CHANCES ARE
CHANCES ARE
From Red Rose Publishing
by LaVerne Thompson
The cool air slapped at Kayla, a tall striking woman with short curly sable-colored hair, as she walked out of the bank, her head held high, clutching a large cardboard box. Who would have thought her entire office, her professional life could be reduced to one box? But she'd be damned if, after fifteen years of faithful service to this bank, and the last three as the branch manager, she'd allow some pimple faced bozo with a bunch of initials after his name to see her cry. She'd wait until she got to the privacy of her own home to do that.
Maybe not even then.
The heavy oak door slammed shut behind her. The self-satisfied sound of Mr. Newington’s nasal voice still ringing in her ears.
“Ms. Michaels, I’m here to inform you in person, this branch is slated for closure in two weeks. A few of the tellers and staff here will be transferred to other branches with openings; however, there are no openings for your position. We have to lay you off, effective immediately. Your benefits will remain in tact for three months, and you will receive in compensation whatever remains of your vacation time for the year, along with one month’s salary. Expect an extraction packet in the mail in a couple of days, detailing everything. I’m going to have to ask you to clear out your personal things, and leave the bank as quickly and quietly as possible.”
Taken aback by his abrupt manner and the short notice, Kayla asked, “What about my assistant manager?”
“I’ve already notified her that your position has been cut, as well as her own. There is no need for you to worry about anything further. I’m here to effectuate the closing.”
He wouldn’t even allow her to call the staff together to explain what happened, she barely had time to walk around and say goodbye to everyone. Mr. Newington, from corporate, kept coming out of her old office glancing at his watch as he watched her.
If he was a sample of the new bank’s owner, she wanted no part of it. She’d never set foot in there again, or any of that bank's branches. First thing tomorrow morning she’d close and transfer her checking, savings and IRA accounts to another bank, and she'd do it all online. The quarter ended at midnight, she wanted every dime of interest. It may not be enough to even be a blip on the bank’s radar screen but it was her money. She’d worked hard for it. And she could damned well put it anywhere she damned well pleased.
In a rush to get away from the building she had forgotten she didn’t have her car. She’d gotten a ride into work with her sister. Her car was in the shop, again. She couldn’t even reach her cell phone. It sat in the purse slung over her shoulder, wedged between the box and her side. She’d have to put the box down in the middle of the sidewalk to get to it.
Besides, she consoled herself, she didn’t really want to call her sister anyway. She’d have to tell her what happened. And she didn’t want to think about any of it yet. There wasn’t anything her sister could do anyway. Nothing anyone could do to return her nice orderly life.
She turned around to scan the almost empty mid-day autumn street of Old Town Alexandria for a cab; she’d probably have to walk up to the busier main road. Someone bumped into her shoulder—hard. Her box tumbled out of her hands, and her things scattered all over the sidewalk. The jerk who jostled her didn’t even bother to stop and help, he just muttered sorry and ran on.
“Asshole!” she screamed at his retreating back. After being treated so rudely, boy, it felt good to be able to yell at someone.
She bent down to pick up her things, when a large pale long fingered hand moved into her line of vision.
“Here you go,” a deep masculine voice said, causing her lower abdominal muscles to clench and contract.
The hand held a very pricey
She reached to take the paperweight away from him, when his fingers brushed against hers. Immediately, she pulled her hand back, dropping the paperweight in the process. Good thing it landed in the box on top of her sweater and not on the brick tiled sidewalk. Her sister would never forgive her if she broke it.
But who could blame her. Her fingers felt like they had plugged in a lamp with a faulty cord. The electric charge, coursing from her hand up her arm, reminded her of the one she’d gotten when she was eight after doing that very thing. Her gaze followed his masculine hand to a black leather-covered arm, up and up to the most incredible sight she’d ever seen in her life. She blinked twice.
Her troubles got shoved to the back of her mind.
BOOKS & Excerpts
PROMISES-Blurb & Excerpt
PROMISES-from Red Rose Publishing available in eformat and print.
by LaVerne Thompson
Can the promise of young love withstand the test of time?
Childhood friends, David and Mia know there is something special, something different about their friendship. But then David moves away and whatever that something is they never have the chance to explore.
Mia waits twelve years for David to come back to her, knowing deep in her heart that one day he would. She'd made him a promise the day he left, she would wait for him, and she kept it. Unbeknownst to her, he has also. He never forgets her. Not where it counts, in his heart. Now he has to prove it to her.
