A Masterpiece Unraveled (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 2) (42 page)

Lucas Bennett is one such stranger. Drifting from one mess to another has left him jaded. Doesn't matter the dramas are never his doing. Giving it one last shot to make a fresh start lands him in Harmony's Echo, Texas and smack dab in front of the tantalizing Avery.

Despite his best efforts to ignore the burn Avery's ignited within, he's intent to keep his distance. Secrets have followed him. Secrets he doesn't want Avery to know.

Each time they're near the other, things heat up like a brushfire on a dry Texas prairie.

But maybe, after the dust settles and the smoke clears, love can bloom with a fresh start.

Excerpt

"Wow. This is a nice kitchen," Lucas said, closing the door behind him.

Avery faced him. "You like to cook?"

"Oh yeah. I learned at a young age that I had to take care of myself, so I taught myself to cook. Now it's something I enjoy."

"Are you good at it?"

"I'm good at a lot of things, Avery." Lucas closed the gap between them.

Too close, too close!

She couldn't back up anymore, though. Behind her was the counter. Her back was already pressed up against it. Lucas looked at her like he wanted to devour her.

"Lucas..."

"I know I need to stay away from you, Avery. All I want is one kiss. I've got to taste you. Tell me no, right now, and I'll back away."

Lucas pressed his body to hers. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her to him. His face, only inches from hers, lowered. "Tell me now, Avery. Because if you don't, I'm going to kiss you."

Don't! No! Yes! Do it! No!

She couldn't get the words out. All she could think about were Lucas's lips, mere inches from hers, sexy, tempting, inviting. Avery opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"I'm not supposed to be so attracted to you, Avery," Lucas whispered, then his lips crashed down on hers.

He cupped her face, pulling her into his kiss. She didn't even have time to decipher what that comment meant. Avery tilted her head upward, responding to his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders as her fingers dug into them. Holy hell, this man could kiss. The deep urgency of his kisses drove her mad.

"Lucas," she muttered against his lips. His touch was lethal. It wasn't supposed to feel this good. Or amazing. Or sensational. Avery wasn't supposed to react to him this way. She didn't even know this man! Oh, but she knew his gaze, so intent on her, and she was fixated on him.

"Yes, Avery?"

He trailed kisses along her neck now. Desire burned within, igniting quickly. His lips were back on hers now. He darted his tongue out, touching the corners of Avery's lips, pushing his way in gently. Avery opened for him, needing another taste. Lucas's erection pressed into her, only making her want him more. She lost all senses, other than to kiss him. Lucas hoisted her up, still pressing her against the counter. Avery squealed and wrapped her legs around him. More fiery kisses came next. His tongue was gentle, daring, inquiring.

"Avery." He moaned against her lips, nipping lightly. "I want to take you to-"

They broke apart as the sound of loud voices neared. Lucas put her down quickly and backed away from her.

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Prophecy's Power – Brenda Dyer

If you enjoy paranormal romance, Brenda Dyer's Prophecy Series is a must read. Check out this excerpt for Prophecy's Power.

Blurb

He kidnapped her heart

For Natalie Tortelli, everything comes down to a hard-won fight. She's survived an insane mother and a cold, indifferent foster care system. To stand apart from everyone and everything is to trust only in herself - and that suits her fine. But all that changes one night when she happens upon a handsome stranger, murdering another. To make matters worse, the killer takes her captive and claims he's part of a vampire race that protects humans from demons. Caught in a dangerous world she doesn't understand, Natalie has no choice but to trust in him. But her pride won't allow her to fall for the sexy kidnapper.

She stole his soul

Soren from the Fourth Clan of vampires loves his life. With an endless supply of demons to fight, and willing women to share his bed, why wouldn't he? Love is an emotion he cares nothing about. But the foundations of his philosophies are shaken to the core after he has to detain Natalie. She's unlike any woman - vampire or human - he's ever come across. When it comes time to let her go, he finds he doesn't have the heart to release his wild and sexy captive.

