So right at this very moment I’m writing….umm….three books and somewhere in the process of editing/publishing….err….four more I think. Could be five…

Whichever it is, I have a lot of irons in the fire and a whole lotta characters swimming in my head. And I’ve been tossing around the idea of a series containing nine novellas. Cause I don’t already have enough to write!!

Each of the novellas is based around the same two people. Aslan and Zeke. So not just one MORE book to add onto my writing schedule but nine. I know length wise they’ll all add up to the same big book, but I want each of the stories to more or less stand on their own.

The series name is Fantasies A-Z because of their names, and the first story I’ve written is Aslan’s Stranger. I brought along the cover made by the amazing Syneca Featherstone and decided no better place to share the smexy. Here it is!!! What do you think?

I absolutely love it! It’s so fantastic, and I can’t wait to share the start of their journey with all of you!! Here’s a little something to whet your appetite until I have pre-order links to share!!

Aslan’s Stranger

Kinky sex with a stranger. One of Aslan’s deepest fantasies. To fulfill it, only one man will do. Her husband.

Wanting more, needing it, craving a kinky edge to sex is exactly what Aslan lives with every day. Days and months and years of unfulfilled fantasies filtered down to one life-altering decision.

Approach the sexy man sitting at the bar or walk away? Keep trying to fit into the mold she’s been told to conform to or find herself lost somewhere in the gray? Close the seemingly insurmountable distance between wishes and reality or let her dreams go? Once and for all.

Everything she’s ever hungered for sits within her reach if the one man she trusts to take her there will finally let his monster free.

Her Stranger. Her fantasy. Her husband.

To find her forever she must give it all to him. Her fears, her power and her consent. One night is all she’s asking for but what she gets in return will change their lives…forever.

Soooo to make room for all that awesome above — I have a HUGE bag of conference swag to give away! Print books, a bag, bookmarks, pens, buttons and maybe a few naughty somethings throw in to make your heart go pitter pat!! How do you enter to win? Easy!

Just comment below and let me know something you’ve done to keeps things nice and spicy in the bedroom!! Could be your SO or a one night stand with a stranger or a spouse or yourself. Hey I’m not picky!! I’ll pick a random winner tomorrow or the next day. Good luck!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

Need something to cream your twinkie while you wait to see if you won goodies??

May I suggest a delicious bite out of the Members Only series…….. 😛

The books in the Members Only Series can be found here…

Together In Cyn
Haleigh’s Ink
A Very Ménage Christmas
Duke’s Valentine
Orgasm University
Accidental Voyeur
Roman’s To-Do List
Jenna’s Consent
Laila’s Lies

Stand Alone

Buried Permission
Beneath the Pages
Nico’s Curse
Elite Metal
Final Surrender
Violet’s Shadow in Romancing the Wolf Anthology

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – https://www.jenniferkacey.com/
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Blog – The Decadent Divas – https://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkaceyauthor
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Amazon Page – https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Kacey/e/B00GXHUB30/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d9_al1?_encoding=UTF8&refinementId=618073011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0G8ZPDQJVKJPKXNBRY10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
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Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Many ghost stories and hauntings begin in old houses where people have lived and died, often tragically through illness, accident or murder. If you believe in the existence of ghosts or at least accept the possibility, then you must also accept the possibility of their presence in ancient ruins.

If people from ancient times lived and died there, shouldn’t there be ghosts too? Then perhaps archaeologists work at potentially haunted job sites. Do they ‘stir’ up the dead when they do their work to uncover mysteries?

When I did research for my book His Lost Mate, I spoke with an archaeologist who had worked over 30 years in the field and he agreed about the presence of haunted ruins. He spoke of a dig in upstate NY near a river that a colleague of his was on. No one was around, but she heard voices like women and children playing and washing clothes in the river, and men catching fish with spears. She even smelled the fish being smoked over fires. But there were no campfires burning anywhere. Haunted? Or imagination?

Here are a few famous haunted places in the world:

Gettysburg Battlefields – in Pennsylvania. So many died at one time and so many reports of ghosts. A popular spot for ghost hunters.

Aokigahara or Suicide Forest in Japan – many people for unknown reasons commit suicide there. Considered a haunted forest.

Bhangharh Fort– a 16^th Century fort in India said to be cursed. It is forbidden to stay there after dark.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania – was abandoned in 1971 and is said to have a lot of paranormal activity.

