“I wasn’t serious. Besides, it would upset Lucia.”“You could say that,” Lucia said.“Also didn’t figure you would be comfortable there alone,” Solomon said to Renato.Lucia shook her head. “Couldn’t you have just invited him without the threat?”“Where’s the fun in that?” Solomon shrugged. “Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t kill anyone just because they upset my clerk, but they don’t have to know that. Now you? That’s a different matter.”“Good to know. Anyway, the park is right over there,” Lucia said, pointing. “There’s a bench not far from the entrance. It’s a lovely place I like to go when I need a few minutes alone.”“Excellent,” Solomon said, pulling his coat tighter as the three of them entered the park. He followed Lucia to the bench, and with a quick nod, Renato wandered off. For once, Solomon found himself at a loss for words. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to begin.Lucia sat, then tugged up the collar of her winter jacket. “Okay, I’m going
LUCIA shook her head, smiling. Nice to know her soon-to-be mate was a master at understatements too.The kiss completely threw her off guard. It hadn’t surprised her when Solomon kissed her. In fact, she’d been expecting it. What she hadn’t expected was her response to his kisses. That kiss had been unlike anything she’d ever experienced before, and her body reacted immediately.Pleasure swamped her, making her want more. Lucia had kissed other guys before, but this was the first time she’d ever lost control to the point that where she was hadn’t mattered. If it hadn’t been for Renato, who knows what would’ve happened.After getting the stink eye from angry moms, she and Solomon decided to walk around. Since they were practically strangers, Lucia had assumed their conversation would be stilted. Thankfully that's not the case.Instead of being condescending, Solomon was easy to talk to. Buried under a chilly composure, there was a sense of humor—granted, a very dry sense of humor—that
Turning, she drifted toward the stairs, her mind for once pleasantly blank. She licked her lips. She could still taste Solomon. There was no denying he definitely knew how to kiss. Lucia stopped, resting her hand on the banister, as her brain began to race.Yeah, did he ever know how to kiss. The pleasant blankness faded as more insidious thoughts occurred. An ugly ribbon of jealousy uncurled within her. How many lovers had Solomon had through the years? Obviously several, if he was to go by that kiss. Since no one seemed to be able to pin down Solomon’s age, it stood to reason he’d had many lovers throughout those years. Lucia suddenly tightened her fist on the railing. Her mind racing. How could she compete with that?Thanks to her somewhat sheltered life, teenagers probably had more experience than her. Porn could only get her so far. She might not have had sex, but she somehow understood how it worked. But understanding and experiencing it were two different things. What if she c
“I wouldn’t remember,” Solomon said. It had been a very long time since he was young.“Ah, yes. Speaking of age, Lucia has asked me how old you are.” Alpha Salvatore’s focus returned to Solomon.“Much older than her. Honestly, I stopped counting a long time ago. I’ve seen the rise and fall of many empires through the years. I’d like to leave it at that.” Solomon hated when someone pressed him about his age. He could remember when the first permanent English colony on the American mainland was established, and his memory went back further than that.Alpha Salvatore pushed the signed contract across the desk to Solomon. “Are you sure you don’t find my daughter too young for you? Before you say anything, I’m not trying to insult you. It's just her mother and I raised her as a modern werewolf, you know.”Meaning he wasn’t? Well, Solo supposed to some degree that was true. “My dear Alpha, outside of a few vampires, everybody is younger than me. I have no plans to subjugate your daughter, i
BOXES littered Lucia’s floor, but only a few actually had something in them. She decided that if she was going to start a new life, then she’d go to it with only the things she cared about. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much.A knock on her door dragged her attention away from the empty boxes. And she wasn’t surprised to see Mandy standing there. “Hey. Come on in.”“Hey.” Mandy walked into the room, moving some of the boxes out of the way with her foot, and sat on the edge of Lucia’s bed. “Dad made the formal announcement to his inner circle. At least he had the courtesy to tell his family first. I was surprised to see you weren’t there.”Lucia shrugged. “He didn’t ask me to be. Anyway, it’s not like anything could be done to change the circumstances.”“Does that mean you’re unhappy with this?”Lucia paused in packing a box that was on her desk. “I…. Well, I can’t honestly say I’m thrilled with what he’s done, but I guess if it hadn’t been Sooner, it would’ve been somebody else.”“Just
AT the appointed hour, Lucia was dressed and ready to go. She was wearing a black hugging dress that shows how curvaceous her body is.She also brushed her blond hair into a gleaming waterfall and left it loose. The doorbell rang as she finished putting on her heels. And after a last glance in the dresser mirror, she hurried downstairs.Solomon stood in the entrance with a servant waiting near him. Lucia’s pounding heart stumbled in her chest. Solomon’s long hair was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. Damn, he looked good even in his coat. Lucia tried to get her heart under control before everybody in the pack house heard it. Wasn’t much she could do about her desire. Solomon froze, sniffed, and then turned to where Lucia stood. A small smile graced his lips. “Good evening.”Lucia swallowed. If her voice squeaked, she was going to turn around and walk out. How could he be so sinfully handsome? “Hey.”“You look very beautiful tonight. Are you ready to go?”“You too, and y
“AS you please,” Solomon said, as he move forward.“Yes, please!!”Unable to ignore the pleading in those words, Solomon finally threw caution to the wind and slammed his mouth down on Lucia’s. Electricity danced up his spine, and his beast gleefully pounced, taking over. Unable to stop his other nature, Solomon gave in.The need to conquer, to have, flowed through his veins. The damn creature wanted to hear Lucia moan in pleasure. The urge to wrap her up and protect her was slowly driving Solomon insane. Mine, mine, mine.His beast chanted relentlessly in his head, in case the human side of Solomon didn’t get it. His mouth plundered Lucia, ceding nothing. Lucia was his—his to have, his to take care of. His to protect.The heat from Lucia was scorching. And Solomon wanted to get closer. Lucia might not have much experience kissing, but she was a fast learner. Their tongues dueled, and Solomon and his beast moaned happily when Lucia gave up the battle.He pushed inside Lucia’s hot, we
LUCIA seriously thought about digging in her heels so she could explore the courtyard, but Solomon seemed to be a man on a mission. As he pulled her along, Lucia glanced up at the sky. The moon was nearly full, an imperfect circle in the starry nighttime sky. A cool breeze teased the scarf wrapped around her neck.They cut through the courtyard and came to a large field. Acres and acres stretched before them. Behind the open area were woods. Thanks to Mother Moon’s bright light and her keen eyesight, she could see quite a distance in the dark.“What are we…?”Solomon stopped and faced Lucia. “This is where I’m going to shift for you."Oh Gods, now she wasn’t so sure her ability to see so well on such a clear night was a good thing. Nerves marched up her spine. She swallowed. And for the first time, she understood how humans felt when they found out paranormals existed.Her breathing shortened and her heart raced. Dammit, she knew Solomon cand hear her body’s reaction to the news, but