With a Touch: The Guild Chronicles, Book 1

by Rhiannon Leith

  “But the other night—”

  “That is part of the problem. Two nights in a row, two nights I have—” He cursed, though the words were ancient and unknown to her. “I’m like nothing more than a Leanán Sidhe, feeding off mortals for my own purposes and enrichment. Please, Rowan, let me return what I have pilfered. It burns within me, tortures me with the knowledge of the forbidden.”

  His lips brushed her neck, a little trail of fiery kisses down the edge of her erratically pulsing jugular. Her blood beneath surged in response and her breath caught in her throat.

  “But you said you…you can’t make love…”

  “Other ways, sweet Rowan,” he murmured into her skin. “I will never harm you. May I?”

  Rowan bit her lip, intrigued. He couldn’t make love to her, by his own admission, couldn’t or wouldn’t love her. Other ways? Excitement mingled with fear and yet the dark silence still called. Rest, oblivion, peace…and if their enemies came she would be completely helpless.

  “All right,” she said, unable to hide the wariness in her voice.

  “I will stop if you command it,” he promised solemnly, and she believed him.

  Rowan released all control to the Sidhe prince and allowed him to draw her back from the shadows calling her. Daire made her comfortable on the sofa, removed her shoes and her coat, all with the neat precision of a ritual. He loosened her hair, running his fingers through its length as if he was experiencing the finest silk. Just when Rowan was sure he had changed his mind, that he had decided to grant her the peace she craved and feared, his mouth closed on hers.

  Daire’s kiss was determined, no chaste brush of the lips this time, no mistaking his intent. She opened beneath him like a flower to the sun. He smiled as he kissed her. She could feel it in their lips and somehow that made her too scared to open her eyes. Daire of the sombre expression, Daire who was constructed from hard lines of determination, Daire was smiling.

  He trailed his way down her neck while his hand slid beneath her body, cradling her, massaging the taut muscles where her neck met her shoulders. For a moment she lost all sense of self, her body relaxing into his touch. She lay so still that one might think her deeply asleep, and yet inside herself, she struggled desperately for equilibrium.

  Rowan had no idea when he opened her blouse or removed her bra, but she gasped as his mouth closed over her nipple, drawing it into his mouth, warm, wet and welcoming. His tongue swirled around the areola. His other hand brushed the soft skin of her thighs, parting them effortlessly. Fae enchantments? She squeezed her eyelids tighter, and arched her back, her breath coming harder as he switched breasts, as his hand cupped the mound and pressed with just the right amount of pressure.

  That was one of the old stories, wasn’t it? The fae lover who could make a woman wild with desire, fulfil her so that she would never want another, would waste away with the need for his touch. Hadn’t she suspected his glamour of acting on her before? Hadn’t she thought of her reaction to him, her need for him, and wondered if it was deliberate? She had been a fool. That was a vague shadow to the things she felt now. That was just a dream, a myth, a fleeting shadow. Now she lay in the heart of the sun.

  “Daire,” she forced the words out. “Daire, please!

  An alien warrior discovers what it is to love…and to share.

  Grady’s Awakening

  © 2009 Bianca D’Arc

  Resonance Mates, Book 4

  Alien super soldier Grady Prime’s missions routinely lead him in unexpected directions, but his latest assignment—to kill a rogue warrior—is far beyond routine. This time he meets a woman who embroils him in an adventure of the highest order. Love.

  Gina has lived among aliens so long, she’s lost her fear of them. She is undeniably attracted to Grady, even though their respective duties force them apart. Then, on a mission to a far-flung outpost, an encounter with a man from her past leaves her torn between her flaming desire for Grady, and her still-simmering love for an old flame.

  Jim and his group of human dissidents live in secret, away from alien patrols. He has responsibilities, and covert operations to manage. But when Gina re-enters his life, only one thing matters—being with her.

