by Kim Knox
Scar jumped down from the bed and took Tyler’s hand in hers. She squeezed it and fought the need to say “mine” again. But he was. And always would be. She doubted the hot satisfaction of that would ever get old. “So you think we’re safe to be in public yet?”
Tyler smirked at her and brought her hand to his lips. A light kiss brushed her knuckles, easing a drop of pure liquid heat low into her belly. “I think we might be safer hiding in your room for, what…another week?”
“A week?” She heard the strain in her voice. “A week sounds about right.”
About the Author
To learn more about Kim Knox, please visit www.kim-knox.co.uk. Send an email to [email protected] or join her blog to join in the fun with other readers as well as Kim Knox!
www.darknessandromance.wordpress.com
Look for these titles by Kim Knox
Now Available:
Weaving Words
7% and Rising
To Summon a Demon
Nimue’s Price
Buying Mackenzie’s Baby (writing as Kim Rees)
Past Lies (writing as Kim Rees)
Destiny lies along an uncharted course…
Paranormal Payload
© 2009 Mandy M. Roth
Project Exorcism, Book 1
Long ago, the Commission thought it had succeeded in ridding Earth of all supernatural beings. They were dead wrong. The supernaturals have not only survived the cold reaches of space, they have thrived. And grown more powerful.
Commission Captain Sevan Vasil has enough problems without the strange, erotic dreams that seem to be his mind’s version of a cruel joke. No woman could be that perfect a lover…except perhaps a mate. That’s the joke—no woman alive would dare answer a lion-shifter’s call. Until sassy, raven-haired Lorelei Janelle appears on his communication screen. The familiar face and angelic voice are straight out of his dreams.
Lorelei’s gut tells her not to let Sevan’s damaged vessel anywhere near her uncharted planet, but her hormones overrule her head. The all-too-cocky, all-too-sexy captain is all she ever wanted—and everything it’s not safe to have. Getting him and his crew safely off the planet before the planet’s ruling vampire sorcerer awakes will be nip and tuck.
Getting Sevan out of her heart…impossible.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Paranormal Payload:
Lorelei watched in horror as her own sister shot Sevan. “Why?”
Nina glanced down at her and offered a small smile. “Lorelei, he agreed ahead of time. He told me to shoot him between the eyes if needed. At least I used a tranquilizer and not a real bullet. Christian and Jordan will be along soon. They’ll carry…”
Something was horribly wrong. The feeling of evil seemed to close in on them. Lorelei struggled to her feet, grabbing hold of Nina’s arm for help. “They’ve found me.”
“I know.” Nina glanced towards Sevan’s lifeless body, looking as though she regretted her decision of knocking him out.
The smell of a werewolf and something else, something familiar, threatening and close. Lorelei drew in a sharp breath. “Samson.”
Nina lunged for Sevan and Lorelei grabbed hold of her, afraid that she was going to try to finish what she started. “No.”
“Let go! He can’t defend himself.”
“Oh, I thought…” She stopped not wanting to accuse her own flesh and blood of trying something so heinous.
“Lorelei,” Nina said, softly. “Do you love Sevan?”
“Yes.”
“He says that he won’t leave, Lorelei. That he’ll stay and stand by his family’s side.”
Lorelei held tight to her sister as she drew on the power of the earth, the Shamenian spirits of long ago and of the werepanther within her. Power surged through her veins, harder and faster than it ever had before. Her breathing quickened and her heart raced. “By gods, I think the baby is powerful as well.”
Nina nodded. “Of course—she’s a Janelle.”
“She?”
“Just being hopeful. We have enough boys in the family.”
Not wanting to think of her brothers who had been forced off the planet long ago, Lorelei simply smiled, feeling invigorated and up to the task of fighting even the greatest of Stegian’s warriors. Even if that meant fighting the man she used to love.
