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Captain Mal, The Ultimate Antihero

I love anti-heroes, men who make you question their motives and their morality but always come through in the end as men of honor even if their methods are a bit tarnished. One of my favorite anti-heroes is Captain Malcolm Reynolds from Firefly. Mal fought for the independents because he believed in a world where people could live free of the Alliance’s control. He did his best to care for the men and women who served under him. And later when he becomes captain of the Firefly class ship, Serenity, Mal truly cared about his crew even if he’s didn’t always show it.

Mal doesn’t behave as a traditional hero should. He prefers to shoot first and ask questions later. He takes jobs that put him on the wrong side of the law, content to steal when necessary to support his crew. He kills when he needs to and doesn’t spend time on remorse.

But “Bad” as he may be, Mal protects his crew even when he doesn’t like them personally, and he never leaves a man or woman behind. Once someone is under his protection, he’ll risk his life for them even if he thinks their predicament is their own fault.

Captain Marc Devlin from my Shifter’s Station Collection is a similar type of anti-hero. He served Terra Gov as a special forces officer until they chose to experiment on him and other members of his battalion, turning them into shape-shifting killing machines. A natural leader, he gathered a group of the genetically-altered shifters and helped them escape and form a mercenary company.

But he’s no do-gooder. He’s harsh and controlling, and he isn’t the least bit concerned with the legality of the jobs he takes on. As long as the money’s good and he can support his crew, he’s content. He’ll shoot any man or woman who threatens him or his crew without a second thought. He’s gruff and tough as hell on the men and women who work for him, but he has their loyalty, because they know he’ll do anything to keep them safe.

Captain Devlin is also not above abusing his power when it suits him like when Larissa delivers a faulty shipment of weapons to his station. He and his lover, Commander Kirlos Adesta, determine that she had no part in the sabotage attempt, but Marc wants her in his bed so he refuses to release her, eventually making her a wager he’s confident he’ll win.

Read an excerpt below of the meeting between Marc, Kirlos and Larissa and see if this anti-hero doesn’t make your pulse flutter…..

Coming March 1th to Changeling Press

Bio
Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including sci fi, paranormal, and historical. She can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading children’s books to her wickedly smart offspring.

Blog: http://silviaviolet.wordpress.com
Website: http://silviaviolet.com (website redesign coming soon)

Shifter’s Station Collection by Silvia Violet

Years ago, the Terran Government betrayed special forces officer Marc Devlin, forcing him to flee for his life. He rescued several fellow officers and built a new life as the head of his own mercenary force. When he captures a beautiful Cerian diplomat, he thinks to torture the man to learn Cerian secrets. Instead, he finds a lover. Months later, Marc and his Cerian lover, Kirlos, take a young woman captive, fearful she might be an agent of one of Marc’s oldest enemies. The two men strike a bargain with her that lands her in their bed for a month. As they dole out exquisite torment with their Cerian sex table, passion builds and turns to love. But Marc and Kirlos must fight to keep her and the life they’ve made for themselves.

This e-book collection contains the previously released Shifter’s Station series novellas Pilot’s Bargain, Pilot’s Heart, Loving the Enemy, and Eye of the Tigress.

Buy it at Changeling Press: http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1315
Buy it at All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shifter039sstationcollection-419034-144.html

Excerpt from Shifter’s Station 1: Pilot’s Bargain

The commander cut off whatever Captain Devlin was going to say. “I have the ability to probe your mind to determine if you’re telling the truth. And if you are lying, I can compel the truth from you.”

Larissa studied him for a moment. He seemed sincere and somewhat dismayed by the captain’s brusque manner. “Do it.”

She felt pressure on her head, as if someone were mashing the heel of their hand against her forehead. Then the pressure turned to pain. It grew sharper until it felt like a needle was boring into her skull.

She felt tension radiating from Adesta. “Stop fighting it.”

“I… can’t. I don’t –”

Then the pain spread as if her skull had cracked. She fell to her knees, panting. The world began to go black. But just before she passed out, the pain disappeared.

“Fires of hell, she’s strong.”

The captain snorted. “Did you get through?”

“Yes, she’s telling the truth.”

Thank the god. They would have to let her go now. Larissa heard the men speaking, but they sounded very far away. A dull pounding still echoed in her head. Nothing like the tearing pain of the scan, but she still wasn’t sure she could stand.

