Taking Chances by Suzette Rose Cauler
Risking her life is nothing new to shape-shifter Dakota Laveaux, but when the thief-for-hire enters the Ettore compound, she gets far more than she bargained for. Determined to keep a haunting promise, Dakota will do anything to complete her mission, but the dangerously sexy Kane Ettore, leader of the Ettore vampire clan, becomes a delicious distraction. From the moment they meet, Dakota is drawn along on a roller coaster ride of mistaken identities, missed chances, scorching passion, and undeniable bliss.
Has sleeping with the enemy ever felt so good?
Dakota is hopelessly torn between her need for revenge and the insatiable hunger Kane inspires in her. With her life hanging in the balance, Dakota must decide whether to trust the vampire she’s already betrayed or take her chances with the cunning werewolf who has promised to help her. How far will she go to win this deadly game, and will she lose her heart in the process?
Risking her life is nothing new to shape-shifter Dakota Laveaux, but when the thief-for-hire enters the Ettore compound, she gets far more than she bargained for. Determined to keep a haunting promise, Dakota will do anything to complete her mission, but the dangerously sexy Kane Ettore, leader of the Ettore vampire clan, becomes a delicious distraction. From the moment they meet, Dakota is drawn along on a roller coaster ride of mistaken identities, missed chances, scorching passion, and undeniable bliss.
Has sleeping with the enemy ever felt so good?
Dakota is hopelessly torn between her need for revenge and the insatiable hunger Kane inspires in her. With her life hanging in the balance, Dakota must decide whether to trust the vampire she’s already betrayed or take her chances with the cunning werewolf who has promised to help her. How far will she go to win this deadly game, and will she lose her heart in the process?
Excerpt
“Let’s
dance,” came a deep, masculine whisper, causing her to jump like a
schoolgirl who’d just been touched by a to-die-for rock god. Elijah—he’d
come out of nowhere to stand behind her, leaning down to whisper in her
ear. Dakota recognized his voice from the tapes her client had played
for her. He didn’t wait for an answer. The vamp exuded confidence as he
walked onto the dance floor and turned to face her, beckoning.
In her
nervousness, Dakota sloshed some of the nasty-looking black drink on
her arm and promptly forgot many of the details of her plan. She’d never
had the opportunity to see Elijah up close before, but she could see
why women lined up to spread their legs for him.
He was stunningly handsome, and the sight of him, highlighted by the disco lights, nearly took her breath away.
The
shape-shifter had a weakness for tall men. They brought a bit of
vulnerability out in her, something she usually kept hidden behind an
I-can-handle-anything façade. Elijah was well over six feet tall, with
broad shoulders that definitely said he could handle it, a dark mop of
wavy black hair that set off smoky brown eyes and eminently kissable
lips. His expression was dark and brooding yet unabashedly sensual. He
looked as if he had secrets only fit for whispering within a tight
embrace.
Though
Dakota didn’t often struggle for composure, she felt a thrill race up
her spine and had to fight to remain calm as she set her drink on a
nearby table. She couldn’t bring herself to walk as far as the bar,
where a tangled knot of beings was engaged in activities sure to make
even the most used hooker blush. The public sex wasn’t responsible for
her out-of-control heart rate, though. Instead, it was Elijah’s request
to dance that shot her heart rate through the roof. She should have
guessed he’d want to dance. Why wouldn’t he?
Elijah’s
godlike form, already undulating in wait for her, had all but
obliterated most of her rational thought process. She walked, a bit
unsteadily, to join him on the dance floor, and tried to pick up the
rhythm he’d set. Her movements were stiff, awkward at first, and her
heart raced faster in fear of discovery. Desiree would surely not look
so out of place dancing with him. Fortunately, the witch’s glamour her
client had procured seemed to hide her beating heart and mortal smell
quite well. Up until this moment, she hadn’t felt completely confident
of its abilities.
“Relax,”
Elijah said, his voice deep and husky. He didn’t shout to be heard over
the music, but Dakota had no trouble hearing him. It felt as if his
voice vibrated within her body. He moved toward her, stopping mere
centimeters away to run a finger over the side of her face and down her
neck to her collarbone. “Don’t think. Just feel the music.”
Dakota
fought to clear her head, which became even more difficult when he took
hold of her hips and guided them in matching his movements. Her breath
came quickly and she had trouble focusing on anything but him. She was
hardly aware of the crowd surrounding them. From the moment he touched
her, it was as if only the two of them occupied the dance floor.
The
vampire danced so close she could feel the heat radiating off his body.
He was dressed casually in jeans and a simple black button-down shirt
that he hadn’t bothered to button. His gaze was so intense that, wanting
to look anywhere but at him, she focused on the broad chest he’d left
exposed. Big mistake. His abdominal muscles rippled and churned with
each movement he made. That’s when she realized her problem. She was
attracted to the vamp.
Having
been burned far too many times, Dakota was usually slow to warm up to
men, immortal or otherwise. Even when she met someone she actually liked
and let her guard down, it often felt like she was watching herself
date—even fuck, rather than fully letting go. The instant attraction she
felt for Elijah was overwhelming. An animal heat, a vicious hunger, had
washed over her the moment she’d laid eyes on him, and it was both
overwhelming and confusing.
Dakota
knew she should focus on the matter at hand, but her eyes had other
plans—devouring him. He caught her gaze, and smiled at her knowingly. It
was as if he could read her mind and knew that she’d just been
wondering what he would taste like. She wanted to touch him. In fact,
her hands practically burned with the need to feel him, and when the
song changed and he drew her into his arms, she wrapped her arms around
his neck as if they belonged there.
“Much better,” Elijah leaned down to whisper in her ear.
GIVEAWAY/CONTEST PRIZES:
1 - $15 Strandbucks gift card
1 eBook copy of her above release!
To be eligible for the drawing and ensure your chance to win, please leave a comment for Suzette below (along with your email address)
Contest ends at midnight on March 31st
1 - $15 Strandbucks gift card
1 eBook copy of her above release!
To be eligible for the drawing and ensure your chance to win, please leave a comment for Suzette below (along with your email address)
Contest ends at midnight on March 31st
7 comments:
Just added Taking Chances to my TBR list.
I enjoyed the excerpt. I would love to read the rest.
debby236 at gmail dot com
thank you so much for the winning chance!!!! my email is krystin2k6@yahoo.com
Got to have this! my email is a_rose4uwlv@comcast.net
Rose
Loved the excerpt!
ladyursa_ms@yahoo.com
Enjoyed the excerpt. Thanks for the giveaway. turtle6422@gmail.com
Hi everyone! Thanks for entering! Please spread the word about the contest!
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