Embraced by Fire
Authors: Louise Delamore
Tags: #Vampires and Shapeshifters, #Dragons, #Suspense, #Paranormal, #Fantasy
Praise for Louise Delamore and…
Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Embraced by Fire
by
Louise Delamore
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Embraced by Fire
COPYRIGHT © 2014 by Louise Delamore
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by
Debbie Taylor
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com
Publishing History
First Faery Rose Edition, 2014
Print ISBN 978-1-62830-064-2
Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-065-9
Published in the United States of America
Praise for Louise Delamore and…
HUMAN WITH A TWIST
“I would call the entire book a seduction...Louise Delamore writes a beautiful seductive mystery that was a pleasure to read.”
~
Bitten by Books
“The hero intrigued me the moment he appeared in the book. Well paced suspense kept me reading until the end.”
~
Siren Book Reviews
“
HUMAN WITH A TWIST
disregards conventional Vampyre myths and makes a daring attempt at something new. Louise Delamore invites you into a world full of danger, intrigue, and a little romance.”
~
Happily Ever After Reviews
~*~
REDEMPTION’S KISS
“Author Louise Delamore knows how to create a sensual scene, filled with a delightful sense of expectancy.”
~
Nights and Weekends
~*~
“
REDEMPTION'S KISS
is a touching story with realistic and passionate characters that can easily be enjoyed in one sitting. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good paranormal romance.”
~
Long and Short Reviews
“I started reading it and I couldn't stop until I knew what would happen between the two main characters.”
~
The Romance Studio
Dedication
To Simon M
sometimes One Simple Thing can make a difference
~
and as always,
to Paul
Chapter 1
Today was just like yesterday, and like yesterday’s yesterday. Kait sighed, depressed despite the sunshine. Lately all her days ran seamlessly together. The only place anything exciting happened was in her dreams. Work, where she was mindlessly headed, was nothing like those dreams.
At least she had Rachael to break the monotony. With that in mind, she dragged her attention back to the passionate words rushing from her friend. Rachel wasn’t always the easiest of friends, bitchiness sometimes her dominant trait, but when the chips were down Kait knew Rach was a friend she could count on.
“And then he said—” Rachael stopped abruptly at the edge of the pavement, her diatribe cut off mid-sentence.
“What now?” Kait was unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice as she stumbled, almost bumping into Rachael’s back.
Instead of answering Rachel stood staring across the road, her eyes narrowed, two fingers pressed against her lips. Kait reluctantly followed her friend’s gaze.
The street was empty except for a man on the other side. He was leaning against the wall of their building smoking, one leg bent so his booted foot rested against the brickwork. A black gym bag lay on the ground beside him.
“What now?” Kait asked again, hoping to get Rachel moving. They both had work they needed to get back to and no time to ogle.
“Look,” Rachael’s voice was little more than a whisper.
Kait turned to look at the man more closely, a sigh floating against the edge of her lips. If this turned out to be nothing more than a melodramatic reaction of Rachael’s to seeing her latest boyfriend, Kait would be extremely peeved.
On the other hand, maybe Rachel wasn’t being a drama queen. Even from this distance the man called to something deep within her. Her forehead puckered as she stared at the man relaxing in the bright summer sun.
Habit had her breaking down the image the same way she would a performance, searching for errors. Tall and athletic, the man’s faded jeans hugged muscular thighs, and the black t-shirt he wore pulled taught over broad shoulders. Short, dark hair ruffled in the breeze, and even darker shades hid his eyes. Rich caramel skin, a well-defined jaw, and sharp cheekbones finished a picture that would have sold to GQ if a photographer had been around to capture it.
Absolutely no errors.
He lifted a cigarette to his lips. Okay, he smoked—no one was perfect.
“
Hoo-mama
.” Rachael waved imaginary steam away from her face, her eyes glinting wickedly as she glanced at Kait.
Kait reached over and pretended to straighten the strap on Rachael’s dress. If they stood watching him much longer without an excuse he would notice and, personally, she didn’t want to be caught staring. Rachael picked up her cue and pointed at her shoulder as if something was wrong. In reality, both girls slid their gazes across the road.
“A performer looking for work?” As events co-ordinator for Fantasia Alive, Kait saw a lot of amazing things.
Although she’d never seen anything like him, especially not on the street, in the middle of the day, without an audience. He didn’t even need to do anything, he was remarkable simply to look at.
Her lips twitched. She’d been hanging out with Rachel too long, clearly melodrama was catching. He was good-looking, true, but he was just a man. A man who was unlikely to give her a second glance. She needed to keep her impulses in check before the all too familiar disappointment bit her in the ass.
“Mmmm, maybe I’ll hire him to perform for me personally,” Rachael said, a little too much relish in her voice for Kait’s liking.
“I doubt that’s what he has in mind if he’s turned up for an audition,” Kait said tartly, although it wouldn’t surprise her if Rachael did just that. When it came to men, her friend wasn’t shy. “Maybe he’s not a performer, maybe he’s something else.”