Then she felt a hand on her arm. It was the commander. She wanted to refuse his assistance, but she didn’t want to be on her knees in front of the captain. He was arrogant enough without her prostrating herself like a slave.

When the commander helped her to her feet, she stepped away and forced herself to focus on Devlin. His dark eyes were narrow and cold. “Who taught you to shield your thoughts?”

“My boss.”

Devlin raised his brows. “You need this ability often on cargo runs?”

“When you take these kinds of jobs, you do.”

He laughed. “I suppose you are right. Federated Transport isn’t exactly a legitimate business.”

“And yours is?”

Adesta’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “You seem to be losing your touch, Captain. You usually have them trembling in their boots by now.”

Larissa just managed to keep from rolling her eyes. The captain might be one delightfully put together man, but she had no intention of rolling over for him. “Can I go now?”

Devlin scowled. “No.”

“The commander has established my innocence.”

“He has established that you were unaware that the weapons were faulty. But I still have one dead crewman and several more injured. Someone has to pay.”

“Yes. That someone is my bastard of a boss.”

“But he’s not here, and you are.”

“Captain.” The warning glare in the commander’s eyes gave Larissa hope he might convince his superior to let her go.

“She stays.”

Larissa’s heart pounded. “You can’t be serious.”

He gave a cold smile. “I’m always serious.”

Larissa clasped her hands behind her back to hide their shaking. “You can’t just keep me here.”

“I can do anything I damn well please.”

“But –”

The captain stepped toward her. She stabbed her nails into her palms, hoping the pain would dull her fear and help her hold her ground.

Devlin grasped the single braid that hung down her back and jerked her head to the side. “I am the law here. No one questions what I do. If I wanted to shove you out an airlock, that’s exactly what I’d do. No one would dare protest.”

She held her breath, and commanded her suddenly rubbery legs to keep her upright.

He let her go and stepped back. “Fortunately for you, I have something far more pleasant in mind as repayment for your crimes.”

Larissa’s lungs burned, but she couldn’t seem to fill them with air. She forced herself to look him in the eye. “I have no intention of letting you punish me for a crime I didn’t commit.”

Adesta smirked. “I like her spirit.”

The captain stared at her intently. “So do I. The spirited ones are so much more fun to break.”

Larissa’s heart hammered against her chest. She knew her eyes were wide and her fear shone all too plainly. She felt like a rabbit cornered by a wolf — a big bad wolf with plans to eat her.

Now why the hell did that thought make her body feel hot and tight? She was so damn wet she’d likely soaked through her flight suit. What was wrong with her?

Devlin took a long, deliberate inhale. “Mmm. I think she likes us more than she wants us to know.”

Shit! The last thing she needed was for him to be aware of how she was responding to them. She needed to convince them to let her go. But before she could think of anything to say, Devlin’s lips curled up in a wicked smile.

“Since you seem so interested in the issue of fairness, why don’t we strike a bargain?”

“What bargain would that be?” Larissa mentally cursed the quaver she heard in her voice.

His smile widened. “I will spend the next two hours convincing you that you want to stay. If you can resist, you go free. If you can’t, you agree to remain on the station as my servant for the next month.”

Larissa took a deep breath. Her initial reaction was to tell him to go to hell, but something told her this might be her only way off the station. “How will you convince me to stay?”

“That’s my secret, but you have my word you will come to no harm.”

“Why should I trust you?”

The captain’s face froze, and a sound too like an animal’s growl rose from his chest.

Larissa glanced at Adesta. He shook his head. “I wouldn’t go down that road if I were you.”

“Fine. If I were to lose, which I have no intention of doing, how would you expect me to serve you?”

The captain’s smile returned instantly. “With every last inch of your naked body.”

Purchase Link: http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1315

Purchase from ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shifter039sstationcollection-419034-144.html

Contest: Comment and be entered to win a book from Silvia’s Backlist! Good Luck!

Silvia’s Blog: http://silviaviolet.wordpress.com

Silvia’s Website: http://silviaviolet.com

To watch episodes of Firefly online go to Hulu here: http://www.hulu.com/firefly

Genetic Attraction is my first novel (although I’ve been writing nonfiction for many years). I decided to write it when I discovered erotic romance and loved the genre so much, I thought “I could write one of these books.” But Genetic Attraction didn’t start out to be a ménage a trois. When I first conceived the plot, I expected it to be an older woman/younger man romance, but then one day I ordered a book by Jet Mykles called Heaven. It was my first male/male romance and I was hooked! I had to add another man to my book.