  Brought together by chance, the three form an alliance that pushes the boundaries of desire and make unexpected connections that could save the human race from alien conquerors…

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Grady’s Awakening:

  The idle time with Gina would be over soon. Jim hadn’t yet asked whether she’d be returning with him to Colorado. He was almost afraid to broach the subject because that would bring reality all too close. Grady had to be considered. He undoubtedly had a ship secreted somewhere nearby and at some point he’d have to make a choice.

  He would either return to the Alvians or go AWOL. If there was some third possibility, Jim didn’t know what it was, but the cousins had counseled him to wait and see. The Oracle said Grady had a role to play, and Caleb O’Hara was seldom wrong. According to his vision, things would work out—somehow. Jim just didn’t know how yet.

  “Penny for your thoughts.” Gina smiled at him as she touched his arm.

  “Sorry. I was woolgathering.” He straightened from his slouch against the table and pulled her in for a quick hug. “What do you say we blow this popcorn stand?”

  “What did you have in mind?” She blinked up at him, and he knew they were on the same page.

  “What do you say, Grady? You in the mood?”

  “Mood for what?” Grady looked confused. “I don’t understand any of what you just said. What’s a penny, and why would she give you one for your thoughts?”

  Gina laughed, turning to Grady and taking his arm. “That’s just an old saying. A penny is a coin we used to use to pay for things.”

  “So you were willing to pay him for his thoughts? Shouldn’t such things be free between mates?” Grady frowned at Jim, and he had a hard time not laughing in the alien’s face.

  “They should indeed,” Gina agreed readily as she started walking, taking Grady with her. Jim followed along close behind.

  “Where are we going?” Jim protested when they neared the main entrance to the underground complex. There was a series of tunnels before they’d reach the outside, but this short tunnel, sealed by two huge, metal blast doors, was the entrance to the facility itself.

  “I heard about a special place, just outside, in one of the side tunnels. A hot spring.” She sent him a daring look that immediately fired his libido. It didn’t take much to get his motor running where Gina was concerned.

  “You don’t say?”

  “It’s secluded and private with an independent water source. The ladies I spoke to swore by it for bathing…and other things.”

  “Really?” Jim allowed her to coax him out into the small entry tunnel.

  There were guards posted at both ends of the small tunnel—one inside the facility and one just outside, in the tunnels. The man inside gave Gina a wink as he heard where they were headed. The second guard cautioned them to be back before they sealed the facility down for the night at midnight. They had a couple of hours to enjoy themselves.

  The grotto was lovely. Jim peeked into the chamber before entering, noting as Gina placed a discrete marker at the entrance.

  “What’s that for?”

  “So we won’t be disturbed. The ladies came up with this little system.” She winked at him.

  “Ingenious,” he agreed, pulling her hips to his as he leaned in for a quick kiss.

  He was aware of Grady behind them, but didn’t pay the alien much mind until he brushed past. Jim raised his head and followed the alien warrior into the chamber, letting Gina precede him.

  Jim crouched down at the lip of the pool, dipping his fingers into the water as he looked around. A cold waterfall doused the rocky depression, which was filled from below with piping hot water. The result was a mixture of perfect temperature, the mineral content diluted with fresh water filtered throu
gh the rocks from above. The mixture cut the earthy scent of the minerals.

  Jim would bet the area around the vents was bubbly warm if one wanted to soak. He also imagined the brisk waterfall would be a refreshing way to clean up. The combination in one heavenly grotto was nature’s perfection.

  Grady had stripped and was in the water before Jim even straightened. Gina, laughing, wasn’t far behind.

  Jim took his time, watching Grady and Gina swim a little, enjoying the water. When they started enjoying each other, Jim stripped and entered the pool. He gave them a few minutes while he swam around a bit, exploring the boundaries and depths of the pool. The thermal vents were toasty warm and bubbly against his feet and legs on one end, the cold water of the waterfall refreshing on the other. If an architect had planned it, nothing could be more perfect in design and function.

  But then again, the Great Architect had a hand in this place’s building. Jim wasn’t an overtly religious man, but he believed in the Creator. Especially when he saw someplace like this. Nature’s beauty always had a way of convincing him that somebody up there had a plan for things, and just that small reminder was enough to reassure him.