A dark mass leaped out from the tree line and something swooshed past them quickly. The moment Lorelei saw the silver dipped arrow sticking out of a now dead werecougar’ s chest, she knew Christian and back-up had arrived.
Nina wasted no time. She let her claws emerge and her eyes swirl to light blue. She took off, running straight ahead, clearly sensing something. Before Lorelei could comment, Jordan appeared next to her.
He glanced at Sevan and his brow furrowed. “He’s not…”
“No,” Lorelei said quickly. “He’s just sedated. He started to shift and Nina shot him with a tranquilizer gun.”
“In the middle of a battle? Is the woman mad?” He put his hand through his hair and then gritted his teeth. “Of course she is.”
“In her defense, she shot him before the enemy arrived.”
He tossed his hands in the air. “Well then, that makes it all better.” He looked around frantically. “Where the hell did she go? Is she trying to get herself killed?”
A blur moved at them fast. In a flash, a fully shifted weretiger had its teeth sank deep into Jordan’s arm. Fearing that Jordan would lose his arm if she didn’t act quickly, Lorelei let the power that had been building within her loose. It slammed into Jordan and then his attacker.
Both men went to the ground fast. Lorelei held her breath, fearing she’d killed Jordan by accident. She reached for him, hoping he still had a pulse. Something dropped down on her, smashing her body to the ground. Crying out wasn’t an option. Whatever was on her had knocked the wind out her.
“That was bad, Lorelei, running out before we were finished,” Samson said, pressing his body against hers.
“Get off of her!”
The sound of Christian’s voice should have been music to her ears but not now. Not when Samson was so close. The last time they’d been face to face, Christian almost lost his battle to remain on the side of good.
“Ah, if it isn’t my baby brother.” Samson pinned her even harder. “Tell me, do you think you are finally strong enough to defeat me?”
“Not alone but together with my new friend, I think we will manage just fine,” Christian said.
New friend?
Something growled, its voice deep, making the ground around her vibrate. That wasn’t a panther. No. That was a lion. “Sevan!”
Instantly, Samson was thrust clear of her body. As Lorelei went to roll over, the pain in her leg reached new levels causing her to bite her lip as tears dripped down her cheeks.
A ringing started in her ears and a light tingling sensation surrounded her. “Sleep, Lorelei. Sleep. All will end well here. I promise. I will watch over them all.”
She shook her head. “Stegian can control animals and Christian can’t…”
“Lorelei, Samson is no longer a threat. Christian saw to that.”
The news did nothing to calm her. It broke her heart knowing Christian had to be the one to stop his brother.
Jacquelyn sighed. “Had anyone else taken Samson’s life, Christian would have forever hated them. He knew deep down that he had no choice. And Stegian doesn’t seem to be able to control Sevan regardless what form he’s in. That man is stubborn, sister. A perfect match for you.” The soothing sound of Jacquelyn’s voice coaxed her into a relaxed state allowing much needed rest to occur.
Easy part of his day? Resurrecting the dead. Hard part? Keeping them alive.
Weaving Words
© 2008 Kim Knox
Kaede is a witch whose family has been bound to a powerful House for over a thousand years. And he hates it. Despite the fact that his lord, Tarou, murdered his mother, Kaede is sworn never to harm the man who could kill him with jus
t seven words. Now he’s been commanded to use his unique powers to resurrect Tarou’s wife from the dead, and he has no choice but to comply. Things go horribly wrong when he accidentally pulls the wrong soul back. Now it’s not just his own life he must try to save.
Vara’s day couldn’t get much more bizarre. One moment she’s a captain in the Temple Guard. The next, she finds herself transported into a world of magic and witches—and stuffed into the body of a lord’s wife. Unwillingly plunged into middle of a deadly power struggle, the only one Vara can turn to is Kaede, the witch responsible for dragging her into this alien world. A witch she finds far too attractive…
Warning: This book contains the following; magic, witches and more body-swapping than is safely sane.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Weaving Words:
Vara closed the door to the bedroom. Nerves had her leaning back against the cool wood. It was odd when she had propositioned him…twice. She shouldn’t be nervous; she felt deep down in her gut that she didn’t get nervous. It was just sex. Old knowledge burst over her…and as a captain, she took a potion that guarded her against disease and pregnancy.
