Blood and Sand (45 page)
Authors: Elizabeth Hunter
Tags: #Vampires, #Romance, #Fantasy, #Adult, #Mystery
Natalie heard the door to the house close just after the sun slipped below the horizon. The sky was growing dim, but it was still lit with a last wash of glorious color when Baojia settled behind her, wrapping his arms around her belly and laying his cheek on her shoulder. He placed teasing kisses on her neck, brushing her hair to the side and pulling her closer.
“How is everything?” he asked quietly.
“Good. Everything looks good and normal and no problems.”
“Excellent.”
She knew her short response wouldn’t satisfy him, and he’d seek out Lucien later for a full report. He was thorough that way. The thought only made her smile.
He craned his neck around. “What is that smile for?”
“You. You make me smile.”
“That’s good news.” His hands teased under the shirt the wind was blowing up. “I’m hungry.”
“Lucien says you’re stuck with donor blood until my labs come back. He wants to make sure I’m not anemic.”
“Not that kind of hungry,” he growled.
“I love that you still blush.”
“I’m glad one of us thinks it’s funny.”
He turned her in his arms and kissed her, worshiping her mouth as his hands held back her unruly hair and the breeze whipped around them. She felt her body responding to him as he pulled her closer. His lips teased along her collar, then up to her ear, whispering promises of what he would do to make her blush more. She could feel his smile against her skin. A year. Ten years. An eternity. She didn’t think she’d ever stop wanting him.
“Why don’t you go for your swim, and I’ll go in the house?” she said.
“Why don’t you do that?” He kissed her once more, then stood, walking toward the edge of the cliff and pulling off his shirt as he walked. He turned at the edge of the rocks, smiling and beautiful. Startling creature that he was. He was incandescent against the dying day. He ran the last few feet and leapt off the edge of the cliff. She gasped in delight as she watched him. He soared over the water as it rushed up to greet him. The wave caught him in midair and pulled him toward the churning ocean, welcoming him as he laughed.
Baojia
laughed
. The deep, joyful sound rushed up the cliff and spread on the breeze, causing her own smile to bloom when she saw him dive deep. His happiness only fed her own.
“How could I say goodbye to that?” she whispered. Then Natalie turned and walked home.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks, as always, to my wonderful family and friends who put up with me while I am writing, especially the
Small Boy who makes me laugh. Thanks to my pre-readers, Kristy, Sarah, Kelli, Gen, and Natalie. Thank you for forgiving my mental instability at odd moments and sacrificing your time and attention to this book. Thanks to Florence + The Machine, whose album,
Ceremonials
, was my almost constant soundtrack while writing.
Thanks to the many reviewers and bloggers who promote my work and spread the word online and in person. I am constantly amazed by the level of professionalism so many of you exhibit in what is usually a volunteer job. Many, many thanks.
And thanks to Johnna for the last minute catch on the egregious Doctor Who error. (I’m still a little embarrassed.)
Thanks to my editing team, Anne and Sara.
Such
a pleasure working with you!
Thanks to my agent, Jane Dystel, and all the team at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.
Thanks to my girls. (You know who you are.)
And thanks, always, to my readers. Thank you for being enthusiastic about this world. Thanks for your encouragement and kind words. I hope I will always do justice to the confidence you place in me as a storyteller.
Much love,
Elizabeth
BLOOD AND SAND
Copyright © 2013
Elizabeth Hunter
ISBN: 978-0-9885205-8-5
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means
, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Design: E. Hunter
Edited by: Anne Victory
Formatted by: Elizabeth Hunter
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
For information about the Elemental Mysteries series, please visit:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a contemporary fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher. She once substitute taught a kindergarten class, but decided t
hat middle school was far less frightening. Thankfully, people now pay her to write books and eighth-graders everywhere rejoice.
She currently lives in Central California with an eight-year-old ninja who claims to be her child. She enjoys music, writing, travel, and bowling (despite the fact that she’s not very good at it). Someday, she plans to learn how to scuba dive. And maybe hang glide… but that looks like a lot of running.
She is the author of the Elemental Mysteries and Elemental World series, the Cambio Springs series, and other works of fiction.
Website:
ElizabethHunterWrites.com
Elemental Mysteries fan site:
ElementalMysteries.com
.
E-mail:
[email protected]
.
Twitter:
@E__Hunter
The Elemental Mysteries Series
A Hidden Fire
This Same Earth
The Force of Wind
A Fall of Water
The Elemental World Series
Building From Ashes
Waterlocked (novella)
Blood and Sand
The Cambio Springs Series
Long Ride Home (short story)
Shifting Dreams
Contemporary Romance
The Genius and the Muse
THE ELEMENTAL MYSTERIES
~~~
Get the best-selling series that readers, writers, and reviewers have raved about.
~~~
“Elemental Mysteries turned into one of the best paranormal series I’ve read this year. It’s sharp, elegant, clever, evenly paced without dragging its feet, and at the same time emotionally intense.”
—NOCTURNAL BOOK REVIEWS
Welcome to the Elemental Mysteries, where history and the paranormal collide, and where no secret stays hidden forever. Join five hundred year old rare book dealer, Giovanni Vecchio, and librarian, Beatrice De Novo, as they travel the world in search of the mystery that brought them together, the same mystery that could tear everything they love apart.
Praise for the first book,
A HIDDEN FIRE
, semifinalist in the Kindle Book Reviews Best Books of 2012:
“A tantalyzing paranormal romance, full of mystery and intrigue. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Sign me up for book 2!” —Nichole Chase, best-selling author of
Mortal Obligation
, Book One of The Dark Betrayal Trilogy
“Lush with detail and sweeping in scope, the emotional depth that you get is almost unheard of in recent years.” —Stephany Simmons, author of
Voodoo Dues
“
A Hidden Fire
is saturated with mystery, intrigue, and romance…this book will make my paranormal romance top ten list of 2011.”
—BETTER READ THAN DEAD
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