Tall, Dark, and Deadly: Seven Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance

  Was she really immortal now? It seemed impossible. She closed her eyes, drifting off in the warm bathwater.

  She sat up when Calisto returned. He stripped the sheets from the bed and bagged them. She tried not to remember the death she’d seen in the bed. Blood, vomit, and she didn’t even want to think about what else. Her wounds were healed, and the fact that she could hear something as soft as sheets sliding off the mattress was evidence that her hearing was enhanced now too.

  What else could she do?

  Calisto?

  Instantly, he leaned against the doorway. His hair hung loose around his face, and the view only got better as her eyes slid down his muscular frame. He wore a pair of jeans and nothing else.

  “You heard me.” Kate slid a little lower in the tub.

  He nodded, the corner of his mouth curving into a smile. “Of course I did. Your mind reached out to mine.”

  Kate gnawed at her bottom lip. “Could you hear everything else I was thinking?”

  “I could, but I have always respected your privacy.” Calisto stripped off his jeans and stepped into the spacious bathtub behind her. He lifted her onto his lap, sliding his arms around her waist. “Unless your mind reaches for mine, your thoughts are your own.”

  Tipping her head back to look at him, she smiled. “That’s probably a good thing. I had some pretty impure thoughts going.”

  He held her tighter and kissed along her shoulder. “Sounds very... intriguing.”

  She turned around to face him, her legs straddling his waist. Calisto claimed her lips, and she moaned into the kiss. His tongue tangled with hers, teasing her with the faint taste of blood. Something foreign stirred inside of her, animalistic and urgent.

  Kate broke the kiss, gasping for breath as she rested her forehead against his. She wet her lips. “I’m really thirsty. I think I need some water.”

  He held her a little tighter, kissing her hair. “It is not water you thirst for.”

  She looked up at him with a crease in her brow. “What are you saying?”

  Calisto caressed her cheek. “You are a Night Walker now. To live you must feed on life.”

  She pulled back from his arms. “You make it sound noble, but what you’re really trying to tell me is that I need to drink people’s blood. That I’m… thirsty for it.” She shook her head, her eyes downcast. “I don’t think I could bite someone. I can’t imagine drinking... ” She shuddered, her voice fading away.

  He grasped her chin, tilting her head so their gazes met. “I am sorry, Kate. I wish there had been some other way. I never wanted this life for you.”

  Guilt and worry filled his gaze.

  “This isn’t your fault. I didn’t want to leave you. I understood what you were doing, and I’ll deal with all of this. I will.” Somehow. She pressed her lips together, fighting the hunger brewing inside of her. Though she tried to imagine biting someone, she could only envision herself in a cape with fangs. Ridiculous. She grinned. “I don’t think I’m ready for blood-sucking vampire lessons just yet.”

  Calisto rolled his eyes and laughed. When he relaxed against her, she traced his chest muscles. “We are not blood-sucking vampires,” he said.

  “I know.” She rubbed her pelvis against his and kissed him. “I just wanted to see you smile again.”

  Calisto bit her lower lip lightly, teasing her new heightened senses. “How did I live so long without your kisses?”

  She parted her lips, and her tongue tangled with his. He cupped the back of her head and moaned into the kiss. She shifted her hips, and he pressed against her opening.

  He thrust up, sinking himself deep inside of her. She dropped her head back with a gasp. Calisto bent to take her exposed breast into his mouth, enjoying the way her fingernails dug into his shoulders.

  He licked over her nipple slowly, slid his hands down her wet body, gripped her waist, ground against her, and claimed her.

  The candlelight flickered around them, bathing them in a warm glow as the water teased her cool, sensitive skin. All of her senses seemed more acute, more intense. She could feel every sensation, every curve, every inch of his body caressing hers. He thrust into her, slowly at first, his eyes locked with hers.

  Staring into his eyes, she felt her mind instinctively slip into his. She felt his heated desire and love for her, his concern over her transformation, and finally...

  Before she could identify the emotion, his mind was closed to hers.

  Kate brought her hands up from his shoulders to cup his face. “No more secrets. Please, Calisto.”

  His thrusts slowed and his eyes sparkled. Something was happening with his eyes. They were changing. Her heart pounded. His dark eyes now glowed crimson. She’d never seen anything like it, but she wasn’t afraid.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He wet his lips. “Nothing is wrong.”

  “But your eyes.” She searched his face for any other changes.

  He brought a hand up from her hip, trailing a wet finger along the curve of her neck. “Your blood calls to me.”

  She turned to kiss his finger before meeting his eyes again. “Is it because I’m a Night Walker now?”

  He shook his head slowly. “No. Your blood has been a temptation for me every time we made love.”

  “But your eyes never changed before.”

  “I was careful, hiding my true nature as best I could.” Calisto slid his hand back into her hair as he kissed her lips, and Kate couldn’t help but wonder if he had fangs now. Calisto met her eyes again. “Do I frighten you now?”

