About the Book
Title:
Trapped
Author: Alison Aimes
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance
Release
Date: March 3rd 2016
Publisher:
Indie
Published
Print
Length: 239 pages
Format: Paperback and Digital
Print
ISBN: 978-0-996-4683-1-2
Digital
ISBN:
978-0-9964683-0-5
HIS
PLANET. HIS RULES… Trapped by Alison Aimes is an action-packed, sexy sci-fi
that takes you to the brink of oblivion on a planet where only the strong
survive. When Bella West crash lands on penal planet Dragath25, the only thing
standing between her and a mass of brutal criminals is one of their own, a
ruthless loner known only as 673. But what starts out as a desperate trade
based on protection and raw lust soon blossoms into a scorching need that will
push them both to the edge. A tale of unbridled desire, stunning sacrifice, and
unwavering love, Trapped is the first book in The Condemned Series.
Cadet
Bella West has one simple objective when she joins the scientific mission to
Dragath25, the notorious penal planet housing Earth’s condemned. Earn the
credits necessary to save her family from starvation. But when her shuttle
crashes and the majority of her crew perish, her simple mission becomes
complicated fast. Now, to stay alive she’ll have to depend on one of Dragath’s
own. But such protection doesn’t come free.
Convicted
of a crime he didn’t commit, 673 has become more beast than man after eight
grueling years on an unforgiving, hazardous planet of dirt and rock—and even
more treacherous inhabitants. He doesn’t look out for anyone but himself and he
certainly never grows attached. So when the bold female offers him pleasure in
return for protection, he takes the deal without hesitation. He never expects
how her touch will alter him. Or the growing realization that saving her may be
the key to his own salvation.
But as
dangers mount and their 'simple' deal unravels will he prove to be her surprise
savior or her ultimate downfall? Because caring for someone on Dragath25 may
prove the greatest hazard of all.
Author Bio
Alison Aimes is the
award-winning author of the sexy sci fi romance series the Condemned as well as
the sizzling contemporary romance Billionaires’ Revenge series. A sci fi
fanatic with a PhD in Modern History, she’s an all over the map kind of woman
whose always had a love for dramatic stories and great books, no matter the
era. Now, she’s creating her own stories full of intrigue and passion, but
always with a happy-ever-after ending. She lives in Maryland with her husband,
two kids, and her dog. When not in front of the computer, she can be found
hanging with family and friends, hiking, trying to turn herself into a pretzel
through yoga, listening to a fabulous TED talk, or, last but not least, sitting
on the couch imagining her characters’ next great adventures.
Alison
can be found on line at www.alisonaimes.com
Links
Facebook:
https://www.facebook/alisonaimes
Book Excerpts
First Excerpt: First Touch (343 words)
“Come.” He held out a calloused palm.
She swallowed hard, her stare raking from his
scowling face to his wide chest and muscular thighs. Payment had already come
due.
“No.” Davies grabbed Bella’s arm, glaring at
the mud man. “This isn’t right. Take me instead.”
His scowl deepened.
“It’s okay.” Bella hurriedly slid her hand into
his. Davies offer was unbelievably brave, but Bella would never allow it. Her
colleague was Council—and injured. She’d never survive this. Plus, the idea of
a deal had been Bella’s from the start. And she couldn’t regret it. Not when
they were all still alive.
His skin was rough—and surprisingly warm.
A shiver slid down her spine. So much so that
it took her a second to realize he’d gone perfectly still. His gaze locked on
their intertwined palms. Something that looked a lot like wonder etched in the
hard planes of his face.
Her gaze skittered to Davies’. Her colleague
looked equally confused.
It hit Bella then. Human contact. He was
reacting to the sensation of touch. Cherishing something as simple as the heat
of her palm against his.
A wave of sympathy rippled through her. This
man might be a criminal, but he was also a living being. One who had clearly
been alone for a very long time.
On instinct, she interlaced her fingers with
his, pressing their hands closer.
He shuddered, his eyes sinking shut, his face
tilting upward, the way a person might delight in the sun on his face after a
hard, dark winter. Her chest went tight.
After a lifetime of being just one more mouth
to feed, one more body that had to be clothed and housed using Earth’s ever
dwindling resources, the feeling of mattering to someone was unfamiliar—and
nice.
“It’s okay.” It was the same words she’d said
before, but this time she meant it. “We‘re on your side….F—friends.”
His eyes flared open, his grip tightening, more
possessive now than cherishing. All hints of vulnerability wiped away. “I’m not
looking for a friend.”
Excerpt Two: The Challenge (500 words)
A splash sounded. Powerful ripples washed
against her back like a surging tide. He was coming for her.
She whirled and
discovered small bubbles on the surface of the water. An inky cloud of red and
brown streamed in all directions followed by foamy white. Then a dark head
broke the surface and he was standing before her, waist high in the water, a
mud man no more.
