by Donna Grant
“You look like hell,” Christian said with a smile. He held out his hand for Ivy who took it and stood beside him.
Marshall walked to the front of his car and leaned back against it. He crossed one ankle over the other and hooked his thumbs in his pants pockets. “I feel it. I never thought I would get the US Marshalls out of my office.”
“Did they find anything?”
“No, but that huge burst of flames the other week didn’t help matters. I had calls coming in from everywhere.” Marshall pinned Christian with his steel gray eyes. “A little heads-up would’ve been nice.”
Christian laughed and walked down the steps, pulling Ivy with him. “Yeah, we’ll work on that. Sheriff Marshall Ducet, let me introduce Ivy Pierce.”
Marshall touched the brim of his hat. “Ma’am.” He blinked and looked closer at Ivy before his smile widened as his gaze moved to Christian. “I knew you had a thing for her. You couldn’t stop looking at her at the bar.”
“I know,” Ivy said as she leaned into Christian. “I couldn’t stop looking either. The demons said we were fated to be together.”
Marshall’s brows raised. “Demons? Really? But being fated, I guess that makes things easier.”
“Fated or not, Ivy is meant to be mine,” Christian said as he gazed down at her.
“I’m going to have to stop coming here,” Marshall said when they kissed. “Couples everywhere. Looks like my pool partner is gone. There goes my Friday nights.”
At that moment, the screen door flew open as Riley walked out of the house with her bag over her shoulder. She walked to her Jeep and yanked open the door, even as Vincent and Lincoln were calling her name.
Ivy and Christian turned to see Beau watching it all with a smile and an arm around Davena. Olivia and Ava were trying in vain to call their men back.
Riley had known it wasn’t going to be easy to leave again, but she had to do it. Not because she wanted to, but to prove to everyone – including herself – that she was capable of doing it.
“It’s not for good,” Riley said, quieting her two eldest brothers instantly. She took a deep breath. “I’ll be back.”
“When?” Vincent demanded.
She cocked her head and gave him a stern look. “I’m an adult. I have been for awhile, but none of you were able to see it. I’ve made a life in New Orleans.”
“Delphine is there,” Lincoln said.
As if she didn’t know that. Riley started to say something, but the words evaporated when she saw the sheriff’s car and the hunk leaning back against the hood. His silver-gray eyes watched her fervently. His black hat covered most of his hair, but there was enough showing at the sides and back with a bit of wave to it that had Riley itching to take the hat off him.
“It’s just Marshall,” Vincent said. “What were you going to say?”
Was she going to say something? For the life of her, Riley couldn’t remember. Then all thought fled when Marshall tilted his hat back enough that she got a good look at his face.
Lean and rugged. He had a shadow of a beard that accentuated his amazing jawline and entirely too full lips.
He pushed off the car and stood straight. Lord, was he ever tall. His jeans fit his long legs perfectly, and his white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled above his elbows emphasized his wide shoulders and broad chest.
“Riley!”
She jerked at Lincoln’s voice. Riley glared at them again. “I’m just a few hours away. You know where I am now. There’s no cause for any worry.”
“Are you kidding me?” Vincent asked in shock.
“Vin, careful now,” Olivia cautioned him.
Riley nodded to Olivia. “You need to listen to her. You’re walking dangerous ground here telling me I can’t leave.”
“We’re better with you here,” Lincoln said.
Vin turned and looked at Beau and Christian. “And why the hell aren’t you two trying to keep her here?”
“Because she’s happy in New Orleans,” Beau said. “I saw that firsthand. Besides, she’s good for Kane.”
When Vincent turned his attention to Christian, he merely shrugged. “I’m sorry, Vin. Did you say something? I was kissing my woman.”
Ivy giggled and kissed him again.
Riley shook her head with a smile. “I never thought I would see the day that my brothers found love, but each of you have. Vin, you and Olivia are about to be married. Lincoln and Ava aren’t far behind. It won’t be long after that before Beau and Davena and Christian and Ivy are also married. We can’t all live in the house.”
