I don’t do vampires.
That’s been a hard and fast rule since my trip to The Den.
Then Lucien waltzes into my life and the bar where I work. He’s tall, dark, and gorgeous with a charm that’s irresistible. One dance, and I’m hooked.
But then I find out Lucien’s a vampire. He’s also the Master of Coven Delacroix and owner of The Den. The place I fear the most. Lucien is relentless and patient and way too good at making me forget I’m supposed to be saying no. The more time I spend with him, the blurrier my rules get.
Before I know it, I’ve jumped with both feet into a world I know nothing about. And I’m tangled up in more than Lucien’s seduction. Every night we fall deeper into supernatural politics, dangerous enemies, and dark desires that threaten to ruin us both.
What if the only thing deadlier than loving a vampire… is being loved by one in return?
Bound by Blood is the first book in the Soul Mates series. It is MM Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, with some complicated MM+ relationships.
Chapter One – Excerpt
There he was again, out on the dance floor, losing himself to the pounding rhythm. He wasn’t dancing; he was becoming one with the music. His head was thrown back, face tilted toward the ceiling as if in worship of some higher power. An invisible, impenetrable wall seemed to surround him. People danced around him, oblivious to his presence yet somehow managing to respect his personal space.
For a brief moment, standing in the center of the floor, he looked like a god himself: a god drawing power from the energy of those around him. A small smile curved his lips, and he raked his hands through his short, dark hair. Shaking his head, as though to clear his thoughts, he resumed his dance.
Every time he moved, his black leather pants hugged his body tightly, accentuating his ass and muscular thighs in ways that made my mouth water and my dick hard. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen him, but it was the first time I’d seen him alone. I didn’t know his name, nor was I sure I cared. All I knew was that he was sexy as hell, he could dance like no one I’d ever seen, and he never came to the bar for a drink.
I’d have remembered that.
Him.
His drink.
I watched him for what felt like forever, wishing for once I could be out there on the dance floor instead of behind the bar. I glanced at my watch—ten minutes until closing. Looking back at the dance floor, I couldn’t help but smile. Oh yeah, my rule about one-night stands with locals? I was about to break it. For just one hour… with him.
A customer appeared before me, blocking my view of the dance floor. I barely held back the urge to glare at him. When he placed his drink order, I clenched my teeth, fighting the instinct to tell him to fuck off. Fifteen minutes to last call, and he wanted a Fuzzy Navel. Just my luck—I’d just used the last of the orange juice before I got distracted by the hot guy on the dance floor.
Not wanting to make a trip back to the storage room, I turned to Jack—the other bartender and my best friend—and asked him to toss me one from his cooler. He glanced at the clock, shook his head, and then sent a small metal can flying at my head.
I caught it easily and began mixing the drink, still trying to keep an eye on the dance floor. I had to look away for half a second to grab the Peach Schnapps. When I turned back, I’d lost sight of my target.
I hurriedly finished mixing the drink, took the customer’s money, and handed him his change as he turned away, not bothering to add anything to the tip jar.
Bastard.
The second he disappeared into the crowd, I turned back to the floor, desperate to find him. Just when I thought I might have lost him, there he was. Without taking my eyes off him, I pulled the small black apron off my waist and tossed it over the counter. “Hey, Jack?”
Without taking my eyes off him for even a second, I removed the small black apron from around my waist and tossed it across the counter. “Hey, Jack?”
“What’s up, Petey?” he called from behind me.
I ignored the nickname he used to get under my skin. “Shut me down. I’m gonna dance.”
Jack laughed, pressing against my back and sliding his hands to my crotch. “Oo! Somebody out there’s getting you hard.”
I groaned as he squeezed me through my jeans. “Christ, Jack, let me go!”
He chuckled and nipped my neck before pushing me away. “Go on, pretty boy. I’ve got your side.”
“Love you, man,” I said, heading for the door that led to the dance floor.
It seemed to take forever to get across the room. Someone was always trying to walk right into me, or a regular would stop to chat. But when I finally made it onto the floor, I froze. He was only a few feet away, still lost in his own world.
I hoped like hell he wouldn’t mind me invading it.