Today on First Kiss Friday, we welcome romance author, Jessica E. Subject, and an excerpt from her Sci-Fi Romance novel, “Gib and the Tibbar: A Novella in the Galactic Defenders Series.” The novella is part of the “Embrace the Romance: Pet’s in Space 2” Anthology.
A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.
A dedicated Defender to the core, Gib is willing to go to any planet the Galactic Alliance sends him. That is, until he’s sent with his squad to Hemera for their Alorama ceremony, far from any threat of Erebus invasion and with no chance for promotion.
Vilarra has lived on Hemera all her life,
working hard in the kitchens of the royal palace until she achieved lead hand.
But learning of the universe beyond her world reveals her insignificance and
shreds her sense of accomplishment and purpose.
With the help of a furry, little tibbar, Gib is
determined to win the affection of Vilarra, prove to her how significant she is
to him and the people who depend on her. But will his personal mission be cut
short before he has the chance to win her heart?
First Kiss Excerpt
Glancing around, he searched for Vilarra, but
couldn’t see her. She’d disappeared into the crowd, finally finding a way to
ditch him. He should have expected that after all the times she’d told him to
depart since he’d joined her in the kitchen. In the throng of people, he couldn’t
catch a single glimpse of her. She’d given him the slip. And with too many
other Hemera around, he couldn’t do a thorough search before his shift began.
He turned to leave. If he made it back to the barracks in time, he could catch
a quick nap.
“Hey, Defender!”
Gib paused, unsure if he’d heard the voice or
just imagined what he’d hoped to hear.
“Are you running off already?”
He spun toward the voice, spotting Vilarra
only steps in front of him.
“I thought you wanted to see how the other
side lived. Change your mind?”
Her smile shone brighter than the flames
licking the sky behind her. And, for a moment, he feared her. No, feared he
wasn’t enough for her. She’d worked hard for everything she’d achieved. Not
much, but more than him. He enrolled in Defender training so his father could
retire. Gib had been his only way to do that. He hadn’t had to prove anything
to anyone. Sure, training proved tough, but he guessed growing up on Hemera
wasn’t routine either. Yet, he had no desire to walk away from her. Didn’t know
if he ever would. “No, not at all. I thought you’d tried to ditch me.”
“Well, I can’t say I didn’t think about
that.” She rocked forward on her toes. “But, you’re kinda growing on me.” She
grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the gathering. “C’mon. I think you’ll
have fun here.”
A burly man stopped them at the edge of the
crowd. “Vee, what are you bringing him here for? You said you hated the
offworlders.”
“It’s okay, Sam. This one’s different. He
wants to know what our life is like.” She shoved past the guy and continued
toward the fire.
Gib followed her to an empty log in the
center of the crowd. Taking a seat, he expected her to settle beside him, but
she remained standing, swaying her hips to the music. Though others danced
along with Vilarra, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She mesmerized him with
her gyrating hips. Erotic motions that made him yearn to hold her, touch her
face, her lips, her long neck, and especially the rest of her body hidden under
her plain garments, manipulate her body until she screamed in pleasure. Fornax! He sucked in a deep breath and
shifted in his seat. How did she possess so much power over him?
The tune ended, and another began, much
faster and livelier. Vilarra grabbed his hand and yanked. “Join me.”
Shaking his head, he remained seated. He
didn’t dance. Not here. Not in front of a crowd. “Go ahead. I’ll watch.”
With a whoop, she circled around the fire
with the other dancers, marching in and bowing out, linking arms to skip around
and around. A much more energetic gathering than the dinner he’d attended. And
more intimate, with the commoners mingling with everyone instead of staying in
their own spot to socialize with those immediately beside them and drink until
they passed out as many of the Defenders had done earlier that night. None of
the commoners seemed intoxicated, and he hadn’t seen any mead passed around at
this party.
Vilarra slowed down, eventually stopping in
front of him, her face now pale. She’d likely started early to prepare the meal
he’d enjoyed at the palace. A long day she’d have to repeat again for the
Alorama ceremony. Gib stood beside her and cupped her elbow. “You look like you
need some sleep. Would you allow me to walk you home?”
She glanced up at him through her long, dark
lashes. “That would be nice. But...I still haven’t changed my mind.”
Reaching for her hand, he interlaced his
fingers with hers. “And I’m still okay with that. But I’m afraid if I don’t
escort you home now, you’ll fall asleep where you’re standing, and I won’t know
where to take you.”
She squeezed his fingers. “How very sweet.”
Sweet. Not a word he wanted to be described
as, but he’d take it in comparison to what she’d called him the night before.
Once he’d ushered her out of the crowd, she
took the lead in guiding him toward her house. Only one lane and two thatch
houses away, they arrived too soon. No time to get to know her any better with
her guard finally down.
“Well, this is it.” Vilarra clasped her hands
behind her back and stared at her feet. “This is my hut.”
“I guess this is good night then.” Gib bowed,
unsure of proper etiquette on Hemera to end the evening. “I hope we will find
some time together tomorrow.”
She quickly glanced up. “Really? You want to
spend more time with me?”
He grinned at her look of surprise. “More
than you can imagine.”
“Maybe.... If you still want to, you can come
inside for a bit? See what happens?”
“No.” He shook his head, using all his
willpower to turn down her offer. “As much as I want to take you up on that
invitation, I have my watch shift in a few mins. I have my own duty now.”
Before he could prepare for her movement, she
rose on her toes and pressed her body to him. Her lips plied his with sweet
fervor. When his mind finally caught up, he held her tight and plundered her mouth.
Then he pulled away. Her moan echoed his disappointment. “Tomorrow. I’d like to
continue that tomorrow.”
“I’d like that, too.” She ducked into her
home before he had the chance to claim another kiss, decide to shirk his duties
to find pleasure with Vilarra.
“Gib and the Tibbar” is available
through:
About the
Embrace the Romance anthology:
The pets are back! Embrace the Romance: Pets in Space 2, featuring twelve
of today’s leading Science Fiction Romance authors brings you a dozen original
stories written just for you! Join in the fun, from the Dragon Lords of Valdier
to a trip aboard award-winning author, Veronica Scott’s Nebula Zephyr to
journeying back to Luda where Grim is King, for stories that will take you out
of this world! Join New York Times, USA TODAY, and Award-winning authors S.E.
Smith, M.K. Eidem, Susan Grant, Michelle Howard, Cara Bristol, Veronica Scott,
Pauline Baird Jones, Laurie A. Green, Sabine Priestley, Jessica E. Subject,
Carol Van Natta, and Alexis Glynn Latner as they share stories and help out
Hero-Dogs.org, a charity that supports our veterans!
10% of the first month’s profits go to Hero-Dogs.org. Hero Dogs raises and
trains service dogs and places them free of charge with US Veterans to improve
quality of life and restore independence.
Thank you so much for sharing Vilarra and Gib's first kiss! Have a fabulous weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteGlad to host the first kiss between this fascinating couple.
Delete