Pennhurst Asylum – another place in Pennsylvania it was opened in 1908 and is now an attraction https://pennhurstasylum.com/history/

Stonehenge – in Wittshire, England is more known for its mysteries and possible powerful energies, but ghosts have also been sited there.

Berry Pomeroy Castle – Devon, England. Pick pretty much any ancient castle and the locals will report a ghostly presence or two.

There are way too many ancient haunted places to list. I’m sure with a little research you could find a haunted place or two in your own neighborhood!

In my book, His Lost Mate, such a ghost haunts an ancient pyramid in the jungle. He’s a Mayan shaman. Back in his time, their king was desperate because of a long drought, food was scarce and human sacrifices were made to the storm god in hopes to appease him so the rains would come. This Mayan shaman knew his daughter was next in line to be sacrificed and could not convince the king to spare her. So he begged a warrior to take her out of the city and escape into the jungle to save her. His daughter and this warrior who were lovers were lost and died a tragic death.

Reincarnated hundreds of years in the future, these two lovers have a chance to find each other again. The ghost of the shaman returns to help his daughter because there are new dangers that threaten the couple again. They don’t even know they were the lost lovers from ancient times. But the heroine is now an archaeology student and also a psychic. She’s reliving bits of that life in visions and dreams. The warrior is now the lead archaeologist and professor and doesn’t believe in the esoteric world or ghosts. It’s a little like an Indiana Jones adventure and love story. They have more to overcome than their differing beliefs, while their love life heats up and becomes more passionate, the dangers threatens them and their team. Unless they both discover the secrets in the jungle in time, they could again be lost forever.

If you’d like to check out the book, here are the links:

KindleUS: https://amzn.to/1PFavkz
KindleUK: https://amzn.to/1J4XMrP
KindleCA: https://amzn.to/1IPPjpr
KindleAU: https://bit.ly/1MMOy1b

Find more info. about Kathy:
Website: www.kathykulig.com
Amazon Page
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathykuligauthor
Twitter: @kathykulig
Blog: www.TheLustyView.com
Goodreads

And please sign-up for her newsletter for monthly prizes, news and fun stuff.

Thank you Delilah for inviting me to your blog. It is an honor and pleasure to be here.

It’s October. One of my favorite months. The colorful leaves are falling like a slow rain, air has cooled off, and the grandkids are getting excited for Halloween.

We are big on Halloween in my house. We start looking for scary costumes in August. The scarier the better. On the big day, the little guys show up around four to wow me. Of course, I pretend to faint from fright and then invite them in for pizza. By six, we head through the neighborhood to trick or treat every house that has a light on.

I’ve often wondered what the kids would do if the resident asked them to do a trick first. Anyway, when the bags are full and my feet are ready to fall off, we come back to grandma’s house to check out the loot and have dessert. The kids love it. I do, too.

Besides spending time with my hubby and grandkids, I love to write. In the last three years I have published three books in a series. All three are stand-alone. The final book in the Garrett series, Justin’s Gamble is a sexy, fast-paced, suspenseful romance.

An annual veterinary convention in Las Vegas turns into anything but routine for Justin Garrett. Bored, tired, and a little too much to drink, Justin left the ho-hum conversations in the Blue Room to get fresh air before going to his room for the night. His short walk for a break is interrupted by a beautiful damsel in distress. He learns pretty quick she’s not what she seems when he is ordered to perform a service for a biker gang and their leader who is running an illegal dog fight. When his expert doctoring fails, he believes his life is over. He is beaten unrecognizable, and shoot trying to hide from the evil men. Unable to locate him, the bikers believe he is dead or dying and leave him for the buzzards. It didn’t matter. He’s lost, bleeding, and alone in a remote area. He was going to die, anyway.

Mara had been on the streets of Vegas since she was sixteen. She had seen a lot of things but nothing compared to the gentle hands and medical skills of the handsome vet. He had worked tirelessly to save the wounded animal. She had to find him and see if he was still alive. She watched the bikers leave the secluded desert and fired up her Harley. Even though she finds and saves him, she underestimated the threat of her ex-boyfriend and his gang of bikers.

They have to get out of Vegas and back to the safety of Justin’s ranch in Texas. Around every corner the pair have to run for their lives.

