Eve Vaughn, Romance Author

Jagger

part of the Blood Brothers anthology
Blood Brothers, Book 4
Eve Vaughn Books • July 24, 2014
Order eBook:Kindle

Jagger Grimaldi has wanted Camryn from the moment he’s laid eyes on her. He knows with absolute certainty that she is his bloodmate. The only problem? She doesn’t seem to agree.

Camryn Williams hasn’t believed in happy ever-afters since she was a child. Having witnessed the breakdown of her parent’s marriage she doesn’t believe in commitments. Too bad a certain vampire won’t take the hint…although he is kind of cute.

A special family event brings these two together, but Jagger’s need for Camryn has driven to him to the point of near madness. Can he convince her they belong together before it’s too late?

Read an Excerpt

Once Sasha had left the men alone, Niccolo took a seat on the sofa beside Jagger. “Son, when was the last time you got laid?” That was his father: direct and straight to the point. It was still something Jagger was getting used to.

“A few weeks. I haven’t had much time for anything else what with our missions for the Underground.”

“Was it a satisfying experience?”

They were close, but this man was his father. Jagger felt his face grow warmer than ever from his embarrassment. “I’m not sure why you need to know all this.”

“Humor me, son.”

“Fine. Not really. I was more frustrated than ever afterward.”

“This heat you experience, is it followed by arousal?”

“Sometimes.”

Niccolo closed his eyes with a sigh.

“What is it, Papa? What’s wrong with me? I never thought I’d feel this way again after I received my first blood.”

“Who is she?”

“She?”

“The woman you’re pining for. Besides a need for first blood, the most common cause of la morte dolci is unfulfilled desire. It happened to your Uncle Marco; had Dante not intervened, things could have gone very badly for Maggie. So I ask again, who is this woman who’s brought you to this pass?”

There was only one woman who’d been on his mind the past few months. She was his first thought when he woke and his last at night. He’d memorized her every feature and often conjured up her smooth dusky skin and large soulful eyes, She had the most adorable dimples he’d ever seen, and Jagger fantasized about having her beneath him, her hair fanned out against a white pillow. Remembering her plump bottom and how much he wanted to ride it, Jagger’s cock jumped to attention. Why this woman in particular made him feel such instant longing, he wasn’t sure. Jagger had had many women, after all, but none had ever caused him to dream about them every single damned night.

“Son,” his father prompted.

“Janice Williams.”

Niccolo’s eyes widened. “Maggie’s daughter?”

“Yes. I haven’t been able to forget her. I’ve tried to, but I can’t. She’s the one, Papa, I’m sure of it.”

“Marco has told me she’s wary of our kind.”

Jagger raked his fingers though his hair. “I’m already aware of that, but it doesn’t make me want her any less. I can’t eat, sleep, or do anything properly because of her. It only took our first meeting for me to fall hard for her, but it was enough. Hell, I even flew to her place in Atlanta. She rejected me initially, but when I left, her last reaction gave me hope. I can feel she wants me, too, but she’s denying it, denying us.”

“So that’s where you went when you needed a couple of days to yourself. From the comments Marco has made, I’ve wondered if something may have happened between you and Janice, but I didn’t want to be intrusive and ask. From what I’ve seen of her, she’s a nice kid, but she’s not like her mother. Her tongue is sharp; she won’t fall at your feet like other women do.”

“No other woman interests me. Besides, if I wanted one of those types, I could have settled down with any number of them. Papa, in my heart, body, and soul, I know she’s the one. She’s my woman.”

“You’re very young to have found your bloodmate already. Marco was in his eighties when he’d met his first bloodmate, and it was several hundred years later when he found Maggie. Your Uncle Romeo and I have also waited many centuries before our mates came into our lives. Are you absolutely sure?”

“Would you think that I’m on the verge of la morte dolci if she isn’t?

His father’s golden gaze met his. “Son, whatever you do I will support you, but I must warn you, she’s under Marco’s protection and he’ll allow no harm to come to her. You’re in a precarious situation, piccolo, because la morte dolci is a tricky thing. If your need for her goes unfulfilled, it could mean trouble for you. Already your body is going through changes because of your desire for her. You don’t have much time to stake your claim before this illness becomes full blown.”

“How much time do you think I have?”

“Judging from your symptoms … no more than two weeks.”