Material about characters, or scenes from the book At the Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle Allen.
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Here’s a quick excerpt from At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, my sweet science fiction romance, book one of the Antonello Brothers series.
In this scene from At the Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle Allen, Captain NarrAy Jorlan has just met professional thief Senth Antonello for the first time. She’s taking it slow, sizing him up for the job at hand. Usually, men are distracted by her pheromones, but on this occasion, she finds herself on the distracted side.
—
NarrAy crossed her legs, exposing a good portion of her skin under the short dress. If she’d been sitting opposite Senth, the length might have been welcome. But his father lounged in that chair and Senth sat beside her on the couch. Her position put her a little closer to him.
“Empress Destoiya murdered my parents,” NarrAy continued her story, “as surely as if she’d been the one who shot them in the back. They were scientists working on secret technology. When rumors got o
ut that they were planning to give their findings to the rebellion, the Conqueror had them killed and then confiscated everything, including their personal belongings. There was a locket my mother inherited from my grandmother, which my grandmother inherited from her grandmother. It’s mine and I want it back.”
She met Senth’s penetrating gaze and held it. She heard rather than saw Encie enter the room and take up a place near the door. Broxus moved to stand beside her. NarrAy couldn’t take her gaze off Senth. How did I ever see him as a boy?
He had a man’s hands, well-groomed nails and sinewy forearms that revealed power and strength. His biceps bulged. Angular jaw, a firm mouth with lips made for kissing. A hot flutter rose within her and she tamped it down at once, refusing to let her pheromones get the upper hand.
Senth watched her, gaze narrowed, head tilted. He gave a sniff and then eased into a smile. His proximity heightened her desire. He smelled clean, fresh and ruggedly male. A tingle signaled the imminent letdown of her pheromones and she clenched her hands into fists, fighting to calm the spike of lust flickering through her like a torch about to combust.
Senth’s faint smile revealed nothing, but he lifted his head, sniffing the air. Kin could smell emotion and desire. Could HalfKin?
He asked me something. Pay attention to business and not your body. She sat up straighter. “I’m sorry. Would you repeat that, please?”
“What I said was no one hires a level-nineteen thief, transports him to another world to break into a government building and then wants him to steal back a locket with sentimental value. Especially one in the custody of the Conqueror. What’s it really worth?”
“It’s a priceless heirloom.” She set a hand against her bosom.
Senth didn’t follow her hand’s movement. Instead he tilted his head as he leaned back against the couch. “I’m more skilled at this job than you are beautiful, NarrAy and that’s saying something. Tell me the truth.”
Her cheeks warmed. When had she ever blushed over such an offhand compliment?
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This scene was deleted from At the Mercy of Her Pleasure.
In the published book, Captain NarrAy Jorlan meets with Senth at a coffee shop adjacent to the Thieves’ Guild. But in this version, she met him at the Starport.
Inside secret: the starport on Kelthia is named Starhaven Leojnimaj. Those are my sons names combined, backward (Joel and Jamin). NarrAy’s last name, Jorlan, was chosen in honor of the hero of Dara Joy’s book Ritual of Proof.
Kelthia, Miraj City, Starhaven Leojnimaj
Coffee Shop, Concourse D
NarrAy sat, holding a cup of coffee she didn’t want and had no interest in tasting. A plain dress hid beneath her black hooded cape, covering every inch of skin as the law required for Betters. How long would it be before they forced her to hide her face too? She blew on the coffee. Where was her thief?
“Anything yet?”
“Nothing.” Broxus answered from the south terminal.
“No sign.” Encie made ticking sounds into the transmitter. “Your pretty boy thief is late.”
“We’ll give him two more minutes.”
“You’re too easy, boss.” More ticking.
What was that noise? NarrAy scanned the area. “Encie, I thought you quit biting your nails.”
“I’m not bi– Hey. How’d you know I was doing that?”
“You may be on the north side of the concourse, but I can see you between the lockers.” She blew on the coffee.
Her assistant stood up straight and glanced around. “I forgot about those eyes of yours.”
“Yes, well, it was my ears that heard you nibbling.”
“Nibbling what?” Senth asked, dropping into a chair.
NarrAy set down her coffee so fast it spilled. “Where did you come from?”
“Cohorts didn’t see me?” His inviting mouth stretched into a smile. “Level nineteen thief, remember? If those two could spot me, I wouldn’t be worth what you’re paying.” He used her napkin to sop up the coffee.
Brox’s and Encie’s questioning voices broke into her concentration.
“He’s here. We’re leaving.” When she rose, Senth assisted her with her chair.
Not that she wanted or needed help, but imagine a thief with manners. Well, well… This could be interesting.
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Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.