Blurb
Adalyn Jameson fears she and her trade ship crewmates will
die on the uninhabited planet where they’ve been stranded by pirates. Before
panic sets in, Zarain shifters arrive to help them. Ada does not fight her
intense attraction to one of the brawny shifters. A short, sizzling affair with
this man is the perfect way to occupy her time before she goes back to normal
life.
Jagger Antein thought babysitting a stranded crew until they
could be evacuated from the planet would be an easy assignment. He never
expected to find his mate among those he rescued. Now that he has, he’ll seduce
her and keep her close before he claims her. When members of the crew are attacked
again, he’ll have to discover who’s behind it and what they’re after if he
hopes to keep his mate safe.
Tagline
After a crew of traders are stranded on a planet, a
shapeshifter commander must protect them from space pirates and solidify his
relationship with his mate.
Excerpt 1: G/PG rated
Jagger ordered most of the men to begin raising some
temporary shelters and told them to focus on getting the medical tent set up
first. There was a large enough clearing next to the river where they could set
up camp. They’d be safe until the Sentinel or the Vigilant arrived.
As he walked toward where they’d found the heat signatures,
his eyes swept the cluster of trees and finally, he spotted them. A few of the
men had stepped out of the shelter of the tree line. Maybe they noticed the
gray uniforms, or perhaps they’d seen a difference in the shuttles. Jagger
didn’t know, but he was happy he didn’t have to pursue them into the trees.
Confronting them wouldn’t induce a relaxed, calm attitude.
A light breeze carried the people’s scents to him. He could
smell blood and the pain of the men and women watching them from across the
glade. The sharp scent raised all his protective instincts. Something else
nudged his instincts, but with all of the mixed scents and distance, he
couldn’t quite decipher it.
He carried the physician’s extra bag and walked with him
across the clearing. From what he could see, there were nearly twenty people.
The men kept the women to the back of the group, and the ratio of male to
female looked about normal for a trade ship. Males outnumbered females,
especially on the smaller trade ships. Only six women warily watched Jagger and
Kairn approach.
“We’re from the Zarain ship, the Vigilant, although we were
on one of our scout ships when we received the alarm of the incursion. We’re
here to help.” Jagger smiled and stopped a small distance away from the group.
He wanted to let them think and adjust without pressuring them.
An older, red-haired man nodded and took a deep breath.
“We’re from the trade ship, Setona. The pirates attacked and took control of
it.”
“Are all of you hurt?” The physician asked.
“Yes, we all need care.” The man’s answer was slow and
measured.
“We’re setting up a medical tent and some shelters. The
scout ship has gone after the pirates. We’ll be here until the Vigilant
arrives.” Jagger stayed where he was, although he felt a strong urge to walk
over to the group. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the urge to protect them
or from that other feeling growing in him. He still couldn’t identify it. “We
spotted the shuttle as we were searching for you. Are there any captives on
that ship?”
“No, just the two pirates. They were trying to make it back
up to their ship before it left. I’m Captain Joshua Thomas.” The man stepped
forward and held out his hand.
“I’m Jagger Antein.”
Jagger shook his hand. He deliberately left off his rank. His title would mean
nothing to them. “Let’s go over to the tents. They should have the medical tent
finished or almost so by now.”
“Is there anyone who needs help walking or who needs
immediate aid?” the physician asked before anyone could move.
“We can all walk,” Captain Thomas said simply. “We were
beaten, but they tried other methods first.”
“Other methods. Were they after something or was it simply
because they were sick bastards?” Jagger frowned. The use of other methods was
different and he wanted to know if the pirates had a reason for it.
“They are bastards, but they wanted something. Not that we
could decipher what that was. They took everything we had, yet still asked for
something else.” Captain Thomas shook his head.
Jagger stepped back to allow the people to walk toward the
green tents. The men and women began limping over to the rising shelters. He
stood to the side, watching as they made their way across the clearing.
Grimaces tightened their lips with each slow step. He could tell they were in
pain just by looking at them.
As they passed, the light wind blew their scents to him. The
bite of pain was obvious in all of them. As the women began to pass him, he
straightened. All the other scents faded away as one particular feminine
essence exploded through him. His muscles tensed and he had to fight to keep
his claws and fangs from bursting free.
He wanted to wade into those women and find out exactly which
one of them was his mate. The scent of lingering fear held him back. They’d
been terrorized. He didn’t want to scare his mate more by blundering in amid
her and her crewmates. They’d all have to be examined and treated. He could
discover which of the women was his without unnecessarily frightening her.
Excerpt 2: R for language
“After the way you’ve behaved, I don’t know what you want so
I’m going to make this simple for both of us. Do you want me? No past, no
future. I don’t know if you’re afraid I’ll think this is more or something, but
for us, there’s just now.” She blurted it all out quickly, afraid that if she
tried to explain it better, she’d lose her nerve.
“There is always a past and there will be a future. I’ve
wanted you since I saw you.” His hand lifted to her face, and his fingers
trailed over her cheeks.
