over as he began peeling away the clear tape holding his earpiece monitors in place. Nathan thumbed off the battery pack at his back and let the wired earpieces dangle on either side of his neck.
“Thanks for the help closing the show.” He noticed his voice was pitched low and rough from singing for the past two hours. Swallowing carefully, he noted the scratchiness that would inevitably plague him in the morning if he didn’t do something about it soon.
“You do that every night?” she asked in response, clutching her hands in front of her as she broke away. Her voice was not what he expected at all and wondered what other surprises were in store. Despite her outward appearance he could see her nerve endings firing off. What he couldn’t determine is if she still vibrated from the music or his kiss. Some of the nervousness he’d glimpsed earlier had returned and didn’t help him gauge her emotions.
“Well, I don’t kiss a gorgeous woman every night.” He scooped up the shirt lying on the speaker in front of him as he turned his guitar over to another stagehand. She was smirking as he settled the shirt around his shoulders and he stretched and moved as the material clung to the sweat beading on his body. “But, no, I only sing for this charity concert once a year.”
“So you’re not a true rock star who will take me to your dressing room for a quick bang like that guy over there?” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. Tanner was still surrounded by the women Nathan rebuffed earlier and was pulling two of them along behind him as he made his way off stage.
Nathan ran a towel through the sweaty hair brushing the collar of his shirt and let the damp fabric settle around his shoulders. “Ah, no. That’s Tanner’s gig, not mine. I’m going to politely thank you for a very electrifying kiss, take that steaming mug of lemon tea from my assistant over there and try not to fall asleep in the shower as I wash all of this sweat and smoke from my skin.”
A salty ocean breeze blew then, lifting the fine hairs on his arms and he shivered despite the stifling humidity that had settled over the entire island in the past week. He’d hoped it would ease before tonight’s performance but like a true showman, he knew the show must go on – especially when it was for such a good cause. The only one, in fact, he came out of retirement for.
The woman before him tilted her head to side, watching him as he brushed away the out of place breeze. “Well then you’re welcome. You guys sounded great.”
“First time?”
Her thin eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Being kissed by a rock star?”
Nathan noticed the sparkle in her eyes and it wasn’t caused by the spotlights illuminating the area around them. “No, I meant here on the island. Besides, you just said I wasn’t a true rock star because I didn’t have any illicit plans for you.”
“You’re right, I did.” She laughed lightly and tugged on her earlobe. “Ears are still ringing.”
“Understandable…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Grace Kent. And yes, this is my first time here. Just arrived yesterday, in fact.”
Nathan decided immediately the name suited her and wanted to know what other things suited her. However, Kettie would kill him if he waited too much longer. “Nice to meet you, Grace. I’m Nathan Flynn and if you don’t mind I’m going to go before my assistant there has a panic attack. Enjoy the rest of the festivities.”
As he stepped away, he felt a tug in his center that nearly made him turn to her again. He resisted, but just barely. Kettie’s smile grew as he approached and he mouthed a silent thanks to her as he pressed a kiss to her forehead before taking a sip.
The heated liquid relaxed the muscles in his throat and he took another sip as he watched Grace gingerly make her way down the stairs and begin making her way up the beach. He could hear the bustle of activity all around him as the crew he’d hired began taking down the equipment and he knew he should help, but something kept him watching Grace until her lithe form vanished in the darkness.
“Good show tonight huh, Uncle Nathan?”
Nathan turned his attention back to the teenager who handed him the tea and tried desperately not to think about the woman who, for the first time in six years, made his blood boil. “Very good indeed.”
“Do you ever miss all of this?”
“Sweetheart, I only miss you bringing me this wonderful beverage every night.” He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and took another sip.
“No one makes it better.”
Pride was evident in his niece’s voice and he chuckled and shook his head. “Just like your father. Come on, I’ll get washed up and we’ll go see if the crew needs any help packing all this equipment away. Then you and I will go ride the Gravitron about a dozen times to see who throws up first.”

