NEW
RELEASE: DRAGON HEARTSTRING
For all paranormal romance lovers, Juliette Cross has a thrilling new addition to her VALE OF STARS series. Join the journey inside the Morgon world where humans live alongside sexy dragon hybrids…
A
Vale of Stars Prequel
Juliette
CrossGenre: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance
Date of Publication: October 25, 2016
ASIN: B01L7TN2BG
Word Count: 42K
Cover Artist:
Kanaxa
Book
Description:
Demetrius Cade has long since let go of his prejudice
against Morgonkind, the dragon hybrid race his father taught him to hate. But
what he never saw coming was the Morgon woman who would finally teach him to
love.
Shakara Icewing has watched Demetrius Cade from afar for years. Known as the most eligible bachelor and emotionally unavailable in all of Gladium Province, she sees him as the aloof, arrogant brother of her dear friend. But when they finally meet, she isn’t sure she can handle how deep and how fast they both fall.
An old enemy resurfaces and once more threatens those Demetrius loves. When Shakara plans to speak before Parliament against business tycoon Aron Grayson, she puts her own life in the line of fire. Demetrius will stop at nothing to protect the woman he can no longer live without.
Shakara Icewing has watched Demetrius Cade from afar for years. Known as the most eligible bachelor and emotionally unavailable in all of Gladium Province, she sees him as the aloof, arrogant brother of her dear friend. But when they finally meet, she isn’t sure she can handle how deep and how fast they both fall.
An old enemy resurfaces and once more threatens those Demetrius loves. When Shakara plans to speak before Parliament against business tycoon Aron Grayson, she puts her own life in the line of fire. Demetrius will stop at nothing to protect the woman he can no longer live without.
Excerpt:
There
were already a few couples taking advantage of the private rooftop. We stopped at
the corner and looked out over downtown Gladium. Glittering like stars, the
city lights lit up the night.
“Isn’t
it beautiful?” I asked, leaning on the railing, the warm summer breeze lifting
my hair.
“Yes.
Quite.”
I
glanced over to find him staring at me, not the city. I smiled. “Do you know
it’s rude to stare like that?”
“I’m
sorry. I can’t help it. You are quite beautiful,” he said with sincerity.
I
arched a brow. “Even with the wings?”
“Especially
with the wings.” His gaze flicked to them. “You know, Shakara. You seem to have
a misguided notion that I dislike Morgons, but the truth is far from it.”
“Well,
if I may be so frank, your past proves you’ve had—I don’t know how to say it—issues with Morgonkind.”
His
heavy gaze never left me. “Some of us learn from our past mistakes. And we
change. At least we should anyway.”
His
intense expression and bold statement were a challenge. One I wasn’t sure I was
ready to explore. The conversation had turned from casual to serious in a
heartbeat. And I realized in this, he was right and I was wrong. We should
learn from our mistakes.
Changing
the subject was my only escape. “So. What were you talking to Lucius about?”
He
loosened his tie and pulled it off, folded it end over end then stuffed it into
his inside jacket pocket. “You were watching me?”
“Yes.”
“So
you lied,” he said, leaning forward with both forearms on the balcony wall, his
left arm brushing mine.
“Did
I?” I focused on steadying my voice.
“You
said you didn’t know I was here at the party when I walked up to your table.”
“Oh,
yes. I did lie.” I felt him staring but continued to gaze out at the city. “I
didn’t want you to think I was stalking you or something.”
He
laughed, leaning left, his shoulder grazing mine. On purpose, for sure.
My
senses amped up. “You’re avoiding my question.”
“Am
I?”
“Yes,
tell me. I want to know what Demetrius Cade, who never speaks to his
brother-in-law even at his nephew’s birthday party, could possibly have to say
in a little one-on-one conversation.”
“You have been stalking me.” He smirked and
pressed closer.
I
arched a brow at him and whispered, “Tell me.”
“It
was about you actually.”
“Me?”
“The
hearing coming up.”
“Oh.”
The wind lifted my hair in the night air. I tucked a strand behind one ear.
“What about it?”
