More Than Friends
An excerpt, of the short story
Terri Reid
Chapter Two
Grabbing her keys from
her pocket, she hurried through the parking lot to her car. She could access
her social networking page from home and study the photos without worrying
about her Captain looking over her shoulder and reminding her it was just a
prank. Her shoes slapped softly against the pavement of the parking lot as she
moved forward. With her shadow flitting from car to car, a brisk autumn wind
stirred up a pile of dried leaves and pushed them forward to swirl around her
feet. The noise was just loud enough that she didn’t hear the soft whisper of
wings fluttering behind her.
Pressing the auto unlock
button, she stepped forward to grab hold of the door handle when the hairs on
the back of her neck rose and she knew someone was behind her. Her hand
secreted on the handle of her service revolver, she whirled, ready to fight.
“Whoa there,” the man
said, stepping back into the shadows protectively. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to
startle you.”
She glanced around
quickly and then met his eyes. “Where did you come from?” she asked.
“Originally or recently?”
he asked, the touch of irony in his deep voice annoying her.
“Recently,” she growled.
He moved toward her into
the glow of a streetlight and she nearly gasped aloud. As it was, her body
reacted with a primitive awakening that surprised and even frightened her.
He bit back a smile. He
could hear the blood throbbing quickly through her veins, could feel the rise
in her body temperature and could smell the sweet pheromones her body was
producing to lure him even closer. She was partially aroused by him, but
fighting it. And he was charmed by her efforts.
“I was a few cars down,”
he said, pointing to a car parked near hers. “I dropped my keys and I was
bending over, so I could understand how you might have missed me when you
walked to your car. I just came over to make sure you were safe.”
Safe. She had never felt
so unsafe in her life.
“I’m fine,” she said,
relieved that the words came out clipped and firm.
“Excellent,” he replied,
with a full smile. “And now, perhaps we could find a quiet place where I could
answer your other question.”
Eyes narrowed, she shook
her head. “Other question?”
He stepped even closer
and she held her ground. He was not going to intimidate her.
Reaching forward, he ran
a finger down the side of her face and she shivered involuntarily and swallowed
slowly. “Where I came from,” he whispered, his breath hot on her cheek,
“Originally.”
She took a deep,
shuddering breath and stepped back, away from him. “Listen,” she replied, her
voice uneven. “I don’t know who you are or what you think you’re doing. But I
am not a hooker, I’m a police officer. I’m a detective. So unless you want to
spend a little time in a cooling cell, I would suggest you step away and take your
advances elsewhere.”
His lips lifted in a half
smile, but he didn’t move back. “I know you’re not a hooker, Detective
Victory,” he said, meeting her eyes. “And the only proposition I have for you
right now is an offer to help you track down the person who is killing those
women who have requested to be your friend.”
“What the…” Her hand went
to her gun, but he stepped even closer and laid his hand over hers, blocking
her attempt. Her back was pressed against the side of her car and her hand was
caught between her body and his. And the heat coursing through her veins was
making her feel lightheaded.
“I’m not here to harm
you,” he whispered, keeping an eye out for other police officers who might be
coming off shift. “I can help. I think I know why you haven’t been able to find
the bodies.”
Shaking her head, she
tried to move out of his grasp. “No, I don’t need your help,” she stammered
softly. “Now let me go before I scream and you have to deal with an entire
precinct of police officers.”
Bending his head, he drew
his mouth along the underside of her jaw line and a bolt of heat impaled her
core, turning her legs to rubber. She collapsed against the side of her car and
he pressed his body fully against hers.
“Did you drug me?” she
murmured, trying to fight the sexual haze that was overwhelming her. “I feel…”
He slid his hands up the
sides of her body, slowly, caressing every curve, the power of passion clouding
his own judgment. “You feel delightful,” he breathed, his mouth hovering just
inches over hers. “You feel exactly the way I’ve dreamt you’d feel.”
“Dreamt?” she cried
softly, her voice shaking with an undertone of fear.
He looked into her eyes,
saw the tears pooling in them, and cursed himself. He could take her; his
thrall had broken down all of her natural defenses. But even under the strength
of his spell, her unconscious mind had fought back, causing tears to flow in
protest. He fought with himself. He could have her; he had desired her for so
long. But, a calmer voice reasoned, would he really be satisfied with taking
her this way or did he want the whole woman?
He finally shook his
head, clearing the passion and stepped away from her, leaving her trembling and
confused.
