Stephen — Kathi S. Barton

Stephen Silva is a three thousand year old vampire. He is too set in his ways and has existed too many years to find a mate now. But the woman did save his life. He couldn't just let her die, could he? Clarice Kelley, Clar to her friends, is hiding out from her stepfather and has been for several years. She's a loner and prefers it that way, because she always winds up getting hurt whenever anyone gets too close to her. She only killed the vampire because he would have killed her friend. Now the vampire she saved won't leave her alone. He doesn't want her and makes no bones about it, but he won't just let her go either. “I want you.” She didn't say anything, but didn't pull away from him either. “Let me take you the way I want, and I'll give you so much pleasure you'll never want anything else.” “And then what? You'll toss me to the street again? Or will you turn me over to my stepfather? You're a great deal like him. Did you know that? Ordering people around as if you're the king of the world.” A new mate is a handful enough, but when an old lover, one he'd condemned to the ground for eternity resurfaces, is anyone safe? Velvet December has sworn revenge on Stephen, but what will she do when she discovers he has a new mate? Stephen and Clar are formidable as a couple, but will it be enough to stop Velvet? How many more have to die? Find out in the next installment of Samuel's Pride---Stephen