In the midst of a war between good and evil, a new type of vampire surfaced—one capable of compassion, love, remorse. Sebastian disobeyed orders, saving a pregnant gypsy carrying the child foretold to one day mate with a demon, forming a union that would end the war between their races.
Thirty years later, that child, Gitana, is now a very desirable woman. As Sebastian’s cold heart begins to beat again, he is driven by an undeniable need to claim her—in a strange twist of fate, he is her demon. But during the claiming, Gitana inherits Sebastian’s inner demon and is thrust into a web of insatiable lust. Complicating matters is Gitana’s ex, a vengeful werewolf who’ll stop at nothing to have her back.
Reader Advisory: Contains a single sizzling ménage à trois scene.
By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.
An Excerpt From: GYPSY NIGHTS
Copyright © MANDY M. ROTH, 2009
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
Gitana rushed around the table and took it from him. “Here, I’ll get that.”
“Merci, and I hope to see you again soon. I really should be getting home.”
She shifted and bit at her lower lip. Instantly, his body tightened and his cock hardened. Thoughts of her lush lips wrapped around his shaft flooded him.
“Are you sure? I mean, you don’t have any utilities hooked up yet and it’s supposed to be cold tonight. I have a guest bedroom. You’re welcome to stay in that.”
He couldn’t hide his shock. He never expected her to go so far as to invite him to stay the night. Certainly, he’d hoped but he never really thought she would. Truthfully, he didn’t mind sleeping in a house with no heat. His body stayed cold regardless of his surroundings, so it didn’t matter. As much as he wanted to be with her, in her, the need to feed was too great. He was about to decline her polite offer when he sensed her fear of being alone. Aaron’s call had unnerved her and Sebastian wanted to kill him for no other reason than that. Standing slowly, he nodded.
“If you are sure it would be no trouble, then yes. I would welcome the opportunity to not only have a warm bed but the company of a beautiful woman as well.” His comment was suggestive, just as he intended it to be. Gitana blushed and it warmed him. He wanted to touch her, hold her in his arms and feel the length of her body pressed close to his.
Suddenly, the lights flickered and then died. Gitana yelped and crashed into the corner of the table. Sebastian’s vampire eyes could see perfectly in any light and he used his speed to cover the distance between them. Touching her arm lightly, he whispered in her ear. “It is all right. A storm approaches from the west.” He ran his fingers down her arm. She tipped her head back, exposing her smooth neck to him, and let out a soft, sexy sigh. “Can you smell it…the rain, I mean.”
Gitana took in a deep breath and held it for a moment. “Yes, I do smell it.”
She turned into his arms and tightened under his touch. Her body wanted him. He could sense it. But she was unsure of what to do next. Sebastian also sensed fear in her. It was unclear if her fear was of him or for him. There was only one way to find out.
Leaning down to her, he let his lips hover just above her cheek. He wrapped his body around hers, embracing her, holding her tight. “Ma vie, you are shaking. Do you not like storms?”
“No, I’ve never liked them. I have these dreams sometimes of—” She stopped short.
He moved his head more and blew out a cool breath onto her cheek. It wasn’t hard to notice the sweet smell of her nervous sweat and the soft scent of vanilla she seemed to secrete. He wondered if her cream would taste every bit as sweet as she smelled.
Thunder boomed around them and the window lit with blue flashes of lightning. Gitana jumped and threw herself against Sebastian, leaving his body tightening and his cock painfully erect. He closed his eyes for a moment to try to regain his composure, but being this close to her proved to be too much.
He wanted to have her naked in his arms, to taste what wonders lay beneath her long red skirt and to press his cock deep within her velvety folds. At least if he’d taken blood today, he could have held his sexual urges at bay. But now he wasn’t sure if blood would do much in the way of calming him while he was around Gitana, and that was a sign she was a candidate to be his mate.
Gitana held tight to Sebastian’s shirt and took in his scent. It was one of many types of cologne Aaron had owned. He treated his colognes the same way he treated his women. He used them quickly, changed them often and tossed them aside. She shook her head, not wanting to associate Aaron with Sebastian any further. Something about Sebastian felt so right and she wouldn’t let her ugly past interfere.
