Lust by Jade James

This excerpt contains adult language and sexual situations.

Prologue

Detective Julian Lopez sat in his office chair, sipping from a glass of brandy. Alcohol had no affect on vampires, but brandy had the strong, burning taste he needed right now. Every single time he thought about her, a ravenous need filled him, and the alcohol served its purpose. He had to concentrate to swallow the fiery liquid.

He shoved the memory of her away temporarily and closed his eyes, resting his head against the chair and letting his memories take him back to the time when his life, along with that of his twin brother Wrath, had changed forever.

Thirty years after their births in Quebec, Canada in 1852, they became deathly ill from the contagious disease Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. With no cure in sight, they had only weeks to live. But by a miracle, one night Julian stumbled upon Sam Bosan—the vampire who offered to turn them and save their lives.

The turning was painful, but once it was done Julian and Wrath were both free of the disease. Julian would forever be grateful to Sam for what he had done. They kept in touch with him through letters and phone calls.

But something essential was still missing from their lives. After one-hundred-twenty-five years of meaningless sex, Julian sensed it was time to seal the circle and confront their mate. As the knowledge washed through him, his body tightened in anticipation. The cat and mouse game he and Wrath had played with Shauna Adams would soon come to an end, and the reward for all three of them would be great.

For Wrath also wanted Shauna.

The thought of his brother experiencing the same hunger that left his stomach hollow with pain didn’t bother Julian in the least. It had taken him years to find his mate. But he had always known that one day he and his brother would share the same woman. They had both fucked their share of women, together and apart, but there was always something missing. A sense that left them desiring more.

They both did their jobs as NYPD homicide detectives and sustained themselves by feeding and fucking women who never mattered. It sounded harsh, but it was true. They didn’t treat the women unfairly, and all parties involved always knew what they were getting into. And when it came to blood feeding, both Julian and Wrath made sure the women never remembered anything about it come morning. They had the ability to erase that portion of a woman’s mind and seal the puncture wounds on their necks with a healing agent in their saliva.

Yet their bond had never been complete.

As soon as he and Wrath had set their eyes on Shauna ten years before when she first joined the NYPD, their desire was instantaneous and they knew she would complete them. Yet at twenty, she was much too young and innocent.

So they waited.

A few years later, she left the department to start her own detective agency, and Julian and Wrath took turns watching her from afar. It was difficult, because they were fairly young vampires who could go out only at night. But still they watched her, ensuring she remained safe. Not being able to touch her was their most difficult task.

But now…she was older and wiser.

He swirled the brandy left in his glass and smiled.

She was ready.

Time for him and Wrath to make their move.

Chapter One

Shauna Adams stared at the plain white stationary envelope with a mixture of wariness and nervousness. Two boxed packages had arrived separately, within a week of each other. That wasn’t what made her so nervous, though. It was the fact that those boxes contained pictures of her, joining her friends for a meal, working in her detective agency, and shopping for clothes and groceries. The photos were surrounded by black roses. The psychic vibe she got when she touched the box was filled with anger and hatred.

All signs that told her she had a stalker.

But the sensations she got from touching the white envelope weren’t filled with maliciousness. Instead, lust, want, and need rushed through her body. It unnerved her that something inside the box would make her feel this way, as if it were a conduit for the fire flowing through her veins. She knew immediately—and was one-hundred percent positive—that the envelope had nothing to do with the boxes. The telepathic signs she got from it were nothing like the ones she’d received from the stalker.

The envelope had been delivered by registered mail only minutes before. She had risen from her desk to sign for it and as soon as the postman handed it to her, she dropped it, sensing her future would forever change once she opened it. Her name was typed on it in standard Times New Roman number twelve font, but there was no return address. The only clue as to where the envelope had come from was its postmark from El Dorado Springs, Colorado, 80025.

She touched the envelope, and a bolt of heat shot through her. She quickly dropped it again. Her stomach clenched and anxiety filled her. Her heart rate sped up. There was something about the envelope that sent her psychic senses shooting through the roof. She caught a glimpse of a tall person in her psyche, but before she could delve any further, the image evaporated.

If she were sensible, she would pick it up right now and throw it out. But Shauna knew her curiosity would get the better of her. Nine times out of ten, it always did. And even if she had the strength to discard it, there would always be a thread of interest in the back of her mind.

She breathed deeply, focused her inner strength, and opened the envelope. She reached into it, feeling the harsh edges of what felt like a plastic-coated card. She pushed it out, shocked at the emotions flooding through her.

