Bearliest Catch (16 page)

Work had started on a large
boathouse-slash-gift shop, which would stock clothing for those who
wanted to come out of the water. The back rooms were going to be
built on a pier, over the water. Mer could swim up, enter the
structure in complete privacy, then shift and dress, coming out
ready to walk the streets of town without raising any eyebrows.

Once they set to work, the mer were
industrious, and they seemed to have a lot of cash too. Many had
tried to hire bear shifters to build their structures, but the guys
in town who were able worked for free, or much-reduced rates.
Everybody felt bad that the ocean-dwellers been chased away from
their home by the leviathan, but they seemed to be getting along
well with their changed circumstances for the most part.

The one wrinkle was Sirena. She wasn’t
responding as quickly as they’d all hoped, and she was becoming a
somewhat surly patient. Even Sven had lost some of his legendary
patience with her in a very out-of-character screaming match that
had been heard by all the neighbors. Of course, a full-grown polar
bear shifter roaring in frustration was hard to miss.

After that, some of the more audacious mer
and bear shifters began taking bets on which side would win…fur or
fish.

*

Thanks for reading
Bearliest Catch
(Grizzly Cove #6)
. If you enjoyed this book, please consider
leaving a review.

The next
Grizzly Cove
story is
called
The Bear’s Healing Touch
. Coming later
this year.

A complete list of all of Bianca’s books, separated
by series, follows the excerpt. You can also check out Bianca’s
website at
WWW.BIANCADARC.COM
. Or you
can sign up for
Bianca’s Newsletter
to be
alerted when new books are released.

If you’re new to Bianca’s paranormal romance world,
check out the excerpt below from her first vampire romance story,
One & Only
. The book that started the entire
Brotherhood of Blood
story line, that ties in
with all of the
Tales of the Were
books as well,
including the one you just read. Enjoy!

One & Only
by Bianca D’Arc

When Lissa Adams woke, darkness engulfed her.
Straining to see in the absence of light, her breath accelerated as
she panicked. She was laying down. She could feel an uneven surface
against her back.

Her apprehension grew when she realized
another person lay beside her. A soft dripping sound echoed through
what she supposed was some kind of underground chamber or cave.
That’s what it sounded like—and smelled like. She felt rough rock
and scattered grains of sandy dirt beneath her palms.

She knew the mountains were dotted with such
places, but she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten here. Or why she
was so groggy.

She tried to sit up, but the effort it
required nearly blacked her out again. The being beside her stirred
at her movement, and she felt more than saw the person rise to lean
over her.

“Where are we?”

“I moved us to shelter.”

Rich and warm, his voice bathed her senses in
a dark and dangerous way.

Sexy, she thought. She’d heard that voice
before.

The memory of it was accompanied by flashing
blue eyes and chiseled features. A man’s face flickered through her
mind. She’d been fascinated by him and instantly captivated. She
remembered thinking he was quite possibly the most striking man
she’d ever seen.

“You stepped on my foot.” Her voice was weak
to her own ears.

He chuckled at her innocent observation,
setting her insides aflame.

“Indeed. But that was more than twenty-four
hours ago.”

He stroked a gentle finger down her cheek and
she shivered, not in fear, but in surprising arousal. If just the
brush of his finger on her face could elicit this response, she
wondered what he could do if he really tried.

That thought stopped her cold. Men like this
one didn’t usually go for women like her. Better to focus on the
peculiar situation she found herself in than daydream about her
rescuer.

“What happened? I remember the bus
swerving…”

“Ah, yes. Just before we rolled down the side
of the mountain. You hit your head very hard, I’m afraid. That’s
probably why you’re still a bit fuzzy.”

“Where’s everyone else?”

He paused only slightly. “Dead.”

Her breath caught in shock as her mind raced.
“How did we…?”

“Relax, sweetheart.” He moved closer. “I
pulled you from the wreckage and found shelter, but I was badly
damaged in the accident as well. I’m sorry for it, but I need your
essence to speed my healing.”

“My what?” Hot breath bathed her ear as he
settled closer to her side. His strong arms enveloped her shoulders
as his mouth stroked over the line of her jaw and lower.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you, but I
need your blood, and I’m too weak to cloud your mind. You’ll have
to trust me.” His words whispered against her shivering skin. He
dragged sharp teeth back and forth over her jugular as if savoring
the moment before the feast.

She barely had time to take in his words
before he struck. A piercing pain registered only for a flash,
followed by the greatest bliss she had ever experienced. Intensely
sexual, it engulfed her in a way she’d never known. He sucked at
her neck, licking at the essence of her, swallowing like a thirsty
man in the desert. Yet reverence and gentleness communicated
through his tender handling of her bruised and battered body.

