“SOFIE.”
The wanting in his voice made her heart skip a beat. At her nod, he lowered his head to her neck. His tongue slid over her skin, sending a tingle down her spine. She leaned into him at the touch of his fangs, closed her eyes as pleasure moved through her. And for that moment, she felt what he was feeling—the way her blood warmed him, strengthened him, satisfied his hunger.
She shivered as his tongue sealed the tiny wounds in her throat.
He hugged her close for a moment, then tilted her face up. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.”
Taking her by the hand, he led her to the sofa and pulled her down beside him.
“I felt you,” she said, a note of wonder in her voice.
Ethan frowned. “What do you mean?”
“In my mind. I felt you there. It was weird. Kind of like I was you for just a moment. I knew what you were feeling, thinking.”
Other titles available by Amanda Ashley
A WHISPER OF ETERNITY
AFTER SUNDOWN
DEAD PERFECT
DEAD SEXY
DESIRE AFTER DARK
NIGHT’S KISS
NIGHT’S MASTER
NIGHT’S PLEASURE
NIGHT’S TOUCH
NIGHT’S MISTRESS
NIGHT’S PROMISE
NIGHT’S SURRENDER
IMMORTAL SINS
EVERLASTING KISS
EVERLASTING DESIRE
BOUND BY NIGHT
BOUND BY BLOOD
HIS DARK EMBRACE
DESIRE THE NIGHT
BENEATH A MIDNIGHT MOON
AS TWILIGHT FALLS
TWILIGHT DREAMS
BEAUTY’S BEAST
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
TWILIGHT DESIRES
AMANDA ASHLEY
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
“SOFIE.”
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Epilogue
Teaser chapter
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2018 by Madeline Baker
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-4738-4
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-4740-7
eISBN-10: 1-4201-4740-4
Chapter One
Hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, Ethan Parrish strolled the dark streets of Morgan Creek. It had been two months since Rylan Saintcrow turned him into a bloodsucking vampire. Two hellish months, and he was still trying to wrap his mind around the reality of what he’d become, and what he’d lost.
He blew out a sigh. It wasn’t just food and drink he’d had to give up. It was his whole way of life. It was gone. All of it—his old life, his family and friends, not to mention his job. Damn! He had just received a raise and had been due for a well-earned promotion to vice president in charge of sales. Well, he could kiss that good-bye, too, along with everything else. Hard to keep a day job when you couldn’t show up until after sundown.
Some people are born to be vampires, Saintcrow had told Ethan shortly after turning him into a fiend. You’re not one of them.
As far as Ethan was concerned, truer words had never been spoken. And yet, the alternative—walking out into the sunlight and being turned into a living torch—was unthinkable.
Shit! Fate must be having a good laugh at his expense. He had never liked horror movies, always been afraid vampires were real, and had been squeamish at the sight of blood. And now he was a creature of the night, complete with nice, sharp fangs and eyes that turned red with the lust for blood.
Like his lovely cousin, Holly.
He still couldn’t believe she had asked to be turned. Why would anyone in their right mind want to be a vampire? Holly had given him some overly dramatic sob story about it being the only way she could be with her vampire husband, Micah Ravenwood, forever.
Ethan shook his head. How could anyone willingly give up their humanity? It was beyond his comprehension.
Sure, Holly had told him it wasn’t so bad, that he would get used to it . . . yada yada yada.
When he reached the bridge that separated the town from the highway, he turned around and started back toward the house he’d chosen as his current residence. Morgan Creek had once been home to a pack of vampires who had kept ordinary people trapped here against their will. Though the prisoners had supposedly been well-treated and provided with food, housing, and entertainment, they had been no more than a ready food source for the vampires.
Ethan came to a halt, hands clenching, when he saw Saintcrow sitting on the front porch. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you, too. Kadie and I are leaving. Seems my wife’s decided she wants to go to Scotland.”
From what he’d heard, Kadie had also chosen to be a vampire rather than live without the love of her life. How anyone could fall in love with a vampire, let alone a master vampire like Saintcrow, remained a mystery.
Ethan lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “Good riddance.”
Saintcrow blew out a sigh of exasperation. “I’ve taught you everything you need to know to survive. The rest is up to you.”
“Right.”
