A happy new year present from Ashleigh Raine to all of you!

An excerpt from Lover’s Talisman
2008 (c) Copyright Ashleigh Raine
Releases January 4, 2008 from Samhain Publishing

This excerpt is intended for mature audiences only. If you are not over the age of consent, please click the little x in the top right hand corner.

Stephan listened for a moment outside the door. All he could hear was some pretty vigorous splashing. She must have been trying to clean off the grime from the werewolf attack. Sometimes he felt dirty for days after touching one of those things.

Readying himself to enter the battle zone—his brain versus his dick—he opened the door and strode to the far corner of the room, putting the sandwich down on the nightstand. When he turned to leave, he noticed her clothes strewn on the floor. The light smell of her natural body scent rose from her clothing as he gathered them into his arms. He closed his eyes, fighting the urge to break down the bathroom door, drink the water from her skin, taste the cream between her legs.

It took a moment for him to process the new silence. The water had stopped running. Shit. He threw her clothes back onto the floor. He had to get out of there before she saw him. Hell, who was he kidding? He had to get out of there before he saw her. But he couldn’t get around the bed in time.

Mariah walked out of the bathroom, head bent over as she toweled out her hair. She was naked just as he’d been envisioning. Phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Although he’d seen her at Silver Twilight, up close and personal was so much better. This time she was all his. No sharing, no audience, and she wouldn’t disappear when the lights went out.

Flipping her damp hair back over a shoulder, she froze as she registered him standing only a few feet away. Her eyes flickered between surprise and desire, the towel hanging from her right hand to the ground, not disrupting his view in the slightest. She held still, sizing him up, before continuing to the bed.

“So, you didn’t have anywhere else to be?” Setting the towel down, she picked up the T-shirt he had laid out for her earlier. His brain stopped functioning and everything seemed to move in slow motion as she raised her arms and pulled the shirt over her head, giving him a perfect view of mouth-watering breasts, nipples, tight and begging to be sucked, before sliding the white cotton home. It settled and hung down, barely covering the curve of her ass. His shirt had never looked that good before.

Stephan took a deep breath, knowing she had asked him a question and that he should probably respond, but all he could think about was ripping his shirt from her body and not allowing her to wear anything in his presence ever again.

Mariah’s Silver Twilight ice queen persona had kicked in the moment she saw him standing there. It was the only thing that kept her from dropping to her knees and begging him to fuck her. Although maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Her stomach was quivering like a bowl of Jell-O and she had no idea what to do next. Should she jump him and get it over with? He was there, did that mean he wanted her? At least she had some clothing on now, some type of barrier so he couldn’t immediately notice how her nipples were reaching out and pleading to be touched by him, how her pussy ached to be fucked and moisture eased down her legs.

She squeezed her thighs together and tried to keep from moaning at the pressure building inside. It didn’t help that the shirt smelled like him and teased against her breasts, making them hurt with the need for relief.

“How was your shower?”

Oh shit, did he know what she’d been fantasizing about? He hadn’t mentioned the ability to read minds, but what if…? Then he’d know everything, how she imagined being fucked, and who played the predominant roles. Oh God… Face burning ten different shades of red, Mariah forced an answer past her frozen-in-horror throat. “Um…great…just fine. Nice. Yeah. Nice.”

Oh hell. It was time to jump under the bedcovers and hide until he went away. She wasn’t a virgin and hated acting like one, incapable of holding a conversation with a man she wanted. Okay, to be honest it was larger than simple want, more like had-to-have-him-deep-inside-her-to-survive, but that didn’t give her an excuse to act like a ninny.

God, she was hopeless. He had to be laughing at her. She shot a glance in his direction. He wasn’t laughing, he wasn’t even smiling. He was looking at her like she was a melting ice-cream cone that needed to be licked all over so not a single drop would go to waste. Squeaking at the imagery that brought to mind, she barely kept herself from shouting that she’d be whatever flavor he preferred, as long as he never stopped licking.

Stephan swallowed a moan. “That’s good. You, uh, you look refreshed.”

She nodded, then her eyes lowered, focusing on the bulge in his pants. Her nipples beaded even tighter under the shirt he’d loaned her, dusky pink areolas teasing him through the damp cotton. His mouth watered as he imagined their flavor. She’d taste clean and wet, sweet and feminine, velvet berries beneath his tongue.

Shit. He wasn’t leaving this room tonight unless she forcefully threw him out. All of his grand gestures, his plans to keep his hands off, had gone out the fucking window the moment she walked out of the shower.