His answer bolstered her confidence, but she didn’t think
beyond the words “I want you.” Nothing else mattered. She stood up straighter
and smiled. She hoped he wasn’t one of those men who felt they had to make all
the moves, because she was definitely going to make some demands.
“I want you now.” She peeled the green shirt over her head
and stood before him wearing only the baggy pants and shoes.
She wished she had more of her own clothing. She wanted to
look sexy and attractive. The only thing she could say about the clothing
they’d provided was that it covered her. Specifically, the shirts covered more
than she’d like. She wanted to feel pretty or eye-catching, and the shirts
covered her from neck to waist without even the possibility of showing a little
cleavage.
He took a slow step forward and his eyes lowered to her
breasts. “I can give you time. We don’t have to rush.”
She saw the hunger in his eyes. That was the only thing that
kept her from grabbing her shirt and tugging it back over her head. He was
trying to protect her and the only reason she could think of was that he didn’t
want her to feel as if she made a mistake.
“We have today and I don’t want time. I know what I feel and
what I desire. I want to kiss you, touch you and fuck. Is that what you crave,
because if it’s not, I can put my shirt back on and go back to the camp. I
don’t need an oversized big brother. I never had one and I’m too old to get
used to the crap now.” She raised an eyebrow and hid a grin as his eyes
remained on her naked chest. She wasn’t overly endowed, but just from the way
he was looking at her, he liked what he saw.
“I’m not your brother.” He took the final step separating
them. His hands closed around her shoulders and he glared down at her. “I’ll
soon be your lover, and I thought you might have some doubts.”
“No doubts or second thoughts. I want you as a lover.” She
drew her hand over his chest, tracing over where she knew his tattoo was.
If he’d been standoffish for too much longer, the larger
ship he’d mentioned to Captain Thomas could have arrived before they even
fucked. She knew that they had only a little time. It would take merely days
after they were on one of the larger ships to meet up with a ship from Central
Command.
He looked at her for a long moment. She had a feeling he was
going to say something and wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to hear it. She
reached up and slipped her hand over the back of his shoulder. Stretching up
onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips over his. They didn’t need to talk.
He drew in a sharp breath, but his lips opened under hers.
She nipped at the lower curve to give him a little encouragement. He groaned
and his head tilted a little as he pulled her closer. His tongue thrust deep
into her mouth in an aggressive claim.
She met the strokes and demanded more. Twining her arm
around his neck, she arched against him, pressing her breasts against his hard
chest. Her nipples hardened and ached from the pressure but it wasn’t enough.
She didn’t know what it was about being near him, but every time she got close
to him, she wanted to strip them both out of their clothes and tease him until
he couldn’t resist her.
Her other hand slipped down his side. Tugging at his shirt,
she let her hand slide under and savored the warmth of his skin and the solid
muscles beneath her fingertips. She felt them tighten beneath her fingertips
and worried that perhaps he was letting his protectiveness override his desire.
What she’d wanted for the past few days was right beneath her fingertips. She
wasn’t going to let it slip away. She’d waited and worried too long about him
even wanting her to miss this opportunity because he thought he might cause her
a little pain. Her nipples ached, the tips hardened and ready to be touched or
sucked. She hoped he’d get over his protectiveness soon.
She pulled her hand free of his shirt and reached between
them. Cupping her hand over the ridge of his cock, she slowly stroked her hand
up and down. A growl vibrated against her lips as his tongue thrust deep into
her mouth. His hands clasped her waist and lifted her off her feet.
He tore his lips away from hers. “You’re going to kill me.
Wrap your legs around me.”
She did as he ordered. He lifted her higher than she expected.
When he brought her close to his body, her pussy pressed against his stomach.
Her fingers speared through his hair and she leaned down for a kiss. His lips
closed over hers and his tongue pushed deep and stroked against hers. She
hummed in pleasure. Before she was ready, he tore his mouth away from hers. He
drew in a deep breath.
“Hold on to my shoulders and lean back. I’m not going to
drop you, but I want you to feel safe. I need to get my mouth on your breasts.”
He stared into her eyes.
She did as he asked. Her hands gripped his shoulders and she
leaned back. She wanted to feel his mouth on her only a little less than she
wanted him to fuck her. Since she planned for both to happen today, the order
didn’t matter at all.
“My cock is so hard, reha.” He rocked her hips against his
stomach, rubbing her pussy on his hard muscles. “I’m going to fuck you, but
first, I’m going to taste and tease as you’ve done to me.”
Excerpt 3:
“What do you want, Ada?” Jagger tried not to pull her
closer, but his hand continued stroking her back. He’d have loved to make the
touch more intimate, but he didn’t want her to say he’d coerced her with sex.
Not when she was so close to making the decision on her own. Then he’d show her
that she belonged with him.
“I don’t like you.” One of her hands clenched on his shirt,
but the other smoothed over skin just above his pants.
He grinned at that blatant lie. She more than liked him. He
could feel the intensity of her emotions but couldn’t read her thoughts. Not
that he’d ever be able to truly do that. He’d be able to pick up focused
thoughts when she learned to send to him or the very strong thoughts when she
was agitated.
