Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 10/10/17
Hardened by centuries of torture, former blood slave, Gabriel Erhard, is driven by an insatiable need to destroy his enemies. Violence darkens his battered soul, leaving no place for mercy in his world. Gabriel’s only desire is vengeance—until he finds her.
Seized by vampires, bound as a slave, and placed on the auction block, Jordan Culver is instantly entranced by the dangerous male who claims her. Jordan’s new captor vows to set her free, but his haunted gaze burns with savage desire and his wicked kiss makes her crave his touch and...complete surrender.
While Gabriel battles his enemies, he will break every sacred law to achieve his ultimate goal—uniting the Outcast Society and creating a new vampire Clan. But the distracting human with mesmerizing violet eyes jeopardizes his plans. With very soft whisper she evokes his tormented memories, testing his sanity and challenging his every boundary. Can Jordan help him overcome the miseries of his past and find a future with her?
Excerpt:
Gabriel set her on the edge of the
tub before turning to the cupboards lining one of the walls. He began to
rummaging through their contents, searching for something.
Steam rose from the water and Jordan
couldn’t resist dipping her fingers into the warmth. Bad idea. She tumbled and
fully anticipated to meet the water. A large hand gripped her shoulder and
pulled her upright. “Can’t leave you for a second.” Though Gabriel’s tone was
sharp, his eyes sparkled with amusement.
“Sorry, I haven’t recovered my
balance yet.”
He shrugged then tossed two pink
discs in the water. They instantly began to fizz and the room filled with the
scent of midnight blooming jasmine. The water foamed over, billowing clouds of
bubbles took shape.
Gabriel reached over and turned the
faucet off. “I should give you some privacy, but I’m afraid of leaving you
alone.”
She smiled. “I promise to stay in
the shallow end.”
That earned her a chuckle. “See that
you do. I’ll be right back. Try not to slip or drown in my absence. I’d hate to
have spent so much energy saving you only to have you perish from an accident
in my home.”
How is a girl supposed to respond to that? She shrugged. He’s a sweetheart.
Jordan’s fingers trembled as she
unsuccessfully worked the buttons of the shirt. This was going to take forever.
After another futile moment ticked by, frustration got the best of her.
Gripping the material with both hands, Jordan tore it apart. Buttons flew like
tiny missiles, some binged off the mirror over the double sinks while others
bounced and rolled across the floor.
Once free of the shirt, she scooted
her bottom back and gingerly slipped into the welcoming heat of the water. “Oh,
yes,” she sighed, her eyes closing. This was exactly what she needed. She sank
further under the bubbles and rested her head on the rim. The warmth eased her
aches and twinges and chased away the cold that permanently settled in her
bones.
“Good. You survived while I was gone.”
Jordan’s eyelids snapped open.
“Y-your back already.” Did she just squeak like a mouse?
The edge of his lips twitched, but
he didn’t smile.
She cleared her throat and eased
into a sitting position. Stretching her arms wide, she drew a mass of bubbles
to her chest to conceal her breasts. “Not going to lie, it was touch and go
there for a minute.”
Again he resisted a smile. Why? He’d
be beyond gorgeous if he smiled.
Gabriel set a way too large black
robe on the counter then headed back to the wall of cupboards to pull out a
stack of fluffy white towels. After placing the pile beside the tub, he said,
“That should be everything you need. I’ll remain in the room to grant you
privacy.”
“No.” The force of her tone even
caught her off guard and the panic that had laced that one word struck her like
a blow to the gut.
“Jordan?”
“Sorry.” She flashed her best
I’m-fine smile. “For the last few days…weeks? Damn, it could’ve been months,
I’ve been locked away. Isolated. I missed having someone to talk to.”
Anger flashed in Gabriel’s eyes but
vanished as quickly as it appeared. He gave her a tight nod then crossed to the
counter. Leaning against the granite edge, he folded his arms over his wide
chest.
“You’re staying?” she asked, trying
her hardest to hold back her surprise.
“Warning, I’m not one for chatting.”
