Michelle Hasker

Artist: Jinger Heaston
ISBN: 978-1-60168-074-7
Genre: Winter holiday stories
Publication Date: 11/30/2007
Sexual Content: None - Erotic
Buy Link

Blurb:
Aine has a talent for giving people the desire of their hearts. All she asks for is help, one time, when another seeks their heart's desire. When Aine is followed by a couple of thugs, Adhamh rushes to protect her. What he doesn't expect is the flare of desire and vague sense of familiarity he feels in her presence. Given the choice of his own heart's desire, finding the person who turned him into one of the living dead, or staying with Aine, Adhamh finds the decision isn't as easy as he thought it would be.

Excerpt:
Adhamh hid in the shadows and watched the dark haired beauty cross the street. Tonight she was dressed in white fur. As she walked through the softly drifting snow, he couldn't help but be awed by her beauty. She had a natural grace, and oozed sex appeal. His inner beast growled in desire, but concern kept him from acting on his hunger.

The woman seemed oblivious to the two men following her, but still held her purse tightly in front of her like a shield. The past few nights he’d sat inside this cafe and watched her walk past with the men following her. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but death didn’t bother Adhamh. He'd been dead for seven hundred years and he wanted to know what was going on.

As he had the last two nights, Adhamh rose and blended into the night, following them. If a mugging was their intent then they'd have attacked her. Instead they just followed her. Night after night. He could understand this behavior if they were bodyguards, but they couldn't be. Not when they when they acted like stalkers. They were not honorable men, and he couldn't stand the thought of such a lovely, vulnerable woman being taken advantage of. Or worse.

A quick investigation he'd conducted yesterday revealed that she was Aine O'Leary, owner of a store called Hearts' Desire. There were many things an antique dealer might have acquired that would attract the attention of undesirables, but they weren't staking out her store or her home. No burglaries had been committed at her properties, either. It appeared they wanted Aine.

Word in the underground was that Dominik had a growing interest in antiques, particularly the ones in Aine's store. The question was why, and what did he want? Something was going to happen tonight. The air felt thicker, and the tension emanating from the men was palpable.

Aine went around a corner. The men hurried after her, so Adhamh picked up his pace. When he turned the corner he saw Aine pause and glance back. The fright in her eyes as she looked at the two men stirred him into action. Just as the men drew near to her, he pushed in between them and wrapped his arms around her.

"Darling! I asked you to wait for me at the store. You shouldn't be walking home alone this late at night. Bad things happen to beautiful women like you when they’re alone." She stared at him with a mixture of shock and desire. He felt it too, the heady pull of her scent and the sound of her blood as it pumped quickly through her veins. Her fear called to him on a primitive level and not only roused his protective instincts, but it fueled his hunger. Damn, she was potent.

Before she could say a word, he wrapped his arm around her and hurried her along the sidewalk. Recognition flared, and desire sung through his body. How was it he knew her?

"Who are you and what are you doing?" Her frightened whisper tugged at his heart.

"I saw those two men following you. They don't look like the welcome wagon. If you want me to walk away, I will. But I couldn't just stand by and let them hurt you."

"But you don't even know me." Her pale blue eyes met his gaze. She shivered as her eyes darkened.

He hadn't been mistaken. She felt it too. The knowledge sent a rush of heat to his cock, and he sprang to instant attention. Fighting the urge to press his mouth against hers and see if she tasted as delicious as she smelled, Adhamh drew her closer.

"I don't know you."

"You obviously don't know those men either." He didn't enjoy her wince as he pointed out the obvious. How did he know her and she didn't know him?

"Where are you taking me?" she asked when he guided her across the street and into a dark office building.

"I don't think you want them to follow you home. They'd just wait for me to leave and then attack. I'm positive you wouldn't want to go to my place, so that only left me one other option at this hour of the night. My office."

"Couldn't we have gone into a restaurant or something?" She jerked her arm away from him as soon as the door closed behind them.

Adhamh locked the door and leaned on it. "I figure we have a little bit of time, perhaps they'll give up for the night, but they will be back."

"What are you talking about?" Aine walked behind his desk.

She was skittish, like a colt, and looked ready to bolt if he sneezed. He hoped brutal honesty would work because he wouldn't be able to live with himself if she ignored his warning and got hurt. Or worse.

Back to the top
Back to Books

---

Reviews:

Mandy from Rogues and Romance said the Babes in Toyland II Anthology is a must read!

Heart's Desire is about finding exactly that. This story was full of mystery and suspense, and you will love Michelle Hasker's style of uncovering those mysteries! This story is a marvelous true paranormal, and a love story that any romance reader will adore.

To read the entire review and her comments on the other stories, click here.

Buy Link

Back to the top
Back to Books