by Tina Donahue
“No!” Regina turned to his father. “Nikoli risked his life for your people and for me. He’s no traitor. You know that. Tell him that.”
“She speaks the truth,” the older man said to Nikoli, a hint of desperation creeping into his words. “Come home, please. I give you my word, my position will protect you.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Regina cried, “and you know it.”
The older man ignored her and spoke to Nikoli. “If you love the woman, do what’s right by her. Together, you have no future. You were not meant to be. You have no home on either side. Leave her to her life over there. Allow her to find some happiness and peace.”
Uncertainty filled Nikoli’s eyes. Regina’s stomach twisted at what else she saw. Longing not only to be with her but also to keep her safe.
“I’m all right,” she insisted, taking his free hand. “I want this, Nikoli. I want you.”
“She claims that now,” his father argued, “but what of the days to come? What happens if you can’t adapt to her side? If you’re found out? What will her people do to her? Please, show her what your love really means, how much you do care for her.”
Anguish flooded Nikoli’s features.
Regina tightened her fingers around his. He didn’t respond to her touch.
“Use your device to return,” his father coaxed. “It’s as I told you before—with the monsters gone, our security will allow it. Go on, use it.”
Nikoli poised his thumb over its screen.
At the thought of never seeing him again, Regina begged, “Please don’t do this. Certainty doesn’t matter to me, Nikoli. I want you.”
“Our realm needs you,” his father said. “I need you.”
Nikoli stared at his device.
“Please,” Regina repeated.
He pulled in a ragged breath. “I never wanted to hurt anyone or for matters to end like this.” A world of pain tinged his words. “I wanted only to protect, to—I’m sorry.”
A helpless cry caught in Regina’s throat, the same as when her mother had died. Then, she’d had no power to change events, no different than now. The choice lay with Nikoli.
At last, he made it, pulling his hand from hers.
Regina’s hand flew to her mouth.
His father shouted, “No!”
With Nikoli’s throw, the instrument sailed through the air, landing in the center of the fire. Flames melted and consumed it, giving him no means to return. His father had opened a portal but only to view his son, to reason with him, not to allow Nikoli entrance into E2.
For that, his son would have to act on his own.
Regina could hardly believe that Nikoli had chosen them over honor, duty, the only world he’d known. Even though the truth was indisputable, she couldn’t stop shivering.
Pulling her into his arms, Nikoli spoke to his father. “Forgive me, I can’t leave her. No matter what we face, I’ll never leave her.”
Regina clung to him. Past Nikoli’s arm, she saw his father’s grief, an emotion he’d been trained to suppress from birth. One he could no longer deny given the enormity of his loss. He seemed ready to argue, to reason, but in the end said nothing, all of his energy seeming to have drained away. Glancing at one of the monitors, he moved his hand over it.
“Father,” Nikoli called out as the portal began to close.
The older man looked up.
“I love you,” Nikoli said.
He regarded Nikoli for a long moment, as though memorizing his son’s face, then murmured, “I will miss you, my child.”
He sounded so forlorn and lost.
As the last of the gateway sealed, keeping him forever on this side, Nikoli hugged Regina even closer.
Moments passed in silence. She didn’t know what to say, what she could say to soften his pain. At length, she whispered, “I’m so sorry.”
He pressed his cheek to hers. “For us?”
“Oh God, no. Never.” She held him tightly, wanting to protect, desperate to show her love. “You’ve given up everything you’ve known, Nikoli. Your family, your people, your world.”
He inhaled so deeply his chest pressed into hers.
Releasing his air on a tattered sigh, he said, “I’m not sorry. I’ll never be sorry.” He brushed his mouth over hers, his breath warming her lips. “Whatever happens in the future, wherever our journey takes us, know this—you are my world.”
About the Author
Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, and Kensington. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic romances were named finalists in the 2011 EPIC competition. The French review site, Blue Moon reviews, chose one of her erotic romances as their Book of the Year 2010 (erotic category). The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for one of her erotic romances, and another of her titles recently received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition (2011). She was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.
Email: [email protected]
Website/blog: www.tinadonahue.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tinadonahue
Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000458023097
Look for these titles from Tina Donahue
Now Available:
The Yearning
To break this curse, they’ll have to turn the heat up. Way up…
The Yearning
© 2011 Tina Donahue
Jasmine Dante prowls Key West’s nightlife, fighting a losing battle against a jealous rival’s curse that forces her to seek carnal pleasure, no matter the danger. Weakened from lack of sleep, driven by insatiable lust, she spots a man who stirs her desperate craving, and begins yet another dance of seduction.
Except the dark stranger who returns her direct stare is no ordinary lover. Inside his powerful body lies a raw sexuality that just might be enough to break her curse. There’s only one way to find out: imprison him in her bed and feed on his passion.
Former U.S. Marshal Mike Stearn is many things, but he’s no woman’s sex slave. The deadly telekinetic power he ruthlessly suppresses comes alive again at Jasmine’s touch. Beneath her bold, potent sensuality he senses vulnerability and desperation. He may be in handcuffs, but she’s the one who’s enslaved.
