Noel Tierney thought she’d have enough time before the predicted
storm to make it to her holiday retreat, but the snow hit sooner than expected.
Caught unprepared on a treacherous pass, poor visibility and icy conditions
lead to a crash. She lay immobile in her vehicle, stranded in a ditch in the
most remote leg of her journey.
A faceless hero comes
to her rescue and Noel has no choice but to wait out the blizzard in her
rescuer’s unique cabin nestled in the woods. Everything about Grayson James
peaks her curiosity—his valor, air of mystery and most of all, undeniable
attractiveness.
For three days and
nights, passions are unleashed and unexpected emotions are brought to life.
When the storm breaks, Grayson vanishes into thin air, but not before revealing
startling news that leaves her questioning her sanity.
Fast forward years later
and Noel is in the southernmost part of the United States
In the sultry summer,
her unbridled winter’s ecstasy resurrects.
And so does the
Vampire.
"In the depth of
winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”
-Albert Camus
Excerpt:
Dark yet welcoming,
the restaurant pulled them in with its ambiance.
The plastered walls
were sponged in color blocks of a deep red and black. The ceilings were painted
in a high polish black and stone black tile lined the floor. Striking kabuki
masks and detailed silk kimono robes lined the walls
The women shared the
restaurant with no one except the spiciness of sriracha seasonings and robust
scent of the rich soy sauce that filled the air. They sat on their high top
stools at the bar, enjoying the food and the reprieve from the heat.
“Air conditioning is
nice, huh?” Noel asked.
“Yes, I’ll give you
that. I forgot how sticky this weather can be. I think we have to get used to
having bad hair and make up days.”
“I think you’re
right.”
Suzanne finished
sipping the last of the broth. “The soup is amazing. It’s not the kind of
cuisine I had in mind for our vacation in Key
West
“I had no clue this
was even here. But, I needed this…helped with my hangover.”
“Feel better?”
“Absolutely. I think
I can tackle a Sandhill Hooker shot or two today. After all, we are on the
infamous Duval Street
“Okay, pickle juice
that way…now you’re talking.”
She looked around the
place and smiled. “It’s pretty cool in here.”
Suzanne leaned her
head back. “And look at how high the ceiling is. I like all that exposed
ductwork. I wonder what this place was before?”
“This used to be a
club,” said the waitress as she carried in a case of liquor from the kitchen to
the bar.
“This was a club?”
Suzanne asked.
“Yeah. You two new to
Key West
“First time here.”
Noel sat quietly
listening to the conversation unfold between Suzanne and the waitress.
“You want a little
history on this building you won’t hear about on any tour guide?” The waitress
asked as she unpacked the box and carefully placed the bottles on the lighted
shelves behind the bar.
“Sure.”
“This restaurant and
the entire vacant spot next door used to be one big club.” The waitress turned
around and pointed towards the ceiling. “There was an entire second floor up
there. The owners of the restaurant demolished it since the place is small and narrow.
The height makes it feel spacious. You can sorta tell how it looked like the
second floor with that small area they kept above the kitchen. The red spiral
staircase you see leading up to that area…that’s original to the building.”
“Yeah, taking the
second floor out does make it feel bigger. So the club must’ve been packed all
the time to have two floors, huh?”
The waitress laughed
and leaned against the counter. “They didn’t advertise. And you notice
it’s off of Duval right?”
The women nodded.
“Not much foot
traffic on this street like Duval. This was the hush-hush place. You had to get
invited. Secret door knock and password would let you in—extremely private and
exclusive.”
“You ever get
invited?”
“Oh, God, no. I have
no idea who got invited, but I wasn’t one of them.
In fact, I never knew the club existed until a friend told me that the owners
were going to put the building up for sale a few years ago. I was like,
‘what club?’ And the thing was, I walked past the place many times and
always thought it was an abandoned building.”
“So what was the
deal? Why was it private? What went on?”
“Rumors claimed it as
an adult playground.”
“If the place was
still in operation, somehow I know Suzanne would get an invite,” Noel chimed
in.
Suzanne flashed a
wicked smile.
“Possibly,” the
waitress said. “Get’s your thoughts going, right? Like, what exactly happened
in there? Who went there? But the one thing I was always curious about was
seeing the place. They say it was like being on another planet.”
Noel awaited a break
in the conversation to jump back in with her questions. But movement from out
of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She snapped her head to look at
the loft area and gasped.
“What?” the waitress
asked in a concerning tone.
She scanned the area
in confusion.
“What’s wrong?”
Suzanne asked.
“I-I thought I saw
something up there.”
The waitress peered
into the kitchen. “Can’t be. No one else is here except Jesse and he’s at
sink.”
“What’s that door up
there?”
“That’s the access
point to the space next door, but its sealed shut from the other side. Trust
me. I’ve tried to see if I could get in to sneak a peek.”
“What is it that you
think you saw?” Suzanne asked.
She shrugged her
shoulders as goose bumps paraded along her skin. The same feeling stirred
again—as if she were being watched. “I thought I saw someone looking down on us
from that railing.”
Suzanne turned to the
waitress. “We partied a bit last night.”
“That tends to happen
in Key West
“I think we’ll take
the check and I’ll get this one out for some much needed fresh air and vitamin
D.”
“Sure thing.”
“I’m not crazy,
Suzanne,” she whispered as she reached for her purse.
“I didn’t say you
were. I just think you need to get outside.”
“Sammy told you
right?”
“What?”
“The boat? Me
freaking out that someone was watching me last night?”
“Yes. But,
honey, I think you’re just thinking of Dante being in this place and
visualizing him. That’s all.”
The waitress slid the
check across the counter and Suzanne immediately snatched it up. “My treat. You
get drinks tonight.”
“Thanks.”
Suzanne placed the
cash on top of counter. “Keep the change, darling. Thanks for the 411 on this
place. Very interesting.”
“No problem. You guys
go have fun.”
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Maya DeLeina is a multi-published Erotic Vampire Romance
Author with Siren , Evernight and Ellora’s Cave Publishing.
Her current series includes Ambrose
Heights Vampires, My
Naughty Vampire and Vampire Architects.
Not only does Maya
have theatrical book trailers that bring her vampires to life, all of her
vampires were featured in Singer/Songwriter Jill
Cohn's music video "Blessing Moon".
Visit Maya DeLeina Online:
Website- http://www.mayadeleina.net/
YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/mayadeleina
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vampauthormaya
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