BLURB
Coffee is heaven for Sophia. Alex is as delicious as his Midnight Mochas that he makes especially for her. Sophia keeps her distance because she is promised to another. However, she secretly lusts after Alex.
Alex desires Sophia, but he keeps himself away from her. He masquerades as an ordinary coffee shop owner, but it’s a ruse to protect his dark secret. Alex is a vampire who wants to claim Sophia as his own. There’s only one problem.
Another vampire has set his sights on Sophia. Will Alex win her heart in time? Or will he lose her forever.
REVIEWS
This story gets 4 tombstones. It was fast-paced from the first couple of pages. Even the way it was written was different in that the story was written from the perspective of the two main characters, with their points of view interchanging and at times overlapping...it was a brilliant read, with extraordinary characters and surprising twists and turns that will keep anyone interested in reading more. - Lyda, Bitten By Books
EXCERPT:
Sighing, I slipped into some jeans and an old T-shirt Drew had left behind. I used to like to confiscate his T-shirts. It was a godsend we’d never moved in together so I didn’t have a lot of his stuff to give him back. I sauntered into the kitchen and put water on for coffee. I’d only had instant these past three weeks, and I was seriously craving a Midnight Mocha, but I hadn’t scraped together the nerve yet to go in and order one. There was a knock on my door as I was about to sit down. The sudden rap startled me. I was way too skittish these days. Monsters. Vampires. What was next? Hobbits on stilts? Or Drew with more flowers in hand, begging me to marry him? Closing my hand around the doorknob, I took in a breath expecting Drew to be on bended knee when I opened the door.
On the other side stood Alex, looking as normal as anyone.
I drew in a breath, trying to shush my frantic heart. Instinct kicked in and told me to run, but I stayed my ground even though fear penetrated every muscle.
“Hi, Sophia.”
His voice was a low whisper. A black, mid-length leather jacket hung over dark slacks and a tan shirt. Sunglasses hugged his face so I could barely see his eyes. In his hand was a cup of coffee. I inhaled and realized it was my favorite. Boy, he knew the way to a girl’s heart. The heady aroma of the drink made my mouth water. I swallowed my fear as he took his glasses off and slipped them into his pocket. Underneath the dark lenses, his eyes were as dark as the coffee concoction he held.
“Hi, Alex.”
His eyes searched mine. “Can I come in?”
“I thought your kind could come and go as they pleased since you’d already been invited in?”
His lips turned up in a chuckle. “That’s just a myth. We don’t need to be invited in. I just didn’t want to barge in since it’s rude, and I figured you might not be happy to see me after . . .”
I looked down at the carpet. The rug was a weave of gray, pink, and tan. I’d never noticed the hallway carpeting before. My gaze settled on his shoes. They were black leather and looked soft, expensive. I can do this. Part of you still wants to jump his bones. He’s bringing you a peace offering. Let him in. The fear in me receded. My mouth suddenly became dry like someone stuffed a thousand cotton balls into it. I forced my gaze back to his chest. The more I studied him, the more my body warmed to the thought of having him naked in bed with me. Finally, I nodded. My eyes quickly met his and I tried to stop the burn coloring my cheeks. “Well, umm—”
“Sophia, I can go if you want me to.”
I heard the disappointment in his voice, and it stabbed my heart. The way he said my name was like a caress on my cheek. I didn’t want him to go. I yearned to be in his arms with his lips finally on mine. Yeah, he was a vampire. I’d been dealing with that fact for three weeks. Did it still freak me out? Oh, hell yeah! But I couldn’t just let him walk out of my life. That would be blasphemy. He let out a long breath, inferring my silence to mean I didn’t want him around. This time, I met his gaze, almost daring him. I locked my eyes with his. Moving out of the doorway, I saw his smile return.
“I don’t want you to go, Alex. I want you to stay. This is just all a little eerie.” I leaned on the door and shut it as he walked in and took stock of my apartment. The kettle was beginning to whistle, and I wove into the kitchen and shut it off before the noise got annoying. When I turned around, Alex appeared in the doorway. I nearly landed on the ceiling. Closing my eyes, I took a long second to catch my breath.
“I’m sorry.”
My hands were shaking. I hated that they were, but I couldn’t stop them. When I opened my eyes, the coffee he had brought was on the counter. I gripped the cup and tried to drink the liquid but couldn’t because my hand was shaking a mile a minute.
“Shit.” I forced myself to try to calm down. There was a space between me and Alex that hadn’t been there before. I hated it. A chasm had opened between us and there was no bridge to get to him.
“Sophia, I’m making you uncomfortable. I’ll go.” He turned to move out of the kitchen. I set down the coffee cup, reached out, and grabbed his arm.
Now my whole body shook. “No, Alex. Please don’t. This—you—it’s fucking strange.”
