Electric Moon (35 page)

 
Sneak Peek

BloodSworn

T
rina
wasn’t aware what woke her, but she wanted to kill them when the warm, sensual
dream faded. She held still, half-able to feel those hands linger on her body,
but the outside world refused to bow to her wish.

Sounds seeped in first.

Or the absence of sounds.

No tweeting of birds. No people coming or going. She groped
for her weapon and sighed of relief when her fingers encountered cool steel.

The image of the sexy man, bound and determined to bring her
pleasure, vanished like a wisp of smoke, and she nearly whimpered.

Then she became aware of the soft surface beneath her and
not the hard lump of the makeshift bed she’d created in the shed. She cracked
open one eye, uncertain what to expect.

The Den.

Merrick.

He was the Leo. Of course he was. How could she not have
known? And how the heck did she get his attention or more importantly, how did
she escape it now that she was his concubine?

Memories of yesterday flittered through her head. One
thought rose to the forefront, like how she fell asleep on the couch and ended
up on the bed.

Half-afraid of what she’d find, she stretched out, shivering
at the feel of silk against her skin. She was spread-eagle on the bed, nowhere
near the sides, when she realized she was alone. Relief and disappointment
struck in equal measure, and she hated that she felt both.

The dream teased the back of her mind. She felt haunted by
her phantom lover’s touch, the aching need when he kissed her. She was
devastated by the loss, the realization he wasn’t real.

She befriended humans, but had never committed to a relationship
for the simple fact that any boyfriend she chose would always be in danger.

She’d avoided the paranormal as well for fear of discovery.
But the man in her dream was different. He knew about her past and could
protect himself.

What hurt the most was it would only ever be a fantasy.

She rubbed her eyes, banishing the dream as best she could.
She had work to do. Sunlight streamed through the room, and she was surprised
at how deeply she’d slept. A few more nights rest like last night, a couple of
meals, and she’d be back to normal.

But first she had to do her job.

She scooted to the edge of the mattress and found that her
feet dangled nearly a foot from the floor. She dropped down, the plush rug warm
under her toes. She walked around the bed to grab her pack, probing her ribs,
taking measure of her injuries.

Or where her wounds should’ve been.

She ripped off the bandages, wincing at the tug of stubborn
tape. Deep bruises made the whole side of her body sensitive to even the
slightest touch, but the open lacerations she’d sustained last night had closed.
Smooth skin met her fingertips. Though she was thankful, the rapid healing
didn’t bode well for her.

It meant the bindings were weakening. How much longer before
they broke all together? A small part of her, the little girl who’d lost her
powers just as she found them, cheered at being able to defend herself. The
adult trembled.

What did she know about magic?

If she reversed the process and stopped her magic from
unraveling, she could buy herself some time. She was halfway bent down to kneel
and grab her bag when she saw him.

The same man from her dreams.

A very naked man.

Merrick.

Her mind rebelled. She couldn’t have had a sexy dream about
the man who might very well destroy her. Vampires had been inside the Den not a
day ago. She couldn’t forget that, no matter how much her body wanted to be
worshiped by him.

Merrick lay stretched out, dwarfing the extra-large couch.
He didn’t look comfortable, but that wasn’t what captured her attention. The
sun highlighted the golden color of his skin. It was just how she imagined his
animal would appear.

The only thing blocking her view was the sheet draped haphazardly
over his slim hips. Her brain short-circuited at the thought of him completely
nude.

Him sleeping within a few feet of her and all without a stitch
of clothing on struck her dumb, and her emotions jumbled at the conflicting
emotions.

She swallowed hard and fanned her face. No matter how much
she might have wished it, there was no way that image would ever be far from
her mind. Every time she saw him now, she would picture him stretched out as if
for her pleasure.

It didn’t matter that she was a doctor, that she’d seen
hundreds of naked bodies. She knew layers of skin and bone, but nothing in her studies
had ever shown a man structured quite like him, with muscles quite so defined
and begging to be stroked.

Doctor.

She shook her head at the reminder, as if she could banish
the impulse so easily. She needed to get a closer look at him to decide what
was the best course of action...for medical purposes she told herself sternly
when her pulse betrayed her and sped up.

She just didn’t know if she’d survive it.

One thing would help...getting him clothed.

But she couldn’t tear her gaze away from that sheet. Or more
precisely, what it hid. Where was a gust of wind when you needed one?

Her fingers itched to explore all that exposed flesh, but
she feared it had nothing to do with science. Her body urged her to touch,
while the sane, sensible part of her mind seemed to have taken a vacation.

Then she saw the lines of strain, the stiff way he held
himself even in sleep. She needed to see his back.

“Merrick, roll over.”

Trina found herself sprawled across the floor with a lion,
in all but animal form, half sprawled over her with his face just inches from
hers.

She hadn’t even seen him move.

Was it her imagination or were his teeth sharper, his body
larger, and his eyes shaded just this side of golden?

She gave a tentative smile, knowing better than to try and
escape. “Hello.”

“Are we under attack?” He blinked as if confused, finally
recognizing her. His sleepy expression sent her heart thumping hard against her
ribcage. The rumpled appearance only made him more attractive, more
approachable and more touchable than was good for her.

Especially when she felt the sheet tangled around her feet.

No matter how much she told herself not to do it, it was too
late. Her eyes flickered downward.

Yup, naked.

And such a nice naked backside, too.

It was her turn to blink when she felt his arousal.

“Attack?” It sure felt like it, and she was unarmed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacey Brutger lives in a small town in
Minnesota with her husband, son and an assortment of animals. When she’s not
reading, she enjoys creating stories about exotic worlds and grand
adventures…then shoving in her characters to see how they’d survive. She enjoys
writing anything paranormal from contemporary to historical.

Other books
by this author:

BloodSworn

A
PeaceKeeper Novel

The Demon Within
(Book1)

A Raven
Investigations Novel

Electric Storm
(Book 1)

Electric Moon
(Book 2)

Coming Soon:

Coveted

Electric
Heat (Book 3)

Watch for her
next paranormal romance called
Coveted

or her next
urban fantasy called
Electric Heat
.

Visit Stacey online to find out more at
www.StaceyBrutger.com