  “No.” She hesitated. “Are my eyes glowing too?”

  “Not yet.” Calisto wrapped his arms around her, his kiss demanding her submission. She moaned as his tongue claimed hers. His hips worked slow and deep, rendering her incapable of coherent thought. Tilting her head, she deepened the kiss until she tasted blood.

  She jerked back from the kiss, shocked to feel her pulse race at the sight of blood coloring Calisto’s lips. He reached up to wipe it away, but she caught his hand. This was the blood that saved her life and changed every part of her. She leaned forward and kissed him, her tongue tasting his lower lip.

  “Did I cut you?” She whispered against his lips.

  “Yes.”

  She shivered at the desire in his voice. “You liked it?”

  He nodded, meeting her eyes. “Very much.” His lips curved into a dangerous, sexy smile. “I have never made love with another Night Walker.”

  Kate wet her lips, feeling truly desirable for the first time ever. She didn’t know if it was because she was a Night Walker, or knowing that she’d loved Calisto for lifetimes.

  At the moment, she didn’t care.

  Kate smiled and leaned in close, her lips brushing against his ear. “I have.” She drew back and rested her forehead against his with a satisfied grin. “I’ll be gentle with you.”

  Calisto smiled and wrapped his arms around her, fusing their lips together. Kate clung to him, no longer sure where her body ended and Calisto’s began. Her mind slipped into his once more, and in that moment she’d never felt closer to another soul. They were one.

  Almost, my love. Calisto’s voice whispered through her mind. Drink from me.

  Kate’s heart fluttered, but he responded, slamming into her harder and faster, driving conscious thought from her mind as he kissed and nibbled his way down her neck to her shoulder. She felt his sharp teeth brush over her skin, but instead of tensing, her pulse quickened. Her skin felt hot, hungry. His lips caressed her shoulder and his mind reached out to her again.

  Please Kate. Be one with me.

  Kissing along the muscle of his shoulder, she surrendered herself to the passion. She sucked at his skin, her teeth teasing his flesh. One of his hands sank lower in the water, between them, stroking her and urging her even closer to the edge. With her body on fire, aching for release, she sank her teeth into his shoulder.

  Lightning shot through Calisto’s body the moment Kate burst thr
ough the final barrier between their souls. The pull at his veins as she drank him into herself sent waves of hot, erotic pleasure through his entire body. He kissed along her perfect ivory shoulder until he could no longer fight the temptation.

  He moaned against her skin when he tasted her blood on his tongue. Making love to her, sharing her body, her blood, her soul, he’d never felt passion like this before. He could feel her love for him, her acceptance of their new destiny and life together. Her hunger and desire for him.

  The water splashed around them, out onto the floor, but he didn’t care. He needed her now. All of her.

  I’m yours. She gasped into his mind as her body clenched around him, taking him over the edge with her. He didn’t loosen his hold on her as he kissed over his bite, watching the pinpricks close on her skin.

  “And I am yours, my love.” He drew back just enough to meet her eyes. “I love you.”

  She smiled, and he felt his spirit soar. “I love you too.” Kate kissed him and whispered against his lips. “Always.”

  Epilogue

  The moonlight sparkled on the water. Calisto lay on the beach, leaning back on his elbows, laughing as he watched Kate practice calling fish onto the shore.

  “You could help me, you know.” She grinned over her shoulder, struggling to catch the jumping fish before the tide pulled them back into the water.

  “I could, but watching is much more fun.” He smiled.

  She amazed him more with each passing night. Over the past two weeks she had already embraced so many changes, in her body and her mind. He tried to introduce her new powers slowly, to ease the transition, but Kate took to her newfound talents and abilities with a natural grace that astonished him.

  What pleased him most, in spite of all of the changes she faced, deep down she remained the same spirit, his mortal love, Kate. The moon still shone in her eyes, and she never missed an opportunity to laugh.

  And as impossible as it seemed, he loved her more with each passing night.

  Kate splashed through the water, groaning as the last fish got away. “I give up!” She walked up and plopped down onto the sand beside him. “What good is using telepathy to call the fish to me if I can’t get them to stay still once they’re up on the sand?”

  Calisto shook his head with a smile. “I never did like fish anyway.”

  “I was just practicing. I’m new to this Night Walker thing, remember?” She smiled and kissed him. “Ready to dance with me?”

  He raised a brow. “Are you finished calling the fish?”

  “Would you stop that?”

  “Stop what?” He struggled to keep from smiling.

  “Answering my questions with another question.”

  “Will this do instead?” Calisto sat up, kissing her deeply as he rose from the sand and pulled her up into his arms. Slowly he drew back, lost in the dark beauty of the moonlight shining in her eyes.

  “You can answer me with kisses anytime,” she whispered with a smile.

  “Good.” He took her hand, walking out into the waves. He hadn’t waltzed in centuries, but with Kate in his arms, it was easy. Her laughter, her smile, just hearing her say his name made his heart soar.