  Finding Gina again made him feel that way too. A relationship that would have been impossible in the old world was not only possible now, but promising. With Gina working with him, they had a chance to positively affect the world for all humans. And Grady might be an integral part of it all.

  There was no way he could have imagined it just a few days ago, but now things looked good for the future for the first time in decades. Instead of merely existing and eking out a living hidden from the aliens, humans had a chance to do something proactive to change the world for the better.

  Jim took another look at his friends at the other end of the pool. He couldn’t be absolutely certain, but it sure looked like Grady was already buried balls deep in Gina’s tight pussy. That didn’t take long.

  It was shallower on this end and warmer away from the waterfall. Natural ledges made this part of the pool almost like a hot tub. That was something he planned to exploit with Gina at length—once Grady was done.

  He hoped Gina had eaten well today. She’d need her strength if she was going to keep up with both her men.

  The thought gave him pause, but only for a moment. He kind of liked the way that sounded. Being Gina’s man would have a lot of benefits and only a few drawbacks. The sense of belonging to another person was something he’d never really expected to feel again in his life. Not since the cataclysm had changed everything.

  He’d bet Grady had never experienced such a thing—not even on a superficial level, as Jim had with a few of his girlfriends during his youth. Grady had never experienced love—or any emotion—until very recently. It made Jim feel sad for the guy. He didn’t even have the memories of a family’s love to fall back on in rough times. Only his emotionless Alvian brethren who seemed more like machines at times than people.

  Jim swam around a bit, watching as Gina clung to the big alien. He was definitely fucking her if her soft moans were anything to go by. He liked the way her breasts bobbed on the surface of the water while Grady pounded into her below. Her head was thrown back as the muscles in Grady’s neck strained, his big arms supporting her. His expression was fierce, and Jim wondered for a moment if he looked the same when he was close to ecstasy with this special woman.

  One of Grady’s arms slipped in the bubbly water, jiggling Gina, and Jim decided it was time to give them a hand. Or two.

  He approached Gina from behind, sliding up behind her in the warm, effervescent water. Grady met his gaze over her shoulder.

  “Give her to me. I’ll hold her.” Jim held out his hands, and Grady relinquished her upper body into Jim’s care, transferring his hold to her hips. She was stretched out between them in the fizzing water, trusting them to see to her safety…and her pleasure.

  Two vampires, one woman, an eternity of love and desire…if only she’s strong enough…

  The Seeking Kiss

  © 2009 Eden Bradley

  Midnight Playground, Book 1

  London 2069

  For as long as Nissa has known about Midnight Playground, the most exclusive of a world-wide network of vampire sex clubs, she has yearned to gain entrance—and to become one of them. Orphaned and alone from a young age, she has nothing to lose and nothing to stop her from indulging in her darkest fantasies.

  Hex and his maker, Aleron, have enjoyed many play partners at the club and have often shared in the euphoria of the Seeking Kiss, that sensual blood exchange between vampires and their lovers. But Nissa’s beauty, intelligence and strength is a siren call he can’t resist.. His desire for her and her willingness to let herself be drawn by their mental pull compels Hex to consider offering to her something he’s never given another mortal—the treasured Turning Kiss.

  The beautiful vampire pair entice Nissa into an intimate sexual realm beyond her wildest dreams—and she revels in it. But when she finds herself falling for one of the powerful duo, it could mean the end of her deepest fantasies. Or a new beginning she never dared to imagine…

  Enjoy the following excerpt for The Seeking Kiss:

  Her mind was emptying out. Too much sensation going on to think. Too much of her most treasured fantasies come to life. Was this really happening?

  But the tall one pulled out, stepped away from his partner, reached out and took her hand. His skin was hard and cool on the surface, with a strange sort of warmth lurking beneath. He drew her in, and the dark one came to stand behind her, his arms coming around her body. They began to undress her, and it was as though it was all happening in a dream. Except that it was real and she was wide awake, and she knew it. Fantastic.

