Welcome to Sneak Peek Sunday for 5th May!
Today I'm showcasing six paragraphs from my upcoming Ellora's Cave release,
Bloodlust Denied, a dark Regency vampire romance.
This scene is from the start of the book, where the hero, Alexius, first sees the heroine, Morana.
The refined garden square of St James faded
into the distance, and the dank underbelly of London rolled over
him like a fetid corpse. Whores called out to him, reached for him, their
already dead eyes following him. But tonight they weren’t enough. Their
polluted, weary blood offended his senses and revulsion skittered along his
spine at the thought of slaking his hunger with any but the one he sought.
He turned into another dark alley, the
stink of decay and despair wrapping around him in an unwelcome caress of death.
But threaded through every beat of this misbegotten city her scent throbbed, rich, vibrant. Closer.
So close he could taste the sweetness,
savor the texture, feel the thick luscious fluid as it pumped down his throat.
Lust stirred deep in his groin, thickening his shaft and the haunting melody of
a single violin scarcely penetrated the heavy thud of desire that pounded
through his temples.
And then he saw her, captured in the
flickering light of a single lantern. Long black hair cascaded down her back
and slender arms arched above her head as her lithe body undulated to the
exquisite strains of the violin.
She appeared oblivious to her captivated
audience, and Alexius ignored the dozen or so drunken men gathered around her.
They were of no consequence. This woman was his, and he intended to have her.
The intricate crescendo sank into his
brain, pounding in tandem with escalating lust. The woman spun faster, heedless
of the broken cobblestones, heedless of his deadly intent. Focused only on her
own pleasure in the music, in the movement, in the sensuous cocoon she wove.
Lured by blood, driven by lust, Alexius
is fascinated by the dark haired seductress who shows no fear and
refuses to obey his every command. Entranced by such novelty he denies
his rabid bloodlust. Instead he’ll keep her to warm his bed until he
tires of her ready tongue and tempting body.
Immortal vampire hunter Morana has never
mistaken her prey before. But the dark stranger mesmerizes her, enticing
her to forget everything but the dangerous pleasure she finds in his
arms, until reality intrudes and she flees his addictive embrace.
When Alexius unexpectedly finds her again
he’s determined to exact retribution for the way she vanished three
years ago. Abduction, bondage and decadent seduction feature in his
plans, but before the sun rises dynamics have shifted and he’s the one
fighting the silken bonds of captivity.
But as they fall under each other’s
erotic spell the past and present collide and unless they discover the
truth behind the lies, Death will triumph once more.
