Man on Fire

By Frances Pauli

When Amanda’s unit is assigned to a brand new base at the edge of company territory, she thinks she’s ready for anything until she wakes from cryo-sleep and finds that their new leader is far more than she expected.

Mercenaries don’t have time for the feelings Commander Wells stirs in her and none of her training could prepare her for the instant heat between them. When the big brass orders her to spy on him, Amanda’s sense of duty takes her personal desires to task.

Wells is keeping secrets, he’s behaving in unusual ways and suddenly Amanda has more to worry about than a few sparks. If the man she wants isn’t who she thinks he is, will the truth be too hot for her to handle?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Sep 29, 2012
• ISBN: 9781771112833

Frances Pauli

Frances Pauli is a hybrid author of over twenty novels. She favors speculative fiction, romance, and anthropomorphic fiction and is not a fan of genre boxes. Frances lives in Washington state with her family, four dogs, two cats and a variety of tarantulas.

Book preview

Amanda’s one fired-up mercenary, but the truth about her new commander just might be too hot for her to handle.

When Amanda’s unit is assigned to a brand new base at the edge of company territory, she thinks she’s ready for anything until she wakes from cryo-sleep and finds that their new leader is far more than she expected.

Mercenaries don’t have time for the feelings Commander Wells stirs in her and none of her training could prepare her for the instant heat between them. When the big brass orders her to spy on him, Amanda’s sense of duty takes her personal desires to task.

Wells is keeping secrets, he’s behaving in unusual ways and suddenly Amanda has more to worry about than a few sparks. If the man she wants isn’t who she thinks he is, will the truth be too hot for her to handle?

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Man On Fire

Copyright © 2012 Frances Pauli

ISBN: 978-1-77111-283-3

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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Smashwords Edition

Man On Fire

By

Frances Pauli

Chapter One

The first time they met, she threw up on his boots. Coming out of stasis usually made her nauseated, but the new star drive had even more quirks than the 200 series. Her legs buckled two steps from the pod. Amanda found herself kissing the silvery floor grate and praying for a firm planet—any firm planet—to stand on. Her stomach rolled with the engines at the same instant the shiny, black boots stopped marching directly in her path.

She wiped the spew from her lips and sat back on her heels. A deep voice, gruff and with a faint trace of humor, boomed at least six feet over her head.

Dr. Gerafit, I believe we have a puker.

Yes, sir.

Amanda took a chance and leaned her head back.

Pod two, six, five, seven, a new voice chimed in. Reinsertion code. Acknowledge.

She stared at the man she’d yacked on and nodded in answer to the doctor’s question. Pod 2657. That was she. She was supposed to respond, but the dark eyes regarding her from a broad, unsmiling face stole her words away.

Is she clear?

Not yet. Pod two, six, five, seven, code?

Amanda’s brain focused. Her code phrase—she had it. She shook off the last dregs of hyper-sleep and answered. "Sorry. Man on fire."

She’s clear. The doctor spoke from somewhere to her left, out