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Silk
by Michelle
M Pillow
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Paranormal
Romance
In order
to keep
his
secret
formula
from the
enemy,
the
dying
Dr.
William
St.
James
made the
impossible
choice.
He
injected
the only
sample
of it
into his
daughter,
killing
her
chance
at a
normal
life so
that an
elite
superhero
may be
born.
Now, ten
years
later
and
utterly
alone,
Quinlan
St.
James is
still
torn
between
the
woman
she
could
have
been and
the
superhero,
Silk,
she has
become.
Nikandros is an immortal
Protector, sworn to an
eternity in the service
of good. His is a lonely
existence, one chosen
long ago. Believing that
Quinlan might be selling
her father’s formula to
the highest bidder, the
Protectors send him to
seduce the reclusive
billionaire. However,
instead of a coldhearted
conspirator, he
discovers a lonely woman
with a heart of gold—and
a secret identity. Now
it’s up to him to prove
her innocence without
blowing his cover.
Rating: Contains graphic
sexual content, adult
language, and violence.
EXCERPT
Must be 18 years and
older to read. If not,
please leave the site.
Silk
by
Michelle
M. Pillow
Prologue
His
touch burned into her
skin like liquid fire,
as he clutched her arms
in what must have been
desperation and panic.
It was more memory than
any grown woman should
have of her father.
Everything she had been
was lost in that moment
of betrayal--a violation
worse than death because
it could never end,
could never be escaped.
The
father gave her life,
but the scientist took
it back. She had been
sixteen, in the prime of
her youth. He killed her
that day. Her
father--genius, patriot,
madman, scientist--had
been given no choice and
in turn didn’t give her
one. He was dying. It
was her or the enemy.
And so he chose the
impossible. He chose the
death of his child in
exchange for the birth
of a new elite
superhero.
That
is why Silk could never
hate her killer.
Chapter One
Quinlan St. James gasped
as coffee spilled over
her dark designer
pantsuit. Blinking, she
glared after the
hoverboarders who
trailed by, laughing
rudely at her. Their
boards glided
noiselessly over the
uneven sidewalks of
Pierson Park, carrying
the spike-haired lads to
their next victim.
She
clutched her newspaper
under her arm as she
leaned over to pick up
the cup and throw it in
the trash. She didn’t
mind the kids, not
really. They were just
being young and
obnoxious. She should
have been watching for
them, but her mind was
clouded with other
things. Brushing the
brown droplets off her
suit with the back of
her hand, she sighed.
The suit was stained,
but it wasn’t like she
needed to be anywhere
that it would matter.
Quinlan turned around
and headed straight back
to the quaint little
sidewalk coffee vendor.
The man behind the
counter wiped his hands
on his twenty-first
century green apron and
automatically handed her
another cup. As she made
a move to reach for her
card, but he smiled and
waved her away. Quinlan
nodded at him and walked
back over to her
customary bench beneath
the shade of a tall oak
tree.
She
took a small sip before
setting the cup down.
Coffee was better in the
old district. They still
ground it by hand and
brewed it in refurbished
coffee machines.
Flipping to the science
section of the New
Pierson City Times, her
face fell as she saw her
father’s cheery
expression staring at
her. Quietly, she
scanned the feature
article on him.
Ten
years after his
unexplained death, Dr.
William St. James,
renowned genetic
engineer, will be
inducted into the
Scientific Achievement
Hall of Fame this
weekend. Dr. St. James
spent the last two
decades of his life
fighting the war against
genetic diseases ...
work that is the
foundation of modern
genetic study....
Quinlan narrowed her
gray-green eyes,
refusing to cry about
things she could not
change. She looked
silently up at the
bright blue sky. Clouds
peeked down from behind
the tree limbs and the
dark skyscrapers of the
oldest section of the
city. Nearby, the motor
of a 1950 Chevy Fastback
revved as it gave
tourist rides around the
historical section of
the park.