Her mouth opened on a tiny o.
Without the dirt, dark, thick hair, shorn close
to his scalp, was now visible. Along with olive skin, a wide forehead, low
brows, firm lips, and a square jaw. Tiny droplets left his long lashes spikey
while rivulets of water tracked over chiseled cheekbones down his sculpted
chest and abdomen to a small trail of dark hair that snaked from his belly
button to disappear into the water. Scars of various length and width tracked
across miles of pure, hard muscle.
My God,
mud man was a flesh and blood man—an incredibly masculine one. If she’d met him
at the Academy or the barracks on Earth, she would have been unable to stop
staring. He was that beautiful.
Then his hand shot out and her daze shattered.
With a hiss, she stumbled back.
One dark eyebrow rose. “Here.”
She looked down to see a small white bar in his
hand.
“It’s soap.” His tone was brusque. “The drones
dump trash from Earth. Use it.”
“Thank you.” It took all her courage to reach
out and take the bar from his hand. “I—I’ve never used it before. The Academy
only allows lasers for cleaning. The use of water was banned a long time ago.”
She stopped short.
Of course, he knew that. He wasn’t from some
distant galaxy. He was from Earth. He just wasn’t welcome there anymore.
His lips flat lined. “I’ve been here a while,
but not as long as that.”
Was that a joke? His expression offered no
clue.
“Of course.” Hands shaking, she took the soap
and rubbed it against her arm. The blood stayed put. She rubbed harder.
She hadn’t expected this…this talking. Or the
kindness of a bath—with soap. It was confusing.
“You need the water to make it work.” Rough
hands reached out and took the soap, dunking it under the water, making that
same foamy circle she’d seen before.
“Turn around.” His voice had gone husky again.
That overworked heart of hers started up double
time once again. Her feet remained planted where they were.
He waited for longer than she would have
expected before he spoke again, his jaw locked tight. “Anything?” It was a
reminder. A reproach. A challenge.
And her last chance to change her mind.
Her eyes sunk shut. I can do this. I need to do
this.
She whirled around, bracing for a grab. A
strike. But the deliberate slow glide of a calloused fingertip down the bumps
of her spine slammed through her with more force than any blow.
Excerpt Three: Revelation (498 words)
“Fine. Go.” Bella screamed at the spot where
he’d been. “I should have known you wouldn’t keep to the deal. You’re nothing
but a lowlife Dragath25 criminal. Who needs you?”
She was turning
back toward the cave when the ground shook. Reeling round, her eyes went wide.
Convict was steamrolling toward her, a murderous look on his face.
She’d only just
begun to run when powerful arms jerked her back against hard, warm steel.
Clawing, kicking, she tried to break free, but it was no use. Caged by one
thick arm around her stomach and one tangled in her hair, she was trapped.
“That’s right, fighter-girl. I am nothing but a
lowlife Dragath25 criminal.”
“Stop.” She shoved against his chest. It was as
unmovable as the rock at her back.
“Criminals don’t stop.” He fisted her shirt,
drawing her onto her tiptoes, bringing her face in line with his. His knee slid
between her thighs, forcing them wide. “We take.” His hand skimmed down her
body. “We violate.”
Heartbeat slamming against her ribs, she tried
to fix this. “I—I shouldn’t have said what I did. I’m sorry.”
“That’s right. You shouldn’t have said it.” He
wrapped his wrist tighter in her hair. “Just like you shouldn’t have ignored my
direct order.”
“I understand that now.”
It was as if he didn’t hear her. “You think
it’s easy to survive out here. You think this is a joke. You think I made it on
this fucking hellhole this long out of sheer luck.”
“No.”
“I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe. Done
things I can barely stand to think of.” Echoes of those horrors stretched tight
across his face. “But I’ve made it here eight years and I don’t intend to die
now.”
Her chest grew tight. She didn’t think she
could bear even another few days on this place. She couldn’t imagine surviving
eight years.
“I’m sorry. You’re right.” She spoke fast, the
words spilling from her, more genuine this time. “I wasn’t trying to get you
killed. I was trying to help. I appreciate all you’ve done. Hiding us in the
cave. Saving us from the tigos. Even the water and bandages you gave my
colleagues.” She cleared her throat. “You were keeping to the deal. I was the one who screwed up.”
He didn’t acknowledge her words, but his grip
loosened, the tension in his body lessening. “It’s easy to die out here.”
“But people make it.” Her voice shook. “You’ve
made it. I will too.”
He shook his head, something that looked a lot
like regret in his gaze. “You’re soft. Delicate.” The finger that had been so
predatory against her skin now felt like a caress. “Keeping you alive will be
next to impossible. Even without the added stubbornness.”
A new and astonishing idea flooded through her,
a live wire of awareness to her brain. It wasn’t cold-heartedness that had
promoted his departure, but the exact opposite. He
didn’t want to watch her die.
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