Gitana thought about pulling away from Sebastian. She hardly knew him and yet she had her face pressed against his hard chest. To top it off, she’d invited him to spend the night. It was a bold move on her part. She’d never done such a thing before. He’d seemed reluctant at first but when he finally agreed to stay, she’d felt as if she could fly. She wished she’d had the nerve to ask him to stay with her in her bed but she’d chickened out and offered him the spare room.
He moved his arms lower, leaving his hands resting on her hips. Tipping her forehead down, she let it rest on his chest. She wanted to run her hands up and through his long black curls, to feel the muscles in his neck as her fingers danced along them and to know what it would feel like to see them straining above her as he worked his body in and out of hers. The lights flickered back on and startled her. She pulled away, bringing her hand to her face as she laughed.
“Geesh, I’m jumpy. Sorry, I didn’t mean for you…you didn’t have to—” She wasn’t sure how to thank him for comforting her. She’d never had a man do that before.
Aaron’s temper always prevented him from being too nurturing. He liked to blame it on his “condition”, as if being a werewolf was something one could cure, but a year into their marriage she realized that was just the way he was, mean and domineering. Sebastian was different. He seemed to have a tender side he wasn’t afraid to show, yet something dangerous lurked just below the surface.
Her grandmother had told her Aaron was the one for her, her true mullo mate. The prophecies had told of Gitana’s coming and that one day she would mate with a mullo—to her people, a demon such as a vampire or werewolf. Their union would produce a ruler who would end the fighting between the Romani and the demons, saving mankind in the process. She’d been reared to believe in demons and creatures of the night. She’d seen so many different types of things that were thought to exist only in nightmares that they no longer fazed her.
That’s what had made Aaron seem perfect for her. As a werewolf, he knew about how strange her life was and he understood the traditions of her people, the craft they practiced, their vows of secrecy. Normal people just didn’t get it, and letting them know there were demons living and working among them would only cause mass chaos.
There was a loud crash and the house seemed to shake for a brief moment. The lights went out with a pop. Gitana screamed and fell backward, tripping over the leg of the table. She waited to hit the floor but didn’t. Sebastian was suddenly there, holding her tight, protecting her. He sparked something primitive in her, something she’d never before experienced. Raw animal lust overcame her and she almost begged the stranger to take her to bed, to ravish her, to use her until their bodies were spent.
His face was so close to hers that she couldn’t help herself. Leaning up, she planted her lips on his. Part of her expected him to just drop her. Another part hoped he’d reciprocate her advances. He did.
Sebastian’s cool tongue slid into her slightly parted lips and inched its way around her mouth. Tiny, low moans and throaty laughs passed between them as they embraced. She shifted her legs a bit in an attempt to stop the dampness he was creating, but only managed to stimulate her body more. Slick, wet cream lined her inner thighs. As she slid her fingers into his silky curls, her legs gave out from under her. In an instant, Sebastian swept her into his arms.
It was hard to make out his face in the dark, and the sporadic flashes of lightning weren’t helping much. Sebastian’s pale skin looked blue as each bolt struck. He walked with her in his arms, carrying her toward the back of the house. He was doing remarkably well for a man who had never been in her home before, especially in the pitch darkness. He stopped only once to open her bedroom door before he continued onward.
Sebastian laid her on her bed gently and moved his body over hers. Her heart thundered in her chest. A devilish gleam twinkled in his blue eyes with each kiss he swiped over her lips. She panted, breathy from the sensory overload. Eager for him to be inside her, she tugged at him but was answered in the form of his tongue licking across the skin of her neck. It did nothing to stop the need slamming through her. She bit at his earlobe, grunting like a wild animal. His kisses came faster now but were every bit as rewarding as the first one. He was so much taller than she was that her legs stopped at just below his knee. She moved her legs out and allowed him to settle against the soft material of her long red skirt.
Sebastian used his arms to prop himself up to keep his full weight from bearing down on Gitana. She seemed so tiny to him that he didn’t want to hurt her. He’d spent too long looking for her to risk anything happening to her now. He’d thought she would have a hard time breaking through the barrier of him being undead. Clearly, she didn’t. His chest tightened as he thought of her sharing her bed with another and he silently cursed himself for not finding her sooner.
No man but me will ever touch you again, my beautiful Gitana.