Fortunately, ignorance is bliss. I didn’t know that writing a ménage is hard, so I just plunged in. Since this first novel, I’ve written three other books and two of them are ménages:– one is m/m/f and one is m/m/m/. I guess I really like this dynamic. Here’s what I’m learning:

• Love between three people can be just as sweet and intense and passionate as between two– at least in romance novels! The real-life dynamics of a ménage are probably very tricky, but virtually everyone has harbored in their heart at sometime the thought that maybe, just maybe, they could love two people. Ménage stories play into this fantasy.
• Ménages make interesting plots. Simple, you have three people to play with, to make interact with each other, to provide richness and detail to your story. In Genetic Attraction, two of my lead characters are scientists and one is a supermodel. As readers, we get to see scenes played out in their different worlds- in the lab, at photo shoots, at a faculty party.
• Pronouns can be killers! Writing male/male stories is a unique challenge since both characters are called “he”, so you have to find ways to differentiate them without using their names constantly, and without being confusing. Now, add another man to the mix as I’m doing in my current work-in-progress, a m/m/m ménage. Yikes. It takes some creativity and very deep point-of-view for each character.
• Sex between three people needs careful thought. The reader needs to know where each character is and what they’re doing. No one can be left out, so we need to see reactions from each character as well as actions.
• But, oh, it’s soooo much fun. A ménage is fun to read and it’s fun to write. So many yummy things can be done simultaneously when you have three people. Just use your imagination. That’s what I did. : )

I want to thank Selena for being such a gracious host and for all her incredible help and support to this new author. And huge hugs to all the readers who have been sending me messages on e-mail and Twitter and in blog posts saying how much they enjoy the book and the excerpts. It makes me cry, guys. So tell me, what kind of romantic pairings or multiples do you most enjoy? You’ve got a bunch or writers listening who will be happy to give them to you!? : )

Genetic Attraction OUT NOW, at Loose-Id!
Blurb:

At a conservative Long Island University, renowned researcher, Dr. Emmaline Silvay, has two great loves– her life-saving work, and her younger research partner, Jake Martin. The romantic love is impossible. She’s his boss and he lives with his girlfriend. The the “girlfriend” is actually a boyfriend, the beautiful and infamous supermodel, Roan Black.

Resigned to a platonic relationship, Em accepts a weekend invitation to their home, but the men have a menage on their minds. She can’t resist, doesn’t even want to. But their intentions go far beyond passion. They want her to “be a part of them”. Their three-way love defies propriety and the standards of the University that funds their work. The supermodel’s fame makes secrecy impossible. Their ménage threatens to crumble all she’s worked for. What will give way to make room for genetic attraction?

Buy Link:

http://www.loose-id.com/Genetic-Attraction.aspx

Excerpt:

“Em?”

Yikes! Damn, he got her again. The lab staff teased her for getting so absorbed in her work an ax murderer could sneak up on her.

She looked up from her computer at her favorite tall, blond ax murderer, a.k.a. research associate. The blue, blue eyes behind the Clark Kent wire rims sparkled with humor.

He chuckled. “Sorry, I tried to make a lot of noise opening your door.”

She sighed and pushed away from the big wooden desk that crowded her small office. Oh yeah, now she felt the exhaustion. “I was somewhere else, as usual.”

“Just wanted to know if you’d finished the gene sequencing?”

She looked up into that sculpted face and squinted at the pain between her eyebrows. “I got a lot done, but I’m seeing double.” Headache or not, she could see him just fine.

“C’mon, it’s after nine. Let’s give up before we have a thirty-two-gene sequence instead of sixteen.”

Ouch. Fourteen hours at a computer. She closed her eyes and stretched her neck to the side.

Strong, warm hands pressed down on her shoulders. His fingers pushed her head forward, and powerful thumbs dug into her neck. She jumped and then shivered.

“That’s where it hurts, right?” He dug in a little deeper.

Increased heart rate. Spiked respiration. She thought of it as the “Jake reaction.” The touch of those strong, young hands that he seemed to put on her body way too often and the warm smell of him always powered a reaction. Some tiny part of her rational scientist’s mind could watch while her body went wacko, tingling, shivering and yearning. She might be a thirty-six-year-old geneticist with a huge reputation to protect, but she wanted Jake Martin with a lust she couldn’t reason away. It was a crappy idea, the very worst for her sanity and her career, but those were the facts. Like the direct pathway of alcohol to the liver, nothing got in the way of her desire, not his youth, his position as her assistant researcher, or the fact that he lived with his girlfriend.

