Paranormal Attractions Sneak Peeks!
Today's Sneak Peek is at Love Set In Stone by Staci Troilo
Perched above Pittsburgh, a gargoyle spends centuries as a protector of humanity while he waits for the one who will break his curse and free him from his stone prison. When he finally finds her, her life is in jeopardy, and he realizes he may face eternal damnation to save her life.
Excerpt
That
first instant when her lips met his, she panicked. His unyielding mouth, his
stiff body, his lack of response… it all made her think she’d made a huge
mistake.
That
moment lasted a lifetime. And only a fraction of a second.
Before
shame made her pull away, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight
to him. She felt every hard plane of his chiseled body, every exhale of his
warm breath, every desire he held in check. He trembled with restraint.
And
she reveled in it.
Despite
his hard visage, his lips were soft, his embrace gentle. And when he deepened
the kiss, his tongue first teasing her mouth open then exploring hers with
lingering leisure, she nearly melted.
Seriously,
if he hadn’t been holding her, she’d be a puddle on the ground.
He
swept her along in a maelstrom of passion and emotions, and she was helpless to
do anything other than ride the wave. When he nipped her lip, she yipped and
broke the kiss, stumbling back. When her eyelids fluttered open, she had to
blink a few times to clear her vision.
She
swore she saw…
No.
That was ridiculous. Humans didn’t have wings. She shook her head, buried the
thought.
When
Damien reached for her, she cringed, and he dropped his hand.
“I’m
sorry,” he said. “I got carried away.”
“There’s
no reason to be sorry. I started the kiss. If anything, I owe you an apology.”
He
scoffed. “Believe me. It wasn’t a hardship.”
Rina
didn’t know what to make of that, so she didn’t reply. Instead she rubbed her
lip, remembered the sensation of his teeth nibbling on the tender tissue.
She’d
never felt anything so erotic in her life.
“Did
I hurt you?” His voice was low, soft. His eyes dark, like storm clouds or
shadows.
“What?
No, why?”
He
touched his own lip. She realized what he must be thinking and lowered her hand
to her side. “Definitely not hurt. Just—just remembering. Fondly.” Despite
feeling her cheeks flush, she smiled at him and held his gaze. Her smile only
faltered a moment when she remembered the image of wings.
“Are
you sure?” His gaze roamed over her, and he seemed to probe deep into her soul.
Not
wanting to give any more ground, she turned her head and looked up and down the
street. “Well.” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat and began again.
“Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get down to business.”
“Business?”
“Yes.
I told you. I need you to talk to the police. Do you think maybe tomorrow
morning you could—”
“No.”
His
voice was so sharp, his tone so matter-of-fact, she recoiled from him.
“I’m
sorry. I’m unavailable most mornings. If you want me to talk to someone,
perhaps we can do it now?”
“Now?
It’s almost three in the morning.”
“Given
the hours you work, I would think you could understand when a person is only
available during certain times of the day.”
“And
what is it exactly that you do?”
He
hesitated a moment, and Rina wondered again what he did. Was it illegal? Was it
something that embarrassed him? Something he was contractually obligated to
keep secret?
“I’m
in security. My obligations during the day are, well, let’s say they’re set in
stone. I can’t get away. For any reason. So if you want me to speak with the
police, it will have to be in the evening.”
“Okay.
Well, I still think it’s rather late to call the detective. I’m sure he’s not
even on duty now. How about early tomorrow evening?”
“That
will be fine. Now, as Tiny is long gone and Ramer could be anywhere, would you
permit me to see you home?”
They
weren’t done making plans for Damien to meet Detective Urbani, but the mere
mention of Ramer took her thoughts in another direction. He could be out there.
Anywhere. And Tiny and the rest of the bouncers were already gone. Despite
knowing next to nothing about Damien, she felt safe with him, and she’d welcome
his protection.
And
his company.
She
linked her arm through his and began walking toward her apartment. Whether
she’d ask him in or not remained to be seen. She’d surely sleep better—or at
all—knowing he was there to keep her safe. On the other hand, she’d never been
dependent on a man before. And just because Damien was there didn’t mean she’d
sleep. She could think of plenty of things that would keep her up. All. Night.
Long.
Rina didn’t know what to do. But she knew which
way she was leaning.
About the Author:
Staci Troilo has always
loved fiction, ever since her parents read her fairy tales when she was a young
girl. Today, her interests are much more eclectic. She loves getting lost in
sci-fi battles, fantasy realms, horror worlds, suspenseful intrigues, and
romantic entanglements.
As goes her reading, so
goes her writing. She can’t pick a single genre to focus on, so she doesn’t
even try. She’s proud to say she’s a multi-genre author.
When she’s not reading
or writing, she’s spending time with family and friends, possibly cooking for
them, or maybe enjoying an afternoon in the pool. To learn more about her,
visit http://stacitroilo.com.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stacitroilo
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stacitroilo
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+StaciTroilo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacitroilo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/staci_troilo
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/stacitroilo
Thanks for the great promo piece, Stacy. Much appreciated.
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