Cover & Excerpt Reveal
Subterfuge and malevolence lurk under the waves of the Caspian Sea, where a curse dethrones a king and expels the royal family.
Crown Prince Tiro resents his role of kidnapper even if it breaks the curse and returns his family to royalty. Will he recognize the beauty of their world and of Callista, the woman he's destined to love, or will he turn his back on Caspia forever?
Re-Release with new material
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: December 10, 2012
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Excerpt & More
Excerpt:Callista paced the small confines of the cabin for hours, her pique mounting with each step she took. How dare he leave me here all day without food, without company? Her mind raced back over the last four days, his naked body sleeping next to hers each night. Every morning he tasted her lips, suckled at her breast, and left her with an unnamed ache deep in the pit of her womanhood. With each passing day, she found herself more frustrated.
She still didn’t know his name, but she had learned a little about his life. He had a brother and two sisters, although she didn’t know if they were older or younger. Not that it mattered, but she believed him to be the oldest. From what he’d told her of their teasing and joking, it was obvious he enjoyed a special closeness with his siblings, and he even worked with his brother. Both his parents were still alive, and when she asked what his mom called him, he’d almost said his name, but caught himself. He’d reached over and pinched her nipple for almost tricking him on that one.
Callista smiled, thinking about the short time they’d spent together. Somehow, she felt like she’d known him all her life. When he wasn’t kidnapping Mermaids, he was a commercial angler. This boat, the Dream Maker, belonged to him, a gift from his father when he turned eighteen.
What a surprise to discover she’d gotten so much information out of him. He’d told her of parties, trips, and his many girlfriends. His favorite subject, however, was his love of the ocean. Sailing, skiing, and something he called surfing, although she never did understand what he meant by riding the barrel. So why, damn it? Why wouldn’t he tell her his name?
Two days before, Callista decided to stop fighting him, giving in to her urge to explore his body, using her hands, her lips, and her tongue. For hours they played, talking, touching, licking, sucking, and then talking some more. She told him about her love of art. He told her his plans to own a fleet of ships. She tried to explain what it felt like to breathe through gills and to swim for hours underwater without air tanks. He’d spent half an hour trying to explain how a regulator worked, and then finally took her on deck to demonstrate. They’d talked for hours before falling asleep entwined in each other’s arms. After that first night, he became more affectionate and attentive, spending his time with her. Yet part of her current aggravation stemmed from his refusal to continue his exploration of her body. Each time they came close, he pulled back.
Callista wondered when her plan stopped being as essential as her desire for him. Her escape was impossible without his help, but she feared what would happen once they left this ship. He couldn’t return with her to Caspia. Her father would kill him.
“Thialo, where is he?” she asked the walls, and then continued pacing, her mind once again wondering about her seduction of him. If she succeeded in escaping with his help, they had no place to go, no future together. Somehow, the idea made her heart ache.
The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. Holding her breath, she waited.
The knob rotated, and the door silently swung in. Framed in the soft light from the hallway outside, he looked like he’d just taken a shower. He stood in the doorway staring at her, his eyes shimmering like deep pools of liquid chocolate, his dark hair still wet, pearls of water visible on his broad shoulders.
She waited while he set a tray of food on the table. “I’m sorry to have been so long in bringing food. I had to report to Cyrus again,” he offered as his explanation.
He extended his hand to her in an offer to join him. Once they’d taken their seats, he poured her a glass of wine. “What? No anger because I’m late?”
Callista tried to conceal her excitement at his arrival. “I’ve decided to ignore you.”
“Is that so?” He smiled. “So we’re eating in silence tonight?”
Without a word, Callista picked up a fork and started eating, which brought a hearty laugh from him. After ten minutes, she could take no more. “What’s your name?”
He looked into her eyes. “Do you know no other question, Princess? I’ve told you already my name is not important.”
“Didn’t your mother call you by a name?”
“Of course.”
“So, what the hell is it?”
“Feisty tonight, aren’t we? Tell you what. You can call me whatever name makes you happy.”
“Kolo.” Callista smiled.
“What does that mean?”
“I can’t explain. It’s part of your body.”
“Interesting choice.”
Callista stared across the table at him. She wasn’t used to his teasing. “You’d rather I call you kolo than tell me your name?”
“Why does it matter so much?”
She couldn’t answer the question. Couldn’t let him see how important his touch had become. “It doesn’t,” she snapped, her tone harsher than she’d intended.
“Don’t pout, Princess. I have a name. If you continue to behave, do as I tell you, and kiss me like you did this morning, I’ll tell you someday.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “Does this mean you’ll help me escape?”
His head cocked to one side, his eyebrow arching in surprise. “I’ve been giving it some thought.”
“And?” Callista almost jumped out of her chair. She could feel freedom.
“Don’t get excited, Callista.”
The sound of her name, spoken with his deep rich voice, sent a shiver down her spine. “We only have two more days before the full moon. If you’re going to help me, it must be tonight.”
“We will need to wait until dark when the others have gone to bed.”
Callista knew exactly what she wanted to do while they waited for nightfall. Without words, she stood in front of him. She slowly stripped out of the clothes he’d given her and held out her hands to him.
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I fell for this cover the first time I saw it at LSB! Beautiful...makes me want to go swimming!
ReplyDeleteNice cover, Michelle! Like the goddess feel of it.
ReplyDelete