He had taken several steps before he saw her talking with her parents but she hadn’t seen him. Her back was to him, yet he would have known her anywhere, anytime.
From the rear she was perfectly proportioned. Above average height, she would only come up to his shoulders in her high heels. He noticed she still wore her hair in that corkscrew style but it was longer now, hanging well past her shoulders.
When they were kids he loved nothing better than pulling one of her dark curls and watching it spring back towards her head. He wanted to pull one now. His gaze left her hair and followed the back of her dress, admiring the open display all the way down to the top of the curve of her beautifully rounded butt. Her dress ended just below her thighs, giving him a view of long sleek toned legs. She always did have nice legs. Yeah, he wanted to do a lot more than touch her hair.
She must have sensed him staring at her because suddenly she turned around and stared back at him. Even across the crowded room, he could feel her drawing him toward her; pulling him in until only the two of them existed in the universe. Just the way it had always been between them. There was no reason for fear.
Nothing had changed. He knew the truth now. He loved her still.
Except everything had changed. He was now free to show her.
HOLD ON-Blurb & Excerpt
Hold On
By LaVerne Thompson
from Red Rose Publishing
Blurb
One phone call changed both their lives.
A real life knight in shining armor, except he isn’t in armor he’s in a suit. But the first time Lena Douglas lays eyes on Stephan Grayson that’s what he seems to her. He saves her from a violence that still haunts her nights, but at least he’s there to hold her should she wake. But the nightmare’s not over, it stalks them both now. Something from her past that will not let go.
But then neither will Stephan. He saved her once and he’s not about to let anyone, especially Lena stand in the way of what is happening between.
But will Stephan always be there to shield her from her past.
Excerpt-
“911 Operator.”
“Hello…listen I’m at the corner of Broad Street and Denny Way. I’m looking into the second floor of a garden style apartment opened onto Broad, and it looks like there’s a…a robbery taking place.” Stephan spoke anxiously into the phone, his voice cracking mid-speak.
The emergency operator on the other end replied in a steady tone, “I’m dispatching a patrol car to the area sir. Stay on the phone with me. Are you one of the victims or do you know the people involved?”
“No, no it’s not me and I don’t know them. I’m in my car. Hang on, the light’s changing. I’m going to make a U-turn and park on the street so I can keep watch.” He ignored the car honking at him because he had cut in front of it. The building in front of him, and the woman in trouble his only focus. The sun hadn’t been down for very long, but the open lighted walkway in the three-story building allowed Stephan a pretty clear view.
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to remain in the car,” the operator insisted in a forceful voice. “How many people are involved?”
“Two, I think. A man and a woman, he grabbed her purse and she tried to run. Hurry!” he cried.
“Help is on the way. Please try to stay calm.”
“My God!’ the man exclaimed. “He just hit her… she’s trying to fight him off. He kicked a door open and…he’s…he’s trying to drag her in!” His words were coming faster, rushing to get the information out. “She’s fighting back. I can’t just sit here watching this.”
“Sir, please do not leave your car,” the operator said firmly. “The person could be armed as well as dangerous. Wait for the authorities.”
“I’m sorry. I’m already at the building. Tell the cops, when they get here, it’s the second building from the corner, second floor, the door at the top of the stairs. I’m going to leave my phone on so you can listen in, but I’m putting it in my pocket.”
Without waiting to hear a reply, Stephan did just that.
As he ran up the stairs he could hear a woman’s screams. Why isn’t anyone trying to help her? He had seen three other doors with apartment numbers on this floor. Surely one of them was occupied. It didn’t matter, he was here and he wasn’t going to do nothing. Too late, he wished he’d taken the time to grab a tire iron from his car. But he had stopped rational thought as soon as he glimpsed the woman in trouble. He’d just have to rely on being in good physical shape. It wasn’t like he was a fighter, in truth he used his mind not his muscle. Now he may have to use both, and so far he hadn’t been using much of his so-called intelligence tonight. An intelligent person would have waited on the sidewalk and pointed the cops in the right direction.
Stephan stopped at the now closed door he had seen the man kick open. A scuff mark near the bottom of the panel confirmed he had the right place. He put his ear to the wood but could hear nothing. Turning the doorknob he found it unlocked, and cautiously pushed it open. He slipped inside leaving it slightly ajar so the cops could enter easily.
