by Mimi Riser
"Like Deuce's,” Flotto repeated, and got a poke from Vrotto.
"You already said that, you twit."
Jotto ignored them both—lucky for them. His gaze fastened onto Sam's. “It's another of our jobs to find the strays and help steer ‘em back on course, as it were."
Uh-huh. Her eyes narrowed. “But you sold Deuce to the Prince of Helle."
That seemed a pretty coarse course.
"Got a damn good price for him, too.” Jotto chuckled again.
"Well, he needed a new partner, didn't he?” Vrotto grumbled. “We thought he might find one there in the prince's harem—or later among the tourists. I mean, where else could he have met so many prospects so quick?"
"It was Totto's idea.” Notto pointed over his head at the culprit.
"Was not!” Totto turned redder than his hair. “It was Xotto's."
"Oh, sure, blame it on me.” Xotto shot him a blistering glare.
Jotto pushed between them before they came to blows. “Whatever! It's all worked out okay, ain't it? So there's no harm done.” He smiled at Sam. “We knew you two were a perfect match right off the bat, but we couldn't tell you that, now could we?"
Sam thought of the rocky ride she and Deuce had just been forced to endure and barely managed to keep the acid out of her tone. “Why not?"
Jotto's bushy blue brows quirked up. “Would you have believed us if we had?"
Um ... he had a point there. She relaxed and returned his smile. “Probably not."
"There, you see? That's why then."
"You can't tell humans anything,” Vrotto muttered. “They've always got to learn it all for themselves. The hard way."
Yes, we do, Sam thought. But then nothing worth having ever came without a struggle, did it? And there was nothing like facing danger together to solidify a relationship between two people. Her smile went wry. Maybe this whole thing had just been a test. If she and Deuce hadn't been able to pull each other through it, they'd have proved themselves incapable of the mission ahead. She gazed up at Jotto to see that wise twinkle lighting his eyes. He knew what she was thinking.
And was thinking the same thing.
"You learn fast, ducks,” he said, and the twinkle beamed brighter with pride. “It ain't going to be easy what you two are doin', but you've shown yourself willing to try. You asked for a chance and you got it. There's half the battle won right there."
Sam nodded. Speech was impossible because a lump suddenly clogged her throat at the trust he was bestowing on her.
"You'll have to find a world of your own first,” Totto told her. “A fresh one. But there are still a few to be had.” He scratched his head. “Seems to me, there's a cozy little planet in this sector, not far from where you are now—a real garden spot, just waiting for a nice young couple to move in and start tendin’ it. I don't recall the exact coordinates—and don't you dare ask me for ‘em.” He shot her a warning look, then buffered it with a grin. “But if you scan around a bit, I'm sure you'll sight it."
"Yeah,” Xotto said. “Just don't believe everything the snakes tell you, or eat too many apples.” He winked. “The green ones can give you a bellyache."
"Which?” Flotto asked. “The snakes or the apples?"
Vrotto whacked him. “Twit."
Without batting an eye, Jotto grabbed them by their hair and knocked their heads together. Klunk. They keeled over in opposite directions, while he dusted off his hands and turned back to Sam, smiling as though nothing had happened. “You'll do all right, ducky. We have high hopes for you and your man. He's a prime one, he is, but so are you, and together you magnify each other's strengths. Together you have a good shot at creating what we've been hoping for since the Beginning."
"Damn straight,” Notto agreed. “Humans were created to help spread love through the universe. If they could just learn that, there'd be less need for angels."
"They've got plenty of potential, humans,” Xotto said, “but they haven't much lived up to it yet."
"Well it ain't entirely their fault.” Vrotto hauled himself up off the deck and peered over Jotto's shoulder.
Xotto looked like he wanted to knock him back down. “Did I say it was?"
Jotto silenced them both with a glare. “What we mean,” he explained to Sam, “is that the problem with the other ‘starters'—you know, the couples who came out of the seeds—is they were all so innocent. Good, bad ... how could they tell the difference without any experience to guide them? It was all trial and error for the early ones. They didn't learn about evil till it was committed, and by then it was too late to stop it.
"But you and Deuce now, you're not going into this blind. You've already seen the narsty side of life and can recognize the pitfalls that lead up to it. That's why we think the world you'll create has a better chance of reachin’ the original ideal. Peace and harmony, that's what we're hopin’ you'll plant. A garden of love. Just one good world is all we need—to prove it can be done, set an example, as it were. Show the rest what's possible, and maybe they'll take the hint and follow suit. It's worth a try, don't you think?"
All the dwarves nodded in vigorous agreement, laughing and jabbing each other and jockeying for position, crowding in closer until their faces filled the screen, a swirling kaleidoscope of crazy hair and grins. Then crackles and pops distorted their voices and their features began to blur. The connection was breaking up.
Sam hugged her man, who slept warm and snug against her, and stared upward, laughing with the creatures—why, she wasn't sure, except that the joy flooding her needed some kind of release or she'd burst with it. Fresh tears brimmed in her eyes, blurring the faces above her even more, and sobs mixed with her laughter, but it was all the same, all happy. One big, beautiful bliss. There'd be more tears to come, she was sure—and ones not nearly so pleasant as these—more trials to pass and troubles to withstand, a mountain of obstacles to dig through. She and Deuce had a hard row to hoe if the Harvesters were depending on them to do what no other “starter couple” had managed before—but, wow, what a mission.