Quinlan frowned. The
newspaper wasn’t telling
her anything she didn’t
already know. Sighing,
she turned back to the
article anyway.
The
official induction will
be held at the St. James
Estate in East Bend this
Friday. It is the first
time since Dr. St.
James’ death that the
home will be opened to
guests. Dr. St. James’
daughter, Quinlan St.
James, owns the estate,
a renovated castle from
England.... Miss St.
James is ... a reclusive
billionaire. An
invitation only cocktail
party will follow the
official induction,
where some of the
scientist’s papers will
be on display for the
first time, along with
some of his earlier
inventions. All items
are being donated to the
Genetic Science Museum.
Even
now caterers and
decorators invaded her
home. It was the whole
reason she’d come into
the city. The giant
photograph the museum
had sent over of her
father had been staring
down at her for days,
bringing up a myriad of
emotions she didn’t want
to feel.
Quinlan’s eyes skimmed
the rest of the article
before carefully folding
it up. It didn’t even
come close to describing
the full truth of her
father’s work--the
strange late night
visitors they’d had
while she was growing
up, the coded messages
he received at all
hours. She didn’t care.
Let the public have
their fairy tale
version.
Grabbing her coffee, she
stood and walked over to
the trashcan. William
St. James’ face stared
up at her from the paper
she held, smiling in a
crooked way she still
remembered. She didn’t
smile back. Hesitating
slightly, she threw the
article away.
* * *
*
Nikandros Grant pulled
his hands from the
pockets of his blue
jeans as he pushed off
an old fashioned light
post. He liked the
historical park. It
reminded him of a
simpler time in human
evolution--before
technology advanced so
far that even walking
across a city or
stopping to flip a light
switch became
unnecessary.
Trailing over the uneven
cement path, he followed
the slender beauty he
was watching. She stood,
walking over to a
trashcan as she finished
her paper. Looking down
at the small leather
wallet in his hands, he
smiled. The
hoverboarders had been a
perfect distraction.
Although, when Miss St.
James had dropped her
coffee and went to
retrieve a new one, he’d
been worried she’d
discover it was missing.
Passing the trash, he
glanced over to the
side. He saw the article
she’d been reading
neatly folded on the top
of the pile. His old
friend’s face smiled up
from the black and white
photograph. Nikandros
let loose a quick,
humorless chuckle at
William’s 2-D
expression. Silently, he
nodded at the photo.
William had been a good
man.
Quinlan hardly looked as
he had imagined her when
he first found out about
her plan to make
William’s personal
documents public. She
didn’t take after her
father at all. William
had been a squat, short
man with a sunny smile
and laughing blue eyes
hidden beneath
spectacles. His daughter
was a tall, slender
woman with a serious
face and wide gray-green
eyes that pierced
silently as she studied
everything around her.
His
gaze automatically
strayed to her hips and
thighs. Wicked thoughts
danced in his head and
he wanted to groan his
sudden wave of sexual
frustration to the
world. Nikandros grinned
in his wickedness. He
was a man after all and
it was his assignment to
‘watch’ her. She was
beautiful, which would
make his job of seducing
her all the more
pleasurable--and all the
more dangerous.
After
studying her case file,
it was determined that a
new love interest is
just what a woman like
her might need.
Seduction was always a
dangerous game and
Nikandros knew he would
have to be careful and
not get too involved. It
wouldn’t be hard. He had
never gotten too
involved before.
Besides, he had to find
out exactly where her
sympathies lay. He only
hoped William would
forgive him for anything
he had to do.
Quinlan was a recluse
that kept to herself.
She didn’t have a job,
as she was independently
wealthy, thanks to her
inheritance. She didn’t
have any close friends,
no serious boyfriends or
known lovers. She didn’t
own a pleasure droid
like most rich women.
She didn’t go to sex
clubs or belong to
sexual consent groups.
Although, he had been
able to uncover the fact
that she did have a
subscription to some
pretty risqué
magazine-discs. It at
least proved that she
wasn’t completely made
of ice.