Gripping his arm, I noticed he was all muscle. I wondered if all of him was. He looked deep into my eyes. For a moment, his hunger flashed, but he reined it in. He was as tense as me.
“I know. I should’ve told you. I didn’t what to spook you, but I guess I did. I didn’t mean to hurt you the other night.” His voice was low, a hypnotic tone that lulled me a little into calmer waters. His fingertips traced the places on my neck where his claws had nearly pierced my flesh. At each stroke, warm tingles started to zing through my body, touching my toes and engulfing my heart. My mouth got even drier so I swallowed. His eyes never left mine. We were both transfixed. His other hand rested on my hip. The warmth of his fingertips burned through my jeans. My breathing increased. I was scared of him, but the anticipation of being so close and yet so far made my cravings for him irresistible.
“Alex?”
“Yes?” His fingers pressed lightly on my pulse point before he brushed a piece of hair from my face. His nails grazed along my cheekbone. I stepped in a little closer so my breasts pressed against him. Tentatively, I rested my head against his chest and let my hands wrap around his neck. A sigh escaped my lips as I relaxed in his arms somewhat. Like the original moment, he stiffened and then let his palms sit lightly against my back. I inhaled and smelled the mocha on his jacket. His hair was tainted with the aroma along with a hint of vanilla and shampoo. Everything in me felt so right in his arms. Even though my mind was screaming because of what he was, I felt safe.
“Sophia.”
I lifted my head, making sure my cheek brushed against his, so I could meet his gaze. “Yes?”
He paused. We were so close.
“There’s someone at your door. They’ve been knocking for a few seconds.”
I stared at him. I hadn’t heard the rapping. “Let them knock. I’m kinda busy.” I stretched up and was about to taste his lips when I heard the door open.
“Sophia?” The voice belonged to Drew.
“Shit! Why is this always happening to us?” I muttered.
He still had my key. In one of his voice mails, he mentioned he was coming over one of these nights so we could discuss our “relationship.” I groaned. Alex brushed his lips against my hair and untangled himself from me. Straightening my shirt, I poked my head out of the kitchen and saw Drew standing in the hallway, wondering where I was. His face lit up when he saw me. I used to love his smile. Now the look was annoying. In my mind, he was still an ass after the events at the restaurant, and I hoped his favorite shirt was forever stained from the wine I’d thrown at him. I stepped out of the kitchen, but didn’t make a move to go and greet him.
“Drew, what’re you doing here?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I wanted to see you. We need to talk about us. You haven’t been returning any of my phone calls, so figuring things out between us is kinda hard. I want us to work, Sophia.” He stepped toward me, but I backed away.
“Us? There’s no more ‘us,’ Drew. Didn’t you get that when you called me a whore in front of the entire restaurant? Or did me giving you back your ring not tip you off? I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“Look. I’m sorry. I was a jerk. I know that. Don’t shut me out just because I accused you of sleeping with Alex. I—”
At the mention of his name, Alex came out of the kitchen. The shocked expression on my ex’s face was priceless. It went from red to purple in a matter of seconds. “So you are fucking him! I knew it.”
“I’d leave now if I were you!” The menace in Alex’s voice made my blood run cold.
On the other side stood Alex, looking as normal as anyone.
I drew in a breath, trying to shush my frantic heart. Instinct kicked in and told me to run, but I stayed my ground even though fear penetrated every muscle.
“Hi, Sophia.”
His voice was a low whisper. A black, mid-length leather jacket hung over dark slacks and a tan shirt. Sunglasses hugged his face so I could barely see his eyes. In his hand was a cup of coffee. I inhaled and realized it was my favorite. Boy, he knew the way to a girl’s heart. The heady aroma of the drink made my mouth water. I swallowed my fear as he took his glasses off and slipped them into his pocket. Underneath the dark lenses, his eyes were as dark as the coffee concoction he held.
“Hi, Alex.”
His eyes searched mine. “Can I come in?”
“I thought your kind could come and go as they pleased since you’d already been invited in?”
His lips turned up in a chuckle. “That’s just a myth. We don’t need to be invited in. I just didn’t want to barge in since it’s rude, and I figured you might not be happy to see me after . . .”
I looked down at the carpet. The rug was a weave of gray, pink, and tan. I’d never noticed the hallway carpeting before. My gaze settled on his shoes. They were black leather and looked soft, expensive. I can do this. Part of you still wants to jump his bones. He’s bringing you a peace offering. Let him in. The fear in me receded. My mouth suddenly became dry like someone stuffed a thousand cotton balls into it. I forced my gaze back to his chest. The more I studied him, the more my body warmed to the thought of having him naked in bed with me. Finally, I nodded. My eyes quickly met his and I tried to stop the burn coloring my cheeks. “Well, umm—”
“Sophia, I can go if you want me to.”
