Susie felt her face get warm and looked down, almost shy. "Thanks." She looked up again and saw the reflection of her own desire mirrored in Marlee's face. "You've got me tingling. All over."

"Me, too." Marlee leaned in for another steamy kiss, but Susie stopped her.

"Wait, mi vida. I have something for you first. If you want it, that is." Susie reached down into the front of her dress and into her bra. She pulled out a small wad of tissue. At the look on Marlee's face, she said, "No, I'm not stuffing my bra. That's the real me in there."

Marlee grinned. "What'd you get me?"

"Monday is our four month anniversary. I've had four amazing months with you, but I want more."

"Oh, me, too. Years and years and years."

Susie unwrapped the tissue paper, but clenched her fist quickly before Marlee could see what it was.

"Marlee McAllister." Susie opened her hand. Two gold plastic rings rested in the palm of her hand. "Will stay with me forever?"

"Yes," Marlee said without hesitation. "A thousand times yes." She held out her left hand, fingers splayed, ready to receive the ring.

"These aren't real, they're just--"

"They're real enough for me." Marlee kept her hand poised.

Susie slid one of the rings on Marlee's ring finger, surprised at how well it fit.

Marlee took the other ring and reached for Susie's hand, but before sliding it on asked, "Will you stay with me forever?"

Susie nodded, and let Marlee slide the ring on her finger. They hugged for a moment until Susie said, "What is taking you so long to unzip me?"

With a growl, Marlee obliged.

About the Author.

Barbara L. Clanton is a native New Yorker who left those "New York minutes" for the slower-paced palm-tree-filled life in Orlando, Florida. She currently teaches mathematics at a college preparatory school in the Orlando area. When she's not teaching, playing softball, tiling her floors, or evicting possums from the engine block of her RV, "Dr. Barb" plays bass guitar in a local band called The Flounders with her partner who plays the drums. Her ultimate dream is to one day snowbird between upstate New York and central Florida.

More Barbara L. Clanton Books:.

Out of Left Field: Marlee's Storu.

Book One in the Clarksonville Series.

High school junior Marlee McAllister lives and breathes softball. She's the pitcher for the Clarksonville Cougars in the North Country of upstate New York. With the season opener approaching, Marlee and her best friend, Jeri D'Amico, go to scout their rivals, the East Valley Panthers. The Panthers star pitcher, Christy Loveland, took the All County pitching title the preceding year. It is a title Marlee covets. Marlee and Jeri settle in for the game but as the Panthers take the field, Marlee finds herself staring at Susie Torres, the Panther left fielder.

For reasons Marlee doesn't understand, she's drawn to Susie. Over the course of the next few weeks, Marlee and Susie will slowly act on their mutual attraction. But suddenly Susie pulls away without explanation and Marlee realizes it has to do with Christy. Susie won't explain the bond she and Christy share but whatever it is threatens Marlee's burgeoning relationship with Susie.

Struggling to maintain her grades, dealing with the ever-increasing estrangement from her best friend Jeri, and handling the pressures of the All County Pitching competition, Marlee also has to confront the bittersweet realities of what it might mean to be gay.

Tools of Ignorance: Lisa's Story.

Book Two in the Clarksonville Series.

Lisa Brown is the starting catcher for the Clarksonville Cougars High School softball team, and she has a major crush on her pitcher Marlee. Lisa continues to carry her torch for Marlee, even when Sam, a rival softball player, flirts sweetly. Lisa becomes more confused than ever when Tara, the first girl she ever kissed and the first girl who ever broke her heart, resurfaces. Since Marlee doesn't know Lisa's alive, should Lisa give up on her once and for all? Sam seems to have secrets of her own, but Lisa wonders if she should over look them and allow her fledging attraction grow for the pretty blonde or should she fan the tiny flame still burning in her heart for Tara? Lisa faces these problems and deals with society's tools of ignorance in her quest for love and acceptance.