****

Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Danie Ford, Young Adult (PG 13)
Babette James, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Nadia Lee, Futuristic Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary romantic elements (PG 13)
Caitlynn Lowe, Fantasy (PG 13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Debbie Mumford, Science Fiction/Fantasy (PG 13)
Erica Ridley, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Dara Sorensen, Historical Romance (PG 13)

Kendal Corbitt, Erotic Romance (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Danielle Yockman, Steampunk (R)

Stephanie Draven, Fantasy with Strong Romantic Elements (NC 17)
Angeleque Ford, Contemporary, Interracial, Erotic Romance (NC 17)
Elise Logan, Sci-Fi/Contemporary (NC 17)
Emma Petersen, Erotic Paranormal Romance (NC 17)

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10904

Also, I did an interview over at The GeekyBookworm today and I’ll be stopping by off and on to say hi. I talk a little bit about the world I created for my characters and even talk about my next book, Midnight’s Ghost. Be sure to stop by.

How about we get what you came here for, right? Here’s an excerpt from Flash of Dark, and it’s all about first kisses. Who doesn’t like a first kiss? These two certainly do not seem to mind in the least.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

FLASH OF DARK
Sara Brookes

~*~

Surprise had him stopping in the middle of the path we were following and I stopped as well, turning slowly around to face him. “Most women would take offense to being referred to as ‘turf’”.

I studied his face, his posture and even the way his hands dipped into the pockets of his jacket as if he needed to give them something to do. I understood that sensation all too well. I suddenly wanted to step closer to him and find out if he tasted as good as he looked—though I didn’t have the faintest idea of why. I wasn’t a stranger when it came to sudden bouts of dealing with the overwhelming sense of wanting to kiss someone I was attracted to, but like most people, I tamped down on those feelings. I couldn’t afford them, especially being Fae and surrounded by delicate humans. Sometimes, being around mortals too easily reminded me of my immortality. I pushed the thoughts away, making sure they were buried before I spoke again. He was perceptive and I didn’t want to give him anything that would give him power over me like that. “Good thing I’m not like most women.”

“No, you certainly aren’t.” He surprised me by wrapping his hand around my elbow and pulled me into his embrace while his other hand curved around my jaw, cradling it in his palm. He was obviously experiencing the same pull that I was, but wasn’t bothering to smother the sensations and leaned into me. Before I knew it, warm lips closed over mine and I felt myself being swept away by the sensation of his kiss.

Oh God, he did taste as good as he looked. There had to be some law against that.

The hold I had been keeping on what was prowling inside me for three days burst from the bindings I had carefully erected and flowed through my entire body. Everything that I had suspected about Stark, had read and sensed about him that first night the club, turned out to be absolutely true. He kissed with abandon. Drinking me in like his very life depended on it. As if he simply had to have me whatever the cost. I gave myself over to him, without thought to any consequences, encouraging and enjoying the feel as we both let the kiss shift to something more. The heat that swelled surprised us both and a soft, satisfied groan rumbled in my throat. I had no idea how or why I was reacting this way to a man I barely knew.

A man I had barely talked to for a handful of moments.

A man whose sweltering kiss made me want to strip all of our clothes off and mate, wild and frantic, right here in the middle of the park.

A soft buzzing sounded in my ears but I blatantly ignored it even as energy began humming through my veins. It crackled with renewed energy, immediately taking on a life of its own. I tried not to give into the sensations but the addictive pull was nearly too much to take. I hadn’t felt this sensation in quite some time and the lure of it would haunt me later. I knew this could quickly turn dangerous, but I didn’t seem to care.