She didn’t like that everything wasn’t her choice. He’d had
a few thoughts about that of his own and he’d expected to automatically be
drawn to his mate. For someone who hadn’t expected it, it would take time to
get accustomed to the idea even if they could feel the attraction.
“Tell me what you need.” He let her other hand go and cupped
her cheek. Her muscles had relaxed and most of the scent of anger had
dissipated. Through their connection, he could feel a little frustration,
confusion and anger, but more arousal.
“You know I want you. You said you could smell it.” Her eyes
narrowed on him.
And her scent was driving him insane with the desire to fuck
her, take her and make sure she realized that she was his woman. He was going
to make her face facts now. He stepped close to her and hooking a foot behind
her ankle, took them both down to the blanket.
“I can and I’m going to taste it as well. You’re going to
admit you’re my mate, Ada, over and over again.” He braced himself over her and
looked down at her.
Her curly red hair fanned around her head on the blanket. A
pink tint highlighted her cheekbones and her brown eyes seemed to glow. She was
gorgeous. He lowered his head and nipped at her full lips. He wanted to strip
off her clothes and drive his cock deep into her pussy, but he needed to hear
those words even more.
As he moved down her body, he realized he should have
stripped her clothes off before he took her to the blanket. Too late for that
now. He backed away, just enough so that he could tug her into a sitting
position. She frowned at him, confused. Grabbing the bottom of her shirt, he
pulled it up without a word. She lifted her arms to let him draw the shirt over
her head. He dropped it to the ground and pressed her back to the blanket.
“My woman. My mate.” He nibbled his way down her neck. The
lure of the reddened nipples drew him.
He’d get her out of her pants and shoes a little later.
First, he wanted to give some attention to those hardened peaks. Her hands
stroked his shoulders. He lifted his head. He wasn’t going to let her distract
him. He gripped her hands and pressed them down beside her hips.
“Keep them there.” He gave a slight squeeze on her wrists
before he released them.
He returned his attention to the plump mounds with the
darkened peaks. He licked his way up the creamy white skin. Her breath hitched
as he swirled his tongue around the stiff peaks. The taste of her skin lured
him back just as the deepening scent of her arousal urged him to do more.
He rubbed his lips over the peaks, lightly brushing them,
not taking them in his mouth as he wanted. As he knew she wished he’d do. Her
back arched, lifting her nipples against his mouth in silent urging.
He swiped his tongue over the right bud. She moaned. He
smiled. He loved her reactions. Blowing a puff of air over the moistened peak,
he set out to make her even wilder than she was now. He wanted her desperate.
After what happened yesterday and her insistence that she couldn’t be his mate,
he was aching to claim her.
“Jagger, damn you, suck my breast or stop playing around!”
Her voice cracked as he trailed his tongue over the peak again.
He looked up at her and found her glaring down at him.
Judging by that searing glance and the scent of her arousal, she was heating
nicely. He was pleased that her hands hadn’t lifted from the blanket. “In
time.”
He returned to his ministrations at her breast. Dragging his
tongue over the stiff peak, he tormented her nipple. She moaned and arched, but
her hands remained clenched on the blanket. Her body shivered when he finally
put his mouth over her hardened nub. He drew on it hard before scraping his
teeth over it and drawing back. He moved to the other side and treated it to
the same slow torment.
She was trembling when he began to move down her body. As he
did, he gripped the waistband of her pants and began to pull them down. He
wanted to see and taste her sweet pussy and this was in the way. In any other
circumstances, he would have ripped the garment off her, but she didn’t have
anything else to wear back to camp.
“Jagger.” Her hips lifted and her thighs parted.
The inviting move sent more blood racing straight to his
cock but didn’t help him get the last of her clothes off. He tugged off her
shoes and tossed them over his shoulder. After he pulled her pants and
underwear off, he stared down at her curvy, long legs. They parted, giving him
a glimpse of her pussy. The lips glistened with her juices.
He moved up between them and swiped his tongue over the
plump folds. Her hips wriggled. He gripped her hip with one hand as ran his
tongue between the folds. Her taste and her scent flooded his senses and he
wanted more. He wanted to feel her climax beneath his tongue and then to
experience the ripple of her pussy over his cock as he fucked her. Mates. He
had to remind himself that he needed to hear her say the words. She’d believe
it and know that she was his.
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Bio
Rebecca Airies writes fantasy, paranormal and
sci-fi romance. She’s been a dreamer all of her life. She loves getting lost in
the lives of her characters and learning about them. In her free time, you
might find her reading, writing (Yes, she write in her free time, too—bad
poetry, flash fiction and you never know when the muse will strike), gardening,
listening to music and spending time with family and friends. A native Texan, she was raised in small town,
but now lives in Abilene. Rebecca would love to hear from you, visit her
website and drop her a note. You can find her books at Ellora’s Cave.
Www.ellorascave.com
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Website: www.rebeccaairies.net
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