Lady Sheba
Lady ShebaSands of Seduction series
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 978-1-419906-35-0 (ebook) [buy]
Extended Novella
The Egyptian gods and goddesses must protect humankind, and to do so, they bestow certain loyal followers with magical powers. One of those ancient immortals is the cat goddess Bast. To her priestesses and their descendants, she gives the Powers of the Cat—the ability to shapeshift into any feline form at will.
Dr. Katina Fellini spends her days working for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, but at night she transforms into Lady Sheba, protector of human and animal kind. She is brave, daring and untouchable—except when it comes to the museum curator, Dr. Seth Matthews. One look from his icy blue eyes is enough to make Kat purr.
Kat doesn't realize that Seth is battling his own desire—to make her submit to his passion. When an evil Egyptian spirit is accidentally set free and possesses his body, Seth can no longer resist his feelings. Kat will have no choice but to surrender to his desires, and a new war will begin—the battle between love and evil.
Publisher's Note: This title was previously published elsewhere. It has been extensively revised and expanded.
EXCERPT FROM LADY SHEBA
At five o’clock, Kat knocked on Seth’s door with her report in hand. He looked up, watching as she walked gracefully into the small room which now seemed even smaller with her presence. Air seemed harder to breathe as he fought the urge to pull her across his desk, crushing her body against his. Damn, that musk she wore drove him insane.
“Here’s the report you asked for,” she said in a wavering voice.
His eyebrow shot up as he considered her body language. She seemed tense, almost fighting to keep composure. Her dark-rimmed glasses, conservative navy suit and swept-up black hair made her appear confident and businesslike, but something else edged beneath the surface. Could he be wrong in thinking she felt nothing for him?
“Thank you, Katina.” He realized he never referred to anyone else on the staff by their first name. It had seemed natural to call her Katina, an intimate term among friends. Hopefully he would become more.
Clearing his throat, he leaned back in his chair, gazing intently at her. Perhaps he should test her and see if she was interested. What would be the harm? “There’s a shipment of Egyptian pieces coming in from the Cairo Museum tonight, Katina. I’m staying to check them in. Would you like to stick around to be one of the first to see the treasures?”
She paused, probably registering the possibilities behind his suggestion. “With all the traveling I did yesterday, I’m kind of tired. I think I’m just going to go home and soak in the tub, then climb into bed.”
The thought of her lying naked in a foamy, scented bath—combined with the knowledge she wasn’t going to be with another man—made him feel daring. “I thought maybe we could’ve gotten dinner together then come back here for the delivery. But since you’re tired, you can go on home.” Getting up, he started grabbing books strewn about his desk, placing them back onto the assorted bookshelves that lined his office.
“Dr. Matthews, I hardly know what to say.”
“Please, call me Seth, Katina.” He said her name slowly as he stopped and stepped in front of her, looking down into her face, gaining her quick intake of breath.
“Seth,” she whispered. “It sounds more like a date than two people working late.”
“Does that seem distasteful to you, to go out to dinner with me?” he asked in a seductive voice, bringing his fingertips to her jaw, tracing the curve of her face. Her skin was soft and warm, just as he had imagined.
“No,” she breathed, turning her face toward his touch.
He paused, wanting to kiss her like he had longed to do for a year. Would those full lips yield to his, tasting, tempting with each tender brush?
Part of him wanted to take the chance. The other part, his doubting side, cautioned against the act, dreading her rejection. He dropped his hand and turned away, picking up more books off his desk and replacing them on the shelves. “Perhaps some other time then. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your night of relaxation.”
“Maybe I could hold off on that for tonight.”
His back turned, he opened one of the books and flipped through the pages. “No. Go home, Katina. We’ll talk about the shipment tomorrow.” He hardly understood why he wouldn’t let her reconsider. He was nervous and having her so close undid his confidence. He wasn’t weak, but something about her made him unsure of himself. He had traveled the world, studied at the best schools and had a doctorate, yet this one woman made him shake. He wanted her to accept him as a man—not a scholar, not her employer, but as a regular man with needs, lusts and hungers.
Silence. He should’ve let her change her mind, but wasn’t completely sure of himself. His feelings for her were so strong. He wanted her to feel it, too.
“Good night then, Doctor…Seth.” She left his office and he felt the emptiness penetrate his very being.
All that lingered behind was the exotic scent of her spicy perfume. Inhaling slowly, he absorbed the scent deeply.
By all that was holy, he wanted her.
