Predatory

by Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, Hannah Jayne, Dianne Duvall

Overview

Four of today's most exciting paranormal authors take readers into the thrilling realm of vampires, immortals, and other supernatural beings with a thirst for illicit desire. . .

Out Of Control by Alexandra Ivy

Ph.D student Angela Locke has a crush on her sexy professor, Dr. Nikolo Bartrev. When she learns he's actually a Sentinel with extraordinary powers, she joins forces with him to catch a psychopath. But soon, their hottest pursuit is of each other. . .

Ties That Bind by Nina Bangs

Cassie Tyler agrees to sub for her friend at the funeral home where she works. But she gets more than she bargained for when a group of men attack her and a vampire comes to her rescue. . .

In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall

Immortal Richart d'Alençon can't forget the woman who rewarded him with a sensuous kiss after he saved her from a trio of vampires. While Richart knows that loving a human can only bring trouble, the taste of forbidden lust is too great to resist. . .

High Stakes by Hannah Jayne

When vampire fashionista Nina LaShay's design contest rival is found dead, she's the prime suspect. Sexy photographer Pike is number two. He's the kind of man who makes Nina salivate. But will she have to reveal herself to have him--and to save them both? Or does Pike have a secret of his own?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781420130959
Publisher:	Kensington
Publication date:	05/07/2013
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	92,335
File size:	898 KB

About the Author

Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. Her debut novel, Darkness Dawns, was nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews. Dianne holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of St. Thomas.

Alexandra Ivy is the New York Times bestselling author of the Guardians of Eternity series. She has also published traditional regencies and regency historicals under the name Deborah Raleigh.

Hannah Jayne is the author of the Underworld Detection Agency series; Truly, Madly, Deadly; and Rebound Guy.

As an audiobook narrator, Arika Rapson has performed a wide range of genres, from classics to contemporary thrillers, children's books, urban fantasy, and chick lit—including Cat Adams's Blood Singer series—as well as stranger-than-fiction true stories. She has also narrated a variety of educational videos, apps, and video game characters.

Read an Excerpt

Predatory

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By Alexandra Ivy, Nina Bangs, Dianne Duvall, Hannah Jayne

KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

Copyright © 2013Kensington Publishing Corporation
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-2512-2

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Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

The nightclub near the University of Missouri wasn't anything to brag about. Hell, it wasn't much more than a leaking roof held up by four walls and a prayer. In the center was a cramped dance floor surrounded by tables and at the back a long bar ran the length of the wall. Up the narrow staircase you could find pool tables and a few old-time pinball machines, while in the back parking lot the dealers strolled from car to car, searching for shoppers interested in less legal means of intoxication.

A typical college hangout.

Seated in a booth nearly obscured by shadows, Angela Locke watched the crowd of college students bump and grind to a heavy beat that was making her eye twitch.

Not that she wasn't enjoying herself, she sternly chided herself. She might be a few years older than most of the kids in the club, but that didn't mean she was a complete party pooper. Right?

On cue she winced as two girls shrieked with laughter at a nearby table, the aggravating sound some sort of homing signal to the guys who eagerly crowded around their table.

Okay, this wasn't really her scene.

She'd spent the majority of her twenty-six years in musty libraries or high-tech labs, which meant she was more comfortable with petri dishes and microscopes than the opposite sex.

Her dark thoughts were interrupted as she belatedly realized she was no longer alone.

Glancing up, she met Megan Wagner's exasperated frown. The pretty, pleasantly rounded blonde was one of Angela's few friends at the university. In the process of recovering from a disastrous marriage, the older woman was taking classes to earn her teaching degree.

"Oh, for God's sake," Megan complained. "I didn't bring you here to hide in the corner."

Angela wrinkled her nose. "I'd rather hide in corners than park myself in the spotlight where everyone can see me sitting alone."

Megan folded her arms under her ample bosom, her lush curves displayed in a tight red dress and her blonde curls allowed to fall freely over her shoulders.

"You wouldn't be alone if you didn't put out vibes that you're—"

"A geek? A nerd? A first-class egghead?" Angela offered wryly.

"Unavailable."

"Are you kidding?" Angela shot a glance down at her jade stretchy top that was scooped low enough to reveal the soft curve of her breasts and the too-tight jeans that threatened her circulation. "In this outfit I not only look available, I look like I charge by the hour."

"It's not your clothes. It's your attitude."

Angela blinked. Attitude? She didn't know she had an attitude.

"What do you want me to do?"

