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STAR-CROSSED NEGOTIATIONS
SciFi Space Opera Romance
BY TESSA McFIONN

Blurb

A pair of voices filtered in from the distant entryway, cracking through Kieran’s reverie, and he strode toward the steaming pot to see if there were other drink options. He recognized the captain, and the second speaker sounded a lot like the computer. Was he having a discussion with the ship?

As two figures entered the room, he froze, grateful his fingers hadn’t gripped the fragile glass pot filled with the steaming brew. His blood thundered through his veins, racing to his brain as well as slinking below his belt line, and he gave his head a readjusting shake. Certain this was no hallucination, he swallowed back his shock, then found his voice, uttering a word that hadn’t fallen from his lips in nearly six years.

“Vanysha?”

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All of the recycled air vanished from her lungs as Vanysha stared agape at the face she’d never expected to see again. Forgotten was the reason for her latest argument with Faze; she vaguely recalled it having to do with the unnamed passenger, but the tendrils of her important point had faded into oblivion.

Kieran Phaetal.

No way was fate that cruel to her.

She blinked to banish the hateful vision, yet when she reopened her eyes, he still stood before her. Her jaw locked, teeth clamped down hard enough to crack molars, but she gave no other outward sign of recognition.

“You two know each other?”

The upbeat inquiry from her mentor only added to her uncharacteristic need for swift violence. A thousand responses fired through her mind, and thankfully, only one made its way to her tongue.

“Not really.” She kicked her legs into action and calmly strode over to her daily vice. Unfortunately, the current target of her anger was between her and her joy. Some things never change.

Six years. Six years since she’d last seen his face. Six long and painful years since her heart, her dreams, and nearly her life had been smashed without so much as a word. She wished time had been harsher on him, but he looked just as gorgeous as ever. Even more so, if she were truly honest with herself. But she’d be damned before she’d say it aloud. With a swift glance, she sized him up, praying he didn’t catch her ogling stare.

Gone was the gangly youth she’d laughed with, for he had grown into his towering height. She remembered playfully teasing him about his spindly arms, measuring his biceps with her long fingers. Now, although his crisp uniform jacket hid most of his physique, she’d definitely need both hands to span his build. Broad shoulders tapered to a trim waist, and long, muscular legs filled out the somber black ensemble. In his smoky quartz eyes, the boyish spark had dimmed slightly, but those depths still called to her heart. His dark brown hair was slicked down in controlled waves, no longer the wild and beckoning fall brushing across his forehead, and even his jaw appeared wider and stronger, framing his full mouth with its smooth lines.

No, this was not the Kieran of her long-ago memories. Here stood a man, cruel and unforgiving, the true prodigal son of the Central’s leading politico family. He’d promised her he’d never follow in his father’s footsteps.

That’s what I get for believing words spoken in the heat of passion.

Tessa McFionn has always had a love of all things unreal. Growing up reading Tolkien, Heinlein, and comic books, playing D&D, and watching Thundarr the Barbarian on Saturday mornings, she was immersed in worlds of magic. When her mother introduced her to Dune and An Interview with a Vampire, she was hooked on romance in speculative fiction, and after discovering Sherrilyn Kenyon, she realized love can share center stage in the story. She also feeds her artistic soul through her passions for theatre, dance and music, as well as regular trips to The Happiest Place on Earth with friends and family. With both an award-winning paranormal romance and a sci-fi romance series out in the world, she continues to encourage all to believe in magic.

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Links to Tessa’s websites, blogs, books, #ad etc.:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3s4tZxk

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Special Giveaway: Tessa will give away a signed copy of Star-Crossed Negotiations and swag pack (U.S. Only) to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog.

Happy Reading!

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Thanks, Tessa, for sharing your book with us!

Don’t miss the chance to read this book!