~*~

Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)

and

Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

Joining us this week:

Stephanie Draven, Fantasy with Romantic Elements (PG 13)
Danie Ford, Contemporary YA (PG 13)
Babette James, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Thriller with Romantic Elements (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary Romantic Elements (PG 13)
R. F. Long, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Shawntelle Madsion, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Debbie Mumford, Science Fiction/ Fantasy (PG13)

Kendal Corbitt, Erotica Contemporary (R)
KB Alan, Erotic Paranormal Romance (R)
Cate Hart, YA Paranormal (R)
Jeanne St. James, Interracial Menage Erotic Romance (R)
Cherrie Lynn, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Michelle Picard, Paranormal/Fantasy (R)
Danielle Yockman, Historical Romance (R)

Sara Brookes, Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy (NC17)
Angeleque Ford, Contemporary, Interracial, Erotic Romance (NC 17)
Elise Logan, Contemporary Romance (NC17)

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

~*~

You can find everything you want to know about my upcoming release, Flash of Dark over here. But there’s an added bonus – for New Release Monday, not only do you get a peek at upcoming releases but you’ll be entered to win these titles as well and yep – my book is included.

In addition, come join my personal celebration where I gift you with the entire first chapter. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think and don’t forget I’m running a release day contest here at my site and you can enter that here.

On to the excerpt!

~*~

Links to other New Releases
Note: I have not personally screened these releases. Please heed the ratings and
be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It’s the time again – already – Excerpt Monday. This month you guys are getting a sneak peak at my upcoming release, Flash of Dark. It’s actually the first part of Chapter One and is the first glimpse the readers see of Ana’s powers as a Fae. For the blurb on the book you can head over to the books page.

Enjoy!

** If, for some reason, you can’t see the above document, you can find the file here: http://www.sarabrookes.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/fod_partialchapterone.pdf

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Alright, second month participating in Excerpt Monday and a few days ago, I announced that I would post an excerpt from my current-nearly-finished-WiP which is an untitled erotic science fiction romance. Please keep in mind that since this is currently a WiP, that it is unedited.

“Yes, you can return the favor, but don’t you think we should both catch our breath first?”

“I don’t need to breathe to use these.” His fingertips dragged through the folds of flesh between my legs as he parted them and I arched my back in appreciation. Nerves, already overly sensitive from the past few hours, blazed white hot as they fired off in quick succession.

Wallace chuckled deeply in appreciation and shifted our positions. He turned me on my side so that he could cup himself against my back and we lay spooned together on the decking. It wasn’t the most comfortable of positions, but I found that I hardly minded at the moment.

His hand snaked around my waist to continue what he had started, but this time his fingers caught on the metal band of my holowatch. His thumb traced the face of the piece and I felt a rumble of laughter in his chest.

“Never take it off, do you?”

He was referring to the ongoing joke we had kept up when we had been together before everything had crumbled around us. Nothing, short of death, was going to separate me from my holowatch because it had been a gift from my father the last time I saw him. Little did I know at the time that he would be dead a few months later.

“It’s my way of hanging on to him, Wallace,” I said quietly, staring out at nothing in particular.

“Careful, someone may see that crack in your kick ass tough girl exterior.”

I snorted and pushed aside thoughts of my father and his untimely death. “Because lying naked with you on the deck of my engine room isn’t enough to shatter that image?”

He pulled me tighter against him, his lips closing over the nape of my neck. “Hell, no. That just further reinforces it since you’re with the likes of me.”

Wallace shifted his hand around to cup the crease where my upper thigh met the curve of my ass and pushed one of my legs in front of me. The position allowed him to slide the length of himself against the same places his fingers had been just moments before. His teeth grazed against my skin before he nipped the tender flesh of my neck.

“A man whose kick ass exterior is in danger of showing cracks as well?” I felt his lips curl up into a smile against my flesh and it sent a wash of warm ice racing down my spine. He felt it and pulled me tighter, snuggling himself up close to me so that we fit perfectly together. He began to slip past already tender flesh when the collision alarms blared in warning all around us.

Moment in ruins, we both pushed ourselves up from the decking in a panic, grabbing for discarded clothing. I slapped at the communications panel as I reached the blast doors for the engine room. I had instructed Reece to watch the controls on the bridge for a time while Wallace and I had been standing watch back here. While I knew he would follow my orders to stand watch, he has undoubtedly been unnerved by the fact that it meant Wallace and I were back together again. Reece had nothing against him, per say, but he had known the pain I had dealt with because of Wallace. I would share what I had learned at some other moment in time because I had other concerns for the moment. “Reece, talk to me.”

