Marius took her face in his hands and kissed her deeply, reveling in the heat of her lips, the slight quiver of her body, and smell of her musk. Wrapping his arms around them both, he breathed deeply to relieve his heart.
“I promised you a long time ago that I would always come home to you. I intend to stay there the rest of my life.” He brushed the tears from her face with his thumbs. “If you will let me.”
Delia buried herself and the baby deeply into his arms and he kissed the top of her head.
“For now,” she said playfully and Marius let out an answering growl. “You do not expect me to make this easy, do you?” She laughed.
Marius sighed, knowing she was not going anywhere. “No, my love. I promise; I will make you proud.”
He spurred Brutus toward the lights.
Marius held his family in his arms, knowing he would never leave them again. He prayed that Mars would grant them just a little peace for a time.
He was not expecting much.
The End
About the Author
Somewhere between thirty and dust... red hair, blue eyes... six kids, one slightly used husband, and any number of pets from time to time... wannabe hippie... want-their-money yuppie... pro musician and actress for 20 years... native oregonian... lover of music, beauty, and all things green... willing slave to the venerable muse...
When she is not writing, Minnette helps teach remedial reading, writing, and math at a local elementary school. Minnette currently resides in Beaverton, Oregon with her husband, having replaced the children with five cats and one dog (there shall always be six!).
Her first novel, Starsight, Volume I, (published by StoneGarden) will be released in March of 2008 and the sequel Starsight, Volume II in November. The Centurion & The Celt, a historical romance set in 60AD Roman Britannia, will be released with Resplendence Publishing in the spring of 2008. In addition to her novels, Ms. Meador has a feature in the Cup of Comfort for Single Moms coming out in March of 2008.
For more info, please visit: www.minnettemeador.com
“Only you can release the muse… just make sure you put her back!”
Also Available from Resplendence Publishing:
Circle Star by Tatiana March
After thirteen years in the East, Susanna Talbot stands to inherit the Arizona ranch she grew up on, but only provided she marries Connor McGregor, the young drifter who once forged a bond with her father. Susanna will do whatever it takes to claim her right to land – even seek a union with a man who believes she ruined his life.
But first she must find him.
Connor McGregor rode into the desert without a backward glance thirteen years ago, believing Susanna had banished him from Circle Star. Now a man of twenty-eight, he has no interest in coming to her aid. Will he bury his bitterness, or leave Susanna on the mercy of the ruthless neighbor Burt Hartman, who covets the ranch and will stop at nothing – including rape and murder.
$6.50 e-book, $14.99 print
The Centurion and the Queen by Minnette Meador
Marius has been stationed on the island of 60AD Britannia for sixteen years, his demotion from the famous Praetorian Guard to Centurion brought about when he was suspected of involvement in the assassination of Caligula. He is intimately aware of his duty, even when it clashes against the natural compassion he tries to subdue, and he secretly wants nothing more than to get off this accursed island so he can return to his home. Once a celebrated Roman hero, Marius still clings to the old traditions as a fair but tough leader to his men. When Delia enters his life, she challenges everything he believes, effortlessly strips away years of Roman conditioning, and angers him to the point of betraying his training--and his oaths. He simply cannot resist her.
Delia is sister to an indolent Celtic king, but that role has turned to nothing more than another surrender. All she can do now is help her people survive the gradual conquest by Rome and their suicidal pride as so many throw themselves against the unstoppable Roman machine. Fighting desperately to save as many as she can, Delia knows there is no hope for her future. Her training as a warrior and a queen means very little in the wake of a declining civilization, and this beautiful, proud woman has to struggle for every joy. The last thing she expected was to find herself craving the touch of an enemy.
They discover an impossible love, a surprising passion they both thought had died, and something they had never imagined, or thought they deserved. They are thrown into the clash between an Iceni queen with 50,000 angry Bretons and a clever Roman general with only 10,000 legionnaires. Marius and Delia have their lives, their beliefs, and their roles turned inside out as they find themselves fighting on opposing sides, in love, and unable to change the future. The revolution would spark their desire, but nearly destroy them both.
$6.50 e-book, $14.99 print
My Lord Raven by Jan Scarbrough
Bran ap Madog, bastard son of a Welsh prince, has devoted his life to serving the English king. At Edward's behest, he nourishes his reputation for savagery, taking as his badge the raven, a scavenger bird that feeds off rotting spoils. He wants, as his reward for service, the hand of a wealthy wife, as well as the land and power she will bring to his bed.
When her father and twin brother are murdered, Lady Catrin Fitzalen sets out to learn the truth about the awful rumors. Were they killed by the king’s own champion, the vicious King’s Raven? She will do anything to protect her remaining family, including switching places with her cousin when the king forces the pious girl into marriage with his wicked champion.
$6.50 e-book, $15.99 print
More Than Words by Kelly Kirch
Kylie Dobson is a romance author with a problem. As a seat-of-the-pants writer, she depends on the strength of the characters to drive her plot. But when her hero, Milo, Lord Gafton refuses to chase after the prescribed heroine, everything goes wonky. Kylie is inexplicably sucked into her work of fiction, transported from a contemporary venue to a fictional Regency setting. What's worse is, nothing she does is affecting the plot and she can't get out.
Set into motion by her own creative process is a winter storm which seals the Regency party goers in on a country estate. If that wasn't bad enough, a murderer is on the loose and he's picking off one guest at a time. The more time she spends with Milo the more she comes to depend on him. She's convinced that his character sketch will kick in at any moment and he'll fall for her heroine. But will it happen before she loses her heart to him? And what happens when the plot draws to the end? Will the killer have his way and will Kylie solve the case only to be returned to her reality without the man she's fallen for?
$6.50 e-book, Coming to print October 2009
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Mobipocket:
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The Edge of Honor Page 21