Vampire's Captive

Excerpt from: Vampire's Captive

The moon bathed the ocean and the dilapidated carnival on the pier with its silvery glow and cast the forlorn woman in her long wedding gown in breathy, expectant shadows. Brett’s guilt washed over him for the hundredth time since seeing his ex-wife step out of her fancy, expensive heels and, without giving them a backward glance, stroll dejectedly onto the beach, her shoulders slumped and her back hunched forward. He’d wondered for a year, five months, two days, and five and a half hours—give or take a couple of minutes—if he’d done the right thing in divorcing Sierra.

He was an eternal vampire and she was a mortal, although a devastatingly lovely mortal with sleek dark hair that swept her waist and an innocent, beguiling expression that lured jaded, hardened men from their complacency about the fair sex. And yet the man she now loved hadn’t even bothered to make it to the altar today. He’d left her standing in the annex holding a wilting bouquet of pale pink roses and baby’s breath and a heart that had been hurt far too many times. Brett didn’t believe in God, but he tossed a short prayer into the air asking that Sierra forgive him for what he was about to do.

He spoke her name softly, like a dry leaf scudding along the sidewalk. “Sierra.”

She didn’t jump as he’d expected. She merely turned to gaze at him over her shoulder, then, without a spark of recognition, returned to her survey of the pounding waves and the invisible horizon darkness had obliterated. He knew he shouldn’t have come, should have stayed away from her, but how could he when she felt betrayed, as if her whole world had collapsed? First him and then this man with whom she’d thought she could spend the rest of her life.

He took a deep breath, seized her wrist, and spun her around to face him. “Look at me.”

She was exquisite in the off-the-shoulder gown. Bare neck, bare shoulders. She blinked several times. “What do you want, Brett?” she asked in resignation.

He heard the unspoken accusation, wanted to take her in his arms and make her promises of forever, but the tears rolling down her cheeks, one by lonely one, stopped him.

She frowned. “So? You’re not often left speechless. A man who must have a great deal of experience with all types of women. Why did you come?” Under the jewelled bodice, her breasts rose and fell. Anger simmered near the surface, waiting with eager tentacles for the wrong words to leap into life.

Brett didn’t want her to be alone. Or ashamed at being left at the altar, which was partly his fault. If he hadn’t divorced her, would she be happier with him? “I wanted to see if you’re okay.” Lame, but it was the best he could do.

“Really?” She would have turned away, but he grabbed her other wrist and held her at a distance in case she decided to fight him and perhaps knee him in the groin.

He didn’t want the night to end before it began.

How could he tell her he’d made a mistake? She was in the throes of rejection, and this wasn’t a good time to mention his deepest regrets. “I want to be your friend.”