“There’s someone in New Orleans, isn’t there?” Lincoln asked.
Riley glanced at Marshall to find a small frown on the man’s face. She waved away Lincoln’s words. “Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter. I’ll call y’all when I get there.”
She got in her truck and closed the door before there could be any more arguments. Riley started the Wrangler and put it in reverse when she noticed that Marshall had taken a few steps toward her.
He was handsome. Too handsome. A man like that would break her heart, and she had had enough of that.
Riley backed up before she put the truck in drive and started down the long driveway. She looked in the rearview to find everyone was going back inside except for Marshall.
He stood staring after her.
Look for the next story in the Chiasson series with their cousins, the LaRues in MOON STRUCK – Coming October 2015!
Until then, read on for the sneak peek at SOUL SCORCHED, the sixth book in the Dark King series…
Dreagan Industries
Edinburgh, Scotland
Darcy sat straight up in bed, her chest heaving from her gasping breaths. She clawed at the hair that clung to her face with her sweat and blinked several times to make sure the dragon who had been bearing down on her with its mouth open wasn’t real.
She hunched over and buried her face in her hands, her entire body shaking. It was the same dream from two days earlier. For the past month, the dream kept recurring every few days. There was no rhyme or reason to when the dreams came or when they didn’t. All Darcy knew was that the dragon was after her.
She lifted her face to peek out her window. Dawn had arrived. She took several deep breaths before she threw off the covers and rose to walk to the bathroom. After a quick shower, she pinned up her hair and pulled on a sweater, jeans, and boots before she walked to the kitchen of her flat. A quick inhale of the smell of coffee brought some semblance of a smile to her face.
Darcy poured the dark liquid into a tall thermal container and screwed on the top. She put on her coat and pulled her purse over her head, settling it across her body. As she made her way to the door, she grabbed an apple from the basket.
The few blocks she walked to work was done slowly. She wasn’t in a mad dash like others in the city heading to their corporate jobs.
By the time she reached the black door of her shop, she had finished the apple. Darcy opened the door and stepped inside. She shut and locked the door behind her. It was a few hours yet before she would officially open, but she always came in early.
She walked past the round table painted black set in the middle of the floor. All around the front of the small store were decorations that people expected to see like a crystal ball and crystals of various sizes and colors hanging from the ceiling.
Simple was best, and it was what she liked. Darcy didn’t put up any brightly lit signs announcing that she read palms. People always found her, and her clients returned again and again.
Although she could read palms anywhere, she preferred the place kept darkened. So the lights were dimmed and candles lit. The walls were painted a dark purple, and the hardwood floor was covered with black rugs of various sizes and shapes.
She walked through two sets of dark hanging curtains to the back of the store that held boxes of different tarot cards, runes stones, and books about reading the tarots and runes, as well as palm reading. She made the b
ulk of her money from her clients, but she made a nice chunk with her online sales.
This was the place she called her mini-warehouse because of all the boxes. She had a small desk that housed her computer and printer. All her shipping supplies were in cabinets hanging on the wall above her desk, which meant it was as neat as it was going to get.
Darcy hung her purse on the coatrack, and her coat soon followed. She tapped a key on the computer keyboard to wake it up as she walked to the back door.
She quickly threw open the door and sighed. This was the place she craved to be. This is what the money from her palm readings and online sales allowed her. She was finally able to find some semblance of comfort since the dream woke her.
The conservatory was long and narrow, going back as far as it could until it reached the building behind hers. Darcy took a deep breath, the air filled with the fragrance of dozens of flowers. This is what calmed her. It was the place she went to ease her mind and find peace that eluded her out in the world of crazies.
Darcy didn’t bother with gloves. She pushed the sleeves of her sweater up her arms and put on the apron that held the tools she would need to tend to her flowers.
She looked over the tables of plants to the planters in the back that held the tallest flowers. Then she walked to the table to her left.
