1.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since I was a teenager, but I didn't start writing professionally until 1994 and published my first story in 2001
I have been writing since I was a teenager, but I didn't start writing professionally until 1994 and published my first story in 2001
2.
What is your favorite genre to write?
I love SC/Fantasy. I also weave in humor without realizing that I'm doing it. This newest series is also erotic so I'm hitting a lot of points here.
I love SC/Fantasy. I also weave in humor without realizing that I'm doing it. This newest series is also erotic so I'm hitting a lot of points here.
3.
What are you working on now?
My newest series is called the Vespian Way. This is my favorite series so far. Book 4 is coming out today (Oct 2nd). The feedback I've been getting on this series has been phenomenal.
4. When you start a new story do you begin with a character or plot?
I have to say a character. Several of my books are based off of a scene that I dreamed.
5.
Tell us about your latest/upcoming release. What inspired it?My newest series is called the Vespian Way. This is my favorite series so far. Book 4 is coming out today (Oct 2nd). The feedback I've been getting on this series has been phenomenal.
4. When you start a new story do you begin with a character or plot?
I have to say a character. Several of my books are based off of a scene that I dreamed.
My newest release is Unwanted Desire - book 4 in the Vespian Way. This is my favorite series because I've known these characters for a long time. A girlfriend and I created them when we were in high school and it took me years before I found the right way to put them on paper. It took a dream for me to find the beginning of my first book that has now explained to seven. Books five and six I'm polishing now, book seven I'm working on the rough draft.
The Vespian Way Series - available on Oct 2nd Book 4: Unwanted Desire www.Phaze.com
Backlist: www.barbaradonlonbradley.com
twitter -Twitter FB - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Donlon-Bradley/118673448173249 Blog - barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com
Unwanted Desire
Blurb:
Heather and Storm’s story continues:
Sam can’t remember her past. The only reason she knows her
name is because of a necklace found on her. Her lack of memory makes her
perfect to work undercover as an event coordinator for Carlos Mason, an
entrepreneur who has ties to the seedier side of business. When someone makes
an attempt on Mason’s life Skye Latimer is assigned to be her bodyguard. Now
Sam has to deal with trying to get her memory back, an annoying man she finds
she can’t ignore and find something the government can use against Mason.
Skye Latimer has been told to keep Samantha safe at all
costs. He doesn’t know why, but it doesn’t matter. He is the best. Getting
close to her was easy. Keeping his hands to himself is another matter. Now Skye
has to fight his growing attraction to Sam, try to figure out who she really is
as well as keep her from being forced to do whatever Mason has planned.
Excerpt:
Chapter
1
Samantha had a death grip on her compad.
Her memory might be gone, but she wasn’t going to use that as an excuse.
She was hired by Carlos Mason to
be his new function coordinator and found she had a knack for it. This was the
first time her new boss allowed her total control on one of his big galas and
she sure didn’t want to mess it up. Taking one last look at her check lists,
she nodded in satisfaction before she headed to the kitchens. Everything was
set up, flowers, tables, even the proper music. As long as the flow of food ran
smoothly the night would be a success and she would prove herself invaluable.
She couldn’t afford to be fired.
She turned a corner and
practically ran over Skye Latimer. He was about her height, blonde hair that
begged to be touched and sharp blue eyes that seemed to see all the way to her
soul. He gave her a bone melting smile and a look that seemed to undress her
where she stood. He had that look on his face every time he saw her.
“Mr. Latimer, I don’t have time
for this.” She stepped around him, doing her best to ignore the butterflies she
felt around him, and continued to the kitchens.
“Hey, I don’t like this any more
than you do, but the boss asked me to guard you and that is what I’m going to
do. We both know how he gets if his demands aren’t met.” He fell into step with
her. “If you hadn’t taken off earlier I wouldn’t have had to come looking for
you.”
“Please, then, stay out of my
way.” She sighed. “I have a billion things to take care of before this evening
starts and I don’t need any distractions.”
“I distracted you?” Skye smiled
again. Another one of his seductive heart-stopping smiles that made her insides
turn to jelly, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. She gave him a bored
look and moved on. He followed right on her heals.
The kitchen was crazy when they
entered. The head waiter was shouting out orders to his staff. The head chef
was yelling at the head waiter to get out of his kitchen so his people could
work.
A loud whistle filled the air as
Sam waited for everyone to quiet down. “Why is there so much noise in here?
Don’t you people have other things to do than give me heart failure?”
“I am sorry, Miss Samantha, but
this imbecile has decided that these small quarters is where he must talk to
the wait staff while I’m trying to get my people ready to prepare the meal.”
“I am not an imbecile and we have
always done this in the past without trouble. Why are you acting like such a
bear tonight?” snapped the head waiter.
