Captive of the Deep (12 page)

Rigel grabbed them and dropped them in the chest with a frown. “My woman has no need of—”

“It’s a food,” she laughed. Then, reaching to cup his hard shaft, she added, “I have all the man I need right here.”

“Good.” Rigel stood, lifting her in his arms as he carried her toward the shower. “Now I believe you promised to bathe me.”

“I did no such thing.” She didn’t fight his embrace.

“I recall the details very vividly. One moment I am seeing a squid, the next my lovely wife is in my head imagining soaping me up.”

“Oh, that promise,” she moaned, as he sent her a delightfully wicked image. “I suppose there is time for your affliction.” She nuzzled his throat and turned serious. “I’m very happy you are home. I missed you.”

“As I you, Lyra. I carried you in my heart the entire trip.”

She kissed his neck, sighing in happiness. “And I carry you in mine always.”

The End

About the Author

Michelle M Pillow,
Author of All Things Romance
™
, is a multi-published, award winning author writing in many romance fiction genres including futuristic, paranormal, historical, contemporary, fantasy and dark paranormal. She was the winner of the 2006 RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, nominated for the 2007 RT Award, a Brava Novella Contest Finalist and a PAN member of RWA.

She writes a monthly interview column and is a journalist for Paranormal Underground Magazine. She has a photography degree and is currently working towards a degree in History. Readers can contact her through her website www.michellepillow.com or join her newsletter at http://www.michellepillow.com/newsletter/?p=subscribe

Lords of the Abyss Trilogy

The Mighty Hunter

Commanding the Tides

Captive of the Deep

To learn more about the Lords of the Abyss Trilogy and find out where you can purchase the rest of the books, visit www.MichellePillow.com

Exclusive Excerpt from The Raven Books!

Naughty Cupid I:

CUPID’S ENCHANTMENT

By

Michelle M. Pillow

Cupid’s beady eyes narrowed in black mischief as he crawled his way over the lively main hall floor. Magic kept him partially hidden, but he didn’t want to ruffle the tapestries and make his presence known. Damned humans spooked too easily. If it had been any other time, he would have gladly stirred up a mischievous wind just to watch them run away.

Ah! Help! The devil approaches anon!
he mimicked. He heard the cackling of his own pleasure in his head as he thought of the mortal cries. He almost chuckled aloud in his good humor. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be in the mortal realm, but damned if it wasn’t just too much fun! Then, shaking his head, he thought,
Bah! Foolish humans. Anything unexplained was the devil.

Pressing his long lips together, he searched the hall for the most horrendous of the mortal women. As he eyed the head table, his heart about stopped. A dreamy smile came to the troll’s crinkled lips and he smacked them together.

Now, there’s a tasty little treat,
he thought, as he stared at the large goddess at the high table. She was wrapped in yards of clashing yellow silk. A touch of drool spilled over the side of his mouth, dripping to the floor like thick tree sap.

A torch burned brightly behind the woman’s head, making the frizzy strands of her most beautiful hair stick out like a banshee. Her nose hooked at the end in the most delectable way and the large mole on her chin had a glorious three hairs growing out of it. Three! The luckiest of numbers when it came to hairs and moles!

Cupid sighed dreamily, loving the pull of her one eyebrow dipping over her narrow eyes. Musicians played a lively tune, but Cupid couldn’t hear them over the frantic beating of his pea-sized heart. She was perhaps the most enchanting mortal he’d ever seen. Ah, but the fair temptress wouldn’t be going with him this night. She was too beautiful and he was in search of an ugly maiden--the most repugnant female he could find.

“Aye, he keeps ’er locked away in the tower,” Cupid heard a burly man whisper. The troll stopped, changing his route to near a table of knights.

The soldier who spoke tore a chunk of meat off a bone and then threw the scrap over his shoulder. It landed on the floor at Cupid’s feet. The little troll smacked his lips, took the bone up, and gnawed at it in pleasure. These men might be mortals, but they sure knew how to live right.

Cupid perked his tiny ears up as he crept closer to listen, the bone hanging halfway out of his lips. He sat beneath the large soldier’s bench seat, surrounded by the satisfying perfume of sweaty feet. He continued to gnaw. The mortal court was much better than Lycaon’s cleanly ways. Whoever heard of a law stating you must come to the table clean?

Bah!
Cupid thought with a repulsed shiver. He’d been kicked out of Lycaon more than once for not bathing.

“Lord Orrell is afraid she’ll turn away Lady Agrona’s suitors,” the knight continued. The men all looked at the high table where Cupid’s temptress sat. Her thick lips chewed greedily on a hunk of meat. When she pulled the bite away, the lower half of her face was covered in grease. The men grimaced slightly as they watched the lady.

Cupid sighed. It must be a terrible woman indeed to frighten a suitor away from such a lovely vision of womanly perfection. And to make grown soldiers shiver at the very thought of her!

Slowly, a smile formed on his wrinkled face. A woman so hideous that she had to be locked away in a tower? A maiden like that was exactly what Cupid needed to avenge himself against Lord Ilar, Commander of the Lycans! Let his whole wolfen army go mad with lust for an unsightly woman. Let Ilar himself fall so madly in love that he would blindly mate with her!

Aye,
Cupid mused with enthusiasm.
Let him degrade himself by choosing an ugly mortal for a lifemate! That will teach him to tease a troll!

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Executive Decision

by Mandy M. Roth

The bright lights of the big city called to Liz Rogers. Her best friend and almost roommate, Dale, helped her make the transition from small town girl to big time ad executive. They work together and nearly live together. For eight years he’s been her rock, her sounding board. As Liz starts breaking off one workplace relationship, another one—that has been brewing since the first day she arrived in New York, blossoms—leaving her confused and concerned. She’d been burned once by love and isn’t willing to risk her heart again, especially not to a man who was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Dale Corbins has been in love with Liz from the moment he laid eyes on her. He knows time is running out, that one of these days she’s going to come home and tell him she’s fallen for someone else. When he finds out she’s been sleeping with their boss, he decides it’s time to take matters into his own hands. Unfortunately, winning Liz’s heart isn’t an easy game to play. It will take more than romantic gestures and sweet nothings to get the woman he loves. Thankfully, he’s a very persistent man. But is this a game even he can’t win?

Rating: Spicy/Carnal

Warning: This book contains a quick tempered heroine, an uber hot leading man, toe-curling sex and people who aren’t afraid to speak their mind, regardless the language used.

To learn more about Mandy M. Roth and her books, visit www.MandyRoth.com

Have you read them all?

Romances by Michelle M. Pillow Checklist

Futuristic

Dragon Lords

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The Barbarian Prince

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The Perfect Prince

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The Dark Prince

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The Warrior Prince

Lords of the Var

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The Savage King

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The Perfect Prince

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The Bound Prince

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The Rogue Prince

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The Pirate Prince

Zhang Dynasty

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Seduction of the Phoenix

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Temptation of the Butterfly

Space Lords

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Frost Maiden

Galaxy Playmates

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Sapphire

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Diamond

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Quartz

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Xena

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Red Light Specialists

Alternative Reality

Divinity Warriors Series

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Lilith Enraptured

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Fighting Lady Jayne

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Taking Karre

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Keeping Paige

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Last Man on Earth

Paranormal

Lords of the Abyss Series

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Mighty Hunter

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Commanding the Tides

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Book 3

Call of the Lycan Series

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Call of the Sea

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Call of the Untamed

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Call of Temptation