She stared down at the scarlet robe, its silk shimmering in the light from the narrow window. However, she was not in her body. Was that why she was anxious?
Kaede stood beside the bed, his hands knotted and white. He looked more nervous than she did.
Vara ran the back of her hand over her mouth and wiped off the foul grease the maid painted there. They didn’t have time for this. “Kaede, can you get me out of these clothes?”
His smile was brief and he waved for her to turn around. “I can try.”
With a few deft pulls, the belt loosened and Vara let out her first full breath in hours. The belt dropped to the floor. She had to resist the temptation to stomp on it. “So much better.”
He laughed and slid warm hands over her hips and waist. “Yes.” He unfastened the thin belts under her breasts and pulled apart the robe, sliding it from her shoulders to drop to a puddle of cloth at her feet. “Turn around, Vara.”
The curls of gold in her hair clinked as she turned to face him. His fingers worked at the last knot of her tunic and she smiled at the look of concentration on his face. “I used to be easier to undress.”
Kaede’s mouth twitched, shifting into a grin when the knot slid free. He tugged the hem upward and Vara obediently lifted her arms. She shook her hair free. “I’d say this is fairly easy.” Her trews dropped to the floor. “Yes, very easy.” His hand framed her jaw, his thumb tracing over her lip. “Do you feel undressed enough now?”
She licked his thumb and grinned. “Perhaps.” She pushed Kaede towards the high bed; his legs hit the edge of the mattress and he sank down. Stepping close, she ran her fingers through his hair. He watched her, his dark eyes intense, and Vara had the uneasy feeling he was trying to burn the memory of her into his thoughts. “We have now, Kaede. I know the weaving may not work…and even if it does, I can’t imagine you here with Tarou.”
“No.” A brief smile pulled at his mouth. “His rooms are in the western wing.”
Vara growled at him.
Kaede laughed and slid warm hands around her waist, pulling her to him. He rested his head against her breasts and his slow sigh stirred her skin. “I can’t promise anything, Vara.”
The rhythm of his slow strokes over the hollow of her spine slid an easy heat through her flesh. She closed her eyes. “I know.”
His hands stilled. “He killed my mother.”
Vara’s heart squeezed. “I’m sorry, Kaede.”
He let out a hot breath and it prickled her skin. Kaede looked up and, for a long moment, Vara let herself sink into the liquid black of his gaze. The tug was there between them, an instant lust, perhaps in time something more and there too, the knowledge of the life they should’ve had.
Yet as she’d said, they had now. And now would have to do.
Vara twitched a smile as his fingers curved around her buttocks. With a wink, his tongue curled against her nipple. She gasped, arching into his mouth. “Shouldn’t you lose some clothes?” Kaede didn’t seem to be listening as his fingers slid between her thighs and rubbed in exactly the right way. Vara groaned, pressing his head against her breast. “Clothes, Kaede.”
He pulled his mouth away from her breast with a deliberate pop, yanked his linen tunic over his head, and dropped it to the floor. His undershirt followed. Vara ran a hesitant finger over his collarbone, tracing over the curves of a spiralling tattoo. Kaede’s skin was warm and smooth, but the ink drawn against his flesh pulsed beneath her touch. More tattoos swept over his torso. “They’re beautiful,” she murmured.
“My mark as a witch.” He unstrapped and tugged off his boots and shrugged out of his breeches. Kaede undid the ribbons holding up her long silk socks. “I was tempted to keep these.”
Vara ran her hand over his muscled leg, her thumb pressing his inner thigh. “They look better on me.”
“You’re funny, Vara.”
She smirked at him. “I try.”
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