Something Wicked This Way Comes, Volume 2
Scarred and Kilt
Laurann Dohner
Matty has a new neighbor, and she strongly suspects the kilt-wearing hottie is a vampire—he only goes out at night, has weird visitors and the blood bank is making regular deliveries. But he doesn’t seem to hurt anyone, so “live and let live” is Matty’s motto. Until she sees a guy armed with crosses and wooden stakes breaking into the neighbor’s house. Matty charges to the rescue—and ends up in Mr. Hottie’s bed…and on his desk…and…
Tinderbox
Regina Carlysle
Set in the same world as Jaguar Hunger.
Private investigators Nate and Daniel don’t expect to find their mate while working a case. But they recognize Olivia as theirs the second they catch the missing woman’s scent—the scent of a female jaguar shifter in heat. Nate and Daniel’s task? Find then claim Livvy in every raw, animalistic way possible…and release her inner beast.
Asterion
Katalina Leon
Betrayed by her village chief, Larisa is brought to a mysterious island and left bound in a subterranean labyrinth, where drops of her blood summon the mythical Minotaur. She expects the man-beast to take her life…but it’s her body that’s sacrificed. Darron, a shapeshifting being, ravishes Larisa, and she gives herself freely to the pleasure—a decision that will change both their worlds forever.
Decadent Dance
Aubrey Ross
Surely the dress Zoe purchased did not transport her to an alien ship, right? No. Hallucinations. Must be. Though…the gorgeous alien who greets her seems real enough. And the sex? Out of this world.
Vaden has waited years for his Decadent Dancer, and though Zoe swears she didn’t know what the dress could do, Vaden has been lonely too long to be easily thwarted. He’ll use every sensual trick he knows to convince Zoe she’s right where she belongs.
Sahara Heat
Diana Hunter
As a favor to a friend, author Carla Braun agrees to meet with archaeologist Josef Anderson to discuss his recent desert find. To her dismay, the man’s infuriating…as well as tall, blond, gorgeous—and into BDSM. If she can look beyond Dr. Anderson’s cool exterior, Carla just might discover some scorching Sahara Heat…
Fatman & Robyn
Jaid Black
Jake Chamberlin, star quarterback of the New York Bloods, has a not-so-little secret—he’s into chubby chicks. He does all he can to resist temptation, but when Jake bumps into the gorgeous Robyn DiMarco at a bistro in Little Italy, all bets are off.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Something Wicked This Way Comes Volume 2
ISBN 9781419937002
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky:
Scarred and Kilt © 2012 Laurann Dohner
Edited by Kelli Collins:
Tinderbox © 2012 Regina Carlysle
Asterion © 2012 Katalina Leon
Decadent Dance © 2012 Aubrey Ross
Sahara Heat © 2012 Diana Hunter
Fatman & Robyn © 2012 Jaid Black
Photography by Syneca; cover design by Syneca & Jaid Black; model: Georgio
Electronic book publication May 2012
The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
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Something Wicked This Way Comes
Volume 2
Scarred and Kilt
By Laurann Dohner
Tinderbox
By Regina Carlysle
Asterion
By Katalina Leon
Decadent Dance
By Aubrey Ross
Sahara Heat
By Diana Hunter
Fatman & Robyn
By Jaid Black
Scarred and Kilt
Laurann Dohner
Chapter One
He’s back. Matty leaned closer to the window, glanced at the clock across her bedroom and realized he’d barely beaten the sun rising. Her focus returned to the house across the street as the man climbed out of the back of the limousine, his near-white braid trailing down his back to his waist, seeming to glow from the street lamp.
He turned, bent down, talking to someone inside the black vehicle. She could hear his deep chuckle with her window open. His muscular arm braced on the roof of the car, thick biceps displayed in the black tank top he’d chosen, and it stretched across a broad chest.
“Have a good one,” he told his ride home, the brogue as clear as the deep baritone of his voice.
It gave her chills every time she heard it. He pushed the car door closed and glanced at the sky, before striding briskly toward his home.
Matty grinned at seeing the blue plaid kilt he wore. She never thought she’d find a guy wearing a skirt hot but that was before she’d glimpsed “Kilt”. She’d dubbed him that since she didn’t know his real name. She’d raided his mailbox a few times but the only name on the ads had been the old homeowner.
Kilt had moved in three months before and it had become a habit of hers to watch him whenever possible. She hated it when he unlocked his door to disappear inside.
Lights turned on and off as he moved through the house. She knew where he’d go, it was always the same routine. The first two floors of the house went dark. She looked up and sure enough, the vented attic glowed slightly, barely noticeable unless someone was looking for it. He slept there during the day.
