Claude's Conquest (Maura's Men Book 2)
Page 14
“Claude!” Gretchen felt for a pulse, a heartbeat, breathing, anything, but there was nothing.
“Claude!” She tried CPR, rescue breathing everything she had ever learned about how to revive someone, but he was gone. Her love was lost.
She collapsed, sobbing onto his chest as the others filtered into the room. Cat and Xander first then Shane. Cat turned away upon seeing the body, hiding her face in Xander’s chest she cried. It was Shane who approached the bed first.
He slipped an arm around Gretchen and was just about to pull her away when Claude sat up gasping for air. His arms instantly came around Gretchen holding her close as life returned to him.
“I’m here, Gretchen. I’m back.” Claude refused to let her go, and Gretchen clung to him tightly. Relief washed over her as she realized the worst hadn’t happened.
Cat marched across the room and slapped Claude, tears still falling down her eyes.
“Don’t you ever do that again or I’ll make sure you won’t be back for long.” Cat threatened half-heartedly before storming from the room.
“Good to have you back.” Xander called over his shoulder before pushing Shane out the door as well.
“I thought I had lost you.” Gretchen sobbed.
Claude forced her to look at him. “I almost gave up, but you saved me.”
“I love you.” She blurted.
“I know.” Claude smiled and kissed her.
Gretchen couldn’t find it in her to get mad at him so instead she just kissed him back.
“Never leave me.” She whispered as they lay in post-coital bliss.
“I think that should be my line,” Claude laughed, pulling her tighter against him.
“Just promise.”
Claude pulled her on top of him so that they were face to face. “I, Claude Marion Morgan, do solemnly swear to love, honor and cherish one Gretchen Elizabeth Jones for the rest of my life.”
“Your middle name is Marion?”
Claude groaned. “It’s a perfectly good name.”
“For a girl,” Gretchen teased.
“We both know I am no girl.”
“Can I call you Mary?”
“No.” Claude growled and pinned her under him.
He looked genuinely upset about the idea and Gretchen found it ridiculously cute. They still had so much to learn about each other, but they had eternity to do it.
MORE FROM STELLA WILLIAMS
XANDER’S CLAIM: MAURA’S MEN BOOK ONE
MAURA’S MEN SERIES: BOOK TRAILER
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Xander’s Claim
Maura’s Men Book 1
After escaping the clutches of the evil Vampiress Maura, three friends struggle with the past in finding a new way of life and love…
Xander’s nightmare past has left him with some serious control issues. Without the burning hatred that kept him going when he was under Maura’s thumb, he had nothing else to live for. Maura had destroyed everything he had once been. Jaded and closed off to the world around him, Xander is completely unprepared for the arrival of Cat.
One catastrophe changed Cat’s life forever. Cat thought her best friend was crazy for wanting to be a vampire but loved her enough to go along with it anyway. When a sick twist of fate lands her in her friends place, her strong personality and an intolerance for mysterious, arrogant, know it all types like Xander, are the only things she has left to call her own. She can’t possibly allow a few years of forced celibacy and tempting encounters to take that away as well.
When the past comes back to haunt them, will it destroy them or will they find the strength to claim what is in their hearts?
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STELLA WILLIAMS
Stella Williams is a Blogger and Romance Author, who lives in Montgomery, Alabama. She has a degree in Anthropology from The University of California, Santa Cruz. Her first novel, Xander’s Claim: Maura’s Men Book One, a paranormal romance, was published through Amazon late 2013. Her latest project is the third installment of her Maura’s Men Series.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
My love affair with writing began at a young age. Have you ever read a book and imagined your own plot half way through reading it? That's how I began, at the age of eight, rewriting stories I had already read until one day I came up with something all my own. I like to say my writing has grown with me, adapting to the many places I have been and the experiences I have had.
My writing is as varied as my reading list, but I am a true romantic at heart. I hope to one day have the patience to write my all-time favorite, Historical Romance, but for now I dabble in several sub genres of romance to include Contemporary, Paranormal, and Multiracial.