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SECRETS
in ThE
STOnE
Visit us at www.boldstrokesbooks.com
Acclaim for Radcly ffe’s Fiction Lammy winner “…Stolen Moments is a collection of steamy stories about women who just couldn’t wait. It’s sex when desire overrides reason, and it’s incredibly hot!” – On Our Backs Lammy winner “…Distant Shores, Silent Thunder weaves an intricate tapestry about passion and commitment between lovers.
The story explores the fragile nature of trust and the sanctuary provided by loving relationships.” – Sapphic Reader Shield of Justice is a “…well-plotted…lovely romance…I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough!” – Ann Bannon, author of The Beebo Brinker Chronicles A Matter of Trust is a “… sexy, powerful love story filled with angst, discovery and passion that captures the uncertainty of first love and its discovery.” – Just About Write
“The author’s brisk mix of political intrigue, fast-paced action, and frequent interludes of lesbian sex and love…in Honor Reclaimed…sure does make for great escapist reading.”
– Q Syndicate
Lammy Finalist Justice Served delivers a “…crisply written, fast-paced story with twists and turns and keeps us guessing until the final explosive ending.” – Independent Gay Writer Change of Pace is “… contemporary, yet timeless, not only about sex, but also about love, longing, lust, surprises, chance meetings, planned meetings, fulfilling wild fantasies, and trust.” – Midwest Book Review
“Radcly f fe has once again pulled together all the ingredients of a genuine page-turner, this time adding some new spices into the mix. shadowland is sure to please—in part because Radcly f fe never loses sight of the fact that she is telling a love story, and a compelling one at that.” – Cameron Abbott, author of To The Edge and An Inexpressible State of Grace Lammy Finalist Turn Back Time is filled with…“wonderful love scenes, which are both tender and hot.” – MegaScene
“Innocent Hearts… illustrates that our struggles for acceptance of women loving women is as old as time—only the setting changes. The romance is sweet, sensual, and touching.” – Just About Write
In Lammy Finalist When Dreams Tremble the “…focus on character development is meticulous and comprehensive, filled with angst, regret, and longing, building to the ultimate climax.”
– Just About Write
“Sweet No More…snarls, teases and toes the line between pleasure and pain.” – Best Lesbian Erotica 2008
“Word of Honor takes the reader on a great ride. The sex scenes are incredible…and the story builds to an exciting climax that is as chilling as it is rewarding.” – Midwest Book Review
“Lammy Finalist The Lonely Hearts Club is an ensemble piece that follows the lives [and loves] of three women, with a plot as carefully woven as a fine piece of cloth.” – Midwest Book Review
By the Author
Romances
Innocent Hearts
Fated Love
Love’s Melody Lost
Turn Back Time
Love’s Tender Warriors
Promising Hearts
Tomorrow’s Promise
When Dreams Tremble
Passion’s Bright Fury
The Lonely Hearts Club
Love’s Masquerade
Night Call
shadowland
Secrets in the Stone
The Provincetown Tales
Safe Harbor
Beyond the Breakwater
Distant Shores, Silent Thunder
Storms of Change
Winds of Fortune
Honor Series
Justice Series
Above All, Honor
A Matter of Trust (prequel)
Honor Bound
Shield of Justice
Love & Honor
In Pursuit of Justice
Honor Guards
Justice in the Shadows
Honor Reclaimed
Justice Served
Honor Under Siege
Justice for All
Word of Honor
Erotic Interludes: Change Of Pace
(A Short Story Collection)
Radical Encounters
(An Erotic Short Story Collection)
Stacia Seaman and Radclyffe, eds.:
Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments
Erotic Interludes 3: Lessons in Love Erotic Interludes 4: Extreme Passions Erotic Interludes 5: Road Games
Romantic Interludes 1: Discovery
SECRETS
in ThE
STOnE
by
RADCLY f FE
2009
secrets in the stone
© 2009 By Radclyffe. all Rights ReseRved.
isBN 10: 1-60282-083-Xe
isBN 13: 978-1-60282-083-8e
This ElEcTronic Book is PuBlishEd By
Bold sTrokEs Books, inc.,
P.o. Box 249
VallEy Falls, ny 12185
FirsT EdiTion: July 2009
This is a Work oF FicTion. naMEs, characTErs, PlacEs, and incidEnTs arE ThE ProducT oF ThE auThor’s iMaGinaTion or arE usEd FicTiTiously. any rEsEMBlancE To acTual PErsons, liVinG or dEad, BusinEss EsTaBlishMEnTs, EVEnTs, or localEs is EnTirEly coincidEnTal.
This Book, or ParTs ThErEoF, May noT BE rEProducEd in any ForM WiThouT PErMission.
cRedits
EdiTors: ruTh sTErnGlanTz and sTacia sEaMan ProducTion dEsiGn: sTacia sEaMan
coVEr dEsiGn By shEri (GraPhicarTisT2020@hoTMail.coM) Acknowledgments
Authors always say they write because they “have to.” True, I think, for all of us, that need for self-expression. There are lots of other reasons, of course—passionate belief, outrage, joy, intellectual curiosity, fame and fortune. Well, maybe not the last so much. I write because I have never found any other experience that engages my heart and mind to equal extent—or that was as much fun in the process. This book was an adventure, in character, in tone, in style, in story. I am happy that after thirty-one novels and dozens of short stories, I can still enjoy the journey, and I sincerely hope that you do too.
Many thanks to first readers Connie, Diane, Eva, Paula, RB, and Tina; to Jennifer Knight for her always-insightful critique and suggestions; to Ruth Sternglantz and Stacia Seaman for outstanding editorial guidance; to the unsung heroes aka proofreaders; to Sheri for graphic brilliance; and to you—the reader—for taking another voyage with me. Deepest gratitude.
And to Lee, for always being the light in the dark. Amo te.
Radclyffe 2009
Dedication
For Lee
For All the Secret Treasures
SecretS in the Stone
ChapTER OnE
A harsh glare pierced the murky depths of the tunnel, accompanied by a rumbling roar that reverberated in Adrian’s bones. Frigid air carrying the scent of snow blasted her, and she flinched back, blinded by the light. Bodies pressed close around her, whispers of anticipation hammered at her eardrums, and she struggled to shut out the disorienting tumult as the northbound Acela screeched to a halt at the platform.
Gripping her briefcase, overnight bag, and a cardboard cup of take-out coffee, Adrian let herself be carried by the press of the crowd into the business-class car, where she finally dropped into a window seat with an overwhelming rush of relief. She’d never been good in crowds—too many seething emotions, too many unwanted caresses masquerading as innocent touches. Determined to dispel the lingering discomfort, she pulled several files from her briefcase and concentrated on her work, the one constant she could count on to ease her disquiet.
“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”
“No. Please, sit down,” Adrian said automatically. She removed her briefcase from the adjacent seat to make room for the woman standing in the aisle. The blonde reminded her of Kim Basinger in L.A.
Confidential, voluptuous in a way that contemporary women seemed to eschew. Lustrous shoulder-length honey blond hair, full red lips, and a sensuous figure that her tailored two-piece suit did nothing to temper. The curve of her hips and tapered thighs were obvious beneath the gray silk skirt, and the deep vee of the jacket, while modest enough for business attire at first glance, nevertheless gave a titillating hint of cleavage.
Adrian’s pulse kicked, and the response surprised her. She didn’t
• 13 •
RADcLY fFe
ordinarily find herself attracted to women who reminded her of the sophisticated, high-powered denizens of the world she’d grown up in.