I have it bad for a guy who I’m pretty sure is a vampire. The thought made her back away from the window. She normally wouldn’t believe in such things but it made sense. She’d never seen him during the daytime. He didn’t answer his door, only seemed awake at night, and he always made it home before the sun rose. It would account for his weird visitors. Most of them were reject dressers from various time periods.
He could be allergic, one of those rare people sickened by the sun, but she’d noticed the white van making deliveries every Monday and Friday. She’d called in a favor with her friend at the police department to run the plates and it had been registered to a blood bank. It all fit and the facts seemed clear.
She remained seated in her chair, waiting for the sun to rise, and
knew she’d go to bed soon. Matty had her own reasons for keeping the hours she did. She’d let her guard down once during the night and now the darkness frightened her. Dawn broke and the sky pinkened with streaks as she watched. She stood, stretched her arms high and twisted her hips a little to alleviate the stiffness from sitting too long.
A black van pulled up to the curb across the street and she frowned. It wasn’t one she’d seen before, could only be visiting her house or Kilt’s, and that wasn’t feasible. No one ever came to see her and anyone who knew him wouldn’t arrive after the sun rose. She stepped back into the shadows, watching as a man climbed from the driver’s side. He opened the slide door and leaned in.
She grabbed her binoculars and could make out the interior of his van. The guy had crosses, two long wooden stakes, and what appeared to be a squirt gun of the gallon-sized variety that kids loved to play with during the summer.
Oh shit. Kilt seemed to have been discovered by someone who obviously intended to do him harm. She bit her lip as the guy wedged the stakes and crosses between his pants and belt, then hoisted up the plastic weapon she suspected held holy water. The van door slammed closed, the stranger studied Kilt’s house and crept toward the side gate.
Matty bit her lip. She shouldn’t interfere but she liked to watch her neighbor. He hadn’t ever bothered her, no one on the block had disappeared, and he wouldn’t have blood delivered if he were a killer. He’d be getting it for free by attacking people.
“Damn,” she muttered, rushing for her nightstand.
She grabbed the gun and the stun gun, not wanting to kill the stranger but ready to if it came down to him or her. The small screwdriver she kept to change the batteries on her remote came with her. She jogged out of her room, down the stairs, and exited the front door. Her bare feet flew across her grass, barely slowed on the pavement, and she reached Kilt’s front door.
The locks were flimsy and he didn’t have an alarm pad. She grimaced. It was stupid not to use technology but maybe he didn’t want responders coming to his home if it were ever triggered. She used the screwdriver to stab into the deadbolt lock and it turned the bolt. She wiggled the tip between the door handle and the wall, closed her eyes, and smiled when it popped open. Simple as pie. Her hand pushed open the front door.
Yeah, I’m definitely going to have a talk with my neighbor about his cheap taste in hardware. She glanced around, closed the door behind her and sprinted for the stairs. The intruder was probably still trying to work his way into the house. He’d have to figure out how to wiggle the back slider until the lock popped or get through a window. She doubted he’d be brave enough to smash glass for fear of drawing attention of other homeowners to his trespassing.
She avoided the bedrooms, sure Kilt wouldn’t be there, and headed for the door at the end of the hallway. She hesitated when her fingers touched the handle. Every vampire movie she’d ever seen flashed through her memory and she drew back. No way would she enter the attic. Her neighbor could attack her. She spun instead, stepped into the laundry area and waited.
The bedrooms all had thick curtains, the doors open, but hardly any light filtered into the second floor. Her ears strained and she heard someone coming up the stairs. The stranger had a heavy tread, breathed loudly as if he’d done something to get a workout, and her hand reached for the gun she’d shoved inside her robe pocket. Fingers curved around metal. The weight comforted her as she slid her other hand into the matching pocket, grabbing the stun gun.
A light clicked on near the stairs, illuminating the hallway. She hesitated before inching forward. She peeked around the wall to watch the stranger disappear into the room and she tiptoed down the hallway. She pressed against the wall next to the room he searched and waited.
The closet jerked open inside the bedroom, the guy obviously looking for Kilt, and he softly cursed. Matty’s hand tightened on the button of the stun gun, her other hand ready to jerk out the gun if needed. The shadow moved on the floor as he stalked closer.
Her heart pounded but she had surprise on her side. She lunged as the shadow grew larger. The guy startled when he faced Matty. His brown eyes widened as he stared at her face, another advantage she had, and her hand shot out. The metal bars touched the guy just as she pushed the button.
