ISBN 1-59201-004-0
Books Unbound E-Publishing Co.
http://www.booksunbound.com
Publication November, 2002
Cover Art by D. Lee
Paradise Shattered
D. Lee and Kammy Bonias
Copyright February 2000
All Rights Reserved
BOOK ONE
The Beginning
Chapter One
Vincent settled back against
the headboard and rubbed his eyes, his strength returning. This was when he
missed her the most. Not so much
her
anymore, but the intimacy of a wife. He longed for the quiet conversations
late in the night. The warm companionship that two people bound to each other
had. Dreams of the future. Plans for their life. It was such a simple
thing--finding someone to share your life--yet it wasn't easily done. The
search for that special someone was something he had vowed never to do again,
but he
was
lonely. Desperately, achingly lonely.
A moan drew his attention back
to the blonde sprawled over the redhead in sated abandon. He didn't know their
names--they hadn't offered them and he hadn't asked. They had approached him in
the lounge and invited him up for a drink. Their type held little appeal to
him. He wanted more from a mortal than a woman who was willing to take a total
stranger to her room for a quick roll in the hay. ...But this type did keep him
fed and healthy. He ran his hand over the blonde and pulled her up to his lips.
He paused long enough to slip into her dreams--to enhance them until she
moaned. The woman lifted her chin, seeking more of him. As his fangs sank into
her throat, the phantom lover in the woman's dream took her to magical heights
of passion.
Vincent left the room quietly,
leaving the women tangled together on the bed. When they woke in the morning,
they would have no recollection of him being there. They would assume their
weakness was due to a hangover.
He stopped in the lobby when he
spotted Sarah behind the desk. She looked up and smiled softly. Adoration shone
in her eyes as she gazed at him. He walked around the desk and lowered his head
to kiss her gently below the ear. "Tend to them in the morning."
"Yes Master, don't I always?"
she whispered. Sarah pulled her auburn hair over her ear to allow him access to
her throat. She knew he would not feed from her, but enjoyed the sensual caress
of his lips. Though she loved Jeff, part of her always melted under Vincent's
touch.
"Yes you always do." He nuzzled
her hair. Her soft scent helped cleanse the odor of the cloying perfume the
girls wore. "You and Jeff have done very well on the resort. Shall I reward
you?" His lips brushed over her soft skin. He smiled when he heard her sharp
intake of breath.
Sarah looked up at him
longingly.
He smiled down at her and
nodded towards the office. She quickly went to the door and entered. He
followed her in and closed the door behind him. He gave her a smile of approval
when she knelt in the center of the room to face him. He walked to her and
caressed her cheek as she gazed up at him.
She trembled beneath his touch.
With his other hand he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small ornamental
dagger. He held it out to her and Sarah's fingers trembled as she slipped the
small sheath off. She took his hand from her cheek and looked up once more with
the small blade posed over his finger. At his nod, she cut quickly and sucked
the finger into her warm mouth, curling her tongue around it. He moved deeper
into her warmth with a low groan of pleasure. "Good... girl...." he whispered.
He sensed Jeff's approach
outside the office and called to him telepathically.
Jeff entered without knocking
and stood quietly just inside the door. His breathing became labored as he
watched his wife feeding. The fine lines that had formed on her face were
melting away. She glowed with the vitality of youth, as he always pictured her
in his dreams.
He walked around and stood
before his master; for a moment, their eyes met. Vincent's eyes simmered with
the lust that came from feeding his ghouls. He nodded. Jeff knelt beside Sarah
and took the dagger she still held as Vincent offered his wrist. He cut cleanly
and leaned close to take the offering from his master. Vincent's head fell back
as they both drank from him. The rush of power and lust mingled together to
cloud his mind.
He had first met them over
forty years ago. Two young people fresh off the boat from Europe, looking for a
better life. They had been swindled out of their life savings and faced a cold
New York winter with nothing except each other.
Vincent had wanted Sarah. He
had almost taken her as his own mortal mate, but her love for Jeff was strong.
He knew she would never be truly happy with him. So he made them an offer, and
they had accepted of their own free will. He had given them immortality in
exchange for their devotion. He was fond of both. They had become more than
slaves--they were his family.
Vincent opened his eyes. His
long dark hair fell forward as he watched Sarah's lips and felt the warmth of
her tongue. He slowly withdrew and smiled at her whimper. Her cheeks were
flushed with the passion of his blood, now coursing through her veins. His
blood would maintain them for many months and keep them from aging--or leaving.
He pulled his wrist from Jeff and stepped back.
Sarah turned her fevered gaze
to Jeff, who did not need any encouragement. He leaned into her, his large form
pinning her to the floor as he pulled at her clothes. Vincent watched silently.
The heated passion filled the room and mixed with their love for each other.
The scene was primal, but both sensual and beautiful. He thought of the two
women and the lovemaking he had witnessed earlier. It was ugly compared to Jeff
and Sarah. It also made him ache for the love he had lost.
