Summer Heat: Anthology Read online

  Summer Heat

  Anthology

  Rachel de la Fuente

  Cam Johns

  Sonya Jesus

  A. E. Gamrat

  Linny Lawless

  Sophia Peony

  This book is an original work and publication of Rachel de la Fuente, Cam Johns, Sonya Jesus, A. E. Gamrat, Linny Lawless and Sophia Peony.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any characters, places, locations, incidents, names, scenarios, and references are the result of the imagination of the authors and is only used in a fictional manner. Reference and resemblance to any place, location, event, any type of establishment being business or personal as well as any living or dead person is done based on pure coincidence. The publisher and author will not and does not take any responsibility of content for any third-party website.

  Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved

  This book may not be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed as in part or in its entirety in any type of format such as print or electronic format without the sole and written permission of the authors and publisher.

  This book was created and printed in the United States of America.

  Table of Contents

  Fate’s Kiss By Rachel de la Fuente

  When Shawn and Selene meet, they instantly know that they share a connection. But when Selene's mother declares that vampire royalty doesn't mate with humans, they'll have to trust that Fate happens, even if it seems impossible.

  Cuffed By Cam Johns

  Detective Tristan Lyndsey uses his cuffs to control his suspects and subs. Until he meets a woman that causes him to lose that control.

  The Dragon’s Chain By Sonya Jesus

  Keenan joined the Dragons to be closer to the woman he loved, Hannah. When the reason for him being there dies, he is left alone and with no way out. Keenan is chained to them forever.

  Carnival of Love By A. E. Gamrat

  What happens when your crush makes the moves you’ve been dreaming about? Mags is about to find out.

  Neon Summer By Linny Lawless

  It was the summer of ’87. Opposites attract when a guitar player and an uptight virgin meet. What follows is a sizzling summer to remember.

  Touched By Sophia Peony

  Melonie wants her father’s best friend, and she’s going to make sure that she gets what she wants before she leaves for college.

  Fate’s Kiss

  By Rachel de la Fuente

  When our eyes met, I felt an instant connection, like a string was tying us together.

  ----

  SHAWN

  Selene is unlike any woman I've ever met, and it makes me want her so much that I can hardly control myself around her. But she's a vampire princess, so I don't see how we could have a future. After all...

  ----

  ... royalty doesn't mate with humans.

  ----

  SELENE

  Those are my mother's words, so unless my father declares otherwise, they're law to me. Maybe if she knew about the connection Shawn and I share, she'd be more amenable to the match. But I don't know what the connection is, other than a gut feeling that Shawn is my fated mate. So I must trust that...

  ----

  ... Fate happens, even if it seems impossible.

  Copyright © 2018 Rachel de la Fuente

  SHAWN

  That lucky bitch.

  Okay, I'm a guy, I can't get away with calling someone a bitch. Even my best friend.

  But, I can't believe how lucky Lys is. She's somehow managed to find the man, um... vampire... of her dreams. A fucking vampire! They're supposed to be mythological creatures!

  And not just any vampire. Oh no, Lys has found herself the crown prince of vampires. She's going to be a vampire queen.

  "I think it is time you meet the rest of my children." Mr. Delanciennes' voice pulls me from my thoughts. He gestures to the doorway, where five people are standing close together. My eyes slide across them. They must be Damien's — holy fucking hell!

  My heart stutters before pounding in my ears. My mouth is suddenly so dry, it's like trying to swallow sandpaper. Standing just slightly shorter than her siblings is the most beautiful woman I've ever set my eyes on. I've never really liked waifish girls, but somehow, she's absolute perfection.

  She projects an air of delicacy, almost fragility, in her ethereal beauty. Her hair is shiny and straight, hanging to her hips. I desperately want to run my fingers through it to test its softness. Her eyes are wide and clear. I want to see them darkened with lust.

