Stealing Jia Excerpt #1
I frowned as I stepped into the restaurant. The only light came
from the numerous candles decorating the tables. The darkness and the access to
the catacombs was a little too handy. Was Giovanni planning another kidnapping?
If so, he had picked the wrong girl to mess with.
Like a wraith, Giovanni appeared out of the darkness. His white
silk suit could double as a lab coat. “My darling, I am so glad you came.” With
a bow, he handed me a single red rose.
“How could I resist someone who
loves to Tango as much as I do.” I took the rose gingerly. A funny chemical
smell emanated from the flower. “Thank you. It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a simple gift from my
garden. The unique fragrance stimulates the senses. Take a deep breath and you
will see what I mean,” Giovanni said, watching me carefully.
The chemicals tickled my nose. Ker-choo! Ker-choo!
Ker-choo! Ker-choo!
Giovanni recoiled in disgust as I sneezed repeatedly in his
face.
“Oh dear, I’m so sorry. I’m
allergic to flowers.”
His wiped his face off and gritted, “It matters not.”
“Truly?” I snagged the red silk
hankie from his lapel pocket and blew my nose vigorously. The expression on his
face when I handed it back to him was priceless.
Giovanni dropped the offending hankie on a passing waiter’s
tray.
I stuffed the stinky rose into his lapel pocket. “Much better.”
Stealing Jia Excerpt #2
“What
are you staring at?”
Trayon pointed at my legs. “Do not move!”
I looked down and gasped. I knew I had picked up some
hitchhikers, but wow. There was a brown snake with a crocodile's head and
bright blue eyes coiled around my left thigh. A baby dinosaur chewed on my
right pants leg. “Merda!”
Pepe cautiously sniffed them. “Me like.”
I guess that was a good thing. I had to admit the little
dinosaur was cute as a bug.
The Askole drew an enormous sword. “I will kill the vermin.”
“What?
Stop!” I threw my hands out. “We don’t kill babies.”
“It
is a Rodan. None can be allowed to live.”
“It’s
a baby.” I stiffened as something moved in my hair. Had I picked up an
alien version of lice too?
“Our
law is quite specific. All must be destroyed.” Trayon
advanced toward me.
The Rodan whimpered and tightened its grip on my leg.
Pepe growled menacingly. “No hurt.”
I pulled my laser pistol. “You harm one scale on that kid’s head, and I’ll shoot you.”
“The
Rodan have your brother.”
“So,
you think this baby is the mastermind behind his kidnapping?”
Trayon’s tentacles knotted. “I
am your mate, and you will obey me. Lower your weapon.”
“I
guess you haven’t heard, but Earth women aren’t good at following orders and
I’m not your mate.”
Trayon tapped his gauntlet. “Your weapons have been disabled.”
I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. Cazzo! There was no way
I could take Trayon in hand-to-hand combat.
Stealing Jia Excerpt #3
“Why
are there blood worms webbed to the walls and ceiling?”
The shock in Trayon’s voice would have been amusing in any other
circumstance. I cracked open an eye. “Whatever
you do, don’t go in the bathroom.”
“Why
not?”
“Bath
time got a little messy.” One look and he’d probably rescind the mating contract.
Trayon’s boots made an icky squishing noise as he walked across
the room. I could feel his horror when he exclaimed, “A little messy?”
“I
told you not to go in there.”
“I
have seen battle scenes with less blood,” Trayon groused.
“Did
you know baby Tabors are taught how to program food replicators?”
“I
was not aware of that fact.”
“I
want to have a talk with whoever came up with that bright idea. The evil twins
decided they wanted to sample blood worms while I was introducing the concept
of a shower to Cason. Who, by the way, hates water. A lot.”
“And?”
“LeeLee
and LooLoo agreed blood worms taste nasty. I caught them doing a wonderful
impression of Tarzan on crack as they webbed twelve dozen blood worms to every
surface they could find.”
“Who
is this Tarzan?”
“A
story for another time. The point is Adoz and Pepe joined in the fun too. I gestured
around the room. “And wa-lah! Mass
destruction.”
Stealing Jia Excerpt #4
My jaw dropped. Trayon’s torso was sculpted perfection. Thick
muscles corded his arms and legs. Who knew black scales could be so hot? What
would they feel like against my skin?
“Open
yourself to me.”
I climbed on the bed so I could look him in the eye. “Before we do this, I want to be honest. You
said you loved me, but I don’t love you.”
“Yet,” Trayon’s
tentacles clamped tightly around my head. “Once our bond is completed, we will be one mind, one soul.”
I had always dreamed of finding my soulmate, but I never
imagined my Prince Charming would be an alien. Taking a deep breath, I dropped
my shields and winced when his tentacles stung me repeatedly. Before I could
vocalize a protest, Trayon’s powerful mind surged into mine. Whoa! A vortex
that held millions of images, and memories suddenly spun through my head. I
reeled as every muscle in my body screamed in protest. Suddenly our minds fused
together, and we became as one. His memories became mine. His knowledge became
mine. In that instant I knew Trayon was my soulmate and he would love me until
the end of time. I opened my eyes and smiled. “Out of all the star systems in the galaxy you found me. What are the
odds?”
“I
would have found you if I had to search for an eternity. You have my promise
that for a thousand nights and beyond, I will give you utter ecstasy. I will
love you as you have never been loved before.” There was a
tantalizing tenderness in Trayon’s touch.
Just when you think you know what's going to happen, this author says, "hold my beer". Wicked, fun adventure.
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