“Gentlemen, we have twice as many
staff as we normally do. You have to work this out.” Both crossed their arms
over their chest and glared at each other. Neither giving an inch. Sam let go
of another sigh. “Fine. I’ll cut both staffs in half, that way you’ll have
plenty of room again. Your people will just have to do twice as much work and
when this falls apart you will be the ones to answer to the boss.”
That got them moving. It wasn’t
long before the waiters were huddled just outside the door, getting their
instructions, and the cooks were prepping the food.
“You know how to snap that whip
when you need to, don’t you?” commented Skye.
Sam had tried to ignore him while
she spoke to the two men, but it had been hard. Even though he had kept quiet
and had allowed her to do what she needed, part of her had been focused on him
the whole time. His wide shoulders, narrow waist and long legs had her
wondering things she shouldn’t.
She looked at Skye and saw
admiration in his eyes. She didn’t need that. This was not the time for her to
make alliances, especially with someone who affected her libido. She
straightened her shoulders and continued down her mental list.
Once she was happy with the way
things were going, she returned to the main office and knocked on her boss’s
door. Popping her head in, she spoke. “Sir? Do you have a minute or two?”
“Of course, Samantha.” He stood
and motioned to the chair in front of his desk. “Come in, please, sit.”
“Thank you. Everything is ready
for tonight, sir. You should be very happy.” She entered the room and took the
chair he gestured to. Latimer closed the door behind him and leaned against the
wall. “But I need a few hours this afternoon. I need to meet with the
government doctors today. Although I tried to move it they wouldn’t let me. My
appointment is in about an hour.”
“Right. I can’t believe they are
still making you go through these tests.” He tapped a few keys on his three
dimensional computer screen before looking at her. “Have you gotten any of your
memories back?”
“No.” She shook her head. “But
they keep coming up with new treatments to try. I’m supposed to be meeting with
some Vespian doctor who has a new technique.” She shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“I’ll have Skye take you.” He
closed down the image and leaned back in his chair.
She wanted to protest but knew
better. Why did it have to be Skye? Sam stood, waiting to be dismissed. If she
had a way to sneak off she would have.
Skye stepped forward and nodded as
he got his instructions. Once he did, he turned to Sam and gestured for her to
walk in front of him. “So we get to spend the afternoon together.”
“If you enjoy hanging out with a
bunch of doctors.” She walked out of the room. “I need to change first.”
“You look fine.”
She glared at him. “I’ll meet you
downstairs.”
“No need. I’ll go with you to your
room.”
“I don’t think so.” There was no
way she was going to let him into her quarters. Her room was her haven away
from everyone and everything. If he were to invade she’d never get the memory
of his presence there out of her head. She turned her back to him and headed to
the elevator. The doors opened and she stepped in with him right behind her.
“I’ll wait outside if you’re
afraid to let a man into your bedroom.” His lips were only inches from her ear.
She felt the heat of his breath brush against her throat, sending little
frissons of desire coursing through her blood.
Mixed emotions took over. A part
of her wanted to grab him and kiss him, end this strange little cat and mouse
game they seemed to be playing, but another part wanted to slap the arrogant
attitude off his face.
The doors of the elevator opened.
She didn’t respond, couldn’t. The
fear of what would happen if she did got her feet moving and she darted out of
the elevator, down the hall and into her room, letting the door close before he
could try to come in. Sam leaned against it for a moment before she pulled off
the dress she had been wearing to slip on a pair of comfortable pants and a
blouse.
Once she had regained her
composure, she stepped back out, ignored Skye, and headed to the elevator that
would take them to one of the private transports. Once they were secure, Skye
maneuvered it to the central medical center. Sam knew where to go, so she led
the way once they landed. She entered the main office of the brain center.
“I have a two o’clock?”
“Yes. The doctor is ready for
you.” The woman behind the desk stood and pointed to the doors that led into
the lab.
The doors slid open and Sam walked
through. Skye followed.
“Doctor?” There were several
people there who could have been her doctor.
The man in question turned to face
her. “Samantha? Dr. Kuarto.” His smile relaxed her as he took her hand and
shook it. “I’m sure you’ve been through this before, but I’m going to ask you a
series of questions that will allow me to set a base to work off of.”
“Sure.” She looked at Skye, who
had come into the room with her and sighed. She wished he wasn’t there. This
was something she didn’t want broadcasted.
“Three months ago you awoke to
find your memories completely gone.”
“Yes. I was found in one of the
wooded areas in the territory that used to be Washington State. I don’t
remember anything before that.”
“The files I have showed there is
no permanent damage to your memory. Have you had any trouble retaining memories
from that point on?”
“No.”
“No flashes, or dreams of another
life?”