Picking up the discarded towel, Stephan walked behind her. He gathered her damp hair, massaging her scalp and down through the long, tangled strands with the towel. A tremble rippled through her. She smelled of soap and woman and sex. He had to calm himself down or he would come before he even got inside of her. And he would be inside of her. He was certain of that now.

“I couldn’t let you go to bed with wet hair. I wouldn’t want you to get sick or anything.”

“Th-that’s very thoughtful of you.”

Stephan dropped the towel to the floor and smoothed her hair back over her right shoulder so it draped over one breast. His hands slid down the gentle slopes of her arms as he closed in behind her, the heat emanating from her making his cock smolder. Her skin was fine and soft, not like anything he was used to touching.

His lips found the sweet spot where her neck met her shoulders and he settled in. A quiet moan welled from her throat and she swayed back into him. It was one of the most erotic sounds he’d ever heard. He gently flicked his tongue against her skin, forever burning her taste into his mind.

Gliding down her arms to her hips, he spooned her against his body. Her beautiful, curvy ass cradling his cock almost drove him to animalistic behavior. But it was time to be gentle. It wouldn’t be right to give in to craving and take her hard and fast. Mariah deserved better.

Mariah couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, caught up in a whirlwind of sensation, fire, heat, pleasure. It was all there, a direct line from her neck to her cunt. If he left her alone now she would lose her mind. No vigorous masturbation fantasies would help. Only Stephan could ease this reckless yearning.

He lifted the T-shirt, keeping gentle, arousing and all-out enflaming contact with her naked skin. Fingers skimmed up her body, caressing every curve before settling beneath her breasts. His thumbs flicked each erect nipple. A sharp gasp flew from her throat and she arched back, head against his chest, thrusting her breasts deeper into his palms. His heart beat a strong, reassuring rhythm beneath her cheek.

Nuzzling the shell of her ear, he whispered, “I’m gonna take you now.”

A fresh wave of wetness pooled between her legs. “God, yes. Now. Please…” she rasped, nodding to make sure he understood.

His hands slid the rest of the way up, removing the T-shirt and throwing it to the floor.

For a fraction of a second she stood still, afraid to turn around and face him. This night with Stephan had already gone beyond her initial plans of a simple, carefree fuck. There were feelings attached now. She gave a damn about what happened to him, she knew the truth of who he was and he was her best hope of getting her best friend back. It was complicated—there was too damn much at stake. Even disregarding all of that, she didn’t think she’d be able to leave him without looking back.

She took a deep breath as his hands slid reassuringly up and down her arms, coaxing her into turning toward him. The doubts, worries and concerns faded to the back of her mind when she looked into his eyes. Trust, safety, desire. He was everything she’d always wanted but hadn’t believed existed.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she closed the distance between their bodies. His cock scorched her belly and she smiled, leisurely rubbing against him. “Yes. Take me—”

Before she could finish, his mouth angled over hers, his tongue slipping between her lips, stealing her breath.

Was it minutes? Hours? She had no way to determine time and didn’t care. All thought was about him, the taste of seduction, the mindless need that throbbed through every inch of her.

God, he knew how to kiss. Holding her face between his hands, he made love to her lips, sucking each one into his mouth. Knees shaking and ready to give out, she curled her fingers over his shoulders and held on. If all they did tonight was kiss, she’d still walk away tomorrow morning believing her time with him had been her most erotic experience.

Tongue delving inside, he fucked her mouth repeatedly until, in mad desperation, she returned his thrusts. He groaned, his fingers weaving through her hair, holding her still for their mutual explorations.

She rubbed against him, the cotton and denim he wore an annoying hindrance. Beyond ready to remedy that situation, she tugged at his T-shirt, wanting to scrape her nipples across his bare skin.

Breaking the kiss, she ripped his T-shirt over his head, staring in shocked wonder at the wounds on his chest. Although still pink and raw, they were mostly healed. Her fingers shook as she traced the faint claw marks. “How? I saw you get hurt… I saw the blood.”

Stephan took her hand and kissed her fingertips. “Fiero healed me. Just as he healed you.”

“What? When? Who’s Fiero?” Mariah tried to focus on the questions, but her mind was full of Stephan and his body. She wanted answers, but she wanted Stephan more.

“The night we met. I brought you back here. Your head was bleeding. You were dying and Fiero—”

“I was dying?”

“I couldn’t let that happen.” He leaned down and kissed her again. “Fiero’s our healer. He took care of you and—” Stephan motioned to his chest, “—these. I’m mortal. I can die. Fiero helps us stay alive.”

“Do they hurt?” She resumed tracing the scars.

“No, but if you keep touching me like that, other parts of me are gonna keep hurting.”

You can read the rest on Friday! http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/ashleigh-raine

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