She pulled away from his hands. “We should go.”

His slight pause made her think she’d hurt him with her abruptness, but when she glanced up he smiled, flashing patentable dimples. “Let’s get something to eat.”

God, the cheekbones. The floppy gold hair. Half science geek, half demigod. He’d already stripped out of his lab coat, and the well-worn jeans hugged long, lean thighs. Resistance was futile. “Penne with sun-dried tomatoes?”

“You got it, sweetheart.” He pulled her out of the chair, a move that almost backed him up to her side wall. Space wasn’t a luxury afforded in this lab.

“Show proper respect there, boy child. That’s Doctor Sweetheart.”

“Then I’ll have to demand Doctor Boy Child.”

“Boy Child PhD?”

“Top of my résumé.” Jake leaned her against his chest — yeah, that would be rock-hard chest — and slipped the lab coat she wore on clinic days off her shoulders and threw it on her desk.

He just held her, his hands caressing her back as his breath rasped against her hair.

Damn, why did he do this? He touched her a lot, and she didn’t know if he simply didn’t realize how sexual his attentions seemed or if he was being sadistic. Wasn’t he getting enough at home?

She pulled back and practiced her motherly smile. “I must be tired.”

Gently turning her around, he pushed her toward the door, switching off the lights as they went. “Mama Sophia’s?”

Outside in the open lab, she shrugged on the green wool jacket he held for her. Computers still glowed on two desks where colleagues would return after dinner to continue work. She had a dedicated team, and she hated to leave, but eventually food and sleep even outweighed cancer research. She usually got here before seven, and food breaks were scarce. The thought of pasta made her mouth water as she watched Jake switch off the lights. “C’mon, Dr. Boy Child. Garlic is my drug of choice.”

* * * * *

“Okay, God is Italian.” The subtle flavor of tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil floated over her tongue.

“Yeah, just ask an Italian. He’ll tell you God gave them Sophia Loren and seventy-five-year-old prime ministers that still get it up for their twenty-five-year-old mistresses. Clearly, divine dispensation.” He sucked in a bite.

Mmm. Warm, oregano-spiced air, and the cinnamony smell of Jake beside her. Her favorites. “I thought that was all about the little blue pill?”

“Also a gift from the gods.”

They sat in their favorite red, faux-leather booth at the back of the homey restaurant complete with Chianti-bottle candles and red-checked tablecloths. Jake had taken off his leather jacket, leaving him in a soft, gray, tissue-thin sweater that hugged his beautiful lean torso. He’d pushed the sleeves up, and she tried not to stare at those corded golden forearms. The soft material of the sweater was almost as beautiful as his skin.

How did the man afford to dress that way on what she paid him? Never flashy, but even she could see the clothes had quality. He didn’t come from money, but he had just bought a house in what she’d heard was a very elegant neighborhood in Connecticut. Did his girlfriend have money? Damn, the girlfriend certainly had him.

“Am I finally going to meet your girlfriend on Friday?”

He made a quick grab for his water glass and took a sip, splashing a few drops on his glasses. “My girlfriend?”

Why was he being coy? “Yes, the girlfriend you moved in with, right? She must be curious about where you spend so many late nights. I assume you’re going to bring her Friday.”

He pulled his glasses off and wiped them on his napkin, looking tense. What was up? She reached out and flipped his shaggy hair from in front of those blue eyes. The man always needed a haircut. Another part of his charm.

“I, uh, wasn’t really planning on coming Friday night.”

Oh, hell no. “You are truly kidding me, Jake. You’ve got to know what that award means to us, to our research, if someone…you know, someone on our team…were to win it.” She didn’t want to spoil the surprise, but she’d hocked a lot of political capital lobbying for him to win the Belden Award. The prize for outstanding young scientist was a big deal to the university too, since all the major research schools from across the country were invited to submit candidates. Jeez, it’d never occurred to her that he’d just bow out of the ceremony. “Really, Jake, it’s important.”

He glanced at her, and then his pasta got interesting again.

“Okay, I’ll come.”

“Jesus, could you be more enthusiastic? You need to come, Jake. And you’ll bring your girlfriend, right? I want to meet her, and it will show the faculty council what a lovely, settled, family person you are. At least one of us isn’t a confirmed bachelor.”