“He is certainly something else.” Rachael looked speculatively at him and licked her lips.
Please let him be an accountant, Rachael doesn’t like accountants.
She’d never stand a chance if Rachael set her sights on him. Kait caught herself sharply. Was she seriously thinking about trying to compete with Rachael? She glanced at her blonde-bombshell friend out of the corner of her eye then back at the stranger behind the smoke, and gave herself a mental slap upside the head.
Why was she doing this to herself again? It was hopeless—she was hopeless. Once guys got a look a Rachael’s baby-blues and thick handfuls of blonde hair they never noticed her. Secondly, she knew nothing about this man except he made her think things about a stranger she’d never thought before…sexy things.
Nonetheless, just this once, she wished Rachael would butt out. Except Rachael had never ignored a good-looking man in her life. Kait looked down at the boring, navy-blue suit she’d chosen for a client meeting and wished she’d picked something different. Professional it might be, but the suit didn’t even blip the radar compared to Rachael’s floaty summer dress.
Rachael shrugged Kait’s hand off her shoulder and turned. “I think he deserves closer investigation.” She flashed Kait a smile. “Have I got anything in my teeth?”
“Leave him alone.” Oh, cripes, she’d said that out loud.
Rachael bunched her hands on her hips and frowned. “I’ve given up cigarettes and now you expect me to deny myself men as well?”
Kait tried to look casual. She didn’t want Rachael to suspect from how deep her denial had come. “Not all men, just this one. He’s smoking and you’re trying to quit, that’s a bad combination.”
“Smoking hot, you mean.” Rachael licked her lips again.
“If you don’t stop doing that you’re going to get chapped lips,” Kait snapped.
“What’s your problem? You were fine at lunch, now your behaving like you’ve got too much starch in your seams.”
“I’m fine. You’re the one who can’t keep her hands off every man she sees, like some kind of nymphomaniac.” Kait wished the words back, but it was too late.
Rachael’s eyes widened in hurt, then narrowed dangerously. “You know what your problem is?” Rachael ran her gaze over Kait’s conservative suit. “You’re frigid. You need someone who’s willing to risk freezer burn to find your fire.”
“I am
not
frigid.”
I’m not
, her fingers clenched.
I might be inexperienced but I’m not frigid
.
She didn’t want to dole her body out willy-nilly, so what? She wanted to wait until she knew the guy loved her.
Love.
Who knew finding it was so difficult?
She didn’t need a wedding ring, but she wanted more than the drink and nice dinner, which seemed to be Rachael’s threshold. Of course, finding her own threshold was tricky because as soon as her boyfriends met Rachael, they stopped being her boyfriends. She loved Rach, but she hated the way men reacted like they’d seen the grail.
Rachael ignored her denial. “How many men have I introduced you to since we became friends? Ten, twenty, fifty…? They’ve been interested but you just look away, revelling in your ice-princess persona.”
Irritation bit deep, pushing away the last of Kait’s regret over her nymphomaniac comment. “I’m not an ice-princess. You only introduce them to me because you don’t want them anymore.”
“So what? I know they’re nice. I don’t introduce you to the nasty ones.”
She forced her teeth not to grit. “I can find my own boyfriends.”
Thank goodness Rachael didn’t know exactly how inexperienced she was or this conversation would be even worse.
“No, you can’t, the ones you find aren’t any good.” Rachael sighed and her expression softened. Kait wondered what her own face revealed because Rachael added, “Sorry about the frigid comment, I didn’t mean it. I’ll help you find someone.”
“I’m sorry, too. You’re hardly a nympho.” She forced herself to smile, after all she’d started the nastiness. What on earth had got into her? She marshalled her thoughts and tried to find something light-hearted to say. “You’re right I do need you. Right now I need you back at work practicing your routine for Saturday.”
Kait gave Rachael’s shoulder a pat, then hurried across the road toward their building, Rachael’s high heels clicking rapidly on the tarmac behind her. The man leaning against the wall lifted his cigarette and all thoughts of Rachael vanished. There was something about him that pushed all rational thought from her mind. A few more steps and she’d be close enough to touch him, if she dared.
Unable to take her eyes off him, she watched a gentle stream of smoke pour out his perfect lips.
Wait…that was peculiar.
She blinked. His cigarette didn’t look lit. How could there be smoke without fire?
****
Ryu watched the two women on the other side of the road speculatively. The blonde looked athletic enough to be a performer for Fantasia Alive, her short dress and heels revealing lean shapely legs. However, despite the blonde’s alluring legs, it was the redhead in the blocky suit who caught his eye.
It was her hair. He’d never seen hair that reminded him so much of the rich glow of a banked fire. It was all he could do to stop himself walking over there and running his fingers through it. She also looked vaguely familiar. He searched his memory, surely he wouldn’t have forgotten that hair.