Was she scared?
Nope, she was terrified. But also ecstatic at the prospect. Her whole life she'd wanted only to love and be loved—had ached for a family to belong to. And now, by God—yes, truly by God—she was going to get it and so much more in the bargain. Good Lord, she was pumped up and ready to conquer the world! Which was exactly what she'd have to do, of course. More laughter bubbled out at the thought.
Jotto elbowed his way to the front of the crowd above her and raised his hands in a gesture that looked a lot like a benediction. It probably was.
"Go forth with our blessings and multiply your new world,” he called through the rising static. “Just remember, ducks, that the seeds planted with love always bring forth the best fruit."
"Fruit! He said fruit!” Notto bellowed as the screen faded out.
Before Sam could blink, the dwarves vanished and the black canopy of space reappeared, star spangled and sparkling with hope. Stars filling the dome. Deuce filling her arms. Love filling everything, inside and out. Gratitude glowed in her like a beacon. The human race had a bright new chance. Heaven hadn't given up on them yet.
"God is Love,” she'd been told. “That's all."
Yes, and that was more than enough.
Mimi Riser
Mimi Riser has been an actress, model, clown, belly-dancer, jewelry designer, editor and publisher, but her first and foremost love is writing. She specializes in offbeat tales where laughter reigns and good always triumphs—but she makes her characters really work for their happy endings. Her books have been said to read like a snowball rolling downhill, gathering size and speed as it goes. But if you think her stories are crazy, you should see her life. Once devout city people, she and her husband exchanged the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia a lifetime or two ago for the natural, rugged splendor of the rural southwest. They were looking for a simpler way of life. They got it. It ended up being so “natural and rugged,” they
spent their first six and a half years there in a hand-built house with dirt floors, no electricity and no plumbing. This has proved helpful for her historicals as she can now write about the “olden days” from personal experience. They have since rejoined the 21st century and enjoy life on the open range with a house full of eccentric cats and a large, wacky dog who thinks she's a cat, too. Mimi has had five novels published to date along with numerous articles and short stories. Her historical romance, I Do, was a “Top Ten Finisher” in the mammoth Preditors & Editors Readers Poll of 2003, and her contemporary comedy, Every Jack Needs His Jil, won the poll the following year for the “Best Mainstream Novel of 2004.” Samantha White and The Seven Dwarves is her first erotic-romance and was one of the winners in Amber Quill's 2007 Heat Wave contest.
To learn more about Mimi and her writing, please visit her web site: www.mimiriser.com
* * * *
Don't miss Journal Of A Timid Temptress,
by Deirdre O'Dare,
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Midwestern college student Geri Wilcox is striving to gain education and experience in the amorous arts that were not available in her small farming community home town. Fate puts her in a class taught by Philippe Reynard, the sexiest and most exciting male she has ever seen.
Exercising all her admittedly limited wiles, Geri brings herself to the professor's attention until, as both his public and private pupil, the lessons she desires are made available and exceed her wildest expectations. Fearlessly breaking taboos left and right, Geri forges ahead with her plan to become much more than a timid temptress...
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Don't miss Falling, by M. L. Rhodes,
An Amazon #1 Best Seller and JERR Gold Star Winner!
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As the leader of an elite British group that hunts criminals of the magic world, Christian Wetherly comes to the U. S. undercover, posing as a British cop, to investigate a series of murders he suspects have been committed by a dark mage. He never expects, however, to find himself intensely attracted to the American police detective in charge of the case. Christian has long struggled with his hidden desires and hasn't admitted them to anyone. But Alec Anderson stirs something deep within him that's difficult to ignore.
Still ... even if he could master his fear of coming out, Christian's dedicated himself to protecting the world from magic terrors. It's a dangerous life an ordinary human could never understand or accept. And to complicate matters, Alec's emotionally vulnerable, still grieving the death of his previous lover, a fellow cop killed in the line of duty. So Christian's determined to keep his true occupation and powers hidden from Alec.
Neither man can deny the powerful chemistry that burns between them, and both realize they're falling hard for one another, yet with so many secrets and complications, a relationship seems impossible.
When the two men become the target of the dark magic, however, and clues about an ancient legacy come to light that indicate Alec may not be exactly what he seems, can they find the strength to tear down all the barriers between them and risk their hearts in order to save each other's lives?
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Don't miss Soul Obsession by Amy Wolff-Sorter,
available at AmberQuill.com!
A story blazing with reluctant passion, bitter betrayal, ghostly retribution and the battle for a man's very soul...
A brilliant businessman...
Daniel Grogan is at the top of his game as he prepares to marry a wealthy socialite. But something goes wrong on his wedding day and his path takes a crazy turn toward strange visions of mountains and oceans, and a growing obsession about a woman he's never met face to face.
A rebellious rabbi...
Peggy Witwater entered the rabbinate to serve her people. When congregational politics deal her a vicious blow, she fights the tide of change while trying to help Daniel; not realizing her actions could ignite her own deeply buried obsessions.
Passion and vengeance from beyond the grave...
As the two are drawn toward one another, they fall under the shadow of a vengeful spirit who will stop at nothing to claim Daniel. To win the battle for his soul, Daniel must acknowledge past wrongs, or risk falling into an eternal—and fatal—enchantment.
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Steamy, sensual genre fiction...
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Where love is blind to gender...
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