“Nothing. It’s like that moment
when I woke up in the forest was the first day of my life.” She glanced at Skye
once again, wishing he wasn’t hearing everything being said. “Can I ask you a
question?”
“Sure.” He entered her data on the
small pad he held in his hands.
“The doctors say that I’m part
Vespian and I’ve done a little research. I don’t look like the typical
Vespian.” She looked down at her fair hands.
“True, but you do have a few of
the physical traits. The height for example.” He patted a table nearby he
wanted her sit on. “The average female height is about six foot six and you’re
not too far off that being six foot five. You also do have the distinctive ring
around the cornea.”
“Not really.”
“You’re eyes might be inverted but
it is there. Most Vespians have golden eyes with a color band on the outside of
the iris, you have violet eyes but the outer band is the same golden color that
all Vespians have.”
“You don’t.”
“You’re right,” he laughed. “Very
observant. Every once in a while there is a small abnormality. The gold in my
eyes is muted. It has a touch of violet in it.” He held out a small scanner. “I
need to take a few readings, map out the memory loss to see if we can free it.”
“You going to be able to free my
memories today?”
“Is that what they told you?” He
stopped what he was doing to look at her.
She nodded.
“I really love how the UCE
misconstrues the missives I sent.” He shook his head. “I hope to free your
memories but it will take time. Today is the first step.”
Skye’s communicator beeped.
“Excuse me.” He stepped out of the room.
“So what is with the watchdog?” He
looked in Skye’s direction before he went back getting everything ready.
“He’s been assigned to be my
guard.” She looked as well. His absence should make her happy but it didn’t.
Kuarto frowned. “What do you need
a guard for?”
“My boss.” She shrugged. “Someone
tried to assassinate him and he was afraid they might come after me.”
“Your file says you work for
Carlos Mason.” Kuarto looked down at his pad. “Isn’t he some sort of
entrepreneur?”
“Yeah, he’s done a lot of work
helping preserve many our historical items.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t make
sense, but someone wasn’t happy with something he did. Mr. Mason has been a bit
paranoid since. He assigned Mr. Latimer about two weeks ago.”
“You don’t seem to be very happy
about it.”
“Let’s just say he’s very good at
his job. Doesn’t let me out of his sight.”
****
Skye found a quiet place to answer
his communicator. It was Mason. “Yes, sir?”
“Where are you?” He sounded
desperate. What was going on?
“At the hospital where Sam has her
appointment?” Why was he asking this? He had just sent them there. He didn’t
like the man’s paranoia, it made it hard for him to do his job. “Samantha is
with the doctor right now.”
“Are they going to bring back her
memory?”
“From what I heard it will take
some time before they can even try to revive her memories.” Now he understood
his paranoia. He didn’t want Sam to get her memory back.
“That’s good. She’s perfect for
what I need.” He paused for a moment. “I’ll expect a full report when you get back.”
“Of course.”
****
“Did you see that?” Heather looked
at her mate. She wanted to run in there and hug her daughter but knew she
couldn’t have any contact with her. It hurt to stay away.
“What, my heart?” asked Storm. He
wrapped his arms around her as he watched the screen with her.
“The way her readings spiked when
Kuarto asked about her bodyguard.” Heather gave him a bright smile. “She’s
attracted to him.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t know, but I plan on
finding out.” She turned back to the screen.
****
Sam slid off the bed just as Skye
walked back into the room.
“So, we’re done?” He looked at the
doctor.
“For now.” Kuarto looked at Sam,
even though Skye was the one who spoke. “I’ll call you back in when I’m ready
for the next phase.”
“Thank you.” She tucked a stray
piece of her golden blonde hair behind an ear before she could draw up the
courage to look at Skye. “Are you ready, Mr. Latimer?”
“Please, call me Skye.” He said it
softly, but the recording system picked it up. “Carlos is eager for us to
return so you can finish with the arrangements for this evening.”
“Of course.” She walked out of the
medical center with Skye right behind her. Once they were out of earshot she
turned to find him inches from her. “Must you follow me so closely?”
“I like the view.” He took that
moment to look at her from head to toe.
He kept saying little things like
that. Things that made her angry, frustrated, and aroused all at the same time,
but she didn’t like losing control so she always fought the anger that bubbled
up inside her. The frustration she pushed down deep inside. Sam wasn’t quite
sure what to do with the arousal. She straightened her shoulders and walked a
little faster.
“Now I really like the view.”
She growled in frustration.
“Please stop.”
“What? Is there a little crack in
that non-feeling shield you’ve wrapped round yourself?”
“Tell me, Mr. Latimer. How would
you handle waking up one day and not remembering a thing about yourself?” She
took a deep breath and fought for control once again. “The only way anyone was
sure of my name was because of this necklace.” She pulled the chain so he could
see the small medallion with the name Samantha engraved on it. “Don’t you think
you’d need to feel in control when your world was spiraling out of control? I’m
sorry if I don’t scream and yell, but I’m afraid if I start I won’t stop.”