  Her lips are pale pink and plump, just begging to be tasted. I swear her breasts are a perfect handful. And her legs are long and shapely; I bet they'd wrap around me perfectly. And — dear, God, I sound like a fucking pig. I don't even know her name but I want her more than I've wanted anyone I've ever met. My dick is straining against my zipper. It's a good thing I'm wearing a loose shirt. I wouldn't want my boner to be obvious.

  I'm vaguely aware that Mr. Delanciennes is introducing each of his children, but I can't tear my gaze away from her. Then I catch her name as she curtseys. Selene. Of course, they'd name her for the moon.

  I know I'm staring. I'm sure it's completely obvious, and probably creepy, but I can't make myself stop. From the instant I laid eyes on her, I felt drawn to her, like there's a string connecting us, pulling us together.

  Lys elbows my stomach, hard, pulling my attention away from Selene. I want to be angry with her, but I know I'm being rude. "Sorry," I mouth. Lys nods and turns back to Damien.

  "Okay, so, Damien, you're 217. Why are you still in school?" she asks him.

  Damn! Damien's 217? How did I miss that? Talk about robbing the cradle! But it's not like he looks his age. Clearly vampires really do live much longer than humans. Lys asks how old his siblings are.

  She has a point. How old is Selene? She must be decades older than me. The guys always say older chicks are the most fun. Not that I'll find out. I doubt I'll stand a chance against all the gorgeous, sophisticated vampire men she's sure to know.

  "No, it's quite all right." Selene's voice grabs my attention. It's soft and sultry. Although, I don't have a clue how I know it's her. It's not like I've ever heard her voice before. "I will be turning one hundred later this year."

  One hundred? Fuck! She could be my great-granny! Not that she looks it. My eyes travel slowly up her body and meet her gaze. Shit, she caught me eyeing her like a piece of meat. Great first impression you're making, sleaze-ball.

  "Would you mind introducing your friend?" She asks Lys. She wants to meet me? After acting like a pig? I stand a little straighter, determined not to make a complete fool of myself, and hope it's not obvious that I've done so.

  "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry," Lys answers. "This is Shawn Dooley. He's been my best friend since we started high school."

  "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Dooley." Dear God in Heaven, her voice is sexier than any porn star's and she's not even trying. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I'm afraid I'm going to say something stupid. The maniacal grin splitting my face probably looks idiotic enough.

  "Call me Shawn, please, Miss Delanciennes. And the pleasure is definitely all mine." That wasn't too bad. I didn't sound like a skeeze, did I?

  Selene blushes deeply and pauses, biting her lip. Oh, God, does she have any idea how hot that is? "Very well, Shawn. Please, call me Selene."

  "Thank you, Selene." She turns an even darker shade of red at my answer. I don't know what's going on, but I'm happy I held my shit together. I need to get my mind out of the gutter. I don't usually h
ave this much trouble thinking with my upstairs head.

  When I look back up, Selene is staring at the floor, looking immensely embarrassed as her sister whispers something in her ear. I wonder what they're gossiping about. Suddenly, everyone is laughing and leaving the room. Shit, where are we going? Where is she going?

  I hurry to the door and almost barrel into her. I was in such a hurry to get to her, I didn't realize she was waiting for me.

  "Perhaps we might sit together at breakfast?" She asks, eyes gazing up at me hopefully.

  SELENE

  My older sister, Alyssa, comes racing into my room with a grin, pulling me from my book. "Selene, have you heard?"

  "Heard what, Aly?" Can't a girl read in peace?

  "Damien is here with his Chosen!" She's practically vibrating with excitement.

  "Truly?" I set my book aside and sit up, annoyance forgotten. " How long have they been here?"

  She shakes her head lightly. "I'm not sure. Alexis mentioned it to me." I swear Alexis, one of our maids, knows everything that happens. "Shall we go take a look?"

  Mother would say Damien and his Chosen are not something to stare at, but I can't help my curiosity. "Yes, let's, but we should alert our brothers as well."

