crazywithkeyboard

It's been a while since I posted a snippet, so I thought I would.

Ace (Phoebe) and her crew have reached Vedia Station, so that they could have repairs done to their ship. While they are waiting, she and her third-in-command, Ardan Quintus, are attending a party.

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At some point, a drink or two later, the current carried us into one of the smaller rooms, where it was a little quieter but no less crowded. That was when the crowds parted and revealed such a vision that I had no choice but to stop and stare. "Oh. My. God."

The man standing before me, perfectly framed by a spotlight, was as flawlessly sculpted as a statue of a Greek god, and as fantastically painted as a work by Van Gogh. Swirls and whorls of color lined his torso, continuing up to his face and even into his hair. Then I noticed that the only thing he was wearing besides the paint was a G-string that left very, very little to the imagination. "Gu-uh!" I said.

Then I recognized him. It was Vittore Vere. Of course.

A quick glance at Quintus caught him in mid-eye-roll, quaking with silent laughter. When he saw that he'd been caught, the laughter burst forth. "I'm s-s-sorry, Captain," he gasped. "It's just ... you're so ..."

"Predictable?" I finished for him, with a wry grin.

"Well, yeah." He gestured, still giggling. "He just has such an ... obvious effect on you. I mean, if I got myself all painted and primped up like that, I bet you wouldn't say 'Guh'."

I paused, looking him up and down and letting my imagination run wild for a few seconds. I guess I'd had more to drink than I'd thought, because when I opened my mouth, what came out was, "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

That caught him off guard, and he stopped mid-laugh.

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Things are definitely starting to heat up on The Damned Strumpet...

Labels: NaNoSnippet

Okay, things are finally beginning to progress between Phoebe and hunky Vittore Vere:

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The rest of the officers were just filing out when I had another thought. “Mr. Vere?”

He turned instantly and returned to my side. “How may I be of assistance, Captain?”

“Is there any chance that you could allow Mr. Braca to bring my music player and come to the bridge, so that we could work on it together there while I’m awaiting further information?”

“I think that would be possible, Captain.” But his eyes hinted that there were many, many more desirable things that were equally possible. Glancing around to see that the other officers had indeed departed, he took my good hand in his. “Though perhaps it might be more interesting for both of us if I allowed you to persuade me to send him up against my will?” He used my hand to draw me closer to him.

My eyes had to have looked like saucers. Was the sex god of The Damned Strumpet actually propositioning me, for gawd’s sake? I was so flabbergasted I couldn’t even say it aloud. “Guh,” I breathed. He was standing awfully close to me, close enough that I could smell his masculine muskiness. Oh good God, he wasn’t actually going to kiss me, was he? Well, if he wasn’t, maybe he was just going to examine my tonsils. With his tongue. Oh my.

While I was still trying to decide whether or not I should kiss back, the sound of voices in the corridor broke the spell. Just as Vere stepped back from me, a handful of second shift officers wandered into the mess hall looking for lunch before their shift started.

He released my hand and gave me a slow smile. “I’ll just go and fetch Mr. Braca, Cap’n. See you back up on the bridge.”

“Guh,” I said again, to his retreating back. I had been kissed before, but never quite like that. It had definitely left me wanting more – and imagining things I had no business imagining. At least, not in the middle of the mess hall when we were less than three hours away from a potential battle.

With a great deal of difficulty, I collected myself and returned to the bridge.

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Labels: NaNoSnippet