Luck of the Gaian

By Janet Miller

A Gaian man shouldn’t be capable of loving a woman he wasn’t attached to, but somehow Calli Lisole had gotten past Captain Stanus Renden’s defenses and straight into his heart. Not that he’d ever to admit his attraction for the little card dealer from the space station Paradise’s casino. She just isn’t the right kind of woman for him.

But when pirates attack the station and the pair of them end up trapped in a tiny safe room, the feelings lurking in both of them must finally be faced.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Janet Miller
• Release date: Jul 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781940070124

Janet Miller

Janet Miller, often known as Cricket Starr, is the author of over twenty-seven titles at Ellora's Cave, Samhain, Red Sage, and New Concepts Publishing. These titles include the 2004 PRISM award winning Violet Among The Roses, 2011 PRISM award winning Bad Dog and the Babe, and 2006 EPPIE award winning All Night Inn. She has two Romantic Times Top Picks and nominees for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Beloved Enemy under her Janet Miller name, and Fangs For The Memories by Cricket Starr. Janet specializes in futuristic romance under her own name and futuristic, fantasy, and paranormal romance under the pen name Cricket Starr. Not all of her books are erotic, but she knows a good love scene when she reads or writes it.

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Copyright 2016 Janet Miller

Electronic Book Edition

Electronic book Publication September 2016

ISBN 978-1-940070-12-4

Electronic Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

More Science Fiction Romance by Janet Miller

Gaian stories:

The Girl In The Box

Promises To Keep

Beloved Enemy

Beloved Traveler

Beloved Stranger

A Promise Made

Other worlds:

Imperfect Judgment

Luck of the Gaian

By Janet Miller

Chapter One

So where is tall, dark, and Gaian?

Amber’s teasing voice drifted from the next table, audible over the chimes and pings of the slot machines surrounding them. Momentarily ignoring her friend, Calli continued to sort and stack the colored chips in front of her. She always counted them twice before opening her Alpha High card table.

Not that there was anyone waiting to play against her during the graveyard shift of the casino. The few players who that hadn’t already found their luxurious beds in the station’s hotel, or returned to their ships, were already at their favorite tables. The bigger crowds wouldn’t show up again until at least early afternoon, long after her shift was over. Being on the outs with her boss was costing her a lot in tips, but it was better than giving into the lecherous twit. Besides it gave her most of the day free to be with Ranni and that was worth more than a few chips.

As for Mr. ’tall, dark, and totally-unattainable’ as Stanus Renden should more accurately be called,... I haven’t seen Captain Renden in a couple of weeks. His ship, Resolve, hadn’t docked with Space Station Paradise recently. Not that she’d checked, at least not more than once every couple of days. His whereabouts weren’t all that interesting to her. Why do you ask?

Amber grinned at her. "Well, maybe because Resolve docked about two hours ago. I thought he’d be here by now."

Calli tried to ignore the uptick in her heart rate. She was so not interested in an unreachable Gaian man. You’ve been watching for his ship? Maybe you’ve formed an attachment for him.

Amber grinned at her. Attachment? No, that’s a Gaian male thing. I check for all the ships, every evening. Crews of the freshly docked are usually eager to play, particularly if they’ve been a long time in space. That can make any shift a good one. Amber shrugged. "I noticed Resolve on the list and thought you’d like to know. After all, he’s only interested in you."

Calli finished counting chips and slipped the security band off a new deck of cards, fanning them expertly and pulling out the end cards and triple fools. He’s interested in playing Alpha High, not me. He wears that respirator like it was armor.

Gaian men could only have sex with a woman they were attached to and, as an unmarried man, Stanus Renden wore a breathing mask to filter out any pheromones that a random woman might give off, binding him to her. In all the time we’ve played cards Captain Renden has never even scratched his nose under that clear mask. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t eat, just plays cards for hours on end.

Amber’s grin widened. "Hours on end, watching you, watching your hands with