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  CROSSING BOUNDARIES

  Rona Valiere

  Erotic Romance

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

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  A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

  Erotic Romance

  Copyright © 2013 Rona Valiere

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63105-018-3

  First E-book Publication: December 2013

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by Lori Paige

  Proofread by Laurie White

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

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  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  Dedication

  To Cassandra Pierce,

  a good friend

  and a hot writer

  The Cravings e-book Club

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  *Trouble With a Cowboy, a western, erotic romance:

  Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun and a little more?

  **Forget Me Not, paranormal erotic romance:

  A war is brewing, a war that could destroy an entire vampire race if left unchecked, and Julian Marino has been requested to participate in it. He stops his search for a long time friend to go home and discovers there is more at stake than just his wants.

  As a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in a variety of genres every month. We will try to match your books to your preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99 except that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a different genre.

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  CROSSING BOUNDARIES

  Rona Valiere

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  “Four minutes to go.” Jack, the engineer, spoke from his booth through the headphones that Ginger and Cassie wore as they nervously sat at microphones in the studio. Then he added a little aside to the two young women, “Your first day and my last. May it be auspicious for all of us.”

  Cassie offered her palm in a high five directed at Ginger. “Are you as nervous as I am?” she asked.

  Ginger nodded her head vigorously. “Uh-huh,” she said. “A new flock of butterflies moves into my tummy every minute, and look at how sweaty my palms are.” She offered her hands for inspection. “You look calm, though.”

  “Don’t believe it. It’s all an act,” Cassie said with a derisive laugh and a grin. “Inside I’m shaking like a salt cellar.”

  Then, turning to face the booth, she said, “Good luck on your new job, Jack. I hope you love it. But can Topeka compare with Indian Springs?”

  “There’s just one way to find out,” he answered, adding, “One minute.” Ginger and Cassie consulted their notes. Then, doubling as station announcer, Jack keyed his mike and intoned, “WAAA-AM is proud to present the premiere of Chocolate and Vanilla, a new talk show with your hosts Ginger Clanahan and Cassie Danton.” He turned off his mike and pointed to the two girls.

  “Hi. I’m Ginger—and I can be very spicy, just like the spice I’m named after. But I’ll watch what I say on the air. Don’t want to get in trouble with the FCC, you know.”

  “Hi. I’m Cassie, and I have my moments too. Our show is called Chocolate and Vanilla. If you haven’t guessed, I’m black…”

  “…and I’m white,” Ginger chimed in. “Sometimes we let our ethnic backgrounds inform our opinions, although most of the time our thoughts and feelings and beliefs are strictly our own. And we have a lot of thoughts we want to share with you, on a variety of subjects.”

  “But we want to hear your thoughts and opinions too,” Cassie added. “We’re coming to you live, and our phone lines are open, so call us at 555-9889.”

  “We’re ready for you, Indian Springs,” Ginger put in. “Are you ready for us? If you didn’t catch that number the first time around, it’s 555-9889.”

  “Well, until the first call comes in, I guess it’s up to us,” Cassie said. “Let’s start with politics. Things have been pretty quiet on the local front, at least here in Indian Springs, but I hear over in Wissdale the mayor got caught with one hand in the cookie jar and the other up the council president’s skirt.”
r />   “That’s right,” Ginger agreed. “Mayor Blackthorne is in the midst of a double scandal, involving both sex and money. He was skimming city funds for his personal use and he got caught canoodling with Sheila Margate, the president of the city council.”

  “Just another day in politics,” Cassie observed, “and—oh, I see line one lighting up. The first caller to our new show! Welcome to Chocolate and Vanilla. Who do we have on the line?”

  “This is Martin McCloskey. I live in Wissdale, and I want to remind you that this is America, where a citizen is innocent until proven guilty. I’m a big fan of Mayor Blackthorne, and I hate to hear you sully his name like that. At least wait till there’s a trial, and if he’s proven guilty you can talk then.”

