Belonging by K.L. Kreig (Regent Vampire Lords #2)
Release day is February 9, 2015!
Available on Amazon!
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About the Book
“I don’t trust anyone.”
Leaving her job
and only home, sassy, independent Analise is determined to do whatever it takes
to convince the Vampire Lord to help locate her missing friend. What was not
part of the plan, however, was her most unwelcome attraction to the
irresistibly desirable, arrogant and dominating playboy.
“Well, I’ll just have to
remedy that now, won’t I?”
With a rogue
vampire still on the loose, Damian, Regent Vampire Lord of the East, has his
hands full trying to keep the fallout to a minimum. The last complication he
needs is for his fiery Moira, his Fated, to finally walk into his life at a
time when everything is in utter chaos, putting her directly into the
crosshairs of a centuries old war. But now that he has her, he’ll be damned if
he’ll let her go.
He had the power to
destroy her permanently.
Analise is equally drawn to and infuriated by the most gorgeous man
she’s ever laid eyes on. And how can she bear Damian’s touch, when the touch of
anyone before him repulsed her? With the inability to let others in, she simply
needs to stick to the plan, use Damian to locate her friend and return home,
heart unscathed.
But even the best-laid plans can go awry.
EXCERPT
Analise
“Analise, you need to wake now, my child.”
“No.” She
didn’t want to wake. She wanted to stay in the comfort and safety of her dream
world with her guardian angel. In the real world,
she was weak, but in her dreams she was powerful. As powerful as Mara. She
could manipulate the elements. Rain fire with a thought. Dig a hole with
nothing but her mind. Pop a lock by blinking.
“I’ll be waiting for you as always, child. But now you need to wake.
Analise, your destiny awaits.”
Destiny? What destiny?
That was her
last thought before consciousness grabbed her again.
And she wished
it hadn’t. Her head hurt like a mother. It felt like someone was playing the
drums on the inside of her skull. She moaned, reaching up to touch the
offending wound. What happened?
A rough hand
gently stroked her cheek and she vaguely registered someone talking. Muffled
music played in the background.
“She’s coming
around,” someone said.
“Thank fucking
Christ.” Whose deep, sensuous voice was
that?
Her eyelids
cracked open, vision slightly blurry. She blinked several times to clear it.
When she’d lived
on the streets, one of her favorite escapes was window-shopping. She’d lose
herself in a dream that she could afford
the luxurious clothing mocking her from behind the thick glass. And that once
her day of self-indulgence was over, she would have a loving home to return to.
On one such day, she saw the most beautiful man she’d ever laid eyes on. He was
tall, handsome, clearly fit. He oozed
masculinity and sexuality. She often wondered if she’d dreamt him up for she’d
never seen anything like him before or since.
Until now.
The man staring into her eyes—the same
man from the club—made window guy seem like Weird Al Yankovic.
He had piercing
dark eyes, almost like onyx. Thick, dark waves framed his face, almost hanging
in his eyes a bit as he looked down at
her. And his face…how could she possibly describe to anyone the most perfectly
exquisite face she’d ever seen?
His eyebrows
were textbook manly, dark and thick. Sharp, high symmetrical cheekbones framed
a perfect, masculine nose. His lips were full and plump, with a cupids bow
gracing the top one. They were completely kissable. A five o’clock shadow
rounded out the sexy package. He was the most flawless thing she’d ever seen.
He was an angel. Or the devil in disguise.
“Are you okay,
princess?” The Adonis was speaking. To
her.
“Ummm…” Was she okay? She needed an aspirin, badly.
“What’s your
name, princess?”
“It’s Ana.” Frankie? In looking around, she was in an office of some sort, lying on a soft leather couch. Frankie,
Adonis, and another extremely attractive, but very scary-looking man were all
watching her intently. She moved to sit up, feeling extremely vulnerable in her
prone position.
“Whoa there. You
hit your head pretty hard. You should lie still,” Adonis said.
She ignored him,
pushing herself up anyway. Bad idea. Her
head throbbed and her vision blurred again. Were
there now two Adonises? Hell, she could live with blurry vision if that were
the case.
“Ana, are you
okay? What happened?”
She was suddenly
very angry. “My name is Analise. Not Ana.
Not princess. And I’m fine. I just need a
minute here. And possibly an aspirin.” Or
twelve.
“Analise. That’s
a lovely name.” The reverent way her name rolled off Adonis’s tongue almost
made her orgasm. Oh my God. What was
wrong with her? She’d never reacted like this to a man. She had to get the hell
away from him immediately.
“Uh. On second
thought, I’m fine. I’ll just be going
now.” Just as soon as the spots in her vision cleared. She tried to stand and
was gently pushed back down by Adonis.
“You’re not
going anywhere, kitten. I have a doctor coming to look at you and he’s still a
good ten minutes out.”