Muffled sounds were coming from the interior of the condo. Taking a step in the direction of the noise, ragged cries suddenly rent the air. A hallway, probably leading to a bedroom, stretched in front and to the right of him. There were no lights on, but the blinds were partially open, and the glow from a street lamp provided enough light to illuminate the small room.
Glancing to the left he spied a kitchen. His heart pumped blood into his system, adding strength to his resolve. Moving quickly, he headed there first for a weapon. As soon as he pulled a knife from the block on the counter, the wail of a siren whined from a distance, at the same time he heard a scream that curled his soul.
Throwing caution out the window he ran down the short hallway, fear setting his pace. Stopping in front of the only room he gripped the open doorframe. The scene unfolding before him chilled his blood.
The dimmed overhead light showed a woman lying face down on the bed, and a man in dark clothing sat on top of her, straddling her legs to hold her down. She kept screaming and bucking to try to throw him off, but he kept laughing, and using one hand to hold both of hers on her head while he ripped her blouse with the other. So engaged in his activity, he didn’t even hear Stephan behind him.
Stephan wanted to stick the sonofabitch with the knife in his hand. But he spotted an empty metal potpourri bowl on a stand near the door. He didn’t want to shed any of the man’s blood on the woman if he didn’t have to. He put down the knife and picked up the bowl. Using all of his strength, fueled by his anger, he smashed it against the side of the bastard’s head.
Like a bowling pin toppling over, the man fell off the bed onto the floor, hopefully out cold for a while. When the weight holding her down disappeared, the woman on the bed flipped over. She raised her tear streaked face and her eyes momentarily collided with Stephan’s before shifting to the man on the floor. As her gaze returned to his, fear flooded her beautiful chocolate colored eyes. She gasped, and backed up against the headboard.
Even with puffy eyes, tear tracks on her face, and a bruise on her toasted almond colored cheek her beauty still shone through. Stephan’s heart, which had been racing before, stopped in mid beat. Wide round eyes, had captured his attention first, set in an oval shaped face with a bow for a mouth, centered off with the cutest nose that started narrow but flared at the end, even more as he watched her take a deep breath.
He held up his hands, but realized he still held the bowl. He slowly placed it at the foot of the bed. “It’s okay,” he said trying to sound reassuring and non-threatening. “The police are on their way. I won’t hurt you.” He spoke in very soft clear tones, to try to calm her.
“Th…that man. He tried…” Her voice came out jittery, husky.
“Shhh, it’s okay,” he said. “I’m not going to let him hurt you.” Stephan glanced down at the man stretched out on his back on the floor. “He looks unconscious, but maybe we should get out of here in case he comes to. The police are on their way.”
“Yes…yes, thank you.” She slid off the bed on the opposite side from where the man on the carpet lay. Her shirt had been ripped from the back up to the collar but remained in tact in the front. She wrapped her arms tightly across her stomach. Stephan took his eyes momentarily off the beautiful woman to check her attacker again to see if he had stirred.
The woman came around behind him and grabbed his hips in a death grip. He twisted to put his hand around her shoulder, and coaxed her to move forward in front of him. As he turned her toward the door, pounding footsteps echoed from the stairwell. “The cops are here, you’re safe now. Let’s…” That’s as far as he got before he felt hands clench his throat. “Run!” he managed to gasp before turning to face his attacker.
Red Rose Publishing- BUY LINK
Available in print- Amazon
COME TO ME
Come To Me
from Freya's Bower
by LaVerne Thompson
Blurb-
Confirmed bachelor Baron Munro doesn’t believe in love, much less love at first sight. Not for him. But what about love at first sound?
Baron thought he was happy with his life, he adored women and they adored him right back. But it wasn’t until he heard the voice of Jasmine Sandler that he thought maybe his life isn’t all what it should be. There just might be something missing. And that something might be a woman of his own. Not just any woman though, but the woman with the husky voice that soothes the place inside him aching to belong to someone wholly and completely.
Jasmine didn’t know what to make of the man who haunted her days and invaded her nights. She knew the sound of his voice as intimately as she knew her own. And every time she heard it he wrapped himself a little tighter around her heart, making it want to beat only for him. While she could tell you what he sounded like when he was tired, pissed off, happy or sad, she could not describe what he looked like. They had never actually met.
Dare she take the risk of a lifetime?