With
an inward groan, he
watched the flexing
muscles of her backside.
His hand twitched. With
a figure like that, it
would be a sin for her
not to use her body to
its full potential.
Quinlan took a corner,
rounding slowly away
from the park to a more
private section of the
historic district. She
seemed more intent at
staring at her coffee
cup than looking around
at the shrubbery
landscape. Taking the
opportunity to approach,
Nikandros began to jog
after her.
"Miss!" he called
lightly. "Miss, wait! I
believe you dropped
this."
Quinlan blinked at the
sound, but kept walking.
She was lost in thoughts
of the past and the
speech she would have to
give to her father’s old
colleagues. Some of the
old men had been
hounding her for weeks,
ever since the
announcement that she
was donating a large
portion of her father’s
work to the museum. It
seemed they all wanted a
piece of it first.
It
wasn’t her idea to get
rid of the boxes of old
stuff. When Henry
Thompson, the museum’s
head coordinator, first
contacted her with the
news of her father’s
induction, she thought
it a very fitting place
for his life’s work to
go. Besides, with the
added publicity of her
father’s career and
death, old skeletons
would come out of the
closet to play.
Feeling a hand on her
arm, she jolted in
surprise.
"Miss," Nikandros said,
smiling brightly for
her.
Quinlan turned at the
sound, blinking to see
who’d stopped her. Her
wide eyes moved up to a
face. She was startled
to see such a handsome
man trying to get her
attention. For a moment,
she stood, just staring
at him. His teeth were
white and straight,
hidden beneath the most
gorgeous mouth she’d
ever seen.
His
body was in fine shape,
if the strength of his
hand was any indication.
His eyes were dark,
almost black in their
solid piercing depths,
framed by the slashing
of his masculine
eyebrows. His dark brown
hair was a perfect match
to his steady gaze,
combed back into a short
easy style that fit well
with the blue jeans and
T-shirt he wore. He
smiled at her, but she
could feel there was
more to him than that
heart-stopping look.
Quinlan shivered. She
could feel a potent heat
coming from him and it
disturbed her. Glancing
down at where he touched
her arm, she watched him
slowly draw his hand
away.
"Miss?" Nikandros said,
wondering at her
distrustful look. Did
she suspect him? Her
eyes traveled gradually
over him and he felt his
body begin to stir at
the feminine interest.
Quinlan blinked.
Nikandros’ grin widened
in masculine invitation
and he added, "Your
wallet."
Quinlan looked at his
offered hand, frowning.
Feeling her pocket, she
did indeed find her
wallet to be missing.
"Ah,
thanks, Mr. ah...?" she
inquired, taking it from
him. She clutched the
thin wallet in her hand,
taking pains to put it
into her breast pocket
for safer keeping. She
must really be
distracted today.
"Nick
Grant," he answered,
holding his hand out for
her to take. Quinlan
took his warm palm in
hers. He watched her
face to see if she
recognized the name. If
she did, she didn’t show
it.
A
memory pulled at
Quinlan, but she blinked
it away. Nick was a
common enough name, as
was Grant. She gave him
a kind, distracted
smile. When he didn’t
let go right away, she
pulled her hand back and
said, "Thank you, Mr.
Grant."
Her
voice was soft,
unintentionally sultry
to his senses. Nikandros
glanced down at his
palm. Her hand had been
as smooth as
silk--almost too smooth.
He rubbed his fingers
absently over his palm,
wondering at it.
"No
problem," he murmured,
his tone dipping ever so
slightly. As he looked
at her strikingly
alluring face, he almost
forgot what he was
doing. Her light brown
hair blew in layers over
her shoulder and she
absently pushed it back
as she turned from him.
She began to walk away.
Rushing, he again
stopped her, this time
with words. "Would you
like to go get some
coffee, or something?"
Quinlan gave him a small
smile. At the playful
pull of her look, desire
shot through his stomach
like a spark. He
swallowed and his throat
suddenly went dry. She
slowly lifted up her
coffee cup at him, and
said, "Thanks anyway,
but I’m good."