Buy at Amazon

I’m excited about the next few months, discounting cooking Thanksgiving dinner and shopping for Christmas. My next book is titled, My Name is Grace.  It is totally different from the Garrett Series. It is a love story that is an emotional rollercoaster. Grab your tissues. Faith, hope, and belief is all Grace has left after waking up on a railroad track, bruised and battered, with no memory. Of course, there is murder and crime involved that leaves a tall, sexy, small-town sheriff scratching his head. The book ends with a huge surprise. I can already hear you saying, “I didn’t see that coming.” I will have it out within the next couple of months. Watch for it.

Carol Braswell
www.carolbraswell.com

I love Montana. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s like the contemporary version of the wild west with wide-open spaces, big, blue skies and mountains so rugged they pierce the horizon. My grandmother’s family is from Montana and many of them still live there. Her grandmother crossed the prairie in a covered wagon to stake a claim on the grasslands with a view of the Crazy Mountains in their back yards. My great-uncle was the sheriff of the small town where they grew up. He was also the mail man. When there were only so many people to do the jobs, you had to double up to get them done. The ranchers and farmers who still live there are as rugged as the hills and take care of their own.

I couldn’t think of a better place for my SEAL Hank Patterson to call home. He knew hardship and discipline before he joined the Navy and trained to become a SEAL. His upbringing made him the man he is. Now he’s back and starting a new life in the place of his birth. Saddle up and come along for the ride.

MONTANA SEAL

Brotherhood Protectors Series Book #1
Coming November 17, 2015
Free on Kindle Unlimited. Preorder now!
Amazon  | Amazon UK

Former SEAL and shining Hollywood starlet struggle against their burgeoning desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous stalker.

Hank “Montana” Patterson never thought his call to duty would force him to leave his band of brothers in the Navy SEALs to return to the family ranch in the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. News that his father was shot, sends him rushing home to take over the reins of the Bear Creek Ranch. His forever belligerent father refuses his help, insisting Hank find the person who shot him. What Hank learns is the bullet was meant for the neighboring ranch owner, a Hollywood celebrity, a beautiful actress who once stole Hank’s heart.

Hometown girl, now a Hollywood temptress, Sadie McClain shot to fame and fortune on the big screen, earning her star on the walk of fame and a stalker who won’t back off. Escaping to her ranch in Montana, Sadie hopes to avoid her stalker, only to be hunted there as well. In need of a bodyguard with combat skills, Sadie hires her old flame, Hank to do the job.

Together they struggle to overcome their rekindled desire while fighting to stay alive in the crosshairs of a madman.

About the Author

Join my newsletter for a chance to win this great prize. Only subscribers are eligible for the drawing. I’ll choose a winner on Nov 1^st when my next newsletter comes out.

Elle Jame’s Newsletter

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Elle’s Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

My husband and I took the Celebrity ship, the Solstice, on a cruise that took us to Istanbul, Turkey for two days and a day in Kusadasi, Turkey.  I went to the Blue Mosque that was built in Istanbul by the Moslems five hundred years earlier.  It was beautiful, deeply peaceful feeling and all the people who visited it from around the world, fell in love with it.  You didn’t have to be of one specific religion to appreciate the beauty of the architecture, the respect and humbleness of all those who set foot inside (without shoes), to feel that incredible ambiance.  I sat there with a scarf over my head thinking that if only I could take the utter love within this mosque and spread it around the world, we really could have peace on this poor war-torn planet of ours.

On that same cruise, we sailed to Greece.  This was a lifelong dream fulfilled for me.  I wanted to go to the Acropolis, Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom, temple.  I got to go there and sit and admire the incredible beauty of the alabaster columns in the sunlight, knowing that where I walked, Athenians over two thousand years before, had walked.  The Greek people were welcoming, warm, playful, and in love with life.

I wanted to take these incredible experiences I had and create a global family saga. I created Dilara Culver, the mother of Tal, Matt and Alexa, her children.  She owns and runs the largest charity in the world: Delos.  The nurturing qualities of the Turks, their fierce love of family, of supporting and being responsible toward the community, were all a part of her.  And because she came from one of the wealthiest family’s on the planet, she wanted to give back to those who had little or nothing.  Delos charities were born.

I took all the sights, the sounds, the tastes, the scents, the textures and colors of these two countries and decided that I wanted to build a family saga out of them.  Turkey sits between two huge continents….Europe and Asia.  It is a cosmopolitan, forward-looking country.  Dilara Badem fell in love with handsome USAF Captain Robert Culver.  When they married, they brought three continents together between them with their love.  And from that love came three children, Tal, Matt and Alexa.  They were fifty percent American, forty percent Turkish and ten percent Greek.  They mirrored our world that we live in today.

