Excerpt from Bite Me
Forevermore is the third book in my second paranormal romance series, Blood & Bone. What you may not know is that Blood & Bone is a spin-off of the Bitten series, which is already complete.
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Ch. 1 of Bite Me
The light in the bar was dim but the patrons were loud. Between the music and the clientele, I could barely hear the order I was taking. Trying to ignore the way the guy’s eyes were glued to my cleavage, I leaned a little closer.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” I asked.
He stared at my breasts, which weren’t exactly impressive, as he answered, “Gin and tonic.”
I really wanted to smack him on top of the head with my drink tray but just managed to refrain. Instead, I smiled brightly.
“No problem.” I looked at the other two guys at the table, who were already pretty tipsy. “Anything for you?”
They both shook their heads, and I turned and headed toward the bar. Lauren, the bartender, started pouring the drink, looking as tired as I felt. I shifted my weight from foot to foot, trying to relieve the pain in my arches. It was almost one-thirty in the morning. Last call would be in another fifteen minutes, and I could not wait. The night hadn’t been busy but steady. My feet and my head were killing me.
I glanced around the bar to see if any of the other patrons were ready for refills. For some reason, my eyes were drawn to the corner. It wasn’t even my section, but I still looked. There was a table tucked away there, usually occupied by couples or those who wanted the illusion of privacy. Tonight, a man sat at the table, hidden in the shadows. When my gaze reached him, he shifted forward into the dim light. I felt my chest tighten. He was beautiful, beyond beautiful. His hair was dark and long, almost to his shoulders. The bones of his face looked as though they had been sculpted by a master. His high cheekbones and strong jawline should have been considered works of art. However, it was his eyes, those piercing blue eyes that I couldn’t look away from. I felt pinned.
“G and T, Donna.”
Lauren’s voice jerked me out of the hot guy trance, and I turned to look at her. She smirked at me when she noticed who had distracted me.
“So you saw Jenna’s hottie from last night?”
I blinked. I remember Jenna had been going on and on about some guy in her section last night and how he was gorgeous. Of course I had blown her off because she was twenty-two and tended to exaggerate.
“That’s Jenna’s hottie?” I asked incredulously.
Lauren nodded.
“Wow, I guess she didn’t overstate it after all.”
We both laughed and I took the glass from the bar. As I walked back to deliver the drink, I could almost swear I felt the man’s eyes on me still. I refused to look. I just knew that I would trip or do something equally embarrassing if I so much as glanced in his direction. I focused on my walk back to the table I was serving and tried to ignore the prickle on the back of my neck.
I set the gin and tonic on the table and gave the total to my cleavage ogler. Again, the three men all eyed me like a group of wild dogs would stare at a juicy steak. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable with their obvious staring.
“Anything else, gentlemen?” I asked. They all shook their heads. “All right, well last call is in fifteen minutes, so let me know if you need one more round.”
A table nearby was ready to cash out their tab, so I headed back to the bar to get their credit cards. I couldn’t stop my eyes from straying to the corner, but the man with piercing eyes was gone. Ignoring the vague feeling of disappointment, I served drinks for last call, cashed out tabs, and cleared tables. The table of three men cleared out soon after I served the gin and tonic. They even left me a very hefty tip. I decided I could deal with their staring if they were going to be such great tippers.
Finally, at two forty-five, Lauren, the other waitress Sandy, and I were finished with clean up. I walked out with them and climbed into my car. I was just about to follow them out of the parking lot when I realized that I had left my cell phone inside. I really didn’t want to go back in for it, but I needed it. I had cancelled my home phone service several months ago, and it was my only means of communication. Quickly, I whipped my car around to the back entrance. I checked the parking lot, which was still empty, and headed back into the bar. I was glad the manager trusted me enough to give me a key and the alarm code. Within a minute, I had my phone, rearmed the alarm, and locked the back door.
I finished locking the door, but when I turned to head back to my car I stopped short. The three men from earlier were shoulder to shoulder in front of a big, black SUV. The blood in my veins turned to ice. They did not look friendly, well, not the kind of friendly I would appreciate. This was not good. Not only were their eyes crawling all over my body, I knew exactly how much alcohol they had that evening. It was enough to bolster their courage to do something stupid, but not enough to prevent them from raping me until they were tired of the game.
Muscles tense, I maneuvered my keys so they stuck out between my fingers like spikes. I cursed my own stupidity for not carrying the pepper spray key chain my friend Shannon had given me. It would have given me time to get into my car with the doors locked. The ringleader, Mr. G and T, stepped forward. I slid sideways away from the door, toward the road. Maybe I could make it to the street. There was a twenty-four hour diner half a block away.
My hopes were dashed as the other two men spread out to cut me off. Okay, obviously that wasn’t going to work. I decided to try talking my way out of the situation, though I was smart enough to know it was likely futile.
“Hey, guys. Did you forget something back in the bar? I can call my manager and have him come down and let you in.”
None of them spoke. They only continued to close in on me. Frantically, I tried to think of something I could say that would dissuade them.