Skye studied her face but didn’t
say a word. He unlocked their private transport and opened the door for her.
Once they were secure he headed back to the Mason mansion.
****
Skye stood in his room, staring
into the mirror. He had been a bit of an ass with Sam but he needed to see what
type of person she was. He knew she had been placed here by the government and
her job was to try to get some proof that Carlos Mason wasn’t as clean as he
pretended. At least that was what they told her, but they knew her lack of
memory would be a perfect target for Carlos. If Mason was going to do what the
government expected, she would end up as a patsy somehow. Skye had been sent by
Admiral Barrister to keep that from happening. Sam’s safety was paramount. He
wasn’t sure how he was supposed to keep her safe yet, but he always got the job
done.
When he was assigned to be her
personal guard after the fake attack he orchestrated, Skye wanted to jump for
joy. He had set it up, hoping he would be put closer to her but he never
thought Mason would assign him as her guard.
The admiral had painted her as an
innocent, but what he found confused him. She had backbone and wasn’t afraid to
speak her mind. Sam also kept her feelings locked inside. People could say
things to her that would anger someone else, she would blink a few times then
turn on her heal and walk away. That was the sign of a very good undercover
agent.
It had him wondering about her
loyalties. Who did she really work for? Tonight he would push her enough to
learn the truth.
The affair this evening was a
formal one and Carlos requested that he wear a tux. He adjusted the bowtie and
stepped out of his room. He was to escort Samantha to the main hall so everyone
could be inspected before they all got to work.
Her door slid open when he crossed
the sensors. She must have set the command for the doors to allow him entrance.
He stepped in, not sure if he should have. “Samantha?”
She popped her head around a
corner. “Oh! I’m not quite ready.”
“I’ll wait.” He looked around her room.
Very stark. There was nothing that showed she lived here. No personal items at
all. He found it odd. Even if she had no memory.
He heard her groan. “Problem?”
“No.” She paused for a moment.
“Yes. I can’t get this dress to close properly.”
“Do you need help?”
She stepped into the room and his
heart stopped for a second or two. She was breathtaking. Velvet in texture, the
deep purple dress accentuated her lovely violet eyes. The strapless gown hugged
her form, showing all her wonderful curves. It took him a moment before he
noticed the issue she had with the dress. “Turn around.”
She presented her back and he
found why the seals weren’t closing all the way. She couldn’t reach them
properly.
“I guess my arms just aren’t long
enough.” She made a few gestures to prove her point.
“Make sure you have the bodice
where you want it.” He stepped up to her, a soft scent filling his nostrils.
The temptation to touch the soft skin exposed to him was too much and he
allowed his fingers to slide up her spine as he closed the seals properly. It
probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do because all he could think of was the
silky smoothness of her skin and how badly he wanted to touch it again. It took
a lot of willpower for him to step back. “All done.”
“Thank you.” She looked
frightened. Not sure if she was doing the right thing. An agent would lock
their emotions away all the time. Professionalism wouldn’t allow them to let
anything to show. Perhaps she was an innocent.
She stepped up to her mirror and
pulled on the top of the dress to make sure everything was where it should be.
Skye couldn’t help but notice the
dress was so different from the plain clothes she normally wore. Her garments
for work were professional suits and always blue. She must have read that blue
was the proper color somewhere and didn’t understand she could waiver the color
and design from time to time.
Sam wore no jewelry except for her
necklace. She toyed with it for a moment before looking at him in the mirror.
“I’m not sure it goes with the dress.”
“If it gives you comfort then wear
it, but the gown is a jewel on you so you don’t need anything else.”
A soft smile spread across her
lips and she undid the clasp. She placed it on the dresser under the mirror.
“Ready?” He was going to have a
hard time keeping his hands to himself tonight and he had planned to push her
so he could be sure which side she was on. How would she react?
“Almost.” She picked up her pad
and made sure her communicator was on. He watched as she pressed something
behind her ear and connected with security. She spoke to head guard at the
door, finding out who had already arrived and what she needed to catch up on.
“So how did you rate that thing?”
Skye tapped the communicator he had in his pocket. He didn’t have an insert
like hers.
“I explained to Mr. Mason I
couldn’t function without one and he agreed.” She smoothed the front of her
dress and headed to the door. It opened for her and she stepped out to a quiet
hallway. Her whole demeanor shifted the moment she walked out of her room. Her
shields went up, locking the hint of emotion he had seen away.
Skye now understood she put on a
whole different personality when she wasn’t in the safety of her room. It was a
defense mechanism for her. The admiral had faith in her and he could see why.
This ability to lock away her emotions made her perfect for the job.
