“Have I?” he asks, not fully stepping into the light. He’s in shadow, but those amber eyes glow and his strong build is mouthwatering. “What’s your name, pretty girl.”
“Come a little closer and I’ll tell you.” There’s no mistaking my breathy tone nor the way I cross my legs, the skirt of my dress parting at the split revealing the side of my thigh and lower. Moreover, he follows the move with hunger, his chest expanding as he takes in a deep breath. “This conversation needs to be face to face.”
In a flash, he’s kneeling at my feet, his hands on the bed trapping me while my knife is at his throat. If he’s surprised, he doesn’t show it nor does he try to disarm me. “Can you tell me now, my queen? I need to know my mate’s name.”
“Mate?” I ask, the blade digging a little deeper, an action that hurts me. “You’re mine?”
Is that why my heart is beating fast?
Is this why my palms are sweaty?
Is this why I find his dark, black hair and amber eyes so sexy and the thought of hurting him makes me feel sick?
Mates are a special thing, a gift, and there’s no denying the need you feel. It’s all consuming and sudden and unforgiving as you give yourself without pause or consequence. A few words and your world changes, an instant love that gives your life true meaning.
“I’m yours.” His smile is beautiful and the look in his eyes so soft, a complete contradiction to the man who’s been pillaging in his search for me. Threatening covens under my family’s protection, terrorizing them into telling him where I am while failing at every turn.
They’re loyal to us. They’d never sell me.
But how can he—this vampire—be my mate?
“And you’ve been looking for me.” At my words, spoken low and a bit sultry, his eyes snap from my lips to my eyes, widening as they sink in.
“Gabriella?”
“Theodore.”
The minutes pass and neither of us speak, lost in our thoughts. However, it’s his hand on my cheek that calms me just when I think it’s better that I run. It’s the feel of his lips on my neck and the arms around my waist that anchor me as the knife slips from my fingertips, clanging on the floor.
So simple each touch, but from your mate—the one person made for you—it gives your soul purpose.
“I’m sorry,” he says it so low I almost don’t hear it, but I do, and a shuddering breath escapes me. This is the last thing I expect from the proud king, but right now he’s humbling himself while the sword he held moments ago is now astride my lap. An offering. “You are the lesson I needed to learn, Gabriella Moore. My life is yours.”
“Theo, I—”
“Say it again.” His purr-like rumble tickles, creates a vibration through me that makes me laugh. “Please.”
“Since when does a king beg?” I ask, and this flirtatious side of me is new. And so is the way I clench at the sight of his harsh swallow—the delicious way his throat bobs with the action.
He pulls back so I can meet his eyes. See the sincerity in them. “Since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
A blush spreads across my cheeks, and I bite my bottom lip. “Does this mean you’ll stop hurting innocent people?”
“This means my life is yours to command, pretty girl.”
“That’s a hard offer to deny, Mr. Astor…”
“Then don’t.” He lifts me with ease, tucking me against his chest while seating me on his lap. We’re on the floor, his body cradling mine, while those lips kiss from the crown of my head to temple. “Let me love you. Let me be the one you lean on.”
“You’ve hurt my people.”
“And I will make the reparations necessary.” With the tip of two fingers, he nudges my head so were eye to eyes. His lips hover, and I can taste him there. His natural sweetness is a tease to my senses. “Let me spend an eternity making you happy.”
“What will it cost me?”
“Your heart, and in return, I’ll give you all of me.”
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THE END FOR NOW. . .
SURPRISE!!!
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THIS WORLD IS FAR FROM OVER, AND I’M IN THE MIDDLE OF PLANNING THE NEXT BOOK IN THE (FATES BITE) SERIES. SO, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN???
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IT MEANS…THEODORE AND GABRIELLA WILL BE GETTING A PREQUEL. YES, YOU READ THAT RIGHT!!! THEO HAS BEEN SHOUTING IN MY HEAD, DEMANDING TO SHARE THEIR BEGINNING, AND I’M SO DOWN FOR IT. THESE CHARACTERS OVERTOOK MY WORLD—SENT ME ON A JOURNEY THAT’S INDESCRIBABLE.
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LITTLE MATE #.5 GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57974086-little-mate
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HALF TRUTHS #2 IS PLANNED FOR AFTER THE SEQUEL. XADIEL AND ISABELLA WILL GET THEIR STORY, AND I AM SO EXCITED!
SHIFTER ROMANCES ARE MY WEAKNESS, AND THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE.
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HALF TRUTHS GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/new/57915697-half-truths
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RISQUE (BEAUTIFUL SINNER #5)
8/20/2021
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I’m the new KING of London, but it’s her body I crave to conquer.
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Her enemies have become my own. Her body is my favorite toy.
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We were never supposed to meet, but then there she was across the bar sitting beside my cousin’s newest obsession. A small little beauty with a grin on her sweet lips and a low-cut top meant to tease—to destroy a man’s self-control. She didn’t see me, but I took in every sensual inch while placing a target on her head.
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Our paths will cross, and she’ll fight, but I’m a man of my convictions. My vow is unbreakable.
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I’ll be back for you, my Venus.
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About the Author
Elena M. Reyes is the epitome of a Floridian and if she could live in her beloved flip-flops, she would.
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As a small child, she was always intrigued by all forms of art: whether it was dancing to island rhythms, or painting with any medium she could get her hands on. Her passion for reading over the years has amassed her with hours of pleasure, but it wasn't until she stumbled upon fanfiction that her thirst to write overtook her world.