Excerpt Day: Written In Blood by Luisa Prieto

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Written In Blood by Luisa Prieto
Release Date: June 21, 2009
Publisher: Amber Allure
ISBN-13: 978-1-60272-536-2 (Electronic)
Publisher Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/WrittenInBlood.html

Blurb: In Victorian London, people lament over dreadful news in the paper. Give them a scandal, though, and they want blood. An outspoken reporter, Collin Foster, is used to keeping his desires silent. When he encounters a handsome and mysterious man, he’s tempted to step out of his carefully structured life. For one night, he will follow his passions. And one night is all the man needs to change Collin...forever...

Excerpt:

...De Sonnac studied him. His gray eyes were soft. Thoughtful.

"It may seem difficult to believe," de Sonnac said, "but things do change."

"Yes. At one time, men convicted of desiring one another were hung. Now, they´re only sentenced to imprisonments that will destroy them."

"Hanging always seemed kinder than a pear."

"A what?"

"An old device. It...killed the people it was used on very cruelly."

"So society has begun killing people more gently. Small comfort."

"Great comfort. You´ve never seen someone die at the hands of one."

No, but he´d seen the skins of children, peeled so carefully off their bodies he thought they could be used as clothes. Small hands missing the fingernails, faces missing eyes, their mouths forever caught in a scream. If this pear was as terrible as de Sonnac thought, Collin would have liked to use it on the murderer.

Something about de Sonnac´s words caught Collin, drawing him back. Something about the pear. Had de Sonnac seen it used on someone?

Warmth slid across Collin´s hand. A glance showed de Sonnac leaning forward, his hand over Collin´s.

De Sonnac´s hand was beautiful. He had long pale fingers that ended in clean, even nails. His skin whispered over Collin´s. Collin could lose himself in that sound.

Collin looked up at him. This close, he caught de Sonnac´s scent. Collin didn´t know where the other man had been that night, but he´d been near pipe smoke. It haunted his coat. Its rich, smoky scent was exquisite.

"Life has become a little better," de Sonnac said. "I suspect it will continue to do so. It will take time, time that the unfortunates involved won´t always have, but it will happen."

"I don´t believe it." Collin wanted to, though. God help him, he wanted to believe it.

De Sonnac´s fingers inched up Collin´s hand. The soft, warm touch sent a shiver through Collin.

"It doesn´t matter," de Sonnac said, his tone gentle. "Things will change."

"Prove it."

"Four hundred years ago, people thought the world was flat."

Collin laughed. All right, yes, some things did change. He still couldn´t imagine-

De Sonnac slid forward, brushing his lips over Collin´s.

The touch was feather light but it slammed into Collin. The heat of de Sonnac´s body created a faint touch, but this...this was exquisite. De Sonnac´s lips were warm. Soft.

The kiss ended.

De Sonnac was still there, so close his breath haunted Collin, but far enough away that Collin felt the distance.

"I´ll be in town a few days," de Sonnac whispered. As he talked, his lips brushed over Collin´s. "Come back to my hotel with me."

"I don´t..." Know you. Dare.

"Go to hotels with men you have just met?"

"No." Though if Collin were honest, none had ever asked him before.

"I´ve never asked anyone to accompany me before either. I imagine that must be difficult to believe. It´s been ages since I had such an interesting debate with anyone, though. I want"-his lips pressed against Collin´s-"more."

God.

Collin kissed him.

De Sonnac´s lips felt so good against his. The heat of his body bled into Collin, imprinting its touch. This could be deliciously wicked. Dangerous, but sweet. So sweet...