An All Hallowed Tale – Part 2 (Giveaway)

If you read my first post, I’m sharing excerpts from my new series, Inherited Damnation.

Book 1, Cursed to Kill, is presently available.
Book 2, Tormented by Darkness is available December 7.
The third book, Destined to Die, is available December 21st, for Yule.

Part 1, an excerpt from Cursed to Kill is already posted. Part 3 will be available in a third post. I’m running a contest through midnight Halloween – read all three excerpts, comment on all three, and one name will be randomly chose to receive a copy of your choice of my currently available books.

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TORMENTED BY DARKNESS EXCERPT


Rhiannon struggled against the demonic pull of her divided soul that demanded she surrender to the tidal wave of desire building within her. Mick’s kiss scalded parts of her she hadn’t known existed. The seeking thrust of his hips, the way his big hard body enveloped her with promises of unbridled pleasure made it near impossible to resist. She longed to lean back on the table, draw him into her arms, and give over to arousal.

Yet if she did, she’d never come back. She’d fall so deeply into him her heart wouldn’t stand a chance at resisting his charm, his devastating good looks. And giving her heart to Mick was the biggest wrong she could commit. Her father’s curse already hungered for death. She fought the dark call daily. But that ever-present restlessness was nothing compared to the inescapable damnation that came with love.

Love meant killing Mick.

As the reality of circumstance punched through her momentary bliss, she slipped her hands to his shoulders and gently pushed him away. His mouth left hers reluctantly, lips clinging for a drawn-out heartbeat before he let go and lifted his head. Confusion passed behind his onyx gaze.

“I do want you, but not like this.” Not until she could share Cian’s mortality and escape her sire’s evil curse. But Mick would never understand that reasoning. As it was, the frown that crinkled his brow said he was having a difficult enough time understanding her sudden refusal.

She caught his hands, brought them together, and lifted them to her lips. Her eyes held his as she kissed each one. “You need to rest, Mick, not exhaust yourself further.”

“I’m old enough to know what I need, thank you.” As annoyance flicked over his handsome face, he turned away. A sigh tumbled free, heavy like the sudden tension in the room. “Sorry. You’re right. This is a bad idea.”

Rhiannon flinched. Not so much a bad idea. Just a bad idea now. If she were mortal, if she’d found another portion of her mother’s spell book so she could lift the curse, she’d rush headlong down this path, regardless of consequence.

Mick swiveled to face her, a wistful smile playing on his lips, regret shadowing his dark eyes. He cupped the side of her face in one hand. His thumb stroked her cheek. “You’re so sweet. So good.”

If you only knew.

She willed herself to smile even as she heard the finality in his voice and realized her rejection had just destroyed any chance of someday in the future. Mick was shutting her out. Closing the door on what had just erupted between them for reasons she couldn’t understand. Whatever they were, the warm energy that had invited her to get close morphed into aloof nothingness.

Mick pushed a hand through his hair, and his smile took on more strength. “Thanks for bringing the arrangements by. And for feeding me.”

As he lowered his hand, it passed through a ray of late-evening sunlight streaming in through the window. An iridescent blend of purple, gold and blue that she hadn’t noticed before gleamed against his fingertips. Her heart knocked into her ribs as her breath caught.

The mark of her mother’s powers—Mick had touched the Celt high priestess, Nyamah’s lost spell book.

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~Claire
http://www.claireashgrove.com/