Rogue

by Eden Bradley

  He looked over his shoulder, making certain the two young slave girls were caring for Calam properly. They were pretty enough. They would never be here if they weren’t. But he only had eyes for her.

  She watched him, her lovely face wary now. He liked that, that she was a bit off balance, this strong woman. He liked the scent of her nerves skittering over her sweet skin.

  He didn’t like that she made him feel the same way. Yet it intrigued him. He hadn’t felt like this over a woman, over anyone, in a long, long time.

  Not since…but no, he wouldn’t think of that now.

  Emeline.

  No.

  He focused on her once more, on those shining eyes that were a glowing, metallic bronze, the luster of her golden skin, the high, rounded curve of her cheekbones. Her blood beating at her temples, at that tender spot at the base of her long throat. He drew in her scent. Flowers again. Desire. Female come between her hot thighs.

  Yes…

  He stepped closer, held out his hand. “I am Aleron.”

  She took it in hers, her mortal warmth seeping into his hard, cool flesh.

  “Meeraj.”

  “A beautiful name.”

  She simply nodded her head, as if his compliment were her due. So calm in the face of all that had happened already. On the outside, anyway. He knew better.

  “Your first time at Midnight Playground?” he asked.

  “Yes. I only received my invitation a few nights ago.”

  “And who is your sponsor?”

  “Her name is Nissa.”

  “Ah, I know her well. Quite well. I’m surprised she didn’t mention you to me.”

  “Why would she have?” Meeraj asked, again, coolly. As if being in the presence of a vampire didn’t intimidate her at all.

  “Nissa would know you would appeal to me.”

  “And?”

  “And you do.”

  She smiled then, her teeth a row of flawless white. He could see in his head those teeth bared in ecstasy, her head thrown back, her eyes closed. He could see his own teeth bared to drink from her…offering her The Seeking Kiss…

  She waited, watching him. A small ripple of nerves ran up his spine.

  Unusual.

  Yes, but he wouldn’t allow that to throw him. Perhaps it had simply been too long since he’d had a woman. It had been months since he had given Hex over to Nissa, and she was the last woman he had taken. Men were always easier, in every way. Easier to obtain. Easier to dispose of when he was finished with them, without any drama on either part. Women were emotional creatures and he was…not. It had been a very long time since he had allowed himself to be anything more than fond of his female partners.

  A hundred years.

  Why was he thinking of this now? With this superb creature before him.

  He reached out, stroked one finger down her bare arm. Skin as silky smooth as it looked, and a small, lovely shiver from her.

  Perfect.

  “Meeraj, would you like a drink?”

  “No, thank you. I don’t drink.”

  “Tell me what you are here for.”

  “I am here for the unique experience of sex with a vampire. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for, we humans who come here?”

  “Yes, of course. What else?”

  He had to know if there was more to it for her. Other than her scent, she was difficult to read. She was strong, so strong he had no idea of the extent of her submissive tendencies. And submission was something he would never force or trick anyone into.

  “I am here to see if any of your kind finds me fit for The Seeking Kiss. I want that, to experience that bliss. To experience all that I can. To become closer to your kind.”

  “And the Turning Kiss?” He was challenging her. The Turning Kiss, that long, long drink which would transform a human into one of his kind, was not a requirement of those who came to Midnight Playground, and was rarely offered. He was testing her, perhaps.

  “I understand that for many it’s the ultimate desire. But it’s not as important for me. Maybe I don’t know what I might be missing.”

  “You don’t seem at all afraid, of any of it.”

  Meeraj lowered her long, black lashes. They brushed against the faint pink flush on her cheeks, the first outward sign that she was truly affected by being there.

  “I’ve been accused before of being…contained.”

  He laughed. “So have I.”

  She raised her eyes to his once more, the gold burning through him.

  “Which is one reason why I hoped to be invited to play in the dungeons here. It helps me to let go.” He saw her jaw tighten, her fingers unconsciously clench. “It’s the only time I can.”

  He watched her closely, saw the pulse beating in her throat. Yes, she was more worked up than he’d originally thought. Why hadn’t he noticed? He was too distracted by her beauty. Her rigid strength.

