Free Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology by Amy A. Bartol, Tiffany King, Raine Thomas, Tammy Blackwell, Sarah M. Ross, Heather Hildenbrand, Amanda Havard, C.A. Kunz Page B

We're connected, you and I. You heard me calling for you. You came to find me. We're meant to be, Violet."
    His forehead lifts from me as his lips draw nearer; mine part in response to their proximity. His mouth hovers a fraction away, but he doesn 't kiss me. He waits.
    A need inside me builds. I crave him so much it 's a physical ache. It's more than lust. When he died, something shattered inside of me. Now that he's here, there's hope that what's broken can be mended.
    Slowly, I inch forward. My breath catches when I feel the firmness of his lips against mine. It weakens my knees. I place my hand on his chest to steady myself; the strong beat of his heart plays for me beneath my fingertips. My face flushes. "Mattie," I say against his lips.
    He deepens our kiss, pulling hard on my bottom lip so that I feel it in my core. "Don't ask me to let you go, Vi," he says with sultry roughness against my lips, "I won't."
    Sliding his hand over me, he bends down and hooks it around the back of my knees, lifting me in his arms. He continues to kiss me senseless as he carries me over the threshold of my room, closing the door behind us with his foot. His elbow turns on the light. He walks unhurriedly to the bed; he 's seemingly enjoying holding me in his arms as he devours my lips with his.
    He lowers me to the mattress gently; my head rests with seductive comfort against the plump pillow. He sweeps loose strands of my brown hair back from my face; his body lingers decadently above mine, teasing me with his proximity. He lies beside me on the bed. We face each other. I know that I must have a starry-eyed look because, without him touching me, I 'm having a problem again believing that he's real.
    Mattie 's hand reaches for mine; he brings it to his lips and kisses it tenderly. Tears brighten my eyes instantly. He pulls something from his pocket, and before I know what it is, he's slipping it onto my finger. "I found this on the floor beside your purse back at my house. It must've fallen out."
    I lift my hand to see the round-cut diamond engagement ring he 'd given me. It sparkles with blue fire when I hold it up to the light.
    Mattie pushes up from the mattress. He hovers over me as his legs rest on either side of mine. Looking down at me, his eyes smolder as he says, "Promise me you'll never take it off again."
    A tear spills from my eye. His thumb reaches down to gently wipe it away. My hand moves to cup his cheek, and then it slides into the black, silky strands of his hair. I pull gently, bringing his face closer to mine. When he 's a hair's breadth away, I whisper, "I promise."
    With a soft, sexy groan, Mattie kisses me again and says against my lips, "I love you, Violet."
    In that moment, I have no trouble believing he 's real; we're reunited. I'm whole again.
     

Monsters of Earth
    By Tammy Blackwell
     
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    Visit the author's website: http://www.misstammywrites.com/
     
     
    Monsters of Earth
     
     
    "Earth?" Helem looked at the assignment etched on his com-sleeve. "This is a joke, right? Because it's my first solo trip, you're messing with me."
    Commander Sotiri didn 't even look up from the massive console where he tracked reports from the Raimondas who were in the field. "This is the Raimann. We don't joke, Helem."
    " But it's Earth. What the hell am I supposed to do there?"
    This time the commander did look up. The stony glare made Helem 's pulse jump erratically in his throat, but he didn't let it show. Raimondas never showed fear, and Helem was a Raimonda. Had been for all of three hours now.
    " What you're supposed to do is your mission. Unless you don't think you can handle it." The commander tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow, a look Helem knew well. He'd been on the receiving end of it since the day he was born. "Maybe I made a mistake in graduating you too soon. You're young to take on a mission of your own, but I thought you were ready. Perhaps your mother was right and you should