She walked to the kitchen and was
pleased to see everything flowing properly. She passed out the proper
compliments and moved on, happy with the way things were moving. “Time to see
how the boss likes everything.”
“He’s getting ready to do his
normal speech at the top of the stairs.” Skye gestured for her to walk in front
of him.
“Perhaps I should wait for him to
finish.” She slowed her steps.
“I don’t think so.” Skye looked at
his communicator. “He’s asking where you are.”
Sam swallowed before she stepped
out where he could see her.
“There she is.” He lifted his glass.
“To Samantha. This wonderful woman put this whole evening together. Without
her, none of this would have been possible.” A waiter brought her a glass of
champagne so she could toast as well. Her cheeks turned a faint pink. A soft
thank you escaped her lips, but before he could force her to say anything,
Samantha had received a call and she was off.
Skye was pretty sure Carlos was
happy she didn’t say a word. He liked taking the credit for all the hard work
other people did to make him look good. Having to honor her at all normally
went against his nature, but obviously people had asked him who was in charge
because they knew he wouldn’t have lowered himself to make sure everything ran
so smoothly.
Sam strode into the kitchen to find the head chef frantic
once more. She paused for a moment before she spoke. “People are raving about
the food.”
“Thank you.” He yelled at a couple
of his assistants when they made a minor infraction.
“Is there a problem?”
“I am sorry, yes. My wife has been
rushed to the hospital and has been asking for me. The doctors have already
addressed her ailment and she can leave in the morning but she doesn’t like
being there all alone.” He looked at her. “I wish I could be there for her.”
Sam frowned. “Most of the food has
been served, hasn’t it? All that is left is the cake and then making sure the
guests have more hors d’oeuvres to nibble on?”
“Yes. And my Sues chef is very
capable. He can handle anything extra you need.”
“Knowing Mr. Mason, he will want
to thank you when the cake is brought out. Once that is done you may go.
Hopefully, nothing will happen to get us in trouble.”
“Thank you. My wife will be very
relieved.”
Sam nodded and headed out to the
main dining area. She stayed to the edge of the room, trying to be discreet.
The diners were working on the main course. From the smiles she saw they were
enjoying the food. It didn’t take long before the waiters started to remove the
empty plates. She sent the signal to bring the cake in.
Just as she expected, Mason looked
for the chef and made a big deal of his wonderful food and how he hoped
everyone would enjoy the cake. Sam found her mind zipping forward to what
needed to be done to make sure Mr. Mason didn’t know his head chef had left
before he gave him permission. She was sure she could work it out, but wasn’t
sure how.
Sam had a bit of a headache
beginning, but chose to ignore it for the time being. Once they made it through
the next few hours she’d take something.
****
Heather smiled at her friend.
“Hello, Bear.”
“Heather, how’s my girl?” He
grinned when he saw her face.
“Good. Back in town for a few
weeks and thought I’d give you a call.”
“I know better.” He steepled his
fingers as he leaned back in his chair. “You want something, so spit it out.”
She had to laugh. He knew her too
well. “Okay. I’ll get right to it. I wanted to know what you know about a Skye
Latimer.”
“Never heard of him.” He started
messing with a few things on his desk. “Why?”
“Oh, heard his name being bantered
about and Storm wanted to hire me a body guard while we’re here.” She gave him
another smile. “You know how over protective he can be. Perhaps you could send
Storm a list of recommendations?”
“I’ll see what I can do for you.”
He started typing on his keyboard. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll send it
over.”
“Thanks.” Heather cut
communication.
“So he doesn’t know anything about
the man?”
“Oh he does. He just couldn’t talk
about it.” Heather turned to look at Storm. “In the past, when we’ve asked
about someone what has he normally done? He would pull whatever data he had up
on his system. This time he didn’t touch it. If the man wasn’t deep undercover
and Bear was his commander he would have sent us a file.”
A small icon blinked at the bottom
of the screen. Storm pointed to it. “Well, whatever it is he wants us to see
seems to have arrived.”
****
Sam sat at the bar. The evening
was over and a great success. There were still a few guests milling around, but
Mr. Mason had left. He congratulated her once again and gave her a kiss on the
cheek before he went off with some pretty young woman.
Sam held a glass of wine in one
hand. All she had to do was a few last minute things before she could go to
bed, but had to wait until the last guest left. Her head had started throbbing
about an hour ago and she rubbed her forehead absentmindedly.
“Headache?” asked the bartender.
“Yeah.” She smiled as she lowered
her hand and wrapped it around the stem of her glass. “I swear it’s the champagne.”
“There’s a bottle of pills under
the counter back here. They take a little more time than the shots from a
medlab but when you can’t get there, they do the job.” He pointed to the
cabinet. “Check there.”
