A Very Demon Halloween

Blurb:

Duec, head of the demon hunters and La Ceinture Noire’s owner, is master of all he surveys, except fate. Death shadows him, drawing closer each day. A different foreboding whispers of danger to Belinda, the damaged halfling he’s sworn to protect. He’s waited a lifetime for her. She’s the other half of his soul, a true submissive too wounded to accept him as her master. He must make her safe from his enemies without him.

Unable to tolerate another’s dominance, Belinda, contract witch to the demon hunters, plays at Duec’s club as an icy Domme. She earned her nickname, Control Queen by giving other submissives the discipline they need to find release without ever seeking personal satisfaction. No matter how skillfully she manages her subs, the only male she longs for never sees the strong mistress she’s grown into, only the frightened, damaged child he rescued.

Then his enemies strike, capturing Belinda–changing everything. A failing Duec must battle ancient evil to save his mate and Belinda must find Duec before it’s too late.

Excerpt:

“All right, maybe you thought you had a good reason for hanging out.” Too bad it wasn’t because you suddenly realized you love me madly, and jealousy drove you to desperate measures. Better yet, you wanted to ravish me, starting with tearing off my clothes with your teeth. Hey, no harm in fantasy, right? Sexy dreams are loads more fun than some horrible threat. Goblins and grief-crazed females are shake-in-my-pretty-boots scary.

Belinda willed herself not to blush. The pictures in her head were getting more graphic all the time, and she needed to behave responsibly. Duec was just looking after her safety. The same way he did with the demon hunters, the civilians, the council—everyone he considered his. How had she reacted to his kindness? Like a spoiled brat.

The male redefined stubborn, and now her quick temper and quicker tongue had made him as uncomfortable as she felt. The awkwardness between them was all in her head, which was beyond stupid. Duec had no idea she lusted for him in her heart. She made herself cross the half a dozen steps separating them and patted his arm. Muscles rippled under her touch, and his heat warmed her palm. “Next time, just tell me, okay?”

Duec tensed. “I’ll try.”

“Not good enough.” She kept her tone firm. “Didn’t you learn anything about actions and consequences from watching my scene?” Okay, she was going the wrong direction again and definitely playing with fire, but she didn’t want to stop. Rebel fingers curled into his forearm. Impulsively, she decided to exact her own penalty. She used her free arm to tug him closer, and then stretched up to steal a kiss.

His lips were impossibly soft and so hot her mouth burned. He stood as rigid as a statue—a very big statue with an inner nuclear reactor core.

Impulse drove her to burrow closer to his strong body. She needed to set him on fire so she didn’t burn alone.

The strong arm she’d been clinging to wound around her, and a big hand cradled her butt. He lifted her until a hard rope of arousal pressed against her slit. His impressive erection meant the searing heat sizzling through her veins wasn’t just a humiliating manifestation of her mad crush. The lovely relief of his response gave her the encouragement to wriggle nearer still.

He deepened the kiss. Her rational thoughts vanished in the molten heat. Erotic images of her naked, undulating, and begging for his mercy flashed in her mind’s eye. He cupped her head, holding her in place for a more blatant claiming.

Even the explicit pictures burned away. Nothing existed except his addictive taste and scent—dark chocolate with a kick of fiery spice and hotter sex. She licked into his mouth, sucking his tongue, greedy for more.

A deep rumble vibrated from his chest. Oh my. He nearly purred. The sexy sound reverberated inside her, bringing her close to shattering from a freaking kiss.

In that moment, she would have given him anything. Her icy control met Duec’s nuclear blast, and she melted. The evidence soaked her scarlet thong.

Then he broke the kiss, boosted her over one broad shoulder, and locked one arm securely around her legs.

From her upside-down vantage point, she spotted her carryall dangling from his free hand as he strode out of the private room. She couldn’t kick, but she beat on his back. “Stop. You can’t carry me through the club like this.”

“Cloaked us.”

His words rumbled through her, halting her in midpunch. “We’re invisible?”

“Yes.”

Handy trick. Her cheeks burned as his words registered. She could’ve accomplished the same thing with a simple spell if she hadn’t panicked. Okay, panic is too strong. I’m just flustered by a kiss totally worth a little fuzzy thinking. “Where are we going?”