In Service Excerpt:

Malla went to the sealed door and opened her end. There was a pop, and a twinge of vertigo as the pressure adjusted. She was surprised to see the station door was still closed as well. She pressed the release bar, and stepped back. The door cycled open with a hiss.

Standing in the doorway were two fully armored Luo soldiers. A large, unusually empty hangar stretched out beyond them. The right-hand helmet tipped to the side, almost quizzically. The other even bigger soldier said, "Fuck me." His voice was distorted by the filter on the full cranium helmet. Both of the men holstered their weapons at the same time.

Malla sized them up. Her image reflected back at her in the shiny surface of their black visors, looking tiny. Be brave. Be bold.

"Greetings, Grady, Shon. Sorry I'm late." She cringed at the inadequate words, and added, rather lamely, "It's nice to meet you."

One of the men pressed a sequence into his comlink at his wrist and his visor cleared. She'd been correct. It was Shon on the right. His black eyes seemed to pierce right through her. He was visibly shocked. "Malla?"

"Reporting for one month's trial, sir. I understand you've had a bit of a tough run."

The other, larger soldier let out an enormous "You're alive!" He rushed her with his arms out-stretched.

Horrified, Malla whipped her mag case at him with a snap of her wrist, cowering back, crying, "Stop!"

He froze not a meter away, clutching her mag case in his arms like a ball. Standing stiffly, his voice rumbled from his helmet, "I beg your pardon."

Shaking from the near miss, Malla lifted her hand to her neck and undid the cloak's seal. "No, it's not that. I've just had a bit of trouble on the trip here, and I lost my medallion, and my cloak is on full array. Even your armor might not have been enough." She let it fall to the floor around her, and shook off the wrist leash. "But now that you're here, I won't need it anymore." She stepped out of the folds, and went right up to the large man.

Laying her hand on his arm, she said, "What are you doing here? You're injured, both of you. You should be resting."

He dropped her poor mag case to the side, causing it to bounce once with a clang before settling on its axis. Then he grabbed her up and crushed her in a giant hug. Malla got a distorted view of her astonished face in his visor before she was wrapped in a clutch of stiff body armor that smelled of antiseptic.

When his grip slackened, she turned her head and saw Shon had stepped up to them.

His helmet hung from his fingers, thick black hair mussed, those black eyes still piercing her. His eyes moved across her face with desperate disbelief. "You, woman, are a Spirit-sent miracle. I can't believe you made it."

She gave a shaky smile, laying her head on Grady's chest. "You better believe it. Because I came here for you."

She meant her words to be a bit of banter, and was surprised by his reaction. His head jerked back as if he'd been hit, and his eyes went wide. Then a mask came down over his face, his eyes flat and distant. Her smile faded.

She pulled a hand out from Grady's surrounding arms and reached out to him. "Shon, I'm here, and I'm glad. Let's get all of you taken care of, then we can talk."

He stared at her for another beat, then stared at her outstretched hand. His shot out inhumanly fast and gripped hers hard, the armor cold and thick. His eyes met hers again, and there was something there. A hint of his prior disbelief, and a hint of aching hunger.

Then she squeaked as Grady dipped and abruptly she was tossed into his arms, cradled, with her legs awkward and stiff in the air, her outer arm flailing as it pulled out of Shon's grip. She reached and grabbed at Grady's neck.

"Let's go, Shon. Now." Grady's voice rumbled out of his echo-y helmet, quivering with eagerness.

More Reviews:

A reader review from Patricia Miller:

"I really enjoyed the Sci-Fi "world" created by the author and hope she creates more books set in this "world". I was sucked right in from the first chapter. ... I thought the world building thoughtful and fleshed out and the plot was well developed. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters while danger dogged their every step. The fight/action scenes were also done well."

Erotic-Escapades (Megan) 4 Red Hot Tattoos

"The heat levels don't drop during In Service, if they aren't having sex they are thinking about having sex and the chemistry is lethal. The relationships in In Service are complex and unique. A shining new star shines on the sci-fi romance horizon and I can't wait to see what Mima comes up with next."

Check out this reader's quote from Chris:

"For what it's worth, I just finished your book In Service. It will be on my keeper shelf for a long, long time. You are an excellent story-teller. Thanks."

Just Erotic Romance Reviews (Laura Scott) Rating: 5

"In Service was a powerful, well-written story with a detailed, complex plot that I enjoyed very much. I loved that Malla was an equal to these four strong men ... All of the male characters had clearly identifiable personalities, with both good and bad characteristics to balance them out. ... All four warriors were protective and caring of Malla but recognized her strength and skills and even took her into one of their battles to improve their odds of success. The sex scenes were very steamy and arousing with their strong detail and variety of situations. They were infused with the sense that these men were falling in love with her, too."

Romance Junkies (Natasha Smith) 4 Blue Ribbons

"IN SERVICE is a futuristic erotic novel at its best. Full of sexual tension and risqué love scenes, IN SERVICE is an original. Never before having read a novel like this, I found myself immersed in the tale and wanted Shon to be accepted into the fold as much as Malla wanted him accepted. Malla was brave and loyal. Her service to her men was eye opening to say the least, and her love was evident in every touch. IN SERVICE by Mima is a decadent thrill."

Sensual (Donna) 5 Stars

"Prepare to laugh, cry, fight (the urge to smack a hard headed male or four), and love (every character to pieces); I know In Service has me doing all the aforementioned and then some. The love scenes are as varied as the characters and as hot as a star gone super-nova. Malla is a heroine of great integrity and so well written I keep expecting to look up and have a conversation with her. Why pick one lick-ably sexy hero when you can have four?"