She couldn’t
believe her ears. He’d called a doctor? She couldn’t afford a damn doctor. And kitten?
She should be furious! Instead, she was
oddly turned on by the endearment. And she loathed
endearments. In the past, when uttered by another man they seemed nothing but
demeaning, but out of his mouth it was like a hot breath between her legs.
“Look…” she
realized she didn’t even know his name. Even if she did, it would always be
Adonis.
“Damian. Damian
DiStephano,” he offered, a slight smirk upturning his lips in the most
deliciously erotic way.
Wow, even his
name was supremely sexy. Stop it Analise!
“Damian. Look,
Damian, I appreciate the concern, but I don’t need a doctor. I must have locked
my knees and passed out. That’s all. I’m perfectly fine.” Not exactly true, but she would be. She just needed some
meds and a good night’s sleep. And the way she was beginning to ache between
her thighs, maybe some self-relief.
“I’m not letting
you leave, kitten. End of.” She’d thought it intimidating when he’d stood over
her, but once he took a seat beside her—so close he was touching—she was
completely overwhelmed, her brain short-circuiting.
Her body tingled
where his leg connected with hers. Her breaths became choppy and shallow. She
ached in a place she hadn’t in, well…ever.
She was both captivated and scared shitless. Until she saw the smug look on his
face, then anger reared her ugly head once again. A quick temper was just one
of her many personality flaws.
She stood and
quickly regretted it as the room began to tilt. Adonis—Damian —caught her before she fell and settled them back on the
couch, but now she was cradled in his lap—on
his lap!—his strong arms surrounding her.
“What the hell
are you doing?” She tried pushing away, albeit her effort was weak given the head-splitting
sensation threatening to make her brain explode.
“I’m protecting
you from yourself, kitten. I told you that you needed medical attention and you can do it the easy way or the hard
way. Your choice.” He lowered his voice, lips
brushing the shell of her ear as he whispered, “And personally I hope it’s the
hard way, because I’ve never felt as good as I do now with you in my arms.”
Holy panty-dropping, Batman. He did not just say
that, did he?
She scrambled
off his lap, taking a seat the end of the couch, needing to put as much
distance between them as possible. His knowing smile lit up the entire room.
His smile had effectively morphed him into a super-sized Adonis.
His smile was
like the sun.
Warm.
Inviting.
Intense.
Dangerous.
And that was
bad. Super bad. He stirred feelings
in her she never knew existed. She wasn’t a virgin, sadly, but she also
couldn’t remember feeling passionate desire like this ever in her life. And
that’s what scared her the most. She didn’t let anyone under her armor. But somehow,
he was a chink. A small chink that she needed reinforcements against. Quickly.
Mara’s parting
words tumbled in her head like clothes in a
dryer. “Your destiny awaits.” Surely
she didn’t mean this man…did she?
“Fine. I’ll let
the doctor take a look.” She wouldn’t win the
argument against him so she’d just figure out later how to pay the two
hundred-dollar bill. Maybe the club would pay it so they didn’t worry about her
suing them. Not that she would do that.
“Frankie, why
don’t you take Rom on a tour of the club? Introduce him to Angel. We’ll be just
fine in here until the doc arrives.” Damian never looked away from her, even
though he spoke to Frankie.
“Uh…I
should probably stay here with Ana. I mean, Analise,” he stuttered.
That
got Damian’s attention right quick. He stood and next to Frankie she realized
just how tall and intimidating he really was. He was at least six and a half
feet tall.
He was huge. He
was broad. He was muscled.
He was perfection.
Her mouth was
suddenly very dry. What she wouldn’t give to run her hands all over his
perfectly honed body. Where the hell that errant thought came from, she had no
clue.
“That’s not
necessary, Frankie. Analise will be just fine with me. Go.” Frankie scrambled
for the door, clearly intimidated by Damian.
Who wouldn’t be? She had no shame in admitting she was…just a little.
“Rom, I’ll meet
you back at the house. Enjoy your evening.”
Good-looking,
scary guy number two simply nodded. Had
he said a word the entire time he’d been in here? She didn’t think so.
They both left
and, as Damian turned back to face her, the air was sucked out of the room. She
could hardly breathe as she shamelessly raked her gaze over his sinewy body. Dark
denim molded powerful thighs. Rolled sleeves on his black-and-gray-striped
button-down revealed tan, tattooed skin. The top two buttons of his shirt were left undone and the smooth
skin of his chest nearly made her weep.
Oh my lord.
When they locked
eyes, he stared at her with such intensity, such desire, she felt like his next
meal. She swallowed, unable to speak. Busted.
He knew the effect he was having on her. She watched him deftly walk back over
to the couch, sitting right beside her…again.
“So, kitten, how
are you feeling?”