  Eternity was theirs to share.

  The marine layer floated in from the ocean tide, surrounding them until the moonlight became an iridescent glow. The waves lapped at their ankles while they turned in each other’s arms, laughing together. Calisto smiled down at her, stealing a kiss.

  The lifetimes he spent waiting for her spirit to enter this world were worth every second.

  …

  Overhead, wings glided silently on the night breeze. A white-headed eagle with intelligent eyes soared above them, watching from a distance.

  Finally, his plan had begun to unfold. She was immortal. Again. He had waited thousands of years for this night, had been the instrument of fate to ensure they would come together. The world would be his once more. But he had to be patient. Tonight, he would only watch them. Watch and wait.

  For now.

  Did you love Calisto? Check out the rest of Lisa Kessler’s Night series!

  Acknowledgments

  There are so many people I want to thank that I’m not sure where to start. I’d like to thank the entire crew at Entangled Publishing for welcoming me into the family. Liz Pelletier, who invited me to submit my book, and Heather Howland, for making me the perfect cover and capturing the heart of the book in the tagline, I can’t thank you two enough.

  I also want to thank Kelley Armstrong and Barbara Vey, who encouraged me to join RWA and pursue my publishing dream. Your encouragement has meant the world to me!

  I also owe the last chapter to Angie Fox, who thought Calisto and Kate deserved it. Thanks for all your valuable feedback and guidance!

  To my fabulous editor KL Grady, thank you so much for coming on this journey with me! It’s still surreal to me that we ended up working together again on my first novel! How cool is that?

  Thanks to my wonderful publicist, Roxanne Rhoads, for helping me to get the word out about the book, and keeping the schedule organized for me.

  I could not have pulled off the medical references in the book without the input of Dr. D.P. Lyle.

  Lastly, I have to thank my husband, Ken Kessler, and my mom, Ally Benbrook, who have read Night Walker in all its versions and never complained. Thanks for always making the time to read and give me your feedback! Through all the ups and downs on this publishing journey, you never stopped supporting me and believing this book would be published. I couldn’t have done this without you.

  About the Author

  Lisa Kessler is an award winning author of dark paranormal fiction. Her debut novel, Night Walker, won a San Diego Book Award for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror, as well as the Romance Through the Ages Award for Best Paranormal and Best First Book.

  Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.

  When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, performing with the San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.

  www.authorlisakessler.com

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  Discover the Night Series …

  Night Demon

  Lukas Smith has spent hundreds of years searching for answers to his immortal Night Walker nature. As a series of ancient glyphs become clear, he’s about to find out more than he’d ever hoped, but the more he learns, the more his fate intertwines with the Night Demon, and the harder it becomes to hide his immortal secret from the beautiful, intelligent Gretchen. Together, they must find a way to stop the inexplicable violence and mass destruction surging across the earth before the Night Demon destroys more than just mankind.

  Night Thief

  Night Child

  Other books by Lisa Kessler

  Moonlight

  Hunter’s Moon

  Beg Me to Slay

  Protecting humans is the Bringers’ duty. Sending demons to the Shadow World is their pleasure.

  In one night, Ravyn’s life plunges from barely tolerable to deadly. Forced to flee the only home she’s known, she stumbles headlong into the clutches of Icarus, a powerful demon intent on stealing her powers. Unfortunately for him, she has no intention of cooperating.

  When Rhys realizes the woman he’s rescued from the Bane Demon is no mere human, his obligation as a Bringer dictates he protect and train her in the ways of his people. But he’s unprepared for the intense desire he feels for the fiery Ravyn. To surrender to his need may mean her death. r />
  As the Demon King’s desire for ultimate power escalates, fathers are slated against sons, and foes are made allies. The Bane threat upon them, Rhys and Ravyn must quest to unite the last of the Bringers—and explore a passion too powerful to ignore.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2011 by Boone Brux. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

  Entangled Publishing, LLC

  2614 South Timberline Road

  Suite 109

  Fort Collins, CO 80525

  Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

  Edited by Libby Murphy and Kerry Vail

  Cover design by Heather Howland

  Print ISBN 978-1-937044-33-6

  ePub ISBN 978-1-937044-17-6

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  First Edition December 2011

  To my husband and kids.

  Thanks for all the breakfasts at my computer

  and for not being afraid of the vacuum.

  You guys are the best.

  Dear Reader

  A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away there was an aspiring writer. “I shall write an epic fantasy series,” she announced. “Sixteen or seventeen books minimum!”

  Yeah, that writer was me. Let’s just say I might have been a tad naive at that point in my career. Okay, a lot naive. Who could blame me? Entangled Publishing had contracted my story. The hard part was over, right? Fast forward past several rounds of edits, a couple of editors, and more than a few crying jags. If I could have lit my manuscript on fire in the middle of my living room I would have. Wait...I’m supposed to be telling you why I love my Bringer and the Bane series.