by Ivy Banks
He checked out his reflection in the rear-view mirror of his Ferrari and exhaled slowly.
I hope I am not freaking her out by showing up like this.
Showing up unannounced to the door of a woman he had only met once was not something Lincoln Pembroke could ever recall doing in the history of his young life, but he did not care.
He had never known a woman like Pearl Hanover. It was not merely that she was beautiful and sophisticated. Lincoln had known hundreds of women in his life, especially since moving to Los Angeles. He was rich and famous, so finding women was not his issue. But Pearl Hanover was not just any woman. He had sensed that from the first moment he laid eyes upon her.
No, Pearl had captured something in him, as if she could read into his soul with her beryl eyes and gentle mouth.
She tastes so sweet, he thought as he wrenched his eyes from the mirror and exited the car, a bouquet of long stemmed red roses in arms.
The two had spent hours on the phone, and texted each other incessantly since Erik’s party the previous weekend. Lincoln was consumed with thoughts of her.
“Can I take you to dinner?” he had asked that very next night, but she had refused, citing a busy work schedule throughout the week.
Unable to see her, Lincoln grew increasingly impatient to have her lips on his again.
His work was suffering and he knew that he would not rest until he saw Pearl again, face-to-face. As he stood at the front door, his heart began to pound in thunderous tones and he suddenly felt ridiculous.
Is this crazy? I feel like I’m stalking her. Is she going to be mad I looked up her address without asking? I shouldn’t be here without her permission. He glanced back at his car and then at the front door again. Before he could stop himself, he rang the doorbell.
If she seems the least bit put off, I will apologize and run for the hills, he vowed, one foot poised away from the house as the door swung inward.
When their eyes met, Lincoln knew that he had done no wrong. The light in Pearl’s eye reflected exactly what he was feeling.
“Lincoln!” she cried. “What are you–?”
She was not able to finish the question as he grabbed her by the torso, pulling her toward him and their mouths met. The passion he had been storing for a week could no longer be contained, and the two tangoed backward into the house, leaving the door ajar.
He lowered her backwards onto the stairs.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
“Lincoln,” she moaned weakly. “We can’t—”
His mouth was on hers again and each tore at the others’ clothes until the two were a mass of naked skin, pressed against one another. Lincoln’s tongue trailed down Pearl’s smooth skin, finding each salty spot beneath her breasts and on her stomach.
Pearl’s moans escalated, her hands exploring his broad toned shoulders and muscular back as Lincoln continued his journey from top to bottom and up again until the two were locking eyes.
“Lincoln,” Pearl whispered as the tip of his swollen head teased her dripping core. “I’m a virgin.”
The confession turned him into a madman of desire, but he held back his fervor, stroking her cheek sweetly and kissing her lips.
“I won’t hurt you,” he promised and waited until she nodded, biting her lower lip. He had never noticed how sharp and white her teeth were before that moment.
Slowly, he pressed the tip of his erection to her opening, feeling her desire as she arched her hips upwards, welcoming him into her. Her tight entrance hugged his throbbing cock as he slowly pressed inwards, inch by inch. She gasped, but didn’t pull away.
“Please stop teasing me,” cried Pearl. She reached down and grabbed the still exposed portion of his hard shaft, holding him in place, her eyes wide. She breathed deeply, and slowly slid him the rest of the way inside her trembling body.
He began to slowly thrust, but she cried out, her fingers squeezing at him while her facial expressions teetered between furious pleasure and pain.
He immediately stopped, not wanting to hurt her, but she pulled him closer.
“No,” she insisted. “More.”
Obligingly, he began to rock her firm rear against the hard wood of the stairwell, feeling her thighs tighten against him as he found himself deep inside her warm essence.
“Oh, Pearl,” he murmured. “You are so sweet. So pure.”
Each time he pressed into her, she arched her back in ecstasy further still, pushing her beautiful supple breasts higher in the air, as they slid back and forth atop her chest in rhythm with his movements. He took as much of each one as he could in his hands, squeezing gently but firmly, caressing her diamond-hard nipples with his fingers.
He could already sense her juices spilling against him, and his testicles began to contract as his body prepared to erupt inside her. She was so tight, it was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he knew he would not be able to hold on much longer.
“Cum for me, Pearl,” he begged her, his face buried in her ear. “Please cum for—”
Suddenly Lincoln was ripped away and suspended in the air, his fully erect penis extending out perpendicularly from his body as his hands grasped at the vice-like claw around his neck.
An otherworldly shriek filled the air and initially he thought it was Pearl, but he soon realized it was Erik Hanover’s voice reverberating through the house.
“Erik, no!” Pearl joined in the chaos as Lincoln slowly lost consciousness, his tall naked body dangling effortlessly from Erik’s incensed fingers.
Erik’s face had taken on an unrecognizable expression, something subhuman and terrifying, but Lincoln was finding it increasingly difficult to see as black spots danced before his eyes.
“Let him go!”
