A startling new vision of paranormal romance: When a human ventures into the world of vampires—a decadent milieu of blood-bonds and betrayal—she discovers that not all is what it seems.
For Reyna Carpenter, giving up her body isn’t a choice. It’s survival.
In a civilization laid waste by poverty and desperation, Reyna accepts a high-paying position with the wealthy and hungry vampire elite. Her new job is as the live-in blood escort for the intimidating, demanding, and devilishly handsome Beckham Anderson. He’s everything she expected from a vampire, except for one thing—he won’t feed off her.
Reyna soon discovers that behind Beckham’s brooding, wicked façade lies a unique and complex man. And that, in a dark and divided world, she is more valuable than she ever would have believed.
For with each passing night, Reyna can’t shake the sensation that it’s Beckham who’s afraid of her.
Note: Reyna and Beckham’s story continues in Blood Match.
Paranormal romance is not my thing. It just isn't. If it has a werewolf, or a shifter of any type, or a fairy, I am out, thanks for asking.
Vampires, however, are not paranormal, so we are all just fine here. (Can we please just all pretend that this is true, together, just for a bit? Thanks. Appreciate it.)
Anyway, like I was saying, it's ok if you don't like paranormal, as it's just vampires...and, well, the way Kyla Linde writes them, you just don't care that it is a paranormal romance, that it seems to be set in the future (although not enough that it is really noticeable) and that some major changes have happened to the world in which we live. In ways, the way it was written reminded me a little of the way the world in The Hunger Games was set out. It's not the same, but there are some parallels with the way society has fragmented.
Beckham and Reyna are not a match made in heaven, or love. In fact, as you find out quickly, he is rather indifferent to her...and he has his reasons. Lots of them in fact. Some of them are a surprise, others are obvious and the big one? Well, let's say that I did not see it coming, but possibly because I am not one to think on the book I am reading and try to guess where it is going. That said, after I finished the title, and got to the evil, mean, awful cliffhanger at the end of the book, I can't say the revelation and the events were a surprise.
What was a surprise is how thoroughly I enjoyed this title, as it is not a sub-genre I usually connect with. I was interested in the book because I enjoy this author. I loved the book because of the characters, the plot and the story.
I recommend this title.
She opened her mouth
to ask another question, but then quickly snapped it shut. Some other time.
“Was there something
else?” he asked.
The few feet of
distance between them felt like an eternity. He was so close and yet so far,
and she felt reluctant to ask the one question she had regarding their
situation. The one question she dreaded.
“I read through your
schedule and didn’t see anything on there about eating,” she whispered. “I
didn’t know if it was a mistake or when . . .” Her voice trailed off as she
watched the hungry glint in his eye reappear. Why the hell had she brought this
up again?
“Why?” he asked,
taking unhurried steps toward her. “Are you so ready to give your blood to me,
Little One?”
Reyna stood stark
still, uncertain how to respond. She wasn’t eager. She just wanted to be
prepared. But the way he was looking at her set her blood to boil. She had
never been looked at like that before.
“Well?”
He was directly in
front of her now, and she couldn’t hide her racing heartbeat. She had unlocked
Pandora’s box. Any minute now she would feel what it was like to have a vampire
take from her. She felt shaky and afraid and like she couldn’t breathe, all at
once.
Beckham raised his
hand and slid it through her hair. Her eyes automatically closed at the feel of
his large hands taking control of her. She realized it was the first time he
had actually touched her, and it made her so very aware of how powerful he
truly was. This was what she always saw brimming under the surface. With the
weight of it directed at her, she felt as weak as a lamb beneath his
fingertips.
Slowly he ran down
the curve of her neck to the vein beating fiercely against her skin. She opened
her eyes and was certain fear reflected back into them. Here were her fears
magnified tenfold.
His head dipped down
to the soft skin. She inhaled deeply as his lips caressed the tender skin. Her
eyes fluttered closed again, and all thoughts seemed to flee her mind.
This wasn’t what she
had expected. Terror, stark terror. That was all she had anticipated. Not this.
Whatever this was fluttering around in her stomach and heating her lower body
at his nearness. Some part of her mind told her to pull away; that this was the
last thing she wanted . . . she would give her blood out of necessity. She
wouldn’t like it. But it was quickly silenced by the soft kisses trailing up
her neck.
Then she felt it . .
. a sharp prick against her neck. Her entire body shivered in anticipation of
what was to come.
And then she was
roughly shoved away from Beckham.
Her body collided
with the wall five feet from where she had been standing. Her head cracked back
against it. It wasn’t all that hard, but she could already feel a headache
blossoming, and her vision went blurry for a second. Her hand went to her neck
where there was the faintest trace of blood.
“What? What
happened?” she asked. Fear crept back in, obliterating everything else that had
just shot through her.
He was breathing
heavy and refused to look at her.
“Beckham?” she
whispered, using his name for the first time.
His eyes snapped to
hers. “Nothing. Nothing happened,” he growled, and then stormed from the room
without another word.
She was so terribly
confused.
Why hadn’t he followed through? Why did
she wish he had?
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