She walked around the counter and
found two bottles. “Which one?”
“There is more than one?” He was
at the other end of the bar, putting bottles up. “The one I’m talking about was
a white bottle with a blue label.”
Sam pulled them both out and held
them up. “They’re identical.”
“Walter must have gotten another
bottle.” He turned his head to look at the two bottles. “The other one was
getting a little low. Just take it out of either of them.”
She shrugged and popped off the
lid. Taking two of the tablets, she placed them on her tongue and swallowed.
Taking them dry wasn’t the tastiest way to do it but they did go down. “How
long will it take?”
“I don’t know.” He continued
working on closing down the bar. “About a half an hour?”
“Thanks.” A quick all clear came
through her ear insert. She left the wine on the counter and started her final
rounds. The cleanup crew would be done soon, once the dishes were ready for
pick up, along with the linens, tables, chairs, and whatever else she had
rented for the night. The pills might just start working just as she got to
bed. She should have waited until everything was done then go by a local lab to
get a shot.
Skye had been busy himself. She
hadn’t seen him in about twenty minutes.
Walking around a corner, she found
herself a little off balance. She bounced against the wall before recovering.
Sam looked around to see if anyone saw her. Thank goodness the hallway was
empty. She straightened her shoulders and continued.
****
Where the hell was Samantha? Skye
didn’t step away from her for that long. He was sure of it. He had to answer
another call from Mason and when he came back she was still there, sitting at
the bar. He felt it was safe to run a quick errand and couldn’t have been gone
longer than a few minutes. Where could she have gone?
She might not have been aware of
him but he always had her in his sights.
Mason requested he go to security
to make sure all the guests found their way home. If they couldn’t make it
themselves the guards were to arrange transportation for them. Mr. Mason wanted
his friends to make it home safe and sound, and he needed to make sure it
happened.
The next thing he knew, he stepped
back into the bar area she was gone. The wine glass she had been drinking
rested on the counter.
“Where did Samantha go?”
“I don’t know. I think she
mentioned something about making last rounds so she was sure everything would
be ready for the rental company to pick up.” The bartender didn’t look up from
what he was doing, only pointed.
Skye found it odd that a man like
Carlos didn’t use a replicator to create everything needed for the party. He
was pretty sure the man could afford one. It sure would make this a lot easier.
Instead of renting and making sure everything went back to the company, all
they would have to do after the party would be to turn everything back into
atoms. Perhaps Sam wasn’t aware of the machine and never thought to ask.
He headed in the direction the
bartender had pointed. The halls were empty. Most of the staff had done their
work and had headed home. Skye wondered where she was. He would have thought
she was in the ball room but the place was empty. Then he heard her.
Sam never talked out loud to
herself. Not like this.
“Samantha?”
“Skye?” She kind of bounced around
the corner to where he could see her. There was something wrong with the way
she was carrying herself. “Where have you been?”
“Went to speak to security to make
sure the last of the guests make it home.” He watched her. “You okay?”
“I’m hot. Do you think it’s hot
here?” She came up to him and he could see the glassy look in her eyes.
“No. The temperature is perfect,
like it always is.”
She started fanning herself. “I
can’t believe how hot it is.” She turned her back, lost her balance and fell
into him. “Can you undo the back? I need to cool down.”
Skye’s arms wrapped around her
waist to help her keep her balance. He looked down and wished he hadn’t. The
soft swell of her breasts begged for his touch. Somehow she had loosened some
of the seals near the top of the dress so he got to see a lot more flesh than
the dress originally exposed. A soft pink nipple tried to peek out of one of
the cups.
“Perhaps we should get you to your
room?” What had she taken? He knew she hadn’t drank that much.
“Not done yet.” She looked up at
him, studying his face intently. “You know you have the prettiest eyes. I just
love the blue-grey color.”
“Whatever you need to do can wait
until the morning.” Ignoring her comment about his eyes, he helped her
straighten up, giving her top a quick tug up as he let go.
“Nope. Need to be sure I have all
my little duckies in a row.” She pointed to the ground like she was counting
something. “Aren’t they cute?”
He frowned.
“Oh, don’t do that.” She stepped
up to him and ran her fingers along his brow. Sam looked at him with such
innocence and wonder. Her gaze dropped to his lips.
Skye wasn’t sure who moved first,
but the moment her lips touch his he found he couldn’t break the kiss and just
walk away, which was what he should have done. The desire he had to taste her
had plagued him all night. That dress had him seeing her in a totally different
light. Now here she was, ready and willing. So much for professional distance.
He felt her hesitancy and took
control. His tongue begged for entrance, searching for hers in the soft
recesses of her mouth. Skye tightened his hold on her, pulling her body against
his as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues danced together, and the intimacy
had him wishing they were someplace private where he could show her what she
was doing to him. The erection he had was pressed against her. She had to know
how badly he wanted her.
