Nightlord Lover

Kathy Kulig

Warrior
vampire Garrick Labar guards the secrets of the Guild. His comrade— vampire and
sorcerer Ramon Travere—enforces the uneasy alliance between mortals and
immortals. When Larissa Devine moves into town, both Garrick and Ramon are
mesmerized and enraptured by her. They crave to claim her as their crimson swan
and lover. But a new arrival is fair game and if they don’t claim her first, a
band of renegades will.

Larissa
finds a blistering-hot ménage with her protectors too intoxicating to resist.
The immortals can’t deny their sexual attraction for her and sense her blood
pulsing hot and furious whenever they are close. Erotic desires thrust her into
a world of danger and seduction. When the renegade vampires attempt to destroy
a hundred years of peace, Larissa is caught in the crossfire. Eternal love and
carnal nights can be her future if she survives.

A Romantica®
paranormal
erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Eternal nights awaken the sensual hunger that drives me
into the shadows, searching for the one to ease the agony and fill the need. Lust
for sex, lust for blood, lust to satiate the beast. She’s there waiting, unaware
of the savage within me. Her sublime beauty brings me to my knees and shatters
my soul. Vaporous memories surface from the old days, stirred by her likeness
to the one from two centuries ago. That’s our curse and hope, we who are
immortal, to meet another doppelganger lover of the one we lost. And there is
always another, who appears over time to taunt, to torture or to save. Perhaps
this time I will love again…or will it be my final destruction?

The silky French lingerie slid over her skin like creamy
chocolate sorbet. It was naughty of her but how could she resist? Larissa
Devine smoothed her hands over her breasts, waist and hips, feeling turned-on
as she admired the new piece from the collection that just arrived from Paris.
Even if she had the funds, no way would she ever purchase a three-hundred-dollar
nightgown for herself. For such a price, it should hide all her figure flaws—hips
a bit too wide and thighs a little too heavy. The markdown she got as owner of
the shop still wasn’t tempting enough. The guys she’d dated in the past wouldn’t
be caught dead in a lingerie store buying her a gift like this, never mind one
so pricy.

Admiring the other items she’d selected from the French
designer, she felt that twirl of excitement in her belly. She knew the
exquisite collection would tempt wealthier tourists visiting New Hope during
the Christmas rush. The bulk of her sales would come from the average person
visiting the historic Pennsylvania town. Silk Fantasies also carried lingerie
and fragrances for the more budget minded.

One last glance in the full-length mirror, then off with the
pricy garment of seduction and back to setting up shop for opening day. Gently,
she lifted the gown to her waist and was about to pull it over her head when
she heard the bell from the front door.

“I think you should wear that in your shop. Good
advertising. Especially the gentlemen customers,” a man’s voice said from the
entrance of her store.

Dropping the hem to fall like a chocolate river of silk at
her feet, Larissa gasped and spun around, her arms crossed over her breasts.
Her shop wasn’t due to open until tomorrow. The blinds in the shop were down.
No one should have seen her inside. “We’re not open, sir. How did you get in?
The door was locked.” Her face flushed as she stared at the stranger, young and
well-dressed. Black pants and a deep-burgundy shirt, perfectly tailored to show
off a body that spent hours in the gym lifting weights, heavy ones by the size
of him. He didn’t apologize for walking in on her wearing a nightgown but then
again, this was a lingerie shop. He was still smiling at her as his gaze raked
over every inch, which irritated her. He was probably shopping for his wife or
girlfriend. “I’m sorry. I won’t be open to customers until tomorrow at ten. I’m
getting everything ready for opening day.” She smiled, hoping she wouldn’t lose
a potential customer.

“Do you always try on all the merchandise?” His eyes held a
teasing glint.

She stammered for a moment. “No, no, of course not. I was
trying on this one for myself. If you like it, I have others in many sizes. I’d
be happy to show you tomorrow if you’d like to pick out something for your wife
or girlfriend. I’ll have everything on display then.” She tried to emphasize
tomorrow
.
The guy wasn’t getting the hint and her body was heating up from standing in
front of him in an outfit that clung to her every curve like liquid silk.

“I don’t have a wife or a girlfriend, Ms. Devine.”

She frowned. Had she told him her name? No, she was sure she
hadn’t. Ignoring the ultra-sexy material caressing her body, she straightened
and tilted her head at him. “How did you get in? I know I locked that door. And
how do you know my name?”

He laughed in a friendly manner. “I’m sorry, Ms. Devine. I’m
not a customer, I’m your landlord.”

