Bloody Kisses

“My what?”


He grinned in the way that made her want to both pinch him and kiss him. “You smell like carnations. Purple ones. You’ll see it now, when next you smell flowers. They do smell differently based on scent. So, tell me. What are you afraid of?”

“You smell of cinnamon.”

Alec snorted. “That’s not manly. I’m not agreeing to that.”

“Not exactly something you can agree or disagree to and…”

He placed a finger over her mouth. “Stop diverting. We have little time ‘til the sun knocks us out. What are you afraid of?”

“Lying dead and not waking up.”

When he moved his finger, it was only to replace it with his sweet mouth. He gave her the gentlest of kisses. “You’re going to live forever, and always with me.”

When she opened her eyes the next morning, laying against his body, she finally believed he was right. But damn, was she hungry.

For blood. And sex.

In that order.





About the Author





As a teenager, I would hide in my room to read my favorite romance novels when I was supposed to be doing my homework. I hope, these days, that my parents think it was worth it.

I am the mother of three adorable boys and I am fortunate to be married to my best friend. I live in Austin Texas where I am determined to eat all the barbecue in town.

I am in love with science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal and try to use all of these elements in my writing. I've been told I'm a little bloodthirsty so I hope that when you read my work you'll enjoy the action packed ride that always ends in romance. I love to write series because I love to see characters develop over time and it always makes me happy to see my favorite characters make guest appearances in other books.

In my world anything is possible, anything can happen, and you should suspect that it will.



Rebecca Royce



www.rebeccaroyce.com





Also by Rebecca Royce





Kidnapped By Her Husbands

Rescued By Their Wife

Crashing into Destiny



Haunted Redemption





Malediction of the Heart





Alyssa Breck





Chapter One





No one had seen her stow the heart scarab in her cuff. Strands of hair clung to the fine sheen of sweat that coated her face as Olive Prentiss trekked out of the tomb. She was the last one to leave the dig site. The few minutes she had been left alone had given her the opportunity to reach below a few layers of the linen wrapping. She’d offered a silent apology before she carefully took the relic.

The headlamp illuminated the hard-carved stone passageway that would lead her back to the burning light of the sun and hot desert sand.

Her breathing increased as she recalled the conversation she’d had with her father just days before.



*

“Olive, I’m in trouble.” There was a slight quiver in Casper Prentiss’s voice.

“What’s happened now, Dad?”

“Well, that Renoir I sold last year? Turns out it was a forgery.”

“That’s what you have insurance for.”

“You don’t understand.”

Her stomach flip-flopped. “What don’t I understand?”

Her father sighed on the other end of the phone. “I knew it was fake.”

“Daddy...”

“I needed the money.”

“Why are you telling me this?” She tried to keep the irritation out of her voice.

“The man who bought it has offered me a way to keep it quiet.”

“By keeping it quiet you mean keeping you out of jail?”

“Well, yes.”

“Okay and what does this have to do with me?”

“The collector is Xavier Wells.”

“Jesus Christ. Please tell me you’re joking.” Fuck. Xavier Wells was currently signing Olive’s paycheck. He had fully funded the dig in Alexandria. Not only had her father done something illegal and immoral, but his misdeed was about to impact a dig she was literally neck deep in.

“Wait, Olive, he has a suggestion to make this right.”

“You cheated someone out of a lot of money, Dad. The only way to make that right is to give him his money back.”

“I would but I can’t, I don’t have four million dollars. But listen to me for a minute.”

“Go on.” Olive shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. There was no staving off the sudden headache.

“He wants something from this dig.”

“Dad...no.” Stealing from a dig site was a cardinal sin the archeology world.

“Just a small relic. No one will miss it. He wants the heart scarab of Amenken.”



*

Virginia Nelson, Saranna DeWylde, Rebecca Royce, Alyssa Breck, Ripley Proserpina's books