Excerpt:

The man focused his steely blue eyes on Sam. As if caught by a paralyzing beam, she couldn't move, couldn't breathe. For some reason, she felt tingly all over. "I... have only just arrived here. I come from... off-world."

Memories of Mirabelle's scorn of Earth and its people still rankled. Sam preferred to keep her origins to herself for a while. The man, whomever he was, excited her in some peculiar way. Maybe it was purely physical. After all, his outward form was the very picture of masculine perfection. His warrior stance emphasized solid, powerful thighs and his hands on hips bulged out strong bicep muscles. The man's short, tawny hair contained an appealing wave, almost beckoning her to run her fingers through.

A sigh escaped her lips. He could probably write a book on sexual magnetism.

Or maybe it was a mental attraction rather than physical. His high forehead and no-nonsense blue eyes seemed to indicate a towering intelligence; someone who could analyze the pants off of a person.

She flushed again. An unfortunate choice of words.

The man walked over to the cabinet and poured pale green liquid into a glass. "Absinthe?"

She shook her head and sat to calm her wobbly knees. He wasn't the first good-looking man she'd met, so why was her heart thumping in such an unusual way? "No, thank you. You must be waiting for Fredd, as I am. My name is Sam-"

He held up his large hand. "Names are unnecessary. How long have you been waiting for Desilva?"

"About ten minutes, I guess."

He downed his drink in one gulp. "How long?" he repeated, only this time louder.

She was about to reply again, but the [domicile administration unit] spoke first. "Fourteen point seven minutes."

He set the glass down with a thud. "Long enough. No sense in waiting any longer." His next command was directed at her. "Tell Desilva I need to speak with him."

"But...." This man took for granted that she knew who he was. Admitting her ignorance would really identify her as a provincial.

He strode to the door, then turned to face her. "But? You want something more?" His gaze flickered over her again. "Ah, yes. Although not my usual style, you do have an interesting allure. I will agree to one time. If it is good, then perhaps more."

After consulting a small notebook, he continued, "Not tomorrow, but the next day's reinvigoration period. Until then."

She blinked and he was gone. What on Earth was he talking about? She stood up in a daze and twisted her top button closed. Whatever it was, she was certain she'd just been insulted.

Author BIO: Best-selling author Susanne Marie Knight specializes in Romance Writing With A Twist. She is multi-published with books, short stories, and articles. In addition to The Contrary Contessa, she has the award-winning Janus Is A Two-Headed God, Past Indiscretions, and The Coming, available at Awe-Struck E-Books. Her list of other books include Alien Heat and The Reluctant Landlord, Wings ePress, Love At The Top and Timeless Deception, NovelBooks, Inc., Grave Future, LTDBooks; Tainted Tea For Two, Hard Shell Word Factory; and Lord Darver’s Match and The Magic Token, LionHearted Publishing.

Originally from New York City, Susanne currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, by way of Okinawa, Montana, Alabama, and Florida. Along with her husband, daughter, and feisty Siamese cat, she enjoys the area’s beautiful ponderosa pine trees and wide, open spaces--a perfect environment for writing. She has her own website: www.susanneknight.com and received her Master of Science degree in Natural Health. Sign up for her free e-newsletter Knight Dreams at newsletter@susanneknight.com.