He clenched his jaw and forced words out between his teeth. “Em, I’ll come to the banquet, but I haven’t got a girlfriend. And I sure as fuck can’t show the faculty council my happy family life.”

The girlfriend was gone? “What happened? You told me you just moved in with her.” Damn, she really didn’t want to screw with his life. “Jesus, Jake, is it because I’m working you to death? I’ll talk to her. Give you more time off.”

He held a hand to her lips. “Easy, sweetheart. I’m sorry. I haven’t told you the truth, but I just…crap, I don’t know. I should have told you a long time ago. I just wasn’t sure it would work, it was such a long shot.”

What in hell was he talking about?

She got the first direct stare since they sat down. “Em, I can’t bring my girlfriend to the award dinner…because she’s my boyfriend. The person I moved in with is a man.” He sat back, still gazing at her steadily, challengingly.

Every nerve ending went hot. Then cold. What the fuck?

“And for the record, I never said I moved in with my girlfriend. I said I moved in with my lover, and you did the rest. I’m sorry.”

She knew her mouth was hanging open. Jake, gay? Her fantasy lover? She didn’t know how to feel. As a kid in the commune, she and her mom had practically collected gay friends. How could she have missed it?

Jesus, she was shaking. She didn’t want him to think she was horrified. She wasn’t. Just shocked and…what? Disappointed? Now there was no chance for her.

“Jesus, Jake, I know I can be self-absorbed, but I didn’t know I was blind.” Okay, she had to get a grip. People were looking their way. She lowered her voice. “How could it never have crossed my mind that you’re gay? How could I have missed it so completely in almost two years of working together?”

“Em, I’m really sorry.”

He was sorry. Shit! “You didn’t think you could tell me? Did you imagine it would matter to me?”

He grabbed her hands and squeezed them. “No! Of course I didn’t think you’d care. I didn’t tell you I’m gay because, well, I’m not. Or wasn’t. I’ve mostly been with women. You know; you’ve seen me with enough of them. I’d only been with one other man in my life when I met Roan. We met less than a year ago at the genetics conference I attended with you.”

“That’s why you were acting so strangely at the conference?” She remembered how edgy and distracted he’d been.

“Yeah. I was face-to-face with my sexuality and with the best thing I’d ever seen.”

That put a little rip in her heart.

Releasing her hands, he gripped his own together. “But it was such an unlikely match, and the chances we’d stay together were so small, I didn’t want to tell you and then split up with him.” He sighed and shrugged at the same time. “But the truth is, I fell in love with the guy, and even though it amazes me every day, he loves me back. So I’m gay.” Grin. “At least operationally.”

Trying to get a grip here. “Roan?”

“Yeah, that’s his name. And I really do want you to meet him; planned on it in fact.” He touched her hand, gently stroking his fingers over her palm, and she just couldn’t pull away. “You both mean so much to me. I want you to love each other too.”

Maybe it would be easier to like a man Jake loved more than it would a woman. Maybe she could beat back the jealousy, knowing he was more interested in men. Fuck, she’d have to.

He sat back. “But I don’t think the faculty award dinner is the place. I don’t want to hide my relationship exactly. My family knows, and they’re great about it, but hell, you know the faculty council and the administration, especially Kovak.”

“Our own private Inquisitor?”

“Yeah. The faculty council will never say they’re firing me because I’m gay. They’ll make up another reason. I just don’t want to rub their faces in it. If they find out some other way, fine.”

She took another deep breath, just trying to cope. “You know, there are several gay men on the faculty. Professor Montag makes jelly beans look colorless, and some others probably cross-dress in their spare time.”

“Yeah, but they stay in the closet. Don’t ask; don’t tell. Plus, they were here before Kovak, so he kind of ignores them.”

“So just bring your, uh…Roan and let them guess. Maybe he’s just a friend or something.”

“He’s a little too noticeable.”

“What? A drag queen?”

He grinned. “No, you’ll see when you meet him.”

One thing was clear. “You have to come to the banquet. Do you get that? And if this man is the one you love, I think he should be there too. Am I making myself clear?”

He laughed. “Yes, Mother.”

“Hey, why don’t you and Roan escort me to the bloody banquet? Then no one will know who’s with whom. We can say he’s a friend of both of ours. You’ll both be my dates. I get to meet him, and he gets to be there for you.”

“I thought you were coming with Henry.”

