Excerpt for The Zodiac Series: Earth - "Safe Sex"

Cynthia Williams, dressed to stun in three-inch heels, silk blouse and suede skirt, walked into The Starlight Room. Incongruously, she carried a folded newspaper under her arm and stood at the arch separating the lounge from the dining area, studying the patrons seated at the dark mahogany bar along the wall. She searched for the man with a newspaper under his arm. It seemed a cliché, really, to meet a blind date this way, but it had been his suggestion and she'd thought, what the hell?

The bartender was efficient in handling the few early customers, spread out as they were. No one occupied the tables dotted around the small area.

Cynthia immediately discounted the man moving his hand down a woman's back to her butt in what he might have thought was a surreptitious, seductive move. By the look on his companion's face, he was likely to discover soon that it was neither. The man on the other side of the lone female customer prepared to leave by picking up a briefcase, not a newspaper.

Next in line were broad shoulders enclosed in a tweed jacket. Elbows on the bar, the man cradled a crystal glass holding two fingers of an amber liquid. His stare reflected in the mirror behind the bar was dispassionate, but Cynthia found him intriguing nonetheless. Perhaps because of the lack of emotion. Lines bracketed his eyes, indicating he hadn't sat on the sidelines of life, although he wasn't old-maybe late thirties or early forties. Short, light brown hair showed no gray. In the conventional sense, he wasn't handsome. Cheeks, forehead, chin and nose were all rough but strong, and that produced a quality of handsomeness all its own. Cynthia found herself wishing he was her date, but there was no newspaper under his arm. Damn!

Maybe her date hadn't arrived yet, she thought, as she quickly examined the other occupants. She first passed over and then returned to a slim man in a suit, sitting near the end. Perched on the edge of his stool, poking his glasses up onto his nose and smiling at no one in particular, he looked like a puppy anxious for someone to take him out. The very antithesis of the other man. Oh, dear. The tell-tale newspaper was tucked securely under his left arm.

Cynthia stepped into the bar to meet her fate. The man's eyes lighted when he spied her, and he hopped off the stool to approach. In addition to an argyle sweater vest and plaid bow tie, the man had a cowlick on the crown of his head that looked wet. Evidently he'd tried to tame the hair, but without success.

She held out her hand when he reached her. A wide grin split his face and he held up the newspaper, proving he was the man she sought. As if she had any doubt-this was the way her dating life had gone for months. Then he took her hand.

"Hello," she said. "If you're Vern, I'm Cynthia."

"Who are you if I'm not Vern?" the suit asked, laughing at his own joke and giving her hand a polite shake.

It was going to be a long night. "Out of here." She allowed a small smile to brace herself. Oh, if only, if only, if only…

He laughed again, a cross between a giggle and cackle. "Then I'm Vern. Pleased to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." I hope so, anyway.

Looking over her shoulder, he nodded to someone. "Our table is ready. Thank you for being punctual. So many women aren't."

Yup, punctual, that's me.

They followed the maitre d'hotel to their table and when he moved away, Cynthia pulled out her own chair, too late realizing that Vern had moved behind her to do it. Damn again! She hadn't meant to be rude, but she was used to seating herself. One of the problems with being independent was that it often intimidated men when she showed she didn't need to be pampered. From the look on Vern's face, it had just happened again.

"Sorry," she murmured, as he sat across from her. He frowned; then settled his shoulders with a sigh and his face eased.

Looking over Vern's shoulder, she found herself facing the bar and the stare of the man who'd intrigued her. His look was anything but dispassionate now. In fact, lightning-like heat arced the distance separating them. Her breath caught as he lifted his glass in salute before turning around. Even then, his eyes met hers in the mirror, holding her captive with their intensity. Just her luck to be seated so that she faced both her fantasy and reality. Poor Vern. He might be a very nice guy but he could only suffer in comparison.

"Cynthia?" Vern tapped her arm with his newspaper. "Cynthia, are you all right?"

