by K. L. Kreig
God Analise, stop being such a tramp.
She pushed on his chest, trying to gain some space, some breathing room. He moved only slightly and that was only because he chose to do so. She was under no illusions she’d managed to move someone built like a 747. As she felt the hardness and warmth of his pecs under her hand, she realized touching him was a tremendously bad idea. All she could think of was trailing her fingers down his torso until they reached his greatest treasure.
Whew…was it hot in here suddenly?
This was not going at all according to plan. Granted, she hadn’t yet hammered out the details of her elaborate strategy, but letting him have control definitely wasn’t in it. And right now, he had it in spades.
“What are you doing to me?” The soft words barely passed her constricted throat. Now, however, she wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by them.
His eyes never left hers as he closed the gap, capturing her lips gently between his.
“The same thing you’re doing to me, Analise,” he whispered reverently before he took them again. How could he make her want to commit murder one minute and melt like chocolate sitting in the hot sun the next?
Damian deepened the kiss, scattering her thoughts to the wind. Next thing she knew, she was on his lap, straddling his hips, his erection prodding between her legs. Had he moved her there or had she done that herself? Strong, muscled arms held her tight against an equally sinewy body. Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and let her body take over. As Damian ate at her mouth her hips rolled, the rough fabric of his jeans rubbing perfectly against her terry-covered clit. Their tongues dueled, their breaths quickened.
She ran her hands over his back, down his arms. She couldn’t get enough of his toned, sleek body. He caught her wrists, holding them with one hand at the small of her back. Her pulse skyrocketed. She hated being restrained, but with Damian she became even more impossibly turned on. She was embarrassingly wet if the dampness on her pajamas was any indication.
Damian scattered hot, open-mouthed kisses on her face, her neck. He’d placed his free hand on her hips, helping them keep time with her pace. She was quickly soaring toward orgasm and he hadn’t even touched her…at least not in the way that counted. This was all kinds of wrong, but she couldn’t stop. Her head felt heavy, falling back on her shoulders. She was so close to soaring.
“Come for me, Analise. I need to see you fall apart in my arms.” His soft voice sounded raw, husky and was exactly what she needed to push her over the edge into complete paradise. A white light exploded behind her closed lids. Goose bumps blanketed her body as an orgasm ripped through her setting every nerve ending on fire. She’d never felt pleasure like this.
When she finally came down from ecstasy, she felt Damian’s soft kisses at the corners of her mouth, her eyelids, her cheeks. He’d released her arms at some point and placed one hand at the small of her back and one around her neck. His strong grip felt…comforting. Right.
As the last vestiges of her orgasm waned, shame flooded her. Her cheeks warmed. How could she have just rubbed herself to climax on Damian’s lap, like some wanton hussy? She tried, but couldn’t help the tears that formed, spilling over her closed lids. Great, the last thing she needed was Damian to think she was easy and an emotional head case. Christ, let’s just multiply her embarrassment a thousand fold.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Too late. Uhhhh. Shoot her now. She kept her eyes closed, wishing the whole thing would go away. She’d done that a lot in her life. Hadn’t worked so far. Guess she wasn’t a quick learner.
“Kitten, talk to me. What’s the matter? Did I hurt you?” He sounded slightly panicked.
Did he hurt her? No, not yet. But he would. Just give him time. Everyone did sooner or later.
“I don’t want to be another notch on your bedpost,” she whispered, inwardly groaning. Where in god’s name had that come from? That’s not all what she intended to say. Get out before I let you fuck me had been more like it.
“Ahhh Kitten.” He pulled her tightly to him, strong arms wrapped completely around her. He stroked her back, her hair. Tears fell quietly, wetting his shirt. Pretty soon snot would be running down her face. Great. Excuse me, Damian, while I wipe my buggers from your two hundred dollar shirt.
He held her as he spoke. His voice firm, but full of sincerity. “Listen to me good, Analise. You are not another notch on my bedpost. I don’t want another woman. Only you. It will only ever be you.” He pulled back cupping her cheeks in his strong hands, forcing her eyes to his. “I won’t hurt you, Analise. I will protect you. I will protect your heart. I promise.”
The ability to speak vanished. She shook her head. That’s all she could do. He sounded so sure, so sincere, so possessive. She ached to believe him. Every word he said resonated deep inside, slowing filling each empty crevice in her very damaged soul. Every word created more chinks in her already fragile armor. For the first time since she was ten years old, she longed to be loved by someone. To belong to someone. To Damian.
Stupid, foolish schoolgirl thoughts.
He touched his lips to hers one last time before pulling the sheets back. Sliding in, fully clothed, he pulled her body into his arranging them comfortably.