“Well, it was nice to see you again, but I have to get going. My boyfriend is expecting me home in the next few minutes, and he’s likely to show up looking for me if I don’t get there soon. You know how paranoid cops are…” I trailed off. They weren’t backing off at the mention of a boyfriend or the cops. Shit.
They were almost within arms’ reach now. I tried to slow my breathing. I wouldn’t have much of a chance to get away, so whatever move I was going to make was going to have to be quick, efficient, and effective. I tried not to think of how creepy it was that none of them were speaking or responding to me when I spoke. Almost like fucking robots.
The leader lunged toward me suddenly. I gasped but was shocked to see my hand come up and jab him in the face with my keys. Somehow I managed to do the right thing without thinking about it. He howled, covering his face with his hands. When he hit his knees, I darted around him, heading straight for my car and screaming as loud as I could. Maybe someone in the area would hear me and call the police. I heard the other two men scrambling to come after me.
I saw one of them heading toward me out of the corner of my eye and veered away from my driver’s side door. Maybe I could make it to the passenger side or even one of the rear doors. Fingers closed over my shoulder and I knew that I’d never make it to my car. In a last burst of desperation, I managed to rip away from the clutching hand, but not in the direction I needed to go.
Now I was headed away from the street, toward the fence at the edge of the bar’s parking lot. I would be cornered. I glanced over my shoulder and saw that all three of them were closing in fast. I had nowhere else to go. When I reached the fence, I whirled around to face the three men as they approached. G and T had gouges in his cheek and blood running down his jaw and neck. He also looked supremely pissed. I kept my back to the fence and squatted slightly, arms low and slightly away from my sides. I really wanted to reach for my cell and call for the police, but I couldn’t risk taking even a sliver of attention away from the three men in front of me. I had a bad feeling they would be on me before I got the first number punched in.
Instead, I opened my mouth and shrieked as loud and long as I could. The men immediately moved in on me. I knew that I was going to get hurt, but I wasn’t going down without a hell of a fight. The ringleader wisely stayed slightly back as the other two men grabbed for me. One gripped my left arm, and I used the keys still clutched in my right hand to punch him in the throat. I didn’t get as much force behind it as I wanted but it did make him step back and choke. I felt the other wrap his arms around my waist from behind me. I threw my head back and felt my skull make contact with something pointy. The man behind me groaned and his arms loosened. I felt a surge of satisfaction. I knew that it wouldn’t be long before the three of them overpowered me, but I also knew that they would be feeling pain because of me and that was something.
G and T chose that moment to make his move, and his fist slammed into the side of my face with enough force to have black spots dancing in front of my eyes. I screamed again, this time in pain. I heard a scuffle but couldn’t see past the darkness in my vision. The leader punched me again, this time in the stomach, and I had no more air for screaming. I started to crumple, but his hands grasped my upper arms so hard I knew they would leave bruises. He cursed when I started gagging and whipped me around so I was facing away from him. I guess he wasn’t so hyped up at the idea that I would vomit on him. I managed to catch my breath just before his forearm pressed into my throat to yank me back to a standing position.
I dug my nails into his forearm, clawing at his skin. A short scream caught my attention. I looked up and saw a dark figure wrap his hands around the head of one of my attackers. In less than a second, I heard a crack as the man’s head twisted in an unnatural way. Then his body went limp and fell to the ground. I saw no sign of the third man in the group.
“Don’t fucking move.”
I realized the man behind me had spoken for the first time since this entire nightmare began. He was speaking to the dark figure standing in front of us. I also realized that I had just watched a man have his neck broken right in front of me. Suddenly my body started shivering so hard I could barely stay standing without the arm at my throat. The shadow in front of us shifted forward, into a small shaft of light.
G and T tightened his grip around my neck and I stopped breathing. It was the gorgeous stranger I had noticed earlier. He looked feral and dangerous and, if it was possible, sexier than before.
“Release her,” he hissed. Even though his voice was barely a whisper, somehow it surrounded us.
The arm holding me tightened even further. Apparently, G and T had more liquid courage in him than I thought. I dug my nails deeper into his arm.
“I mean it, asshole. Another step closer and I’ll break her neck.”
“I said, release her.” This time the stranger’s voice was heavier. I could practically feel it dripping off my skin. It was almost painful.
The arm around my neck stiffened before it slowly dropped away. What the fuck? Okay, apparently this guy had the magic touch because my attacker was listening to him.
Suddenly, the hot guy from the bar was no longer standing in front of us. I blinked twice, thinking I had momentarily passed out, but he was gone. G and T whined high in his throat. I stumbled away, falling onto the ground.
When I looked behind me, I thought I was hallucinating. The man who had been holding me was hanging limply from the arms of the beautiful stranger. The stranger was gripping the man by the neck. When he was released, my attacker hit the ground hard, his head tilted at a strange angle. Vaguely I realized that my beautiful stranger had broken this man’s neck also.
