THE JEWEL OF DARKNESS #EXCERPT AND #PRIZES

It's here! It's finally here! The Jewel of Darkness has finally been released. This sequel to Midnight's Jewel follows Sabrina and Brandon on another adventure. You thought Diana, Goddess of the Moon and Queen of the Witches made trouble? Wait until you see who's causing problems now! Keep reading for excerpts of the latest addition to the Celestial Jewels series. As a bonus, I'm giving away five copies of Midnight's Jewel to be drawn at random by my cat! He just loves my bubble screen saver and randomly smacks at them on the screen. If your name in under the bubble he picks, you win! Just leave a comment below with your email addresses! This contest will run for 24 hours.
THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR STOPPING BY!!!

http://www.bookstrand.com/the-jewel-of-darkness

Blurb:

Brandon Thorpe and Sabrina Rivers-Thorpe have enjoyed six months of wedded bliss, but Sabrina’s been keeping a secret. Her transformation into a vampire created a magical disturbance in the Underworld. Now, Death is coming for what’s his.
But is Death the only thing stalking Sabrina? Brandon and Hadrian, Sabrina’s father, bring in Delilah, a demon, to act as detective and magical keeper. But Sabrina’s bloodlines are unique, and magic responds to her in unpredictable ways. Has Brandon’s efforts to keep her safe just made her a bigger, more valuable target? Is she even a vampire at all?
To what depths will Sabrina have to go to satisfy Death’s demands? Can she do it using her own powers? Can Brandon find a way to keep the Underworld from claiming Sabrina for its own? Can they even survive, if he doesn’t? What if Death isn’t the only one looking to do her harm? In the darkness, can a single jewel save them all?

STORY EXCERPT

 

Sabrina turned her face up to the hot spray. It felt good to push the water through her long, black hair. When finished, she gave the knobs a firm twist and reached out for the towel. The soft pile of fluffy fabric drank up the droplets as she stepped out of the shower. She used it as a wrap, tucking the edge in at the front to hold it up over her breasts. A second towel found its way around her head, twisted about her hair.

She padded over to the sink. Steam fogged the mirror over the marble vanity, allowing her to see an outline but no details. She started to wipe the surface clear but thought better of it. Instead she grabbed her toothbrush and the paste.

A quick dip through the trickle of water left on in the sink wet the brush enough to use. The mint-flavored gel foamed quickly. Sabrina made sure to carefully work the bristles around her fangs.

She pulled the towel from her hair and dropped it on the floor. Tilting her head to the side, she placed her lips under the faucet to pull water into her mouth. She rinsed out the paste twice and turned off the tap.

Before she could stand up, a hand reached through the mirror, grabbing a fistful of her hair. Sabrina screamed and braced herself against the sink. The hand tried to drag her through the rippling, silvered surface of the mirror.

A low voice growled, “You will be mine.”

“No! Brandon, help me!” Sabrina screamed.

Two strong hands squeezed her shoulders and shook her hard. That was not right. He needed to pull her to safety, not shake her up and down.

“Sabrina! Sabrina, wake up! Come on honey, wake up,” he said.

Brandon’s voice broke through her terror. She opened her eyes to see the serious look he wore. Tears slid down the sides of her face. She glanced around the room to make sure of her surroundings.

“It was just a dream. You’re safe at home and with me,” he cooed gently.

He rolled to one side and took her with him, cuddling her like a frightened child. Kissing her forehead, he took an edge of the sheet and wiped away her tears. Strong arms encircled her like a cage, pressing the side of her head to his chest.

Sabrina listened for a heartbeat, but only silence filled the space. She sniffed back a sob and closed her eyes. Inhaling deeply, she took in his honey-amber scent and relaxed. The fear subsided as she found comfort in her husband’s embrace.

A knock on the door interrupted the peace Brandon brought her. From the weight of the rap, she knew it was her father. He joined them for breakfast most evenings. Tonight, he came early.

“Is everything okay? Those had better be screams of pleasure I heard,” Hadrian said through the closed door. There was a hint of jest to his tone, but Sabrina felt certain there was also a thinly veiled threat.

Before he chose to become a vampire, Hadrian ruled the known world as a Roman emperor. For him, old habits did not die hard. They never died at all.

“Yes, sir,” Brandon called back. He nuzzled Sabrina’s cheek and kissed her again. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

“It was so real. My scalp is still prickling from where the hand had my hair,” she replied.

“What were you doing this time?”

“Brushing my teeth. I leaned in to rinse, and someone grabbed me. I didn’t see anything but a wrist. The mirror steamed up. I screamed for you, and then, I woke up,” she answered, fighting back more tears.

She pulled herself free and sat up. In the dresser’s mirror, she saw pink streaks on her face. Her hair tumbled around her, covering her naked breasts.

Sabrina asked, “Will it ever end?” She spoke more to her mirror self but said the thought aloud.

Brandon sat up with her, placing one arm around her. The other hand rested on her nearest shoulder. He rested his forehead against the side of her head.

“You’ve been through a lot. It’s only been six months. Give it some time,” he whispered.

“Time,” she said. “I have plenty of that now, don’t I?”