“As I
mentioned at lunch yesterday, I’m afraid this hearing may bring some negative
attention your way. Perhaps, even danger.” His frown was back. His lips
tightened into a line as he studied me.
“I
think you might be worrying too much.”
“No,
I’m not. Which is why you might notice someone from Nightwing Security watching
out for you at the clinic. And maybe elsewhere.”
“Wait.
I’m going to have a bodyguard?”
“Yes.
And don’t say you don’t want one. It’s necessary to be cautious about this. At
least until the hearing is over.”
I
couldn’t help but be a little surprised that Demetrius of all people would take
the initiative to protect me. My father and aunt were bringing up clan members
for the hearing itself, but they hadn’t prepared for any threats beforehand.
Before
Demetrius’s scowl could deepen further, I made a bold declaration. “So what
you’re saying is you’re worried about me.”
Just
like that, his stiff shoulders rolled forward as if a weight had been dropped.
He angled his body toward me, leaning one elbow on the banister and answered my
teasing question more directly than I’d anticipated. “Yes. I certainly am.”
My
nerves rattled inside me like marbles in a jar. It was all because of
Demetrius. I was fine with him in crowds and loud clubs and chatty birthday
parties. But alone with the heady mix of his cologne and his masculine scent
swirling around me and with those dark eyes tracking my every move, my dragon
wanted to stretch out for him and purr. The woman, the part of me who was
confident in the clinic but shy in the bedroom, wanted to retreat and hide. As
soon as I’d thought it, my wings twitched, brushing against him.
I
gasped and pulled them tight again, “Sorry.”
“Don’t
be.”
The
air shifted, and I felt like I did that day in the elevator—breathless and
trapped and extremely aroused at his nearness.
“Shakara,”
he said softly.
“Yes?”
“May
I take a closer look at your wings?”
“Yes.”
I
turned for him, inhaling a deep breath, and opened them partway, keeping one
hand on the banister.
“May
I touch them?” he asked softly.
“Yes.”
I
didn’t want to tell him how sensitive I was to touch on my wings. Some Morgons
weren’t at all. But when Demetrius’s hands slid up the arches, sending a
sensual shiver through my body, I thought I might come undone. When his fingers
caressed along the side edge and back down, I gripped the banister tight.
“They’re
quite beautiful,” he said. He had to notice my tremulous state. If he did, he
made no note of it.
“Thank
you.”
“You’re quite beautiful.”
When
he moved his body closer, I could feel the heat of him at my back. He trailed
his fingers along the underside of my wings where they were especially soft. He
nuzzled his mouth close to my ear. “I want to touch you.”
Needing
to hold onto something, I gripped the banister with both hands. I couldn’t breathe.
I shouldn’t be behaving this way with him of all men. I felt as if I were
stepping into enemy territory, venturing into places I wasn’t meant to go. And
yet, he turned me on beyond reason.
“May
I?” he asked.
“Yes,”
I whispered, unable to resist him.
He
swept my hair over one shoulder then proceeded to kiss his way up one side of
my neck. One hand spanned my waist. He glided the other hand over the curve of
my shoulder and down my arm, then laced his fingers through mine atop the
banister. Yearning for his lips on my skin, I dropped my head back so he could
have better access. He took full advantage, brushing feather-light kisses down
the column of my throat.
“You
know, there are many who would object to this kind of behavior.” He pressed an
open-mouthed kiss to that tender spot between my neck and shoulder.
“What,
what kind of behavior? There are others doing the same in their own corner of
the rooftop.”
“No,
couples like us.”
“You
mean a Morgon and a human?” I asked, trying not to sound as breathless as I
was.
“Yes.”
He nipped up my neck with teeth. The sensation flushed me with heat.
“Do
you care if people object?”
He
stopped and turned me around by the waist.
“Does
it bother you?” I repeated.
His
voice dropped lower with an edge of strain. “I don’t know.” His fingers banded
tighter at my waist. “But not enough for me to stop.”
Before
I could form another thought, his lips were hard and determined on mine. The
world be damned, for there could be no misunderstanding what he wanted now.
Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona. Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
For FREE SHORTS, go to
Juliette’s website and get a taste of the Morgon world. You can discover more
of Juliette and her books on her website.
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