Untamed (25 page)

Authors: Sara Humphreys

BOOK: Untamed

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Layla pulled his hair free from the ponytail he wore and tangled her fingers in his silky hair. To her delight, his eyes shifted to their clan form and glowed down at her with the unmistakable glaze of desire.

“I can’t avoid you, William, and you sure as hell can’t avoid me. You can’t make me fall in love with you and expect to get away with it.” She nipped at his firm, warm lips and rasped her tongue along the tiny hurt. “You’re buried deep. Under my skin and in my heart,” she said seductively.

He murmured her name, captured her lips savagely with his, and dove deep. Passion raged as he explored the dark cavern of her mouth. Hands tore blindly, and their clothing fell away in a tangle of arms and legs. He picked her up easily and placed her on the bed. Breathless and panting, he covered her small body with the length of his, buried his face in the curve of her neck, and breathed her in. Layla shuddered beneath his ministrations and moaned as he kissed and nibbled his way back to her mouth.

William settled himself between her legs and drove into her hard and fast.

Layla gasped with pleasure as he plunged into her with strong strokes. He held her to him and took one rosy nipple into his mouth as he filled her time and again. Layla whispered his name as pleasure coiled deep inside. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held his head to her breast, urging him faster.

Knowing that they were approaching the peak, she reached out to him with her mind as he sank into her, and in that moment, openly gave William everything.

Nos
es
unus. Materia pro totus vicis. Ago intertwined. Forever.

As she touched her mind to his and uttered the ancient mating rite, the world exploded in a cavalcade of pleasure and blinding lights. They cried out in ecstasy and toppled over the edge of oblivion together.

Spent, sweaty, and exhausted, William rolled gently off Layla, but promptly pulled her naked body against his and nestled her into the crook of his arm. They lay in a tangle of limbs—hearts pounding, bodies shaking—and it was several minutes before either said anything. Layla chewed her lip nervously and ran her finger along the white scar on William’s chest.

“I guess you’re stuck with me now,” she said through heavy breaths.

William propped a pillow under his head and looked down at her, while he played with her red curls. “It would seem so.” He smiled, and his brow furrowed. “Where on earth did you learn the mating rite?”

“Kerry and Samantha told me what it was.” She turned on her belly and rested her chin on his chest as she looked at him coyly. “Is it okay that
I
said it and not you?”

“Is it okay?” He laughed loudly and took her head in both hands. William sat up, pulled her to him, and kissed her firmly. “It is more than okay, Firefly.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb.

“I love you, William.” She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm tenderly. Her heart swelled with love, and for the first time, she was exactly where she longed to be. Looking into his moon-glow eyes, she knew she was home. “I choose you,” she whispered. “I choose you and me. Forever.”

Acknowledgments

Thank
you
just never seems to be enough, and whenever I write the acknowledgments, I’m worried that I’ll leave someone out. The truth is that just about everyone I deal with on a daily basis should be thanked. They have to tolerate me and my annoying habit of stuffing a hundred things into one day. My husband and children, as always, are at the top of the list. They support me, love me, and inspire me to be better every day.

I’d like to extend my thanks to my agent, Jeanne Dube, for knowing just what to say and exactly when to say it. Thanks to Deb Werksman, Cat Clyne, and Susie Benton for their editorial brilliance, and for the much needed words of encouragement in my moments of self-doubt. The Sourcebooks art department continues to create spectacular covers that capture the heart of the story. Many thanks to Danielle Jackson for her super-fab publicity efforts and putting together a stellar blog tour for every book.

Many thanks to the Community Relations Managers at Barnes & Noble who have been consistently supportive with my book tours and work hard to make each a success. Especially to Kelly at my local CRM at B&N—you rock! Sheila—you’re still the best beta reader ever!

A big shout out to all of the angels on the street team… you gals are the best! Thank you for sharing your excitement about the series.

Thanks to the folks at the Rustic Inn down in Maryland for letting me take tons of photos of their place and for answering all my questions. Thanks to Tom Emory, my cousin and Woodbine resident, for sending pictures of different local joints, which helped me narrow it down and select the kind of spot I was looking for.

Last, but not least, thanks to the Fleury family for hosting the big reunion at Woodbine Farm every five years. At the 2010 reunion, inspiration struck, and the plot for
Untamed
was born. I hope you’ll feel that I did the old homestead justice.

Dream on…

About the Author

Sara Humphreys is a graduate of Marist College, with a BA degree in English literature and theater. Her initial career path after college was as a professional actress. Some of her television credits include
A&E Biography
,
Guiding
Light
,
Another
World
,
As
the
World
Turns
, and
Rescue
Me
.

She is the president of Taney Speaker Training, which specializes in public speaking, presentation development, and communication skills. She has trained executives at Verizon, Bristol-Meyer Squibb, Westchester County, and the United States Navy. Her speaking career began with Monster’s Making It Count programs, speaking in high schools and colleges around the United States to thousands of students.

Sara has been a lover of both the paranormal and romance novels for years. Her sci-fi/fantasy/romance obsession began years ago with the TV series
Star
Trek
and an enormous crush on Captain Kirk. That sci-fi obsession soon evolved into the love of all types of fantasy/paranormal: vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and of course, shapeshifters. Sara is married to her college sweetheart, Will. They live in Bronxville, New York, with their four boys and two insanely loud dogs. Life is busy but never dull.

You can find information about upcoming books on her website
www.sarahumphreys.com
.

Untouched

by Sara Humphreys

She may appear to have it all, but inside she harbors a crippling secret…

Kerry Smithson’s modeling career ensures that she will be admired from afar—which is what she wants, for human touch sparks blinding pain and mind-numbing visions.

Dante is a dream-walking shapeshifter—an Amoveo, who must find his destined mate or lose his power forever. Now that he has found Kerry, nothing could have prepared him for the challenge of keeping her safe. And it may be altogether impossible for Dante to protect his own heart when Kerry touches his soul…

Praise for the Amoveo Legend series:

“
Sizzling sexual chemistry that is sure to please.”
—
Yankee Romance Reviewers

“
A moving tale that captures both the sweetness and passion of romance.”
—
Romance Junkies
, 5 blue ribbons

“
A well-written, action-packed love story featuring two very strong characters.”
—
Romance Book Scene
, 5 hearts

For more of the Amoveo Legend series, visit:

www.sourcebooks.com

Unleashed

by Sara Humphreys

What if you suddenly discovered your own powers were beyond anything you’d ever imagined…

Samantha Logan’s childhood home had always been a haven, but everything changed while she was away. She has a gorgeous new neighbor, Malcolm, who introduces her to the amazing world of the dream-walking, shapeshifting Amoveo clans…but what leaves her reeling with disbelief is when he tells her she’s one of them…

And shock turns to terror as Samantha falls prey to the deadly enemy determined to destroy the Amoveo, and the only chance she has to come into her true powers is to trust in Malcolm to show her the way…