This is an excerpt from the second book in the Centauri Series.  I’m giving away a copy of the ebook for two lucky commentors, so be sure and leave a comment.

EXCERPT

It was so nice to be able to talk to someone again. Garrick had always been a good listener, she just never realized he was such a handsome listener. It was almost enough to make her tongue tied. What she wouldn’t give to be using her tongue on a certain part of his anatomy. Good grief, Kiti, what has gotten in to you?

“Why do you say that?” Garrick’s deep baritone brought her out of her reverie and back to the conversation. If Garrick noticed her lapse he didn’t mention it.
“Everything I’ve read indicates the Zolthorians are an honorable people. Honor above all. That wouldn’t fit with Tybold, who as we know has no honor. Tybold will have tried to gain their trust though. He can appear to have honor when it suits him and they control the largest of the known kalcion deposits.”

“I knew it was a good idea to bring you with us,” Garrick said with a huge smile. “Kiti, you’ve provided us with more information than we could have gathered through a month of observation alone.”

“Thank you,” Kiti felt heat rise to her cheeks at the unexpected praise. “But my only reason for coming on this mission is to apprehend Tybold. He’s got to pay for what he did.”

“I agree.” Garrick changed the subject to something more palatable. Food. “What do we have for dinner? Can we talk about things other than the mission? I’ll never be able to digest my food if we don’t.”

“Sure. Though you may have to remind me. When it comes to Joridan and making Tybold pay, I tend to be single-minded.”

Kiti led the way to the small, square dining table. She’d put the roses in a large glass container in the center of the table and stopped to sniff their sweet fragrance again. She couldn’t seem to get enough of it. “I thought we’d try one of Audra’s favorite meals. Her mother Maggie’s recipes are in the computer and the food synthesizer can create it up for us. It’s called “chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.”

They looked at each other and shrugged. Both of them had tried some of the recipes Maggie had brought back from Earth. This was a new one.

After they’d eaten their fill of the delicious gravy covered, deep fried meat and mashed potatoes, Garrick put his fork down. “That’s not bad. I think Maggie could teach the palace chefs a thing or two.”

“I’m sure Audra has them doing just that. Especially now with her pregnancy she’s been hungry for all sorts of things that aren’t Centauri foods. A great favorite of hers is pickles and ice cream.” Kiti made a face. “I like both, but not together.”

They laughed, shared some stories about their friends and finished the bottle of noskberry wine. By the time Garrick got up to leave, Kiti felt a little tipsy and a whole lot horny. It’d been a long time since she’d had sex.

So when Garrick leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek, she turned her head and caught him on the lips. He moved to pull away, seemingly surprised by her boldness, but she would have none of it. She grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips back to hers. Garrick gave up his resistance and kissed her deeply before he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“Kiti. We can’t. I don’t want to be rebound sex for you.”

She pulled away from him, stung by the truth of his words. “I’m sorry, Garrick. I…I don’t know what got into me.”

He caressed her cheek with his knuckle. “Don’t mistake my reluctance as rejection. I very much want to make love to you. But when I do,” he took that same knuckle and lifted her chin until she looked him direct in the eyes, “it will be because you want to make new memories, not forget old hurts.” With that he kissed her hard and left. His scent remained and her body ached.

Kiti reeled. Garrick wanted her for more than just a tumble between the sheets. He knew about Anton and didn’t seem to mind. Did he really care for her? Could he love her? That kind of thing just didn’t happen. At least not to her.

Everyone assumed she’d been devastated when Anton and Lara announced their marriage. In fact, she’d been relieved. What did it say about her? Had she been with Anton only because he was convenient, because he was familiar? She supposed many successful marriages were based on those traits. But she wanted more.

She wanted it all.

The kiss Garrick gave her hinted at the “more”. Was it possible the love of her life had been this close all the time and she’d been too blind to see him? Or was he only a rebound? Was she reading more into his words than he meant? Was all this just the wine talking? She wished she knew.

Damn!! What the hell was he waiting for?