Excerpt-
The mangled scents of perfume and sex teased Baron Munro as he turned his head and looked for a clock on the bedside table. There wasn’t one. Didn’t matter, it was time to go. He’d indulged them both long enough. Glancing at the tangle of long blond hair resting on the pillow near his head, he hoped its owner would continue to slumber. The last thing he needed was to explain why he wasn’t going to spend the rest of the night, or any other, with her. He should have been long gone already, but he’d been exhausted even before the sex marathon. And that damned near drained him. Yet, he still felt unsatisfied.
In the last few months, no matter how much he indulged, he’d roll out of bed feeling as empty as he had before he climbed in it. Even with his brief hiatus from casual sex, this time was no different from any others. A break was not what he had needed. Whatever he was looking for wasn’t here either.
Shifting, he eased his body off the bed and picked up his clothes where he’d thrown them on the chair earlier in the evening. Naked, his clothes clutched to his chest, he carefully opened the bedroom door. He closed it behind him and released the breath he’d been holding. After dressing in the hallway, he made his way fully clothed to her front door. When he reached the lobby of the building he dumped the card with the woman’s name and number in the trashcan near a pillar. They’d been out a couple of times now; but he never saved her number in his speed dial. He wouldn’t be calling her again. She was a mistake, another in a long succession of them.
At thirty-one, he was too old for this crap. He had to believe something more existed out there.
He whipped out his cell phone, her sultry voice came on before the ring had finished its first vibration, as if she waited by the phone for his call. He wished.
This wasn’t the first time he’d spoken to Jasmine Sandler and it wouldn’t be the last. Not if he had anything to say about it. She gave him hope. In truth, since she became the building manager six months ago, he’d taken every opportunity to talk to her, to try to get to know her—even if her voice wreaked havoc with his libido, sending it into overdrive whenever he heard it.
Their flirting had begun from the very first time he’d spoken to her, and she’d flirted right back. He’d tried several times to meet her, but she always put him off. No one he knew in the building had ever seen her, but everyone he’d spoken to about her agreed she had a sexy voice. The kind that had him taking cold showers a couple of times after talking with her. No matter how often he told himself she was probably sixty, with four kids, nothing helped. If she looked half as hot as she sounded on the phone, he’d still want her.
Therein lay his problem of the last six months. She went by the name of Jasmine. She teased his senses on every level. A woman he’d never met, but one he could not ignore. No matter how many women he tried to deny his feelings for her with. Pathetic.
RINGSIDE-The Three Sisters Series Book 1
RINGSIDE-by Stephanie Williams and LaVerne Thompson
book 1
Available from Red Rose Publishing
Blurb-
Has she found answers or just more lies?
Atlanta’s life was spiraling out of control, until she read a self-help book by an older woman whose words could have been her own life story. But she needed to talk to the woman for herself and tracked her down.
Hank Gaines former middle-weight boxing champion had seen it all and done most of it. Finally walking away from his fame, he thought he could help others, but no one wanted to read about life choices from a man’s point of view. Certainly not the women who could benefit most. Hank had no choice but to use a pseudonym, a female one. He never regretted it more than when the brown eyed beauty walked into his bar one night, one look in those soulful eyes, and he was knocked out for the count.Will Hank’s deception cost him the love of his life?
EXCERPT -
“Welcome to Ringside. Are you finding everything to your liking?”
Atlanta moved the book from her face and looked into the light blue eyes of a striking looking man. He was tall, a little over six feet, and very well built. That was evident in the way his black shirt seemed painted on his body. His biceps screamed to get out, but it didn’t look cheesy.
His face looked like it was sculpted from the finest marble; the only thing keeping it from being too perfect was a little bump in the middle of his slender nose, like it may have been broken at some point in his life. But it only added to his overall appeal. The color of his hair drew her attention next; it was blacker than anything she’d ever seen. Thick and wavy, it hung just to his collar. She wanted to run her fingers through it and see if it felt as soft and silky as it looked.
This man was a walking orgasm! She might have to keep this one for awhile.
His mouth moved. God what a mouth. “Huh….” Wait, did he say something?
“Oh, sorry, did you order I can get…..”
“No, I mean yes, I did order thank you….”
“Oh, forgive me. I’m Hank Gaines. I’m the owner.” He raised his hand to shake hers, as soon as her palm was encased in his her stomach muscles clenched again, but not from hunger. At least not that kind of hunger. Something sparked between them. She would hang on to this one for a good long while.
“Ah, well, thank you. Thank you very much. So far so good, just waiting for my meal.” But I didn’t see your name on the menu. She blinked to try to get a handle on her erotic thoughts.
