Excerpt from Alliance: Clandestine Desire

Here's the blurb and an excerpt from Alliance: Clandestine Desire, which went on sale this month at Amber Allure.

Blurb:

A secret mission....

When Behrin agrees to undertake an undercover mission, he is promised a command of his own in the Ziganese fleet. The fulfillment of his lifelong dream is finally in sight. Then he meets his Mhajavi counterpart and finds he has another dream, too.

An unexpected love..

The last thing Tai expects to find on this mission is a Ziganese officer who stirs his desires. But he’s always had a thing for big, strong men, and he falls hard for Behrin.

A heart-wrenching choice...

Behrin knows a lot is riding on this mission, not only their lives, but the future safety of their respective worlds. Will they survive, only to be torn apart forever?

Excerpt:

After eating, Behrin again squeezed his bulk into Tai’s car and they sped off into the night. Tai turned off the air conditioning and lowered the windows, allowing the balmy evening breeze to blow into the vehicle. “What a pleasant evening. Your climate reminds me very much of my home on Algott. Except we were further inland, not so close to the ocean.”

“Do you miss your home?”

“Not really. My parents are gone now, and my brothers and sisters are married with families of their own. The Borivoy has been my home for the last five years.” Until today.

“Where you happy on the ship?”

Behrin sighed. “It was a great vessel to serve on under Captain Rulik. I was his second-in-command and trusted him implicitly.”

“You said was. I take it things have changed.”

“Yes, Captain Cheslav has a different command style.” And an obvious prejudice against anyone from Algott. It had been humiliating to be snubbed by an upstart ten years his junior. He grinned to himself, wondering how Cheslav would fare without an experienced second officer to see to the smooth running of the ship. If there were any justice, he’d fall flat on his face.

Behrin stared out the side window. They were traveling parallel to the shore. He opened the window to let in the balmy air. Moonlight glinted on white caps as the waves rolled toward shore. It was beautiful, but not as stirring as the vast reaches of space. “I’ve been promised a ship of my own if our mission is successful.”

“If that is what you want, then I hope you get it,” Tai said.

“Thank you. I believe you mean that.”

Tai turned to him, and even in the dim light, Behrin could see his surprised expression. “Why would I not wish the best for you?”

“No reason. Forget I said that.”

Tai pulled the car into a small parking lot beside the water and turned off the engine. “I keep forgetting that you are a minority on your world. You have not always been fairly treated, have you?”

Behrin shrugged. “I’m overdue for promotion, that’s all. Unlike Captain Rulik, and many other officers, I don’t have aristocratic connections.”

“So you must work harder and longer than everyone else.”

Behrin turned to Tai and nearly melted at the tender look on the other man’s face. He fought the urge to pull Tai to him and kiss those full lips. “What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger. Is this where you live?”

“Yes.”

Tai got out of the car and Behrin followed suit, grabbing his bag from the back seat. He followed Tai along a narrow wooden walkway to a medium-sized boat. The name Lehar was painted on the stern. Others docked nearby appeared to be luxury yachts, but there were a few others similar to Tai’s.

“You live over the water?” Behrin asked in surprise.

Tai grinned as he stepped onto the boat. “Yes. Land is at a premium in Mahdesh City. I spend so little time here, I decided to live on my boat instead. Besides, it’s cooler on the water.” He unlocked the door to the cabin and led Behrin down a short flight of stairs.

The main cabin had a sitting area at one end and a small galley at the other. A door off the galley led to the sleeping area. “You can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

“That sofa isn’t long enough even for you,” Behrin objected. He eyed the large bed, picturing Tai lying nude across it, a come hither look on his face. “It looks plenty big enough for two.”

At Tai’s raised eyebrow, Behrin added, “Don’t worry, I won’t ravish you in your sleep.”

“Would you like to?”

~~~~~~~~~~~

c. 2008 Lyndi Lamont