Deliver Me from Darkness by Tes Hilaire (Guest Post/Giveaway)

Today I would like to welcome new paranormal romance author, Tes Hilaire, who is joining us with her debut release of Deliver Me from Darkness!

From Angel to Vampire is a Long Way to Fall….

The doors to the sanctuary swung open, revealing a woman in flowing cherry-red robes. The rich robes clashed ostentatiously with her eye-popping, pumpkin-orange curls. Still, the velvet was sinful rubbing up against the creamy skin of her nicely muscled arms.

A warrior. A queen. A woman men should lower themselves to their knees for.

She shouldn’t be here. The thought was like a distant buzz tone in the back of Roland’s mind, spreading a slick sensation of unease along his spine. Then she dropped her shoulders back, breasts pressing forward against the silk gown as a wide smile formed on her luscious burgundy lips. The slick unease turned into a shudder.

Damn. Switch roles. With a mouth like that, she should be the one kneeling.

“Well, well, well.” The words rumbled up like a purr from beneath her perfect bust to drip like silken honey from that perfect mouth in a husky and full cadence that was…Mon Dieu! Perfect for fucking. “Christos said you’d be the one to come. I didn’t believe him.”

Christos. He should know that name. But damn, names seemed inconsequential compared to the stunning woman who was currently running her fingers across the top of her low-cut gown. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman. Something about her…the seductive elegance of that slight movement of hand, the drowning quality of her heavy-lidded, ocean-green eyes.

“You want to come in?” She stepped back, gesturing with her head over her shoulder at the grand foyer beyond.

He looked at the checkered marble, the opulent crystal chandelier. Both were inexplicably familiar. Yes. He wanted to come in. He’d come for a reason. He needed to…why was he here?

“Come on,” she said when he hesitated. “I won’t bite.”

The last was delivered with a punctuated lick of her front incisors. Roland practically shivered imagining what it would be like to have those straight white teeth raking over his skin. She’d start at his throat, then work her way down, those red tipped fingers slowly undressing him so her tongue could find more skin.

She laughed. A full-bodied laugh that had her breasts jiggling pleasingly. A slender hand snaked out, latching on to his arm. “Come on, big boy. I promise this will be a night to remember.”

God he hoped so. Roland let her drag him into the foyer. Behind him the door closed with a solid boom. The manor house was quiet. More so than typical, but before the thought could fully penetrate, the redhead had her arms around his neck and her lush lips pressed up against his own. After that it was blurs of images, punctuations of sensation. His shirt was gone before he could blink, tossed to the wayside with her cloak. Her mouth was all over him, exploring every inch of his torso as her deft fingers went to work on his pants.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement. A figure, male, skimming the edge of the room.

“Who?” Even though the question came from his own mouth, the voice sounded foreign. Distant. Strange.

And then she was kissing him again. Her tongue plunged between his lips and demanded he taste what the combination of her and him could be like. Oh hell yes. That was good.

He needed her. Now!

He half dragged, half tumbled her to the floor, his hands as determined to press her into the polished black and white marble as to push down the already dangerously low bust line of her gown.

A sharp prick pierced the back of his shoulder. He yelled, trying to twist his head to look at his attacker. A long-nailed hand grasped his jaw, forcing him to keep his head forward.

“Never mind him. Concentrate on me.”

His gaze dropped to the plump offerings heaving up and down against his chest. Oh yes. Gladly.

His head lowered.

Almost there.

A wrist, dripping blood, was rudely shoved in the way between him and his goal.

He growled out a protest. He wanted her. Needed her. And that bloody mess was in his way.

“Drink. Drink, my love. For me.”

Her voice commanded that he drag his gaze up. Her mesmerizing eyes locked onto his, her needs becoming his. Her desire became the force of his will. She wanted him to drink.

Yes. Yes. He’d do anything for her. Holding her gaze, he lowered his head, running his tongue languidly over the dripping red liquid. The taste…exquisite. Sweet, coppery, slick, warm. Addictive.

