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Excerpt - Bonded by Blood by Laurie London

Excerpt from BONDED BY BLOOD

He wasn’t expecting her kiss. She leaned over so quickly, he had no time to prepare himself, no time to double-check that his deadly instincts were still safely tucked away. With his mouth clamped shut, he ran his tongue over his palette. Nothing. So he softened his lips and kissed her back.

“Thank you for this.” Her words rumbled against him. He wasn’t sure if she meant the dessert or the kiss. “You taste delicious.”

All day, all evening, he’d been hoping she’d touch him first, kiss him first. He wanted any contact to be on her terms, and now they were. He cradled the back of her head in the palm of his hand, held her lips close to his, her tongue sticky and sweet.

When she sidled closer and a tiny moan from her throat vibrated against his lips, it was the only encouragement he needed. In one swift movement, he pulled her on top of his lap and kicked the settee backwards. Dishes clattered as her behind clipped the edge of the table. He didn’t care that glasses were broken, that wine was spilled.

From her gasp, he knew he had startled her, but she slipped her hands up over his chest and twirled a length of hair loosened from his ponytail, her breath warm against his cheek. With every ounce of willpower, he waited until she dipped her head to his again. He didn’t want her to regret any of what was going to happen. He wanted—no—needed for her to come to him willingly, of her own accord. His mouth hungrily met hers as she tugged at the thin leather tie at his nape, spilling his hair to his shoulders.

“I’ve been wanting to do this all night.” Her fingers dug into his hair.

And the beast inside him roared.

He cupped her bottom, yanked her hips forward against the stiffened erection straining beneath the fabric of his jeans and moved against her core. She arched her back and pressed her breasts to him. When he grasped the zipper at the back of her dress, he paused one last time which surprised him. Normally at this point, it would be all about fucking, pushing himself into the female fast and hard. The fact that he hesitated shocked the hell out of him. He cared about Mackenzie, what she thought now, whether she was completely ready for this, and he cared about what she’d think tomorrow and next week.

Her half-closed eyes were heavy with passion and she clutched at his shirt, maybe a little desperately. Oh, God, he hoped so, because he was certainly desperate for her. He pulled the zipper down slowly, giving her the chance to stop him, but she didn’t. It slid past her shoulder blades, the curve of her spine, down to her waist, where it stopped at the small of her back. The straps fell of their own accord, baring her skin to him, and he ran a thumb over her delicate collarbone. Her pulse vibrated at the base of her neck and called out a sweet invitation just inches from his deadly smile.

Laurie London Visits the Island!

*Squints into the sun. Adjusts sunglasses. Applies more sunscreen.*

Hi DIK ladies! Thanks for having me on today.

*Watches with interest as a hot guy approaches with a Corona and two limes. He’s wearing low-cut swim trunks that could be slipped off with one little tug.*

Oh, sorry. Got a little distracted. This is my first time on the island and I’m having a hard time concentrating.

Okay, where was I?
*Squeezes the limes into the beer and takes a long guzzle.*

You’re probably wondering why I’m here and why Sven is rubbing sunscreen on MY shoulders, and not yours. I promise that I’m only here today and tomorrow. You can have him back after I’m gone. But for now, he’s mine.
*Oooh, a little more to the left, please.*

I’m the author of the new Sweetblood series from HQN Books. The first book, BONDED BY BLOOD, just came out and is available in print, digital, and audio formats. What a trip it is to hear someone read my story. Antoinette LaVecchia, the narrator, does a lovely job. You can listen to a sample clip here.

The Sweetblood world consists of two vampire factions: Guardians who are sworn to protect humans and keep their existence secret, and Darkbloods who sell human blood on the vampire black market. The rarest type of blood, called Sweet, is highly addictive to vampires and, as you can imagine, commands the highest price.
*Takes another sip of Corona. Tries not to burp.*

Since there’s no test that tells if you’re a sweetblood or not (other than to have a vampire tell you), I thought it’d be fun to take this little quiz.

How to Tell If You’re a Sweetblood
(Please answer truthfully. This will not be graded.)

1. Are you under 30 years old?
Statistically speaking, if you make it past the age of 30, you’re probably NOT a sweetblood. A vampire would’ve found you by now. But then, this isn’t always the case. You may just be incredibly lucky.

2. Do you live in an area with a high UV index (like here on the island)?
Vampires become more aggressive when the indigenous population has a higher level of vitamin D in their blood. Back home in Seattle, where the UV levels are relatively low, we suffer from chronic vitamin D deficiencies, therefore, the vampires there who take our blood and energies aren’t as aggressive and are better able to control their urges. Most of them, that is.

3. Do you have a history of strange disappearances happening in your family?
Some suspect that being a sweetblood may be hereditary. If that’s the case, there’d be instances of relatives disappearing in each generation.

4. At night, do you ever feel as if you’re being followed, that something’s hiding in the shadows?
This isn’t exclusive to being a sweetblood. A vampire may follow you anyway because he or she is after your blood and energies, but if you get the feeling often, it’s worth noting. There might be something special about you and they’re waiting for the perfect time to strike.

5. Are you often tired, lethargic, and mildly depressed, especially in the winter months? If so, that’s good news. You’re either suffering from Season Affective Disorder, or you’ve been bitten by a vampire recently. If you had been bitten and you were a sweetblood...well, you wouldn’t be around to read this.
*snaps fingers to get Sven’s attention. He’s been over talking to Kati way too long.*

I wish I could tell you about a surefire test that identifies you as a sweetblood so that you could take the necessary precautions. Unfortunately, there isn’t.

Thanks for having me on the island today. I’ll be back tomorrow to share an excerpt. Do you want something chaste or sexy? (Nevermind. I think I know the answer.)

On my website at www.LaurieLondonBooks.com, you’ll find photos of the cemetery which inspired the first scene in BONDED BY BLOOD, as well as book club discussion questions and even fan fiction prompts.

I can also be found on Facebook and on Twitter.

Post your answers to the Sweetblood test in the comments or you can complain about me keeping Sven all to myself.


One lucky commenter either today or tomorrow will win a signed copy of BONDED BY BLOOD.