  She nods enthusiastically. "Yes, of course. You check downstairs, I'll look upstairs. We'll meet in the hall." I race through the rooms becoming increasingly annoyed by their lack of inhabitants, before finding my youngest brother, Eziano, known as Tzi to the family, in the kitchen.

  "Tzi! Come, Damien has finally brought his Chosen to meet us! They're in the library. We're meeting in the hall." I don't give him time to ask questions. I simply race away, knowing he'll follow me. We've all been curious about Damien's Chosen. But all he's mentioned is that her name is Elysabeth.

  "Took you long enough, Lene!" I wrinkle my nose at the hated name, but there are far more important things right now than arguing with Aly. Demetrius, who we call Metri, and Sebastian are standing with her.

  "Tzi was in the kitchen," I offer as explanation. "Let's go!"

  In seconds, we're at the door to the library. Our father is the only one seated; Mother is nowhere to be found. Damien, and a girl who can only be his Chosen, stand to one side, looking tense.

  "I think it is time you meet the rest of my children." My father gestures to us all clustered in the doorway. I offer a sheepish grin in response to his raised eyebrow. Surely, he won't blame us for our curiosity.

  I turn back to Damien and his Chosen with interest. This young girl is to face the pressures of our crown. I wonder how she feels about it.

  And what made Damien decide to bring her here today? And so early in the day, no less? We may not need much sleep, but humans do.

  I'm pulled from my thoughts by my father saying my name. I step forward to curtsey to my future queen and catch sight of a third person standing behind Damien and his Chosen.

  It's as though I'm struck by a bolt of lightning. I can feel the frisson of electricity run through me, causing the hair on my arms to stand on end. I fight the heat that threatens to suffuse my face.

  My gaze is riveted to this mystery man, and I barely keep my wits enough to curtsey. I stand back as the conversation continues and watch the young man from the corner of my eye. He's staring at me with enough heat to make me wish for my fan.

  It takes everything in me to turn my attention back to Damien and his Chosen. I feel drawn to this new human, as though there is something pulling us together. I know, deep down, that I have found my mate. But I have never heard of such a feeling. I know I am not destined for a Chosen as my brother was, but I am certain of my conviction that this human is meant for me.

  Damien's Chosen makes a comment about us all being close in age, and I realize Damien must not have told her anything about him or us. Just what kind of relationship do they have with so many secrets? My brother has undoubtedly been an idiot. I wonder, again, what has finally made Damien decide to bring her here today.

  "Not at all," says Alyssa. Oh, dear, what have I missed? "It is natural to be curious. And, for obvious reasons, age is not an embarrassment to vampires, but rather a thing of pride. After all, age brings wisdom. I am one hundred ninety-two."

  Oh, we're sharing our ages. That's fine. I'm quite proud. My Grand Coming Out is only two months away. Oh, but what will her friend think? My cheeks heat as I consider his possible reactions. There is quite an age difference, and humans view that so differently than we vampires do.

  "You don't need to answer if you don't want." Damien's Chosen is looking at me with a kind smile. She must think I'm embarrassed of my age.

  "No, it's quite all right." I say with a smile. "I will be turning one hundred later this year."

  She must hear the pride in my voice. Eyes wide she replies, "wow, that sounds big."

  "It is. It rivals your coming of age ceremony at sixteen." I look past her once more to her friend who is eyeing my figure. His eyes widen and he looks away when he meets my gaze. Is he embarrassed to have been caught?

  In any case, I hope he finds me pleasing. What an odd thought. I should feel insulted by his actions. Instead I ask Elysabeth to introduce him.

  "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry. This is Shawn Dooley," she replies

  Shawn. A name I could quite happily call out in the throes of passion. I can just imagine him holding himself above me in bed as I reach my peak. Goodness, it's getting a bit warm in here.

  Elysabeth stops speaking, and, with manners drilled into me since I could speak, I reply, "it is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Dooley."