She pushed him back on the bed and straddled him. His bare flesh felt good between her thighs. Lifting her arms to stretch, she brushed her hair back from her body, revealing her breasts. The feel of the thick, blue-black curls brushing her nipples caused them to tighten.

Brandon grinned, flashing his fangs. “Oh, if your father wasn’t waiting, what wouldn’t I like to do to you right now?” He traced his fingers along the tops of her thighs to her waist. Palming her hips, he pressed her against his hardening dick.

Sabrina giggled.

Hadrian’s gruff, impatient voice called back through the closed door, “Well, he is waiting, and he doesn’t want to know the answer to that question.”

Sabrina covered her mouth with both hands to suppress another giggle. If it had been possible, she might have blushed. She only met her father six months ago. Although married, she still became embarrassed at the thought of his hearing her and Brandon.

Brandon pulled her hands free. “Don’t hide those beautiful fangs. We’re at home and can do anything we want to with each other. There’s nothing shameful in a man wanting his wife.”

“You’re right, but I suppose we should get dressed. Let’s go eat,” she agreed.

She bounded out of bed, scooping up her robe off the floor as she did. She glanced back to find Brandon leaned against the headboard. Staring for a moment, she took in the sight and thought how lucky she was to have him.

His dark brown eyes looked at her appraisingly. A wide smile spread across his face. The tip of his tongue toyed with his fang points. Thickly corded arms folded behind his head made him seem casual and laid-back. Broad shoulders and a sculpted chest tapered down to washboard abs and a narrow waist. A sheet of white silk hid everything else.

Her nipples hardened into peaks just seeing him, knowing he belonged to her. She bit at her bottom lip and dropped the robe. She wanted to climb back onto the bed and stay there with him for the rest of the night.

ADULT EXCERPT

 

Brandon stared down at her. A range of expression flicked across his face. Anger, desire, curiosity, need, pain, and joy mingled to create a stern face fighting to maintain self-control.

The primal instinct cried out to be taken. She ran her hands up her body and over her breasts. Giving her nipples a light roll between her thumb and forefinger, she arched her back and gave a soft groan. Allowing her hands to drift back down, she rubbed across her flat stomach and back up to her breasts.

“Please,” she whispered. Inside the whisper screamed. The scream reverberated throughout her body. She thought she might be torn apart by passion.

Brandon’s mixed emotions seemed to dissipate with her plea. Lust filled his eyes. He stripped off the white tee and dropped to his knees beside the bed.

The power within pulsed through her, sending a surge of need. She parted her thighs, inviting him between them. A trickle of nectar dripped out as she did. The scent of adrenaline and sex perfumed the air. Cupping her breast again, she closed her eyes.

“Please, Brandon, put your hands on my body. Touch me. Taste me. Finger me. Fuck me. I don’t care what you do, as long as you do it now,” Sabrina begged.

Without warning, Brandon plunged forward. His wet tongue ran the length of her slit, lapping the cream from her soft folds. He sucked and rolled her clit under his tongue. Fangs pressed hard against the surrounding flesh. If he broke the skin, she paid no attention.

The primal power roared with triumph in her head like a lioness. Uninhibited and unforced, it showed Sabrina what lay buried deep in her soul, a goddess who held both light and dark magic. She craved his worship, his sex.

This man worshiped her body. His love for her laid bare and raw in her thoughts. There was nothing he would not do for her, nothing too precious to give. At a command, his life force was hers for the taking. With the knowledge came a heady high.

Brandon’s aura became visible for a brief moment. Shades of purple and black flecked with gray burned bright. The more she desired him, the more the shades tried to shift to red and flecked with copper. The colors shifted, fluctuated, and faded from her sight. For whatever reason, she lost the ability to see his aura.

She enjoyed his licking and sucking of her soft flesh. The flick of his tongue along her pussy brought her close to the edge of an orgasm. He slipped a finger into her slick tunnel and applied pressure in just the right spot. A flood of juices flowed, until she could hear him slurping to keep up. Grabbing her breasts and pinching her nipples, she nearly cried out as he fingered her off.

Brandon pulled back, gasping. He unbuttoned his pants and pushed them past his hips. He gripped his stiff cock and gave it a few strokes. Pulling her to the edge of the bed, he placed the tip of his cock against her opening. Then, he paused. His expression shifted from wild abandon to determined and collected.

“If you want it, you’re going to have to ask for it,” he told her. He looked down on her with a smoldering heat. His jaw worked like it did when he fought to maintain his self-control.

The obvious internal struggle made her want him more. “Give it to me,” she whispered. It was as loud as she could manage. The lioness in her head growled and paced to be satisfied.

His aura flickered back into her view. She noticed his aura shifted back to the shades of purple and black. The coppery flecks and red evaporated. Whatever magical influence she possessed waned. The lioness quieted down as it did. Unhappy, the primal power waited, but it left Sabrina desperate for Brandon.

“You can do better than that,” he said, teasing her pussy with the mushroom-shaped head and pulling it back out.

She cleared her throat, slowed her breathing, and tried again. “Please, be inside me,” she pleaded. She meant every syllable. The lioness needed more than fingers and tongues provided. She needed sex.