“What did you order?”
“The calamari for starters and a burger.”
“Excellent choices. The batter used in the calamari is a family secret.”
“Secret, huh?”
“Oh yes. Let me know how you like it.”
Huh, what was he talking about? She liked the view just fine.
He smiled, showing straight white teeth. “I see you’re trying to catch up on some reading.” He cocked his head to get a better look at the book.
She tried to casually set it beside her. “Yeah, just a little light reading.”
“Light? Her books can put the Dahli Lama to shame.”
“Yo…you’re familiar with her books?”
Before Hank could answer the server came with her food. “Sir.”
“Oh, of course.” Hank moved aside while he watched the server place her dishes.
“Mmmm, this looks sinfully delicious.”
After the server left, Atlanta thought Hank would immediately move off, but was pleased when he didn’t. He turned his attention back to her. “I’ll let you enjoy your meal. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you and nice meeting you.” Boy, was it nice meeting him. What would he have done if she’d said she’d needed him.
Book 2 NORTHERN EXPOSURE by Stephanie Williams is out. Read the excerpt.
MASQUERADE- Book 3 The Three Sisters Series
MASQUERADE- by LaVerne Thompson
Available from Red Rose Publishing
Blurb-
Dare to look behind the mask.
What will Caine do when he finds out his mystery woman and his business associate are one and the same, and she’s played him for a fool?
Caine Hayden is attracted to the masked mystery woman, at the masquerade ball, the moment he lays eyes on her. They spend one incredible night together, and in the morning she disappears. He has to find her, but he’s got a business meeting to attend and has to return home. Except when he meets the woman who designed his airplane he can’t take his eyes off her. Twice in less than fifteen hours he has extraordinarily strong physical and emotional reactions to two different women, or so he thinks.
Sydney Reese designs planes, and her career scares off most men. Sleeping with a masked stranger seems to pose little risk, it would only be for one night and she’d never see him again. The last thing she wants or needs is a relationship, with someone who can’t accept her as she is.
But what if?
EXCERPT -
Eyes the blue of the Caribbean Sea looked out at her from behind a dark mask. The black satin provided an intense contrast to his thick blond hair streaked with varying shades of blond, and curled against the nape of his neck. The unmasked skin around a full sensual mouth appeared slightly tanned, like he had recently gotten a little sun. His strong squared jaw line shifted slightly as he stared at her. She couldn’t take her eyes off his face, what she could see of it. Then he smiled, showing beautiful straight white teeth, and a small dimple appeared on one side of his lips.
A smile of her own answered his.
Without a word, he raised his arms away from his sides, as though opening them for her to walk into. The movement brought her attention to his sculptured chest. Was that a six pack? Maybe there was something to be said for shirtless.
Taking him up on his invitation, Sydney drew nearer. She raised her hands, his jacket lay already parted and she placed her palms on what felt like granite. But he wasn’t cold. He burned, and she could feel the rhythm of his heart accelerate as he enclosed her in his arms, wrapping them around her waist; daring her closer and letting her know this was no fantasy, but a living breathing man.
If sin had a scent it would smell like this man, spicy and dangerous. Inhaling deeply, she slid her hands over taut skin, taking pleasure in the sensation of his body, and the way his stomach muscles clenched at her touch. Her hands found their way around to his back and started to stroke him. It must have been the signal he had been waiting for because, he began to move. They weren’t dancing, just swaying from side to side. Their bodies meeting, greeting, and welcoming each other home.
He pulled her closer to him, and brought one hand up to caress the base of her neck. Without taking his eyes off her, he slowly lowered his head, but she didn’t wait. She raised her face to meet him halfway as their mouths touched. His mouth felt cool; an erotic contrast against the rest of his heat; his touch all too brief, but more than enough. Their worlds had collided, the rest became inevitable, and they would never be the same again.
Pulling back slightly, he hovered over her lips, and finally for the first time she heard the sound of his voice. “I want to kiss you again,” he whispered in a husky tone. “But I can’t kiss you here, the way I want to.”
Sydney couldn’t take her eyes off his full kissable mouth. “How do you want to kiss me?” she asked in a low and sensual voice she barely recognized as her own.
His lips curved into a half smile. “Something like this.”
Day In The Sun
by LaVerne Thompson
part of Last Summer Anthology Available from Red Rose Publishing
Blurb & Excerpt
If you run from love can you hide?