  The tall one stroked her exposed flesh—her collarbone, the top of her breast, and her nipples hardened until they hurt. And all the time she was aware of the dark one’s hands on her waist, holding her up, holding her tight to them both. His flesh was a bit softer than the other’s, in a way that was difficult to explain, even to herself. So, so beautiful, both of them, and she thought she’d die if they didn’t kiss her soon.

  “Soon enough,” the blond whispered to her, his voice tinged with a French accent.

  She heard his name in her head, like some distant sort of echo. Aleron. And then the other, the tone gentler, full of smoke, and she’d known his voice would sound just like that. Hex.

  Their hands were everywhere at once then, stroking her thighs, her stomach, her breasts, the small of her back. Their mouths followed, their lips surprisingly warm as Aleron lifted her arm and trailed kisses down that sensitive skin on the inside of her forearm, Hex kissing her back. Small, fleeting kisses, too fleeting. Pleasure like fire skittering over her skin, making her tremble. Her pussy was soaked, throbbing. Needing.

  “We hear you,” Aleron told her quietly.

  Hex took her then, turning her in his arms so that she faced him. The masculine beauty of his face was staggering, his eyes so dark they were nearly as black as his hair, with shots of whiskey and amber lighting them, and unbelievably long lashes. His mouth was ripe, the tips of his eyeteeth resting on that lush flesh. She swallowed, unable to speak, to think. He smiled at her, and his smile was like pleasure itself, working its way deep inside her body.

  “We know you, Nissa,” he said, his voice that low, husky whisper she’d known it would be. “We know you, and we are here to give you what you need. What you desire. You want us, yes?”

  She nodded her head, her throat dry, and it was several moments before she was able to speak. “Yes. Yes…”

  “And we want you. Beautiful Nissa. Beautiful girl.”

  She shivered once more, his words, his voice, almost as lovely as his touch. Then he did touch her, his hands gathering her bare breasts, kneading them gently, then a bit harder. And she leaned into him, sighing with pleasure as he took her nipples between his fingers, pinching, twisting. Oh yes, pleasure and pain and the exquisite knowledge of what they were
. Vampires. Immortal. And she had some sense of the eternity of their existence, as though they fed her a bit of it, along with the ghostly sensations of what each of them was feeling.

  She blinked, found them both staring at her face—blazing blue eyes and hot liquid brown. Aleron gave the slightest nod of his chin before slipping back behind her, his hard body pressed against her spine, like sun-warmed stone. Hex smiled before lowering his face to hers and kissing her.

  God, his lips, like nothing she’d ever felt before in her life. Hard and soft, yielding yet unyielding. Then his tongue, as hot and silky as any human’s, yet sweeter, more pure, somehow, pushing its way between her lips, twining with her tongue.

  Love him already…

  And the pleasure pushing its way into her body in long, undulating shivers of desire. She was lost in the kiss, in him.

  Hex.

  Aleron put his hands on her once more, stroking her hips, her thighs, impossible feather-light strokes. She’d never imagined one of them could be so gentle. And her sex was lighting up with need, wet and hurting.

  When Hex pulled away to look into her eyes once more with that riveting gaze, she whispered, “Please touch me.”

  Hex’s hands came down to cover Aleron’s, and together they slipped their palms between her thighs, four sets of fingers brushing the curls there, the swollen lips.

  “Ohhh…”

  She could hardly believe this was happening.

  Don’t think. Just feel.

  “Ah, so wet for us,” Aleron whispered into her hair.

  “Yes…”

  She arched her hips into their touch, but they pulled away.

  “Not yet, not like this,” Aleron said. “I want her on the bed. I want her open to us completely.”

  They guided her, helped her climb onto the high, velvet-covered bed, laid her out on her back. They stood, one on each side of the bed, and she was trembling all over.

  Need you. Please.

  Aleron’s voice was so low she had to strain to hear him. “Yes, Nissa. You shall have us both. And we shall have you. With our hands. With our mouths. With our cocks. And with our teeth. We will drink from you. You will have the Seeking Kiss tonight.”