In his peripheral vision, Lincoln saw Pearl’s glistening nude body rise and begin to pound at Erik with ineffectual fists, each punch sending her beautiful breasts swinging heavily from side to side. Lincoln instinctively reached for her, wanting nothing more than to feel that body against his once more, but the world was losing its natural light, and while their words filtered through his ears, they made no sense to him as the life began to slip from his body.
“…not one of us, Pearl! How could you let this happen?”
“I love him! Erik, please! Let him go! Let him go! Let him…”
And as he lost consciousness, Lincoln felt a strange sense of serenity come over him.
She loves me.
She shed no tears, though she desperately wanted to cry, her body heaving violently over the body of her lover, who was slowly turning blue.
“Get out!” she screamed at Erik. “Get out and never come back!”
“Pearl—”
For the first time, Pearl allowed her darkest shape to overtake her and she flew menacingly into Erik’s face.
“Get out,” she hissed, her voice a compilation of all the ancients. She could see the fear in Erik’s eyes and he turned to escape her wrath.
He paused to look at her from the doorway, his face filled with pleading.
“I was only trying to protect you,” he gasped before disappearing into the afternoon sun.
Pearl dropped to her knees again, picking up Lincoln’s slowly cooling hand.
“I knew this would happen,” she murmured. “That is why I kept you away. I am so sorry. This is my doing.”
She had to make it right, but Pearl was not sure if she knew how.
“Please forgive me if this does not work,” she begged him, her incisors growing from within her mouth.
She gnashed her teeth and slashed at her own pale wrists, placing the steady but slow stream of thick, sluggish blood into Lincoln’s mouth.
“Drink,” she told him. “Lincoln, drink it!”
Yet as the liquid poured into his mouth, it spilled down around the corners and Pearl knew she was not doing what she had intended to do.
“Drink!” she pleaded, beating her wrists
against his chest. “Drink, dammit! Drink!”
She lowered her face into his naked body, trembling and defeated. She had finally found something to make her feel wanted and welcomed in the world. After decades of searching for her place, Lincoln had shown her the way to filling the void that had followed her, and now he was gone.
Gone because of Erik.
I will avenge him, she vowed, her fury mounting. She raised her head and stared at the still open doorway.
He will rue the day he ever decided to follow me. I will make him pay, Lincoln. I swear it.
“Pearl…” Lincoln groaned in a voice barely above a whisper.
Pearl’s eyes traveled toward Lincoln in disbelief as he peered up at her with his vivid green eyes. His face was still waxen but she could see faint, shallow breaths coming from his chest.
“You…you’re here,” she gasped, touching his face. She ran her fingertips along his pale lips and grasped his cheeks.
“I am here,” he assured her. “I am not going anywhere now that I have found you.”
She sat back, an overwhelming dizziness hitting her, but her eyes immediately began to focus again.
“Can you sit up?” she whispered.
To her shock, he reached over and pulled her onto him.
“No,” he replied. “Because I would like to finish what we started before we were so rudely interrupted.”
As he nuzzled her neck, Pearl caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his forearm, her heart pounding as she remembered his words at the party.
“I suppose everyone wants to be immortal,” Lincoln had said.
Pearl wondered if he would regret what he wished for.
I will spend eternity ensuring he does not, she promised herself, as she laid down on top of him, slowly sliding her body down his until his thick hard member was back where it belonged: inside her.
THE END
The Starlet’s Bodyguard
Glamour, suspense, and shameless sex…the perfect combination.
Royal Vampire Kingdom Prologue
Many eons ago, the first vampire came into existence when a great warrior named Atticus was given the gift of immortality from an almighty warlock. But with the gift of eternal life came great responsibility. As Atticus developed a thirst for blood, he knew he had to leverage his powers wisely.
Over time, immortality became lonely, and Atticus embarked on a quest to form his own family. Choosing his “children” based on strength of character, fortitude and the ability to navigate an ever changing world for millennia upon millennia, Atticus created a clan that would be able to rule over all other vampires, creating order and hierarchy among them.
The Vampire King gave sixteen worthy humans the gift of everlasting life. The chosen soon became the fifteen princes and sole princess of the vampire world. Together they became the Hanover family.
From these original sixteen individuals, all vampires in the world were created. Though vampires now cover the Earth as rampantly as man and beast, the original Hanover clan remains the most powerful among them.
This is the story of Baxter Hanover.
Chapter 1
Meadow Anderson’s hands trembled as she dropped her phone to the ground. Her manager, Caroline, looked at her with a concerned expression on her face.
“It was him, Caroline. Somehow he got my new phone number. How? Who gave it to him?” asked Meadow as she picked up her phone off the hardwood floor in Caroline’s office.
Caroline rushed over to Meadow and hugged her as tears streamed down Meadow’s face. Caroline reached across her desk, pressed the intercom, and instructed her assistant to call the police.
Caroline had been like a mother to Meadow, who was only twenty-four. Meadow moved to Los Angeles when she was eighteen after her mother died, trying to escape the pain. After being discovered by a talent agent, Meadow soon rose to stardom as one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood.
“His obsession with you is deranged,” cooed Caroline. “I think he honestly believes you are a vampire. He doesn’t seem to know the difference between the movies and reality. He truly must be mentally ill.”
