Rhys Carey spent centuries evading the clutches of his twisted brother, unable to trust anyone. He longs for a home and for the love that he could not have while his brother lived. Now that his twin is dead, he’s bound with a different set of chains, those of isolation and self-loathing, and they are impossible to escape.

 Savannah Baker is unbearably lonely. Her abilities as an empath have trapped her in a small life, with only a single friend to call her own. She dreams of so much more but holds no hope that she will attain her deepest desires.

 When Rhys moves in across the street, the attraction between them blossoms into something more — a love neither of them believed they could have.

 Yet unbeknownst to Rhys, darkness stalks him, waiting for the opportunity to strike. The evil that shadows his every move will use whatever means necessary to ensnare Rhys, even kill the woman he can no longer live without.

 Now that these two lost souls have finally found each other, they are in a battle for survival. And for love. 

 *Though this is the second book in the Blood & Bone series, it can be read as a standalone. Rhys was a secondary character in the Bitten series, so if you enjoy this book and you have not read that series, you should check it out!

Savannah

 

The sound of the phone ringing woke me. Still half asleep, I fumbled for the receiver and lifted it to my ear.

“Lo?” I mumbled.

“Are you still sleeping?” Ava asked. “It’s nearly seven.”

I winced. I hadn’t meant to sleep so late, but I hadn’t set an alarm on my cell phone to wake me up. “Well, I’m up now.”

“So did you go see my new tenant today?”

I rolled over onto my back and rubbed my forehead. The headache behind my eyes had disappeared, but my embarrassment hadn’t. “Yeah,” I sighed.

“Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound good,” she murmured. “What happened?”

“Well, for one thing, you didn’t warn me how hot he was,” I accused her. “I could have prepared myself. Or stayed home. Instead I sounded like a babbling idiot. Oh, and I nearly dropped a vase of flowers on his foot, which thankfully he caught. Unfortunately, in catching the vase, he was also splashed with water.”

Ava laughed and I made a face at the phone. “I’m sorry, Savannah. I’m not laughing at you.”

Rolling my eyes, I replied, “Yeah, I can tell you’re laughing with me.”

Still giggling, she continued, “I didn’t think he was that good looking.”

I wasn’t ready to let go of my humiliation. “Make an appointment with an eye doctor. I’m concerned that your vision is going.”

Ava laughed harder. “Okay, so he’s handsome. Did he render you speechless?”

“No, the exact opposite. I had verbal diarrhea. It was so embarrassing. I didn’t even stop talking long enough for him to tell me his name. I went over there to welcome him to the neighborhood and I still don’t know his name!” I exclaimed, covering my eyes with my free hand at the memory. “Who does that?”

“Apparently, you do,” Ava answered.

“Please stop trying to make me feel better. You suck at it.”

“Then maybe I need more practice,” she retorted.

 Born and raised in Texas, C.C. Wood writes saucy paranormal and contemporary romances featuring strong, sassy women and the men that love them. If you ever meet C.C. in person, keep in mind that many of her characters are based on people she knows, so anything you say or do is likely to end up in a book one day.

 A self-professed hermit, C.C. loves to stay home, where she reads, writes, cooks, and watches TV. She can usually be found drinking coffee or wine as she spends time with her hubby, daughter, and two beagles.