Wednesday Snippet! (running late - sorry)

I didn't forget you!!!

Okay, I did. I forgot to schedule a Wednesday snippet post for you and in all the excitement of finding a new gym with childcare I forgot to check the blog. I'm sorry. :(

But, here it is, a shiny new snippet from the short story I'm writing for the SFR Brigade anthology! Meet Commander Kaleb Hath and the rift rat/pirate/former POW Lana...

People began shuffling in. They walked past her whispering. “Iloni” was a favorite word. “Not Daniels” was common. “Mercenary” was another favorite. The accents were from all over the outer rim of the solar system, she even caught a few phrases delivered in rift rat cant. And through it all she could feel Kaleb watching her.

His stare heated the back of her neck. Lana rubbed it, and flipped him an obscene gesture. Her reward was a soft baritone chuckle.
 
Three years ago it would have led to him coming over to whisper in her ear. Whispers would have turned to flirting, flirting to kissing, and she would have woken up the next morning naked in his arms.

Lana glanced at the dark monitor beside her, Kaleb’s reflection still watched her, his dark eyes filled with dangerous combination of desire, regret, and loss.