  If this woman were a vampire, she would be one to rival my own power…

  But he was getting ahead of himself.

  And she was talking about the dungeons, about his favorite sexual arena—BDSM. That exchange of power, of pain, soaring sensation that opened the doorway into a person’s soul. Intense when played between humans and vampires. An almost dangerous force when played between vampire and vampire. The Bloodsong overwhelming…and why had it happened with this woman watching? He had to find out. He had to find out how much more intense it would be when he played her. And he intended to.

  Available Now!

  Excerpted from Bloodsong by Eden Bradley Copyright © 2010 by Eden Bradley. Excerpted by permission of Samhain Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Bonus Excerpt: SANCTUARY

  From the Author of The Dark Garden comes another scorching BDSM romance.

  San Francisco Dom Series, Book One

  When her best friend takes her to a BDSM club in San Francisco Devin Delaney meets the beautiful, mysterious and commanding Shaye Vincent. The wealthy, enigmatic man takes her on a journey into the darker side of sex, and it’s addictive. He’s addictive.

  At Sanctuary Devin’s kinkiest fantasies—and her emotions—shift into overdrive. But she’ll have to face old demons in order to give up control, and Shaye will have to walk through his own darkness. Can pain and desire bring them together? Or will it tear them apart?

  Sensual, seductive and deeply moving—If you liked the Fifty Shades trilogy, you’ll fall in love with Sanctuary.

  EXCERPT:

  “I appreciate you coming on such short notice,” he said.

  “Well, you asked me to come. I thought…”

  “What did you think?” he asked as he took her coat.

  “That I…should.”

  He hung her coat carefully in the foyer closet, then turned to face her. He looked beautiful and as wicked as ever in the low lighting coming from the living room.

  He took her hand once more and pulled her in close enough that she could feel the hard planes of his body pressed against her breasts. She wanted to groan aloud, but bit it back.

  He said quietly, so that she could feel his breath against her cheek, “We have no contract, Devin. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We’ve negotiated some of your limits, but you never have to be here if you don’t want to.”

  “Oh, I want to be here. I was just trying to tell you that I feel when you ask something of me, it becomes…exactly what I want.”

  He surged against her, his arms going around her and holding her close.

  “Ah, you are perfect, my girl.”

  She smiled, a shiver running through her. At the small term of endearment. At knowing she’d pleased him.

  “I’m going to strip you down now,” he whispered to her. “I’m going to spank you with a small leather strap until your gorgeous ass is pink, until you can’t take anymore. And then I’m going to fuck you.”

  �
�Oh, yes…” she breathed, not entirely certain she’d actually said the words aloud until she heard his small, pleased chuckle.

  In a flash he’d turned her around and had her naked, his own shirtless body pressing up behind her.

  “Shaye, I—”

  “Sh, now. Just follow my lead.”

  Her head was spinning, sinking down and down, into that floating place where there was nothing but pleasure, despite the pain he might give her. She wanted it. Needed it.

  She let him walk her into the living room, where he bent her over the end of the sofa.

  “Rest your elbows on the arm of the couch to steady yourself,” he instructed. “Yes, good. You have the most delectable ass I’ve ever seen.”

  He smacked her once, hard, making her jump, making her laugh.

  “Oh, do you think that’s funny?”

  “I…no…”

  He smacked her again and another giggle came out of her.

  “Shaye, I…it’s just nerves or something.”

  “Yes, I know. I’m not worried. I have my ways. Head down now, little Devin, and stay here quietly until I get back. Quiet and imagining what I might do to you in a few minutes.”

  “Oh…”

  “Sh, quiet,” he said, a harder edge to his voice this time that made her limbs go warm, her mind buzzing.

  She heard him walk away, the sweep of his bare feet. He’d left her shoes on, and she shifted from one foot to the other, heard the small squeak they made on the wood floors and tried to still herself. There was a momentary struggle to keep still, to do as he said. But she reminded herself that he had asked this of her—demanded it—and that was all it took for her body to calm of its own accord in a way that was almost meditative.