“How does he keep getting my number? I’ve changed it four times in the last six months. I just don’t understand how he also knows my schedule, knowing when and where I’ll be.”
Caroline stroked Meadow’s long, auburn hair. “What did he say?”
Unable to control her sobs, Meadow was hardly able to voice what the man had said. “He…d…didn’t say much. He said he was going to find me, have his way with me, and drink my blood just like Drake did in Vampire’s Obsession.”
“I think you’re right,” Meadow continued. “He doesn’t seem to get that its just a fucking movie!”
The police arrived within fifteen minutes, and Meadow rolled her eyes as one of them tried to sneak a photo of her with his cellphone.
Seriously? Some deranged asshole is stalking me and this cop is taking a selfie, she thought to herself, but remained quiet.
She’d find a way to sue him if the photo ended up online. The detectives took her statement, but there wasn’t much else they could do. The stalker called from a burner phone.
As the police were leaving, Meadow’s long-term boyfriend, Asher, stormed through the door and immediately swooped her into his arms. His familiar scent of pine and citrus filled her nose as she buried her face into his shoulder. Asher’s strong arms wrapped tightly around her small waist as he whispered words of protection.
“Thanks for calling me, Caroline. I’m going to take Meadow to my house. She’ll be safest there,” Asher said in a brooding tone.
Carline agreed. “That’s a good idea. Bring her back her on your way to work in the morning. She can stay with me during the day until we figure out the next steps. I’m making a few phone calls to hire a full-time bodyguard. I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone.”
“I can protect her, Caroline.”
“She needs someone with her all the time, and unless you plan on quitting your job, she needs someone else. You know she is leaving for Iowa in a few days to shoot her new film. Are you planning on taking three months off to visit the Midwest?”
Asher wrinkled his nose, obviously averse to traveling to the middle of the country. His reaction made Meadow cringe as she felt her stomach tighten. Meadow was born in the Midwest and was excited to go to Iowa. She felt at home in small towns and she felt the people were so much nicer than Los Angeles.
Meadow sat quietly as Asher and Caroline debated the plans for her safety. Meadow wanted the bodyguard, but instead of interjecting, she let Caroline persuade Asher. She didn’t want to make her boyfriend feel like less of a man for being unable to protect her from this menacing stalker.
Asher finally relented. “Fine. Find a her a bodyguard, but tell him to stay out of my way.”
Meadow hugged Caroline goodbye and then walked hand-in-hand with Asher to his SUV in the parking garage. Her knees were weak, still shaken by the words of her stalker. Asher noticed her stumble and placed his arm around her waist to steady her balance. He helped her into his black Range Rover and headed to his house in Brentwood.
“I’ve got to go back to the office, babe. I have a meeting at three o’clock with a new client.”
Meadow’s heart began to beat rapidly. He’s leaving me alone?
“Seriously, Asher? Can’t you reschedule?”
Asher was an entertainment lawyer, who had a barrage of A-list stars as clients. The familiar feeling of not being as important as his job made Meadow’s skin crawl, leaving her feeling empty and even more frightened.
“Not today. It took me weeks to get this meeting.”
“So, you’re saying my life is less important than your stupid meeting?”
Asher sighed and rolled his eyes. “You’re being dramatic. He’s contacted you more than ten times, yet he’s never actually done anything. You’ll be fine.”
Meadow voice caught in her throat. How could he make the situation
seem so trivial? Not only had the stalker found her phone number again, but only last month the mystery man sent her pictures that he’d taken of Meadow while she was walking her dog. He wasn’t a threat that she could ignore.
Not wanting to argue, she texted Caroline.
He’s leaving me at his house alone. I’m so upset. Can you come get me?
Within seconds, Caroline replied.
On my way!
Asher pressed his foot on the gas to accelerate up the long, winding road to his house. It was a seven-bedroom mansion that sat on top of a mountain overlooking the city.
The angular white house had windows on all sides that had always made Meadow feel like she was exposed to the world. On that particular day, she felt particularly vulnerable and wanted to hide in a bathroom or under the covers, away from the openness of the windows.
Asher opened the driver’s side door and proceeded to walk up the short sidewalk to his home, without waiting for Meadow to get out of the car. She huffed and pushed the passenger door open and followed him up the sidewalk. Asher punched his code into the lock and opened the door, once again without waiting for Meadow.
“All right, babe. Just order some food and watch a movie or something. I should be home by eight.”
“Will do,” Meadow answered coldly.
Asher didn’t seem to notice her indifferent behavior as he gave her a peck on the lips and smacked her lightly on her rear as he left.
Meadow sat on his plush white couch and waited for Caroline to arrive. Her body still trembled with fear, so it was a huge relief when she saw the red Mercedes pull into the driveway. Meadow ran outside immediately, not wanting to be alone a second longer. She rushed to the side of the car and slid into the sleek, black seats that were warm from the sun.
“Are we going to your house?” asked Meadow, hoping that Caroline wasn’t going to leave her alone
“Are you okay?” Caroline ignored her question.
“I guess. I just don’t want to be alone.”