The clicking noise seemed to create a beat for the stranger to dance to as his body began to shake, twitch, and she watched him pale. His arm shot out while he jerked around, struck her face, but it didn’t hurt. She pulled away quickly. She didn’t ease up on shocking him until his eyes rolled up and the guy collapsed on the floor unconscious.
She stepped over his body into the bedroom. Her gaze swept the room and landed on the drape ties hanging uselessly from the wall. She retrieved them, returned to the intruder, and used her foot to roll him over. His limp body flopped onto his belly. She braced her knee on his ass and quickly tied his wrists behind his back. She returned to the wall to remove a second set of drape ties. She pulled up each of his ankles, hogtied him tightly, and began disarming him.
She tossed the crosses, his plastic water weapon, and both stakes toward the window. It wasn’t easy but she pushed him onto his side, her hands sliding over his body, and found a knife hidden inside an ankle strap. He also had a pocket knife stashed in the front pocket of his shirt. She tossed those into the pile. Matty let him drop to his stomach and rose to her feet.
A quick study of her handiwork assured her the guy wouldn’t be going anywhere without someone untying him. She backed away and glanced around the room again. The desk beckoned as she approached it.
Kilt didn’t have anything personal inside the drawers, no bills stated his name, and no letterhead on his print paper. Her disappointment rose. She wanted to find out something about her mysterious, hunky neighbor, knowing she’d never get another opportunity to be inside his home. She turned to leave but something blocked the bedroom door to draw her attention.
Her mouth fell open as Kilt stepped into the room wearing just the blue plaid kilt and with a big, dangerous-looking sword gripped in his hand. His blue eyes were striking as they shifted away from the intruder and met her stare. A frown curved his firm lips but he didn’t speak. His unbraided hair had obviously just been washed, the damp strands flowing down his muscular chest to his waist. Drops of water dotted his tan skin as if he’d just jumped from the shower.
Mute, Matty gawked at the bronzed god who silently watched her. His sword lowered when she met his gaze again. His intense gaze fascinated her. It’s probably not a good idea to stare into them in case movies are right and he can control my mind. She didn’t glance away. He wouldn’t be calmly standing there watching her if he wanted to do harm. He’d have attacked already.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze roamed down her body, and he took a step closer. “Who are you and what are you doing inside my home?”
She cleared her throat. “Um, I live across the street. I saw that dirtball park in front of your house and realized he meant to break in. I’m kind of the neighborhood watch.” Her ratty robe embarrassed her. He probably thought she was insane. “I’m not with him.”
“You tied him well. Thank you.”
She loved his husky voice and the accent was flat out hot. So was he with his handsome good looks. The danger factor actually made him sexier. A real vampire stood feet away and seemed grateful to her.
A real vampire. She resisted the urge to faint. She’d been half joking but the laugh was on her.
“I’d like to repay you. Name what you want.”
She hadn’t dated in the five years since her attack and it made her lonely. The one thing that came to mind would have been wrong to ask. She shook her head, refusing to ask him to show her what he wore under that kilt despite the curiosity she’d had since she’d laid eyes on him. Totally inappropriate and don’t go there.
“I should be going home now. I’ll leave you to deal with your intruder.”
Chapter Two
Blaron regarded the wom
an, inhaling the scents inside the room. The hunter on the floor wore a cheap, offensive cologne and was stinking of sweat and fear. It nearly masked the sweeter, tempting feminine fragrances of his neighbor. He hadn’t seen her before but he believed her reason for being there. His gaze traveled down her well-worn robe, her shapely legs peeking from beneath the thigh-length material, and her bare feet. Her face intrigued him.
A scar ran down the side of her jaw, another at her temple, and at her cheek near her ear. They didn’t distract from her delicate, attractive features. Big, blue eyes stared at him with a mixture of awe and wariness. He didn’t pick up fear coming from her but her heart raced. He could hear the fast beat, tormenting him just a little.
He’d showered, oblivious to the happenings inside his home until he’d turned the water off. The noise of someone moving around the floor below had been alarming. The hunter surprised him, he’d been careful to hide his identity, but the female stunned him. He knew humans fought crime by watching their neighbors’ homes but he’d never been aware of her presence. It worried him that his senses had failed him of her surveillance.
She took a hesitant step toward him, her intent to flee, but he didn’t budge from blocking the doorway. He wasn’t allowing her to leave until he assessed the threat she posed to his safety. His study of her switched to the hunter on the floor.
A male lay on his side by the bed, his arms and feet bound at the center of his back, and his terrified gaze watched Blaron. He shifted his gaze, noticed the pile of weapons, and his mouth pressed firmly together. The male had intended to kill him. He glared at his enemy.