“Not nearly often enough.” He snorted Chianti. Okay, bad joke, but then Henry was a pretty bad lover. “Anyway, as chance would have it, I haven’t invited him yet, so I’m free to be your diversion.”

“You’re a diversion only in the best possible way.” His face lit up with enthusiasm. “But actually it’s perfect. You’ll come home with us after the banquet and spend the weekend. I’ve been planning to invite you out for weeks, but we’ve been so busy at the lab. So come this weekend. Then you can get to know Roan and see the new house at the same time. You get me where you want me, and” — he chuckled — “I get you where I want you.”

She gazed at the beautiful face. He’d taken off his glasses so nothing distracted from those crystal blue eyes. How often had she fantasized about spending time with him? Sadly, those fantasies had never involved a gay lover. But bottom line, he had to come to the banquet, and a weekend in Connecticut sounded like fun even in the company of two gay men. Of course, the faculty council sure as hell wouldn’t agree with her. They would puke if they knew Doctor Emmaline Silvay, lead researcher and hope for all great international genetics prizes, was consorting with her twenty-six-year-old assistant. Gay assistant. She felt her mom’s rebel blood rise in her veins.

“What time will you pick me up, and what kind of clothes should I pack?”

Author Bio:

Tara Lain, like so many novelists, wrote her first book at five. Writing ability got her through college when there wasn’t enough time in the day, and, shortly thereafter, it became a marketable skill. Very early in life, people started paying her to write — scripts for industrial films, brochures, magazine articles on semiconductors. She became a really successful non-fiction “ghost-writer”.
Now, when you’re being paid well to write non-fiction, it’s tough to spend time writing fiction that nobody pays you for for a long time. But then Tara found EROM (erotic romance). Always a lover of fantasy, she got hooked on the beauty, emotion, and happily-ever-after of these books (to say nothing of the great sex) and was finally inspired to write one of her own. But writing fiction is REALLY different than non-fiction. There was so much to learn, and after writing her first book she went back to school (via online workshops) and really got down to learning the craft. A year later, she had rewritten that book, and created another one, and a very supportive publisher said yes! Today, she’s off and running as a passionate writer of erotic fiction.
Married to a her soul mate, a wonderful man who surprises her every day, Tara continues to love semiconductors and software and medical devices — all with a little touch of romance. She’s also an artist in her spare time (LOL) working in oil and mixed media collage.
Tara would love to:hear from you.

E-mail:tara@taralain.com

Website:http://www.taralain.com

Author blog:http://taralain.blogspot.com

Book blog:http://beautifulboysbooks.blogspot.com

Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4541791.Tara_Lain

Savvy Authors:http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/member.php?2398-Tara-Lain

Twitter:http://twitter.com/taralain

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/people/Tara-Lain/100001514105686

Blurb:
Arran MacLain is a vampire on a suicide mission, driven to kill his former partner who betrayed him and the Enclave they served. But two things stand in his way: Gabrielle, the human female who holds his heart, and the past that won?t let him go. If only death was enough to cleanse his soul.

Gabrielle Steven?s sister is missing. Her hunt for clues brings her face to face with the one vampire she can?t forget. Their missions combine and thrust them into the heart of evil. Will their passion be enough to overcome the pain from their past, or will their dark desires destroy them both?

Buy Link:
http://www.loose-id.com/Dark-Desires-at-Midnight.aspx

Excerpt:

Arran rolled his Ninja into the parking lot beside Gabrielle?s car and killed the engine. She?d taken the newsflash about Markus and Marguerite pretty much like he?d expected. She?d mumbled an oath of determination right before she?d kicked him out of the car. Gabrielle wasn?t a member of the Enclave in name only. It didn?t matter that she didn?t work patrol. Gabrielle was as much a warrior as any of the males. Life hadn?t dealt her any favors. And she wasn?t one to lie down and let it bulldoze over her. She stood and fought for every inch of ground gained.

He waited for her to get out of the car, then removed his helmet.

?You didn?t need to follow me home,? she said over her shoulder, heading for the front door of her sister?s townhouse. He was surprised when she?d led him here instead of a hotel. The place must have belonged to her sister. He palmed his keys, slid off his bike, and shoved the keys in his pocket.

?I wasn?t going to let you leave alone after the info I just dumped on you,? he said as he came up behind her while she unlocked the door. ?I wanted to make sure you got home safe. And I wanted to be sure you actually went home.?