  “Three members of the city council walked into Mayor Blackthorne’s office and caught him with Sheila Margate in what’s politely called a ‘compromising position,’” Ginger broke in. “We hardly need a trial to establish his guilt on that count.”

  “That’s the trouble with you folks in the media,” the caller snapped at her. “You’re all muckrakers and sensationalists. You’ll drag a good man’s name through the mud just to get listeners or readers.”

  “I hardly think we’re the ones dragging Mayor Blackthorne’s name through the mud,” Cassie said. “I think he’s doing that to himself. He doesn’t need our help.” She chuckled.

  Martin McCloskey sputtered at the other end of the line, at a loss for words to defend the miscreant mayor. Cassie cut him short. “Thank you for calling.” She clicked off the line. “You’re listening to Chocolate and Vanilla on WAAA-AM, Indian Springs’ hometown radio station. I’m Cassie Danton,” she pointed to her blonde cohort.

  “And I’m Ginger Clanahan,” Ginger put in. “Our phone lines are open, at 555-9889. Call us and sound off. We’ll be right back after this commercial break.”

  Jack cued up the two back-to-back taped commercials and Cassie asked him through the mike, which was not live, “How’re we doing so far?”

  Jack flashed them a thumbs-up. “You’re both naturals,” he said. “You’ve never done any broadcasting before?”

  “We’ve both done modeling and other public appearances, and Cassie did a commercial for Reiner Automotive, but neither of us has ever done anything like this,” Ginger replied. “You know—radio, talk show, open format.”

  “I’m sorry I won’t get to hear you girls on an ongoing basis. This show has promise. But Topeka calls. It may not be the big time, but it’s bigger than Indian Springs.”

  “What isn’t?” said Ginger with a laugh,

  “Who’s your replacement?” Cassie asked.

  “They hired some guy named Todd, Todd Corwyn. I haven’t met him. Okay, we’re coming back in twenty seconds, and you’ve got callers on lines one and two—are you ready?”

  The rest of the show went fine. The fact that they had callers assured Ginger and Cassie that they really did have an audience. The two hours zoomed by. It seemed they had barely introduced themselves when Jack’s voice in their ears warned, “Two minutes. Wrap up.”

  “We’ll be back tomorrow—and every day Monday through Friday—at the same time,” Ginger chirped. “Don’t miss us.”

  “We’ll be waiting for you—right here on WAAA-AM,” Cassie added. “Till tomorrow!”

  Jack signaled that they were off the air. Both girls removed their headphones. “Good show!” he told them enthusiastically. “I’m sorry I won’t be around to hear your shows from now on. But Topeka is waiting for me with open arms.”

  “Good luck with your new job,” both Cassie and Ginger chorused.

  “Good luck with your show,” Jack responded.

  “We did it! Our first show! We’re not virgins anymore,” Ginger said to Cassie.

  Cassie winked at her. “I haven’t been a virgin since that night after the football game in my senior year.”

  “Broadcast virgins, smartass!” Ginger playfully smacked her friend’s butt. They stood up, stretched, and gathered up their notes. “Want to go celebrate? Hot fudge sundaes at Taylor’s Treats? It’s on me.”

  “Sounds tempting, but I have a date tonight, and I’m cooking dinner for him. I need to get home to my kitchen.”

  “I really should get back to my real estate work,” Ginger said, her voice tinged with regret. “Who’s your date with?”

  “Donté.” Her voice carried no enthusiasm.

  “He’s a nice guy. What’s wrong with him?”

  “I don’t know. Nothing, I guess. There’s no spark, though. We’ve seen each other four times now, and I just don’t feel anything.”

  “Is he a dud in bed?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I’ve barely let him kiss me. I think if tonight is more of the same, that’ll be our last date. What’s the point?”

  “Are you sure you’ve given him a fair chance?”

  “Yes, and it just isn’t there. He’s a nice guy, but—he’s just not special.”

  “Well…you know best.”

  “Yes, I do!” Cassie said with a firm voice.