Oddly, she didn’t object. She knew she should
be afraid, but an intense arousal overwhelmed her. She didn’t have
the strength to voice even the faintest protest.

He drank for what seemed a long time, his
hands moving over her body, molding her breasts and stroking her
skin. Only then did she realize she was naked. She gasped as his
long fingers stroked down between her legs, angling inward,
invading her most intimate places as his mouth caressed the tender
skin of her throat.

He knew his way around a woman’s body. Those
skilled fingers knew just where to stroke, just where to pinch to
drive her excitement to the highest possible point. She teetered on
the precipice as his fingers slid in the arousal he drew from her
body. His mouth sucked at her neck, his breath feathering through
her hair, his pleasing masculine scent teasing her senses. And the
feel of him. He was hot and heavy against her, hard as only a man
could be and muscular in a way she hadn’t expected.

One hand cupped her breast, teasing her
nipple as his fingers finally pierced the imaginary boundary,
sliding inside her, where few men had ever been. But this
man—though she’d known him only a few minutes, really—was like no
other man she’d ever encountered. He fired her senses like no
other, sending slick, hot arousal to her core. Even the thought
that he was some sort of dark creature out of legend couldn’t stop
the most intense sexual experience of her life.

That one tantalizing finger pumped into her,
stretching her. He added a second digit as she whimpered in need.
She hadn’t had sex in a long time. She was tight, but her body
remembered pleasure, and this man—this vampire!—proved himself a
master at manipulating her responses. He
owned
her
pleasure.

Two long fingers stroked within, his thumb
teased higher, rubbing in perfect counterpoint. She came with a
wrenching jerk of hips that threatened to dislodge him, but his
great strength kept her easily in his clutches. He continued the
stimulation, extending her orgasm for long, intense moments while
his upper body covered hers, his lips feeding hungrily from the
small incisions he’d made in her neck. The pleasure washed over her
in the most intense waves she’d ever known and right then she
didn’t care if he was a vampire, werewolf or Indian chief. All she
knew was his mastery. And she already knew she wanted more.

To read more, get your copy of
One & Only
by Bianca D’Arc.

Bianca D’Arc has run a laboratory, climbed the
corporate ladder in the shark-infested streets of lower Manhattan,
studied and taught martial arts, and earned the right to put a
whole bunch of letters after her name, but she’s always enjoyed
writing more than any of her other pursuits. She grew up and still
lives on Long Island, where she keeps busy with an extensive
garden, several aquariums full of very demanding fish, and writing
her favorite genres of paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi romance.

Bianca loves to hear from readers and can be reached
through Twitter (@BiancaDArc), Facebook (BiancaDArcAuthor) or
through the various links on her website.

Welcome to The D’Arc Side…

WWW.BIANCADARC.COM

Paranormal Romance

Brotherhood of Blood

One & Only

Rare Vintage

Phantom Desires

Sweeter Than Wine

Forever Valentine

Wolf Hills*

Wolf Quest

Tales of the Were

Lords of the Were

Inferno

Tales of the Were ~ The Others

Rocky

Slade

Tales of the Were ~ Redstone Clan

The Purrfect Stranger

Grif

Red

Magnus

Bobcat

Matt

Tales of the Were ~ String of Fate

Cat’s Cradle

King’s Throne

Jacob’s Ladder

Her Warriors

Tales of the Were ~ Grizzly Cove

All About the Bear

Mating Dance

Night Shift

Alpha Bear

Saving Grace

Bearliest Catch

Guardians of the Dark

Half Past Dead

Once Bitten, Twice Dead

A Darker Shade of Dead

The Beast Within

Dead Alert

Gifts of the Ancients:
Warrior’s Heart

Epic Fantasy Erotic Romance

Dragon Knights

Maiden Flight*

The Dragon Healer

Border Lair

Master at Arms

The Ice Dragon**

Prince of Spies***

Wings of Change

FireDrake

Dragon Storm

Keeper of the Flame

Hidden Dragons

The Sea Captain’s Daughter Trilogy

Book 1: Sea Dragon

Book 2: Dragon Fire

Book 3: Dragon Mates

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Hidden Talent

Talent For Trouble

Shy Talent

Jit’Suku Chronicles
~
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End of the Line

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King of Cups

King of Clubs

King of Stars

Diva

Jit’Suku Chronicles
~
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Angel in the Badlands

Master of Her Heart

Futuristic Erotic Romance

Resonance Mates

Hara’s Legacy**

Davin’s Quest

Jaci’s Experiment

Grady’s Awakening

Harry’s Sacrifice

Print Anthologies

Ladies of the Lair

I Dream of Dragons Vol. 1

Brotherhood of Blood

Caught by Cupid

The Beast Within

* RT Book Reviews Awards Nominee

** EPPIE Award Winner

*** CAPA Award Winner