Who in the hell would send her a tarot card with the four letter word Lust emblazoned on the front?

Another wash of heat flowed through her, and she crossed her legs. She was even more sure now that the envelope had not been sent by her stalker. Glad her office door was closed, Shauna trembled with sudden hunger pounding through her blood. She rose from her chair, stumbling on her three inch heels, and walked erratically to the window of her office. Cream flowed through her thong, wetting the satin material. Her nipples pebbled under her silk blouse, their peaks pressing tightly against her bra. Her clit throbbed.

An odd premonition overcame her, as if this was what she had been waiting for all of her life. As if the tarot card were the key to unleashing her desires, unlocking the primitive instinct that made all humans, paranormals, and animals the same.

Sex.

She was a psychic who could read the meaning of personal items. But that wasn’t all she could do. Through her sense of touch, she could read the mind of a person. She had been born with the gift and had learned to live with it at an early age. She used it well when it came to her cases. But it wasn’t something she would use on people close to her. She believed in giving everyone a fair chance, and that’s why she put her mental shields in place, to block the thoughts of those she did not want to read. It was an invasion of privacy she didn’t use unless it was necessary.

But the meaning of the card was unmistakable. She read the emotions on the tarot, the need for sex, and the drive to fulfill those desires. She should have been repulsed by the emotions battering her, but oddly the card unlocked something she thought she had buried long ago.

Desire.

Shauna swept her tongue across her dry lips and pressed the intercom button. She needed time alone, and giving her secretary early leave might possibly help her to put things into perspective.

“Jenna?”

“Yes, Shauna?”

“It’s already ten minutes to seven, and I have a migraine. I’m going to call it a day in about ten minutes. I can use the rest. So, you can leave now if you’d like. We’ve already put in about ten hours today.”

“Thank you. Is there anything I can get you before I leave? Perhaps some aspirin and a glass of water?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” All she needed was time alone. “Thank you, though.”

“Okay. Well, goodbye. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Jenna. I will.”

Shauna walked back to the window and caressed the tarot card. Her gaze flew to the darkening sky. The front door to her office closed, and she was relieved to finally be alone.

But the desire was still there. And now that the card had brought it to the surface, the feeling was strong and unyielding. The need for her to find someone who would complete her forced her to acknowledge that she couldn’t survive alone forever.

Forever with someone. It was a thought she had buried long ago. But now she was electrified. Possessed to find that certain man who would link with her completely. She had never been motivated to do so before today. Now, she was hot and needy.

She reached up and untied her hair. Her waist length blonde curls cascaded around her as she walked to the air conditioning unit and raised it another notch. Then she unbuttoned her blouse, enjoying the cool air that blew from the vent, caressing her skin. It felt wonderful, and she couldn’t help but unbutton her shirt all the way.

Shauna dropped the tarot card back onto her desk and hitched up her black skirt. It was so unlike her to attempt to masturbate in her office, but the need was too strong for her to ignore. Coming by her own hand was better than not having an orgasm at all. Luckily for her, she tackled her cases on her own and only had the one employee.

Nude thigh highs encased her legs, giving an ultra sex appeal to her black thong. She loved wearing sexy underclothes. They made her feel like she was hiding a sensual secret beneath her clothing.

She leaned against her desk and reached between her legs. Her fingertip brushed the hood of her throbbing clit, and she moaned as a fierce wave of arousal forced her pussy to spasm. She closed her eyes, sat down, and opened her legs wide. She rubbed her clit with her index finger once more, which set her insides on fire. Rippling waves of pleasure shot through her, and she hadn’t even removed her underwear yet. Her panties were soaked with her cream, and her scent filled the air. It all made her even hotter, and she was so engrossed in attempting to appease her hunger that she never heard the door open.

“God, Shauna.”

She wasn’t so far gone in her need that she could have imagined the rough male tone of voice, growling her name.

Shauna opened her eyes and couldn’t stop her mouth from opening in surprise. A whimper escaped her lips in reaction to the man before her. The one man she had always envisioned in her fantasies, but had never dared to go after.

Detective Julian Lopez.

She hadn’t seen him in almost ten years, but he now stood before her, a brooding sexy hunk in a tight black T-shirt, blue jeans ripped at the knees, and sexy black Durango boots. His black hair was closely cropped, and he sported a mouth watering goatee. Her heart thudded at the thought of feeling those rough hair bristles against her skin. His lips were parted, and she had a sudden, stunning vision of him on his knees, eating her out.

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