The Gate (Dark Path Series) (28 page)

Authors: KT Grant

BOOK: The Gate (Dark Path Series)

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Chapter Thirty-One

The Gate was closed Thursday in honor of Thanksgiving. It was locked up tight, every floor empty. The master of the house, the one who held the keys to his castle, stood on the roof, no coat, drinking wine. Merlot. The same vintage he’d shared with Erika the first night he met her.

The cold didn’t bother him. His feet were blocks of ice, but he wanted to view the stars in the clear night sky, which wasn’t found very often in the surrounding area.

He poured himself another glass—his third—with the plan to finish off the bottle. He savored the taste, wishing Erika was with him to enjoy it. Wine was all the sweeter when drinking with a partner, and she had been the best kind. He smiled, lost in the memory of one night when she allowed him to sip wine off her breasts and from her navel, finishing between her legs. Her cries of passion, her release, combined with the fruity, dry flavor of the merlot, was a heady drink indeed.

Walking to the edge of the roof, he took his cell out, bringing up the last message she’d sent to him. He hadn’t responded, respecting her wishes to leave her alone.

Because of how much wine he drank, he broke the rule.

Happy Thanksgiving. How are you?

A minute later, a text came through.

I’m fine. I ate too much. You? :)

He chuckled over the smiley face.

As well as can be under the present circumstances.

You’ll survive.

He didn’t know how to answer. He could say a million things. He could call her, tell her how much he missed her. But he couldn’t trust his voice. He could have typed in those three special words most women longed to hear from him, but instead he sent a different message altogether.

Come back to me.

By the time he finished the bottle, she still hadn’t responded. He poured the last of the wine in his glass and chucked the bottle over the edge.

Numb from the cold, he went inside, taking a hot shower to defrost. He stood under the spray of steaming water, blinking away the sting in his eyes. His stomach churned from too much wine He’d been unable to eat anything substantial in days. His knees shook, and he sank to the dank floor, staring at the wall across from him, at a loss for what to do concerning Erika.

She’d taken a piece of him and would never forgive her for that. He needed to get it back, either through cajoling or stealing. She had no clue how much power she held in her hands, how she could destroy him with one word.

She’d done something no other before her had accomplished. She’d brought down the master, rendering him a slave.

Hers.

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
–Winston Churchill

Coming in 2014:

The Key
, book 2 in
The
Dark Path series
…

Erika has reinvented herself as an author of erotic romance under the pseudonym, Lily Fredericks. After her eight month sabbatical in New Orleans, she’s returning to Manhattan to promote her new book. Chris is handling her book tour and wants Erika to give him another chance. She’s forgiven Chris, but Max is always in her thoughts. Sick of waiting for Erika to come to her senses, Max takes matters into his own hands. He’ll go to New Orleans to claim her before it’s too late.

With Erika back in Manhattan, both Chris and Max try to seduce her in the hopes she’ll choose one of them. As both men battle for her heart, a woman from Max’s past reappears, bent on revenge. Chris will ruin Max anyway he can in order to make Erika his own. However Max has something up his sleeve to insure he’s the victor, but not without a price—Erika’s soul.

~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
~

KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well-known book reviewer and blogger who doesn't shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and known for writing "out of the box" romances. KT is a top ten best-selling author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick.

You can visit KT at:

www.ktgrant.com

On Twitter:

https://twitter.com/katiebabs

KT Grant Bibliography:

Series:

For the Love of Mollie
(Sweet and Sinful #1)

Claiming of Suzy
(Sweet and Sinful #2)

Xavier’s Loving Arms
(Sweet and Sinful #3)

The Princess’s Bride
(Pirates of Flaundia #1)

The Prince’s Groom
(Pirates of Flaundia #2)

The Princess’s Valentine
(Pirates of Flaundia #2.5)