Nikandros swallowed down
his disappointment as
she walked away.
Although, he knew that
it was better that she
left him. The Protectors
would expect a report.
The first contact had
been made. That was
enough for now.
Nikandros sighed
heavily. He was old
enough to know when a
woman’s look held more
than passing curiosity.
There was a cunning mind
hiding behind her eyes.
Quinlan St. James was
definitely up to
something. It was his
job to figure out what.
If she planned on
selling her late
father’s formula, as
they suspected she might
be, it would be his job
to stop her.
Quinlan kept her pace
slow as she crossed the
street and made her way
to the long transport
limo that waited for
her. The driver nodded
at her as he opened the
door. Her home was about
thirty miles outside the
city, but with the new
transit system in place,
it would only take her
about ten minutes to get
there.
Once
alone, she slid across
the seat to look out the
tinted window. She felt
the tires jolt as the
limo’s wheels pulled
from the street and
folded under the car.
The car floated
soundlessly over the
road.
She
didn’t realize the
slight smile of interest
that came to her face as
she saw Nick Grant
walking along a side
path. Her lips parted
with a heavy sigh, even
as her eyes took in the
muscles playing along
his firm backside. It
had been a long time
since she felt a jolt
like that when first
meeting someone.
It was
a good thing she hadn’t
struck up a conversation
with him. She had seen
the heated cast of
interest in his eyes
when he looked at her.
The last thing she
needed was a man
complicating her already
complex life--especially
now of all times.
Her
home was usually locked
up tighter than a
maximum-security prison
complex. Whoever wanted
her father’s formula
wouldn’t be able to
resist coming to the
celebration,
particularly with all
his papers going for
public display. It was
quite possible the man
responsible for her
father’s death would be
there. It was up to her
to discover who, out of
all his colleagues, had
betrayed him. Then, she
could finally put her
father’s memory to rest.
After all, it had been
ten long years of
waiting.
The
limo sped up and Nick
was blurred out of her
life. Quinlan doubted
she would ever see him
again. Sighing, she
leaned back and sipped
at her coffee. It was
just as well. A woman
like her could never
keep a relationship.
* * *
*
East
Bend was a small suburb
of Pierson City. The St.
James Estate sat just on
the edge, far away from
the neighbors. Quinlan’s
father had bought the
ancient family home and
moved it from England in
his youth. He’d built a
stone wall around the
edge of the property. It
looked serene, but if
anyone tried to scale
it, they would be in for
a stunning electrical
shock that would leave
them paralyzed for days.
The
only way in was through
the front gate. The
wrought iron bars were
well guarded by robotic
security. The guards
never slept and they
never left their post.
They hardly even moved
to acknowledge the limo,
but Quinlan knew their
eyes scanned the vehicle
to identify all
passengers. They would
only find her. The
robotic driver would
register a pulse that
the guards recognized.
The
yard surrounding her
home was green with
spring grass. Flowers
were beginning to bloom
on the landscaped lawn.
Little cobblestone
trails weaved over the
garden, intermingled
with statues and
benches. In the center
was a tiered water
fountain with no water.
Its old stone was
cracked ever so slightly
and it was overgrown
with vines. Quinlan
didn’t have the heart to
fix it.
The
square castellated home
stood tall against the
sky. It wasn’t a full
castle, just the part
that could be restored
after so many centuries
of decay. It had a
narrow stained glass
window in the front by
the thick oak front door
and smaller, framed
windows spread
throughout the
sidewalls. The old
stones seemed to have a
life of their own and as
a child Quinlan loved to
touch them, claiming she
could feel their energy.
Coming
to a stop, the limo door
opened automatically.
Quinlan stepped out and
the limo drove off to
the garage. Sighing, she
walked up the round
sweep of steps leading
to the front door of her
home.