I scrambled back on my hands, dragging my ass across the pavement. My rescuer took a step toward me and extended his hand. I stared at him numbly, my gaze travelling up his arm to his face. He leaned forward, those intense blue eyes on mine, and cupped my elbow to pull me to my feet. The dim light in the parking lot glinted off his eyes, making them shine like jewels. Mesmerized, I blinked but didn’t speak.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I felt my stomach tighten when he spoke. He had an accent, but it was so faint I couldn’t quite place it. The timbre of his voice was hypnotic and as gorgeous as the rest of him. I nodded. Leave it to one good looking man to reduce me to a speechless puddle. Fuck, I had just faced down a group of three men intent upon horrible things without hesitation, but I couldn’t string together a sentence for this guy.
He released my elbow and my knees buckled. He caught me again and smiled slightly. My eyes zeroed in on his mouth. My first thought was that it was completely unfair that a man as gorgeous as him had dimples and the whitest teeth I had ever seen. Then I realized that his canines were long and curved. As I watched they receded before my eyes. I blinked, and his teeth looked almost perfectly normal. His canines still seemed a little long but not frighteningly sharp. The crazy events of the last ten minutes must have addled my brain.
I made sure my feet were firmly beneath me before I pulled away from my rescuer. Satisfied I wouldn’t collapse into a heap at his feet, I smoothed my skirt down and ran a hand over my hair. I was sure I looked awful.
“Thank you for helping me,” I said, forcing myself to meet his eyes. Normally I had no problem talking to handsome men, but this guy was sex on a stick and he was making me nervous.
“I’m glad I made it in time. I’m Conner.”
When I heard his name I realized that his accent was faintly Scottish, as though he’d been in America for a long time.
“I’m Donna.” I looked at the crumpled bodies of my three attackers and shuddered. “We should probably call the police.”
Conner shook his head. “That’s not necessary.”
I gaped at him. “What? Of course we need to call the police. I know at least one of these men is dead.”
The man may have been gorgeous, but now I was beginning to worry that he was as crazy as the other three.
“They’re all dead, sweetheart.” He leaned closer and stared deeply into my eyes. “There is no need to call the police.”
I stepped back. Conner was beginning to scare me a little with his intensity. “Um, I don’t know if you realized this, but Jedi mind tricks are fictional.”
It was his turn to blink at me. Suddenly his eyes seemed to glow even brighter, and he smiled. I watched in amazement as his canines lengthened and sharpened. My stomach dropped. I had to be imagining things. It was the stress or the adrenaline. Vampires didn’t exist. It had to be something chemical, maybe drugs. That had to be it. Maybe the three men who attacked me had injected me with something and I hadn’t noticed the effects until now.
“You won’t call the authorities,” he repeated.
I swallowed hard. “Okay, okay. I won’t call the cops if you don’t want me to.” I was lying like hell, but I wanted out of there. I had been relieved when he came to my rescue, but now I was more afraid of him than I was of the three men he apparently killed.
He studied me. “You’re lying.”
“No, no I’m not,” I stammered. “I won’t call the police if you don’t want me to.”
Conner tipped my chin up with his hand. “You are lying. I can tell. Just like I can tell you’ll be dialing 911 as soon as your ass lands in your car seat.” His face grew closer to mine and I couldn’t help flinching.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I whispered. If I wasn’t scared out of my mind, I would be pissed at the whine in my voice.
He ignored me and I felt my eyes bug out of my head. This was it. He was going to kill me. If I was lucky it would be quick and painless. If not, he was going to drink my blood and there was nothing I could do to stop him.
His face lowered, those bright blue eyes glowing, but not from the dim light around us. The light seemed to be coming from within them. I felt my body relax right before his mouth touched mine. Conner’s lips were scorching hot and I gasped. I expected him to feel cool, his being undead and all. I forgot about body temperatures because, when I gasped, his tongue slid into my mouth. My brain immediately shut down, and the tingle that began between my legs became a sharp ache.
My own tongue brushed one of his fangs, and I felt a little sting. He groaned and flattened me against his front. I realized I’d just cut my tongue, and he was tasting my blood. I yanked my head back.
I glared at him. “How did you make me do that?” I asked.
He kept my body against his, refusing to let me go when I tried to pull away. “How did I make you do what?”
I scowled. “How did you make me kiss you? Did you zap me with some kind of vampire mind control or something?”
His mouth quirked in amusement. It wasn’t quite a smile, more of a smirk, and it showed his dimples. I wanted to smack him.
“I didn’t compel you to kiss me,” he replied.
My eyebrows lowered and I felt my eyes get all squinty.
“Then why did I just kiss you? I would never do something like that without being coerced.”
“Coerced?” he asked, as though he couldn’t believe I knew what the word meant.
I growled in the back of my throat. Condescending, bloodsucking bastard.
“I believe it’s called chemistry not coercion.”
“Chemistry?” I repeated.
He wrapped an arm around my lower back and my hips connected with his. I felt what had to be a vampire penis poking me in the belly. Oh hell, no way was I playing sink the salami with a creature that would want to sink fangs into me too.
“No, no, no. There’s no chemistry here,” I declared.
His fingers snaked along my jawline. “That’s too bad, Donna, because I have to disagree.”
I felt a lot of pressure near my ear and then everything went black.
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