To find out more about them?  Just go here: About the Delos Series

I had to make family trees of the far-flung family.  And I had to go back several generations especially in the Turkish family, which was a lot of fun.

There is the American tree, the Turkish tree and finally, the Greece tree: The American Family Tree

You can also download Dilara Badem-Culver’s Greek and Turkish family tree here: Greek and Turkish Family Tree

Nowhere to Hide

Releases October 13th!

Lia Cassidy left the Army scarred physically and emotionally after a vicious attack by two fellow soldiers. She turns to helping others, working at a Delos Home School Charity in Costa Rica that aids abused women and children. But when the deadly drug lord, La Arana, attacks the school, Lia finds herself on the run for her life. The only person she can trust is the ex-SEAL sent to protect her.

Cav Jordan is strong, honorable and gorgeous…and intrigued by Lia. He knows she has suffered pain in her past, and he is determined to break through her barriers and earn her trust. But as Cav slowly chips away at the walls Lia has built, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy their fragile relationship.

Fall is my favorite time of year. In addition to cooler weather, the excitement of the approaching holidays crackles in the air. Spring colors enchant me; Fall creates electricity which enlivens my imagination.

My latest flight of imagination is a new western historical romance series called BRIDE BRIGADE, and JOSEPHINE is the first release.  Eventually there will be seven books in this series. Names of the diverse heroines to follow are Angeline, Ophelia, Cassandra, Lorraine, Rachel, and Prudence. Due to fitting these around other scheduled projects, Bride Brigade books will be spaced out over the next six or seven months. I hope you’ll read each one.

I have to admit I love the name of my fictional town, Tarnation, located in the Palo Pinto Mountains of North Central Texas just north of present-day Interstate 20. Every state has numerous unusual town names. This one makes me smile every time I use the word but I know why the town is called by that name. You have to read JOSEPHINE to find out.

Here’s the synopsis of JOSEPHINE:

Josephine Nailor is desperate to escape a terrible situation. When the opportunity arises via a newspaper ad, she and her best friend slip away from their oppressive fathers and head for Richmond.  Neither can relax until they’re far away from their tiny hometown. With wealthy young widow Lydia Harrison’s help, Josephine and six other young women have a new life waiting in Tarnation, Texas.

Michael Buchanan is fairly content running his mercantile and being mayor of Tarnation. The town is dusty and tiny, but it’s growing. He believes it holds all he needs to be happy—except a wife. There are no available women in town, but he hopes Lydia Harrison’s Bride Brigade will offer a woman he can wed. He is immediately attracted to Josephine.

But Josephine has every reason to mistrust men in general and politicians in particular. Will her misgivings ruin her chance at happiness?

Here’s an excerpt from JOSEPHINE:

Josephine stepped from the stage and stared at the men assembled. Every muscle and bone in her body ached from the long ride from Fort Worth. A breeze swirled dust from the street without cooling her skin.

She thought she’d been prepared for a small western town, but Tarnation shocked her. There were only a few stores. Surrounded by low hills she learned were called the Palo Pinto Mountains, the town must not have over two hundred residents.

One of the tallest and most handsome men she’d ever seen stepped forward and removed his western hat to display thick dark hair. His electrifying blue gaze locked with hers until she pretended to check her purse.

He said, “Welcome to Tarnation, ladies. Nice to have you back, Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Gaston.”

Lydia brightened in spite of her exhausted appearance. “Girls, this is our mayor, Michael Buchanan, who owns the mercantile. The man beside him wearing a badge is Sheriff Adam Penders.”

Inwardly, Josephine cringed. Barely off the stage and already she encountered the mayor and the sheriff. While they were both nice looking and neither leered, she certainly wouldn’t trust either man. She’d hoped to reach a safe haven where no one knew her and she’d be free of her father and crooked politicians.

Josephine had no intention of being at the mercy of any man ever again. She’d look for some means to earn her own way. Glancing around the businesses, she realized her choices were severely limited.

The other men pressed forward and Josephine took a step backward. Mayor Buchanan raised his arms. “Gentlemen, please don’t crowd. You’ll all have a chance to meet the ladies soon. They’ve had a long journey and are doubtless tired. Give them time to get settled. In the meantime, give a hand with the luggage.”

In an instant, the trunks and cases that weighed down the stage were unloaded and hefted. Lydia led the girls, many of whom chattered excitedly. Following behind, men joked and talked while they carried the women’s belongings.