“Oh. Mr. Labar, I wasn’t expecting you. Nice to meet you.”
She walked up and shook his hand then covered her arms over her breasts. She
knew her nipples protruded from the sheer fabric.

“My pleasure. Garrick, please. I stopped in to see how you
were doing and if you needed anything.” The side of his mouth twitched. At
least he was polite enough to keep his gaze above chest level, now, after he
already looked his fill.

Heat rushed to her face. When she had heard his voice on the
phone, she had no idea he’d be so young or good-looking. He had to be about her
age, early thirties with a slight accent she couldn’t place. His long leather
coat reached mid-calf. Stylish and casual, expensive and European was her first
impression. Maybe he had just gotten out of work. He hadn’t stopped staring at
her since she noticed him. Staring wasn’t the word, piercing her soul was more
like it. The air in the shop thickened, time ticked slower and her pulse
quickened. The temperature was near freezing outside but she wanted to open the
door. “I think I have everything I need, thank you. The apartment upstairs is
lovely and spacious. I’m almost settled in.”

“I’m surprised you waited to open your store in the middle
of the Christmas shopping season.”

Was he worried she wouldn’t make her rent? “I know. I had to
help my mother move the rest of her things to Florida. She moved into a
retirement home.”

“I see. I hope she’s well.”

“She’s fine.” Larissa hoped he didn’t hear the snippy tone
in her voice. Larissa, her mother and her brother didn’t get along very well.

“I have a helper for you,” he said. “I’ll send her by
tomorrow. Her name is Jordan Howell.”

Larissa frowned. “Helper? I don’t need a helper and it’s not
in my budget right now to employ someone.”

“She’s a college student needing part-time work.”

“What’s she going to school for?” Larissa remembered her
days in college, the long hours and struggle to find employment. While her
friends partied, she worked at her parents’ pastry shop every weekend and
waitressed during the week. Social and love lives didn’t exist.

He shrugged. “Every semester it’s something new.”

Perpetual student. “I’m sure I can find something for her to
do. But I can’t give her many hours.”

“Don’t worry about her salary. It’s taken care of.”

She studied him. “I appreciate the offer but—”

“You’ll like Jordan. She’s a hard worker and trustworthy. Her
salary is my responsibility.”

That seemed odd but she wasn’t going to argue. Maybe she
could give Jordan some big-sister career advice. Not knowing what your dream
job was must be stressful. “I’m sure we’ll get along fine.”

Garrick smiled. “She’ll keep you entertained.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. A colleague of mine, Ramon, will stop in to check
on building maintenance. He’s also been instructed to help you if you need any
work or repairs done around the shop. He can be trusted as well. I’ll take care
of paying him.”

“Very generous of you, Mr. Labar. I love old buildings. How
old is it?”

“Garrick. It was built in 1832 and used to be an
apothecary.”

She smiled but felt uneasy and restless at the same time. It
had nothing to do with standing half naked in front of her landlord. The man
had a natural charisma that made her breathy and achy inside. Most women
probably succumbed to his good looks and he probably had a harem. She wouldn’t
be one of them.

Putting her arms at her sides, she refused to appear
uncomfortable in her current state of undress. “I heard you own a number of the
buildings in New Hope and lease them out.” She wondered how someone so young
got to own so many buildings? Just her luck that this hunky guy happened to be
her landlord and off limits. No way she was going to risk her dream on a hot
affair. If it went south so would her lease.

“That’s right. And I ensure my tenants will have successful
businesses.”

She laughed. “How can you guarantee that? There’s always risk
in a new business.”

He frowned at her without answering.

“It’s a nice town,” she added, changing the subject. “A
pleasant change from cow country in upstate New York.”

“Didn’t you like New York State?”

She sighed. “It’s a great place to grow up. Beautiful,
peaceful, but nothing ever happens. Here I’m a bus ride from New York City, a
short drive to Philadelphia and the shore. And now I have my own shop. Owning
my own business is my dream. I have everything I could want.”

“Do you, Larissa? Maybe it’s time to look beyond your
dreams. Expect the unexpected. You may be pleasantly surprised. Keep an open
mind.”

“I like to keep things simple,” she said. “Now if you don’t
mind, I need to change back into my regular clothes and close up.”

“Go change, but let me show you a few places you might not
find on your own.”