When he finally lifted his head
and opened his eyes he saw the stark fear in her face and the silent plea for
help. He picked her up in his arms and started down the hallway.
“Where are we going?” She tried to
separate herself from him so she could walk on her own.
“You are going to your room and I
am going to find out what you took to cause this.” He tightened his hold on her
so she couldn’t escape.
“But I’m not done with my
checklist.”
“Then give me the list and I’ll be
sure it is done.” There was no way he was going to put her down. She could get
into too much trouble.
“Okay.” Her face held such trust
as she looked around. “So what did I do with that list?”
“When did you last have it?”
“Um, I think at the bar, but most
of it is here.” She tapped her head. Sam started rattling off the things she
wanted to be sure was done.
“So all I need to do is make sure
the tables and chairs are stacked, the linens are in the special bins along
with the plates and silverware?” Everything else was already assigned to different
people. She was going to double check to make sure they did their jobs.
As she spoke, Skye continued to
carry her to her room. The door opened the moment he approached it. “How do you
have the sensors set up on your door?”
“Three foot proximity.”
He’d have to fix that. Skye placed
her on her bed. “I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t leave me.” She scrambled
off the bed. “I need you.”
“What if I,” he pulled her into
his embrace once again, “were to promise to come back.” He pressed a row of
slow wet kisses down her neck. He sucked on some of the velvety smooth skin as
he worked his way down her throat. “And give you what you want?”
“I would like that.” Her voice was
breathless.
“Then I need you to stay here and
wait for me. I promise to make it worth your while.” He captured her lips with
his once again, and her knees gave out. Skye released the top of the dress,
wishing he could caress the creamy silkiness he revealed but knew better. He
did it so she could climb out of the gown while he was gone. As much as he wanted
her, he hoped whatever she took would make her feel drowsy and he’d find her
sound asleep when he got back.
He placed her back on the bed and
walked out before she could stop him a second time. He pulled out his
communicator and reprogrammed her door so it would only open for him. To call
it a communicator was a joke. It did so much more, but he kept a lot of the
extra features to himself.
Skye headed to the bar. The
bartender was just finishing up when he walked in. “Samantha is looking for her
pad. Did she leave it in here?”
“Yeah. I just put it under the
bar.” He was placing the glassware against the mirror the way Mr. Mason wanted
them arranged. “Did she get rid of her headache?”
“Headache?”
“Yeah. She was complaining of a
headache so I recommended she take a few of the tablets kept under the bar.
Thought it would help her until she could go to a medlab.”
“She didn’t mention a headache so
I guess they worked. If you don’t mind I think I’ll take a couple too.” Skye
walked around the bar and spotted the two bottles under the counter. The first
one had regular tablets in them. He recognized the color and size, but the
second one had something different mixed in. Someone who didn’t know the
difference could easily take the wrong thing. He palmed all the ones that were
different and slipped them into his pocket to see if he could come up with an
antidote.
“Help yourself.” The bartender
didn’t realize what was in the bottles or he wouldn’t have let anyone near
them.
“Thanks. I got her pad too.” Skye
did the rounds Sam had started, making sure everything was done the way she
asked. Once he finished that he headed to his room. Taking the pills out of his
pocket, he placed one on the face of his communicator and waited for the results.
“An aphrodisiac?” He had lots of
antidotes in his emergency pack but he wasn’t sure if he had anything to
counteract a love drug. Why were those under the counter in the first place?
Skye hit a few keys and waited for the side effects of the drug to load. He
shook his head when they did. Sure did explain her behavior.
The pill would wear off in a few
hours, but her desire for sex wouldn’t. This could be a problem. His mind could
say no all it wanted but his body had a tendency to have a mind of its own when
it came to willing partners.
The best thing to do would be to
sedate her if she was still awake until she was out from under the influence of
the drug. As much as he would like to take advantage he knew there would be
hell to pay once she had a clear head.
****
Sam wasn’t quite sure what was
wrong with her but she had never felt so free. Since the moment she opened her
eyes and realized she had no clue who she was, she had been afraid. First it
was the fear of not knowing anything about herself, then the fear of what she
might learn if she did get her memory back. What if she had seen some hideous
crime? Or murdered someone?
Now the fear was gone, replaced
with these weird little butterflies in her stomach. She felt excited, but not
sure why. Every time she thought about Skye coming back those butterflies took
flight.
He had been kind enough to loosen
the top seals so she could get out of the formal gown. Now she stood in her
room naked, trying to figure out what she should wear to greet him when he
returned. Most of what she had was standard sleepwear. Nothing she felt would
work for what she wanted.