“Why do you keep
calling me that?” It did funny things to her insides and she wanted that to
stop. Right? Yes, absolutely. And
next time she’d say it with much more conviction.
Another
panty-dropping smile showed his perfectly straight white teeth. “You’ve got
some claws on you, kitten. I like it.”
She sat there
with her mouth open but, not knowing how
to respond, closed it. Was that a
compliment? She wasn’t sure but decided to let it go. After tonight, she
wouldn’t see him again, so no reason to start a verbal war.
She needed
something else to do besides ogle him and fantasize, so her gaze fell on the expansive office. She hadn’t remembered
seeing an office like this upstairs.
“Where are we?”
“We’re in the
owner’s office.”
The owner?
Devon Fallinsworth. He knew Devon? Did that mean he was a vampire too? Was this
a stroke of luck or what? Maybe she
needed to be just a bit nicer to Damian so she could get some information.
“You know Mr.
Fallinsworth?” She tried not to sound too curious as to not arouse suspicion.
His lips drew
into a thin line, glaring at her for several uncomfortable seconds before
responding. “Do you know Mr. Fallinsworth?”
Was it her
imagination or did his question drip with sarcasm? “No. I just thought maybe
I’d get to meet him since he owns the club. I just started a couple of nights
ago.”
“Well, I’m
sorry, kitten. Dev is on his honeymoon. I’m watching the club in his absence.” Heavy
emphasis was placed on the word honeymoon.
Honeymoon? Shit. And if he was watching the club
that meant he probably was a vampire also, as she couldn’t imagine a Vampire Lord
would leave his club under the watch of just anyone. Now what was she going to
do?
“You look a
little distraught, kitten. Have your sights set on him, did you?” His voice
dripped with disdain, which only served to fuel her anger.
“Fuck you. Of
course not. I simply wanted to meet the
owner of this great night club, that’s
all.” So what if it was only the partial
truth? She was so out of here. She stood to leave and was halfway to the door
when he grabbed her arm, twirling her to face him. His face was full of anger…and
lust. Butterflies took flight low in her belly and the warmth between her
legs intensified.
“Let. Go.”
He didn’t say a
word, walking them backward until her back was flush against the door, arms
held overhead by her wrists. She was trapped. She started to panic, twisting to
get away.
He held fast,
leaning down to run his nose along her cheek before nibbling her ear. “Do you
know what he is, kitten? Does that turn you on?”
“W-What are
y-you talking about?” She was turned
on, but not for the reasons he was thinking. It was because of him and him
alone. She couldn’t catch her breath as he continued to run his nose along her
ultra sensitive skin.
“Did you want
him to fuck you? Is that why you wanted to meet him, Analise?” He nipped her
earlobe hard, then soothed the hurt. Oh
God. Her core went liquid. She wanted to kick him in the balls almost as
much as she wanted him to ravage her.
“You’re an
asshole,” she managed to say, pretty convincingly even. He pulled back, his
eyes flitting between hers and her lips.
She had met him
only minutes ago. Why was she so irrationally attracted to this man? Or
vampire? Why didn’t the fact that he was a vampire scare the shit out of her? Because he’d woken something inside me I’d thought long dead.
Your destiny awaits.
“So I’ve been
told.” He leaned down, slowly. Oh, so achingly slowly. He was going to kiss
her. She should turn her head. She should bite his lip.
But she did
neither; every last vestige of common sense had simply
evaporated. Instead, she wet her lips in preparation as she watched him bring
his mouth to hers.
The kiss started
out soft, slow, gentle. Hot breath teased her skin as his skilled mouth took
her upper lip first, paying equal attention to its mate. His tongue ran along
the seam of her mouth, demanding entry, which involuntarily opened for him. Now
her whole body was in on the treachery.
As soon as their
tongues met, the kiss turned wild, passionate. His hold tightened on her,
almost painfully so. He ravaged her mouth, exploring every nook, every cranny.
She couldn’t get enough. She wanted to crawl inside him and live there forever.
He tasted like
danger.
Sex.
Sin.
His free hand
ran up her side, cupping her breast. He kneaded its fullness, plucking her
aching nipple to a hard point under the thin fabric of her dress. They both
moaned in pleasure. His pelvis ground into her stomach and she felt the
evidence of how much he wanted her. Her lower body moved in time with him and
she rose on her tiptoes to align them better.
A knock on the
door scared the crap out of her and the moment evaporated. While Damian had
stopped kissing her, he hadn’t given her any quarter. Bodies still touching,
breathing erratic, he leaned his forehead against hers. His jaw ticked; his
body was strung tight as a bow; blatant lust was barely checked. His sinewy
body holding her firmly in place, he stared intently into her eyes, a faint
glow in his. Definitely vampire. This man—vampire—wanted
her. Her. It was a heady feeling.