Her
butler was there to
greet her in his very
formal uniform. He bowed
low over his waist and
said, "Welcome home,
Miss."
Quinlan handed him the
empty coffee cup. He was
mechanical like the rest
of her staff, so she
didn’t bother with
pleasantries. "Any
messages?"
"Fifty-two, Miss," said
the butler.
"Any
not pertaining to my
father?" Quinlan asked
wryly.
"No,
Miss," answered the
butler/giant answering
machine.
"Send
the standard replies,"
ordered Quinlan quietly.
"Very
good, Miss," answered
the butler. Going to his
post by the door, he
plugged himself into his
adaptor. His eyes closed
and Quinlan could hear
the faint sound of a
ring as he began to call
back her pre-recorded
messages.
A long
sweep of stairs went up
the right side, carpeted
with a plush red down
the center. The banister
crossed along the second
story to leave a top
section open to the
front hall’s view.
Quinlan ignored the
giant portrait of her
father staring down at
her from the top
handrail. The ceiling
was high in this section
of the home, reaching up
to the top of the second
floor and arching with
picturesque stone
cornices. White satin
sashes crossed over the
walls and roses wrapped
around over the stone
handrail leading
upstairs.
Taking
the steps two at a time,
Quinlan reached the top
of the stairs. She
ignored the mechanical
maid units as they
bustled about at
lightening speed. She
had them programmed to
work, never
acknowledging her. She
might be lonely, but she
would not lower herself
to programming herself
some company.
Crossing over the opened
area, she turned down a
long hall and opened the
thick oak of her bedroom
door. She stripped the
stained jacket from her
shoulders as she walked
across the luxurious rug
covering the stone
floor. Her shirt was
soon to follow. A maid
unit clicked on in the
corner and went to
retrieve the clothing.
Quinlan tossed her
slacks at the unit and
the maid caught them.
"Menu
six," Quinlan said,
ordering her food for
the evening. "Privacy."
The
unit scurried off with
the clothes, taking them
to laundry and shutting
the door behind her.
"Fire," Quinlan
murmured, flinging
herself onto the
oversized poster bed.
She lay against the silk
of her sheets, turning
her head to watch the
flames dancing in the
large marble fireplace.
The orange glow
flickered over the stone
walls, caressing her
nearly naked flesh with
its softness. Thick
velvet curtains were
opened over long
floor-to-ceiling windows
overlooking the side
garden. Quinlan ordered
them closed. The room
was instantly shrouded
in a softened darkness.
She
pulled all four pillows
to her body, curling
around them as she
closed her eyes.
Unbidden, the image of
Nick Grant came to mind.
She was alone. She would
never see him again.
There was no one to
watch her fantasize. She
imagined the pillow
beside her was his naked
chest. She ran her hand
over it and snuggled
deeper. For a brief
moment, right before she
fell asleep, she didn’t
feel so alone.
©
copyright August 2004,
Michelle M. Pillow
This is a work of
fiction. All characters,
events, and places are
of the author’s
imagination and not to
be confused with fact.
Any resemblance to
living persons or events
is merely coincidence.
REVIEWS
"4
Hearts! Michelle M.
Pillow’s SILK is
probably the best
offering in the ULTIMATE
WARRIORS anthology."
Love Romances, Jan 2006
In the
Library Review
"This
story is worthy of any
and all accolades
possible. The
worldbuilding is beyond
the pale and the story
of Silk is unique. When
things are said and
done, including when she
believes that Nikandros
is the one trying to
steal the formula, she
hates herself and what
must be done. I won't
tell you if he is or
not, but this story will
haunt you as you
consider the actions of
doing what's right even
when it can hurt the
ones we love. In the
end, there is more than
just a fight against
evil, it's an
individual's place to
define where they draw
the line. Kudos to
Michelle Pillow for a
phenomenal read."
Cyndi
Witkus
Romance Junkies
4 1/2
BLUE RIBBONS!
"Michelle M. Pillow’s
SILK is the last story
and is a great finale
for this wonderful
anthology. Quinlan St.