One by one Darcy lovingly touched their leaves and inhaled the fragrant flowers while she checked the soil and pruned as needed. She went down the first row, moving to her right until she reached the end.
She was at the middle table working her way back to the front when she noticed the Scottish primrose she had planted from a seed. It had sprouted well enough, but yesterday it began to look as if it was struggling to live.
Darcy leaned close and cupped her hands around it. She let her magic fill her before she released a small portion of it through her fingers into the plant.
She didn’t normally use her magic with her plants, but the primrose had been a gift from her sister. It had taken her six years to get up the courage to plant it, and now that she had, she didn’t want it to die.
As she watched the leaves of the flower begin to brighten, she dropped her hands to her side and straightened. She didn’t need to turn around to know who had come into the area. There was only one person who would dare to intrude upon her privacy.
“I honestly didn’t expect to see you again.”
“And I didna expect to see you cheating by using your magic,” came the masculine reply in a deep, soft English accent.
Darcy turned and faced the man who had first walked into her shop three years earlier. She looked over his long black hair that hung loose about his shoulders to his gold eyes. As usual, he was in a dark suit, the crisp white shirt beneath the jacket left open at the collar.
Ulrik.
Her first foray into a world she hadn’t known existed—the Dragon Kings.
Thank you for reading Wild FLAME. I hope you enjoyed it! If you liked this book – or any of my other releases – please consider rating the book at the online retailer of your choice. Your ratings and reviews help other readers find new favorites, and of course there is no better or more appreciated support for an author than word of mouth recommendations from happy readers. Thanks again for your interest in my books!
Donna Grant
www.DonnaGrant.com
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Don’t miss these other spellbinding novels by
DONNA GRANT
Chiasson Series
Wild Fever
Wild Dream
Wild Need
Wild Flame
Dark King Series
Dark Heat (3 novella compilation)
Darkest Flame
Fire Rising
Burning Desire
Hot Blooded
Night’s Blaze
Soul Scorched (June ’15)
Passion Ignites (Nov ’15)
Smoldering Hunger (Dec ’15)
Dark Warrior series:
Midnight’s Master
Midnight’s Lover
Midnight’s Seduction
Midnight’s Warrior
Midnight’s Kiss
Midnight’s Captive
Midnight’s Temptation
Midnight’s Promise
Midnight’s Surrender (Holiday novella)
Dark Sword series:
Dangerous Highlander
Forbidden Highlander
Wicked Highlander
Untamed Highlander
Shadow Highlander
Darkest Highlander
Shield Series
A Dark Guardian
A Kind of Magic
A Dark Seduction
A Forbidden Temptation
A Warrior’s Heart
Druids Glen Series
Highland Mist
Highland Nights
Highland Dawn
Highland Fires
Highland Magic
Dragonfyre (connected)
Sisters of Magic Trilogy
Shadow Magic
Echoes of Magic
Dangerous Magic
Sisters of Magic Box Set
Royal Chronicles Novella Series
Prince of Desire
Prince of Seduction
Prince of Love
Prince of Passion
Royal Chronicles Box Set
Wicked Treasures Novella Series
Seized by Passion
Enticed by Ecstasy
Captured by Desire
Wicked Treasures Box Set
Stand Alone Stories
Savage Moon (ebook novella)
Forever Mine (ebook novella)
Mutual Desire
And look for more anticipated novels from
Donna Grant
Soul Scorched (Dark Kings)
Moon Struck – (LaRue – connected to Chiasson)
A Dark Kiss (Reaper – Dark King spin off)
coming soon!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s written more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King series featuring immortal Highlander shape shifting dragons who are daring, untamed, and seductive. She lives with her two children, two dogs, and four cats in Texas.
Connect online at:
www.DonnaGrant.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorDonnaGrant
www.twitter.com/donna_grant
www.goodreads.com/donna_grant/
Table of Contents
copyright
Pronunciations & Glossary
Acknowledgments
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
Epilogue
Excerpt for SOUL SCORCHED
Thank You
Newsletter
Donna Grant Novels
About the Author
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