“We’ve dropped out of transwarp, Captain.”

Yes, because the shaking of the hull hadn’t given that away. “Why? We’re not scheduled to drop until 0700 hours.” I flipped my wrist around and saw that it was about two hours short of that mark.

“My guess is the transwarp engines failed,” Wallace said beside me, obviously remembering what I had said earlier when he first hired me back on Nagol. If that were the case, we would have heard them do so regardless of the activities we had been engaging in.

“Negative,” Reece responded, hearing Wallace’s voice over the comm line and confirming what I had just surmised. “The transwarp engines were online prior to the drop. Captain, you need to see this.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Links to other Excerpt Monday writers
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

and

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)

Joining us this week:

Jane Bled, Yaoi/M-M Erotica/Vampire/Paranormal/Horror (PG 13)
Danie Ford, YA Urban Fantasy (PG 13)
Heather S Ingemar, Dark Fantasy (PG13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Cynthia Justlin, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical paranormal romance (PG 13)
R.F Long, Fantasy (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Debbie Mumford, Fantasy (PG 13)
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)
Megan S, Paranormal (PG 13)
Rosalind Stone, Women’s Fiction (PG 13)
Jo Lynne Valerie, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)

Kendal Ashby, YA (R)
Jax Cassidy, Contemporary (R)
Cate Hart, YA Paranormal (R)
Inez Kelley, Romantic Comedy (R)
Aislinn Kerry, Fantasy (R)
Jeanne St. James, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Cherrie Lynn, Paranormal Romance (R)
Jeanette Murray, Romantic Comedy (R)
Christa Paige, Paranormal (R)
Michelle Picard, Fantasy Romance (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)
Zora Stout, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)

Sara Brookes, Erotic Sci Fi (NC 17)
Emily Ryan-Davis, Romance (NC 17)
Ella Drake, Historical Paranormal Romance (NC 17)
Angeleque Ford, Erotic Dark Urban Fantasy (NC17)
J.W. Hankins, Dark Fiction (NC 17)
Annie Nicholas, Paranormal Romance (NC 17)
Kim Knox, Erotic SF Romance (NC17)
Michelle Polaris, Erotic Futuristic Romance (NC 17)
Bryl R. Tyne, Contemporary M/M (NC 17)

****

For my first foray in Excerpt Monday land, I thought I would go with something that I’m working on editing up for a Freebie Story here on the site. It’s actually one of two shorts (very, very shorts) that I sat down and wrote out one day. The first is called Room with a View and the second, the one this excerpt is from, is called Room for Binding. They don’t fit in with anything else that I currently have working and there isn’t any character development, plot or real point to the short. Doesn’t mean that one can’t enjoy it, however.

WARNING: F/F story with a naked women at a table and references to bondage in this excerpt – DO NOT continue if you are not of legal age.

****

Celia had never been bound.

She had no idea what she was missing. There was something to be said about thick leather surrounding your wrists and the creaking sound of them that drove through you while your arms were raised over your head. The feeling of helplessness was so overwhelming that at some point, when you least expected it, it became intoxicating. It was amazing how quickly that sensation became addicting and you found yourself craving it every moment of the day.

I wanted to give that to her but knew she wouldn’t surrender easily. Nothing with Celia was ever easy, but that’s the way that I liked things. I was always up for a challenge. I suspected she wasn’t even aware of how it would make her feel despite the way I had seen her balk at the pair of leather cuffs that had been on display at the adult bookstore downtown. Sure, she may have outwardly turned her nose up at the idea, but I had seen the spark of interest in her amethyst eyes. A bright fire that she had smothered as quickly as it had flared to life. She thought she had fooled me, but I knew better. If she truly believed that I was going to ignore what I saw then she deserved every bit of what I had planned for her. I had thought this out, figured there were several ways to approach this. Ultimately, the direct approach won and those same cuffs now sat on the dining room table in front of me.