As a member of the ruling class on her planet, Callie had no say in who she would marry. Her mother made the decision for her. She’d never even met the man she’d be bound to for the rest of her life. Her parents left her no choice. She fled her planet and would-be husband for a chance to live her life as she chose.
Landing on the back water planet earth, Jaran had one plan: to find Callie his reluctant bride and decide if he wanted to be married to her. No woman should be worth this kind of trouble. But it didn’t take him long to realize he wanted her by his side. But she ran from him once already.
How can he convince her to stop running long enough to love him?
EXCERPT
The shrill cry of a sea bird flying overhead woke Callie from a sleep filled with memories. When she opened her eyes, the sun hung much lower on the water than it had when she’d closed them, turning the horizon golden. Her first conscious thought picked up on the threads of her dream that was no dream. Her father had helped her. He got her off their world and sent her to an unknown universe. Unknown that is to all, but a select few, like her father. More man of science than business, he studied the stars. Years ago he’d discovered a planet in another universe that had a sun and inhabited humanoids similar to themselves.
At the time, her mother thought his interest in less advanced cultures an interesting little hobby, but since no profit was involved promptly forgot about and dismissed the discovery, as did everyone else. But her father had continued to study the planet with the blue atmosphere and its inhabitants, and knew she would be able to fit in there. And she did.
Sighing she took her thermos out of the small bag at her side, gulping down all of the water, still cold in spite of her hour in the sun. Standing up, she put the thermos back in her bag and draped it across her shoulder. She shook the sand off her towel and wrapped it around her waist, before reaching for the coin on the chain around her neck. More than a piece of jewelry or her good luck charm. It also carried the last of the technology from the ship’s database before she destroyed it. Her father warned the ship had to be destroyed; it could be used to track her. If she ever wanted to return to her home world the necklace held the means for her to contact him. But deep in her heart she knew she’d never use the knowledge, for better or worse, so far better, earth was home. She kept the technology as a link to her father.
Callie bent down to pick up her sandals, when she straightened the movements of a swimmer some ten miles out in the water caught her attention. She hadn’t noticed him before. Even from that distance she could tell the body in the water appeared to be male. She wondered if he’d swum out from the beach or from the boat anchored even farther behind him, either way it was an unusually long swim. Although she didn’t need to do it, she raised her hand above her glasses as though to shade her eyes, but really lowered her sunglasses to better see him. The glasses and lens weakened her vision range. It was still vastly better than humans but without the glasses it would be sharper.
Without the covering over her eyes, the figure out in the water became clearer. She blinked, my gods! The man must have swum ten miles already, and still had more to go. Mesmerized, she watched his arms glide out of the ocean. Long lean fingers sliced effortlessly through the water. Shoulders and biceps bulged with the necessary muscle and strength allowing everything to work together for him to swim at the speed he did. If she didn’t know better she’d swear he was one of the mermen from
Callie didn’t realize she moved until she stood at the edge of the tide. Stationing herself at a place on the beach where he would be able to see her, she waited for him to come to her. As the distance closed between them the more of him she could see. The sun glistened off hair so blonde it was almost white, but she couldn’t quite make out his facial features. The way he moved struck her as odd, he almost never seemed to raise his head to breathe as he swam.
Finally, he reached a point where he could stand in the water. At least six feet four inches of perfect man rose out of the ocean, water reluctantly dripped from a body fashioned by a loving god’s hand. Broad shoulders appeared first narrowing into a slender waist. With each step, the ridges of his abs rippled as he moved, the remaining droplets glistened off skin bare to the waistband of his swim trunks. He raised his hands to push wet shoulder length hair back and away from his face, revealing a face sculptured by a master craftsman, one without flaw.
“Oh, Mercy!” When his head snapped up, she knew she’d said the words out loud, and he’d heard. Eyes the color of sapphire stones found on this planet, zeroed in on her. Callie could do nothing but take a step forward as he continued moving in her direction. The warm tide slapping at her ankles helped to bring her back to her senses. She stopped, refusing to let the current drag her out to him, or his eyes pull her closer to him. Planting her feet into the hot sand, she didn’t flee. Not this time.
She knew what he must be, men on this planet did not look as he did. Off worlder, someone hired by the Narinds to find and bring her back. Well she wasn’t going. No one, no one could make her. There were a few people on the beach; he couldn’t take her in front of witnesses. Because he’d have to use force to get her to leave earth.
His presence could only mean one thing. Her father’s plan hadn’t worked.