  He was back in a few moments later, his hand resting at the small of her back, steadying her. Making her feel owned, somehow.

  “You look so naked bent over like this,” he murmured. “I can just see the lovely seam of your pussy. Makes me want to touch you there. Like this.”

  His fingertips stroked the sensitive flesh between her thighs and she went wet instantly.

  “Spread a little for me. Yes, good.”

  She felt wide open. Wanton. She loved it.

  He grasped one hip in his big hand, pressed up against her, his erection against her buttock.

  God, he was going to fuck her tonight. She could hardly wait. Her sex clenched at the thought.

  His fingers found her wet slit once more, and he pushed one inside.

  “Oh…”

  Stay quiet, Devin. Try to be quiet, to hold still, no matter what I’m doing to you. Do you understand? You can answer me.”

  “Yes.”

  “Say my name.”

  “I understand, Shaye.”

  When he pushed a second finger inside her, causing pleasure to spill into her system like liquid heat, she had to bite her lip.

  He began a slow pumping rhythm, fucking her with his hand, and at the same time he began to spank her.

  It didn’t hurt at first—she was too full of pure pleasure from what he was doing to her needy pussy. But soon he began to smack harder, and it became more difficult to keep quiet. But she would do it. For him.

  He kept up the spanking, raining blows over her ass, her thighs, and all the time fucking her with his thrusting fingers. She was lost in pleasure—even the pain was pleasure. Lovely.

  And then he hit her with something.

  She smelled the leather even as she felt the wide strap across her bottom. She was too shocked to cry out.

  He hit her again with the strap, and this time she did yelp.

  “Come on, Devin. You can take it.”

  And she could. She felt a certain pride well within her as he smacked her ass over and over with the leather strap, as she felt the welts rising on her skin. She knew she could handle the pain. And somewhere between the hurting strap and the lovely sensation of his fingers plunging inside her, the line began to blur. Sensation became one thing—pleasure and pain—and her service to him, that she was doing this to please him, but as she’d said, it was what she craved most now, as well.

  It went on and on, until she felt her pussy swell with need, felt her climax trembling in her body, waiting, waiting.

  Shaye must have felt it, too.

  “Hold it back,” he ordered. “Don’t come until I tell you to.”

  “Yes…”

  He began to fuck her harder with his hand, really slamming into her. At the same time he kept smacking her sore and stinging skin with the strap. Something about the sharp scent of the leather was driving her crazy. Needing to come was driving her crazy. Her legs began to shake.

  “Oh, baby, this is beautiful,” he told her, his voice a little breathless. “You can do it. Hold it back for me.”

  He hit her harder, and pleasure surged, making her pussy ache, her clitoris hardening until she could barely stand it.

  “Shaye…I can’t.”

  “You can. And you will. Because I need to be inside you when come, baby. I need you to come all over me.”

  She groaned as he slipped his fingers from her—at the los of sensation. At the knowledge that he would fuck her now.

  In moments he was behind her once more, and she felt his strong, naked thighs against hers, the slight tickle of the fine hair there. Then his sheathed cock was poised at her entrance. She surged back against him, trying to take him in.

  A low, rough chuckle from him. “Little Devin, you are not the one running this show, are you?”

  “No, Shaye.”

  “I like that—the way you say my name. I want you to ask for it.” His voice was rough with desire. “Ask me by name, Devin.”

  “Please, Shaye.”

  He pressed his thick cock against her, the tip just slipping inside. She could feel the cool metal of his piercing even through the condom. “Please, what?”

  She groaned. “Please fuck me.”

  “Say it again. The right way.”

  “Oh…please fuck me, Shaye.”

  Available Now!

  Excerpted from Sanctuary by Eden Bradley Copyright © 2012 by Eden Bradley. Excerpted by permission of Eden Bradley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About Eden Bradley

  Other Titles from Eden Bradley

  Bonus Excerpt: THE SEEKING KISS

  Bonus Excerpt: BLOODSONG

  Bonus Excerpt: SANCTUARY