Art For Art's Sake: Meredith's Story.

High school senior Meredith Bedford is a social outcast. Her family recently moved from the Catskill Mountains to the sprawling suburbs of Albany, the capital of New York State. Shy and self-conscious about her acne scars, she stays to herself and tries to remain invisible. Her twelve-year-old brother, Mikey, has Down Syndrome and she tries hard not to blame her troubles on him. Despite verbal and sometimes physical harassment, she survives because she has her art. She was selected to be part of the elite Advanced Placement art class and is quite good at capturing the emotions of her subjects in her portraits. Art is the one thing, besides her family, that helps her cope with her outcast status. One day, at a senior class meeting, she sees Dani Lassiter, president of the senior class, captain of the lacrosse team, and knows that she must paint this enigmatic young woman. One class period later, Dani manipulates things to have Meredith as her partner for a history project. Meredith is suspicious of Dani's motives, but takes a chance. And it pays off. Meredith slowly sheds her invisibility cloak and allows Dani in - a little at a time. They explore an old Victorian house for their history project and become close with Esther and Millie, the two older women who own the house and who've lived together for about forty years. But, when Dani reveals to Meredith that she is gay, Meredith simply can't deal with the news. How had she not known? What is it that won't allow her come to terms with this unexpected news? Will Meredith control her own homophobia or will she reject the one person who had taken a chance on her and made her feel human?

Quite An Undertaking: Devon's Story.

Devon Raines, sixteen-year old journalism nerd, was happily minding her own business when wham, her life was turned upside down. She struggled with grief when her grandmother died from a sudden heart attack. But it was at her grandmother's wake that she locked eyes with the most beautiful black girl she'd ever seen. Rebecca Washington was the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen, period. Would this beautiful dancer freak out if she knew Devon was gay and attracted? Enter Jessie Crowler, Rebecca's basketball playing best friend. Or were they only friends? Devon tried to hide her attraction for the ebony dancer, but would fate allow Rebecca to look her way? Would Jessie get in the way? Would the difference in skin color keep them apart? All this adds up to quite an undertaking in Devon's formerly quiet existence.

Other Regal Crest Books You Might Also Enjoy.

Redemption.

by DeJay.

Architect, Mackenzie Taylor will tell you she's married, that love transcends eternity, and vows are meant to be honored. She builds homes through her business, helps to rebuild lives through her volunteer work at a women's crisis center and strives to build self-esteem in children with special needs as sponsor and coach of Team Bella. What she can't rebuild is her family. The deaths of her wife, Isabella and their daughter, Bella, haunt her every breath. While she attended a business meeting they were kidnapped and senselessly murdered. The guilt is all encompassing.

Emily O'Brien, a widow, and straight, arrives in town to open KK's Book Emporium. She lives in the apartment above the store where she struggles to make a new life for herself and her orphaned grandchildren.

Renee McVee's partner, Emily's daughter, was killed by a drunk driver, on the way to pick up her children from school. Renee's response to her grief is to drown her sorrows.

Redemption takes a gritty look at domestic violence and how it influences the lives of these three women and how they learn to deal with the devastating fallout. It is also a story of love, old and new. It answers the questions, is it possible to love again?

Faithful Service, Silent Hearts.

by Lynette Mae.

Faithful Service, Silent Hearts is the story of Devon James, a bright young military officer, dedicated to serving her country. She soon learns that finding love under any circumstances is difficult, but when your love is forbidden by military regulations and a relentless zealot pursues you, it can seem impossible. Following an investigation that destroyed her first lover's career and their relationship, Devon hopes her new assignment will allow her a fresh start.

She is reunited with an old college friend, and together, they form an impressive intelligence team and red-hot couple. When their assignments take them to the war-torn Middle East in the early days of terrorists targeting Americans, then things really get interesting. She returns home a decorated veteran with numerous physical and emotional scars. Devon soon discovers that the battle for her own integrity and faithful service has only begun.

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