Seduction in Scarlet

By Christina Quinn

Sadie graduates in a handful of days, and when most of the people around her in class are worrying about finals, she's more focused on if she'll survive to walk across the stage. Byron, her vampire lover, brings Sadie to a medieval style tournament thrown by the region's Master. His hope is to take her mind off the stresses of the tests and essays--not to mention the vampire who wants them both dead.

However, while taking in the festivities Byron discovers that Sadie has some dark secrets of her own. One in particular that might tear them apart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christina Quinn
• Release date: Apr 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370714704

Christina Quinn

Christina Quinn, avid reader, lover of Ballet, Classical Literature, and all things Vampire. Since childhood, she's been enthralled by vampires and since adulthood has been utterly titillated by them and the play of sexuality and danger that their mythos offers. Now she strives to write dangerous and sexy stories that suck readers in and devour them whole.

Book preview

Other Books by Christina Quinn

Danse Macabre

Danse Macabre

Dark Awakenings

Deadly Deception (Summer 2017)

Arwn’s gift

Heart of the Forest

Eyes of Fire

A Little Red Book

A Kiss of Crimson

Seduction in Scarlet

Violence in Vermilion (May 2017)

Bite of Desire (June 2017)

A Novel of Shadows

Camera Obscura

Silently Devoured (Summer 2017)

Seduction

in

Scarlet

A Little Red Book

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to those who helped this book come into being, including, but not limited to my beta readers and the wonderful and amazing Tonna, J Linz, and CL for helping proof this monstrosity, you’re all goddesses!

…the love of a vampire is a wave of simmering scarlet seduction.

—Autumn Darling Ph.D

One

Is Omission the Same as a Lie?

Sadie

Lying in bed wrapped up in my warm, thick, down comforter, I watched as Byron got ready for his day. He mesmerized me with his natural, smoldering presence. It was kind of ironic because he was a vampire; they’re naturally cold blooded without a fresh feeding. Though preternatural, he was so human, and by that I mean he brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and shaved like any other man.       However, there were a few things in his morning routine that humans didn’t do. One of those was smearing thick blue-white sunblock over every inch of exposed flesh. I’ve seen what happens when he misses a spot—or I rub it off before it sets. First the skin turns red, and then it blisters, turns purple, and eventually catches fire. The only real downside to Byron was that he was too much of a knightly gentleman to show he was in pain while around me. One day he walked me to my class across campus in spite of his shoulder smoking. Although I knew he was in agony, he never said a word about it.

We learned from the experience—or rather I did. After he put the stuff on, I refrained from touching him for the fifteen minutes it took to dry, or cure, or whatever it did. Waiting was fine with me—the sunblock smelled identical to a closet full of industrial cleaner and burned my nose anyway.      Despite singed nose hairs and watery eyes, I loved watching Byron apply it. Okay, honesty time, I loved watching him run his hands over his body—especially his neck.

So, there I was grinning like a loon as he rubbed it over his chest, smearing it across his well-defined pecs. That was another thing, he was incredibly hot, as in I had never in my entire life seen a man more attractive. His body was immaculate, lean and defined enough to be more deserving of a fifty-foot billboard than most underwear models. Also, his biceps were so hard that I occasionally had to fight the urge to squeal with glee every time I touched them.

Then there was his face. His irises were a glinting shade of blue that seemed to change depending on the light. During the day and in well-lit areas, they were an almost warm shade of denim blue, but at night, they glinted silver in the dark. They were very expressive eyes too. The set of his brow seemed to perpetually suggest sadness and made him convey more emotion with a look than most did with words.

His mouth, however, perpetually smiled. The corners of his lips naturally curled upward, but I forever felt his passive expression of happiness was genuine when he was around me—not to mention they were also distractingly kissable.  His nose was narrow and pointed in such a way that the tip occasionally wiggled while he laughed or was annoyed with something.

In short, I was thoroughly and absolutely smitten with him. Physical beauty aside, he was the perfect gentleman to boot, so I essentially won the hot guy lottery.

I see you spying there. His dark and velvety voice poured over my body, making me purr. He had an accent that came and went, it was almost British—that BBC perfect English that makes most American woman and some men drop their panties faster than you can say crumpet.

