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An Excerpt From: CALL OF TEMPTATION
Copyright © MICHELLE M.
PILLOW, 2008
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave
Publishing, Inc.
“No,” James shook his
head, trying to will what was happening to stop. “Die, just die. Don’t fight
death. The pain that awaits you will only last. Welcome the peace that comes.
Don’t fight to live.”
The woman screamed again
and he knew she wasn’t listening. Her body did what bodies instinctively did—it
fought to survive. Only this was most likely to be a losing battle. James swore
under his breath, glancing out at the ocean to where Meghan’s boat had
disappeared. He couldn’t steal a boat and give chase, not now, not when there
was a changing human he needed to take care of. There were no others on the
island to leave her with.
Almost calculatingly, he
again looked at the woman writhing in agony. Yet, if by some miracle she lived,
she might be the key to stopping Meghan. Her tie to the treacherous bitch would
be strong. Turned ones always sought those who killed them. It was a strange
irony that they’d be drawn to the makers of their mortal deaths.
Having had more training
with turned humans over the centuries than he’d like to admit, James cleared his
throat and reached for the woman’s face. His fingers tangled in her soft hair
before finding her sand-covered cheek. Emotions whirled inside him as he looked
at the woman, compassion and pity, curiosity and a sense of duty and honor.
Brushing the locks from her features, he revealed a pretty, little mouth and
big, scared, dark eyes.
James took a deep
breath, the words of comfort he planned on uttering leaving him completely as he
stared. Her lips opened wide and she gasped for breath, but she no longer
screamed. Ocean waves crashed near them, pulling and pushing his soul with each
surging of the tide.
“You,” she whispered,
almost accusatorily. “My ancestors whispered to me in my dreams that I would
find you.” She closed her eyes tight and the strange spell between them
dissipated as she again began to yell in pain. Her words made no sense and he
knew the loss of blood had made her delirious.
“Easy, young one, I will
care for you. Let the pain lead you into darkness. Once you pass out, it will be
easier to bear.” James lifted her into his arms, scanning the beach to see if
anyone was near. If she kept screaming, she’d draw attention and the last thing
he wanted was some do-gooder coming to her rescue. Careful not to suffocate her,
he smothered her face into his chest, letting the vibrations of her torment
muffle against him. Her light body barely slowed down his steps as he jogged
with her across the shore, back toward the small inn where he’d procured a suite
earlier.
When he saw a group of
people walking and laughing along the shoreline, a strained smile came to his
lips and he gripped the woman in his arms tighter to silence her cries. He
veered away from the group, hoping the meager distance would afford him safe
passage. Their attention turned briefly to them and he smiled, trying to force
all the charm and ease his tight, stressed body could manage. One of the men, a
yuppie in white slacks and a blue polo shirt, waved.
“I see someone has had
too much to drink,” a woman exclaimed merrily. The others laughed, resuming
their conversation. The woman in his arms pushed hard against him and managed to
free her head. She opened her mouth, ready to yell. James crushed his lips down
on hers, taking her would-be scream into his mouth. The woman jolted, her mouth
jerking against him, more from the writhing in her body than any measured
response. Still, the kiss startled him with the intense lust it conjured. James
gripped her tighter, pried his mouth away before he delved his tongue again into
the warm depths. He sighed in mild relief when he made it past the group of
humans. He pressed her face to his chest once more.
By small degrees, the
woman’s cries lessened, as did her struggling. His rented quarters were right
off the beach, reached by a small, worn trail in the surrounding narrow strip of
tall grasses. The company had called it a suite but it was really more like a
private building isolated from other guests. It was the only lodging available
on the island due to tourist season and he was suddenly glad that luck had
afforded him privacy and two bedrooms—not that they would be staying there long.
As he carried the woman
up the narrow, wooden stairs to the deck, the sound of faraway music from a
dockside restaurant penetrated his thoughts. In any other situation, carrying a
woman to his ocean-side bedroom, surrounded by soft music and moonlight, would
have been highly romantic. Finally reaching the sliding glass door, he set the
woman’s feet on the ground. Her head lulled back and she whimpered.
Pulling the key from his
pocket, he unlocked the door and once more picked her up to carry her inside. A
queen-size bed, television and small chair were the only amenities in the
bedroom besides the faux-oak dressers. Laying her gingerly on the bed, he moved
to shut the door in case she began screaming again. Moonlight streamed through
the room and he quickly pulled the curtains shut, blocking it out. The darkness
didn’t bother him as he navigated the room with ease. Walking to the large
bathroom adjoining his room, he flipped on the light. A soft glow illuminated
the bed, as if framing her for his perusal.
With time to study her,
he strode slowly across the floor, watching his shadow move over her body.
Putting one knee on the bed, he leaned over her, telling himself he was just
checking her vitals. But instead of her heartbeat, he listened to her raspy,
almost passionate-sounding breath. Instead of gauging her temperature, his
fingers caressed her soft skin, brushing granules of sand from her cheek and
jaw. He pushed back her hair, revealing the bite mark on her neck. About a
half-dozen puncture marks indented her flesh, attesting to Meghan’s bites. The
smell of blood wafted up to him, her blood.
A moan filtered past his
lips as he instinctively leaned closer. Drawing his tongue along her throat, he
licked, stroking long and slow over her flesh. A thready pulse caught up in his
ears as the taste of her essence filled him. The memory of the forced kiss on
the beach made his lips tingle. Unable to help himself, he did it again, moving
his mouth to her still one. It had been decades since he’d tasted human blood
and the salty tang was just as sweet and pleasurable as he remembered. His lips
slid back to her throat, tasting her. The beast inside him howled in ecstasy
until James too gave a light howl of approval. His lust hit him hard.
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REVIEWS
"5 Hearts! Ms. Pillow always
delivers an exciting story with characters the reader can care for. A must
read!" - Valerie, Love Romances, March 2008
"5 Stars! As always, Michelle does a slam up job... Top marks!" Euro-Reviews, March 2008
"5 Stars!
Michelle Pillow, I have to say that three times, is definitely the charm.
Call of the Lycan - Call of Temptation exceeded my expectations.
Not only does it deliver suspense, action, a bit of adventure, a hot road trip,
and conspiracy, it also gives two fantastic characters you can’t help but to
love, and a villain you can’t help but to hate. ... Michelle definitely
knows how to turn the heat up. ...Call of the Lycan - Call of Temptation was well
written and a wonderful way to see the final brother get his girl."
Literary Nymphs Review
"Having
read several Michelle Pillow novels in the past, I had very high expectations
for this release as well, and was not disappointed. " Simply Romance Reviews
"Anyone
looking for an action-packed, suspenseful, and erotic tale that reads quickly
should enjoy this series from the talented Ms. Pillow."
ParaNormal Romance, March 2008
"5 Angels! Call
of Temptation is a great third book in Ms. Pillow’s Call of the Lycan
series... I know Ms. Pillow has finished telling about the three
O’Connell brothers but I would love to see more stories about the Lycan clans.
Maybe she will do another tale with some of the interesting secondary characters
or even introduce some more Lycans in another story. You can never have too many
good Lycan stories!" - FAR, March 2008
"I found
the sex steamy, the characters well rounded and the humor an enjoyable
complement to the rest of the story. Good reading and great fun." -
Alternative Reads, March 2008
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