Lydia turned in at a neat gray clapboard home trimmed with white and wine. A painted picket fence surrounded the front yard. The house was huge, by far the largest in sight. Josephine believed this home would have been elegant in Virginia before the War. In this dusty Texas town, the effect was astonishing.

Lydia smiled graciously. “Thank you for your help, gentlemen. I’ll be sending each of you an invitation to our social events later.”

*~*~*

Buy Links include:

Amazon https://amzn.com/B015M4FJUY  in print or e-book
Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1041863831
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/josephine-25
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/josephine-caroline-clemmons/1122676778;jsessionid=93795F25673A572EB3B4D1AC1378BDCA.prodny_store01-va10?ean=2940152308112  in print or e-book.

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest. Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE novella.

Thanks to Delilah for sharing her blog with me today.

I’ve lived with vampires in my life for a long, long time. I know how strange that sounds, but let me explain.

All my life, I’ve felt as though I live in alternate worlds. The waking one and the one I slip into eagerly as often as I can get away with it—when I’m bored, in class or work, when I walk or swim, when I crawl into bed. My daydreams are vivid, and they often run with a “story track” of several weeks before I finish one and move to the next.

And I thought everyone dreamed as vividly as I do until I asked my then-husband, “What do you daydream about?” and discovered some people don’t—at all—unless it was to run through a scenario for work or practice a speech in their head.

I can’t imagine not having those other places to go to when I’m still or can act on “auto-pilot”. What about you? Are your daydreams like other lives? Or do you daydream rarely or not at all?

I hope you’ll catch up on the Night Fall stories! If you happen to read one, think about leaving a review. Other readers do pay attention to what you say.

Comment for a chance to win one of the prequel books:  Sm{B}itten, Truly, Madly…Deadly, Knight in Transition, Wolf in Plain Sight, or Silent is the Knight. Plus, I’ll give away a $5 Amazon gift card to another lucky winner! 

Sidney Coffey, Seattle’s “News at Nine” girl, uncovers the scoop of a lifetime and her ticket into serious journalism. The only problem is—without proof—no one’s going to believe the victims of recent gang killings are in fact “undead” and vampires!

With her gut telling her there’s an even bigger story lurking beneath the surface, she decides to beard a reclusive vampire master in his den for an interview. But meeting the master only complicates things. For a woman with a voracious sexual appetite, the tall, dark and gloomy vamp proves an irresistible challenge.

When a reporter trespasses on his estate, Navarro is at first amused then annoyed that the little baggage is close to putting together the pieces of a dangerous plot involving an old enemy and a group of murdered geneticists. To keep her safe, Navarro issues an invitation he won’t let her refuse.

“Miss, are you all right?”

Sidney had already decided the evening couldn’t get any worse. Now Lurch was leering at her tits.

Unfortunately, she’d fallen in the only patch of light cast by the streetlamp on the other side of the wall. She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. “I think I’m all right—the grass is soft,” she said, fighting to keep irritation out of her voice. She’d hoped to reach the front door before being escorted off the property.

“I brought you a blanket.”

Sidney stared at the folded bundle he held out then glanced up at his face. It was really a rather kind face—if a little cadaverous. White, bristly hair stuck up around his head, and bushy eyebrows, looking like fluffy white beetles, shadowed his deep-set eyes. And he was alarmingly tall.

Sidney grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Then she struggled to her feet, assisted by his dry, bony hand. “Just point me to the gate,” she muttered, hoping he’d let her walk out with what was left of her dented pride. If a squad car showed up to take her to the station, she’d never hear the end of it.

“If you don’t mind my saying so, climbing over the fence was a very foolish thing to do.”

“It seemed like a plan at the time,” she said under her breath. “Of course, my Plan Bs always suck.”

His lips twitched. “Well, I’m glad you weren’t seriously injured.”

“Nope, I’m right as rain. I fell on my head—the hardest part of my body.” A chill wind picked up, and she gathered the blanket closer around her. “I’ll be on my way.” With a grimace of a smile, she turned toward the gate. Best to make a quick getaway.

“Ah…miss!”

Sidney grimaced. Shouldn’t she have known her escape wouldn’t be that easy? Murphy was running the show.

“You’re shivering. How about I make you a hot cup of tea before you leave.”

Sidney shot him a glance. What was he up to? She’d recognized his voice. He was the one who had turned her away at the gate. Was he planning to keep her here until the cops showed up? Or was he really offering her a kindness?

