Excerpt from Home is the sailor

The cabinet behind Ari contained a compliment of normal sized white coffee cups and supplies, and had been clearly labeled as such. He reached around her to open it, then looked down. Her breath caught in her chest. He was so close she could smell the spicy scent of his shampoo, feel warmth emanating from him. She caught the counter with her hand to keep from wobbling toward his big body, his hard body. They stared, a little lost in each other.

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“Ari, I . . . I want to choose differently.” He reached up to brush his thumb over her full bottom lip.

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She felt her eyes widen and tear up at the same time. She had a briefing in about ten minutes. His timing had always been atrocious “We’ve got a ship to save, Caden.”

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He nodded then dipped his head to gently, sensuously lick her lips and dart in for a small, tangling of mouths, a move she hadn’t expected. “I know, but then we reopen negotiations.” Caden backed away and pointed at her. “You called me Caden.”

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She had, she realized. He smiled a goofy, happy smile. Because she’d called him Caden.

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Ari sat down at the large circular table with her coffee, and commed her staff, while trying to hide the shaking in her fingers. Even if he did want her back right now, that could change any moment. She’d kept a secret from him, a secret that would hurt every single person she loved.