"What?" With effort, she shifted her gaze to Vern's. There was no heat, no earth-shattering intensity displayed in his soft gray irises, only curiosity. "I'm sorry, Vern. I thought I saw someone I recognized." Only half a lie. In fact, the power in the stranger's gaze was much like she'd read about in romances, where soul mates knew each other immediately, drew together and resisted any and all efforts to tear them apart. If she believed in romance, or love at first sight, or soul mates, she'd be beside that man like a shot. As it was, whatever attraction she felt for him made no sense. If she were going to be fair to Vern, she'd have to keep her eyes off the man at the bar.

"Where?" Vern twisted in his chair to look behind him.

"Oh, never mind. It wasn't anyone." Cynthia picked up her menu. "This is a very nice place. Have you eaten here before?"

Facing forward again, Vern smiled. "A few times," he said. "As soon as I found out your birthday from Julie I knew this was where we should meet." He leaned forward. "I know you're a Taurus."

"I am?" Smiling her thanks at the young man filling her glass with water, she fought to keep from looking into the bar to see if he was still watching. Then she snapped her head to Vern. "Julie told you my birth date?"

"Oh, not the year, don't worry about that. But the month and day, sure. I had to know if our signs were compatible. And we are-you're Taurus and I'm Pisces. I know you really enjoy the finer things in life, including candlelit dinners. I like romance, too, and while I could have cooked you a gourmet meal at home, I thought you'd like this setting better for our first date."

Cynthia stared. He seemed so earnest she didn't have the heart to tell him that dinner from a hotdog vendor was romantic with the right person. For the two of them, even this expensive, impressive evening would amount to nothing more than one event.

"I wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for you." He pushed his glasses up and blushed.

"That's very nice of you, Vern." And it was. For the right woman, Vern would be quite a prize. Too bad it wasn't her.

Feeling guilty, knowing the evening was going nowhere after all the trouble and thought he'd put into it, Cynthia took in the setting. The Starlight Room was designed with seduction in mind, whether for business deals or more personal propositions. Dimly lit, with the tables spaced well apart and thick carpeting and curtained walls keeping extraneous sound to a minimum, conversational privacy was ensured. Overhead, a depiction of the night sky, a rich midnight blue dotted with stars-really hundreds of tiny lamps inset in the gently rounded ceiling-continued the illusion. Soft lighting and candles further added to the ambience. If only Vern could prove worthy of the atmosphere. Like she somehow knew the man at the bar would.

Sighing, she resisted the temptation to check her watch, but not the lounge area. He met her inquisitive glance, via the mirror. Surely the distance was such that she couldn't really see the glint of desire in his eyes or his head tilt back as though to seek her scent. It was impossible. Yet, she would have sworn it happened. Self-consciously, she reached her hand to smooth the chignon resting at her nape and tug the collar points of her lavender silk blouse. She was awfully warm, but feared her elevated temperature had nothing to do with the restaurant thermostat.

Forcing her attention back to the man sitting across the table rather than the one calling her silently in the next room, she smiled. "So, Vern," she started. "You're interested in astrology."

"Oh, much more than interested." He broke off when the waiter approached.

"May I take your order?" Cynthia looked at Vern.

He gave her a look that said, "Watch this." His chest puffed out as he adopted an authoritative tone, ordering dinner, the wine, even dressing for the salad, all without consulting her. And in French, which she wasn't sure the waiter completely understood. Of course, she had to admit the wine he'd chosen would be superb with lapin. But couldn't he have asked if she preferred rabbit to chicken? Irritation competed with guilt as the money he was spending on their date mounted.

"Now, back to astrology," he said. "I consult a professional and never make a move personally or professionally without consulting my chart."

"I don't know anything about charts or such. I've always considered astrology to be such a f-" Just in time she stopped herself from saying feminine. "-fascinating topic. Really, fascinating." Cynthia had never before met a man caught up in such farce. But she didn't want to make him feel bad.

Vern preened at her words of interest. "It is indeed fascinating. Not many people appreciate that fact. For instance, we've never met but I can tell you a great deal about yourself."

"Oh, like what?" Not that she believed, but if he talked, it would relieve her of having to converse. She hated feeling mean, and truly tried to look interested. How could she be so sure they had no chemistry, and Vern be so clueless?

