Maven (The Endure Series, book
1), by S.A. Huchton
Genre: Science Fiction Romance (New Adult)
Release Date: June 3rd, 2013
How far would you
go for love?
Since losing her
parents at 14, young prodigy Dr. Lydia Ashley has focused on one thing: an
appointment on the Deep Water Research Command Endure. Now 21, she's about to realize that dream,
but nothing is how she imagined it would be. Her transitional sponsor
forgets her, her new lab is in complete chaos, and, as if that
weren't enough, she's about to discover something so horrific it could
potentially destroy all life on the planet.
Daniel Brewer, a
noted playboy and genius in his own right, may be exactly what she needs... Or
he may make everything worse.
Has she finally
found a puzzle she can't solve?
"Yeah, there's one or two of the guys you'll want to
avoid here, but..." Cordy stopped mid-sentence, staring at something over
Lydia's shoulder. "What is he doing here?"
Curious, Lydia rotated to see who she was talking about. She
immediately regretted it. Daniel Brewer locked in on her like a homing beacon
and strode across room to her table. "Crap," she muttered when she
turned back.
"And he would be one of those.” Cordelia smirked.
"Good luck." She stood, lifting her tray of dishes.
Lydia's panic level rose. "You're leaving?"
Cordelia shrugged. "Hate to abandon you, but I've got a
call scheduled at 1845 I can't miss. I expect a full report on this later,
however." She grinned and headed for the exit.
Lydia willed her hands to be still and her breathing calm.
Her throat was scratchy and dry, but she didn't trust she could pick up her
glass of water without spilling it everywhere.
"You're a difficult woman to track down," Daniel
said as he plopped down on the bench across from her.
Not difficult enough, she thought to herself. "It's
dinner time. People usually eat around now. Or are you skipping meals
again?" She fought back a flinch, realizing what she gave away.
His eyebrows lifted, but he didn't comment on the remark.
"I see you were talking with Ms. Orietti. Interesting choice in
friends."
She sniffed. "I hardly think you're qualified to judge.
My personal life aside, did you hunt me down for a reason?"
"I saw your request."
Lydia feigned surprise. "The one I sent at 1700? I
assumed you wouldn't see that until whatever time it is you remember to go to
work in the morning."
He frowned. "Despite what you think, I actually work
quite a bit. My regular hours extend until 1900, and then I'm on call until 0700.
I take breaks for meals, of course, but I have several high level projects
going on at any given time."
"Of course.” She swallowed. Perhaps she had crossed the
line a bit with that last one. "That was uncalled for. I apologize. What
did you come to ask me, Mr. Brewer?"
"You can call me Daniel," he said, his grin
returning.
It was easy to see why he was so popular with women, but
that he still thought that was going to work rankled her. She steeled herself.
"Mr. Brewer," she said, standing and lifting her tray. “It's been a
very long day, so if there's a business matter you wanted to discuss..."
He kept pace with her as she crossed the room to dump her
dishes. From her peripheral vision, she saw several heads turn to follow their
progress. “Well, I thought we could discuss the specific project needs you have
and do some outlining so I can show you my skills.” He winked at
her
The subtle emphasis he placed on the word caused her to miss
a step. "I'm sorry, did you just..."
"What?" Daniel looked at her, the picture of
innocence.
Lydia sighed and kept walking. "Nevermind. Mr. Brewer,
I--"
"Daniel."
She stopped outside the SAT station and punched the call
button. "Mr. Brewer, if you refuse to conduct yourself in a manner
appropriate for someone in your position, I will withdraw my
request. I would prefer to have your expertise on this, but I will not tolerate
immaturity."
"Dr. Ashley, I assure you I can be nothing but
professional--"
"Good," she interrupted. "Then you can prove
that at 0730 when you meet with me and my lab staff to discuss
the necessary details." The SAT car arrived, and she stepped inside.
"My coworkers are crucial to the lab's success and they will all have
input in the needed software." The door closed. The last thing she saw was
Daniel's stunned expression.
After completing her degree in Graphic Arts at Monterey
Peninsula College, Starla opened up shop as a freelance graphic designer
focusing on creating beautiful book covers for independent authors and
publishers. She currently lives in Virginia where she trains her three Minions
and military husband.
Thank you so much for being a part of this cover reveal! You guys rock!
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