Alex and Gemma:
“Then tell me something real.” I practically begged, but I needed things to feel real at the moment, because it felt like I was drowning in a sea of illusions.
He placed his hand beside my leg, not touching me, but close. “The first time I saw you I was scared.”
That wasn’t what I had expected. “You seemed pissed.”
“I was pissed too.” He scooted forward and our knees brushed. “But pissed at myself for feeling the way that I did.” His jaw tightened and then his hand moved to my hip. “I was taught not to feel that way.”
My muscles constricted beneath his touch and every ounce of Laylen’s comfort singed into ash. “To feel what way.”
His lip parted, then he shut his eyes tightly. “Out of control. Lost. Confused. Terrified. I’m not supposed to let those things get me.” His eyes open and I sucked in a breath at the rawness they emitted. “You want to know something real about me, Gemma. I’m empty. Dead. Completely numb inside except for when I’m around you. And I’m hot and cold because I try to fight it because that’s what I’m supposed to do—that’s the right thing to do.”
What’s right and what he wants. “But you don’t want to? You want to feel them.”
He nodded slowly. “I want to do a lot of things.” His fingers burrowed into my hip and I shudder as heat caressed my skin. He bent his elbow and with one hand pulled me across the seat toward him. When I was close enough, his free hand grabbed my waist and he lifted me up and sat me down on his lap, so I was straddling him. My chest rose and fell erratically as he traced his finger up my cheekbone and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
His lips dipped toward my neck. “Whenever I’m around you, I forget everything else.” He didn’t explain if that was a good or bad and I didn’t get a chance to ask him, because his teeth nicked my neck and I forgot how to speak.
I brought my hands up to the back of his neck, then slid them up and tangled them into his air. His mouth opened up and his tongue rolled along my neck. I drew his face closer as I lifted my hips up and his mouth neared my collarbone. I was fully ready to go back to that feeling I’d experienced on the bed of the cabin. I wanted him to explore me further. I wanted him to touch me all over. But he gave me a quick kiss there and then pulled back. I was about to object when he picked me up by the waist and I nearly smacked my head on the ceiling of the car as he laid me down on the seat. Then he covered his body with mine and kissed me hard, stealing my breath away.
Laylen and Gemma:
“Do they…do you….” I had no idea why I was asking the question, only that I was curious and needed—and I mean needed—to know. “How does it feel?”
His eyebrows shot upward as his head whipped in my direct. “How does it feel when I bite someone?”
I nodded. “And how does it feel for them?”
“Why do you want to know?” he asked me inquisitively.
I decided to be honest. “Curiosity and the fact that I can’t seem to keep my damn mouth shut.”
His lips tugged up to a miniscule smile. “You really want me to tell you how it feels to sink my teeth into another person’s neck.” I started to apologize because I thought he was upset, when he leaned forward. “How it feels to suck warm blood out of someone’s vein.” I swallowed hard at the animalistic look in his eyes as he dipped his head toward my face. “How it feels to hold someone in my arms, knowing I can do anything to them.” His voice purred across my skin. He put a hand on each side of me and slanted his body and moved closer. “You really want to know Gemma,” he breathed on my neck and I choked.
“I don’t… I don’t….” I trailed off as his lips brushed against my skin and my eyelids shut on their own accord.
“What if I told you it was terrible,” he whispered against my neck. “Would you run?”
“I don’t know…” I began to fall backwards in the stool and grabbed hold of the edge of the counter.
“What if I told you it felt mind numbingly good.” He kissed my neck and my shoulder shudder into him. “Would you let me bit you?”
My mind had melted into wax and air had gotten trapped in my lungs. “Would you bite me if I said yes?”
“What do you think?” His lips parted and I felt his teeth nick my skin. I didn’t move because I didn’t want to move. I wanted to stay right here.
As I was entirely letting go to my curiosity and my bodies need for an answer, when his tongue slid out and he licked me like a dog. My eyes snapped open as he pulled away and there was a huge smile on his face.
“I would never bite you sweetheart,” he said with humor in his eyes. “You’re too innocent and pure and that makes for a bad addiction.” When I pouted, he touched his finger to my bottom lip. “And besides, I’d never be able to forgive myself if I bit you.”
**Mature Content Warning** 17+ for language and sexual content.
(A re-imagining of The Fallen Star told as a New Adult Fantasy)
For twenty-one year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. She knows nothing about her past and has been haunted by the same monsters in her nightmares for the last three years. Unemotional and numb to life, she feels disconnected from everyone. Until the very first day she cries. After that, nothing in her life is the same.
Her emotions slowly surface and she starts experiencing love, happiness, and anger, feelings she never knew existed. But they leave her confused and she doesn’t know whether to embrace them or run away from them.
Her life only gets more complicated when she meets Alex. Sexy, arrogant, and secretive, Alex can get under Gemma’s skin like no one can. Yet she’s drawn to him by an invisible connection she has no control over. She’s also seen him before. In her nightmares.
Every part of Gemma’s mind is screaming at her to stay away from Alex, but every other part of her is begging to get close to him. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes Alex knows more about her than he originally let on.
As secrets about her past unravel, Gemma’s life becomes threatened. She needs to figure out what’s going on, before she winds up dead. But the only person she can turn to for answers is the one person she isn’t sure she can trust.
(A re-imagining of The Fallen Star told as a New Adult Fantasy)
For twenty-one year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. She knows nothing about her past and has been haunted by the same monsters in her nightmares for the last three years. Unemotional and numb to life, she feels disconnected from everyone. Until the very first day she cries. After that, nothing in her life is the same.
Her emotions slowly surface and she starts experiencing love, happiness, and anger, feelings she never knew existed. But they leave her confused and she doesn’t know whether to embrace them or run away from them.
Her life only gets more complicated when she meets Alex. Sexy, arrogant, and secretive, Alex can get under Gemma’s skin like no one can. Yet she’s drawn to him by an invisible connection she has no control over. She’s also seen him before. In her nightmares.
Every part of Gemma’s mind is screaming at her to stay away from Alex, but every other part of her is begging to get close to him. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes Alex knows more about her than he originally let on.
As secrets about her past unravel, Gemma’s life becomes threatened. She needs to figure out what’s going on, before she winds up dead. But the only person she can turn to for answers is the one person she isn’t sure she can trust.
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