I heard the disappointment in his voice, and it stabbed my heart. The way he said my name was like a caress on my cheek. I didn’t want him to go. I yearned to be in his arms with his lips finally on mine. Yeah, he was a vampire. I’d been dealing with that fact for three weeks. Did it still freak me out? Oh, hell yeah! But I couldn’t just let him walk out of my life. That would be blasphemy. He let out a long breath, inferring my silence to mean I didn’t want him around. This time, I met his gaze, almost daring him. I locked my eyes with his. Moving out of the doorway, I saw his smile return.
“I don’t want you to go, Alex. I want you to stay. This is just all a little eerie.” I leaned on the door and shut it as he walked in and took stock of my apartment. The kettle was beginning to whistle, and I wove into the kitchen and shut it off before the noise got annoying. When I turned around, Alex appeared in the doorway. I nearly landed on the ceiling. Closing my eyes, I took a long second to catch my breath.
“I’m sorry.”
My hands were shaking. I hated that they were, but I couldn’t stop them. When I opened my eyes, the coffee he had brought was on the counter. I gripped the cup and tried to drink the liquid but couldn’t because my hand was shaking a mile a minute.
“Shit.” I forced myself to try to calm down. There was a space between me and Alex that hadn’t been there before. I hated it. A chasm had opened between us and there was no bridge to get to him.
“Sophia, I’m making you uncomfortable. I’ll go.” He turned to move out of the kitchen. I set down the coffee cup, reached out, and grabbed his arm.
Now my whole body shook. “No, Alex. Please don’t. This—you—it’s fucking strange.”
Gripping his arm, I noticed he was all muscle. I wondered if all of him was. He looked deep into my eyes. For a moment, his hunger flashed, but he reined it in. He was as tense as me.
“I know. I should’ve told you. I didn’t what to spook you, but I guess I did. I didn’t mean to hurt you the other night.” His voice was low, a hypnotic tone that lulled me a little into calmer waters. His fingertips traced the places on my neck where his claws had nearly pierced my flesh. At each stroke, warm tingles started to zing through my body, touching my toes and engulfing my heart. My mouth got even drier so I swallowed. His eyes never left mine. We were both transfixed. His other hand rested on my hip. The warmth of his fingertips burned through my jeans. My breathing increased. I was scared of him, but the anticipation of being so close and yet so far made my cravings for him irresistible.
“Alex?”
“Yes?” His fingers pressed lightly on my pulse point before he brushed a piece of hair from my face. His nails grazed along my cheekbone. I stepped in a little closer so my breasts pressed against him. Tentatively, I rested my head against his chest and let my hands wrap around his neck. A sigh escaped my lips as I relaxed in his arms somewhat. Like the original moment, he stiffened and then let his palms sit lightly against my back. I inhaled and smelled the mocha on his jacket. His hair was tainted with the aroma along with a hint of vanilla and shampoo. Everything in me felt so right in his arms. Even though my mind was screaming because of what he was, I felt safe.
“Sophia.”
I lifted my head, making sure my cheek brushed against his, so I could meet his gaze. “Yes?”
He paused. We were so close.
“There’s someone at your door. They’ve been knocking for a few seconds.”
I stared at him. I hadn’t heard the rapping. “Let them knock. I’m kinda busy.” I stretched up and was about to taste his lips when I heard the door open.
“Sophia?” The voice belonged to Drew.
“Shit! Why is this always happening to us?” I muttered.
He still had my key. In one of his voice mails, he mentioned he was coming over one of these nights so we could discuss our “relationship.” I groaned. Alex brushed his lips against my hair and untangled himself from me. Straightening my shirt, I poked my head out of the kitchen and saw Drew standing in the hallway, wondering where I was. His face lit up when he saw me. I used to love his smile. Now the look was annoying. In my mind, he was still an ass after the events at the restaurant, and I hoped his favorite shirt was forever stained from the wine I’d thrown at him. I stepped out of the kitchen, but didn’t make a move to go and greet him.
“Drew, what’re you doing here?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I wanted to see you. We need to talk about us. You haven’t been returning any of my phone calls, so figuring things out between us is kinda hard. I want us to work, Sophia.” He stepped toward me, but I backed away.
“Us? There’s no more ‘us,’ Drew. Didn’t you get that when you called me a whore in front of the entire restaurant? Or did me giving you back your ring not tip you off? I don’t want to see you anymore.”
“Look. I’m sorry. I was a jerk. I know that. Don’t shut me out just because I accused you of sleeping with Alex. I—”
At the mention of his name, Alex came out of the kitchen. The shocked expression on my ex’s face was priceless. It went from red to purple in a matter of seconds. “So you are fucking him! I knew it.”
“I’d leave now if I were you!” The menace in Alex’s voice made my blood run cold.
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