Am not! Giggling, I pulled the comforter over my head. We had been living together for a week in my studio apartment—though he was reluctant in the beginning.

He lifted the comforter from me. Go back to sleep. He kissed my forehead and dropped the blanket back into place.

I don’t want to, I whined.

You have classes, work, and then we have the appointment to look at the apartment in the Park District.

I peeked my head out and watched him slip his suit jacket over his pressed white shirt. He worked security—I’m sorry, protection—and had to dress semi-professionally to do it. He also carried a gun, which I thought was odd since he was a vampire. I hadn’t asked him about it, but I was pretty sure the answer probably had something to do with taking care of threats from a distance.

I have to be up in— Glancing at the clock took my words from me; it was three in the morning. You win.

It’s not a game to win or lose. He walked back over and kissed me softly prior to tracing his nose over mine. Before being with him, I never thought Eskimo kisses could be sexy, but that opinion had certainly changed. Are you staying up? I have a while, I can turn on the Keurig and make you a cup of coffee if you’d like.

Nah, I think I’ll to try to head back to sleep.

Alright, I’ll meet you after class?

I have work.

That’s right.

Mhm, they restored the crest on the armor, and they’re putting it back on display. So, I have to be there from noon on.

Isn’t that cutting it close? Your class lets out at eleven.

Ten-fifty, I’ll be fine.

Let me take you? I’ll bring you lunch.

I won’t have time for lunch. I sighed.

You can’t skip a meal, or you’ll pass out again.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and with a little growl, he pounced me. As we rolled across the bed, he tickled me mercilessly, and my giggle fit threatened to suffocate me. Tears obscured my vision as he pinned me against the mattress with his hips.

I… I can’t breathe! I tried to push him off me, and he didn’t budge. He did, however, stop on his own. Things like that gave me pause. He might have been wonderful, fun, happy, playful, loving, charming, amazing, sexy Byron, but he was also an undead creature built for murder and destruction.

The thought was sobering, but I still kissed the bulge of his bicep. Those pretty blue orbs always seemed to fill with sorrow after those moments. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind he knew what I was thinking. I’d never say it out loud, because I knew it would hurt him if he found out I occasionally thought of him that way. Unfortunately, it was hard not to, but I constantly felt a little guilty after.

I’m sorry.

I pressed my fingertips to his lips. Shh. He also had a habit of apologizing for every little thing, even things that he didn’t have control over. You can bring me lunch and meet me after class. But… and hear me out because this is a big but… no funny business. I teased.

What do you mean?

You know what I mean! No sneaking a snack.

I wouldn’t dream of it, even though I’m skipping breakfast. As he kissed along my throat, my lids fell closed and my mouth went slack. I trembled with each careful brush of those silky lips against my windpipe.  I gasped out a shuddered moan, and he moved from me. I felt the mattress shifting under us as he jumped to the floor.

Where are you going anyway? I opened my eyes again, watching as he opened the closet, pulling out his gun and holster from the safe I made him get. I still wasn’t comfortable around guns, but I realized he needed his for work.

Today I’m guarding the head of the Preternatural Coalition while he has a meeting with the Erikson Clan.

Oh, I’ll pretend that made some sense to me. I beamed at him, and he chuckled.

You know the Old Police Station on Euclid?

Mhm, the pretty art deco one they just renovated.

It’s not a police station anymore, it’s the headquarters for the Preternatural Coalition, which every group—werewolves, vampires, sorcerers, wizards and all of that are subject to.

So, you mean you have another master?

It’s not like that. They just handle conflicts between the different groups.

And the Erikson clan is?

Werewolves.

Gotcha.

Asher will probably be there, Jen might even be too if he’s chosen her as his mate.

What does that mean?

I thought you guys covered this stuff in health class? He teased.

Total honesty here, I fell asleep during the werewolf days—minus the times they showed the gory slides.

And what about vampires? He sounded a little angry.

I sat horrified as the teacher spent days explaining how some of you kill people for fun.

I don’t remember much, it was a while ago, I lied like the lying liar I was.

