by Nicola Rose
I cautiously crept on top of him, lying against his chest. “You’ll never believe in yourself. But look at how much you’ve achieved already, not just with me, but with everything you’ve been through. You can control yourself through anything.”
“You think you’re safer now because I’ve drunk from you and didn’t kill you?” His head shook. “You’re so mistaken. The truth is, you’re in more danger than ever before. The Beast knows exactly how good you taste… and fuck me, if you don’t taste divine.”
I kissed his collarbone and slid a hand down his side, lower… lower. He shifted uncomfortably beneath me, abs tightening. “If it gets so much as a single drop of your blood again, it’ll unleash seven shades of hell to break free and take more. But you know what? Fuck it. Fuck the darkness. I want to be inside you,” he groaned, roaming his hands along my back and over my ass. “Now and always.”
He rolled us over and pinned me beneath him, pressing between my legs. In a flurry of movement he removed his pants and my nightshirt. He crawled back over me, strained, eyes darkening with need, battling with light and dark.
My hips moved up to meet him and he slid into my eager opening. I cried out and grabbed his ass, pulling him all the way into me.
Moving with the utmost caution and care, his glorious shaft took me to heaven on a wave of gentle thrusts. Passionate, tense, bursting with need. But slow. Over and over… his whole body rigid and trembling, gripping the pillow beneath my head… he made love to me.
I kissed his cool lips, I sucked on his neck, I dragged my nails over his solid muscles, and not once did he retreat. Not once did any doubt flicker through his amber eyes. Locked in our heated stare, we sank into each other.
I disappeared into the wild energy that vibrated between us, drowning in the erotic, slow grinding of his hips. Lost to him. Lost in him. I could stay that way for eternity. Forever on the cusp of orgasm, every nerve in my body aching for release, handing myself over completely to his control.
“Jess,” he breathed my name into the humid night like I was salvation, hope, life. I kissed him deeply and his tongue echoed the dance of his fingers, moving to the beat of my heart.
“Right here is where I belong,” he groaned, lips grazing over my ear. “I’ll take the pain… the burning in my veins… the aching need. I’ll take that, every minute of the day, and I’ll fucking slay it so that I can stay here.”
48
Zac
Something was coming, closing in on us. Something momentous. Leon’s radar was going nuts… off the charts. It seemed like déjà vu but Jess’s arrival, whilst unsettling, had been a mere pinprick on the radar compared to this.
“It’s bigger than anything I’ve ever experienced,” Leon said, pacing the room.
“That’s because it’s the Bael. They’re coming for me. Jess is in danger. Fuck, everything’s in fucking danger.” I slammed my fist into my own forehead.
I thought I was done running from them. After they killed Tobias I vowed no more. Fuck them, let them come and try to make me bond, try to make me one of their soldiers. I cared for nothing, no one. They could torture me, do whatever the hell they wanted, I wouldn’t break.
But now a girl had my heart. How could I sit and let them come? They’d destroy her, they’d destroy me. I’m not fucking strong enough to take them on, no one is. They’re an army of blood-crazed megalomaniacs, with strength and numbers. They enforce the laws and anyone who threatens them is extinguished.
I’ve angered Emory for a long time, pushing my luck with my evasion of his demands.
How he would fucking love to see me fail. To have me crawl to them, to break, to submit and join the Bael…
“We need to get Jess off the island. Now.” My shallow heart stirred into a frenzy. “We need to run.”
Also by Nicola Rose
Burn the Dark (Elwood Legacy 2)
Amazon
One reckless girl and two vampire brothers – battling forces of love over lust, and light over dark…
Jess
All the years of shrinks and labels, and it turned out the real reason for the chaos in my life was something none of us could have dreamt up.
Destiny and fate have grand plans for me. Apparently, I’m supposed to play along, but what if I don’t want to? What if the lines got so blurred that I can no longer tell which way I’m supposed to turn? Whose arms I should fall into? And what if that question doesn't even seem to matter anymore?