?Oh my God, you can be such an ass sometimes.? Her back was to him, but Arran could almost hear her eyes roll with that statement. She was right. He was an ass. But while he was here, he would be taking care of hers.

Gabrielle flipped on the lights, and he followed her inside. The heels of her boots clicked on the hardwood floor of the foyer, echoing in the open stairwell of the two-story apartment. She couldn?t have been in town long, but the air in the place already carried her scent. He pulled in another slow, deep breath through his nostrils. His heart rate quickened. Honeysuckle. Arran wanted to smile but repressed the grin. Ironic that such a delicate and sweet fragrance emanated from the hellcat with whom he?d just been reacquainted.

Her keys clinked as she dropped them in a bowl on a table near the staircase. Arran?s gaze devoured her provocative profile. He?d never seen her dressed like she was tonight. Living with five male vampires within the Enclave walls, she usually dressed a bit more conservatively. Not matronly, but definitely not this revealing. A short black leather skirt barely covered the lush curves of her ass, and a shirt that couldn?t have been more than a decked-out bra did its best to contain her full breasts. Shiny black leather boots wrapped her legs, highlighting the toned sweep of her calves. This couldn?t happen again. Arran slowly shook his head. He would end up killing someone if she dressed like this again.

She turned her head to the side, facing him. ?I don?t need a babysitter. I?m more than capable of taking care of myself.? She shifted and faced him head-on. ?You?ve been gone a long time, Arran. Things have changed. I?ve changed.?

?Maybe so. But you?re not taking on that colony alone. I can?t believe Logan let you come here without him.? Gabrielle turned her back, rearranging her purse on the table. Shit. He recognized the body language. ?You didn?t tell him, did you?? Arran closed the distance between them.

?No. I didn?t need him here.? Gabrielle looked up, fierce determination written on her face. ?I can handle this. Alex needed me. And I?m going to be there for her.? She shifted to face him again, leaning her hip against the table. ?I?m smart enough to know if — and when — I need help.?

Arran closed in, crowding her personal space, wanting a reaction. Aching for it, actually. Gabrielle straightened and took one step back but stopped and lifted her chin, refusing to cower and give him the reaction he itched for. She caught on quick.

?You think you have it all handled, lass??

?Yeah, I do.?

?You got it all under control??

The amber color of her irises had grown near molten. He allowed a small smile to pull at the corner of his mouth, loving the way she got all hot and bothered when he pushed her.

?Yes. I do.? The words had barely left her lips when she attacked, one leg coming out to catch the back of his ankle. Caught off guard, he stumbled.

Before he could regain his balance, she had his wrist locked in her grip. Swinging his arm up, she spun underneath, twisted, and wrenched his arm up the middle of his back, then shoved him face-first into the dank-smelling wall.

Well, damn. Not bad. ?You?ve been training,? he mumbled against the Sheetrock.

?A little.? She sounded quite proud of herself. She was good. He?d give her that. But her heavy breathing told him it was all she could do to contain him, and he hadn?t even come close to tapping into his full abilities. She?d caught him by surprise, but she was human, a woman, and no match for a mature vampire. Especially in a multiple attack.

With a burst of speed, Arran pushed back, forcing Gabrielle to release him instead of falling on her rear. He whirled, catching her before she hit the floor. In less than a second, their positions reversed. Except this time, he?d pinned her back against the wall, her hands imprisoned by his, over her head.

The position pushed her full breasts up, almost spilling them from her top. Nice. He lifted his gaze, prepared for a hard glare. If her eyes were molten earlier, they were near boiling now. He couldn?t have stopped the next words that spilled from his lips if he?d tried.

?I win.?

?You ass!? She squirmed and bucked against him like a feral cat. Instead of gaining her freedom, though, each maneuver jammed her tighter into his hold. Her every inhale shoved her breasts into his chest. Heat radiated off her body, threatening to scramble his brain. Before he knew he?d even moved, his lips hovered over hers. What made him stop, God only knew. Maybe it was the way she?d suddenly grown still? Or maybe it was the moment she?d parted her lips, releasing warm, peppermint-scented bursts of air that seduced his mind. So damn enticing. All he had to do was lean in one more inch, and he?d –

Fire shot up his arm. ?Son of a?? Releasing her, he jumped back and flung his gaze to the offending limb. Blood.

