A Vampire's Soul (30 page)

Have you read the first book in Carla Susan Smith's vampire series?

 

 

 

 

Rowan Harper is nothing but a smart-mouthed bookstore clerk with a crappy love life on the night she walks into Rosie's Bar. Most of the drama in her life is borrowed from her best friend's adventures.

But when she meets Gabriel—tall and movie star gorgeous—everything changes. Never mind that she turns down the drink he offers, or that he brims with secrets she can't begin to guess at.

He ignites a desire in her she never suspected—and shows a fascination with her she can't explain.

 

He has no family, no job, no bank account; he knows where she lives and her favorite flower. An aura of mystery cloaks him, even as Rowan grasps for facts, even as she fears an answer that could destroy her happiness. Gabriel can guide her through a wonderland of new sensations. But only if Rowan trusts him enough to follow . . .

He looked hurt that I was questioning his integrity. “Rowan, I've not wanted another woman since the first time I saw you. I never have.”

“That's good to know,” I whispered.

He let go of my hand and clutched his forehead like he just got a brain freeze. Pursing his lips, he blew out a breath. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a man who desperately wanted to speak, but was afraid his words would be the wrong ones.

I didn't want to waste any more time in pointless conversation. It would be an exercise in futility that accomplished nothing. What was about to happen between us right here, right now, was not going to be achieved with words. Unless they were all single syllables used for instructional purposes along with some heavy-duty physical contact. My hands literally itched to get beneath his wet clothing and touch his body.

Something in my life, my luckless romantic aspirations, my failure at successful seduction, had all been pushing me toward this moment. Gabriel was to be my first, perhaps my only lover. I don't know how I knew this or what turn of fate's cosmic wheel had made it so, but it was true. I had known it eighty-seven nights ago on my front porch, and the conviction was even stronger now. I made it to the staircase before Gabriel's voice stopped me.

“Give yourself to me, Rowan, and you will take no other.”

I don't know if other girls have experienced such a declaration, but it didn't surprise me coming from him. I was almost expecting it, even if I wasn't completely sure I understood all the implications. Gabriel was telling me exactly what was going to happen. What his intentions were, just in case I hadn't been paying attention.

I heard myself reply, saying the words that would change my life forever. I just had no idea to what extent.

“Then make me want no other.”

Carla Susan Smith owes her love of literature to her mother, who, after catching her pre-teen daughter reading by flashlight beneath the bed covers, calmly replaced the romance book she had “borrowed” with one that was far less risqué, and much more appropriate. Carla was encouraged to include different genres in her reading tastes, and romance—paranormal romance, in particular—has always been her first love.

 

Born and raised in England, she now makes her home in South Carolina, where she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, awesome son, and a canine critique group (if tails aren't wagging, then the story isn't working). When not writing, she can usually be found in the kitchen trying out any recipe that calls for rhubarb, working on her latest tapestry project, or playing catch-up with her reading list. Visit her at
CarlaSmithauthor.com
.