He was
commanding, yet gentle. She felt safe physically, but in danger emotionally. He
exuded darkness, but his light shone brilliantly. The dichotomies made her head
spin so fast she couldn’t latch onto a coherent thought.
“Coming,” he
thickly answered when another knock sounded. He slowly moved away from her
body, the loss of warmth chilling her to the bone. While he’d let her arms go,
he linked their fingers, eyes boring into hers. She tugged to get free, but his
grasp tightened.
“Big D.” He
nodded in greeting to the interloper as he opened the door.
Big D? What
kind of a name was that?
Damian led her
to the couch again, gesturing that she should sit. Refusal sat on her tongue.
She’d never been good at following directions. Instead, she did his bidding,
all the while berating herself. He took a seat beside her, thigh to thigh, of course. The doctor came to sit in
front of her, bag in hand. He was classically handsome, but didn’t hold a
candle to Damian. No, he was one of a kind.
She tried not to
reflect too much on what just happened or she just might go into a full-blown
meltdown. How far would she have let her hot and heavy make out session go if
they hadn’t been interrupted? Would she have stopped herself at second base?
God…she’d just let a complete stranger feel her up against a door. At her workplace! Uh, Analise…what in the hell were you thinking?
“How are you
feeling, Analise?”
“Um, I’m fine. Thank you. Really, I’m a lot better
now. Just a slight headache.” Slight was an understatement. Someone had
inserted a pic ax inside her skull and it was trying to get out.
“That’s good. If
you don’t mind, though, I’m going to do an exam. You did lose consciousness for
a brief period and that could mean a slight concussion.”
Oh crap. She
hadn’t thought of that.
“Do you have
someone at home to watch you in the event of a concussion?” He asked as he dug
into his bag for the necessarily supplies.
No. No, she did not. “Uh….”
“I’ll take
responsibility for her,” Damian quipped. She couldn’t believe what she was
hearing. She whipped her head in his direction. Bad idea in retrospect as the
black spots returned and Damian’s face looked like it’d been splattered with
paint.
“What? Hell,
no.” Oh, hell to the n-o!
“Oh hell, yes, kitten.
You can’t be left alone with a concussion. It’s the rule.”
Was he even
listening to himself? “Rule? Whose rule? Yours?”
“No, kitten.
It’s a medical fact.” Damian had a most serious look on his stunning face. He truly believed the bullshit he was spouting.
“Stop. Calling.
Me. That. And, no. You will not stay
with me.”
“Why don’t we do
the exam first before we argue about this, okay?” Finally. The voice of reason
by the only medical professional in the room.
“Yes, okay.”
Analise calmed slightly. They were quiet as the doctor checked her pupils and
the tender bump on her head. He then asked a bunch of questions.
Did she have a headache? Yes.
Did she remember hitting her head? No.
Were her ears ringing? Slightly.
Was she tired? Um,
yes. It was probably close to eleven by now, right?
Was she confused? Did
letting a stranger feel her up count? Good, she’d used her inside voice. Her outside
voice replied no, she wasn’t confused.
Did she know what caused her to black
out? No way in
hell was she admitting the truth to that question, what with Mr.
I-Have-The-Biggest-Ego-Ever sitting right next to her, so she stuck with the lie
she’d told earlier. Yep, locked knees.
Finally, he took her
blood pressure. Which was high. Go figure. Was it anger or lust fueled?
Probably both. The second time was closer to normal.
“So, what’s the
conclusion, doc?” Damian asked, breaking the silence.
“I’m sorry,
Analise, but you do have a slight concussion. Your pupils are not responding as
quickly as they should. You’ll need someone to stay with you for the next
twenty-four hours at least, waking you every couple of hours this evening to
ensure you don’t have any issues doing so.”
She looked at
Damian, who had a big smirk upturning his full, sexy lips. With great surprise,
she suddenly realized she hadn’t cringed once
at his multiple touches. Huh?
Well…shit.
About the Author:
K.L. Kreig
Most authors will tell you that writing is all they’ve ever
wanted to do. I guess I’m one of the few
that don’t fit in that bucket. Writing a
book was never on my bucket list until three years ago. On my list was: Climb the Corporate ladder. Check. Go to Europe.
Check. Complete a half marathon. Check. Eat chocolate daily. Double
check. Isn’t this on everyone’s bucket list? Catch up on two seasons of Games of Thrones
in one day. Painful, but check. And
finally, devouring romance books at an alarming pace like the unashamed book
addict I am…Over a thousand checks!
Living in Nebraska with my soul-mate hubby, I pen my magic
world at night, while paying the bills with an actual paying job in the
corporate world during the day. Writing
is just an all-consuming passion for now, but boy, if I could dream...
My other loves include my simply amazing, incredible and
talented children and newly acquired son-in-law (wink), a steamy novel, great
friends and family, and a warm ocean breeze gliding over my sun drenched skin
with a cocktail in hand.
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