Sunday, August 4, 2013

Answering an Ad for all the Wrong Reasons


Jasper doesn’t want to get married. He’s not opposed to marriage in general. He just has a plan for his life and being married to a rancher on a remote settler planet isn’t going to get him where he’s decided he wants to be. But he does need investigate what’s going on. A lot of government land seizers have been coming across his desk lately. And when the ad for a husband catches his eye, he knows that would be the perfect cover for his investigation. He’s going to have to sell himself to Kat, though, without overselling and coming off like a creep. So this is how I imagined his reply to go.

I am a very courteous and respectful male in my mid-thirties. I do not have any warrants and have never been arrested or ever charged for any crimes. Though I’ve never worked with animals or been on a settler planet, I am a hard worker and a quick learner. I also have a solid background in business, which I believe could be a benefit to you and your ranch. My interest in your ranch is purely from a business perspective. It would be nice to develop a friendship and camaraderie over time, but I have no expectations of physical intimacy if we do reach an agreement.



Blurb:

Universal Defiance, Book One

On a rural settler planet, Kat must resort to putting out an ad to find a husband. She doesn’t expect to find love—that’s a dream in these parts—just a partner to help work her ranch. Then the devastatingly handsome Jasper answers her ad and turns her on in ways she never dreamed possible. Too bad he’s not who he says he is.

Jasper doesn’t know what he’s getting into when he ventures undercover to investigate a legal claim against Kat’s ranch. But after a toe-curling night under her roof and in her bed, he’s willing to do anything to stay there. He can’t say no to the tough-as-nails businesswoman who makes his body come alive.

When people start getting hurt, though, both Kat and Jasper have to decide how valuable one piece of land is. And the ranch that brought them together might be the very thing standing between them.

A Romantica® sci fi erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Excerpt:

When he opened the door to the guestroom, though, the blaring of an alarm stopped him from going any farther. At first he thought he’d somehow triggered the noise but as soon as he smelled the first wisps of smoke, understanding filled him. Something was on fire. He wanted to rush out into the safety of the open grounds but he fought against the instinct. He had to make sure Kat got out as well.
He raced back to the bathroom to find her standing in the hallway, wrapped in nothing but a towel, with her dark hair flung over one shoulder in a curly mess. There were no tears or hysterical rants despite the fear clearly reflected in her expression.
His job required him to make quick assessments of situations and he excelled at it. But sometimes that left him blind to the more subtle aspects of life. He’d seen a competent businesswoman when he’d first laid eyes on Katarina Maxim. She’d been nothing but efficient and practical from the moment she held her hand out to him. But now, as she shivered in front of him with alarms going off in the background, he realized how much he’d missed in that original assessment. He’d seen her as a businesswoman but the person standing in front of him now possessed so much more.
The vulnerability of the moment and her calm resolve in meeting it added to her strength and touched him.
“I came to find you as soon as I heard the alarm.”
“Most men would’ve gone to battle the blaze first.”
His heart sank at her words. She saw him as a coward. Not that it mattered how she saw him. He wasn’t really trying out for the role of her husband. As soon as he finished his report, he’d be on his way back to his real life. But her words still stung. He’d like to be the hero at least once. To be the one who rushed in and saved the day.
“Don’t look at me like I just kicked your damn puppy. I meant that as a compliment. Most men stupidly let their hormones control them and they tend to get in the way,” she added as she walked past him. “I’ve never been impressed with the gender as a whole.”
He felt fairly certain they did not share the same understanding of the word “compliment” but didn’t dare ask for a clarification as she bustled down the hallway all businesslike.
I’ll be back a little later to tell you about the conflict that binds Jasper and Kat as they struggle to find out what’s going on with the ranch.
In the mean time, you can find out more about me by visiting my website at www.ChandraRyan.com, follow me on Twitter @ChandraRyan, or friend me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/chandra.ryan
If you want to know more about Ulterior Motives you can check out it’s page on the Ellora Cave site: http://www.ellorascave.com/ulterior-motives.html

1 comment:

Roger said...

That is a very nice and appropriate response from Jasper...not aggressive and appropriately deferential.
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com