“Go back to sleep, Analise. I’ll be right here when you wake.” He was staying. She was never more grateful…or terrified. Letting him stay was the single dumbest idea ever, but she was simply too exhausted to fight him.
The walls she’d spent so many years building were crumbling quickly and she had no clue how to stop them from disintegrating into nothingness. And that would be so very bad. Because if she allowed Damian into her life, into her heart and he broke her…well, she would never recover. Damian would literally be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Hope. It was a fool’s emotion. It was that tiny light at the end of a black tunnel that kept one going in even the darkest of times, but the inevitable crash that followed was all the more devastating because once you reached the end you realize it wasn’t a light after all. It had been a sick, twisted illusion all along. She should know. She was Hope’s bitch.
Against her better judgment, she drifted off to sleep in the warmth and comfort of his arms, wondering what in the hell she was going to do now. Because in order to find Beth, she needed Damian. And against all that made sense, she couldn’t spend much more time with him without falling head over heels in love. But that also meant she could end up eternally broken.
Analise had recovered from heart-crushing devastation and deep betrayal throughout her life, but she knew without a single doubt that she would never recover from loving and losing Damian DiStephano.
He held the power to destroy her permanently.
Acknowledgements and Thanks!
Thanks…how can five little letters ever adequately express the gratitude I feel? The simple answer is, it can’t.
So many more than myself are responsible for this book. Yes, I had the concept. Yes, I wrote the words (thank you, thesaurus). Yes, I’ve made my vision of vampire lore and these characters’ love story come true in black and white.
But the true thanks goes to those around me who’ve supported me in my journey to put my story on a page and actually publish my very first novel.
First to my readers: Thank you for purchasing my book!! This was a labor of love and many a night I dreamt about the characters, sentence structure, word choices and the twisting turns of the plot. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you like my book, please tell your friends! The best thing you can do to support an author you love is word of mouth.
To my girls: Tara, Kaitlyn, Beth, Sherri, Teresa, Emma and Diane…a million thanks will never be enough for your honesty, your valued opinions and for putting up with me talking incessantly about this book, particularly over the last several months as it finally came together. I’m so blessed to have each and every one of you in my life! (Sniffle, sniffle, get the tissue…)
&
nbsp; To my husband: Babe, you are my everything, my inspiration, my very heart. I can write about romance because I live it every day with you. If my girls think I talked to them incessantly, they have no idea what went on behind the four walls at our house! Thanks for your undying support when I was literally consumed with my writing, even when I didn’t always get dinner on the table or I forgot to call the table guy or I couldn’t tear myself away from the story to order the new sheets we so desperately needed for our bed! You are my rock and I’m so very glad that you’re proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish, because none of it would have been possible without you.
Thanks to my editor for all of your great comments, collaboration and suggestions. I have a better story because of your feedback. And finally a special thanks to Yocla Designs for the absolutely A M A Z I N G job you did on the book cover art! You brought my vision of the story to life and a picture really does say a thousand words through your work.
Finally, I want to shout out to all of the amazing romance authors that gave me the inspiration to try penning my own book.
About the Author
Most authors will tell you that writing is all they’ve ever wanted to do. I guess I’m one of the few that don’t fit in that bucket. Writing a book was never on my bucket list until three years ago. On my list was: Climb the Corporate ladder. Check. Go to Europe. Check. Complete a half marathon. Check. Eat chocolate daily. Double check. Isn’t this on everyone’s bucket list? Catch up on two seasons of Games of Thrones in one day. Painful, but check. Lose five pounds. This will never be checked. And finally, devouring romance books at an alarming pace like the unashamed book addict I am…Over a thousand checks!
Living in Nebraska with my soul-mate hubby, I pen my magic world at night, while paying the bills with an actual compensating job in the corporate world during the day. Writing is just an all-consuming passion for now, but, boy, if I could dream…
My other loves include my simply amazing, incredible and talented children, a steamy novel, great friends and family, and a warm ocean breeze gliding over my sun drenched skin with a cocktail in hand.
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review at Goodreads or the many various other on-line places you can purchase ebooks. Even one or two sentences or simply rating the book is helpful. If you’re anything like me, you rely on reader reviews to help make your determination on purchasing a great book in the vast sea of available ones. Many THANKS!
Finally, if you would like to learn more about me or message me, please visit the following places:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KL-Kreig/808927362462053?ref=hl
Website: http://klkreig.com
Goodreads author page coming soon! Right now you can find me just under K.L. Kreig.
Email:[email protected]
Thanks!
Kelly
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Epilogue
Upcoming Releases
Excerpt from BELONGING
Acknowledgements and Thanks!
About the Author