"Like…" He stared at her, his fingers steepled under his chin. "You're intensely loyal, sticking with friends or ideas long after you should give them up, sometimes missing other opportunities. You like luxury, romance and all of the accoutrements of both, although-" he flicked his wrist, indicating The Starlight Room "-this is a bit extreme since you're also a thrifty person. I just wanted to impress you with the most romantic spot I knew of, I guess." He smiled. Guiltily, she smiled, giving him leave to continue. "I'll bet you routinely shop at the Goodwill."

Cynthia cocked her head, feeling heat rise in her cheeks. "There's nothing wrong with the items at Goodwill. Why spend more than…" She squirmed in her seat. "Not that I do, of course, but as a matter of principle…"

Chuckling, he continued. "Pinching pennies is okay, although chances are, your perseverance will ensure you're successful and don't need to. Let's see. You are stubborn to the extreme and don't like to be pushed into anything, preferring to come to terms with change in your own time. I'll bet you were the final person in your group to use a cell phone, for instance. You're practical and give sensible gifts, or gifts from the heart, homemade."

Somewhat impressed despite her skepticism, Cynthia thought of the number of bread and cookie baskets she put together for Christmas every year for her friends.

"I'll bet you're in a job that requires attention to detail, right?"

"Banking," she said. "I'm in banking." A small stretch. Well, okay, a giant stretch, but her job did require attention to detail.

"Excellent choice of profession. Taureans are generally quiet and a bit shy. I'm almost surprised you go on blind dates, but I'm glad you agreed to meet me, Cynthia."

In fact, she hated blind dates, but besides the fact that she often intimidated men with her independence and drive, there was the problem of time. It took time to develop a comfort level for a man to ask a woman out, and for months she hadn't had that luxury. At least now she knew why there had been no previous long-lasting relationships. Obviously none of the men had been the right sign. Maybe if she consulted an astrologer before agreeing to a date she could save a lot of headaches. Or not. After all, supposedly she and Vern were compatible.

The waiter returned with an ice bucket and bottle of champagne, which he opened and poured before leaving them. Vern held out his glass in a toast. "To the sensual Taurus and the romantic Pisces. May each find joy in exploring the other." He tapped his glass with hers.

Oh, she thought, how sweet. He really was a nice man, and quite the gentleman. She clinked her glass against his and smiled. Maybe this evening was going to be okay after all.

Vern grinned. "And I really mean that, Cynthia. No bull." His giggle-cackle rang through the intimate, reserved dining room, causing wait staff and diners to turn toward their table. "Do you get it?" he asked, gulping for air. "Taurus is a bull." Set off again, he could barely manage to add, "You may be a bull, but there's something fishy about me. Pisces, get it?" He almost slapped the table in his mirth.

Over Vern's shoulder, Mystery Man was staring at her, his expression full of amusement.

Yeah, she got it.

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Reviews for The Zodiac Series: Earth - "Safe Sex"

"…a wild and erotic ride. … A fast paced funny sexy read…" - 4 cups, Wateena, Coffee Time Romance Reviews

"...well written, engaging and full of passion." - 4 (out of 5), Sashi Ketsel, NovelSpot

"Ms. Knight not only offers a true portrait of a Taurus through Cyn's character, she also describes in perfect detail those oh, so awful moments we've all been in when we are on a blind date. Not only is our date not our most ideal person, there is someone else we are much more attracted to. While true to form of those awkward moments the author adds a dose of humor that will bring a giggle to the reader." - 3.5 Hearts, Gina, Love Romances

"Safe Sex is absolutely terrific, Cyn and Bill are explosive together and this story packs a twist that I didn't see coming but was oh so wonderful.- 4.5 Unicorns, Lynne, Enchanted in Romance

"Fun and sexy … an enjoyable tale that features a strong and heated romance." - 3.5 hearts, Sarah W. TRS

"Short, sexy and satisfying." - 4 Stars, Page Traynor, Romantic Times BOOKclub

"...a romance readers are sure to enjoy." - 4 Angels, Amanda, Fallen Angel Reviews

"…an awesome quick read … that left me breathless with desire. - 4 Stars, Contessa Scion, JERR

"…a charming story with two memorable characters, amusing escapades and steamy sensuality." - 4 Stars, Amelia Richards, eCataRomance Reviews

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