I’ve spent my life chasing down adrenalin-highs, but I didn’t see this coming. Do I duck and run, or stand and fight?
Alex
She was only supposed to be part of the game.
Yes, I wanted her from the moment I saw her, but not for the right reasons. Not for love. Not for passion. I wanted her for my own agenda – bringing down Zachariah’s carefully erected walls. And maybe, just a little bit, because of the way her presence called out to me like a glimpse of something big, glowing on the horizon.
I should never have let that light grow. I should have squashed it when I had the chance. Now she’s under my skin and it’s all twisted. But this time, I won’t lose focus. I won’t lose her.
This time… I win.
Also by Nicola Rose
Breaking the Gladiator (An Alpha Attraction novella)
Amazon
A tale of forbidden love – passion, deceit, blood, anger and hope. Will it all come crashing down around them? Or will love find a way to conquer the hate instilled in them all? Who will be left standing when a gladiator falls for his Domina?
Cassian
I’m trained to kill… for the amusement of others.
Slave. Fighter. Beast.
Emotions are a weakness, so I have none; except anger and hate. All the good ones were beaten and starved out of me long ago. I barely even feel pain anymore.
But when she touches me? Feelings thrash to the surface, and in my world those are dangerous. She’s poison, feeding off my rage for her own sick pleasures. I hate her. She keeps finding cracks and opening them up, squeezing herself inside my chest.
She’s going to get me killed.
Livia
I’m Domina of the Atticus ludus, where we train gladiators to compete for victory.
Wealthy. Attractive. Powerful husband.
It appears I have it all… and I wish I could make myself feel that way. But I’m numb. Too broken to even care. The only time I feel alive is when I’m with my husband’s champion gladiator. My slave. In the arena, and the bedroom.
It's disgusting for a woman of my rank to sleep with a man like him. He's a dirty, worthless animal. His touch should feel repulsive. His gaze upon me should make my skin crawl.
But he's mine. And I want more.
Note to readers: Dark Romance!! This novella contains blood and action, and steamy romance between characters battling with dominance and consent issues. Expect a lot of heat and darkness. Because romance isn’t always sweet.
“I didn't know what to expect out of a gladiator romance, but I can't imagine it being any better than this.” — Jessica, Chatterbooks Book Blog
“Dark and twisted, fiery hot and bloody, but I couldn’t get enough!” — Ania, The Stars Listen
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Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading Taste the Dark! I hope you loved the Elwood Brothers as much as I loved writing them!
This book has been a long time in the making. It began in 2009 when I wrote half a story and then put it aside to focus on other things. It took the unwavering support of my family and friends for me to pull those files out and finish what I started all those years ago.
In particular, I’d like to thank Chelle, Sarah and Karen - who have not only pushed me to get this book finished, but have also become fantastic beta readers and endured several rewrites in the process! You ladies are my rocks, I couldn’t have done this without your encouragement (and cake, and games days!)
I must also thank my editor Mat, fo
r giving it to me straight with the red pen and helping me sculpt the story into something far better than those original words.
And, of course, thank you to my husband for believing in me, for helping me to achieve this dream, and for patiently waiting a looong time before I let him read a single word! For being a brilliant Daddy to our boys, and an amazing husband, too.
Lastly, but by no means least, thank you to my mother-in-law, and apologies that I refused to let you read this. I guess I can’t stop you now!
Reviews are like gold to authors! They really do mean so much to us, even if it’s only a few words. If you enjoyed reading, please consider leaving a rating on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank You!
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About the Author
Nicola Rose is from the UK, where she lives with her husband and two boys.
When she's not writing or reading, she can probably be found walking in the countryside, losing hours faffing in Photoshop, and playing boardgames (with varying degrees of aggression).
Find me on social media, I’d love to connect with you!
www.nicolarose-author.com
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