SNIPPET SATURDAY – Shopping
Feb
27
2010

How about a scene from Undercover? Sera is playing shallow and silly to get information from her new found companions…

FEDERATION CHRONICLES: UNDERCOVER by LAUREN DANE
Copyright 2008, Lauren Dane
All Rights Reserved, The Berkley Publishing Group

Sera wanted to die. These women would be the death of her. How they could stand themselves she didn’t know. But one thing she did know was that among Rina’s little group was Giles Standers’ alpha concubine, Delia. Sera figured it would be so and had taken a calculated risk in accepting this particular invitation. Rina’s keeper was a powerful man, not the most obviously so, but the one with the most financial power based on gaming and other gray market areas not so closely regulated by the Federation. They’d move in the same circles and Stander would want his females moving with ones like Rina.

“You are quite fortunate to have two such gloriously masculine protectors,” Delia said as she tossed an obscenely expensive gown at the clerk.

Sera smiled serenely as she fingered the undergarments, selecting several things to entice her men with.

“News travels so fast in Nondal,” Rina said in a voice so low and sensual Sera figured had to be enhanced.

“They are very fine looking men. I hear you had a run-in with Walker’s former wife last evening.”

“News does travel fast.” Sera offered nothing else. She wanted to know what else they’d heard and how.

“Giles is close with Perry and the she-demon. When they’re together, it’s the only time Giles’ wife ever has the nerve to say anything about all his women on the side.” Delia sniffed as if offended by that. Sera thought Giles’ wife would make a better point with a large, blunt object while her wayward husband slept. Still, Sera did quite enjoy the characterization of Kira as a she-demon.

“Have you met her?” Sera asked nonchalantly.

“Of course not. Do you think she’d lower herself to speak to one of us? Is it true they introduced you to her? I would have loved to have seen it with my own eyes.” Delia laughed.

“She gasped as if she’d been injured and stepped back, hand over her heart when Brandt introduced me. As if being a concubine would be something she could catch.” Venomous, evil, horrid woman.

“Not so perfect herself. Her or her precious Family.”

Really now? What did that mean? “This is lovely but this,” Sera held up another gown in a deeper color, “would suit your coloring so much better.”

Flattered, Delia took it, and in the middle of the boutique, stripped out of the gown she wore and tried on the delicate one Sera had handed her. “You’re right. I’ll wear it tonight I think.”

Sera waited until they’d entered yet another shop to hedge around the topic again. “I’m just relieved she won’t be at the party this evening.”

“Perry will be. She doesn’t know what a beast he is when she’s not around. Wouldn’t be so superior-like if she knew. All she cares about is credits anyway.”

“I’ve seen Perry. A girl has to get something out of a relationship and since Ash is in my bed, I think credits must mean more to her than sex.” Whoo, way to channel Sela.

Delia and Rina laughed. “I’ve seen Perry’s cock, it’s nothing to put on a vid and report over. But as long as he’s willing to keep certain people happy and doesn’t have the morals of a speck, she’ll stay with him and the Walkers will be happy.” Delia put yet another pair of shoes on the teetering stack she’d already created. Stander must be operating in the gray in a major way to finance this woman’s shoes alone.

“Certain people? Should I be worried about Ash ending up in some off ‘Verse brig for dealing with the criminal element?” she asked as she handed a pair of shoes to the clerk with a smile.

“Doesn’t seem the type to play on the wrong side of the fence,” Rina said. “Oh, I love that bag!”

Sera let it go for the time being, she couldn’t push too hard about it. Sela wouldn’t care overly much anyway. She’d find ways to bring it up at the party later that evening and whenever she could without looking suspicious. Certainly the comments Delia made didn’t cast Stander in a very good light and the stuff about Perry was worrisome.

One thing that did bother her was the possible involvement of Kira in the dealings with the Imperialists. Not that she gave a purri seed one way or another about the stupid woman. But she worried for Brandt and Ash, for their feelings and their Families. Sera hoped the things they’d said about credits and that sort of thing just indicated Kira’s nature and not any sort of knowledge of what was going on between Stander and the Imperialists.

By the time the afternoon was over, she entered the quiet guest house, the shops had sent over her packages and she was halfway to drunk from all the liquor they’d imbibed at each boutique.
As Ash and Brandt were both gone, she stripped down, got in the large bath and soaked while she tried to figure out just what the hell Kira and Perry had to do with Giles Stander and what she could do to protect her men from whatever trouble might arise

Don’t Forget to Visit Today’s Other Snippeters!
Shelli Stevens
Lissa Matthews
Ashley Ladd
McKenna Jeffries
Taige Crenshaw
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Vivian Arend
Mari Carr
Lauren Dane
Shelley Munro
TJ Michaels

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