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APHRODITE'S FIRE by MIA VARANO

Copyright © MIA VARANO, 2009
All Rights Reserved, RED SAGE PUBLISHING, INC.


EXCERPT FROM APHRODITE'S FIRE 

Rafe’s eyes slid to Cassie chatting with a fake-looking blonde.  Cassie’s face blanched, looking washed out against her white dress, while her wide eyes took up half her face.  Had the woman told her something about Rip Fontaine already?
When Cassie spotted him, her eyes narrowed to slits and she jerked her thumb, ordering him to her side.  The doors to the tarmac where the plane awaited swung open, but Rafe shuffled against the tide of the other guests back to Cassie.
She grabbed his bicep, her fingernails digging into his muscle.  Dragging him into a corner, she hissed, “Damn you.”
“What’s the problem?”  He rubbed his arm where she left indentations in his sleeve.
“You bastard.”  The color rushed back into Cassie’s cheeks, and her green eyes glittered like emeralds.
“Would you stop swearing at me and tell me what’s wrong?”
She clenched her jaw, and he could almost hear her teeth gnashing.  The only time he’d ever seen her this angry was the day she found out he swiped Delbert Lee Hickey from her.
“This little house party is for swingers.”
He smacked his thigh.  That explained the meat market atmosphere.  At least he had time to get Cassie out of here.  “I thought that might be a possibility, but...”
“You knew all along.  You dragged me into this to, to...humiliate me.”  She jabbed a finger into his chest.
“Whoa.”  He held up his hands to ward off future attacks.  “I had no idea the party featured spouse swapping.  I picked up the weird vibe when we entered this boarding area.”
She sucked in her bottom lip as she watched the line of people head toward the airplane.  “What are we going to do?”
“Look.”  He captured her unsteady hands.  “You can leave.  I’ll explain that I didn’t tell you about the festivities, and you decided to bail.  I’ll still be able to get into the mansion.  I’ll bring down Rip Fontaine on my own.”
“Oh no, you don’t.”  She jerked her hands free from his.  “You are not going to cut me out of this with any of that protect the little lady bounty hunter crap.”
He massaged the back of his neck.  The woman’s changing moods gave him whiplash.  “I won’t cut you out, Cassie.  You got me this far, so I’ll still give you half the bounty.”
“Charity money.”  She shook her head.  “I want in on this.”
“I don’t want you in on this.”  He crossed his arms over his chest and planted his feet on the floor.  “I’m not sharing you with any of these guys.”
“I’m not yours to share...or not.”  She shoved him aside and strode toward the waiting plane, her perfect ass swaying beneath the clinging material of her dress.
She looked over her shoulder.  “Besides, maybe we don’t have to participate.  Maybe we can just watch.  You like to watch, don’t you Rafe?”

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