Science Fiction*Space*Romance
When a poker game
turns ugly, erstwhile gambler Ryder Vaughan runs for his life. After crash
landing his ship on an unknown world it looks like his life will be a short one
- until the lovely healer, Saba Duer, finds him and saves him. Smitten, Saba
has no qualms allowing Ryder to seduce her.
In Ryder, Saba sees
the coming of a hero to save her people. The deadly errol that has
terrorized the Ramalho Clan for so many years has been spotted on a course that
will bring it to the village. Ryder has a weapon that could destroy the
creature. She strikes a bargain with him to secure his help. Ryder’s not yet
well and whole, but there is no choice. Saba has to let him go and face the
truth – she’s sent him on a mission to die.
But Ryder has a plan -
and dying isn’t a part of it.
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
EXCERPT from A Hero's Bargain
Saba
couldn’t lose her nerve now. It was their only hope. She dried the mug and set
it up on the shelf then turned back to Ryder. “We need your weapons, and your
help. If you agree to use your weapons to destroy the errol, we’ll pay
you.”
His
eyebrows shot up. His eyes darkened.
“Pay me,
will you? With what? A ship so I can get back to my life? Tell me you have one.
Lie to me, Saba.”
Ryder had
every right to be bitter over his circumstances. She understood, but his
acerbic tone shocked her. She hadn’t considered anger. Anger could make him
dangerous in ways nothing else would. Nonetheless, her mind was made up. It was
her decision, be it folly or not.
“No. The
coin I would pay you with is my body.”
His mouth
dropped open. “Excuse me?”
“I will
come to your bed when you are well enough.”
He sat
up, swinging his legs off the pallet and onto the floor. She jumped away from
him, startled. Just as quickly her concern for her patient moved her back to
his side.
“Do not!
You should be still.”
Quick as
lightning he grabbed her and pulled her to him. His chest was like a rock.
“Let me
go!”
“I don’t
think so, angel.” His arms tightened around her. His lips thinned into an angry
line.
“So you’d
come to my bed, would you? For what? What do you think I could do with you in
my current condition, hmm? Pat you on the ass and tell you to sleep well?” His
lips curled, snarling.
“Offer
something better, Saba. Offer me my manhood back. Then come to my bed!” He
released her so abruptly, she almost fell. She plopped down on the stool. He
grimaced, his face tightening with pain.
“You will
heal but it will take time,” she said, far more calmly than she felt.
He
hissed, pressing his hands to his stomach. Alarmed, she jumped up. Quick as a
snake, he had her again, one hand fisting in her hair, trapping her.
“Heal me,
then.”
His mouth
came down on hers with bruising force. She pushed against him but he was too
strong. His tongue swept over her lips and suddenly, escaping him wasn’t
important. Deep in her belly her womb contracted. Need, hot and sweet, throbbed
with each beat of her racing heart.
His kiss
gentled, coaxing her now with a soft plea to answer him. Her arms slid around
his neck. Her lips opened. There was a low rumble in his chest as his arms
tightened around her. Awareness of her surroundings faded. All she knew was his
lips moving on hers and his warm hand slowly caressing her back. She was caught
in the spell he wove, floating in some dark place where her body spoke to her
of aching loneliness and whispered its hope of fulfillment.
Softly,
ever so softly, the kiss ended. His lips left hers, lingering a hairsbreadth
away. His hands slid to her hips, grasping them with strong fingers and pulling
her to him. The hard ridge of his manhood greeted her. She looked into his
eyes, gone black with desire.
“You’ll
come to my bed first. Then I’ll talk to Tyree about my weapons.”
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