Her mama had never accused her of exercising an ounce of common sense. “I am cold. Tea would be lovely.”

The old man led her around the side of the house, through a darkened fragrant garden, and into the kitchen. Warmth embraced her, and Sidney was sure steam rose from her damp hair and skin.

He pointed to an inviting alcove in the corner of the kitchen. “Have a seat at the table while I rummage for the pot.”

As she sat at the cozy wooden table, Sidney couldn’t help thinking how ironic it was—this domestic little scene playing out in a vampire’s den.

“While the pot is boiling, I’ll search for something you can wear,” the elderly man said, then left through another door.

She counted to twenty before following.

The door led down a hallway, which opened into a large room with cream-colored walls and heavy, dark oak furnishings. She’d bet her paycheck the paintings gracing the pale walls were original, Old World art. Despite numerous overhead electrical fixtures, candles were lit in wall sconces and on the mantle above a massive fireplace.

“A little old fashioned, aren’t you, Mr. Navarro?” Sidney muttered. Where was he? And did she really have the courage to seek a lion in his den? She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she was nervous.

Moses had said the master was a civilized vamp, but in the end, weren’t they all ghouls?

She hitched the sagging blanket higher and chose another door, which led into a dark, paneled study. A fire crackled in a hearth, but the room appeared empty. Perhaps the master wasn’t at home after all.

But his desk might reveal answers to some of her questions.

With a quick glance back at the living room, she quietly closed the door behind her.

“Miss Coffey, I think you’ve taken a wrong turn,” a deep, lightly accented voice said.

Sidney whirled toward a leather armchair hidden in the shadows. Firelight flickered to reveal the outline of a man seated there. She didn’t need two guesses to figure out who he was.

She drew a deep breath, racking her brain for a good excuse for her presence. “Um…Mr. Navarro. I was looking for you.” She stepped deeper into the room—but the blanket didn’t come with her.

She grasped frantically for the edges as it parted over her shoulders, but in her nervousness she stumbled forward. The blanket pulled away as she righted herself.

Her hands flew to her breasts. Good lord, can this evening get any worse? “M-mister Navarro,” she stammered, hoping the dim lighting hid her burning cheeks and everything else. “Um…I seem to have caught my blanket in the door.”

“Lovely though your breasts are, I think they should leave,” he said, his tone lacking inflection.

The flatness of his voice, and the fact she couldn’t read his expression in the shadows, left her unnerved. She hadn’t thought through her plan past getting onto the property. Confronting the vamp himself, she realized just how precarious her situation was. He was a bloodsucker after all. Still, he’d asked her to leave—not become a dinner entrée.

Humiliated and more than a little scared, Sidney decided a hasty retreat was her best option. She turned back to the door and tugged at the knob, but the door didn’t budge. She cursed under her breath and tugged again. Then her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I, uh…I’ve wedged the door closed. Could you help me?”

He sighed behind her, and leather creaked as he rose.

Sidney covered her breasts again and stepped aside.

As he approached, his features were revealed in candlelight.

Her breath left her lungs in a whoosh. She’d heard the master vampire was handsome—but not one of her sources had mentioned he was downright beautiful—or that his dark gaze could pierce like a skewer.

She fought the urge to step farther away, but then her fear aroused anger within herself. Sidney Coffey was no mouse. She lifted her chin.

One black, perfectly arched brow rose, mocking her show of courage. He reached past her and easily pulled open the door. “I trust you can find your way out.”

The silky tone of his voice sent a shiver up her back, and her nipples drew tight and pointed beneath her palms.

From terror, she told herself. Certainly not from any sensual awareness. Never mind that this close his height and lean, muscled frame made her feel very small and vulnerable. A sensation that never failed to stir her libido.

And the goose bumps lifting on her skin couldn’t be caused by the midnight-colored hair that brushed the tops of his broad shoulders, or the olive complexion that contrasted darkly with his snowy cotton shirt.

Her gaze lifted. Black, fathomless eyes glittered back in a slightly narrow face, saved from appearing effeminate by his square jaw and the masculine shape of his mouth.

She lingered over that mouth. Perfectly symmetrical, not too wide, or too narrow—and firm.

Sidney swallowed and slowly returned to his unblinking stare. With her own mouth dry as a desert, she swallowed. It was now or never. She wouldn’t get a second chance. She lowered her hands from her breasts and extended one sweaty palm. “Mr. Navarro, I’m Sidney Coffey, and I’d like to ask you a few questions.”