James leads a double
life. Her father,
unwilling for his
formula to get in the
wrong hands, injected
her and created the
superhero Silk. Now, she
is determined to find
her father’s killer by
inviting scientists to a
party where she is
donating his papers.
Nikandros Grant works
for a group that is
determined to prevent
the formula from getting
into the wrong hands.
They think that Quinlan
is going to sell it to
the highest bidder.
Sparks fly when
Nikandros and Quinlan
are together, but will
the secrets they hide
drive them apart?
SILK
was a very emotionally
gripping tale as Quinlan
tries to live with what
she has become.
Nikandros has his own
secrets, as well. Seeing
if these two would be
able to work things out
kept me entranced. Well
done, Ms. Pillow."
Reviewed by Nicole
Ecataromance Reviews
5
STARS!
"With
believable, dynamic
characters and a plot
with many twists thrown
into the mixture,
Michelle Pillow has
penned a tale that will
mesmerize readers. The
action, suspense and
romance are precisely
woven throughout the
story. The characters
are goal-oriented, yet
driven by strong
emotions. SILK will hold
you riveted to every
page until the stunning
finale."
Amelia Richard,
eCataRomance Reviews
The
Romance Studio
Silk
is an intense story that
is about a woman who is
trying to make a
difference. I really
enjoyed the interaction
of the two characters;
they each had their own
agenda to follow. The
chemistry between
Quinlan and Nikandros is
hotter than hot, and the
sex sizzles. ~ Julia
4
STARS for the Anthology!
The whole anthology was
an out of this world
experience. I liked all
the stories in it, and
none of it disappointed
me. They are all very
different stories, with
one common theme…
special people that only
want to help. If you are
looking for something a
little different and
exciting, give Ultimate
Warriors a try. ~ Julia
Enchanted in Romance
4
STARS
"This
book was a fun read; it
felt like I was watching
episodes of Superman
like stories, easily
drawn into each.
Ultimate Warriors is to
all who enjoy stories of
super heroes and romance
of course."
Reviewed by Nikita
Road
to Romance
"Michelle Pillow's tale
of a well-intentioned
"mad scientist's"
daughter, who finds love
in the arms of an
unlikely fellow from her
past, is both poignant
and hopeful... I highly
recommend this anthology
to fans of each of these
writers, as well as
those unfamiliar with
their works. It's a
great showcase of each
of the ladies talents
and has this reviewer
looking forward to more
from each of them."
Grab
it, read it, love it!
Reviewed by Niniri
Theriault
Fallen
Angel Reviews
"Silk
was an interesting story
of a tortured superhero
who is trying to
overcome her past. The
plot was fast-paced and
easy to follow. I felt
Silk was a great
addition to the Ultimate
Warriors Anthology."
Reviewed by: Tanya
Romance Reviews Today
"Silk
is a fascinating story
about a woman with
everything but the one
thing she truly desires
-- love. Quinlan hates
what her father did to
her, but instead of
using the gift for evil,
Quinlan uses it to help
others. Nick is more
than a simple man, and
he falls hard for
Quinlan. Ms. Pillow
writes a rather
interesting story with
Silk, and I recommend it
to readers who are
looking for a hero."
JERR
"Silk
was... the one to make
the most of the super
hero plotline. Mystery
surrounded both
characters very well,
and the author used that
to the story's
advantage. The
characters complimented
each other as the story
progressed... I was
never quite sure what
was going on, or what
was going to happen,
while I read Silk, which
is always enjoyable in a
story. The author was
very descriptive of
surroundings, giving me
a vivid picture of what
was going during the
action."
Dani J
Additional
Book
Information
Amazon
ASIN:B003VTZVT2
Electronic
ISBN:978-1-4524-1131-6
PRINT
ISBN-13:
PRINT
ISBN-10:
Release
Date: July
2010
Available at the following vendors
Eros Ebooks, Smashwords
Print Version
(if applicable)
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