A thin line of crimson blossomed along the outside of his bicep. She?d played him. Purposefully distracted him, so she could pull her hand free and reach for a blade that must have been hidden under her skirt and against her thigh. The little minx.

He swiveled his head back in Gabrielle?s direction. Air punched from his lungs. Christ. Blood surged to his cock. The overwhelming urge to stroke the rock-hard length at the sight of her was short-circuiting his brain. Gabrielle stood, one boot in front of the other, palming a short dagger. She was ready to fight.

He was ready to fuck.

Arran rocked from one foot to the other, searching within for the strength not to take what was his. Mentally, he shook his head. No. She?s not yours, asshole. But damn if his cock had the sense to listen.

?I know you weren?t about to kiss me, warrior. Were you?? She raised a delicate brow and tilted her head. ?Because last I heard, my kiss was ?forgettable.??

Ouch. He?d had a feeling if he ever saw her again, that asinine comment would come back to bite him in the ass.

?Give me the blade, Gabrielle.?

?This?? She twirled the dagger, then palmed the hilt and held it up for display. ?You want it?? A devious smile lit her face. With her other hand, she beckoned him with her fingers. ?Come and take it.?

Bad, bad challenge, kitten. A tremor started in his gut and worked its way up, until it was a buzz inside his brain. Every cell in his body wanted to take.

Mark.

Claim.

A gasp of air in his ear was the only indicator that he?d grabbed her. He didn?t remember the trip. Arran lifted her feet from the floor, whirled, and gently laid her on the stairs, pressing his hips, his chest into hers. He had to get his body next to hers. Everywhere. The dagger fell from her hand, rolling and thumping its way down the steps, each tumble a hollow thud.

The loud percussions bypassed the noise inside his head and brought him to a dead halt. He lay with his hips between her legs, his groin pressed to hers. His mouth suspended above her lips. He dropped his gaze to her mouth. God, how he loved the delicate line of her lips, a perfect bow. So full and pink. Her tongue darted out and moistened the lower one. He couldn?t stifle the groan that rolled from the back of his throat.

He dragged his gaze back to her eyes. Passion mixed with doubt and fear stared back at him. ?I?m sorry.? The whispered words tumbled from his heart.

She blinked, then swallowed. ?Why??

?For hurting you.?

Her eyelids shuttered, and her breath hitched. Did she believe him? Was an apology enough for what he?d done? He?d walked away, leaving her to think he?d never wanted her, when the truth was, he wanted her more than his next breath. Sorry sounded so insignificant, compared to how much damage he?d done to her heart.

?Gabrielle.? Long, dark eyelashes lifted. Beautiful, near gold eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Please don?t cry. If only he had the power to bring her tears of joy. Instead of the pain he was so damn good at. He wanted to kiss the hurt away. ?Remind me.?

Her lips parted first in silence before she asked, ?Of what??

Arran released her arms and cupped her face with his palms. He caressed her lips with his gaze before lifting it back to hers. ?What I walked away from.?

Jessica Lee Bio:
Almost every author?s bio states they?ve been writing since they learned to read. It?s what they?ve always wanted to do. Well, my journey wasn?t so straight and narrow. I?ve been a nurse for over twenty years and hold a bachelor?s degree in Science with a major in Biology. So, as you can see, my career path had originally gone in the opposite direction. I didn?t discover my passion for the craft until after I?d had my son and decided to work part-time.

I?ve always loved to read but had never read a paranormal romance. Then one night at work on break, I began reading Karen Marie Moning?s, Spell of the Highlander. I couldn?t believe what I had been missing, and I immediately feel in love with the genre.

I wanted to write like that. To create a story others could find the same excitement in, as I did, when I read my first sensual paranormal romance.

That?s what I hope you find here. A fabulous escape and wonderful adventure that keeps you coming back for more.

Jessica Lee lives in the southeastern USA with her husband and son. She loves writing, and can?t wait for that quiet time each day when her son is in school and she can get lost in another place and world with the fantastical, sexy creatures in her head.

She?s a member of Romance Writers of America, FF&P, Carolina Romance Writers and Passionate Ink.

http://www.jessicaleenovels.com/

Check out the gorgeous cover that the wonderful Anne Cain did for Blood Claim: Tainted (Coming Soon to Loose-Id):

*Happy Sigh*

Se

I am pleased to annouce that Loose-Id has accepted my story Trapped and that I just sent in the contract. *Grin* *Throws confetti* I’m so excited, I can’t stop grinning.

Selena