There was a spark in his eyes she
had never noticed before and it had showed up the moment he saw her in that
dress. That spark grew to a flame as the evening progressed. It had her
thinking about her attraction to him in a different light for the first time.
Her body had been reacting to him
since she met him and she had always fought it but now she didn’t want to.
Maybe the best thing to do was to face her desire. Once she got it out of her
system she could ignore him.
Those two pills had done more than
give her relief from her headache. Now she had to convince Skye it wasn’t
something she took that caused this change in her. Before he had left she could
tell he thought something was wrong with her and it wouldn’t take much for him
to find out about the tablets.
Sam ended up climbing into bed
naked and used the cover to give her a little bit of a shield. She plucked at
the thin material, hoping he would show up before her resolve failed her.
****
Skye had the hypo in his pocket.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to administer it. Maybe she was already asleep and
all he would have to do was tuck her in. He manually opened the door and found
the lights low. Samantha was curled up on the bed, eyes closed. Her dress lay
across a chair in a corner.
A soft sigh escaped him. A part of
him had hoped she’d still be awake, but this was better for them both.
The sheet covered most of her, but
the bare shoulder that peeked out warned him of her state of undress. All it
would take would be one wrong move and he would see her body, and as much as he
would love to see it, it would cause him too much trouble.
“Took you long enough.” She
stretched, causing the cover to slip just a bit. Now he could see the swell of
her breast as well. This wasn’t good. His desire for her was starting to take
over.
“Sorry. But I wanted to be sure
you were happy with everything tomorrow.” He felt his mouth go dry. All he had
to do was grab the sheet and give it a little tug. It took all his strength to
keep him from doing that. “I have your pad.”
“Just place it on the night
stand.” She lightly tapped the table beside her bed. Sam secured the blanket
and sat up. “You don’t seem happy.”
He schooled his features as he sat
on the edge of the bed. “I found out what you took accidently.”
She looked into his eyes. He knew
his desire for her showed on his face. No matter what he said she knew he
wanted her and that made her smile. “And what was it?”
“An aphrodisiac. Not one I have
heard of but pretty harmless. It should be leaving your system in an hour or
two.”
“It’s pretty much gone now.” She
watched him intently. “Sure made me act crazy earlier. Was that what made me so
hot? I wanted out of that dress so bad, if you hadn’t come along I don’t know
what would have happened.”
Her words had an odd effect on
him. He frowned like he didn’t like what she said.
“Glad that didn’t happen.” His
voice came out flat. He didn’t mean to sound jealous but couldn’t help himself.
The thought of someone else touching her angered him.
“Now. If I remember, you made a
promise to me.” She relaxed her hold on the cover a little. A soft smile played
across her lips when his eyes dipped down to the flesh she exposed.
“You were under the influence of a
drug.”
“Which has no hold on me now.” She
got up on her knees, and keeping the sheet around her, she placed her hands
against the seal of his shirt. Slowly easing it open, she kept eye contact with
him.
“Samantha.”
“Yes?” She slid her fingers over
his muscled chest.
“I only said that to keep you in
your room.”
“I know.” She never broke eye
contact as her hand moved down his chest to his erection. It jumped at her
touch. “Yet your body wants this, too.”
****
“You are very beautiful.” Skye did
want her, but the drug in her system was the one doing all the talking, not
her, and he had to remember that. If he took advantage she would probably hate
him in the morning. His hands pressed her back against the mattress so he could
hold her down with his weight. With his body resting so intimately against hers
it took him a few seconds before he remembered what he needed to do and he
dipped his hand into his pocket. Before he could put the small cylinder against
her throat, she pressed a hand against his.
“Don’t.” She looked up at him with
bright clear eyes.
“You’re not thinking straight.” He
brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
“I have never been so sure about
something in my life and you can say whatever you want but I can see your
desire for me in your eyes. I can feel it pressing against me. What do I have
to say to get you to make love to me?” One of her legs came out from under the
cover to wrap around his hip.
His hand wrapped around the calf,
slowly working its way up the inside of her leg, caressing the tender skin of
her thigh before sweeping in between to find her center wet and ready for him.
He gently stroked her. “You do realize it won’t just be this one time? Once I’m
intimate with you I’ll want it again and again. You won’t be able to ignore me
when I need you. As long as we’re working together I will expect you to be my
bed partner and when I’m reassigned I will walk away. No ties, no emotions,
just sex.”
Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley started innocently enough, like most she
kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid
imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her
favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for
writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No
matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never
happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has
learned to use it to her advantage. Now she lives in Tidewater Virginia with
two cats, one mother in law – she’s 85 now, her husband and teenage son.
Barbara Donlon Bradley
The Vespian Way Series - available on Oct 2nd Book 4: Unwanted Desire www.Phaze.com
Backlist: www.barbaradonlonbradley.com
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