He opened his mouth and drank further. Couldn’t get enough. Would never get enough.

His eyes rolled back, a euphoric darkness overcoming his vision…

“What is this!” A hand slammed down on the keyboard in front of me.  I yelped, mouse jumping across the scarred wooden desk as I swiveled in my office chair and come up against the bulging bicep of the man who’d somehow, silently invaded my office.  Oh wow.

“Delete that,” Roland commanded, even as he shoved my hand aside and took over the mouse. He highlighted the text, but cursed when he realized there was no way to retrieve the blog post. “Damn it to hell. I knew I should have made Valin stay and keep an eye on you.”

For a good ten seconds I stared at the delicious curve of man-muscle that stretched across my line of vision, but then his words sunk in and I scooted my chair back, my gaze narrowing on his scowling face. “What do you mean make Valin keep an eye on me?”

It didn’t make sense. It was I who’d all but forced the other Paladin to hang out with me for the last couple of weeks, not Roland. And Valin had done so reluctantly, caring no more than Roland had when I’d enforced his own tenure with me for the purpose of, um, well… research, if you will. But I was done with research now and hadn’t needed Valin poking around in my office any longer (especially given the fact that he liked to do so with that wicked knife of his.) Anyway, I really wanted to find out why Roland was acting like he had control over Valin’s movements and whereabouts (I mean, hello, author here, I am the one in charge) and got ready to press the point when he spoke again. 

“You would pick this scene.” He shook his head, his brows drawn tight as his gaze tracked the lines on the screen. “Out of all the choices, you had to pick this scene, airing my “dirty laundry,” so to speak, for the world to see.”

“Roland, it’s not that bad,” I said in an appeasing tone. “Your readers just want to get to know you better…” I trailed off as Roland leveled a crimson eye glare at me. My gut twisted, my blood going to ice. Oh crap.

“Have you not tortured me enough?” he asked, his voice deceptively soft in my enclosed office. Roland, crimsoned eyed and fighting for control was so not a good thing. I glanced longingly at the exit that lay ten feet beyond his solid mass. Ten impossible feet.

Oh what I wouldn’t do for Karissa’s powers now…

Obviously I managed to calm the beast, though I admit it was close.  There were some more heated threats, things like “you will pay” which if I think about it now seems very Disney-villain of him, but I’ll tell you this, at the time?  Yikes.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that sneak peak at Roland’s fall from grace, even if it was dampened a bit by Roland’s unexpected visit! And regardless of what he would like, I am going to be here all day so please, stay awhile, I’d love to answer any questions you might have.  Or better yet, just hang out with me and we’ll have some virtual wine. :-)

DELIVER ME FROM DARKNESS BY TES HILAIRE – IN STORES NOW

A stranger in the night…
He had once been a warrior of the Light, one of the revered Paladin. A protector. But now he lives in sin darkness, and the shadows are his sanctuary. Every day is a struggle to overcome the bloodlust. Especially the day Karissa shows up on his doorstep.
 Comes knocking on the door…
She is light and bright and everything beautiful—despite her scratches and torn clothes. Every creature of the night is after her. So is every male Paladin. Because Karissa is the last female of their kind. But she is his. He may not have a soul, but he can’t deny his heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daphne Award-winning author and former Tennessee native Tes Hilaire doesn’t remember how old she was when she wrote her first story, but she’s pretty sure it had something to do with a boy and a girl and a happily ever after.  Displaced at an early age to “the north country,” her stories turned darker as she started creating whole new worlds to escape the harsh, upstate NY winters. Now back in the South, her stories remain edgy, exciting, and bring a hint of dark fantasy to paranormal romance. Best of all, no one ever has to shovel snow. For more, visit her website at www.teshilaire.com. 

~*GIVEAWAY*~

Sourcebooks is giving away one copy of Deliver Me from Darkness to two US or Canadian readers! To enter, just leave a comment on this post and then fill out the RaffleCopter below with your name and email address. Additional entries are available but not required. Good Luck!

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