“I don’t…” she stammered.
“Shhhh, it’s okay, JJ,”
he crooned.
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Vampires: Romance to Rippers an Anthology of Tasty Stories
Scarlette D’Noire, Karen Dales, Kurt Kamm, Bertena Varney,
Scarlette D’Noire, Karen Dales, Kurt Kamm, Bertena Varney,
Elita Daniels, Carole Gill, Audrey A’Cladh, BellaDonna Drakul, Sherri Jordan-Asble, Charles E. Butler, Carole Gill, Fiona Skye, Laura Enright, Janiera Eldridge, Cinsearae S, and Terri Reid
Genre: paranormal romance/horror
Publisher: Indie Publishing House
Date of Publication: Oct. 16th 2013
ISBN: 978-1-940871-00-4
Number of pages: 236
Word Count: 67,588
Cover Artist: Patti Roberts at Paradox
Book Description:
Vampires! Sixteen authors give you a glimpse into the dark worlds of lost love, murderous rage, and undeniable sex appeal where deadly quests and blood lust spanning centuries of time reign supreme. Explore some of the most unique vampires to exist on this side of the grave.
Essays, excerpts, and short stories from award winning authors Karen Dales, Kurt Kamm, Bertena Varney and more. They will entertain you, thrill you, and bewilder you as they reveal the dark secrets of the most beloved creatures of the night, including eleven times bestselling author Terri Reid, creator of the Mary O’Reilly Series.
So, which will it be: the romantic vampire, the revenant vampire, the elemental, the fanged vampire, or the mythological female vampire? Begin reading and find out!
About the Author:
Originally from Chicago Scarlette D’Noire is an American author currently residing in Florida with her husband and two furry children.
A lover of all things vampire, Scarlette has published two books, Vampires Romance to Rippers Series an Anthology of Tasty Stories, and Vampires Romance to Rippers Series an Anthology of Risqué Stories with several outstanding authors. She is currently writing two books in the Vampire Historia a Series of Revelations, collections: Nicolai's Fate and Delano’s Undoing. Scarlette D’Noire is a nom de plume used to protect the true identity of the author so she may bring Vampire Historia a Series of Revelations to light without consequences.
About the Author:
Sherri Jordan-Asble
resides in Florida with her family, and when not writing, Kayaking is her
favorite past time. Sherri is finishing
her Master's degree in creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University,
and is working on her sequel to her first novel, Summer Blood.
About the Author:
Best-selling author, Terri
Reid, is the creator of the Mary O’Reilly Paranormal Mysteries. An indie
author, Reid published her first book “Loose Ends – A Mary O’Reilly Paranormal
Mystery” in August 2010. By the end of 2012, “Loose Ends” had sold over
150,000 copies. She has ten other books in the Mary O’Reilly Series and has
enjoyed Best-Seller, Top Rated and Hot New Release status for all of them in
the Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Cozy, or Women Sleuths categories. Her
books have been translated into Spanish and Portuguese and are also now also
available in audio versions.
Reid has been quoted in a
number of books about the self-publishing industry including “Let’s Get
Digital” by David Gaughran and “Interviews with Indie Authors: Top Tips from
Successful Self-Published Authors” by Claire and Tim Ridgway. She was honored
to have some of her works included in A. J. Abbiati’s book “The NORTAV Method
for Writers – The Secrets to Constructing Prose Like the Pros.”
Reid is from Northwest
Illinois, near the town of Freeport, the home of her fictional
characters. Her background is in marketing and public relations.
She is married, the mother of seven children and the grandmother of fourteen.
Her constant writing companions are Riley, a Bernese Mountain Dog-Golden Retriever
mix; Hans, a German Shepard mix; Brodie, a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy; and
McDuff, a Siamese cat.
Visit the contributing authors on the web:
Laura Enright Audrey A'Cladh
December 9 Spotlight
Booker Like a Hooker
December 10 Spotlight and review
Penny For Them...
December 11 Spotlight
Roxanne’s Realm
December 12 Spotlight (review)
Fang Freakin' Tastic Reviews
December 13 Spotlight
Fang-tastic Books
December 16 Spotlight
Books Direct
December 17 Spotlight
Shut Up & Read
December 18 review
Mythical Books
December 19 Spotlight
Lisa’s World of Books
December 20 Spotlight
Pembroke Sinclair.
December 20 review
Tanya's Book Nook
December 23 spotlight
Book Bliss
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