Garrick never expected his new tenant would be such a
beauty. His mouth tightened as his gaze dropped to her small breasts and round
hips. The garment showed every curve. She fascinated him. The intensity of her
life force and sexuality would be hard to resist. She was perfect for their
needs. Once the others sensed her presence, they’d all want to claim her. It
was the renegades who worried him. They would take her as a slave. Garrick had
to move quickly. Jordan and Ramon could help fend off the others for a time.
Larissa was in danger unless she became his crimson swan, and later, marked and
bound permanently to him. The problem was, unlike many of his kind, he believed
mortals shouldn’t be forced into the Guild. The sensual pleasures of a willing
crimson swan rivaled any violent or coerced offering.

“I’m ready.” Back in regular clothes, jeans and a sweater,
Larissa buttoned into a gray wool coat that reached below her knees. “Where are
we going?”

“An outdoor café and bar for something warm to drink.”

“In this weather?” She laughed as she locked her store.

“They have gas heaters. I want to show you places to avoid
at night.” He didn’t want to alarm her but he knew where his kind frequented
after dark.

“I thought this was a safe town with little crime.” She
frowned at him.

“It is. Very safe. Some areas are best to avoid.”

“Like where?”

“Crossing the bridge into Lambertville late at night. People
have fallen into the river.” Or his kind has pushed them when they tried
leaving, betraying the Guild. His gut tightened as they passed shops and
restaurants. Many had access to the underground tunnels and rooms. All held
dangers for her until he brought her into the Guild. He couldn’t tell her not
to shop or eat in those places, and he couldn’t bring her into the Guild
without her complete approval.

“Ever been to a show at the Buck’s County Playhouse?” she
asked as they crossed the bridge on Main Street. The theater stood beside a
canal and the Delaware River.

“Yes. It’s a popular spot in the evenings.” The playhouse
was another access route to their maze of underground tunnels, as was Larissa’s
shop.

When they reached the Logan Inn, he directed her first to
the parking area. “The canal towpath is one of those places to avoid at night.
Let me take your hand so you don’t slip.”

“This looks like a great place to jog or ride a bike. It’s
so peaceful here.” The hard-packed earth ran along a water-filled canal. Houses
and shops lined the banks. Trees and shrubs overgrew in the yards.

“The path can be slick, especially after a snow or rain. Not
good to jog at night,” he said. “It’s supposed to be haunted too.” He grinned
but he doubted she could see in the darkness.

She laughed nervously. “Haunted?”

“This town dates back to the 1700s and is considered the
most haunted square mile in the world. Mules once walked along these towpaths,
dragging floating barges up the canals. It’s how pioneers transported goods
like food, lumber and textiles before the steam engine.”

“What did they do in the winter? Doesn’t this canal freeze?”
She peered into the water. “There’s no current and with it as cold as it’s
been, I’m surprised it’s not frozen.”

“It never freezes.”

“Is it fed by warm springs?”

There was a reason this canal never froze and it wasn’t warm
springs. The people of New Hope had paid a fair price for their prosperity for
centuries. “Perhaps.”

Far in the distance, beyond one of the bridges, two figures—not
ghosts—stopped and stared in their direction. One male and one female. By the
outline of their auras, he knew they were immortals and had a fairly good idea
who they were. Kashia and Lazaro.

Garrick stepped in front of Larissa to block the two
vampires’ view of her. Most likely a wasted effort. They would be aware of her
presence. All the vamps quickly discovered the new arrivals. Garrick intended
to keep these two away from Larissa.

“See something?” Larissa asked. “Maybe a ghost?” She giggled,
looking up into his eyes. So close now that he felt her heat, heard the surge
of warm blood in her throat. He breathed in the scent of lemons and herbal
soaps and ached to press his lips to her hair.

“The ghost of a hitchhiker is said to roam here. He’s a
young guy and carries a backpack.”

“Really?” She stepped back to look down the canal as if she
hoped to see the phantom. She stumbled over a loose rock and he had to grab her
to keep her from falling. A pang of hunger gripped him. No wonder the others
fed on impulse. Tempted by her floral scent and her womanly fragrance, he
struggled to suppress his urges. The thirst for blood was as compelling as his
craving for sex. With the entrance to the tunnels only steps away, he thought
about what he could do to her if he brought her there. The chambers for
pleasure were most popular for those wanting offerings in isolation or a primal
atmosphere with their crimson swans, but they were also utilized by the
immortals. The deeper chambers offered more titillating experiences
incorporating punishment and torture. Mortals and immortals might meet their
destruction here if they betrayed the colony.