EMBER - Part Three (The EMBER Series, #3) by Deborah Bladon

crowd. I'm just another woman who doesn't sport a ring on her left hand which means I'm ripe for the attention of any man who is looking for someone to warm the other half of his bed.
    I've grown accustomed to the expected requests to buy me a drink and within that there have been a few who have actually approached me with an intelligent conversation in their back pocket, but this one, this may be the one that I'll remember long after tonight.
    "The lavatory?" I adjust my left heel, hoping that the movement will relieve the pressure I feel on the ball of my foot. I've been wearing these shoes all day and I'm ready to head home to kick them off so I can crawl into a warm tub.
    "You were on a flight from Milan to JFK the week before last." His blue eyes rake over my black dress. "You were wearing a red skirt, white blouse and your hair was pulled back, tight, into a ponytail."
    What the fuck?
    I part my lips to say something, anything, but the dark haired, bearded stranger isn't done yet.
    "You sat in business class, first class, actually on that flight. You were assigned seat 2B."
    I was. I remember it clearly because I'd asked for that specific seat. It's the one I always request. I wouldn't say I'm a nervous flyer but if I can quiet my anxiety over being thousands of miles in the air in a confided space with dozens of strangers, I'll do it. That particular seat has always kept me safe so why mess with a good thing?
    "You walked out of the lavatory. I was standing there, next to you and I remember the scent of your perfume." His hand reaches down. I don't protest as he gently grabs my wrist and brings it to his face. He inhales, slowly.
    I look around the room, wanting to find a familiar face that will ground me in this moment. There's no way this is happening. I'd remember if this man sat next to me on a flight. I'd recall the curve of his strong jaw and the sound of his voice.
    "I'm sorry. I don't remember," I admit.
    "Allow me to introduce myself then." He slides his fingers up my wrist until his hand is cradling mine. "I'm Landon Beckett. Captain Landon Beckett."
    "Captain?" I ask carefully, realization washing over me.
    His full lips curve into a wry smile. "Yes. I was piloting the airplane."
    My stomach knots. It's him. I thought I'd never see him again. There's no way he knows about the conversation I had with the woman sitting next to me. He can't know that, can he? "It's nice to meet you."
    "It's my pleasure, Ms. Marlow or can I call you Tess?"
    I take a step back as I feel a flush race over my body. "How do you know my name?"
    "That's an interesting story." He crosses his arms over his chest. "Where do I begin?"
    Coming This Summer

Preview of HAZE
    F eaturing Gabriel Foster
    "How long have you worked here?" His voice is cultured, deep and smooth. It's not uncommon to hear a voice like that in this boutique. I've worked here for six weeks now and at least twice a week a man with too much money and an insatiable need to see young women dressed in expensive lingerie will come waltzing through the doors.
    "Welcome to Liore," I say softly as I glance to my left to where he's standing.
    I have to look up. He's large, not just in height but in his shoulder's breadth. His eyes are a rich brown, his hair just as dark. His nose is sculptured and his jaw has a definite curve to it. The suit he's wearing is dark blue, perhaps even black. It's hard to tell under the chandelier lights that decorate this opulent space. 
    "Isla." His eyes hover over my chest before they settle on my name tag. "It's nice to meet you, Isla."
    "It's lovely to meet you..." I pause. It's not only because I've been instructed to grab the name of each customer to give them a personal shopping experience. I want to know his name.
    "Gabriel," he offers with a light touch of his hand on mine.
    The name is oddly familiar. As I work to place it, I see him peering across the boutique at my boss. "Is there something I can help you find, Gabriel? Are you