“Do you remember what I told you?”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t hunt where I live. Don’t kill my prey. Don’t wait until the pain is excruciating before I feed. If I kill anybody except to save my own life, you’ll know it and you’ll destroy me.”
Saintcrow shook his head. “I th
ink I should just destroy you now and save us both a lot of aggravation.”
“I’ll be good, Dad,” Ethan said, his voice heavily laced with sarcasm. “You and Mom have a nice trip.” He flinched as his sire’s power brought him to his knees. Rylan Saintcrow was a master vampire and not to be messed with. He would be wise to remember that, he thought, as Saintcrow vanished from his sight.
Ethan shook his head as he stared at the place where Saintcrow had been standing only seconds before. “Sad to be all alone in the world,” he muttered.
And what the hell was he supposed to do now?
* * *
Ethan walked through Morgan Creek under a canopy of stars. The town was, for all intents and purposes, a ghost town, now inhabited by one lonely fledgling vampire. Holly and her husband had left a couple of days before to continue their honeymoon. Kadie and Saintcrow had left late last night.
Strolling down the main street of the old business section, he passed a grocery store, a library, a restaurant, a tavern. Farther down the street, he spied a movie theater and a gas station. If the place was his, he would have leveled everything except the houses, built a luxury hotel with a pool and a handful of exclusive shops and turned the place into a winter resort.
But it wasn’t his, and he didn’t have that kind of money.
Feeling lost and alone, he pulled his cell phone from his back pocket, then frowned. Who was he gonna call? His parents? They’d want to know where he was and why they hadn’t heard from him in the last few weeks. What could he say? Hey, Mom, Dad. You’re probably wondering why I never made it to Cousin Holly’s wedding, or why I haven’t called. Well, that’s an interesting story . . .
He pinched the bridge of his nose. How did you tell the people you loved that you’d been turned into a vampire against your will?
And what about women? Sure, Kadie loved Saintcrow and Holly seemed smitten with the guy she had married, but Ethan was pretty sure women who liked vampires were rare . . . or maybe not. He recalled Holly telling him about some girl . . . what was her name? Sally? Sandy? No, Sofia. His cousin had told him Sofia loved vampires.
Well, there was one way to find out if that was true. He sent a quick text to Holly, asking for Sofia’s number, then sat on the curb to wait for an answer.
Chapter Two
Sofia Ravenwood read Holly’s text for the second time.
Remember my cousin?
The one I said I’d introduce you to?
Well, Ethan would like to meet you.
Should I give him your info?
Before you make up your mind,
you should know he’s a vampire.
Sofia punched in her sister-in-law’s number.
Holly answered on the first ring. “I’ve been expecting your call.”
“Ethan’s a vampire? When did that happen?”
“At the wedding. He was attacked outside. That’s why he never showed up. Saintcrow found him.”
“And he turned him?”
“It was either that or let him die.”
Sofia stared at her bedroom wall. What would it be like to wake up and find out you weren’t you any longer? Micah seemed to have gotten used to it. And so had Holly.
“Sofie? You still there?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” There had been a time when she’d thought she wanted to be a vampire. When Micah found out, he had made her promise she would let him know if she ever wanted to join the ranks of the Undead.
She’d had reason to change her mind since those days. It happened when the guy she had been dating handed her over to his vampire master. But for Micah’s interference, she would have become prey. There had been a lot of changes since that night, she thought, glancing around. Her room, once painted a dark gray and covered with vampire posters, was now pink and white. She had stuffed all her goth clothing in the back of her closet, along with her black lipstick. “Did Ethan want to be a vampire?”
“No. I saw him shortly after he was turned, and he wasn’t at all happy about it. But he seemed to have accepted it. More or less.”
“Does my brother know you’re trying to set me up with your cousin?”
“Not yet. What should I tell Ethan?”
“I don’t know. Is he in control of his hunger?”
“Naturally, I called Saintcrow to ask him that very thing before I texted you. He said Ethan’s got a handle on it and you should be safe enough.”
“Should be? Great.”
“Just get yourself a sharp wooden stake and some holy water,” Holly said, laughter evident in her voice. “Would it help you make up your mind if I reminded you he’s tall and blond with gorgeous brown eyes, and that he played football in college?”
“You’re a lot of help. I don’t know, Holly. He’s almost eight years older than I am.”