I was waiting for her to return from a long day of work and was looking forward to the evening and the prospects that lay before me. Rain splattered on the fire escape out the window and I knew it would slow her commute.

It wouldn’t matter to me; I was nothing if not patient. At least when it came to matters like this. I had had enough tenacity to not give up when Celia hadn’t thought herself capable of an orgasm. I had shown her just how very wrong she was.

Delightfully, she didn’t keep me waiting too long and opened the front door about fifteen minutes later. I said nothing, watching as she shook a little the rain from her coat and dropped her briefcase to the ground. Keys were dropped to the table with a loud bang and she ran her fingers through her rain dampened hair. I enjoyed watching this little nightly ritual she had. The light overhead snapped on as she hit the rocker switch with a knuckle and she gave a little shout, jumping when she spotted me. “Rachel. Christ, you scared me. Why the hell are you sitting in the dark?” Even as she asked, her eyes narrowed as she noticed that I sat at the far end of the table completely nude. Those dark eyes of hers narrowed even further when she saw the twin circles of leather in front of me. “I thought we discussed this.”

I tipped my head forward in agreement as I shifted my position on the chair. “We did and I respect everything you said. I even understand your stance. I once felt that way myself.”

Her arms crossed and I could tell she knew I was up to something. She just couldn’t tell what and that was obviously frustrating the hell out of her. “Then why are those here?”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the tone of her voice, at the accusation lying thick on each word as she said them. “I bought them today.”

“No shit,” she said dryly. “I asking why they’re here when you know I have no interest in that sort of thing.”

I smiled and reached forward, hooking one of the cuffs over my finger as I pushed away from the chair. “Because it’s not your interest I care to discuss.”

She started to automatically retort but stopped when she realized what I had said. That I wasn’t talking about her pleasure in this, I was referring to mine. The chains joining the two strips clanked together as I pulled them off the table, the noise punctuated by the silence that had suddenly blanketed the room. The cold metal slapped lightly against my skin as I walked towards her and a shiver trailed up my leg at the sensation. Slick, shiny metal against bare skin had always gotten me off. That I wanted to share this with her made it even sweeter of a sensation.
She swallowed hard as I stopped in front of her and raised the cuffs between us in offering.

She seemed hesitant at first, afraid to touch them because it would mean she was confirming my suspicions. That I had been right all along about that lustful flash I had seen in front of that bookstore. The artfully displayed cuffs in the window hadn’t been about how she would feel bound. No, it had been just as I thought.

She wanted me bound.

****

Links to other Excerpt Monday writers
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

Jamie Babette, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
M.G. Buehrlen, YA Fantasy (PG13)
AJ Chase, Paranormal Romcom (PG13)
Stephanie Draven, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Heather S. Ingemar, YA (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Romantic Suspense (PG13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Nadia Lee, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical Romance (PG13)
R.F Long, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Christa McHugh, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Debbie Mumford, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)
Megan S, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Dara Sorensen, Historical Fiction (PG13)
Melissa Aires, Futuristic Romance (R)
Kendal Ashby, Contemporary, (R)
KB Alan, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Carly Carson, Contemporary (R)
Cate Hart, YA (R)
Felicia Holt, Contemporary Romance (R)
Ali Katz, Historical Erotic Romance (R)
Inez Kelley, Contemporary Romance (R)
Annie Nicholas, Paranormal Romance (R)
Christa Paige, Paranormal (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Alexia Reed, Paranormal Romance (R)
Ella Drake, Historic Paranormal Romance (NC17)
Angeleque Ford, Dark Urban Fantasy (NC17)
J. W. Hankins, Dark Fantasy (NC17)
Kim Knox, Erotic Romance (NC17)
Elise Logan, Contemporary with Paranormal Elements (NC17)
Dawn Montgomery, Paranormal Erotic Romance (NC17)
Kirsten Saell, Erotic Fairy Tale Romance (NC17)
Bryl R Tyne, Erotic Sci Fi m/m, (NC17)