Forgotten Kisses by Rena Marks Now Available from Ellora's Cave
Anjelia Romere falls in love with a vampire, yet is pursued relentlessly by his rival, the werewolf king. Her life is turned upside down when she realizes her vampire betrayed her by erasing her memory of being the wolf queen.
Now she wonders whether the vampires are the good guys and if the werewolves are really the villains.
Tied for life as a human servant to the master vampire, yet destined to be the wolf king's mate, Anjelia wonders: Whom shall she choose? For one option is death; the other, insanity.
His eyes were dark, a deep pool of ebony I could see my reflection in as he caught my gaze with his own. Then, slowly, he brought his hand up to cover mine, keeping it pressed to his face. His hand cradled mine as he turned his head to press the barest of kisses to my palm. I noticed it was a few degrees cooler. I shivered for him.
"Are you always cold?" I asked.
"It's something you get used to." He shrugged.
"But do you crave warmth?"
He nodded. "We can't go into the sun. We dread summer because the days are longer and that means less time that we can be outside. It makes for long days."
I had the strangest urge. An urge to lift his shirt and wrap my arms around his bare skin. To warm his cooler body with mine.
Instead, I stepped back. "Let me take a quick shower and you can show me your basement, okay?"
Julian inclined his head and stood where I left him. I backed away, still fighting the insanely uncontrollable urge to lift his shirt.
I showered quickly and even washed my hair. I blow-dried it a little bit and put the rest up in a loose knot where it would dry curly. And finally, I hurried out to my living room where he still waited.
"All done."
He stood and his nostrils flared ever so slightly. I was aware that he was sniffing me. I never wore perfume, my ex-husband didn't allow it and now I was just out of the habit. I know now that perfumes are too strong for the sensitive noses of the supernaturals and my ex was making me more attractive to them. All Julian would smell was the scent of just scrubbed skin and the faint scent of the shower gel I used.
Grabbing my car keys, we drove to work. His work, the bar; and my work, the gym.
"Where shall I park?"
"Here is fine. We'll enter through the bar."
We went into Bang's and Johnny was behind the bar as usual. He waved at me and I waved back before Julian escorted me to the back stairs.
"Going up leads to my office. Going down, however."
It didn't look like a downstairs. It was a closed hallway. I looked at him, puzzled.
"It's masked. Courtesy of Tanya, our resident witch. Humans don't notice the opening. Here, take my hand and trust me."
Julian walked slowly through the wall. His hand gently pulled mine through and the rest of me followed until I was on the other side also. I didn't feel anything. My brain was befuddled, like it couldn't comprehend my body going through a wall. He didn't let go of my hand and I was too flabbergasted to notice that we stood there staring at each other, holding hands. This was the first glamour I'd ever seen.
The basement was huge although winding passageways which reminded me of a maze broke it up. It was faintly lit, the walls dark like those of a cave that went on for miles. Julian walked the length of it, pointing out small details. Actually, there wasn't much I could see. Vampire vision must be a lot better than human vision.
His quarters consisted of one large room. There was a sitting area with a loveseat and chairs at the front of the room. A small door led to the bathroom.
"You live here?"
"I sleep here. I have lots of homes. Homes in other countries, other states."
"Vampires don't sleep in coffins?"
"We don't need to, not always. But, if we're injured and need to heal or if we need a re-charging, so to speak, we have coffins for that purpose. Each one has healing soil enclosed, from each vampire's homeland. Would you like to see?"
I nodded and we left his quarters. The coffin room was in the center of the basement. There were rows of coffins set in a circular pattern. Each coffin was a duplicate of the one next to it, no variance at all.
"How do you know which is yours?"
"A vampire can sense his own. Smell his personal soil even if two vampires come from the same homeland."
"Where's yours?"
He took me to one of the coffins and opened the lid. Sure enough, it had soil in it.
"You can touch it."
That was when I realized that he still held my hand. He released me and I dipped it into his coffin. The soil flowed through my fingers.
"It's warm," I said, astonished.
He nodded and looked surprised himself. The soil didn't feel like plain old everyday dirt. It was silken to my fingers, flowing in and out and between.
"It can't be dirt. It feels magical. It makes me happy." I laughed, too happy to contain it. I felt bubbly, like I was filled with the effervescence of champagne. Leaning toward him, I confided, "I want to take off my clothes and roll around in it, like a mud bath."
"You feel the magic?" He still looked surprised. Then he looked back at the soil. "It should be simple dirt to you. You shouldn't even feel the warmth."
"I do. I'd like to lay in it."
"Go ahead."
"It's a coffin. What if the lid slams shut?"
He climbed in gracefully and held out his arms. "Come on."
I climbed in also and lay next to him. We were a little close, it was a one-man coffin.
It felt peaceful and relaxing, like taking a warm bath on a lazy day. Or, watching a storm outside when you don't have to leave the warmth of your home. I snuggled into his body, relaxed and aware that I could sleep like this.
I basked in the comforting feeling of his coffin. Then I realized the comfort wasn't wholly from the coffin but from the body pressed alongside mine. As soon as I realized that, comfort left and awareness began.
His arm was under my head and I was slightly turned toward him. I couldn't see anything in the dark but I was very aware of where our bodies touched. One of his knees was pressed slightly between my own, innocent enough. The innocence would shatter if I opened my legs and let it slip further against me.
My heartbeat sounded in my ears. I could actually feel it thumping, pounding the blood through my veins. Certain he could hear it in the close proximity, I said, "We really should get out. I need to get home and I just feel like taking a nap."
"Why don't you spend the night, sometime?" He leaned over me and the muscles of his thigh pressed purposely between my legs.
It caught my breath.
Warmth pooled between my legs and I knew without a doubt that special spot was beginning to swell with pleasure, whether he knew it or not.
"It's a little strange. I mean, it's perfectly normal for you to sleep in a coffin but I'm human. How would I explain it?"
"No one needs an explanation. No one will know but you and I," he whispered. We were talking about two different things. Weren't we?
"Be brave, my sweet." I felt his breath against my lips and I knew how near he must be in the dark.
"Maybe," I hedged, still wondering exactly what we were talking about.
His finger stroked alongside my cheek. It found its way to my mouth and traced my lower lip. Now I knew exactly what we'd been talking about. I paused while I fought the overwhelming urge to part my lips and suckle his fingertip.
"One day." I promised and wondered what I was promising, the sleep in a coffin or more. No matter, in either case I was sorely tempted.
My thoughts ran rampant. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. As much as I fought prejudice against vampires, I didn't want my own life linked to them.
Forgotten Kisses takes you on a steamy ride that puts you in the middle of a fierce tug-of-war between humans, vampires, and werewolves. Anjelia seemed to be a really conflicted heroine and at different points, both men helped and hurt her, Julian and Leo were both alpha males and neither wanted to give an inch. It took Anjelia being the alpha female to control them and make them work together for any of their relationships to work. The romance between Anjelia and Julian was was very fast, showy and flashy whereas the romance between her and Leo was more subdued and drawn out. The difference between the sex Anjelia had with each was also very evident. And both ways gave you butterflies in your stomach. Forgotten Kisses was my introduction to Ms. Marks and I a definitely looking forward to reading more of her offerings.
Anjelia Romere falls in love with a vampire, yet is pursued relentlessly by his rival, the werewolf king. Her life is turned upside down when she realizes her vampire betrayed her by erasing her memory of being the wolf queen.
