I know I'm sneaking this one in right after midnight, but, well, sue me. :P

Glacier (II)She shivered as a new slide flickered across the projection screen. What the glaciers of Greenland had to do with geology, she couldn’t say, but she was enjoying today’s break from constant note-taking. It afforded her the opportunity to blatantly stare at ( Read more... )

GlacierWith every attempt, she failed ( Read more... )

Spark

The air in the room was electric, almost suffocating. All Marilyn could hear was her own racing heart. She knew Marshall had cheated, but that wasn't her concern. She could finally be with Daniel; what she really wanted. She had spent so many nights dreaming of him - there was an undeniable spark and even though she hadn't seen him in months ( Read more... )

The bedraggled traveler raised a hand to shield his eyes from the setting desert sun. The cliffs to the south culminated in a small mountain, where the dark half-circle of a cave promised shelter ( Read more... )

Be he commoner or Emperor, a man enjoys the chase. Shapara lived by those words as she served in the palace. Her appearance was modest compared to the others, who exposed themselves in hopes of attracting the Emperor’s attention. Shapara wasn’t like them. She wanted more than coupling; she wanted his heir.

Emperor Gerik’s hand covered hers when she ( Read more... )

Dressed in a concubine’s garment, Shapara waited in Gerik’s chamber, fingering the crystal phial she wore as a pendant. He would be here soon, and she needed to slip him the elixir. Water!

Twisting the pendant free of the stopper, she tipped in a few drops and took a swallow to ensure the taste was undetectable. After the expected coolness, a ( Read more... )

Emperor Gerik’s gaze fell on the concubine, her nose buried in the niveous blossoms of the frothflower. He came up behind her, hands grazing exposed skin. She started, but he held her and began exploring her body until she moaned. She turned towards him, allowing her garment to whisper to the floor.

Prepared for pleasure, Gerik undressed. A ( Read more... )

In the Still of Night

As the fog drifted over the river, Ainsley shivered. The light fleece she'd worn to the festival wasn't doing much to keep the goosebumps from crawling up her arms. When she'd chosen the path that would take her into the marsh rather than home, Ainsley knew she would end up at the dock. She always did.

Apparently tonight, so ( Read more... )

BlazeThe young giants came out of the bird's cave, looking the worse for wear. Humph’s shirt was dangling from one shoulder. There was a scratch across his chest. Chris had lost a hank of hair, and his belt was gone. He was holding up his cargo shorts with a clenched fist. Their faces were smug until they saw the piasa banking into a turn, wheeling ( Read more... )

Waste ofIt was the perfect strawberry sundae, topped with whipped cream and cherries. She thunked the bowl on the graying picnic table. Her mouth watered, but she didn’t have a spoon ( Read more... )