  His wide smile is cute. He wears his emotions for everyone to see. It's refreshing after the company I typically keep. He asks me to call him by his given name.

  I blush at the offer. Surely, he doesn't understand what it means to offer such informality among our class. I really should stick to our surnames, but if he is to be my mate, there's no harm in allowing him some liberty. The heat returns to my cheeks as I make my decision and answer. "Very well, Shawn. Please, call me Selene."

  "Thank you, Selene." Hearing my name in his voice brings extra heat to my cheeks. My siblings echo my offer of informality, no doubt to avoid appearing rude.

  "Selene," whispers Aly, "I can't believe you asked him to call you by name! What were you thinking?"

  I stare at the floor, embarrassed by my actions. How can I tell her that this young human will be my mate? Perfect Aly who has likely never even considered doing something out of line. I suppose I should be thankful that Father has maintained his silence. No doubt I'll hear of this later.

  I'm saved from answering by Andrina, one of our maids, arriving to announce breakfast. I stand to the side, waiting for Shawn. He hurries out of the room, nearly running into me. He somehow manages to look both embarrassed and relieved. Was he perhaps hoping to catch me?

  "Perhaps we might sit together at breakfast?" The words tumble out before I can consider what I'm saying, and I glance up at him, hoping he won't make a fool of me.

  "Yeah," he nods. "I'd love that."

  SHAWN

  My heart leaps at her words. She wants to sit with me? Hot damn, I've just won the seating chart lottery.

  I nod, swallowing the nervous lump in my throat. "Yeah, I'd love that."

  Her brilliant smile coaxes my grin back, and this time I don't feel like an idiot.

  "Excellent. This way, please, Shawn."

  I follow along behind her, admiring how gracefully she moves. She almost seems to glide along the floor. Is that because she's a vampire, or because she's royalty?

  We're the last two to enter the dining room. I follow Selene to the seat next to Lys. We earn a couple of inquisitive looks when she sits next to me rather than sitting with her siblings. But thankfully, we're forgotten when the food arrives a moment later.

  I try to pay close attention to my table manners as I eat. I want to prove I'm not a complete sleaze after my terrible behavior in the library. At least half of my attention, however, is on Selene. She k
eeps touching me.

  It's nothing obvious. I doubt anyone else even notices. Hell, it could even all be accidental. She bumps my elbow as we eat, easily explained away by a righty and a lefty sitting too close together. Her foot bumps my leg as she crosses her ankles. Nothing too odd there.

  But with every touch, my eyes find their way to her. And every time, she meets my eyes. Maybe, just maybe, she's into me. My dick offers a celebratory twitch.

  The table is fairly quiet, so I don't dare say anything to her now. But I'm eager to find some time to speak to her privately.

  "Lys," Mrs. Delanciennes says as our plates are cleared away. "If you are not too tired, my daughters and I would like to discuss the Bonding plans with you. We can speak in my sitting room."

  "Mrs. Delanciennes," Lys answers. "I'd really like a chance to speak to Shawn for a few minutes. May I join you after that?" I wonder what she wants to talk to me about.

  "Of course, Cara." Cara? That's an odd name. I'll have to ask someone what it means. "Damien will show you to the backyard, and you can ask anyone you come across to bring you to my sitting room when you are ready."

  "Thanks."

  With a quick glance at Selene, I dutifully follow Damien and Lys outside. I'm a little surprised when Lys gives Damien a "get lost" look, but she clearly has something on her mind.

  We sit under a tree and lean against it, and I suddenly feel like we're back in high school, sharing secrets.

  Lost in my thoughts, it takes me a moment to notice that Lys is completely silent. "How are you doing, Lys?" I toss an arm over her shoulders causing her to lean against me.

  It quickly becomes apparent that she wants to talk through everything she's learned today. If I wasn't so tired, I would have realized that instantly. After all, it's what she typically does after an emotional day.