  The next day, Ginger arrived at the radio station before Cassie, who hurried into the studio to find her broadcasting partner already at the not-yet-live mike and an unfamiliar face in the engineer’s booth. Cassie slipped her earphones on and heard, “Hi. You must be Cassie. I’ve already made the acquaintance of your partner.”

  “And you must be Todd,” Cassie replied.

  “Guilty as charged,” Todd said with a wink through the glass partition.

  “So, how did last night go?” Ginger asked Cassie. “Did you give Donté another chance after all?”

  “Nope. He’s out the door.”

  “I hope you served him dinner first?”

  “Of course.”

  “What did you cook?”

  “Chicken marsala, scalloped potatoes, and a salad. And my regrets for dessert.”

  “Sounds like somebody got dumped last night,” observed Todd.

  “You win the grand prize!” Cassie answered with a laugh.

  “What was his offense?” Todd asked.

  “No offense. He’s a nice enough guy. There just wasn’t any spark. When it’s not right, what’s the point?”

  “I hear you,” Todd said, nodding his head vigorously till his blond hair became disarrayed. “But it sounds like you cooked for him before the big send-off. Do you always treat your victims that kindly? Or was there a slow-acting poison in his portion?” He chuckled.

  “No poison. He’s one of the good guys. He’s just not my Mr. Right.”

  “Describe your Mr. Right,” Ginger said.

  “I’ll know him when I meet him,” Cassie answered.

  “Ten minutes to go,” Todd said from the booth.

  “So, how do you like it here? Are you new to Indian Springs?” Cassie asked him.

  “Just new to the job, not to the area. I live right over in Millersville.”

  “Practically a neighbor,” Ginger said.

  “So, you like to cook, Cassie?” Todd asked.

  “Very much,” she answered.

  “What’s your specialty?”

  Cassie had to stop and think. Finally she said, “I do a lot of chicken dishes, but I don’t know that I could single out one.”

  “What does a person have to do to get invited to your house for dinner?” Todd asked. “Would offering to cook a dinner for you first do it? I make a great chicken and rice casserole, with bacon and spinach and spices and tons of garlic. Do you like garlic? Or should I think of a different dish?”

  “Are you inviting me to dinner?” Cassie asked with an amused smile.

  “That’s the general idea,” Todd said. “And then, if the first date works out, I’m inviting myself to dinner at your house the next time.”

  “Presumptuous, aren’t you?” Cassie said, but she smiled as she said it. “And an optimist, too, assuming we’ll both want a second date.”

  “Hey, a woman who breaks up with her guys by cooking them dinner
? That’s my kind of gal. A real humanitarian.”

  Ginger spoke up. “A humanitarian? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?”

  Todd groaned. Cassie said, “That’s an old joke. I hope you don’t plan to recycle old material like that on the show.”

  “Speaking of the show—two minutes,” Todd warned.

  Line one was already lit. Two minutes later, after welcoming listeners to today’s edition of Chocolate and Vanilla, Cassie went right to the phones. “Good afternoon. You’re on Chocolate and Vanilla. Welcome. Whom am I talking with?”

  “This is Sheila Shaughnessy. I live in Millersville and I happen to know you have a new engineer starting on the show today, my neighbor Todd. I’m calling to wish him good luck.”

  “Todd, sounds like you have the beginnings of a fan club,” Ginger said. “Sheila, will you be part of our fan club too? Cassie and I need all the publicity we can get.”

  “Sure,” said Sheila congenially. “But tell me, how’s Todd doing so far?”

  “He moves fast,” Cassie answered. “He’s already asked me on a date. Actually two dates.”

  “He’s an enterprising fellow,” Sheila agreed. “And he has good taste, so you must be someone special.”

  “Thank you,” Cassie said.

  “Well, that’s all I wanted—to wish Todd good luck,” Sheila said.

  “Thank you, Sheila,” Ginger said. “I see we also have a caller on line two. Let’s see who it is. Hello, you’re on Chocolate and Vanilla with Ginger Clanahan and Cassie Danton. What’s on your mind this afternoon, and who are we talking with?”