The power of love binds them

Together, Soren and Natalie attempt to unravel the secrets that haunt her past - which might tie both of them to the vampire prophecy. Though their passionate relationship is more than either had expected, both hesitate to fully entrust themselves to one another. But if they don't, death may be the only thing that unites them.

Excerpt

Soren parked his jeep behind a tall brick building, making sure his vehicle was obscured in the deeper shadows of the structure. He shut off the engine, killed the lights, and stared out into the night.

A wave of weakness coursed through his body, and a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

I feel like crap wrapped in a layer of shit.
Damn. He shouldn't have waited so long to feed. Two weeks without blood was pushing it, but three was total stupidity, not to mention reckless.

Last night he'd had the perfect opportunity to assuage his bloodlust. But instead of simply feeding from the hot brunette he'd set his sights on, he'd decided to take it slow and seduce her in hopes of getting more than blood. And all was going along as planned - the woman had been more than eager for a quick romp in one of the back rooms of The Green Tree - until Ace and Black called for back-up. He'd left with an empty belly and a raging hard-on.

Pins and needles stabbed his toes and traveled up his legs.

After making sure his dagger was well hidden under his coat, Soren opened the driver's door and stepped out into the night. Frigid air blew over his face, carrying with it the scent of car exhaust, grease from fast food restaurants, and the faint but tantalizing aroma of blood - human blood. His nostrils flared and his stomach cramped.

Time to hunt down a willing candidate.

When he pushed the lock button on his keychain, the headlights from his red jeep flashed. He dropped the keys into the pocket of his black ski jacket then extracted a pack of cigarettes and lighter.

As he fished out a smoke, he surveyed his surroundings. Across the street was a strip mall containing the usual shops: a drug store, small-chain grocery store, a Subway sandwich shop, pizza joint, and a gym named Sculpting Curves. All the storefronts were decked out with bright Christmas lights and plastic Santas.

An old Christmas carol played in his head, with an added touch of his own:
Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fuckla, la, la, la la, fuck it all.

The parking lot yielded a few humans dashing to their cars, trying to escape the cold wind.

Dizziness made him sway. He sucked in a gulp of air and closed his eyes. Shit, if he didn't feed, and soon, he'd pass the fuck out. But none of the people in the parking lot would do - there was no place to feed in privacy. And a vampire needed privacy since secrecy was the name of the game.

With a shaky hand, he lit his cigarette and inhaled deep. Nicotine made the lightheadiness worse.

Soren turned from the lights and activity of the strip mall and headed up the street toward town. By the time he finished his smoke, his body was a mass of quivering muscles. Each step became harder to accomplish. Although a steady stream of pedestrians passed him, the opportunity to single one out hadn't presented itself.

He stopped at an intersection. Fuck. Now what? With each second that ticked by, his strength dwindled.

But luck at last reared her beautiful face. Across the street in the parking lot of a convenience store, three women - two blondes and a redhead, probably in their early twenties - stood beside a green truck. And since luck decided to play nice, they were predominantly hidden in the shadows cast by a cluster of tall hedges.

Perfect.

Soren's heart kicked up the pace as he waited for a break in the traffic. His mouth filled with saliva in anticipation for the warm, energy-giving blood that would soon be coursing down his parched throat.

One of the women broke from the group with her cell phone pressed to her ear. She was shorter with bigger curves than the others. She looked appetizing. Well-rounded hips rocked as she walked toward the building. Even from this distance, Soren sensed her agitation. She flipped red hair over her shoulder, apparently engrossed by whatever the caller was yapping about.

Well, well. Could this get any better?
Nope.

The traffic light turned red. He jogged across the intersection on weak legs, his gaze riveted on the two blonds - probably sisters judging by their similar features and coloring - as they chatted. His thoughts reached out and merged with the blond closest to him. Like a drill, his psyche burrowed deeper, pushing through her stored memories. Images of a house party flashed through her mind. She stopped talking and rubbed her forehead, then her expression went blank.

The moment he stood next to them, their blue eyes swung his way. Fear, smelling like burnt leaves, spiked through their lithe frames. Two hearts raced, pushing blood faster through their veins.