Vincent left the office just as
Sarah cried out in passion. A customer walking by turned to give him a strange
look. "She liked her birthday present," Vincent offered.
Sarah eased her grip in Jeff's
hair. She moaned softly as he rained kisses on her neck. Both were coated with
a sheen of sweat. Their lovemaking was always sweet and tender, but on the
occasions when they fed from Vincent, it became intense, almost frantic.
"I love you," Jeff groaned in
her ear, not wanting to leave her yet.
Sarah smiled and lifted his
head so she could see him. His golden-brown hair was dark with sweat. She
brushed the back of her fingers on his neatly-trimmed beard. She whispered the
words she always said to him. "I will love you forever."
"He was happy with everything,"
she beamed.
"As I said he would be." Jeff
laughed, finally rolling off her to his back. We
have
worked hard. How many could make a replica of Highcliffe Castle in Europe? The
only thing missing is the view of the Isle of Wight and Christchurch Bay. Then
modify it to be a world class ski resort in the winter and a hikers' paradise
in the summer? Your decorating skills and my accounting and research abilities
make us the perfect team for the project. It was your idea to make Vincent's
home another replica. I think he's really pleased you chose Altdobern Castle.
He lived in the real one for a time while in Europe."
"I know, he often mentioned it.
I think it gives the valley, with its crystal-blue lake and high jagged
mountains, a fairytale-like ambiance. I was worried I was thinking too
romantically."
"You worry too much, my love."
She sat up. "I know, but he
wanted everything perfect. Hopefully, he can find the peace he yearns for. He
has known so much pain. I wish he could find another. He's been alone far too
long. It's been ten years since Selenia died."
"You know he doesn't like you
playing matchmaker, Sarah."
"I know, but don't you think
it's time?"
He pulled her back down to him.
"He's worried about the hunters." Jeff sighed. "He has lost so many friends and
lovers to the hunters. I think his love life is something he has to work out
himself."
"Well... maybe I can help." She
gave him a mischievous grin and tapped his nose with her finger.
Jeff looked at her
suspiciously. "What are you up to?"
"Oh... you'll see." She quickly
got to her feet and bounced out of his reach.
Jeff laced his fingers behind
his head and admired her lithe body as she flaunted it for him. He never tired
of gazing at her. It seemed just yesterday that they were in Europe and he had
seen her in that field of flowers. He had taken her back to that same field a
few years later. He had laid her down and claimed her, with only God as a
witness to their love. He vowed to her that day that he would never leave her.
He would spend his life ensuring she was happy. When Vincent had offered him
eternity to do just that, he had not hesitated. In many ways, she still managed
to surprise him.
Other times, like now, he knew
she was up to something. "Going to let me in on the secret?"
Sarah smiled smugly and stepped
over him so she straddled him. She could see passion flicker in his eyes when
she let him get a good view of her body. "Remember? Vincent said he wanted to
hire a lawyer?"
"Hmm... yes. I remember," Jeff
murmured, distracted. He slid his hands up the back of her legs and tugged her
behind the knees to bring her down.
"Well, I have chosen three for
him to pick from." She knelt over him. "They are the very best available."
His eyes never left her body.
"And?" His hands moved up over her hips to her small waist.
Her grin grew wider. "They're
all women."
Jeff pulled her down onto him
with a groan. "You are so bad." He kissed her throat when her head fell back,
and passion swept the conversation from their minds.
This is a sample chapter from
Paradise Shattered
by
D. Lee and Kammy Bonias
We at
Books Unbound E-Publishing Co.
www.booksunbound.com
hope you will enjoy the entire book!
Stay tuned for more from this author duo, to be released later in 2002
Uncertain Horizons
War on the Horizon
Author's Bios
D. Lee
I live in B. C Canada with my husband, two grown sons, a cat and a dog.
Hobbies include computers and photography. Something of a late bloomer, I
didn't start to write until I was forty, although I've always been a
dreamer. Perhaps I had to live first, before I could sit down and
put my daydreams into actual stories.
Dreams are only unreachable if you stop dreaming.
Kammy Bonias
I started my writing career in the advertising industry. Though at the time I
didn't actually consider it 'writing'. I, like everyone else, moved into
cyberspace, where writing is a way of life, and good writing sets you apart
from everyone. As I learned my way around the Internet, I stumbled into some
literary clubs and gaming groups that role played games and simulations through
e-mail and other online mediums. This was how I met my co-author, D. Lee.
Like many of the text-based gamers, I began writing short stories, and then
novels, submitting them here and there, but nothing real serious until D. Lee
and I began discussing writing. She was writing too, and showed me one of her
stories. I added to it, made a few changes, expanded on the characters,
polished it up and sent it back to her. She loved it. We formed a partnership
that day and the rest is history. We've been together for years now, and still
have never met in person.
I am widowed, and live in Northwest Montana with my children, 3 dogs, 5 cats
and a parakeet named Skeeter.
Visit the Author's Joint Website
D. Lee and Kammy Bonias
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