“A man of few words, uh? I like
that.” Jordan smiled then dipped below the water’s surface. Slicking her matted
hair back, she reached for the bottle of shampoo. Her fingers still trembled.
She cursed when the bottle slipped from her grip and banged to the floor.
Gabriel abandoned his post to retrieve it.
Studying her hands, she curled and
uncurled her fingers. Was it the shock of the night’s experiences, the remnants
of adrenaline? Or was it withdrawals? How long ago was her last dose?
“What time is it?”
“A little past eight.”
Her eyes went wide. “In the
morning?”
He answered with a nod.
“Shouldn’t you be dreaming of
nocturnal rainbows and blood fountains right now?”
Gabriel arched a single golden brow.
“Nocturnal rainbows?”
“Yeah, or…whatever vampires like.”
“Such as unicorns.”
Jordan gaped. Had the rough and
gruff vampire made a joke?
“The sun doesn’t rule us all,” he
added.
“In other words, you’re old and very
strong.”
Again, a silent nod was her answer. How
interesting, she thought. Her aunt had explained that powerful vampires
could resist the call of the sun. Rumor was some could even walk under its rays
without becoming as crispy and chard as burnt fried chicken. Could he chill on
the beach and not burst into flame?
Gabriel offered her the shampoo.
This time, Jordan reach for it with both hands, but still couldn’t hold on to
it. The bottle dropped into the tub and water splashed across Gabriel’s shirt.
“Sorry. My hands won’t stop shaking.”
He dipped his arm into the water and
retrieved the bottle. “Would you like me to help you?”
Heat stung her cheeks. His hands in
her hair? Oh, yes. Lord, please! A simple touch could lead to so much
more. Did she want more? Was she ready for more? Never had she been so
completely attracted to a man. Her interest in the opposite sex normally rated
next her love for oral surgery—seriously low. But Gabriel Erhard, the Chief of
the misfit Outcast Society, was no ordinary guy a girl would meet walking in
the mall. He was a warrior to the bone: lethal, powerful, and sexy as sin. His dangerous aura
and I’ll-protect-you-from-everything-but-me gaze called to her wild, base
instincts. She wanted him with a ferocity she never knew existed inside of her.
Since the night they’d met at the bar, she’d been infatuated with him and while
she languished away in Hell, her desire to see him, to hear his voice, to feel
his touch one more time was torturous. Gabriel Erhard, the enemy of her enemy,
the male who dared to break the laws of his society to save the humans and
bring peace to the realm of darkness, was a man she’d fight to possess.
Jordan
mentally shook herself. She’d never been the brazen type and short of throwing
her naked body at him, she wasn’t sure how to seduce the big, bad vampire. Was
he single? Did he find her attractive? She’d felt his erection earlier—hadn’t
she?—while she drank his blood.
Whoa. I didn’t drink
his blood. That had been a dream. Jordan’s brows pinched into a frown and she
began nibbling on her bottom lip. That
hadn’t happened. Right? Her hopes dwindled as she realized she’d likely
imagined his reaction to her when he placed her on the bed.
“Jordan?”
At
the sound of his forceful voice, she violently flinched, sending water
cascading over the side.
“Are
you feeling well?”
She
met his gaze and the concern she saw there made her heart melt. “I just got
lost in here,” she tapped her temple, “and I’m not used to having company.”
Gabriel’s
eyes flickered black with rage then return to their serene, normal green.
“You’re here now and you’ll never experience that again.” He went to his knees
beside the tube. “Turn around. I’ll wash your hair.”
Mouth suddenly dry, Jordan gave a
silent nod of her own. She turned in the water and dunked her head under again.
When she came back up, Gabriel was ready. His large hands worked the shampoo
into her matted hair. His touch was so light, so gentle, and welcome. Her eyes
drifted closed and she swore she heard purring, from him or her?
About the Author
Amanda J. Greene creates paranormal romance for ravenous readers. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys escaping the rewarding but hectic world of writing by spending time in the sun and sand with her military husband and their two dogs.
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