…a rancher and a lawyer, that is. Funny enough, it’s still
the same answer it always is: family. Kat’s family moved out to this ranch when
she was a teenager. She hated it at the time. But over the years, her parents’
dream of owning and working their own land became her dream. She’d sacrificed her
childhood. Put her dreams away to live this life. Now someone was trying to
tear it away from her. It wasn’t fair.
Jasper’s life had been devoted to fairness. He’d gone to law
school and become a lawyer just to help people navigate the government bureaucracy
from inside the system. It’s not the path his father had walked. And he had to
leave his family behind in order to achieve everything his has. But he was
determined to do things his way, the right way.
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:
“So,
if you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t you sell after your parents passed
away?” His voice was tense and his body stiff as he sat in his chair. “I mean,
I know you like it here, but I’m sure you could’ve made a handsome profit.”
The
question itself didn’t bother her. She was actually relieved that the silence
had been broken. And they were going to be sharing this land in good times and
bad, which gave him the right to question her devotion to it. Still, the
awkwardness of the evening had her on edge so she took a little extra time to
steady her nerves before she answered. “There were some offers. And, yes, some
were more than profitable. But this is my home. Ranching is the only skill I
have. Where would I go if I sold? What would I do?”
Her
answer didn’t seem to relax him the way she thought it would. His posture
remained tight as he asked, “Didn’t you dream of doing something, being
something, before you moved here?”
“I
dreamed a great many things, Mr. Lee. That’s part of youth. When I became an
adult, I put those dreams aside and stepped up to the responsibilities of my
life.” She took another bite of her dinner only to have it land like a lead
ball in the pit of her stomach. Her nerves were officially shot. Damn shame
too, seeing as how much effort her cook had put into the meat-and-vegetable pie
in honor of Mr. Lee’s arrival. “Now, may I ask you a question?”
“Anything.”
“The background check I ran said you were a
lawyer. What kind of law did you practice and why did you decide to give it
up?”
He
gaped at her for a moment but then managed to mumble, “You ran a background
check on me?”
“Of
course. What kind of a businesswoman do you take me for?” She bristled at the
insinuation. She might have gone looking for a husband through slightly
nontraditional channels, but she had a brain. “I did a background check on my
cook before I hired her and the worst she could do is steal the silver. After
ten years, half my land becomes yours. I can’t let a criminal or a gambler get
his hands on half my land. Besides, it was your background in law that made you
stand out. An understanding of the law could be a big help around here.”
“I
don’t think my field of law will be particularly helpful.”
She
couldn’t imagine a field of law that couldn’t be put to some use. Even if he
made his living chasing ambulances, he had to take coursework in other fields.
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” She smiled weakly at her pun but
he didn’t seem amused.
He
looked down at his food and sighed as if the weight of the world were on his
shoulders before looking back up at her. “Okay. I guess it’s only fair you
know. I represent the government in cases of eminent domain.”
An
alarm went off in her head. “Eminent domain?” Her pulse raced with anger as she
digested the words. The government didn’t let its lawyers just walk away. It
paid for the lawyers’ school, gave them hefty loans and flashy gifts in return
for a lifetime of servitude. It owned its lawyers from graduation to the grave.
Which meant marriage had never been Jasper Lee’s goal. He’d been after her land
from the start. And she’d foolishly given him a damn tour of it. “Get the hell
out of my house.” The words were soft but her voice was steady and, thankfully,
held its power. “And get the hell off my land.”
Thank
you so much for joining me as I talked about Japer and Kat.
If you’re
interested, 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
No comments:
Post a Comment