“He’s lonely, Sofie. And so unsure of himself, not that I blame him. I mean, his whole life has turned upside down.”
“Oh, all right,” she said with an aggrieved sigh. “Give him my number and we’ll see how it goes. But if he tries anything, I’ll sic my big brother on him!”
* * *
Ethan stared at his cell phone. Now that he had the girl’s number, he was having second thoughts. He didn’t know anything about her—age, appearance, likes and dislikes. What if she had no more personality than a lump of coal and didn’t enjoy any of the things he did?
Time to call Holly.
“Hey, Ethan,” she said brightly. “Did you call Sofia yet?”
“Nah.”
“Why not? You asked me for her number, remember?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know anything about her, except she’s supposed to like vampires.”
“I’ll send you her photo. She just turned nineteen . . .”
“Nineteen!”
“I know, she’s young, but she’s pretty and fun and you won’t have to hide what you are with her. I’m not suggesting you guys get married, you know. Hang on a sec, I’m sending her photo. It’s from our wedding.”
Ethan whistled under his breath when he saw the girl’s picture. She had black hair and dark eyes, a winsome smile and a killer figure.
“I knew you’d like her,” Holly said smugly. “Ethan?”
“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I mean . . .”
“What?”
“She looks good enough to eat,” he muttered. “Literally. Stop laughing!”
“Sorry.”
“Sure you are. So, how’s being a vampire working out for you?”
“I’m fine, Ethan, really. Yes, there are adjustments to be made and things I miss, but I would have given up anything and everything to be with Micah.”
Ethan had never known anyone, including his parents, who were happily married. His friends changed wives as often as they changed their underwear. Sometimes more often. In his set, marriage vows had been a joke. Couples promised to be faithful and the next thing he knew, they were cheating on each other. The last thing Ethan had in mind was marriage. But he was desperate for some female companionship. “Must be nice to feel that way about somebody,” he said quietly.
“It is. If you call Sofie, let me know how it goes, okay?”
“Sure. Thanks, Cuz.”
“Cheer up, Ethan. It’ll get better, I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
“You do that. Good night.”
Ethan raked his fingers through his hair, took a deep breath, and punched in Sofia Ravenwood’s cell number.
* * *
Sofia stepped out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her wet hair, and grabbed her phone off the toilet tank. When she didn’t recognize the number, she figured it was some telemarketer. They always called at the worst possible times. Somewhat irritably, she said, “Hello?”
“Sofia?”
The voice was deep and sexy and totally unfamiliar. “Yes. Hello? Is anybody there?”
“It’s Ethan Parrish. Holly’s cousin.”
“Oh, hi. She told me you might call.”
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime.”
“Sure, when?”
“How about tomorrow night, around eight?”
“Works for me.” Tomorrow was Saturday, which meant she had plenty of time to do her chores before she needed to get ready. “Where are we going?”
“Anywhere you want except out to dinner.”
The sound of her laughter was warm and sultry. “How about a movie?”
“Okay by me.”
Sofia gave him her address and said good-bye, then bit down on her lower lip. What would her family say when she told them she was going out with a vampire? Sure, they loved and accepted Micah, but he was family. Of course, so was Ethan, she supposed, since Micah had married Holly. Still, her parents, one of her sisters, and her brother-in-law had been terrorized by a vampire and her minion not long ago.
She slipped into her sleep shirt, pajama bottoms, and slippers, then dried her hair. Did Ethan look as sexy as he sounded? Was she taking a horrible chance, going out with a fledgling vampire? What if he got a sudden, irresistible craving for blood?
She took several deep breaths. “You’ll be fine,” she told her reflection as she braided her hair. “You’ve got a bottle of holy water and a nice, sharp wooden stake. What could possibly go wrong?”
* * *
Ethan whistled softly as he strolled down the dark, deserted streets of Morgan Creek. He had just made a date with a beautiful girl—his first date since he had become a bloodsucker.
On the plus side, she was familiar with vampires. If one date turned into two, he wouldn’t have to make excuses for why he couldn’t see her during the day, or why he couldn’t come to dinner.
On the minus side, he couldn’t see her during the day, or take her out to dinner.
But that was a worry for tomorrow.
Tonight, he needed to hunt, something that should have been repulsive but was remarkably satisfying. The fact that the idea didn’t gross him out grossed him out.
Twilight Desires Page 1