As Mike resurrects his power to free himself so he can find the curse’s source and defeat it, Jasmine revels in his masterful rule. Her ravenous yearning evolves into rapture as she surrenders to his hunger, her darkest needs—and the emotional connection that lies beyond. Unless the curse takes her life first…
Warning: Tons of steamy sex, smoldering passion and a to-die-for love story with a hot Alpha hero who finds himself imprisoned by one sultry and desperate babe.
Enjoy the following excerpt for The Yearning:
Desire compelled Jasmine forward even as a thread of panic stole up her spine. Had Violet and Lily seen them leave the floor? If not, how long would it be before they noticed? Where was he taking her?
His earlier comment nagged. He didn’t have anything planned for the next couple of days or nights.
Jasmine forced down a swallow. She’d asked about work to learn if he’d be missed immediately. Too easily, he told her he would not. Her sisters would be pleased if she lured him to their house tonight. If not, where would she end up?
Dizzy with ambivalence, she allowed him to lead her past the restrooms and a small, cluttered office. He paused at the opened back door where two club employees enjoyed a smoke and shared laughter. The young men cast them a look, then exchanged knowing glances. Sly smiles plumped their youthful cheeks as they discarded their cigarettes and moved past, returning to their jobs.
Mike brought her outside. Late-summer air, humid and heavy with the ocean’s tang, enveloped her. The dimly lit alley stre
tched the length of this establishment and the other businesses. Her heart jumped at the metallic clack of the door closing. She heard traffic whooshing by on the next street. Faint music pumped from the club. Laughter floated on the gentle breeze, coming from an unknown place, since she and Mike were the only ones around. She asked, “Why are we back here?”
His mouth captured hers. Her apprehension fell away, turning into stark need. She tried to slip her arm over his shoulder. He stopped her, taking her wrist and tearing his mouth free. “Not here.”
Her heels clicked on the asphalt as he led her to the adjacent building, set back from the club and closed for the night. He stopped next to a door stenciled with fading white letters stating: Delivery Only. If the same young men or others came outside for a smoke, they wouldn’t see her or him.
Without warning, images of Travis sped through her mind. Him ordering her to undress in the secluded apartment above his shop. Her wrists and ankles lashed to his bed. His frightening smile.
Jasmine’s heart crashed into her chest. She looked at Mike, her emotions torn between worry and craving.
“I won’t hurt you,” he said, reading her fear. Holding her face gently, he studied her, his dark eyes concerned. “Have you been raped?”
It never got that far. Her sisters had arrived and—she shook her head, not wanting to think about it. “No.”
“But someone hurt you.”
Her mind saw the belt in Travis’s hand. She recalled its whistle as it hit the air. “He tried. I got away.”
“A boyfriend?”
She lied. “Yes.” Her voice sounded strange, strangled as she next offered the truth. “He seemed fine at first. I didn’t know he was doing meth and that he’d injured another woman. He got crazy and—” She couldn’t continue.
Mike’s thumbs skimmed her jawline, stoking her pulse, making her limp and restless for more.
“Why did you choose me tonight?” he asked.
Her smile wobbled, feeling weird. “Like I said before, I liked the way you handled that young woman. You were the perfect gentleman.”
“That may be, but I wasn’t the only one showing restraint. The bouncer was a regular sweetheart.”
Her smile widened. “I’m sure he’s a nice guy and really I don’t want to sound unkind, but he’s not you. Haven’t you seen yourself in a mirror recently?” She could scarcely hold back her wonder. “You’re freaking awesome.”
He barked a laugh. “Bullshit.”
“You are.” She touched his bottom lip with her fingers, breathless at its silkiness. Her words rushed out. “I spotted you the moment I reached the dance floor. It pissed me off when the redhead got to you first. The server told me there were a dozen other women interested in you. Could be she was lying. It might have been more. That’s why I sent you the beer. It was the only way I knew to get you to notice me.”
His eyes rounded in amazement. “You wouldn’t be putting me on now, would you?”
She reached for her purse. “I have a mirror. You really should look at your—”
“Fuck that.” He lowered his head and captured her mouth.
An indecent grunt tore from the back of her throat. Lips parting, she accepted his tongue, needing its wet warmth more than she required oxygen or food. She tasted a hint of the beer he’d drank, along with his flavor, which spoke of cleanliness and good health. His chin and upper lip rasped hers with his beginning stubble.
She wound her arms around him. Eager to touch, her hands moved up and down his muscled back.
He ground his lean hips into her mound, taunting her with his imposing cock. Her pussy clenched, bidding him inside. Unaware, he trailed his fingers over her cheek, sending tingles to her temple. His hand ventured lower, past the line of her jaw and throat to the edge of her halter. He hesitated, interpreting her reaction, before he slipped his fingers inside, his palm clothing her naked breast, his heat searing it. She edged nearer, her knees knocking his, telling him she craved all he had to give. Assured, he squeezed her flesh hungrily.
It wasn’t enough.
