Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Tooth and Claw

Yay! I’m so happy it’s release day. It’s been a long time for me and I sincerely hope you enjoy Seth and Paxton in Tooth and Claw. You’ll have to let me know!

Blurb:

Vampire: (noun) Bloodsucker, murderer, bedpost-notcher, God’s gift to women, fiend.

Seth Gramble is a prince among his people. Half vampire, half jaguar, he is one of a rare few who can shift into an animal form. Both his halves have found their mate in a female detective determined to lump all vampires in with the rogue who killed her former lover. He’s given her six months to see him differently. He’s done waiting.

Paxton Tenor wants nothing to do with a blood-sucking fiend, no matter how much he makes her body sing. Nothing good can come of a vampire. A case she’s working on partners her with Seth, and she’s forced to reconsider her hatred. He doesn’t seem at all like the rogue who sucked the life from her boyfriend in cold blood.

When Seth’s kitty comes out to play, Paxton realizes she’s been stupid to deny herself this man. And when he puts his life on the line to protect hers? All bets are off.

Warning: Let’s be realistic here people; there’s sex. Who doesn’t want to be coerced into bed by a sexy, God’s-gift-to-women vampire? And when they can be undressed and on you before you can blink—hello. Even if said vampire faints at the sight of his own blood…

Excerpt:

Everything in Seth Gramble’s world came to a crashing halt the second Paxton Tenor entered the bar. The singer’s country twang ceased, the clank of beer bottles and glasses disappeared, and the din of loud voices over the cadence of the music evaporated until there was nothing left but her.

He wanted her.

Had wanted her since meeting her six months ago. When they’d crossed paths he’d been working a case as a consultant for Leid’s—a firm that supplied vampires and their extra-sensory perceptions to police departments and private security companies across the country. Seth had run into his best friend, Luke Summers, at the precinct where he was a detective. Luke introduced Seth to his partner, Paxton.

At first she’d been warm toward him, friendly even. Right up to the second Luke mentioned Seth was a vampire. Then she’d gone into lockdown and Seth hadn’t gotten anything but the cold shoulder from her since.

And who could blame her for the emotion, since one of his kind had killed her long-time lover two years ago. One rogue had turned Miss Paxton against vampires for life it seemed.

Two years was long enough to mourn, wasn’t it?

He was surprised he’d made it these last six months without claiming her. Only his business with Leid’s had protected her from his soul-deep desire of having her.

Perhaps wanting her was too soft an expression.

He needed her. In every sense of the word. He needed her trust. Needed her essence surrounding him. Needed her body beneath his, needed to be buried as deep inside her as he could go, his teeth imbedded in her soft skin. Needed her love.

Sitting back, waiting for her to get over her fear of him, wasn’t cutting it anymore. Watching a smile tug at the corners of her beautiful, bow-shaped mouth made Seth decide then and there that now was the time to do something about her dislike of his species.

Paxton smiled again, those full, ripe lips just begging to be kissed. She never looked at him that way, and his jealousy toward the woman now receiving the grin raged beneath his skin.

Just once he wanted that smile directed at him instead of her usual hide-behind-some-excuse reaction whenever he came near.

Paxton Tenor, the one woman in the world made for him, didn’t like him. Or at least didn’t like what he embodied. That bad seed had condemned the whole of his species in her eyes.

Her head tilted back, causing waves of auburn curls caught in a ponytail to cascade down her back and revealing her long, slender neck as she laughed at something her friend said. The sound made his balls tighten and his shaft thicken and harden to the point of pain. His incisors elongated, ready to penetrate the tender skin of her throat, allowing him to drink from her.

If he walked over to her, the melodic, orgasm-inducing laughter would stop, simply because he was near. Her pulse would speed up, allowing him to hear it beating, and the soft whoosh, whoosh would become a persistent hammer in her veins. Her muscles would tense, her hands would shake and a flush would stain her cheeks a pretty shade of pink.

It was the same flush he was sure he’d find on her body when he made her come the first time. And every time thereafter.

He’d make love to her. Soon. Because despite her cool demeanor, her nipples always tightened into little buds and the tell-tale scent of her arousal inevitably wafted across his nose whenever he was near her.

She wanted him.

She grotesquely hated that she did, but she wanted him just the same.

“Seth.”

He allowed the rumble that bubbled from deep inside at Luke’s interruption.

“Hey, man, don’t eat the messenger.” The man threw his hands up in mock surrender.

“What?” Seth crumpled the napkin he’d swiped from beneath the bottle of Synth he hadn’t touched and urged his third persona, the jaguar, not to come forth and attack his best friend.

“You meeting with Cap tonight?”

Seth grunted and kept his gaze on Paxton as she stretched her arms above her head. The act elongated her torso and pushed her breasts against the fabric of the silky button-down shirt she wore.

“I thought so, but he hasn’t called yet,” Seth had known the captain wanted to see him. The owner of Leid’s Consulting had told Seth he’d been requested. That’s why he was here waiting for the captain’s call instead of back at home enjoying the ballgame in peace and quiet. Why go home when he was just going to get called in to work again?

What-the-hell-ever. He was here because he’d known Paxton would be here after a long day on the job.

“Yeah. He did. Said he couldn’t get a hold of you for some reason.” Luke’s tone was dry as he turned toward Paxton. “Can’t imagine what might be causing your brain to tune out.”

“Me neither.” Seth shook his head to clear it and forced himself to look away from the woman who’d made him miss a call. Not only had he not heard his phone, but he’d tuned out his telepathy as well. Damn psychic ability shorted out whenever Paxton was around. She made him useless.

“I tried to call your cell too. No answer. You’re so preoccupied your superior hearing isn’t even working?” Luke quirked an eyebrow and Seth could tell he was trying not to laugh. “We need you.”

Seth glanced at the phone on his hip and saw that he had in fact missed two calls, then slid his gaze to the reason he’d missed them. Paxton laughed again, sending every ounce of blood in Seth’s body to his groin.

“What’s the case?” His boss at Leid’s hadn’t specified what Captain Quinn wanted him for. Could be for any number of things. A serial rapist, an arsonist, a drug ring? He’d even taken part in a sting operation involving the trafficking of young girls.

Seth took a long drag of the Synth and grimaced at its coolness. He much preferred it warm. Or at the very least, room temperature. Too bad manufacturers hadn’t figured out a way to keep it fresh without refrigeration. Maybe he’d go out later for the real thing.

He eyed Paxton and there went his desire for the real thing. No other woman would be able to slake his hunger.

Luke slapped Seth on the shoulder. “The Panty Bandit, my friend.”

Seth choked on the Synth he’d yet to fully swallow, spraying the table with synthetic blood. Christ, he’d been thinking arsonist and they wanted him to find some dickweed with a panty fetish? “Are you kidding me?”