The beast within roared to life. His fangs poked through his gums, but he forced them to retract. With his mind still combined with the first woman's, he planted a thought.
Ignore everything around you. Continue talking about the house party. You'll linger in a trance until your redheaded friend speaks to you.

The other flaxen-haired beauty frowned. "Hey...What're-?"

Before she could voice her obvious concerns, Soren focused on her. Their gazes locked and he planted the same thought in her brain.

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Resolutions – Teri Riggs

If you enjoy heart-pounding romantic suspense, check out this excerpt of
Resolutions
by Teri Riggs.

Blurb

DEA agent Eve Taylor has had her fill of alpha males. When Resolutions' operative and former lover, Dillon "Mac" McKenna, threatened her hard-earned independence, she ran. On a mission to gather evidence against a Colombian drug-lord, Eve discovers the drug-lord is helping terrorists plan an attack on American soil. Before she can escape with the vital information, she's captured and comes face to face with her mortality...

As a teen, Mac watched his family fall apart after his mother died doing dangerous U.N. work. The possibility of losing Eve to a mission ignited an overwhelming need to protect her. When he forced her to choose him or her job, she walked away. Two years later, it seems all his nightmares have come true and he's tasked with rescuing her from a Colombian prison. Mac has never stopped loving Eve, but does he dare risk his heart when he's so terrified of losing...

On the run, Mac and Eve must learn to trust each other again in order to stay alive.

Excerpt

Avoiding the landscaping and security lights, she crept across the compound's large backyard. Eve reached the perimeter of the pool house, stopped, put on a pair of night vision goggles – NVG's - and surveyed the grounds. Two guards passed far to her left. She spotted her team, alert and waiting for her. Randi Ford, the farthest away, hid beneath the cover of a large, dense breadnut tree near the wall her team had scaled to gain entrance to the compound. Danny Carlyle knelt to one side of a closer tree and Rex Brewer, her partner and best friend, crouched near a large storage shed.

Her tiny earpiece crackled. "Eve, got you in my sights. Any other problems with the files?"

Other than the damned blocked sat signal? I'd say so…if I could. Fucking Mendoza was a lot more dangerous than the IDEA first assumed. Eve couldn't share the details until she showed her boss what else she'd found in the bastard's files.

A flutter of guilt hit her belly dead center. Withholding the unexpected info she'd found from her team made Eve uncomfortable. This mission had just grown more important than anyone could've imagined. She shook the self-reproach off, moved into the deeper shadow of a tree, and watched the guard's silhouettes fade in the infinite darkness. Eve cleared her throat. "The password intel was right on the money. If these files don't nail Mendoza's ass, it isn't gonna happen."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear, partner," Rex whispered, sounding more in control.

"Jesus, Rex, what a fuckin' miracle," Danny chimed in. "You finally stopped whining."

"Bite me, dude. I don't whine."

Eve smothered a smile. Her team's focus and black op skills were unsurpassed. The fun-and-games attitude eased their tension. She couldn't knock what always seemed to work. She wondered what they'd think if they had any inkling how intense this op had just gone.

"Eve," Rex said. "You've got about a hundred yards until you'll reach Carlyle."

"Yeah, I see him. Be hard to miss those Dumbo-size ears."

Rex and Randi's muffled laughter rumbled over her ear bud. Eve looked through her NVGs. Danny grabbed his crotch, a smirk plastered on his lips. "Hey, doll face, if you think my ears are big, you should see my-"

Gunfire erupted.

Danny clutched his chest and dropped to the ground. Eve, a tingle coiling up her neck and settling in her scalp, stood in horror, her chest constricted in a tight knot. A bullet whined past her right ear and she dove for cover, returning fire while rolling onto her side.

"Danny's down," Randi yelled.

No shit. Eve crawled to a better position behind a low bush and searched for the source of the gunfire. Mud and leaves stuck to her, thorns scratched across her clothing. Crap. "This area is supposed to be secure."

"I don't know where the hell these guys came from," Rex growled.

"Sounds like two shooters." Eve took off her NVGs, improving her depth perception. "I spotted muzzle flashes about twenty-five yards back on my right, near the flowering bushes. You see them?"