Megan placed her hands flat on the table, eying Angela with the same stern expression she used on her students at the local preschool.

"Pay attention to the men who are here, not the one who isn't."

Angela tried to squelch the renegade blush that stole beneath her cheeks.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I mean that it's all fine and dandy to moon over Professor Hottie, but what's it gotten you?" A blonde brow arched. "Unless there's something you're not telling me?"

Angela ducked her head, allowing her finger to trace the beads of moisture that trickled down her untouched drink.

Professor Hottie.

Or, better known as Dr. Nikolo Bartrev.

He'd arrived at the university six weeks before. A tall, dark stranger who'd been invited by the president to review their science curriculum. Angela didn't know precisely what his work entailed, but she did know that one glance into those pale blue eyes and she'd been lost.

Head over heels in lust for the first time in her life.

A damned shame he didn't return her aching need.

"There's nothing to tell," she muttered.

"And that's the point," Megan pressed. "He stops by your lab once a day—"

"Sometimes it's twice."

Megan snorted. "He makes a little chitchat and disappears."

Angela hunched a shoulder. It was true enough.

The first time Dr. Bartrev had strolled into her lab she'd nearly had a heart attack. She'd just finished teaching a freshman biology class and he'd waited for the giggling girls to drag themselves past him before he slowly approached her desk.

She hadn't known what to expect, but after a few minutes of questioning her about her research, he'd turned and left.

Just like that.

Since that day, he'd made a habit of stopping by when she was in the lab, sometimes discussing her research and other times just randomly discussing her day.

She assumed that he was cleverly extracting information from her to use in his assessment, but she didn't have a clue what he was searching for.

And she didn't care.

His fleeting visits were enough to make her giddy for the rest of the day.

"So?" she muttered.

"Has he ever revealed anything remotely personal about himself ?"

Angela grimaced. After six weeks she didn't know a damned thing about the man.

Well, she knew the precise scent of his warm male cologne. And the way his cashmere sweaters stretched over a wide chest and how his pants clung to his tight ass.

But anything about the man beneath the gorgeous exterior? Nothing. Nada. Niente.

"No."

"Has he ever asked you out, even to lunch?"

"No."

"Has he ever brought you anything? Flowers, candy, a bagel from the cafeteria?"

"No."

"Has he tried to get his hand down your shirt?"

"No."

Megan heaved a sigh. "Honey, that man ain't interested, no matter how much you might want him to be."

Angela lifted her head to meet her friend's sympathetic gaze. "I know."

The blonde grabbed the plastic sword that held a candied cherry from Angela's glass.

"Then drink your gin fizz and give that nice stud muffin by the door a big smile." She pointed the sword toward the delectable blond Neanderthal standing across the dance floor. "And remember—"

"Remember what?"

"You're beautiful."

Angela rolled her eyes. She had a mirror. She might not be the Bride of Frankenstein, but she was a long way from beautiful.

Average brown hair she kept in a ponytail. Average height with average curves. Average features that were pale from the hours she spent in the lab.

The only thing remarkable was the wide brown eyes that were heavily framed with dark lashes, but most of the time they were hidden behind her protective lab glasses.

In summation she was ... average.

"It's going to take more than one gin fizz to make me believe in fairy tales," she retorted.

"Maybe a kiss will wake you, Sleeping Beauty." Megan waggled her brows. "She was, after all, the first true wallflower."

Angela gave a choked laugh. Her friend charged through life at full throttle.

"I wish I could be like you, Megan," she said wistfully, thinking of all the nights she sat in her cramped apartment alone.

Always alone.

"Yeah, right," Megan scoffed. "You're a genius who's only weeks away from receiving your PhD in molecular biology and I'm trying to struggle through my undergraduate degree."

Angela shook her head. Because of finances Megan was forced to take night classes while she worked full-time, but there was no doubt her love for children would allow her to achieve her goals.

"You know you're a fabulous teacher, not to mention ..." Angela's comforting words dissolved into a silent shock as her heart slammed against her ribs.

Oh hell.

"Hey, t
(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Predatory by Alexandra Ivy. Copyright © 2013 by Kensington Publishing Corporation. Excerpted by permission of KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Out of Control by Alexandra Ivy............     1     

Ties That Bind by Nina Bangs...............     115     

In Still Darkness by Dianne Duvall.........     211     

High Stakes by Hannah Jayne................     319     

Editorial Reviews

"Newcomers to paranormal romance will find this to be a good place to start." —-Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher