“Yes, you have the jurisdiction. But some things aren’t done if we want to keep the different species who live here happy. You go storming in there and asking questions and they’ll clam up. They’ll tell you nothing. There is a right way to do things.”
“You mean the pompous, egotistical, above-the-law kind of way?” I couldn’t help but retort. My mouth had a funny way of spurting out exactly what my head whispered to it. It had no loyalty to me at all. None.
“I mean the way that your boss tells you to do it, for once.” He came closer to me, then crouched down next to where I was sitting. He held my gaze with his own, and the tilt to his upper lip meant he knew exactly what his closeness did to me.
Cole was so different to his brother, with his shorter hair and serious demeanor. He very rarely smiled, and if he did, it was usually before he slapped a warning on my wrist. But earlier this morning, his veneer had changed. He had softened. And the contrast of it had me in a spin.
“Are you going to kiss me again?” I scoffed, hoping it would embarrass him enough to back off. But it didn’t. It did the complete opposite.
“Are you asking me to?” he asked in a lowered voice that held a hint of honey glaze. His eyes flickered to my lips as he leaned closer, and I gulped. I actually gulped.
“I’m not asking you to do anything.”
“That’s a shame,” he whispered. “Your kiss haunts me still.”
My body responded by growing hotter than spiced mojito and chilli fries. Not that you could get them over here in Portiside, but I have them when I go back over to Earthside sometimes. They’re hot all on their very own depending on where you go, but put them together, and boom. Body sweats. Damn it. My head had decided to go off on a tangent, making me lose complete control of the situation.
Cole put his hand on mine, and both of us stared at the contact. He played with my fingers as we both tried to test the boundaries between us. How could such a small action create such a great reaction in me? But it did. And I found myself wanting him too much for my liking. My body needed to get a grip and start siding with my heart. Going via this road meant taking a ride down Heartbreak Lane. And not only that. It could put my job at risk. It wasn’t worth it. It wasn’t.
Or was it?
Time seemed to slow down as Cole’s touch lingered. But then, before we knew it, Kaleb was opening the door and breaking the spell yet again. Cole yanked his hand away from mine as if it was on fire and guilt washed over me.
It wasn’t that long ago that Kaleb had confessed his belief that his brother was in love with me—even though I’d told him it was a ridiculous notion. But he’d also warned me, telling me that Cole would break my heart if I decided to go there. But I wouldn’t. I wasn’t. Oh screw it. I needed coffee.
“Not interrupting anything, am I?” Kaleb asked as Cole stood up to full height.
“You’re interrupting nothing,” I said as I stood up to take the coffee from him. He eyed me suspiciously before sitting down, and I decided it was safer to study the brown liquid in my cup rather than the two shifters dominating the room. The coffee was very interesting to watch. The curious shapes formed as the coffee and milk blended together: it was very pretty. Very, very pret—
“I’ll raise the request order,” Cole said, his tone a lot sterner than it was just moments before. “You don’t move on the vampire prisoner until it comes through. Got it?”
“What request?” Kaleb asked.
I ignored him and replied to Cole, “Got it.”
Our Enforcer Chief left the room and Kaleb looked at me for an explanation.
“Politics,” was all I said with a shrug before I drowned my sorrows in caffeine. If only Cole was as easy to side shift.
PRE-ORDER will be available for DEATH BE CHARMED very soon! Visit
http://www.katieepstein.com/all-titles/ for updates.
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Katie Epstein is an author of paranormal romance and fantasy novels. Living in the UK with a husband, two children and a wild imagination, Katie now dedicates her time to churning out stories in genres where the artistic license is limitless. You can read more about Katie and her projects or sign up for her newsletter at www.katieepstein.com.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
I always have so many people to thank once I’ve written one of my books. And it makes me realize how lucky I am to have such support in getting them out there.
First of all, thank you so much to Katie-Bree Reeves from Fair Crack of the Whip Proofreading and Editing services. She is someone who has not only edited this novel, but who has been integral in pulling it all together. She’s so understanding and patient of my creative breakdowns, and she’s taken me on a journey into the technical writing world. Katie-Bree, this book has to be dedicated to you personally, because it wouldn’t be what it is without you.
Thank you to my beta readers: Sarah G, Diane C, Michelle E, Dave C (thank you for giving me respite from having my head completely in the clouds), David R and last but certainly not least, the woman who no matter what is going on in her life, always reads my books without fail. Stacey, thank you so much. You’ve always supported me and this dream without fail, and words cannot describe how that makes me feel. With tears in my eyes, I thank you.
To my cover designer, Clarissa from Yocla Designs. One word (or expression) - WOW! - the cover, as you know, blew…me…away. Thank you so much for giving life to Terra Vane.
To my mum and Mary who helped so much with my kids over the holidays so I could work. You’ve supported me, not only with childcare, but with helping my big kid in getting to college. It may not have been a successful outing two days running, but he’s got it down now, so thank you!
My sisters. My two friends. Relentless in their support as always. Thank you, fellow crazy people. We may share the same DNA, but we also share the same heart (sloppy, I know). Thank you for always sticking by your little sis.
Husband, as always, has to get a look in. Without him, I wouldn’t be doing this. Simple. He’s my rock. My supporter. My bank manager. But he’s also my world. Thank you for everything.
And to my two little rebels (one not so little anymore), you two kids are the making of me. Thank you Cameron for editing some of my work. It’s a bit of a knock to the ego that you can write better than me at your age, but I’m big enough to swallow my pride on that score! And Serenity, the one who wants to be Terra Vane when she grows up. Thank you for being so invested.
I would like to say thank you so much to everyone who shares and likes my work to help me circulate these books. Without your support I would be an author without a voice.
Last of all, to my readers. Thank you for reading this story. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules and choosing my book to invest in. It means the world to me, and I hope you were able to escape with me for a while in Portiside. Dual Citizenship applications to Portiside are hard to come by, but hopefully, this book allows you to spend time there for a little while without the need of all the paperwork!
Death Be Blue (The Terra Vane Series Book 1) Page 28