The way he looked at me said that he knew I was keeping something from him. Being the perfect gentleman he was, he stayed silent. Our gaze locked, and though I felt that drifting feeling of his power, as always, I could see the sadness in his expression as that stormy sea of scarlet power attempted to drown me. He wasn’t doing it intentionally, it was as automatic as breathing to him, as it was to other vampires. In the last week, I learned to fight against the pull of his power. Resisting him gave me a headache that made my temples throb and the base of my spine feel like it was trying to rip out through my mouth.

With a whimper, I turned from him, and the softest sigh left his lips.

I— He stopped himself, but I knew it was going to be another apology.

You can’t help it. Technically I did it to myself.

I just wish we could look into each other’s eyes without you either being in pain or…

Tripping balls? I couldn’t help but giggle as I said it.

Yes, I suppose that is one way to put it. He laughed. I can never stay depressed when I’m around you.

I glanced at the clock. You’re going to be late.

Don’t remind me, I’d much rather spend the morning with you. He winked at me.

I know. Tomorrow we’ll have a lazy morning in bed.

Tomorrow we’ll be moving if you don’t hate the place.

It doesn’t happen that fast. There’s credit checks to run, and the application has to be approved. It took almost three weeks for me to get this place.

It tends to go far quicker if you’re willing to give people cash up front.

And when was the last time you got an apartment?

Never, but I have a friend in the building already.  He pounced me again, knocking me back against the pillows. With the quickest brush of his lips to mine, he slipped from the bed. I’ll see you at ten fifty on the dot.

Going to wait outside of my class?

Mhm, with one of those coconut wraps from that place you love downtown.

I’m so spoiled, I purred.

I try. I love you. Get some sleep. He turned off the light.

I love you too. Be safe!

I always am, he called, closing the door.

There was no way in hell I could go back to sleep, so I got out of bed and worked on one of my final papers. The spiked walls of finals were closing in, threatening to skewer me. There was nothing quite as terrifying as finals or what came after… graduation.

****

By the time I usually needed to wake up to get ready for class, I had already finished my paper. I printed it up and started putting myself together when I’d normally be hitting the snooze button for the eighth time. I figured I’d turn it in and get coffee on campus before class. That was why an hour before I usually headed across the street to campus, I was in the line at the coffee shop with my big, heavy purse I used as a book bag hanging off my shoulder.

With my ear buds in, I was dancing in my own world. In the line full of tired and haggard students, I seemed an oddity. My mood, however, kept me from paying much attention to the people who stared at me like I was an escaped mental patient. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I didn’t notice Jen—my only friend, who I had been neglecting—approach. She tapped my shoulder, and I jumped with a gasp.

Oh, Jen, hi! I took out my ear buds.

Hey girl! We hugged. Jen was gorgeous. She was tall, leggy, blonde, and supermodel attractive. Not only was she pretty, but she always dressed amazingly. Today was no exception. She looked very businessy—which meant she probably had a presentation to give. She wore a charcoal gray skirt and a nice white blouse with a matching jacket. The only unprofessional thing about her attire was the length of her skirt and the seam up the back of her pantyhose.

Presenting?

Yeah, over my Gatsby paper. I’m so glad I got that out of the way at the beginning of the semester.

I just finished my final paper for Victorian Painters.

Let me guess, more Waterhouse?

Yeah. I laughed.

You love that guy’s work so much I’m pretty sure I could write a book about him.

You’re no better with F. Scott Fitzgerald. I teased sticking out my tongue. We shared a giggle, and it was my turn in line. Want anything? I asked.

Nah.

I ordered my coffee and a croissant.

So how are things with Asher? I inquired, glancing at her as the barista handed me my croissant and coffee. An elaborate diamond ring glinted on her finger now—given the finger it was obviously an engagement ring. Asher proposed to her weeks ago. She had asked him to try again after graduation—they had only known each other for a month when he popped the question. Since then, he decided I wasn’t fit friend material since I was dating a vampire.

At the time, I thought it was because of the stigma that people face when dating a preternatural, but it was so much less than that. There was bad blood between the vampires and werewolves, and Asher was a werewolf. I hadn’t known until Byron showed up and warned Jen about Asher’s reputation.

My current internal conflict had been whether or not to call her and ask if she was okay. She seemed fine, but I knew that people could hide depression—I had taken Psych 101 after all. And if it did go badly she was in a terrible spot. He gave her a job working under him, bought her a car, moved her into his place,