With his superior height and weight, he backed her into the building. Shoulders pressing the weathered wood, she moaned. His tongue invaded deeper, while his other hand explored.
Bunching her skirt in his fist, he lifted the gauzy fabric, exposing her to the night air. Its sultry breath licked the moisture bathing her opening. The side of his hand grazed her, moving from her navel to her mound.
There, he stopped, most likely surprised. He broke the kiss, stepped back and whispered, “My God.”
Mike dropped to one knee in front of her and looked up.
Silken waves the color of cocoa framed her face. Her graceful nostrils flared. She searched his eyes, no doubt gauging what lay beneath his shock.
He found it difficult to breathe or think. She wasn’t wearing panties. Even more amazing was what she did wear—a silvery belly chain and navel ring with tiny diamonds in an ornate design that dangled over her slightly rounded stomach. The gems winked in the scant light, trailing beads of brightness to her shaved pubes.
Jasmine’s feminine folds were slick with womanly moisture, plump and impatient. In spite of her bad experience with the fucker she’d dated, she hadn’t given up on men. She wanted him. Equally important, she trusted him.
His cock hardened painfully, insistent on entry. Eyes closed, he touched his mouth to her smooth mound, enthralled by the exposed skin. His tongue snaked over it.
She gasped and parted her legs, enticing him further.
Her real scent, earthy and feminine, wafted up, stealing what remained of his admired restraint. “Grab the ends of your skirt on each side.” He had to taste her.
Obedient, she gathered the fabric in her hands and pulled it to her waist.
He pushed her wrists into the building, holding them captive as he examined her. The murky light didn’t hide her engorged clit, blushing dark above her cleft. He’d seen few things more beautiful. Tongue poised, he flicked it over her erect nub.
She moaned brazenly, her thigh muscles tensing. As cautious as she’d been, now she became wild, twisting her hips to bring her mound closer to his mouth, begging for relief. Mike wasn’t about to give it so easily. By dragging this out in a public place, where someone might discover them, he’d added to the allure. Like most women, she wanted simulated danger.
A riot of sounds filled the steamy night—the rumble of passing cars, a horn blaring with its shriek weakened by distance, snatches of voices carried on the muggy wind, Jasmine’s mewl in response to his mouth embracing her defenseless sex.
His tongue probed her inner recesses, lapping her salty dew, indulging his appetite, while ignoring hers. She bent her knees to force his tongue nearer her clit. He used more pressure on her wrists, wordlessly commanding her to follow his lead. To wait for what he would offer.
“Please,” she groaned in a guttural voice.
Resting his forehead on her belly, he breathed heavily, refusing to relent. “Straighten your knees.”
The back of her head hit the building with a tiny, frustrated whack. Her wrists flexed within his grasp as she clenched her fists. Each panting gasp quivered her sweet little tummy. Finally, her knees straightened.
Pleased, he licked the trail of light drizzling toward her groin. She reacted instantly, nudging nearer, intent on her goal.
Not yet ready to allow it, he moved his head away, tipping it back to look at her. She’d sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. Her eyes sought his and implored.
He winked.
Her slender brows arched.
Swooping down, he latched onto her sex, his tongue circling her clit. Contented sighs poured from her each time he made brief contact with the nub. Soon, she learned the value of obedience and opened her body to his will. Not even the murmur of female voices coming from the end of the alley slowed Jasmine’s hitching breaths. Oblivious to everything except this—or simply not caring what anyone else saw—she delivered herself to him.
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br /> Bloodlines merge, passions surge…
Vampires’ Consort
© 2011 Bonnie Dee
Magical Menages, Book 2
One riveting glance from the handsome stranger stalking her in the supermarket shakes Akila Massri down to her soul. And when Jacob Baum hands her an engraved invitation to visit his billionaire employer’s retreat, curiosity—and the need to pay off her student loans—overcomes the instinct to refuse.
Once on Valarian Kaspan’s private tropical island, her dark and deadly host confronts her with several incredible facts. Vampires exist. Her Egyptian ancestry traces back to the sun god, Ra. And her bloodline is critical to the future of mankind.
From his thrall’s heated reaction to the supple-limbed Akila, Valarian is certain she is destined to mingle his Genghis Kahn bloodline with that of Ra. As a vampire, Valarian is sterile; it is through Jacob that a prophesied savior of mankind will be born.
As Akila tries to wrap her mind around all this, she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of erotic passion for two, very complicated men. When they all come together, something powerful unfolds within her. Something that makes her the target of evil vampires who plan to use her—and her unborn—to erase humans’ very existence from the earth…
Warning: One woman plus a powerful vampire and his thrall equals sexy ménage with explicit sex scenes.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Vampires’ Consort:
Akila decided to let Jacob walk off whatever demons raged in him. She kicked off her sandals and went to the edge of the water. She could smell the brine in the astonishing blue-green water as it lapped warmly around her toes. The Atlantic down here was an entirely different ocean from the gray water of Long Island Sound near her parents’ home. It would be great to strip bare and simply float in it for a while. This place was too gorgeous not to take advantage of it for the brief time she was here.